#2224. Survivor - The Real Story

Science, level: Senior
Posted Sat Apr 21 11:31:06 PDT 2001 by Sue L. Burrell (burrells@cstel.net).
Northside High School, Warner Robins, GA USA
Materials Required: food cards, forceps, baggies
Activity Time: 1 class meeting
Concepts Taught: competition between populations

SURVIVOR! : THE REAL STORY
Competition Lab

MATERIALS:
Food cards: 50 -- A forceps
50 -- B large open area
50 -- NF baggies
PROCEDURE:
1. Scatter food cards face down over a large open area.
2. Divide the class into two groups. The groups will represent two competing populations. They should select an area to call "home".
3. The following are the survival guidelines:
a.) to survive: 2 food cards
b.) to reproduce: 4 food cards
4. For thirty (30) seconds, the two populations can "feed". Students may pick up only one food card at a time. If the card is a NF, it is returned face down in the feeding area and the student continues to forage. When an A or B food card is found, it is placed in the "stomach" (baggie). As each student becomes full, he/she will stop foraging and return home. All foraging stops after 30 seconds.
5. Data analysis is done to see who lives, who reproduces and who dies. Students should record their data on the data table. Return food cards; face down, to the foraging area. ( Fatalities may be recruited by reproducers for additional rounds if two or more forages are done to collect more data)

6. **This is now a new foraging condition and a new data sheet will be needed. Repeat step 4 with this exception, B food cards are no longer food and are to be treated as NF cards.
7. Data analysis is done to see who lives, who reproduces, and who dies. (Again, fatalities can be recruited by reproducers for additional foraging rounds)

8. **This is a new foraging condition and a new data sheet will be needed. Repeat step 4 but with this exception, one population must pick up food cards with forceps. This simulates a distinct disadvantage for that population.
9. Data analysis is done to see who lives, who reproduces, and who dies. Additional rounds may be done for more data collection.

POST LAB QUESTIONS:
1. Looking at your data, what happens to population sizes when resources are not limited?
2. Looking at your data, what happens to population sizes with evenly advantaged competitors?
3. Looking at your data, what happens to population sizes when one population is disadvantaged?
4. List five resources for all populations.
5. List five resources for a (a) squirrel population (b) perch population (c) mushroom
Be specific.
6. What affects do long term climatic changes have on populations? Explain.
7. How have humans affected population competition in plants and animals?

Sue Burrell/Northside High School
GSTA 2001
sburrell@hcbe.net