This is a modified version of a lab I did during my freshman biology course. I created a story, which laid the ground rules for the interactions of the prey (Meeps) and the predators (Gorks) and also lightened the mood of an otherwise tedious and abstract concept. For a printable version of the lesson click here: Meep and Gork Link
Hungry, Hungry Gorks: Natural Selection Lab
Background: Over the last 60 million years Meeps evolved several different color varieties. Meeps reproduce sexually, with like-colored Meeps. For example, blue Meeps can only make babies with blue Meeps. If a blue Meep were to mate with a red Meep no babies would be made because their genes do not match. Every time Meeps mate they only make one more Meep. Meeps have evolved all of these colors to help them hide from Gorks. Gorks are big-mouthed, large, land predators that eat as many Meeps as they can find. Meeps are vegetarians with no protection from the Gorks other than camouflage. Meeps are so good at hiding that there population has gotten too big and they are running out of their favorite food, fresh Meep-berries. Now, Meeps are on the move. Meeps of all colors are looking for new places to live. The biggest problem for the moving Meeps is that they do not know if the Gorks will be able to see and eat them in their new environments. So the question remains; which color Meep will survive the best in the new environment?
Directions:
1. Choose one team member to make the Meeps, while the other team members will create the environment.
2. Meep Maker: Hole punch 15 Meeps from each color paper on your table.
Environment Creators: Use the colored paper, glue stick, and scissors to make an environment.
3. Describe your environment below. Example: Our environment is half blue, one fourth orange, and one fourth red.
4. What is your hypothesis? Which color Meep will survive best in your newly created environment? Why?
5. Meeps find a new home. Place all of your Meeps evenly across the environment.
6. Gorks eat all the Meeps they can find. Have the Gorks (two of the team members) eat as many Meeps as they can find in 15 seconds. Keep track of how many Meeps survive the first round of predation on the data sheets.
7. For every two Meeps that survived the first hunt of the Gorks, make one more Meep. Example: 11 yellow Meeps survived, so there are five pairs (10 Meeps) that can mate. This results in five new Meeps. So, 11+5=16 Meeps will be present in the next generation.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 three more times.
9. Look at your data sheets and results, what is your conclusion? What color Meep is best adapted to your environment? Why?
Describe your environment: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hypothesis: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How does this lab demonstrate natural selection? (Look at your definition.)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________