Volume 47 (1) May 2021 Thomas, N.J. and Vo, T.: Using simulations to support undergraduate elementary preservice ………….29
Using Simulations to Support Undergraduate Elementary Preservice Teachers’
Biological Understanding of Natural Selection
Nicole Juliana Thomas
1*
and Tina Vo
1
1
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
4505 South Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, Nevada 89154
*Corresponding Author: Nicole.tho[email protected]
ABSTRACT
Natural Selection is prevalent throughout life science learning standards across K-12 contexts. Additionally,
undergraduates who are interested in the fields of biology and education must also be well informed on the topic,
as it is foundational to some biology research and necessary to touch upon within elementary and secondary
classrooms. This pilot study explores the understanding of undergraduate preservice teachers’ understanding of
evolution mediated by a simulation called SEPUP, which explains evolution within generations of bird populations.
By utilizing this simulation, we were able to identify how students engaged with a simulation to think about natural
selection. Through analyzing student artifacts, findings suggest that employing a simulation to teach natural
selection afforded students’ a positive learning experience which likely could not have been easily achieved
otherwise. This work provides recommendations for technology usage (e.g. creating meaningful reflection
questions which target content) and development (e.g. ensure simulations provide a clear scope and scale around
time) for evolution simulations.
Keywords: natural selection; undergraduate learning; simulations
Introduction
Natural selection is a staple learning standard
taught at all grade levels. Despite this, some students
may lack a baseline understanding of it. The concept
of natural selection is first introduced to elementary
students in third grade as they begin to explore the
concepts of inheritance, variation, and diversity in
traits. These concepts, pursuant to Standards 3-LS4-2
Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity as well as 3-
LS3-1 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
(NGSS, 2013), begin to form the base of a structure
that ultimately lends itself to understanding pivotal
biological concepts and theories. In order to explore
comprehension of this topic at the college level, we
employed the use of a simulation encompassed
within a classroom session focused on science and
technology learning. This pilot study aimed to
measure the practicality of using a web-based
simulation in order to instruct a group of
undergraduate preservice science educators
regarding the topic of natural selection, answering
the research question:
How do elementary preservice teachers
conceptualize natural selection when engaging
with a simulation?
Background Literature
There are three main facets of science education
literature that we have identified in contributing to
the background of this study: science education as it
relates to natural selection, preservice elementary
teachers’ misconceptions about evolution, and the
use of simulations to garner scientific understanding.
Science Education in Biology & Natural Selection
Understanding natural selection is not limited to
primary or secondary educational levels—it is a
fundamental pillar of understanding biology, and this
is carried into the collegiate level of teaching, as well.
Research has shown that undergraduate students still
harbor misconceptions surrounding natural selection
even after taking one semester of introductory
biology in college (Nehm and Reilly, 2007). The results
of this study determined that although 99% of the
students enrolled in the course had heard of natural
selection or had been taught it previously, only a few
students were able to effectively provide an accurate
definition of these concepts. This is important to
note, as many of these students will progress onto
teaching in science classrooms prior to identifying
their own misconceptions. Nehm and Reilly (2007)
discuss the importance of capturing the variation in
experiences that individual students may have, and
this assists in providing greater insight into what
Volume 47 (1) May 2021 Thomas, N.J. and Vo, T.: Using simulations to support undergraduate elementary preservice………….30
students think. Studies have been conducted with
regard to formative assessments and how to
“squash” misconceptions regarding natural selection
(Furtak, 2012). Studies have demonstrated that
biology majors share several misconceptions about
natural selection, despite having previously taken
biology courses (Furtak, 2012; Nehm & Reilly, 2007).
Thus, it is important to address these misconceptions
at various grade levels, including working with
preservice science educators to ensure they are
comfortable cultivating the concepts they are tasked
with teaching.
Natural selection learning has been studied
extensively in populations of students majoring in
biology, however there is a lack of literature
examining preservice teachers' conceptions and
understanding of natural selection (Nehm & Reilly,
2007; Furtak, 2012; Sickel & Friedrichsen, 2015). As
some teachers progress onto teaching general
science courses, it’s essential to address these
misconceptions at all grade levels. Further research
could be conducted to assess the extent of the
knowledge preservice teachers possess when fully
matriculating into the lead educator in a classroom.
