Moth Natural Selection Lab

Tom·

Natural Selection

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At a Glance

SubjectNatural Selection

Original Prompt

Compare survival in both environments: Which moth color was favored in the light environment and which was favored in the dark environment? Use evidence from the simulation to support your answer. Explain the selective pressure in each environment. What factor caused certain moths to be eaten more often? Why did the moth population change over time even though individual moths did not change color? Use what you observed in the simulation. Predict what would happen if moths from the dark environm...

This learning resource focuses on the concept of natural selection through the example of the peppered moth. It details how environmental conditions, particularly during the Industrial Revolution in England, influenced the survival of different moth phenotypes based on their ability to camouflage against natural backgrounds. Students engage in a simulation that lets them analyze selective pressures and their impact on moth populations. The lessons encompass understanding key vocabulary such as natural selection, adaptation, and selective pressure. Additionally, students predict outcomes based on environmental changes and analyze data collected during simulations to support their conclusions. By utilizing a structured approach to claim, evidence, and reasoning, students learn to explain how natural selection operates through observed data rather than random chance.