The Great Bean Hunt Lab Activity

The Great Bean HuntWithin every ecosystem there is a variety of species, both predator and

prey. This lab will explore how the forces of natural selection operate to favor species with certain physical traits while limiting the success of others. In this experiment four different prey species (pinto beans, white beans, kidney beans, black beans) will be the prey.

Kidney beans

Black beans

White beans

Pinto beans

The Great Bean HuntThree different predators (students armed with either a spoon, fork,

knife) will be allowed to hunt for whichever beans they can find.

The Great Bean HuntThis is a combined lab activity between each biology class where at the

end of each class period, the surviving prey and predators will be allowed to “reproduce”. As the forces of natural selection act, students will observe how each prey and predator species is affected by their inherited traits. Students will also observe how the environment affects each of the predators and prey.

ForagingEach predator will be allowed to hunt for ~5 minutes. Each student will

be given either a spoon, fork, or knife.

ForagingDuring the hunting period students will try and scoop 2000 various

beans onto their utensil and the place them into a cup.

ForagingThe cup must be kept upright at all times as the beans are scooped and

placed into the cup. The following actions are not allowed during this lab and will cause your grade to be lowered if caught: (1) Flipping the prey into the cups. (2) Shoveling the prey into cups. (3) Using your hands to pick up the prey. (4) Spilling the cups of others.

Why? What’s the point?Natural selection should act

on the prey and start to eliminate those who are not adapted to the front lawn…survival of the fittest!

Natural selection should act on the predators and start to eliminate those who are not adapted to the front lawn…survival of the fittest!

Problem QuestionCircle one of the problem questions below and write your

hypothesis. Remember to write your hypothesis as a “if…then” statement.

1) Which prey species do you predict will be best colored to its environment? Why?

2) Which prey species do you think will be most poorly colored to its environment? Why?

3) Which predator species do you predict will be best shaped to its environment? Why?

4) Which predator species do you predict will be most poorly shaped to its environment? Why?