Variations in Organisms Lab

This product is a dry lab that will help your students to understand how variations in organisms can lead to natural selection and evolution.

The only materials that you'll need to provide are kidney beans (20 per student), a metric ruler, highlighters and colored pencils.

Your students will be working through four different procedures:

• in Procedure A they'll be measuring the length of 20 kidney beans, compiling class data, and graphing the lengths.
• in Procedure B they'll comparing the amino acids found in hemoglobin of five different organisms and comparing them to humans.
• in Procedure C they'll be coloring homologous structures of four different organisms to compare the bones.
• in Procedure D they'll be analyzing the hind feet of three horse ancestors and comparing them to the modern horse.

Previous knowledge needed:

• your students should understand that amino acids make up protein.
• they should have been exposed to the concept of homologous structures (or, the term can be introduced during Procedure C).

This lab can be used as an engaging introduction to an Evolution unit or it can be used at any point during a discussion of natural selection or variations.

An answer key and teaching guide are included.

My students have enjoyed this lab ... I hope yours do too!

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