Lesson 35 of 84 ยท Spacetime
Experimentโญ 30 XP๐ StarbaseNatural Selection and Evolution
Spacetime.
๐ฏ Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
โก The twist
Gravity is invisible โ but it shapes everything.
Mind = Blown
๐ The light from the closest star (after the sun) takes 4 years to reach you.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you check: which is closer?
What You'll Learn
Natural selection is the process in which organisms with helpful traits survive and reproduce more successfully than those without them. Over many generations this can lead to evolution, such as when moths with darker wings became common in soot-covered forests.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- water
- plastic wrap
- ruler
Safety First
- Dispose of materials properly after the experiment.
- Handle glass items carefully to avoid breakage.
- Do not mix unknown chemicals together.
Steps
Study the diagram and label the parts you recognize.
Dissect a flower (lily or tulip works well). Identify and label the sepals, petals, stamen, pistil, and ovary. Tape each part to paper.
Note any unexpected results and think about why they happened.
Share your findings with the class or a partner and discuss what you learned.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What do hibernating animals do?
Where you see this in real life
GPS, weather forecasts, and the seasons all rely on this.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Find a constellation in the sky. Look it up. Tell someone its story.
For the dinner table
โIf you could visit any planet, which would you pick and why?โ
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Checkout complete lesson on Spacetime for 9th Grade
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