Lab - Feeding Frenzy

First, carefully read the Procedure.

Procedure:

Part 1- Preparation:

1. Select a hunting utensil (spoon, fork, clothes pin, tweezers) from the bag, only one utensil per predator. One utensil/predator type per group. Each person also needs a “salsa” cup/stomach. Note: once your stomach is full, be it with sand and/or "food" you are done feeding for that trial regardless of any time remaining.

2. Record a description of everyone’s utensil in the correct space next to the number on Group Table A.

Part 2-

The competition- Stage 1

3. The teacher will put a tub/environment in front of your group that contains both sand and prey-(colored beans/rice).

4. Following the rules stated above, you will have a teacher determined amount of time to collect as much prey as you can.

5. When time is called, count the prey you caught and record it in the correct box of the Data Table A. Also rank to the best of your ability on Table B, the predator stomachs on the amount of sand of collected.

6. If you did not achieve a certain number of prey, (determined by the teacher) then you did not eat enough food to survive and you are now dead. You must sit out for the next step. Return your stomach contents (yuck) to the garden. Mix sand/prey up.

7. Repeat steps 3-6 with surviving predators.

The competition- Stage 2

8. You are all live predators again. Each predator is to take colored plastic wrap , fold it at least twice place it inside a pair of lab goggles, wear the goggles. You have a certain amount of time to collect as much prey as you can.

9. When time is called, count the prey you caught and record it by COLOR in the correct box of the Group Data Table A.

10. If you did not achieve a certain number of prey (determined by the teacher), then you did not eat enough food to survive and you are now dead. You must sit out for the next step.

11. Repeat steps 8 and 9 with surviving predators.

Complete your Data Table

Group Data Table A * only if you survive

Student name	utensil type	# prey step 5	# prey step 7 *	# prey step 9 (by color)	# prey step 11 *
1
2
3
4

Group Data Table B

Following stage 1 step 5, rank the utensils from 1 (most sand) to 4 (least sand)

Student name	utensil type	Amt. of sand
1
2
3
4

1. Stage 1-For your group did any one type of utensil get more food than the others? Why?

2. Stage 1- Did any one type of utensil get more sand than the others? Why?

3. Do you think the stomach contents of prey vs. sand would be a factor for the “predator’s” survival?

4. Stage 2- For your group did one bean color get eaten more by the nasty predators than the others, if so which? Why?

5. What was actually "selecting" survival of the predators? At least 2 answers here.

7. What was actually "selecting" survival of the prey? At least 2 answers here.