Peppered Moths

In England between 1800 and 2000 peppered moths changed from white to black and back to white again. In this activity we will examine how scientists tried to explain why peppered moths changed color.

As you work through the lesson you will learn different lessons.

First you will learn about peppered moths.

Second you will learn how scientists think and work. Peppered moths started to change color at about the time that Darwin published his theories of Natural Selection. As you work through this lesson think about how the scientists' thinking about natural selection has changed.

Third you will learn to use evidence and computer models to evaluate and criticize scientists' work.

A scientist's job is to learn more about the universe. He/she does this in several ways.

First a scientist studies what other people have learned. Understanding this information isn't enough. The scientist is required to verify that the observation or explanation is supported by all of the evidence. The scientist may repeat or replicate the experiment. Scientists are honest. They try to explain exactly what they saw and did.

Why would a scientist repeat or check another scientist's work?

Like you and me, sometimes they make mistakes. Sometimes our results are coincidental.

If the scientist is satisfied with the information then the exciting science begins. The first information is used as a starting point. He/she looks for patterns and relationships to extend our understanding.

This new idea needs to be checked by observations and or experiments.

What does the scientist do if the experiment doesn't support his/her idea? The scientist may repeat the experiment. If the evidence still doesn't support the idea he/she uses the new information to come up with a new idea.

The scientist reports the work so others can learn with him/her.

In this activity we will work with scientist as they explore peppered moths.

2. Background