Helpful, harmful, or neutral?

Students learn about a population of organisms where a trait varies (4 examples are included). Then they evaluate the trait variation in two different environments, deciding if it will be helpful, harmful, or neutral to the organism.

Have students work individually or in pairs to evaluate the traits in different environments and fill in the student sheet. You may choose to have them use the printed cards or the online version (linked below).

Whole-class variation:

• Label the corners of the room with the signs HELPFUL, HARMFUL, NEUTRAL, and TWO POSSIBLE OUTCOMES.
• One at a time, present a trait and an environment. Students move to the corner matching the outcome they think is correct. Give some time for discussion among groups in each corner and then discuss as a class.
• Discuss the questions on the student sheet

Optional Game: Play the Run the Gauntlet game. Each game set-up is for 2-4 players. See pdf for instructions. Requires dice and player tokens.

There is purposeful ambiguity built in to the examples to generate discussion. Provide time for students to talk with one another and come to their own ideas about what is helpful, harmful, or neutral. Focus on their explanations, and not on finding a “correct” conclusion.

While this activity focuses on an individual trait, the artwork depicts multiple individuals in a population with varied traits as one would find in nature. You might want to start bringing your students' attention to the traits in a population in preparation for making this shift in the next module.

• “We discussed real-life examples of traits that might help organisms survive. Students gave many different examples, including animals with good camouflage, animals with speed to escape predators, plants with flowers that were open at night so that they could be pollinated by bats and moths, and animals with fur or blubber that help them survive in cold environments.”

• Heritable trait variations can be harmful, helpful, or neutral to an organism.
• Whether a trait is harmful, helpful, or neutral often depends on an organism’s environment.

Copies

Environment and Trait cards (pdf)
Student sheet (pdf) — Make one per student or pair.
Helpful, Harmful, or Neutral? (interactive)
Run the Gauntlet game (pdf)