Natural Selection
Joseph Austin
OVERVIEW:
The purpose of this lesson plan is to teach and explore to 6th grade students
the process of natural selection. This would be accomplished by using
natural selection in its natural and smallest form (the alleles). This lesson
will demonstrate to students how the dominate allele is represented through
natural selection.
This lesson is intended to show students how the traits of an individual are
influenced by both the environment and the genetics. Through the
technology of an online video students will be able to understand what
natural selection is and how it takes place. The following website contains
the video the students will watch:
http://www.sciencechannel.com/embed?page=8891
After watching the short video the students will then participate in a hands
on experiment to actively understand the process of natural selection. To
record the results of the experiment the students will go onto blackboard
and post the results in a table format. Upon completion of the experiment
students will then post their opinions of the experiment on blackboard.
GOAL:
The goal of this lesson/experiment is to 1st introduce to 6th grade students
natural selection through the use of multi-media technology from a video
online. 2nd give students a hands on perspective of natural selection. 3rd use
blackboard on the computer as a method to record group results and to
discuss comments and opinions.
GRADE LEVEL: 6th Grade students
TIME:
Video- 5 minutes
Experiment and individual recorded results- 40 to 50 minutes
Group results and discussion/opinions posted to Blackboard the following
day.
RESOURCES:
Digital Overhead Projector and laptop to share video online
5 Tables for hands on experiment (4 groups of students per table).
Computer lab with 20 computers to record results and to post comments and
opinions on blackboard.
Materials needed for each group during the actual experiment:
 Black and white beads
o 25 black
o 25 white
 2 Cups per 2 students

Labels for each colony
o Homozygous dominate (DD)-black beads
o Homozygous recessive (dd)-white beads
o Heterozygous (Dd) black and white beads
MI STANDARDS AND BENCHMARKS:
I.
Technology-6-8.CI.3. illustrate a content-related concept using a
model, simulation, or concept-mapping software
II.
Technology-6-8.CC.1. use digital resources (e.g., discussion
groups, blogs, podcasts, videoconferences, Moodle, Blackboard) to
collaborate with peers, experts, and other audiences
III. Technology--6-8.CT.2. evaluate available digital resources and
select the most appropriate application to accomplish a specific task
(e, g., word processor, table, outline, spreadsheet, presentation
program)
Objectives:
I.
Acknowledge how Natural selection happens and what happens to
future offspring from those selections.
II.
Be able to identify which is the better selection in the natural order
of selections.
III. Be able to identify why each selection is critical to future offspring
survival.
IV. Gain insight on Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection and its
importance.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN:
Step 1. The instructor will gather a laptop and digital projector to play the
online video.
Step 2. The students will get into groups of 4 to participate in the
experiment. The students will be given a handout with
directions/procedures of the experiment. After the experiment the students
will record and discuss their results.
Step 3. The following day the students will record their group results onto
blackboard in a table format and discuss their findings and opinions of the
experiment.
Natural Selection Activity/Handout
Procedure
1. Students will receive a set of 2 cups per 2 students. Each pair of students will remove 25
white beads and 25 black beads. Students will then put both sets of beads into the cup
and shake the cup. One student will proceed to take out two beads at a time. The other
student will record the set of beads as they are pulled out.
2. The students will do this process 3 separate times. Each time recording how the pairs of
beads are taken out. Two beads together represent the cells alleles.
a. Homozygous dominate (DD)- 2 black beads
b. Homozygous recessive (dd)- 2 white beads
c. Heterozygous (Dd) 1 black and 1 white bead
3. After each round is complete the student will put only the beads back in the cup that
represents the pairs of homozygous dominate beads and pairs of heterozygous beads,
leaving out the homozygous recessive beads.
4. Calculate the percentage of genotypes based on the beads pulled out.
Results
First Round-Start with 50 total beads (25 white and 25 black) and calculate the percentage
2 Black Beads (DD)
2 White Beads(dd)
1 White and 1 Black Bead (Dd)
Percentage:
Percentage:
Percentage:
Second Round- Use remainder of homozygous dominant and heterozygous beads from round 1
and calculate the percentage based on the remainder of the beads.
2 Black Beads (DD)
2 White Beads(dd)
1 White and 1 Black Bead ((Dd)
Percentage:
Percentage:
Percentage:
Third round – Use remainder of homozygous dominant and heterozygous beads from round 2
and calculate the percentage based on the remainder of beads.
2 Black Beads (DD)
2 White Beads(dd)
1 White and 1 Black Bead ((Dd)
Percentage:
Percentage:
Percentage: