Natural Selection Skittles Lab Name:

Purpose/Objective(s):

- To describe the importance of coloration in avoiding predation

- To explain how natural selection causes populations to change

Materials:

ü  Skittles

ü  Colored paper

ü  Small collecting container

ü  Calculator

Procedure

Each group member will be writing down data, tables, hypotheses, AND discussion questions. EVERY SINGLE GROUP MEMBER.

Part I

1) Group leader will be the person responsible for running the lab and getting the Skittles from the teacher.

DO NOT EAT ANY Skittles UNTIL THE END OF THE LAB.

2) The teacher will randomly choose 30 Skittles and give them to your leader.

3) The leader will evenly space the Skittles on the colored piece of paper.

4) Record the color and number of each color in the table. The Color of the paper is ______.

Skittle Color / Total # (Population) / # Selected (eaten) / # Left (Survived) / % Survival
Example: Red / Example: 4 / Example: 3 / Example: 1 / Example: 1/4 = 25%

5) Devise a hypothesis about which color of Skittles will have the highest survival percentage in your environment (colored paper).

Hypothesis ______

6) Three members of the group will select Skittles. Each member should keep their eyes closed until the leader of the group tells them to pick on Skittle. Once told to select a Skittle, the member of the group will open their eyes and select the first Skittle they see. Place the Skittle in the collecting container. Each member will select 5 Skittles (for a total of 15 Skittles).

7) Once 15 Skittles have been selected, fill out the rest of the table for each color. Leave the remaining 15 skittles on the colored paper. They will be used in Part II of the lab.

Part II

1) Ask the teacher for 15 more Skittles and a different colored paper. Put the Skittles evenly on the different colored piece of paper along with the Skittles left from Part I of the lab.

2) Devise a hypothesis about which color Skittles will have the highest survival percentage in your new environment.

Hypothesis ______

3) Record the color, size, and number of each color in the table below. Paper Color: ______

Skittle Color / Total # (population) / # Selected (eaten) / # Left (Survived) / % Survival

4) Three members of the group will select Skittles. Each member should keep their eyes closed until the leader of the group tells them to pick a Skittles. Once told to select a Skittles, the member of the group will open their eyes and select the first Skittle they see. Place the Skittles in the collecting container. Each member will select 5 Skittles (for a total of 15 Skittles).

5) Once 15 Skittles have been selected, fill out the rest of the table.

Discussion Questions

1) What was the color of your environment (paper) in Part I and Part II? What does the color of the paper represent in this lab?

What do the skittles represent in this lab? (Think about species interactions…hint hint predator/prey hint hint)

2) In Part I of the lab, which two colors had the highest survival percentage? Did this support your hypothesis? Why or why not?

3) In Part I of the lab, which two colors had the lowest survival percentage? Did this support your hypothesis? Why or why not?

4) In Part II of the lab, which two colors had the highest survival rates? Why were these colors selected more often than others?

5) In Part II of the lab, which two colors had the lowest survival rates? Why were these colors selected more often than others?

6) Is coloration an important factor in successful predation? Explain why?

7) What is the relationship between the environment and the color of the Skittles selected?

8) What does this lab have to do with the Law of Natural Selection?