Students fix vegetation to the walls above single tables at varying heights, say between 10cm and 100cm from tabletop level. Then, using long balloons, students construct giraffes by twisting the balloons to create legs, bodies and the neck- one balloon per giraffe is plenty. Students can also colour their giraffes with texta. When the giraffes and the trees have been made, the natural selection can begin. Each table represents an island that the giraffes cannot move onto or leave- they are captive populations. Students place their giraffes upon a table- a few giraffes per table will suffice. The next part is best conducted as a whole class. Table by table, the giraffes are stood upright on their legs. If the giraffe can easily reach the foliage on the wall then they are able to gather food, and they will live- but all those who cannot reach the leaves are immediately popped with a pin, killed by hunger. Some tables will have the entire population killed off- others may all survive. When the numbers get down a bit, some tables can be pushed together, and populations mingled- this represents gene inflow and competition. Again giraffes are popped, and now, with the new population, other characteristics can be chosen- the more outlandish colour schemes may be popped (predation effects), or those with shorter hindlegs may be popped (predator evasion), and so on. Eventually, the remaining population can have a punnet square developed for them, which will determine the physical characteristics of the offspring of the surviving giraffes.
Assessment: Prac writeup and punnet square
Upon completion of the prac, students will write up a prac report and submit the report in the following class, complete with a punnet square. It is expected that students will apply biological language to the balloon giraffes, discussing allele frequencies and types of population fluctiations in terms of biological and evolutionary language, and expand upon and discuss any points which they wish to clarify. Students are expected to provide actual examples where possible. There is no set goal for this assessment other than to engage students with the idea of thinking abstractly about evolution, and applying this knowledge to real world situations.
CURRICULUM MAP (Links to VCE Biology Study Design)
Learning Activity
Skills
Assessment
Giraffe Balloons
'Apply biological understandings.
Investigate and enquire.
Communicate information and understanding'
see above
Area of Study
Key Knowledge
Learning Outcomes
2 - Change Over Time
'Change in populations: gene pool, allele frequencies; selection pressures, genetic drift'
'Students investigate changes to species and examine the process of natural selection as a mechanism for evolution'
Giraffe balloons
Students fix vegetation to the walls above single tables at varying heights, say between 10cm and 100cm from tabletop level. Then, using long balloons, students construct giraffes by twisting the balloons to create legs, bodies and the neck- one balloon per giraffe is plenty. Students can also colour their giraffes with texta. When the giraffes and the trees have been made, the natural selection can begin. Each table represents an island that the giraffes cannot move onto or leave- they are captive populations. Students place their giraffes upon a table- a few giraffes per table will suffice. The next part is best conducted as a whole class. Table by table, the giraffes are stood upright on their legs. If the giraffe can easily reach the foliage on the wall then they are able to gather food, and they will live- but all those who cannot reach the leaves are immediately popped with a pin, killed by hunger. Some tables will have the entire population killed off- others may all survive. When the numbers get down a bit, some tables can be pushed together, and populations mingled- this represents gene inflow and competition. Again giraffes are popped, and now, with the new population, other characteristics can be chosen- the more outlandish colour schemes may be popped (predation effects), or those with shorter hindlegs may be popped (predator evasion), and so on. Eventually, the remaining population can have a punnet square developed for them, which will determine the physical characteristics of the offspring of the surviving giraffes.Assessment: Prac writeup and punnet square
Upon completion of the prac, students will write up a prac report and submit the report in the following class, complete with a punnet square. It is expected that students will apply biological language to the balloon giraffes, discussing allele frequencies and types of population fluctiations in terms of biological and evolutionary language, and expand upon and discuss any points which they wish to clarify. Students are expected to provide actual examples where possible. There is no set goal for this assessment other than to engage students with the idea of thinking abstractly about evolution, and applying this knowledge to real world situations.
CURRICULUM MAP (Links to VCE Biology Study Design)
Investigate and enquire.
Communicate information and understanding'