Preservice Teachers’ Experiences in Evolution
In the realm of teaching evolutionary concepts at
both an introductory (e.g. the standards set forth by
the NGSS for elementary studies) as well as the
collegiate level (e.g. course standards for teaching
preservice science educators), multiple methods have
been employed to demonstrate the concept of
natural selection. One such method is the use of
simulations, which is the method that we have
chosen for exploring evolution learning in preservice
science teachers. Research has shown that teachers
who do not fully grasp natural selection and evolution
are likely to pass down that misunderstanding to the
students they teach, no matter the grade level
(Schrein et al., 2009). In this study conducted by
Schrien et al. (2009), teachers were asked to create
their own concept maps about evolution. The
teachers were given a focus question and were
encouraged to include 15-20 words or short phrases
in their concept map. Between all of the participants,
three conceptual categories were identified:
misconceptions about Darwin’s discoveries,
mechanisms of evolutionary change, and the
meaning of commonly used terms in evolutionary
biology (Schrein et al., 2009). These misconceptions
surrounding evolution may permeate into the
classroom, highlighted through elementary
classroom studies (Emmons et al., 2017). Emmons et
al. (2017) highlights the misconceptions about natural
selection that elementary students may have learned
during their time in the classroom. While natural
selection is considered a learning standard for grades
6-12, elementary students can quickly develop
misconceptions surrounding natural selection at a
young age (Emmons et al., 2017). If these
misconstrued ideas are formed when a student is still
in elementary school, they may carry this with them
throughout their educational journey.
Natural selection is a unit that both teachers and
students struggle with, as students need more
tangible models to understand the complexity of the
subject at hand (Sickel & Friedrichsen, 2015). By
employing the use of a simulation, we hope to further
enhance preservice teachers’ understanding of
natural selection.
Using Simulations to Teach Biology Concepts
Research has demonstrated science cognition
and learning are improved when students are given
the opportunity to interact with their environment
while also participating in inquiry-based science
interventions (Alexander & Russo, 2010; Chen et al.,
2014; Dyer & Elsenpeter, 2018). By allowing students
to explore the natural environment around them,
such as with Alexander and Russo’s (2010) work,
students demonstrated more engagement and
understanding of scientific concepts in relation to
nature. This idea of providing students with real life,
interactive examples can be transposed onto other
fields within the sciences. Simulations are an
incredibly useful tool to demonstrate concepts that
would otherwise be impractical or unethical to
perform in the real world (Ameerbakhsh et al., 2019).
Problem-based simulations have also been
developed over the years to introduce students to
real-world situations, such as Kumar and Sherwood’s
(2007) study measuring a group of science education
students’ skills after studying water quality. Research
has shown that simulations are beneficial in situations
where the phenomena occurring is difficult to
visualize, such as generational change and population
shifts over thousands of years. However, without
proper scaffolding, simulations can also cause
confusion for students who do not have a baseline
understanding of the concept at hand (Sickel &
Friedrichsen, 2015). This highlights the importance of
a simulation with clear instructions and descriptions
in order to provide the necessary background
information that a student may need. For this study,
we chose the Science Education for Public
Understanding Program (SEPUP) simulation on
Volume 47 (1) May 2021 Thomas, N.J. and Vo, T.: Using simulations to support undergraduate elementary preservice………….31
Natural Selection, found at the web address
https://sepuplhs.org/high/sgi/teachers/evolution_ac
t11_sim.html). SEPUP is a non-profit, research-based
program housed at the University of California,
Berkeley. Several researchers have tested the viability
of this simulation, as well as the National Science
Foundation, and it is considered a valuable tool for
teaching and learning scientific concepts (Nagle et al.,
2016; National Science Foundation, 1997; Ogens &
Koker, 1995). Our reasoning for choosing this
simulation was the functionality on multiple
computer systems as well as the accessibility and
simplicity of the program. Over several years, this
simulation has received robust positive feedback
from researchers and educators alike and can be
applied to a variety of grade levels. By employing this
pilot study, we hope to contribute further to the
literature improving the quality of tools available to
teach preservice science educators who plan on
working in general science classrooms.
Methods
Students were asked to participate in learning
about natural selection through an online simulation.
