How do Animals Distribute themselves in Competition for Food
Developed by Dhruba Naug and Robin Scidelari working with students of Bennet Elementary School, Fort Collins
This activity is designed to introduce elementary school students to a fundamental concept in animal behavior as well as basic experimental techniques in science and ideas about ratios. They will learn how to design an experiment, collect quantitative behavioral data, analyze it and interpret it to learn about possible adaptive advantages of a behavior.
Budget: $20-$30 (assuming fish tanks are available for free)
Age: 4th to 6h grade.
Time: 2 hours
Materials (Basic):
- Jelly beans
- Bowls
- Timer
- Party hats
Materials (Advanced)
- Fishtanks with fish (We used zebrafish but other fish will do fine too)
- Live brine shrimp (any type of fish food will work), measured in small vials – You can buy them from any pet store. Drain all water out and measure. Then make different dilutions to obtain a specific ratio.
- Timer
- Tape to divide the tank in half
