In this lesson, students will model natural selection, providing an opportunity to make predictions about evolution in a population over a short period of time.

• Students will know how natural selection determines the differential survival of groups of organisms.
• Students will know why natural selection acts on the phenotype rather than the genotype of an organism.

• natural selection
• evolution
• phenotype
• genotype
• population
• generation

Adapted from a PhET^TM simulation, this lesson allows students to model natural selection, providing an opportunity to investigate the mechanisms that lead to evolutionary changes. A guided lesson video (optional) is also available for this activity. The video is targeted at students and designed to help guide them through the interactive exploration and the concepts covered within. (It may also be helpful for teachers who may be using the activity for the first time.)

As a results, students will:

• Understand natural selection as a driver of evolution.
• Understand how populations change as a result of mutations and selection.
• Be able to distinguish phenotype and genotype