Worksheets were used that asked questions about
the data from the simulation and about natural
selection. Students were asked to document and
reflect about their experience both during and after
the simulation. These artifacts capture the diversity of
ways individuals within a group experience this
phenomenon (Lister et al., 2004). Additionally,
observational notes were taken throughout the class
period. This assisted in identifying the connections
between the different groups of students, and how or
why they did or did not learn new concepts about
natural selection.
We utilized a phenomenological framework to
analyze our data and to investigate the scientific
experience of the participants. The focus of a
phenomenographic study is not based on the
individual experiences of the subject involved, but
rather a comprehensive understanding of how the
collective subjects experience any given
phenomenon (Bodner & Orgill, 2007).
Phenomenography is a powerful tool to interpret
data received from student responses.
Phenomenography assists researchers in identifying
individual learning differences within an
experimental sample, and this helps paint an overall
picture of how students vary in learning about a
specific topic. Orgill (2007) provides several examples
of chemistry and science education studies based in
the methodological framework of
phenomenography. There are such examples as
Aguirre & Haggerty’s (1995) study researching
preservice teachers’ conceptions of learning. These
researchers were interested in learning about how
preservice teachers described their learning
experience over the course of the academic year.
Other studies, such as Yung’s (2001) work, were
interested in learning more about biology teachers’
conceptions of fairness in implementing school-based
assessments. This study considered that all biology
teachers may approach school-based assessments in
various ways, and it is important to how their
conceptions were formed. Orgill’s (2004) work,
however, details the primary reason why we were
interested in using phenomenography as a
framework—Orgill states that they were interested in
the experience that instructors and students had
using analogies in biochemistry. Orgill was not
concerned with their own experiences in chemistry
education, but instead were concerned of the
students and instructors they worked with (Orgill,
2004). By focusing on the multiple ways that students
may experience this content, phenomenography may
be used to effectively describe how each student may
vary in their own experience of learning.
Participants & Context
Participants in this study were 25 elementary
preservice teachers enrolled in a teacher education
program at a large southwestern university. After all
artifacts were submitted, only 14 students submitted
all documents and were considered for this study.
This university is a Hispanic and minority-serving
institution, with a population of elementary
preservice teachers reflective of the local population.
The undergraduate students were Juniors and
Seniors, enrolled in a 16-week science methods
course typically required the semester before student
teaching.
Simulation Description and Classroom Intervention
We began the intervention by outlining the
benefits and drawbacks of using technology in the
classroom. The students were then asked about their
knowledge of natural selection, and answers were
given regarding overarching concepts such as
Darwinism and “survival of the fittest.” We instructed
students to record their thoughts and feelings
regarding the discussion and the use of technology
throughout the class period, including before, during,
and after the simulation. Additionally, students were
asked to record their answers regarding the
simulation on a worksheet (Appendix).
Volume 47 (1) May 2021 Thomas, N.J. and Vo, T.: Using simulations to support undergraduate elementary preservice………….32
Figure 1.
Student view of SEPUP Simulation.
Environment information, including food, predators, and foliage, are listed in the right-hand window.
The simulation begins by having students choose
the traits that they would like to see in three different
bird populations. These traits are based on computer-
generated information regarding food availability in
the environment, the color of the foliage in the
environment, and any present predators. This
information was provided in a sidebar window of the
simulation, and descriptions were listed for what
would work best for that particular environment
(Figure 1).
Students were able to make choices such as beak
size and curvature, plumage color, and body size. The
different phenotypic choices made by the students
influenced the increase or decrease of each bird
population on the premise of natural selection. The
simulation displays this message prior to beginning.
“This part of the simulation represents 500,000
years. A bird population exists in the southwestern
portion of the island. During this time, mutations
may change the fitness of some birds and their
descendants in the environment.
Birds with traits that enhance their fitness are more
likely to survive and reproduce.”
The simulation provides information on the
changes in the population every 50,000 years,
pausing for students to record their population
numbers and observe any changes (i.e. a mutation
causes beaks to grow larger, allowing that population
access to larger insects). This occurs ten times,
providing students with the population numbers up
to 500,000 years. Mutations could be randomly
introduced by the simulation at every 50,000-year
mark. These mutations could change any of the three
phenotypic traits, and lead to increasing, decreasing,
or not affecting fitness. The students were asked to
write down both their starting bird population
numbers as well as their final population numbers.
