Are you able to relate what you learned to what you already knew?
This week we talked about natural selection and how traits affect which animals live and which animals died. We did an activity that simulated traits for predators and the amount of prey they would kill. This helped to solidify the idea that some traits are more ideal for hunting and surviving than others.
Which parts did you find clear and which were confusing?
I found it clear that the different utensils represented different traits for the predators. I did not understand what the leftover beans represented and what the different colors of beans represented. Our group thought it was clear that the trait (utensil) that got the most prey would survive and have offspring with similar traits, which is why the predators that died after not getting enough food were replaced with spoons.
How can you apply what you've learned to your teaching in the future?
We did an activity that simulated traits for predators and the amount of prey they would kill. The traits were spoons, forks, and knives, which were what we used to pick up beans (prey). I think this would be a fun activity to play in my future classroom and it would help students understand natural selection. I like the simulation activities, and I think that finding more to use for students would be helpful.
I also said that this would be a great activity to teach about natural selection to kids because it is exciting and fun. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI was also confused on what values our collected vs leftover beans represented. The table could have included one or two more columns to show more values/variables to make it more clear and easier to understand, however I also recognized the end goal of the activity and also thought it would be a great way to teach students about natural selection and available resources.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that this would be a great activity to do with elementary students. I think it really helps them to visualize how natural selection works.
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