Category: Webpages

Categories
Activities Educational Resources Webpages

Natural Selection Video Game: Catch a Mimic

Video Game: https://www.embodied-games.com/games/natural-selection-catch-a-mimic/play-catch-a-mimic/

Teaching Materials: https://www.embodied-games.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/teacher-lecture-Catch-A-Mimic-uploaded_Final_2019.pdf

Embodied-Games.com. (2019). Natural Selection: Catch a Mimic. Embodied Games. https://www.embodied-games.com/games/natural-selection-catch-a-mimic/play-catch-a-mimic/

House, B. & Johnson-Glenberg, M. (2019). Lesson Plan For “Catch a Mimic: Natural Selection.” Embodied Games. https://www.embodied-games.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/teacher-lecture-Catch-A-Mimic-uploaded_Final_2019.pdf

A video game simulation which can help students actively engage in learning how certain species evolve over many generations via natural selection and appear to “mimic” or copy the appearance of other animals. The game emphasizes that this evolutionary process takes many generations (a long time) in order for this mimicry to occur through natural selection to help address the common misunderstanding that the organism intends to change their traits. The teaching materials provide a guide for content to highlight before and after students use this video game and potential lesson structures.

Course content area – Mimicry & Evolution by Natural Selection – Variability in traits, phenotype, fitness, mimicry, addressing misconceptions about evolution and intention, timeline for evolution (generations)

Course – Ethology: Animal Behavior (200 level)

Campus – Hunter College

Categories
Educational Resources Readings Webpages

Bottlenecks and founder effects

https://evolution.berkeley.edu/bottlenecks-and-founder-effects/

Very brief reading about bottleneck and founder effect with examples. Webpage is part of the Understanding Evolution website from UC Museum of Paleontology. Webpage is available in Spanish.

Used as a pre-class reading to prepare for a class covering genetic drift and other mechanisms of evolution.

Course content area – Population Genetics & Mechanisms of Evolution – Genetic drift, mutation, gene flow, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium

Course – Evolution & Behavior (100 level)

Campus – Hunter College

Categories
Educational Resources Readings Webpages

DNA and mutations

https://evolution.berkeley.edu/dna-and-mutations/

A series of webpages covering how DNA is the molecular basis of evolution and the role of mutations in evolution. Webpages are part of the Understanding Evolution website from UC Museum of Paleontology.

Assigned as a pre-class reading for a class on Raw Material – DNA, genes, variation, inheritance, epigenetics

Course content area – Raw Material – DNA, genes, variation, inheritance, epigenetics

Course – Evolution & Behavior (100 level)

Campus – Hunter College

Categories
Educational Resources Webpages

Genetic Drift Simulation

https://www.whfreeman.com/BrainHoney/Resource/6716/SitebuilderUploads/Hillis2e/Student%20Resources/Animated%20Tutorials/pol2e_at_1502_genetic_drift_simulation/pol2e_at_1502_genetic_drift_simulation.html#

A simulation (applet) that allows you to plot the population size, number of generations, and original allele frequency, then a figure populates to show the breakdown of the genotypes within the population.

Used to support Exploring Genetic Drift with Tuco tucos in-class activity.

Course content area – Population Genetics & Mechanisms of Evolution – Genetic drift, mutation, gene flow, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium

Course – Evolution & Behavior (100 level)

Campus – Hunter College

Categories
Educational Resources Webpages

Reproductive Advantage Simulation – Rock pocket mice

https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/evolution/advantage

Simulation of rock pocket mice with different coat colors and how the changing environment impacts survival. Provided by the Genetics Science Learning Center from the University of Utah.

Course content area – Natural Selection

Course – Evolution & Behavior (100 level)

CUNY College – Hunter College

Categories
Educational Resources Videos Webpages

The Cornell Lab – Bird Academy Webpage

https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/natural-selection-sexual-selection-an-illustrated-introduction/

High-quality videos, learning games, and open lectures covering a multitude of topics related to animal behavior and evolution.

All (or at least most) videos have captions, available transcripts, and are available through Youtube. Under the Videos tab, you can check off certain categories including Evolution, Behavior, Brains + Senses, Migration, etc.

https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/media-library/

Some favorite videos: