Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________

1.5 Adaptive Traits 

Activity #1: Do NOW
K= Know​: L= Learned:
What do you already know about​ camouflage​? What are The adaptation I observed happening in this
some animals that you know about that are able to Flounder Video​ was...
camouflage?

1._____________________________________________ ____________________________________
_____________________________________________ ____________________________________
2.____________________________________________ ____________________________________

Activity #2: Warm Up L​ ook at the image below and answer the following questions:

 
1. Which description matches the histogram of 2. Which description matches the histogram of 3. How has the
the population 50 generations ago? (check one) the population today? (check one) rough-skinned
a. Most of the newts had low-poison level traits; a. Most of the newts have low-poison level traits;
newt population
very few had high-poison level traits. very few have high-poison level traits.
changed?
b. Most of the newts had high-poison level traits; b.Most of the newts have high-poison level traits; _______________
very few had low-poison level traits. very few have low-poison level traits. _______________
c. All of the individuals in the population had c. All of the individuals in the population have _______________
high-poison level traits. high-poison level traits. _______________
d. None of the individuals in the population had d. None of the individuals in the population have _______________
high-poison level traits. high-poison level traits. _______________
_______________
_______________
_______________

 
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 Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________
Activity #3: 

Describe what you see What I observe is …

in these images. _____________________________________________________________
  _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

2
 Name: ______________________________
Activity #4: Collect Evidence in Environment 1 vs Environment 2 in S
Goal: Gather evidence to make a claim about which color trait in ostrilopes is the most adaptive.
Environment 1 Directions:
1. Open the ​Natural Selection Simulation and open the
mode: Camouflage.
2. Under ​Biotic Factors: Carnithons​, make sure I​ nclude
Carnithons​ is selected.
3. Under ​Abiotic Factors​, change the ​Surface-Color
slider to Yellow Level 7.
4. Press ​RUN​ and observe ostrilopes ​with different color
traits for 50 generations.
5. After 50 generations, press ANALYZE ​and compare
the color traits in the starting ostrilope population to the
population after 50 generations.
a.Press Analyze and draw the histogram graph
here. Make sure to label all parts.
b.Look at generation 1 bar graphs:
1.What is the variation level (low/med/high)?
________________________________________
2. What are the color level #’s present in this
population? (what are all the options)
________________________________________
c.Look at generation 50 bar graphs:
1. What is the variation level now
(low/med/high)?
____________________________________
2. What are the color level #’s present in this
population now? (what are all the options)
____________________________________
Period: ___________ Date: _______________
​ IM 
Environment 2 Directions:
1. Open the ​Natural Selection Simulation and open the
mode: Camouflage​.
2. Under ​Biotic Factors: Carnithons, do not include
Carnithons​.
3. Under ​Abiotic Factors, change the Surface-Color
slider to Yellow Level 7.
4. Press ​RU​N and observe ostrilopes with ​different color
traits​ for ​50 generations.
5. After 50 generations, press ANALYZE​ and compare
the color traits in the starting ostrilope population to the
population after 50 generations
a.Press Analyze and draw the histogram graph
here. Make sure to label all parts.
b.Look at generation 1 bar graphs:
1.What is the variation level (low/med/high)?
________________________________________
2. What are the color level #’s present in this
population? (what are all the options)
________________________________________
c.Look at generation 50 bar graphs:
1. What is the variation level now
(low/med/high)?
____________________________________
2. What are the color level #’s present in this
population now? (what are all the options)
____________________________________
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 Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________

3. In this environment, which color ostrilopes were 3. In this environment, which color ostrilopes were
more likely to survive and became more more likely to survive and became more
common? common?
__________________________________________ __________________________________________

4. In this environment, which color ostrilopes were 4. In this environment, which color ostrilopes were
less likely to survive and became less common? less likely to survive and became less common?
__________________________________________ __________________________________________

5. Explain in complete sentences: 5. Explain in complete sentences:

What did you observed in this simulation? Why is this
happening?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
What did you observed in this simulation? Why is this
happening?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________

Activity #5: CEER 

Now that you have collected your evidence, you are going to write a
CEER paragraph explaining the following:

Claim: Are there adaptive traits in these environments?

What color is the​ adaptive trait​ for ostriploes in ​environment 1? ​What
color is the ​ adaptive trait​ for ostrilopes in ​environment 2?

Claim:
● In Environment 1, the ​adaptive trai​t in the population of ostrilopes is having ________________.
● In Environment 2, _____________________________________________________________.
● Explain, what is an adaptive trait? What is a non-adaptive trait.
Make sure to rewrite caim in complete sentences:
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

4
 Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________

Evidence #1:
● Describe, What did you observe happening in ​ENVIRONMENT 1​? What happened?
● Make sure to describe the generation 1 population and generation 50 population differences using
the histograms.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence #2:
● Describe, What did you observe happening in ​ENVIRONMENT 2​? What happened?
● Make sure to describe the generation 1 population and generation 50 population differences using
the histograms.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Reasoning:
● Explain why is this happening?
● What were the differences between environment 1 and environment 2?
● What happens to the adaptive traits over time? What happens to the non adaptive traits over
time?
● Why is it important to have adaptive traits in a population?
● Explain what other environmental changes could happen in the population that would change
which is the new adaptive trait?​ (ex: what would need to happen in order for green to be the adaptive trait etc.)
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

5
 Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________
Activity #6: Extension Activity: Thornpalms in ​SIM 
Goal:​ Create an environment where traits for increased levels of water storage become more common in the thornpalm
population.
1. Open the ​Natural Selection Simulation and open the mode: Thornpalm Water Storage.
2. Under ​Abiotic Factors,​ ​make changes to the rainfall level that you think will make high waterstorage traits
become more common.
3. Press RUN​ and observe the results o​ver 50 generations.
4. Press ANALYZE ​to compare initial and final histograms.
5. If necessary, press ​BUILD and try again.

a.Press Analyze and draw the histogram graph 3. In this environment, which trait was ​more likely
here. Make sure to label all parts. to survive and became more common?
_________________________________________

4. In this environment, which trait were ​less likely

to survive and became less common?
_________________________________________

b.Look at generation 1 bar graphs: 5. Explain in complete sentences:

1.What is the variation level
(low/med/high)?
________________________________________
2. What are the traits #’s present in this population?
(what are all the options)
________________________________________
c.Look at generation 50 bar graphs:
1. What is the variation level now
(low/med/high)?
____________________________________
2. What are the traits #’s present in this population
now? (what are all the options)
____________________________________
What did you observed in this simulation? Why is
this happening?
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

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Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________