Foraging Frenzy: A Hands-on Natural Selection Memory Game

Natural selection doesn't just shape beaks--it also shapes brains! To survive the winter, chickadees have evolved an amazing ability to remember where they cached (hid) food items in their environment! (Imagine if you could remember the locations of thousands of individual seeds!) This game is inspired by real research on the neurological and behavioral differences in Black Capped-Chickadees, Carolina Chickadees, and their hybrids. Each bird type differs in their spatial memory, which affects their ability to survive harsh winters (when there's no available food). It's a game about natural selection and hybridization, and how they interact with climate change! 

Related resources

• Handout: Foraging Frenzy Game
• Class Data Sheet: Chickadee Foraging Frenzy

Topics

• evolutionary biology
• hybrid zone
• predator-prey
• climate adaptation
• behavioral ecology
• evolutionary advantage
• foraging strategies
• natural selection
• hybridization
• adaptation
• ecological interactions
• cognitive science
• environmental science
• HS-LS4-5
• game
• bird evolution
• chickadee
• birds