Overview: Students simulate breeding bunnies to show the impact that genetics can have on the evolution of a population of organisms. Author/Source: WGBH Grade level: 13-16 Time: One class period. Teaching tips: Though developed for grades 9-12, this activity is quite appropriate for the undergraduate level and can be enhanced by connecting the activity to primary literature investigating a specific series of changes such as that found in the Grants' work on finches. Concepts: There is a fit between organisms and their environments, though not always a perfect fit. Some traits of organisms are not adaptive. Evolution is often defined as a change in allele frequencies within a population. Inherited characteristics affect the likelihood of an organism’s survival and reproduction. An individual’s fitness (or relative fitness) is the contribution that individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation relative to other individuals in the population. Teacher background: Genetic Variation Natural Selection

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