•  Please note I am postponing entering final 3rd 9 weeks grades until I have figured out how re-assesments will work.

    Ok, still working with the idea that we may be back in April and so saving the rest of the genetics unit for our next assignment (so it is fresh in your brain when/if we get back) -- instead you're doing an activity that is supposed to simulate evolution by natural selection (our next unit).  I'm not too worried about keeping this in continuity as I will be looking at and merging everyone's data eventually anyway and we'll discuss your results as a group at that time.

    The activity is called 'Zol Island', you'll need at least 1 standard 6-sided die (it can be nice to have more dice so you can do many rolls all at once) and you might want a sheet of either lined or graph paper (in class we would have separate sheets of paper for each habitat, and make the zols out of clay -- you can skip those steps). 

    This is easier with more people - you may work with someone(s) else if you aren't quarantined, but I want one trial per person (so 2 people, 2 trials, 2 wkshts). This will be worth 10 pts summative - that is one trial questions and one graph per person - you WILL NOT get exactly the same results in 2 separate trials so each person should have some differences in their data/question-answers.

    The instructions are here and the answer document here however, as I'm obviously not around to look over your shoulder I'll run through an example population (please follow along on the instruction sheet with each step as I explain it below):

    EXAMPLE ZOL ISLAND

    Island habitats: I rolled and my island has the following habitats – Burrowing, Tree dwelling, Desert, and (rolled '1' again, so re-rolled) Grassland.

     

    Generation #1

    Using Chart #2 I find that my Zol's move to the following habitats:

    No Front Legs, No Hind Legs, Red – Fits 2 of 3 features in the Tree Dwelling (NHL, R)

    NFL, NHL, B – Fits no more than 1 feature anywhere, so I decide it's in the Burrowing (NHL)

    NFL, NHL, Y - Fits no more than 1 feature anywhere (would have 2 in rocky, but my island doesn't have that), so I decide it's in the Grassland (Y)

    NFL, NHL, Gn - Fits 2 of 3 features in the Tree Dwelling (NHL, Gn)

    NFL, NHL, Gy - Fits 2 of 3 features in the Burrowing (NHL, Gy)

    1) Survival: Still using Chart #2 I find the chance each has to survive:

    NFL, NHL, R; NFL, NHL, Gn; and NFL, NHL, Gy all fit 2 features so are Adapted and so die on a 1-3 roll.

    NFL, NHL, B; NFL, NHL, Y; both fit just 1 feature and so are Poorly Adapted and thus die on a roll of 1-4.

    After rolling NFL, NHL, R; NFL, NHL, Gn both DIE HORRIBLY, the other 3 survive.

    2) Reproduction: Using Chart #4 I find that -

    NFL, NHL, B – Produces 1 offspring, then dies.

    NFL, NHL, Y – Produces 1 offspring, then dies.

    NFL, NHL, Gy – Produces 2 offspring, then dies.

    -So there will be a total of 4 Zols in my next generation

    3) Mutation:

    -The NFL, NHL, B offspring mutates – rolling I get a front leg mutation, and rolling again it is DFL (Digging Front Legs) – so it is now DFL, NHL, B

    -One of the NFL, NHL, Gy offspring mutates – rolling 5 it gets a color mutation, and rolling again it is Blue (bad luck) – so it is now NFL, NHL, B

     

    Generation #2

    Using Chart #2 I find that my Zol's move to the following habitats:

    NFL, NHL, B – Fits no more than 1 feature anywhere, so I decide it moves into the Burrowing (NHL)

    NFL, NHL, Y - Fits no more than 1 feature anywhere (would have 2 in rocky, but my island doesn't have that), so I decide it's

    still in the Grassland (Y)

    NFL, NHL, Gy – Still fits 2 of 3 features in the Burrowing (NHL, Gy)

    DFL, NHL, B – Now fits 2 of 3 features in the Burrowing (DFL, NHL) so moves there.

     

    Note: At this point all you would have written down is-

    Generation 1: NFL, NHL, R; NFL, NHL, B; NFL, NHL, Y; NFL, NHL, Gn; NFL, NHL, Gy = 5 Zols

    Generation 2: NFL, NHL, B; NFL, NHL, Y; NFL, NHL, Gy; DFL, NHL, B = 4 Zols

     

    I continue running generations and get the following:

    Generation 3: NFL, NHL, B; NFL, NHL, Y; NFL, NHL, Gy; DFL, NHL, B = 4 Zols

    Generation 4: NFL, LHL, Y; NFL, NHL, Gy; DFL, NHL, B; DFL, JHL, B = 4 Zols

    Generation 5: NFL, LHL, Y; DFL, NHL, B = 2 Zols

    Generation 6: NFL, LHL, Y; LFL, LHL, Y; DFL, NHL, B = 3 Zols

    LFL, LHL, Y is well adapted and would have 4 offspring...except I rolled a 2 and it died...

    Generation 7: LFL, NHL, B = 1 Zol

    And it died (poorly adapted and rolled a 4) so this colonization failed.

    At this point you would need to graph your population(s) (pop #'s on the Y, generation #'s on the X).

    Zol Chart

    Your population will NOT look like mine! There is so much chance involved it is super unlikely any 2 people will get the same results, but if everyone does it correctly we will be able to see some general patterns when we look at the 100+ trials that will be accomplished when everyone in my Biology classes does this.  Remember each of you is responsible for 1 trial even if you are helping each other out.  If you ever get to a population of 30 zols you may stop at that generation -- that will be a successful colonization.