SCENARIO CHART FOR VOCABULARY TERMS

Instructions: Print two copies of this chart. Keep one for teacher reference. Cut up the other copy so that each scenario is on a separate slip of paper (do NOT include the Vocab Key Code on these slips). Place all scenario slips into a hat or bag and mix well.

A=Adaptation	NS=Natural Selection	C=Competition	  V=Variation	E=Environment

SCENARIO	Vocab Key Code	

Sea otters use rocks to dislodge prey and open shells.  In doing so the sea otter is one of the only mammals, besides humans, to use tools.
	A	

The arctic fox lives in the northernmost areas of the planet, and its thick fur and good supply of body fat protect it from the extreme cold temperatures.
	A	

A chameleon moves from a brown branch to a green leaf.  Within a short period of time, the chameleon’s skin color changes from brown to green.
	A	

A Bactrian camel is in the middle of a desert sandstorm.  It closes off its eyes with its long eyelashes, covers its ears, and pinches its nostrils shut to prevent sand from getting inside.
	A	

A person with sickle-cell anemia appears to be at a survival disadvantage because of the consequences of the disease.  However, in areas of the world highly affected by malaria epidemics, more people carry the gene associated with sickle-cell anemia. In these regions the sickle trait is advantageous, since it also provides resistance to malaria.
	NS	

There are two trees growing side by side in a forest.  One tree grows very tall, and absorbs a great deal of sunlight.  The other tree grows shorter, in the shadow of the taller tree, and does not get as much sunlight.  The first tree continues to grow and reproduce, while the second atrophies and does not distribute seeds due to its lack of resources.  
	NS	

When Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands, he found that each island was home to a different type of finch, each with a beak uniquely suited to eat the food on its particular island.
	NS, A, V	

Traditional “staph” infections are frequently cured with broad-spectrum antibiotics, including a drug called methicillin.  In recent years, a strain of staph bacteria has emerged with a natural resistance to methicillin, and it can stand up to all but the most powerful antibiotics.
	NS	

Most mammals lose the ability to digest milk/lactose as they grow older.  In human cultures where cows, sheep, and goats are milked for food, humans developed genes for lifelong lactose tolerance.
	NS, A	

The peppered moth comes in two varieties - a light-colored form and a dark-colored form. In England prior to the Industrial Revolution, there were many more light-colored moths than dark ones in the population. By the late 1800s, pollution from factories had deposited dark soot over England's trees and shrubs. It was found that the percentage of dark-colored moths in the Peppered Moth population had increased to 98%.
	NS, E, V	

A particular plant is growing in a dense swamp habitat.  Over the course of many generations, a genetic mutation occurs which makes the roots of the plant less susceptible to rotting.  As a result, the descendents of that plant flourish in the wet, swampy environment and breed more, while plants with the original genetic makeup are less successful in the environment.
	NS, V	

Cheetahs and lions feed on similar prey; sometimes lions will steal prey items killed by the cheetahs.  A cheetah on the eastern plains of Africa kills a gazelle for food.  Before the cheetah can feed on its prey, a pride of lions comes in and eats the gazelle.
	C	

One particular grasshopper in a field eats an unusually large amount of grass.  As a result, all of the other grasshoppers in the field are deprived of food.
	C	

In the 17th century, Dutch explorers landed on the island of Mauritius and encountered a new species – the Dodo bird.  The colonists proceeded to damage the Dodo’s habitat, introduce new species that ate the birds’ eggs and young, and overhunted the Dodo population.  Within less than a century, the Dodo was extinct.
	C	

17th century sailors introduced goats to isolated islands.  The goats thrived in the new locations and overgrazed many of the islands.  As a result, many of the indigenous island species could not get access to the resources they were used to and became extinct.
	C	

At the end of the summer, the Monarch butterfly leaves its home in the Canadian Rockies and flies southward.  About two months into the journey, the butterflies mate and a new generation is born.  This generation of Monarchs continues south to Mexico.  In the spring, yet another generation of Monarchs is born and makes the journey all the way back to Canada.
	M	

The Kung bushmen of the Kalahari Desert rely on hunting big game animals for food.  When the animals travel to find new sources of food and water, so does the Kung population.
	M	

A swarm of locusts forms on the coast.  They proceed to grow and multiply, and consume all of the available food in the area. The whole swarm leaves and flies to the Arabian Peninsula, in search of more food.
	M	

An Arctic Tern lives in a colony near the North Pole during the northern summer months.  When winter comes, it flies all the way to Antarctica for the southern summer months, and returns to its colony once again for northern summer.  This cycle continues for the bird’s entire lifespan.
	M	

There is a set of identical twins that you know, Janie and Joanie.  Janie exercises every day; Joanie does not.  As a result, Janie is in much better physical shape than Joanie.
	V	

In one particular family, the mother’s blood type is AB, the father’s blood type is O, and the children’s blood types are A and B.
	V	

There are many different breeds of pedigree dogs.  Some examples are: Dachshund, Lhasa Apso, Rottweiler, Yorkshire Terrier, and Poodle.
	V	

A person is born with the genes that will allow him to be at least 6’ when he grows up.  However, due to food and water shortages in his area he is malnourished in his childhood, and as an adult only reaches a height of 5’4”.
	V, E	

All bats fly, but do so in different ways to suit different purposes.  Bats that feed on ground insects or vegetation fly more slowly and have short, small wings; bats that feed on flying insects fly faster, but still need a degree of maneuverability, and have medium wings; bats that need to fly primarily with speed and endurance have long, thin wings.
	V, A	

The North American newt is born in the water, but as it grows it begins to live on the land.  Once the newt reaches full adulthood, it returns to the water to live out the rest of its life.  Conversely, the European newt stays on land once it has gone through its metamorphosis, rarely returning to the water.
	V	

Bromeliads are plants composed of a spiral arrangement of leaves.  There are several species of frog that make their homes in the water pools that collect between the leaves of the bromeliad.  These frogs may spend their entire lives in the bromeliad pools.
	E, A	

The growing season in the Arctic is short, due to the extreme cold and weather conditions.  Plants in the Arctic tend to have smaller leaves, and grow close to the ground, to conserve water and prevent wind damage.
	E, A	

Large areas of the rainforest are being destroyed for commercial purposes.  When this happens, many of the species that live in the rainforest are displaced or driven to extinction.
	E	

Lichens are common organisms that are composed of both fungus and algae.  Lichens can be indicators of air quality in a region, as they are very sensitive to sulfur dioxide and are rarely found in urban areas or near roads.
	E	

A human family has lived in Denver, CO all of their lives.  When they move to New York City, they learn that the number of red blood cells in their body is much higher than their neighbors.
	E