Spotlight on Learning: Natural Selection

Spotlight on Learning:  Natural Selection Creature Creation:  Mr. Kind, Science 10, Rick Hansen School

Driving Question:  How might we design creatures that could have evolved within a randomized niche?

My science 10 students explored topics around natural selection, design, investigation and analysis. This served as an individualized final assessment to their Biology unit. They had explored Natural selection and niches and were each provided a randomized niche and some characteristics of a creature. They then had to design them and develop backgrounds to show that these animals could logically exist in their environment.

Teacher Reflection:   This was my first time doing this project and it went very smoothly. Students gained a curious outlook on how individual animals survive and their fitness within a given niche. They enjoyed the gamification of the project as we connected it to dungeons and dragons, which allowed them to compete at the end against natural predators within their environment. Students were very self-motivated and would take initiative on design going far beyond my expectations to make sure to detail every aspect of their creature. We were also able to connect this project to the art classes and English class within their pod in order to get a broader sense of how the project reflects the real world. I plan to make this project a staple within my classroom for the coming semesters, with some slight alterations to a possible online connection.

Student Reflection:   “The purpose of our creature project was to learn about adaptations and how they would allow animals to survive in their natural habitat. During this project I learned quite a bit about what an animal needs. Though I mainly focused on how our animals protect themselves from there using adaptations whether there behavioral or physical adaptations. I mainly enjoyed coming up with the animal itself. I designed a bird with an uncommon nose. It was also fun actually seeing how our animals will do against predators through a game. Overall, the creature creation project was quite fun, and allowed us to learn a lot through hands on learning.”