Students were provided ~10 minutes of guided, step
by step instruction to ensure they understood the
functionality of the simulation. The students created
a table to record their results over time and took note
of changes that occurred. Once everyone reached the
500,000-year mark, the students were asked to
compare and contrast their starting populations to
their final populations with other students in the
class. The students recorded their thoughts on their
respective worksheets, followed by answering the
discussion questions once the simulation was
complete. Next, students were allowed to start the
simulation again, and freely investigate how their bird
population evolved on their own for ~ 20 minutes, as
instructors circulated around the room, only
answering questions as needed.
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Data Collection
Three student artifacts were collected: a worksheet
focused on the content of the simulation (Figures 2 &
3), reflection answers collected in student notebooks
and during the posttest (Figures 4 & 5), and
observational notes from the classroom group.
discussion, taken as needed. Students were asked to
answer questions regarding the simulation itself, as
well as documenting any observations or instances of
increased understanding during the simulation.
Students were also asked to interact with other
student groups in order to compare and contrast their
different populations. Complete data was collected
from 14 of the 25 students who participated in this
study.
Student Worksheets
The simulation was accompanied by a modified
worksheet from the unit SEPUP: Science & Global
Issues – Natural Selection. This worksheet contained
questions regarding natural selection that were to be
answered throughout the class (Appendix A).
Student Reflections
After using the simulation and completing the
worksheet, students were asked a series of questions
with the intent to discover their understanding of the
simulation. Figures 4 and 5 highlight student
responses within their notebooks, while the
questions below were answered by students once the
simulation was completed.
1. Today we explored the implementation of
technology within the classroom in order to assist
with science learning by the use of simulations. Did
you find this beneficial in solidifying your knowledge
of natural selection, and why? What worked for you
personally and for your group overall?
2. Using technology to introduce new concepts is
beneficial if it is applicable to different classrooms.
Figure 2.
Student Worksheet.
Student answers regarding the best bird phenotype based on the environmental conditions.
Figure 3.
Student Worksheet.
A student’s written answers to the discussion questions
Volume 47 (1) May 2021 Thomas, N.J. and Vo, T.: Using simulations to support undergraduate elementary preservice………….34
Figure 4.
Responses from Student 2.
How would you potentially implement this strategy
within your own classrooms? (You are not limited to
this specific simulation—instead, focus on the use of
simulations to teach relevant concepts overall). What
parts do you think would be beneficial for your
classes, and what would you change?
Data Analysis
Responses to the modified natural selection
worksheet were recorded and analyzed for instances
of understanding natural selection and the variation
of evolutionary traits over time. Responses from
students contained within the student reflection
papers were qualitatively coded via open coding using
MAXQDA software for Macintosh systems. Instances
of positive technology experience and enhanced
learning were recorded. Analyzing the reflection
papers assisted in highlighting the ways in which
different students experience different concepts.
Volume 47 (1) May 2021 Thomas, N.J. and Vo, T.: Using simulations to support undergraduate elementary preservice………….35
Figure 5.
Responses from Student 3.
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Findings
First, we will focus on how students
conceptualized natural selection. Many students
were surprised at the outcome, noting that their
initial predictions did not match the outcome of their
populations. For the first round of the simulation, one
student wrote, “we thought the big bird would
survive and he did not. I thought red would survive
but it did not. Same with curved beak.” They then
shared ideas regarding which traits conferred a higher
fitness for their populations and identified what
phenotypic variations allowed their populations to
survive. Some students noted how the environment
set the tone for the direction of the mutations, while
some mutations were entirely random. Observational
notes demonstrated that when students spoke with
other groups they were able to come to the correct
conclusion that mutations do contribute to natural
selection, thus expanding upon their understanding
of natural selection and the processes that act upon
populations over time.
