fandomhigh | Biology, Period 2, Tuesday, Oct. 10

The students have gotten an e-mail telling them to meet in the Danger Shop today -- and to dress for warm weather; when they gather, the doors open on a tropical rain forest scene, with trees rising high above their heads, frogs leaping from leaf to leaf, and the occasional black-and-white streak of a badger rushing through the undergrowth. Elliot's tied her hair back into a ponytail, and she's dressed casually, in a T-shirt and khaki slacks.

"Hi, guys. Today we're talking about evolution and natural selection, and I thought that to show it off, we'd take a little fake trip to one of the most genetically diverse environments in the world -- the Amazon Rainforest.

"I want you to have most of the class to explore, so I'm going to keep my lecture short. The natural selection chapter in your textbook has a lot more information and you should probably read it before the midterm. But basically, natural selection is the way that animals or plants that are well-adapted to their environment get to live to the next generation and pass on their traits."

She reached down and scooped up two frogs, one red and one greenish-yellow, only wincing a little as she did so. "For example, these frogs are very differently colored, because they fill different niches. But if they were suddenly in an environment that was all red or all green, one would be able to camouflage itself and the other would probably be someone's dinner -- not mine, ew -- pretty fast. And the one that isn't dinner gets to have more tadpoles and pass on its genes."

Elliot released the frogs and wiped her hands on her pants. "What I want you to do today is to go into the rainforest -- alone or with a partner -- to observe and pick an animal or plant that's adapted to this environment, and write down 100 words about why the being might survive in the rainforest. Look at everything about the being, from structure to size to diet to coloration. And don't worry about getting lost; I'll hit the button to make the whole rainforest go away at the end of class."

She leaned against a tree trunk and waited for the students to disperse into the rainforest.

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"Well there's always a monkey around someplace," Jamie replied. "However I would prefer a species that doesn't fling their own dung."

"What if they flung someone else's?"

"Would they do that without asking permission first?"

"I'd imagine they'd have to, otherwise consider the consequences."

"I'd imagine there'd be a lot of poo problems."

"Combine it with the butterfly and the problems could turn into a storm of some kind."

"This would be a time for everyone to wear rain slickers and galoshes. Umbrellas just aren't going to cut it."

"Perhaps an all-over rubber outfit of some kind," Willow said, "Protect everything that way."

"And nose plugs," Jamie agreed. "And I belive even with and all-over rubber outfit some hand sanitizer is a must."

"After? A good loofah," Willow said, nodding sagely.

"Bath salts?" Jamie suggested. "Maybe some candles?"

"Oo! And a waterproof book!" Willow added.

"Huh?"

"For enjoyment while soaking," Willow explained.

"Okay I can see that. I think I'd probably go with a magazine though," Jamie said thoughtfully.

"On the non-reading front, there's always one of those shower massagers."

"But if I'm in a tub, why would I need a shower massager?"

"You can sit and be comfy while it works the knots out of your shoulders," Willow explained. "Also? You can have fun pretending you're on board a sinking ship and it's your job to save all the little rubber ducklings."

"From the butterfly created dung hurricane?" Jamie asked. "Because if so then the duckies will need rubber outfits."

"Do you think that for rubber duckies that would feel like a form of cannibalism?" Willow asked.

"We could always encase them in plastic baggies," Jamie suggested. "Because rubber ducky moral dilemmas? Not fun."

"They'd have angst, it'd be horrible," Willow agreed. "They might not have it in them to squeak."

"You know we should make a pact to fight all causes of rubber ducky angst, no matter how evil or difficult it might be."

Willow held out a hand to shake. "I so solemnly swear."

Biology, Period 2, Tuesday, Oct. 10

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