Name: ______________________________________ Per: _______ Date Due: _____________

Objectives: ​Students will be able to

▪ Apply Darwin’s theory of evolution to the creation of a rat population living within a
specific environment.
▪ Explain how and why given adaptations evolved according to Darwin’s theory of
evolution by natural selection.

Your mission:​ Design a rat population which has adapted to the conditions of your assigned
island. Explain how this population evolved over time from its common rat ancestors.

You must include the following:

▪ A drawing of your island including all of the given features. COLORED.

▪ A drawing your rat COLORED
▪ Labels of each adaptation on the rat (you need 6 adaptations).
▪ A written description explaining the structure and function of each adaptation.
 Rat Island Rubric PreAP

Written Description​ (25 points)

Structure and Explanation of How the Trait Spread Through the
Function of Population According to Darwin’s Theory of Natural
Adaptation Selection

1
2
3
4
5
6

Rat Drawing​ (25 points)

Shown on Labeled
Drawing
1
2
3
4
5
6

□ Drawing is neat and ​colored

Island Drawing​ (25 points)

□ All aspects of island are shown

□ Drawing is neat
□ Drawing is ​colored

Written Description (25 points)

❏ All 5 vocabulary words used and underlined
❏ Story explains how rats came to island and developed adaptations
❏ Follows guidelines for typing or writing
❏ Is 300-400 words AND WORD COUNT IS WRITTEN AND CIRCLED ON
PAPER.
 Rat Island Rubric
Written Description​ (50 points)
Structure and Explanation of How the
Function of Trait Spread Through the
Adaptation Population According to
Darwin’s Theory of Natural
Selection
1
2
3
4
5
6

Rat Drawing​ (25 percent)

Shown on Labeled
Drawing
1
2
3
4
5
6

□ Drawing is neat and ​colored

Island Drawing​ (25 percent)

□ All aspects of island are shown

□ Drawing is neat
□ Drawing is ​colored
Peppermint Island
The island is fairly flat, with an occasional hill. The ground is soft dirt, and several small trees
grow towards the center of the island. With the exception of the rat, there is no animal life on
land; however, the water is teeming with fish. The island is surrounded by a coral reef which
keeps the larger marine predators out. Fresh water is available throughout the island.
Butterscotch Island
The island has a very rocky shoreline, and numerous tide pools dot the island along the
shore. The tide pools are home to a host of small marine creatures and shellfish such as
barnacles, sea urchins, crabs, and mussels. The ocean current is quite strong which makes
open water swimming/fishing very dangerous. Fresh water is available throughout the island.
Starburst Island
The island is somewhat very dry like a desert. There is little plant life, except for a few species
of cactus. A large cactus-eating tortoise inhabits the island, and a species of large bird nests
on the island annually. These birds build their nests on the rocks, and protect their eggs from
the sun by standing over the nests with outspread wings. The nests are always found on the
windy side of the island which is somewhat cooler than the rest of the island because of
offshore breezes. There is very little fresh water on the island.
Milky Way Island
The island is an extinct volcano. Vegetation on the island changes with the altitude moving up
the volcano. At the bottom of the volcano there is a rainforest. Tropical plants and trees
dominate the landscape. Further up the slope the rainforest gives way to low shrubs.
Grasses are further up the volcano. The island experiences frequent rain showers. There are
two species of birds that inhabit the island. One is a raptor (hawk, eagle, owl) which preys
upon the smaller birds. The other fishes the waters approximately one mile offshore. Both
nest in trees.
Name ____________________________________________ Period ____

Rat Island - Written Description

Adaptation Written Description (why do they have this adaptation?)
 Example:

Ice Cream Island: The island has a ​cold climate that has enough rainfall for trees to grow. The other
animals include moose, squirrel, rabbits, and beavers.
 PreAP Assignment:

Write a descriptive story about how the rats came to the island and evolved over time. All
adaptations must be explained in the story. YOU MUST ALSO INCLUDE 5 VOCABULARY
WORDS. These must be used correctly and ​UNDERLINED ​in the story for credit. You may
type the story or write it. Story must be between 300-400 words. Put the word count on top
right of paper in a circle.

Typing criteria:​ size 14 font, either Arial or Tahoma

Writing criteria:​ This must be on lined paper in black or blue ink. It must be VERY legible.
If the teacher cannot read it, it will not be graded.