Student A, for example, was able to identify
when mutations occurred during the simulation and
related those mutations to either an increase or a
decrease in the population. This demonstrated a level
of understanding that was not explicitly outlined in
the simulation, which assisted this student in
solidifying their knowledge surrounding natural
selection. They wrote, “Bird 1 changed size and color
because there was a mutation picked up. At 150,000
[years] a mutation made their offspring better
mates.” Student B drew the conclusion that color was
irrelevant in this portion of the simulation, as there
were no predators present in the environment, so the
birds did not need to blend in with the foliage. During
the classroom observation and discussion, they
shared this information with their groupmates and
the instructors. Since they chose their traits based off
of the food and predators shown, the only influencing
factor on their population numbers were the traits
affecting food acquisition. Additionally, we found that
there was variance in students’ depth of
understanding. While some students reported using
the simulation to understand population changes
over time, such as describing which populations
increased or decreased, other students were able to
connect the different phenotypic variations with an
increase or decrease of fitness. One student noted
the following in their reflection paper:
“The use of simulations was more beneficial in
solidifying my knowledge of natural selection. It
was more beneficial because I got to physically
see changes overtime, see the mutations, see
what characteristics are better than others when
it comes to surviving, and it was interactive.”
With regard to the use of the simulation itself,
student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with
only a few students stating that they didn’t
understand the material as they felt it was outside of
the scope of their classrooms. One student stated:
“I found the use of simulation more beneficial in
expanding my knowledge of natural selection.
This simulation was really fun to see what
happened to the birds and the explanation that
was given about the changes it underwent. We
could make guesses about why those changes
happened. Generally it was to increase the ability
to get food. I thought our bird that was a brown
colour and did not blend into the foliage would
have died off and it survived. It did not thrive like
the other two birds that were green, but it did
not go extinct either.”
Overall, the discussion was robust, with many
students actively engaged in the material and sharing
that they were more comfortable with the topic of
natural selection after completing this simulation.
One student notes the impact of the simulation on
their knowledge of natural selection, which was
further confirmed by their correct assessment that
changes and mutations contribute to natural
selection: “Before coming to class I have a very broad
idea of natural selection and how it works. I believe
all aspects of the lesson contributed to my
knowledge.” In speaking about applying this
simulation to their own future classrooms, this same
student wrote that they would like to use this
simulation, as “[my students] are able to see the
change over years within minutes and have actual
representations plus descriptions of the
changes/mutations.”
We were able to determine that this group of
students responded positively to simulations that
broke down important evolutionary concepts. The
level of student engagement was noteworthy, as one
student (Student BC) discussed wanting to continue
to use this simulation at home in order to develop
their knowledge of natural selection. By analyzing the
student responses to both the worksheet and open-
ended discussion questions, we were able to gain
insight with a small, focused view of the impact of
simulations on elementary preservice teachers.
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Discussion
Our work further contributes to the existing
literature by demonstrating the effectiveness of
meaningful, interactive simulations with regard to
teaching important biological concepts to elementary
preservice science educators. By teaching elementary
preservice science educators about the importance of
hands on, interactive learning, we may further
develop tools that contribute to a larger
understanding of biology at an earlier age.
Research focusing on how preservice teachers
learn concepts they will eventually be teaching is
essential to creating a strong base of educators.
Currently, students may be lacking in their knowledge
of baseline biological concepts, and efforts must be
made to ensure all students are prepared for the
educational workforce upon graduation (Nehm &
Reilly, 2007). By introducing preservice teachers to
the application and benefits of using simulations, we
can better prepare them for implementation of these
tools within their own classrooms (Ameerbakhsh et
al., 2019). With regard to the scientific literature,
there are several ways in which this research may
contribute: first, it can assist in developing or
improving simulations used to teach biological
concepts. By asking students to consider the
implementation of this at a variety of grade levels, it
may open up the possibility of using meaningful,
interactive simulations at all stages of classroom-
based education.
Second, this research may contribute to
improving the teaching of natural selection at a
college level. Currently, even biology majors may
struggle with properly understanding natural
selection (Furtak, 2012; Nehm & Reilly, 2007). If
students who are studying this evolutionary theory
struggle with misconceptions surrounding it, it is
reasonable to assume that preservice science
teachers may also struggle with these concepts as
well. This research can ideally address these gaps in
learning to further assist students with addressing
their misconceptions about natural selection.
