Activity adapted from Naturescope and other sources by Esther Zack

Framework Concepts:

Life Science, A-2
K-3: Living things have structures that do specific things to help the organism live and grow and meet their needs as they interact with their environment.
3-6: Structures of organisms show their adaptations to their environments and ways of life.
Life Science, A-3
6-9: Groups of organisms are related because they share derived characteristics. . . . Many of these characteristics are adaptive. . . .
9-12: The evolutionary trees . . . can be used to test many kinds of hypotheses about evolutionary history, including. . . how species and adaptations have changed through time.

Materials: (For each group of 5 students)

1. Tweezer (easily made from 2 popsicle sticks, 1 toothpick, and a rubber band)
2. Plastic spoon
3. Pointed scissors
4. Eyedropper
5. Clothespin (springtype) (Chopsticks can be used for another variation.)
6. Rice, dried beans, marbles, toothpicks, colored water (in small paper cups, 5 sets of each), walnuts
7. Large container, such as shallow foil pan or cookie sheet
8. Empty small paper cups (one for each student labeled: "Stomach")

Introduction:

Forms of life on earth appear to have changed gradually over time. Animals of different genera exhibit diverse adaptations to their environment. So, too, do animals of the same genus, but different species. Mutations that make them better able to survive become standard genes for that species. Birds are an excellent example of this phenomenon (i.e., robin and woodpecker). Many types of birds may exist in an area, but they all survive because they occupy a different niche. Certain insect-eating birds find their food on the ground, others on tree bark or on the leaves of trees, while still others capture their prey in mid-air. Some are seed-eaters while others are carnivores. The variety of ways in which birds get their food illustrates adaptations to their environments.

In the following activity, students will experiment with different means of gathering food with simulated bird beaks. Given a variety of food types, "birds" will have to gather as much food as they can in a given amount of time. After the activity, students discuss which type of "beak" was best for each type of food.

Procedure:

Set out the following for each group of 5 students:
Tweezers, spoon, scissors, dropper, clothespin, large container In paper cups:
rice, beans, marbles, toothpicks, water (use a larger paper cup) (Walnuts can be set out in a bag.)

1. Ask students if they ever noticed anything about birds that makes them distinctive from one another. (They may say color, size, places they live, types of nests they build, and types of beaks.)
2. Ask them why they think birds have different kinds of beaks and chart their responses. Tell them that they are about to investigate and determine some possible reasons.
3. Divide the class into groups of five students. Designate the following members of each group:
   Principal Investigator, Co-investigator, Materials Manager, Data Recorder, Spokesperson
4. Have the Materials Managers collect the materials they will be using for their investigation.
5. Principal Investigator distributes the "beaks" to group members.
6. Co-investigator pours first "food" type into large container.
7. Teacher then times "feeding" for approximately 1-2 minutes. Students attempt to gather as much food as they possibly can.
8. Data Recorder records on individual chart how many/much of that type of food each "bird"was able to gather. Do several trials, time permitting.
9. Materials Manager then collects food from each bird stomach and any that was left in feeding area. Repeat the same process for each type of food.
10. Spokesperson reports results to large group as Data Recorders put results on large graph. Students can discuss any differences in results.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Did each beak type get the same amount of food?
2. What accounts for the difference in amount of food gathered?
3. Why do you think birds have different beak types?
4. What would happen if there were only one or two kinds of food types?
5. What other differences do you see among birds, and why do you think those differences exist?
6. Do you see variations among other types of animals? Like what?
7. In considering other animal types, do you see any relationships among their adaptations? If so, what are they?
8. The archaeopteryx is a type of prehistoric bird. What are its similarities to the modern bird? What are some differences?
9. How are reptile scales and feathers related?
10. Are there any other relatives of prehistoric animals living today?