I use this activity in a lower-division dinosaurs course, which students primarily take for general education natural science credit.

Basic arithmetic skills are necessary. Students need to be able to add numbers and calculate averages. They can use calculators for this.

Stand-alone exercise.

Students learn that it is a population that evolves, not an individual organism. They often have a quite pronounced Lamarckian view of evolution, and this exercise can help replace that misconception with a more correct understanding of the process of evolution through natural selection.

The game begins with formulating an hypothesis regarding what will happen to the traits of the predator and prey populations. The game itself is a test of that hypothesis.

The instructor can also use this activity to help students gain a better understanding of models and simulation through discussion of the assumptions, limitations and usefulness of the natural selection game. If this is a goal of the activity, have the students determine whether the game effectively tests the hypothesis or not.

Students work in groups to play the game. Group roles are clearly defined in the game instructions. This gives the opportunity to work with students either explicitly or implicitly on teamwork skills. In addition, the group approach tends to help weaker students get through the mechanics and grasp the point of the activity.

To prepare for the activity, students do background reading from Chapter 6 of Introduction to the Study of Dinosaurs, by Anthony J. Martin (Basic Concepts in Evolutionary Theory section). In class, the day before running the activity, introduce students briefly to the rules of the game and have them prepare their game pieces. A showing of Walking With Dinosaurs: Time of the Titans would also be helpful.

The questions in the activity can be assigned as homework and then graded. On exams, students are asked questions regarding the process of biological evolution.

http://nsm1.nsm.iup.edu/rgendron/LabsDownload.shtml