How would you describe the traits of this population?

This population has different traits for color: some are brown, some are black, some are gray, and some are white.

All of the horses have the same traits because they are in the same population.

None of the horses in this population have similar traits because they are all individuals.

The horses in this population are all the same because they all have a coat, a mane, and a tail.

These horses must not be a population because they have different traits.

Think about what you have learned so far about populations in general and the rough-skinned newt population in the park. What prediction would you make about the poison-level traits in this population?

This population has different poison-level traits: some have low poison level, some have medium poison level, and some have high poison level.

All of the newts have the same poison-level trait because they are from the same population.

None of the newts in the population have the same poison-level trait because they are all individuals.

Which description matches the histogram of the population 50 generations ago? (Select One)

Most of the newts had low-poison level traits; very few had high-poison level traits.

Most of the newts had high-poison level traits; very few had low-poison level traits.

All of the individuals in the population had high-poison level traits.

None of the individuals in the population had high-poison level traits.

Which description matches the histogram of the population today? (Select one)

Most of the newts have high-poison level traits; very few have low-poison level traits.

Most of the newts have low-poison level traits; very few have high-poison level traits.

All of the individuals in the population have high-poison level traits.

None of the individuals in the population have high-poison level traits.

Which of these is the best claim for why newt population became more poisonous?

The newt population became more poisonous because the snakes in this environment caused poison to be an adaptive trait

Individual newts became more poisonous because they wanted to.

The newt population became more poisonous because of something in the environment.

Where do the genes that determine an individual's traits come from?

Parents pass their genes down to their offspring.

An individual can be born with any genes, since genes are random.

Individuals grow genes specific to their environment.

Parents choose which genes their offspring have when each individual is born.

How do genes determine an individual's traits?

Genes are instructions for making protein molecules and protein molecules determine traits.

Genes are random and don't lead to traits.

Genes give organisms the ability to change their traits

How can an individual be born with an adaptive trait?

The parents had genes for the adaptive trait, which they passed down to the individual.

The individual can choose to change to the adaptive trait when they want to.

The individual can choose to have the adaptive trait at birth.

The parents can choose for the offspring to have genes for the adaptive trait.

How did the newts become poisonous?

They received a gene for poison level from their parent organisms

They chose to have this adaptive trait to avoid predators

The predators caused them to be poisonous

Their parent organisms choose to pass on the high poison level trait

Look at Diagram 1. How could you describe this newt population?

There are three poison levels shown, and no poison-level trait is more common than the others.

There are fifteen poison levels shown, and each individual has a different amount of poison.

There is one poison level shown, and all newts have the same amount of poison.

There are three poison levels shown, and one poison-level trait is the most common.

Natural Selection Critical Juncture

Authored by Jeremy Pollin

Science

8th Grade

NGSS covered

Used 85+ times

AI Actions

Add similar questions

Adjust reading levels

Convert to real-world scenario

Translate activity

More...

About

This quiz covers natural selection and population genetics, targeting 8th grade life science students. The content systematically builds understanding from basic population concepts through the complete mechanism of natural selection. Students need to distinguish between populations, traits, and variations within species, interpret histograms showing trait distribution, and understand how environmental pressures influence which traits become adaptive or non-adaptive. The quiz requires knowledge of inheritance patterns, gene function in trait expression, and the role of mutations in generating genetic diversity. Students must analyze real-world examples like poisonous newts, peppered moths, and stickleback fish to demonstrate their understanding of how populations change over generations through differential survival and reproduction rates based on environmental advantages. Created by Jeremy Pollin, a Science teacher in US who teaches grade 8. This comprehensive assessment serves multiple instructional purposes throughout a natural selection unit, from formative assessment during initial concept introduction to summative evaluation of student mastery. Teachers can use individual sections as warm-up activities to activate prior knowledge about populations and traits, assign histogram interpretation questions for guided practice, or deploy the complete quiz as homework to reinforce lessons on adaptive traits and inheritance. The sequential structure makes it ideal for review sessions before unit tests, while the real-world examples provide excellent discussion starters for deeper conceptual understanding. This quiz aligns with NGSS MS-LS4-4 (natural selection leads to adaptation), MS-LS4-6 (environmental changes affect populations), and MS-LS3-2 (sexual reproduction increases genetic variation), supporting standards-based instruction while building critical thinking skills about evolutionary processes.

