Teaching Limiting Factors & Carrying Capacity Simulation

I like to use online simulations but found it difficult to explain to my distance learning students what I wanted them to do.  I also wanted to check their understanding.  I made these steps for students to follow:

Go to: Phet Natural Selection Simulation Link

Click Intro

Use these settings: 

Click Add a Mate

Look at the chart at the bottom. Click the stop button at 2 Generations.

1. What happens to the # of rabbits after 2 generations (at the current settings)?

A. # of rabbits increases
B. # of rabbits decreases
C. # of rabbits stays the same

Click the reset button

Change the settings – choose Limited Food

Click Add a Mate

Click the stop button after 2 Generations

2. Compare your # of rabbits after 2 generations (at the current settings) to your 1^st simulation.  What happened to the number of rabbits when food was limited?

A. # of rabbits increased
B. # of rabbits decreased
C. # of rabbits stays the same

Click the reset button

Change the settings – choose Wolves 

Click Add a Mate

Click the stop button after 2 Generations

3. Compare your # of rabbits after 2 generations (at the current settings) to your 1^st simulation.  What happened to the number of rabbits when predators were added?

A. # of rabbits increased
B. # of rabbits decreased
C. # of rabbits stays the same

Click the reset button

Change the settings – choose a different season (Winter) 

Click Add a Mate

Click the stop button after 2 Generations

4.  Compare your # of rabbits after 2 generations (at the current settings) to your 1^st simulation.  What happened to the number of rabbits when the climate is changed?

A. # of rabbits increased
B. # of rabbits decreased
C. # of rabbits stays the same

Click the reset button

Change the settings – choose a Dominant (brown fur)

Click Add a Mate

Click the stop button after 3 Generations and add Wolves

5. Compare the # of white and brown furred rabbits.  Which ones were eaten by wolves most often?

A. brown

B. white

6. TRUE or FALSE Limiting factors are sometimes helpful because they can keep the population from getting too large.

7. If there is more food than usual in an ecosystem, then...

A. Populations will stay the same
B. Populations will decrease
C. Populations will increase

8. If a disease destroyed the plants rabbits eat, what would happen to the population?

A. The rabbit population would stay the same
B. The rabbit population would infinitely increase
C. The rabbit population would decrease

9. What would happen if the population of wolves suddenly increased? How would it affect the rabbits in the ecosystem?

A. The rabbits would decrease due to more wolves eating them

B. All of the population of rabbits would increase
C. The biotic factors in the ecosystem would increase
D. The wolves predators would decrease

10. In a meadow ecosystem, which of the following is the best example of a limiting factor for a rabbit population?

A. Turtle Population

B. Sunlight

C. Grass available

Our school uses Schoology which self grades and gives students immediate feedback.  It could also work in Google Classroom.

Hope this helps your students too!