Lab: Bird Beak Adaptation
Objective: Students will understand natural
selection and selective pressure, by examining the relationship between bird
beaks and preferred food types.
Method: In this
simulation, you will imitate birds, gather different kinds of food items, and
record and analyze your data.
Plastic cup (1 per student)
Spoons-for spoonbill
birds (1per bird)
Popsicle or
chopsticks - for chopstick bill birds (1 pair per bird)
Scissors - for scissor
beak birds (1 pair per bird)
Tweezers - for tweezer bill
birds (1 per bird)
Clothespins -
clothespin beak birds (1 per bird)
Round toothpicks for
stick worms
¼ Washers for wash
weevils
¼ - ½ rocks
for rock beetles
Data sheet (word version) (1 per student)
Graph paper or computer graphed
Procedure:
1.
Each
student gets a cup to be used as a stomach in which to store food items.
2.
Each
student is given one type of bird beak to be used to pick up food items.
3.
When
directed to, each bird must pick food items using its beak and drop the food
items into its stomach. (Food items may not be scooped or thrown into
the stomach. the stomach must be held upright.)
4.
At
the signal to stop eating, all birds stand up at once.
5.
Each
bird counts the number of food items in its stomach and records it on their
data sheet.
6.
Birds
with the same beak type now meet together, determine the average number of food
items gathered and record it on their data sheets.
7.
Repeat
the activity for each remaining food types, and scenarios, and record the data.
8.
Discus
and analyze the data collected, construct two graphs of the data as directed
on the data sheet.
9. Using the graphed
information answer the questions on the data sheet.