Content View

Student View

60 questions

Show all answers

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

Which of these is not a characteristic of a population?

living in the same area

same size

same type of organism

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

True or False: the fish in this image represent a population.

True

False

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

What is the main change in poisonous newts that has occurred over time?

There has been more variety in their color

There has been more variety in their size

They have become more poisonous

none

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS4-2

NGSS.HS-LS4-4

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

The specific characteristic of an individual organism is the definition of what?

feature

trait

variation

distribution

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

A characteristic that all members of a species have is defined as what?

feature

trait

variation

distribution

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

True or False: all members of this population have the same traits.

True

False

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

5 mins • 1 pt

What is one feature that all members of this butterfly population have in common?

size

design

antenna

number of wings

Access all questions and much more by creating a free account

Create resources

Host any resource

Get auto-graded reports

Continue with Google

Continue with Email

Continue with Classlink

Continue with Clever

or continue with

Microsoft

Apple

Others

Already have an account?

Similar Resources on Wayground

60 questions

8.E.2.2

Quiz

•

8th Grade

60 questions

2024 8th science final

Quiz

•

8th Grade

63 questions

Final Exam - Topics 1-6

Quiz

•

6th - 8th Grade

60 questions

GR8 LI 1STQTR BIO

Quiz

•

8th Grade

55 questions

Environmental Science Earth Systems

Quiz

•

8th Grade

60 questions

Ecosystems

Quiz

•

8th Grade

61 questions

Evolution of Landforms

Quiz

•

8th Grade

61 questions

6th Grade TCAP review science

Quiz

•

6th Grade - University

Popular Resources on Wayground

7 questions

History of Valentine's Day

Interactive video

•

4th Grade

15 questions

Fractions on a Number Line

Quiz

•

3rd Grade

20 questions

Equivalent Fractions

Quiz

•

3rd Grade

25 questions

Multiplication Facts

Quiz

•

5th Grade

$fractions$

22 questions

fractions

Quiz

•

3rd Grade

15 questions

Valentine's Day Trivia

Quiz

•

3rd Grade

20 questions

Main Idea and Details

Quiz

•

5th Grade

20 questions

Context Clues

Quiz

•

6th Grade

Discover more resources for Science

11 questions

Valentines Day

Quiz

•

6th - 8th Grade

25 questions

Valentine's Day Trivia

Quiz

•

8th Grade

20 questions

Cell Organelles and Functions

Quiz

•

6th - 8th Grade

8 questions

Newton's Second Law

Lesson

•

6th - 8th Grade

10 questions

Exploring the Rock Cycle: Types and Formation

Interactive video

•

6th - 8th Grade

10 questions

Carbon Cycle

Lesson

•

6th - 8th Grade

13 questions

Plate Tectonics and Earth's Structure

Lesson

•

6th - 8th Grade

20 questions

Heredity Punnett square review

Quiz

•

8th Grade

Natural Selection Critical Juncture

Which of these is not a characteristic of a population?

True or False: the fish in this image represent a population.

What is the main change in poisonous newts that has occurred over time?

The specific characteristic of an individual organism is the definition of what?

A characteristic that all members of a species have is defined as what?

True or False: all members of this population have the same traits.

What is one feature that all members of this butterfly population have in common?

How would you describe the traits of this population?

Think about what you have learned so far about populations in general and the rough-skinned newt population in the park. What prediction would you make about the poison-level traits in this population?

Differences in neck length, color, and fur are all examples of how traits can have ______________________________ within a population.

Access all questions and much more by creating a free account

Similar Resources on Wayground

Popular Resources on Wayground

Discover more resources for Science