Let's learn more about Darwin's idea of natural selection by playing a game.

Darwin's Evolution Game

• Click on the button.
• In your notes, list three parts to Darwin's idea of natural selection.
• Once you have completed your notes about the three parts of natural selection, play the survival game.
• After you play the game, answer the questions below.

1. What were the three parts to Darwin's idea of natural selection?

   Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

   Check Your Answer

   A. Every species exhibits variations.
   
   B. Many traits are passed from parents to their offspring.
   
   C. Life in the wild is competitive and organisms with the most beneficial traits will prosper. This is commonly known as survival of the fittest.

2. Were you able to keep your species alive for a million years? If not, what caused your species to die?

   Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

   Check Your Answer

   Possible answers:
   
   
   The temperature was too hot or too cold (lack of fur or too much fur).
   
   The species was not able to eat (berries were too high and my species were too short).
   
   Predators came and my species were not able to get away or hide.
   
   A volcano erupted and my species was not able to run away.

3. When you made your initial selection of variation among the species, how did choosing different variations affect your species survival rate?

   Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

   Check Your Answer

   The more variations that were chosen, the better the survival rate was.

4. During the game you were given two "Life Preservers." What did these life preservers represent?

   Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

   Check Your Answer

   Genetic Mutations

5. How do genetic mutations affect the survival of the species?

   Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

   Check Your Answer

   A genetic mutation can help a species survive if the genetic mutation adds variation that helps the species be better suited for the changing environment.

6. What does survival of the fittest mean?

   Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

   Check Your Answer

   Individuals with adaptations that are well suited to their environment can survive and reproduce and pass on those adaptations to offspring.