Twirly Bird Evolution!

1. TwirlyBird Evolution! Learning about natural selection with paper birdies

2. Learning Goals • Offspring look different from parents • The changes are random • Some changes are better than others • Individuals with “good changes” get to have babies. • Over long, long, long periods of time this makes animals look very different. • That’s evolution!

3. Materials • Grid paper (included in your package) • Scissors • Dice

4. Getting Started • Groups of three • For each group: • 1-2 grid sheets per group • 1 pair of scissors • 1 die

5. Initial Population • Create original Twirly bird • 2 cm X 6 cm • Cut down the middle to create wings • Bend wings 45oin opposite directions

6. Flight Test! • In your group, decide which height to drop the bird from • Make sure to keep it constant through the activity • Hold the Twirly bird (wings up!) and drop it.

7. Mating Season! • It is time for your twirly bird to reproduce! • 3 offspring • One is just like the original • Two have mutations

8. Rules for Mutation • Roll the die:

9. Flight test! • Drop the three offspring • Remember the drop should be the same height as the initial flight test • The bird which falls the slowest is the best flyer! • Only the best flyer gets to reproduce!

10. Make Five Generations

11. What happened? • Who flew the best? • How does the fifth generation differ from the original twirly bird? • Are there any differences between groups? • Are there different ways to be a good flyer?

12. Classroom Discussion • Mutations • Which were the beneficial mutations? • Which were not beneficial? • Were there any lethal mutations? • What would happen to the birds in many, many generations? • Do you think twirly birds could change so much that they would be different species?

13. Classroom Discussion • Connection to real world • Butterflies! Look how different their wings are.