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 know how natural selection determines the differential survival of groups of organisms.
• Students know both genetic variation and environmental factors are causes of evolution and diversity of organisms.
• Students know sexual reproduction produces offspring that inherit half their genes from each parent.

• natural selection
• phenotype
• population
• parent
• evolution
• genotype
• environment

Adapted from a PhET™ simulation, this lesson allows students to model natural selection, providing an opportunity to make predictions about evolution in a population over a short period of time.

As a result, students will:

• Understand how natural selection drives evolution.
• Understand how populations change as a result of mutations and selection.
• See how parental genetics influence offspring.