Artificial Selection of Maize as a Bridging Case to Teach Natural Selection: A Simulation Proposal

In this paper, we present a simulation of artificial selection of maize that can be used as a bridging case for the subsequent introduction of natural selection in school. The proposed simulation takes up essential biological elements but also has a cultural meaning for the inhabitants of some regions of Latin America. After implementing a test of the simulation with secondary school teachers, we identified fundamental ideas that are introduced as a result of participating in the simulation: intentionality, recognition of variants, gradual process and population. These ideas are relevant for understanding evolution as natural selection. Therefore, the simulation could be used as a bridging case because it focuses the attention on relevant ideas for artificial selection and leaves aside others that are not productive.