Lessons from Lizards: Adaptation to Introduced Ants

The fence lizard and fire ant ecological system provides an excellent real-world case study for students to examine the impacts of nuisance introduced species on native organisms, with particular emphasis on the topic of adaptation. In this exercise, students are tasked with making predictions, analyzing real scientific data, and applying critical-thinking strategies to interpret their results. A reflection component at the end of the exercise involves the creation of a concept map to synthesize and integrate ideas from the lesson within the broader context of natural selection.