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Beaks As Tools: Selective Advantage in Changing Environments

Photo of a finch's head and beak

Topic

  • Evolution
  • Natural Selection
  • Speciation
  • Scientific Skills & Literacy
  • Visual & Physical Models

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Labs & Demos

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IB
Saved By
25 Users
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View in Spanish

Description

In this activity, students collect and analyze data from a hands-on model to discover why even slight variations in beak size can impact a bird’s ability to obtain food and survive.

in the 1970s and 1980s, medium ground finch populations in the Galápagos Islands experienced two major droughts. This activity simulates the food availability during these droughts and demonstrates how rapidly natural selection can act when the environment changes. In the model for this activity, students test which of two tools, which simulate different beak sizes, is better adapted to collect and “eat” seeds under various conditions. Students also watch clips from the short film The Beak of the Finch to provide context for what they will be modeling. 

The accompanying “Group Data Table” handout is for student groups to record their data. The optional “Class Data Table” spreadsheet can be used to compile data from multiple groups for plotting graphs and calculating descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation).

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.

Student Learning Targets

  • Explain how even slight variations in traits can impact an organism’s ability to survive. 
  • Use evidence to explain how environmental change can lead to strong selective pressure on certain traits.
  • Develop an explanation about how traits can provide a selective advantage under different environmental conditions.
  • Make predictions based on observations and collect quantitative data to test these predictions.
  • Organize and analyze results by using computational thinking to make sense of data.
  • Collect, analyze, and interpret data to identify patterns and possible cause-and-effect relationships.

Estimated Time

One 50-minute class period.

Key Terms

adaptation, claim, fitness, Daphne Major, evidence, Galápagos, medium ground finch, reasoning, selective pressure, variation

Terms of Use

The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

Spanish files meet criteria. PDF files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 04.10.14
Date Updated 06.09.21

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-2, HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-5; SEP4, SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1.D, EVO-1.E, EVO-1.J, SYI-3.D, EVO-1.M, EVO-1.O, EVO-3.A; SP1, SP5

IB Biology (2016)

5.2, C.1

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.5, 2.6
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.G, ERT-2.H, SP1, SP2, SP4, SP5, SP6

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

3.2

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9-12.7, ELA.WHST.6-12.1
Math.S-ID.3, S-IC.3; MP2, MP4

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC5; DP1

Materials

Resource Google Folder (link)
Educator Materials (PDF) 473 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 522 KB
Group Data Table (PDF) 238 KB
Class Data Table (Excel) 40 KB
Educator Materials - Español (PDF) 410 KB
Student Handout - Español (PDF) 393 KB
Spreadsheet - Español (Excel) 41 KB

Additional Materials

  • box with substrate
  • rice and beans
  • tweezers and pliers
  • cups
  • timer (can use phone or watch)
  • measuring spoons and cups or a scale 

Use This Resource With

Video Resource
The Origin of Species: The Beak of the Finch

Educator Tips

Hear how educators are using BioInteractive content in their teaching.
Educator in front of an image of a bird
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1-Minute Tips

Beaks as Tools

Jason Crean describes how he uses BioInteractive's "Beaks as Tools" activity to supplement understanding of Rosemary and Peter Grant's research on the evolution of the Galápagos finches.
View Article
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