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How could a lizard's toes help it survive?
Traits, Survival, & Selection Unit | Lesson 2 of 3

How could a lizard's toes help it survive?

Traits, Survival, & Selection Unit | Lesson 2 of 3
Lesson narration:
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DISCUSS:

How could being a good climber help a lizard survive?

DISCUSS:

What might be some problems with green anoles and brown anoles living in one place?

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DISCUSS:
Which green anoles do you think the brown anoles are most likely to catch: Excellent Climbers, Good Climbers, or Not-So-Good Climbers? Why?
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DISCUSS:
Do you think most of the green anoles in Generation 3 will be Excellent Climbers, Good Climbers, or Not-So-Good Climbers? Why?

DISCUSS:

What changed in the green anoles' environment?

What helped some green anoles survive after the change?

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trait


1 of 14

something you can observe about a living thing, such as a lizard’s toe scales
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variation


2 of 14

differences in a trait between living things of the same kind, such as the number of scales on a lizard’s toe

inherit


3 of 14

to get a trait from parents
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offspring


4 of 14

babies
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generation


5 of 14

all the living things born and living at around the same time
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graph


6 of 14

an image that helps you understand information

survive


7 of 14

to stay alive

natural selection


8 of 14

a process where certain traits help a living thing survive, so those traits are more likely to be passed to the next generation of offspring
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artificial selection


9 of 14

the process of humans choosing certain traits of living things so that they are passed to the offspring
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environment


10 of 14

all the living and nonliving things in a particular place

adaptation


11 of 14

a physical trait or behavior that helps a living thing survive in its environment
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species


12 of 14

one specific kind of living thing that has similar characteristics and can produce offspring with one another

evidence


13 of 14

information that can be used to support or reject an idea
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predict


14 of 14

to guess what will happen based on things you know
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“Great job helping us know and understand more about natural and artificial selection, traits and how they are passed down from generation to generation.”
Lesson narration:

Grade 4

Traits, Survival, & Selection

Trait Variation, Survival, & Natural Selection

3-LS4-3, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS4-2

Activity Prep

Print Prep
This lesson was revised on May 31, 2024. Here is a link to the previous version.
In this lesson, students explore how variation in the toe scales of green lizards provides some individuals with an advantage when it comes to climbing and surviving. In the activity, Lizard Island, students participate in a simulation to explore what happens to these green lizards when a new species of brown lizards is introduced to their environment. Students gather evidence to explain how a change to the environment can cause a certain trait to become more common in a population over time through the process of natural selection.
Preview activity

Exploration

10 mins

Wrap-Up

15 mins

Grade 4

Traits, Survival, & Selection

Trait Variation, Survival, & Natural Selection

3-LS4-3, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS4-2

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