Jenny Jankowski

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November 20, 2012
Lesson: Natural Selection
Grade: 5
th

Materials:
For each group:
One piece of patterned fabric
60 Goldfish crackers in 3 different colors 20 of each color
Extra Goldfish of each color
Stop watch
Target:
Students will be able to determine the difference between predators and prey.
Students will also be able to reenact natural selection in a habitat.
Standards:
5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals,
decomposers, and the environment.
Activity:
Students will get into groups of 3-4
One piece of fabric that will serve as the habitat. Start with 20 each of 3 colors of dots (starting
population - total of 60). The Goldfish will be the prey.
One person is the game keeper they watch the predators.
Two people will be the predators (hunting the prey).
Another person will be the recorder taking note of the number of prey of each color.
Two predators look away as the gamekeeper lays out the fabric and scatters the Goldfish from
the start bag. Instructor is the time keeper. When the instructor says start, the predators have
20 seconds to pick up as many dots as they can one at a time (only using one hand).
When the instructor says stop, the group members separate out the different colored Goldfish
that are left and determine how many there are of each color.
Simulate reproduction by adding one Goldfish for each remaining Goldfish of that color. (There
are bags of extra Goldfish for each color) Record the number of Goldfish of each color in the
table provided on the worksheet.
Repeat the predation using the second generation of Goldfish.
Count the remaining Goldfish and simulate reproduction. Record the number of Goldfish in the
third generation.
Assessment:
Discussion Questions:
Each group will report their findings.

Which, if any, colors of Goldfish survived better than others in the second and third
generation?

What might be the reason that predators did not select these colors as much as they did
other colors?

What effect did capturing a particular colored Goldfish have on the numbers of that color in
the following generation?