Third, this project could impact individuals who
create simulations and technology surrounding
evolution. Teachers have a variety of concepts to
cover at a relatively quick pace, so employing the use
of an effective simulation may assist in properly
teaching an otherwise intangible concept.
Participants in this project all enjoyed using the
simulation for different reasons-- student responses
included terms such as “simple,”, “easy to use,”
“engaging,” “fun,” and “easy to navigate.” Students
were able to effectively use the simulation and focus
more on the learning aspect of it as opposed to the
navigation of the website. Ensuring future
simulations attended to these ideas would improve
the experience and potentially making students more
open to engaging with the content. Having elements
of time very clearly accentuated helps students frame
the concept of evolution and, being able to watch
populations change over time, helped this group of
students conceptualize natural selection.
Limitations
The population size of the study is a limiting
factor. The classroom had 14 students complete all of
the work, so various approaches to conceptualizing
natural selection may not all be identified within this
group. Additionally, since these students are all
preservice science teachers, they have been trained
to recognize concepts such as metacognition and
other educational scaffolding techniques. These
students may be more aware of their own learning,
which may either benefit or harm their initial
responses to this study. By using phenomenography
as a methodological approach, this could potentially
mitigate these issues by highlighting the differences
in learning styles.
Future Directions.
More research should be conducted to expand
upon the similarities and differences present when
students experience new concepts such as natural
selection. Overall, this research contributes to the
improvement of science teaching and learning,
further developing tools to enhance science
education in the classroom. Further work can be done
to measure student responses to a variety of
simulations, and whether the concepts learned
through these simulations carry over into everyday
classroom instruction. Creating a strong foundation
and understanding of evolutionary concepts at an
early age will prepare students to engage and
understand science for years to come.
Acknowledgements
Each of the authors confirms that this manuscript
has not been previously published and is not currently
under consideration by any other journal.
Additionally, all of the authors have approved the
contents of this paper and have agreed to the
Bioscene submission policies. All named authors have
substantially contributed to conducting the
underlying research and drafting this manuscript.
Volume 47 (1) May 2021 Thomas, N.J. and Vo, T.: Using simulations to support undergraduate elementary preservice………….38
Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, the
named authors have no conflict of interest, financial
or otherwise.
This project was approved under IRB approval
number 1302381-2.
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Science and Mathematics, 115(2), 75-87.
Volume 47 (1) May 2021 Thomas, N.J. and Vo, T.: Using simulations to support undergraduate elementary preservice …………39
Appendix
Lab: Natural Selection
(modified from Sepup: Science & Global Issues – Natural Selection)
Background: In this simulation you will investigate populations of birds living on an island. You will begin by
selecting three birds that
represent phenotypes for several traits in one population that lives in the southwest
portion of the island. You will explore how this
population changes over time in the southwest. Then you will
explore how the population evolves over long time periods in various
environments on other areas on the island.
Activity: Begin by visiting http://sepuplhs.org/high/sgi/teachers/evolution_act11_sim.html to open the
simulation. The first
simulation represents 500,000 years. During this time, mutations may alter the ability of
some birds and their descendants to thrive in the environment. Birds with traits that enhance their fitness are
more likely to survive and reproduce. In the southwest, your birds
will encounter the environmental conditions
listed in the table below. Fill in the second column of the chart with the bird
phenotypes that you predict would
be are best suited for each of the conditions.
Table 1:
Environmental Conditions and Bird Phenotype
Environmental Condition
Bird Phenotype Best Suited
Seeds
Edible Insects
Nectar
Predators
Foliage Color
Watch the animation and record the changes occur in each bird population over time. Not every box will be
filled in – only when
changes occur do you fill in a box.
Table 2:
Changes in Bird Populations Over Time
Bird Population One
Bird Population Two
Bird Population Three
Years
# of Birds
Mutation
# of Birds
Mutation
# of Birds
Mutation
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
500,000
Student reflection:
1. Discuss how the bird populations changed over the course of the 500,000 years. For example, what types of
mutations occurred?
Under what circumstances were the offspring more or less fit as a result of the mutation?
2. Were your ideas about the fitness of each phenotype you selected correct? Explain why or why not.
3. Compare how the bird populations changed compared to the bird populations of another group of students. Their
simulation
should have yielded different results. Record the similarities and differences you notice.
