LESSON OVERVIEW

Lesson Title: Natural Selection

Grade Level: Third
Duration: 30 minutes
Essential Questions:
1. Aim Question: How do adaptations aid organisms?
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Learning Targets/Objectives:
Learning Outcome 1: Students will be able to understand the concept of natural selection.
Learning Outcome 2: Students will be able to understand adaptations and their purpose.
Learning Outcome 3: Students will be able to use their previous knowledge along with data from
the activity to draw conclusions.
3-LS42.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in
characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages
in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. [Clarification Statement:
Examples of cause and effect relationships could be plants that have larger thorns
than other plants may be less likely to be eaten by predators; and, animals that have
better camouflage coloration than other animals may be more likely to survive and
therefore more likely to leave offspring.]

METHODS, ACTIVITIES, INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

1. Vocabulary:
a. Natural selection
b. Adaptation
2. Introduction:
a. Read Peppers Special Wings by Mary Anne Farah
b. Introduce topic and important vocabulary
c. Ask for examples of adaptations and how natural selection was show in the book
3. Activity:
a. Each group of birds (students) with different types of beaks (tools for picking up the
items) gets an assortment of food in their environment (items placed on a piece of
paper)
b. Students must use one hand to hold their beak tool and hold the other hand cupped
against their body as a stomach

c. During each round, students must use their beak tool to transport as many food items
into their stomach as possible
d. Each round lasts 15 seconds
e. At the end of the round, the bird with the least amount of food in its stomach from
each group dies and cannot reproduce
f. At the end of each round, food should also be removed from the stomach and set
aside for future analysis
g. At the end of the last round, the last remaining bird survives, can reproduce and pass
its genes to future generations
h. In groups, look at which types of food each bird was able to eat throughout all the
rounds
i. Make a chart and mark down how many of each type of food each different
ii.
iii.
iv.

bird was able to eat

Discuss how that affected the survival of that bird
Discuss which beak is best and why
Discuss how this knowledge affects future generations of birds on the island

4. Closure:
a. Review discussion questions and conclusions as a class.
b. Clear up any misconceptions.
ASSESSMENT
1. How will I assess student mastery of the skills, content, and concepts taught in this
lesson?
a. I will walk around and observe the students complete the activity, ask questions
throughout the lesson, have students share their ideas with the class and collect their
notes and data they collected throughout the activity.
2. How will I know I have successfully met the outcome of this lesson?
a. I will be able to see that students have met the outcomes if they can successfully
complete the question sheet and draw accurate the conclusions from the activity.
3. How will my students know they have successfully met the outcomes?
a. Students will know they met the outcomes if they can successfully complete the
question sheet and draw conclusions from the activity.
MATERIALS
1. General Materials:

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

clothes pins
spoons
tweezers
rubber bands
straws
paper clips
paper
worksheets
virtual book
PowerPoint

RATIONALE/RELEVANCE
Why are the outcomes of this lesson important? Why are these outcomes essential for future
learning?
The outcomes of this lesson are important because it is necessary for students to
understand natural selections and how advantageous traits are passed down through generations.

Natural Selection and Adaptations

Make a chart. Mark down how many of each type of food each different bird was able to eat.

Discuss how this affected the survival of each bird.

Discuss which beak is best and why.

Discuss how this knowledge affects future generations of birds on the island.