Animal Behavior Teaching ResourcesLink: https://youtu.be/xW6qZNcTGwU?si=wCx70HYAErMbbYc2
Video on youtube describing how researchers discovered why rough-skinned newts evolved to be the most toxic.
Video is also available from PBS with edited captions: https://cptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.evo.toxicnewts/toxic-newts/
Course content area – Natural Selection
Course – Evolution & Behavior (100 level)
Campus – Hunter College
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
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
Butler, K. J. 2021. A quick and simple natural selection role play. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2021.10
https://qubeshub.org/community/groups/coursesource/publications?id=2717&tab_active=about&v=1
Role play game in which students act as a population of living organisms (rabbits) with different versions of a trait (running speed) that are being selected for (fox predation). Over multiple generations with selection, students see the loss of the less adaptive versions of the trait (slow and medium running speed) and fixation of the most adaptive version of the trait (fast running speed).
The source materials provide LOs, lesson plan, slides, questions/answers
Class size – 50; works best with class of 20-30 students. With 50 students 4 students assisted in counting, disseminating, and collecting cards, and identifying individuals to be selected against (predators)
Required Materials – Note cards to indicate version of trait
Estimated time – 20-30 min
Instructor notes and adaptation – I added a homework assignment to give the students credit for participating and for learning the major objectives of the lesson (located in Google drive folder – LINK)
Course content area – Natural Selection
Course – Evolution & Behavior (100 level)
Campus – Hunter College
