Partners Names:_________________________________________________________________
PD:______
Beak Adaptation Lab
Problem Statement: You are going to mimic how the variations of Darwin’s finches compete
for different types of food sources. Pretend that the different colored beans are different types
of seeds for birds. You and your partners will be collecting the white beans. Natural selection
happens when a population changes in response to their environment.
Procedures:
1). There will be five groups of three students. The five groups will represent different beak
adaptations of Darwin’s finches. Determine who your partners are and then the teacher will tell
your group which lab table to sit at. Place each of your partner’s names at the top of your
worksheet.
2). Bring your handout and pencil to your lab table and follow your teacher’s directions. Once
you arrive to your tables to conduct your experiment, observe the tool that is placed at your
station. This will be your beak adaptation.
Circle your beak adaptation:
Sticks
Spoon
Fork
Forceps
Taped Hand
3). The teacher will tell you when to start collecting beans. When you start, you should only
have your tool and cup in your hands. You may use only your tool to put the beans into your
cup. One hand is using the tool and the other hand must hold the cup. Once the teacher says
time’s up, you must stop collecting beans.
4). In your container, you see a variety of colored beans, rice, and other miscellaneous items.
The food source that you will be going after are the 100 white beans. Each of your partners will
work together to try and collect the most white beans as possible in the time frame given. DO
NOT COLLECT anything other than the white beans, including the rice. Your species at this time
does not eat anything but white beans.
5). When the teacher says stop, combine your beans with your partner’s beans and count the
total number of beans collected. Record the data in the 1st generation of the data table below.
Once you recorded your data, take the beans you collected and place them in the container
labeled Eaten Beans. Share your data with the teacher and record all the data from all the
groups.
6). The group with the lowest number of total beans dies off and becomes extinct. They will
return to their seats and work on analysis questions, vocab, and fill in class info on their charts.
7). The surviving beans in your container will reproduce and double their population. Take the
number of beans your group collected and subtract from 100. This is the number of surviving
beans.
8). Inform the teacher of your number survived. One member will then collect that number of
white beans in a cup. (Example: if my total number of survived beans were 40, I would go collect
40 additional beans). Take the cup back to your table and the teacher will be around to mix the
beans in your container.
9). You will repeat steps 3-8 for the second, third, and fourth generations, with each generation
there will be one extinction. Mark zeros for non-participating extinct finches.
NOTICE:
You will NOT be subtracting the total from 100 the second, third, or fourth generation. You
will be subtracting from the previous survivors. (When you double the surviving beans from
the previous generation). Make sure you always write the total of your beans before
collecting.
10). The lab will end when there is one type of adaptation left and the rest have become extinct.
This will demonstrate which adaptation was best suited for the environment. Groups will be
expected to have all data tables filled in (even if you were extinct) and answer the analysis
questions at the end of the lab.
Beak Adaptation Lab Data Sheet
Hypothesis: If I had the ____________________ adaptation, then I would be the most fit for
survival in the environment.
Data:
1st Generation
Sticks
Spoon
Fork
Taped
Hand
Forceps
White
Beans
Total
100 -
=
2nd Generation
Sticks
Spoon
Fork
Taped
Hand
Forceps
Total
- Previous Survivors
White
Beans
3rd Generation
Sticks
Spoon
Fork
Taped
Hand
Forceps
Total
- Previous Survivors
White
Beans
4th Generation
Sticks
White
Beans
Spoon
Fork
Taped
Hand
Forceps
Total
-Previous Survivors
Analysis:
1). Which finch became extinct first and explain why it was not adapted for survival?
2). Which finch was best adapted for survival?
3). Why were the white beans (seeds) well adapted in this environment?
4). If tan or red beans (seeds) were introduced into this environment, which seeds would you
think would be eaten the most? Explain why?
5). In this lab we only had one environment, the _________________. Four adaptations became
extinct in that environment, but on the Galapagos Islands, there were many surviving species of
finches. How might the finches in this lab avoid extinction due to competition?
6). Explain about evolution by natural selection using the following terms: population,
environment, competition, fittest, adaptation, and extinction.