A Modeling Exercise in Sexual Selection using a Student-Created Bird Species

Abstract

Evolution-centered lessons at the undergraduate level can often be jargon-heavy, propagate misconceptions if taught ineffectively, and be uninteresting to students who may not see the relevancy of such concepts. This activity provides a fun and hands-on way for introductory biology students to learn about sexual selection and fitness and encourages students to consider what traits the “flashier” sex may use to attract the “less flashy” sex and how sexual selection and fitness are related. In this activity, after reading a short scenario, half of the students in the class are assigned as “flashy birds” and required to create a model of a flashy bird (of a fictitious species) that they believe will attract the less flashy sex of this same species using materials (e.g., modeling dough and other craft materials). The other half of the students are assigned as “less flashy birds” and required to compile a list of traits and behaviors that they would prefer to see in their flashier counterparts. Once modeling is complete, students in “flashy bird” groups are asked to share the birds they created at the front of the class and justify why they gave their individuals particular characteristics and behaviors. Students in the less flashy bird groups then “vote” on which flashy bird they prefer given its unique traits, based on the lists they compiled of desired characteristics. This is a highly student-centered activity which can be easily adapted to meet the needs of your students, your learning goals and objectives, and your curriculum. terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Conflict of Interest and Funding Statement: None of the authors has a financial, personal, or professional conflict of interest related to this work. Supporting Materials: Supporting Files S1. Modeling Exercise in Sexual Selection - Lesson Timeline; S2. Modeling Exercise in Sexual Selection - Powerpoint Slides; S3. Modeling Exercise in Sexual Selection - Handout & Answer Key; S4. Modeling Exercise in Sexual Selection - Sample Exam Questions; and S5. Modeling Exercise in Sexual Selection - Sample Bird Model/Trait List Rubric.