Peppered Moths Webquest
Directions: Go to the following website Peppered Moths: Natural Selection to learn more about Dr.
Kettlewell’s study of moths and what they teach us about natural selection and evolution.
Once the website loads, there are 6 large circles that represent each section. Start with the top left section by
clicking on the small blue button below the first circle that says “Peppered Moth”.
Section 1: Peppered Moth
Click on the Peppered Moth button and follow along to answer the following questions.
1. Why are these moths called “Peppered Moths?” (3rd sentence at the top)
Your answer:
2. What do the larvae look like when they hatch? (first paragraph of the “Life Cycle” section)
Your answer:
3. How does the physical appearance of the typica morph compare to the carbonaria morph? (third
paragraph of the “Life Cycle” section)
Your answer:
4. What animals eat the Peppered Moth? (1st sentence of the “Predators” part)
Your answer:
5. How do the Peppered Moths avoid their predators? (they have two strategies, one is in the first
paragraph of “Predators” and one is in the second paragraph)
Your answer:
Section 2: Natural Selection
Click on the blue button at the top that says “Natural Selection” and read to find answers to
the following questions.
6. In 1848 where was the first black form of the Peppered Moth found? (first
paragraph at the top)
Your answer:
7. What was causing the trees to become dark? (read “Industrial Revolution” paragraph)
Your answer:
8. Why were there more dark moths over time? (second paragraph of “Natural Selection”)
Your answer:
9. Why do you think dark moths survive better in a dark forest? (this is just your hypothesis)
Your answer:
Section 3: Dr. Kettlewell
10. What is an entomologist? (first sentence of the second paragraph)
Your answer:
11. Summarize the experiment Dr. Kettlewell did to learn about why there were more dark moths in
some forests and more light moths in others. (read the “Experiment” section)
Your answer:
Section 5: Play Game (you can skip the “How to Play” section)
In this section, you get to be a predator (a bird) that is hunting for moths.
● Choose either light forest or dark forest to start the game
● Click on as many moths as you can in one minute
● Try to click on the moths that are the most obvious (yes, you can purposely click on the
moths that are supposed to be camouflaged and mess up your data, but that’s not the point of this
assignment!!).
● When one minute is up, a “Simulation Complete!” screen pops up. Read the numbers it gives you in the
top paragraph and record them in the correct table below (light forest or dark forest).
● Now refresh the page (↻) and play again by clicking the other color of forest that
you haven’t done yet (light or dark).
Light Forest Dark Forest
Moth Color Start % End % Moth Color Start % End %
Light Light
Dark Dark
Final Analysis:
Explain in complete sentences: How does the color of a moth increase or decrease its chance of surviving,
depending on its environment?
Your Answer:
