Curated and Reviewed by
Lesson Planet
This Evolution of Fur Color in Mice – Mutation, Environment and Natural Selection lesson plan also includes:
Most species of animals include a variety of fur or hair color, but why? Scholars watch a video about a changing environment for mice. As the rocks around them change hues, different colors of mice begin to thrive. Discussion questions connect the concept to natural selection, mutation, and evolution.
25 Views
25 Downloads
CCSS:
Adaptable
NGSS:
Designed
Concepts
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
- Using colored paper and colored paperclips, give pupils three seconds to estimate how many of each colored paperclip are on each color of paper; discuss the difficulty when the colors are similar and how that relates to the video
- If using with middle school ages, discuss each question together as a group rather than assigning it for individual completion
Classroom Considerations
- Relies on prior knowledge of adaptations, characteristics, genes, inherited traits, populations, and natural selection
Pros
- Includes tools for using as homework, individual class work, and whole group work
- Editable worksheets make it easy to tweak the lesson to fit individual needs
Cons
- None