Students formulate a question, design experiments, collect data, and interpret results.
Instructor notes
This project works best after students have completed enough guided work to understand the interface, the kinds of variables they can manipulate, and the difference between an observation and a testable question.
What students do
- propose a focused evolutionary question
- design an experiment with variables and controls
- collect and compare evidence across runs
- communicate a justified conclusion in writing or presentation
Recommended goals
- have students propose a focused evolutionary question
- require a brief plan before experimentation begins
- ask for evidence-based interpretation rather than unsupported summary
- use the project as a bridge between conceptual understanding and scientific practice
Project flow
- Start with the lab manuals to remind students how to set experiment steps, population sizes, and mutation parameters.
- Each student or group writes a short plan describing the question, variables, and measurement strategy they will use.
- Run each condition for a fixed number of updates, save the output, and export the data if the assignment requires submission.
- Compare outcomes across groups, focusing on the evidence that addressed each question, and have students write or present their conclusions.
Supporting materials
- Independent Research Project PDF
- Mentioned in the legacy curriculum archive as a capstone project; its original notes are worth keeping as pacing guidance.