Student+Activities

__Monday __

This week, you and your classmates will be learning all about animal adaptions. You will be able to define an adaptation along with several other vocabulary terms by the end of today's lesson. But first, you must need to know some background knowledge about animals, different species, and how they become suited for their environments.

Have you ever noticed how animals in the wild have certain characteristics that distinguish themselves from other species (e.g. giraffes have long necks, elephants have big ears, etc.)? Did you know that at one point in time, animals within every species contained characteristics that varied in all shapes and sizes? Yes, some giraffes had long necks while others had short necks. Some elephants had smaller ears while others had big ones like they do today. However, because food supplies are limited, animals must compete with each other in order to get their food. As a result, those animals that were better suited for their environment were more capable of obtaining their food and essentially surviving. Those that were not well suited could not eat or reproduce and therefore died off. Eventually, only those animals well //adapted// to their environment were born. The reason for this change is a process known as //natural selection//. Natural selection takes place in all species and continues to occur today. By now, you probably have a better understanding of what an adaptation is. If animals must be well adapted to their environment in order to grow, survive, and reproduce, then adaptation must mean a type of trait that enables animals to fit in and survive in that particular environment or habitat.

To get an even better sense of the impacts natural selection and adaptation have had on our world, watch this short video on Charles Darwin, the scientist who came up with these concepts.

** Charles Darwin: Animals, Adaptation, and the Galapagos Islands ** (Make sure to click on 'See Next Chapter' to watch Level 2 and Level 3 of the video.)

I hope this video helps you realize just how important natural selection is among animals. Ultimately, the characteristics that help a particular species survive are passed on to future generations. Those animals that do not possess the characteristics that help them survive do not breed and eventually become //extinct//.

Once you have watched the video, you will need to upload and fill out the Animal Adaptations Vocabulary Form to make sure you are familiar with several key terms that will be discussed throughout this lesson plan. It is important to provide thorough definitions for each term not only because you will be graded on it, but because you will need to refer back to each vocabulary term during the remainder of the week. You MUST use the Britannica Online Dictionary for Kids to come up with your definitions (this link can also be found on the Word document when you upload it).

**Animal Adaptations Vocabulary Form**  - - - - - - >

Lastly, to refresh your memory, upload and complete the Vocabulary Word Search. Once you are done, you may check your answers.

**Vocabulary Word Search **  - - - - - >

** Answer Key ** - - - - - - >

That is all for today! Below is a checklist to make sure you have completed all of today's assignments: (NOTE: Just because reading the notes above is not a "graded assignment" does not mean you should not take the time to read them. It is always important to read the notes and instructions to make sure you understand the lesson completely. Who knows ... You may see them later on when it comes time to take the test). ;)
 * 1) Watch all 3 parts of the Charles Darwin video on natural selection and adaptation.
 * 2) Upload and complete the Animal Adaptations Vocabulary Form using the provided online dictionary source.
 * 3) Upload and complete the vocabulary word search (you may also check your answers by clicking on the answer key link).

__Tuesday __

I hope you enjoyed working on your assignments yesterday. The vocabulary terms are extremely important for understanding natural selection and adaptations. Since you have defined all of the vocabulary terms, you should realize that adaptation is a result of //evolution//, or a change in a species that occurs over a long period of time. An important concept to keep in mind regarding adaptation is that it does //not always// take place over night or even within a few weeks, months, or years. Adaptations can be very slow and happen over generations. As you know by now, in certain cases, animals are unable to adapt to their environments in time. Consequently, this leads to their endangerment or even extinction.

To make a distinction between when adaptations occur during an animal's lifetime and when they do not, it is crucial to learn that there are //__two__// forms of adaptation: **structural** adaptation and **behavioral** adaptation.


 * Structural** (sometimes referred to as //physical//) adaptations are the physical or external features of an organism that help it to survive and reproduce. This type of adaptation is the kind that does __NOT__ change during the animal's lifetime, but rather over generations. Examples of structural adaptations include the bills/beaks of birds and the thickness/thinness of fur.

Some examples of structural adaptations include:
 * fur
 * bills/beaks of birds
 * webbed feet of ducks
 * gills of fish
 * large, pointed teeth on a beaver
 * whale blubber
 * camouflage
 * large ears
 * long arms/legs

To get a better idea of structural adaptations visually, observe the photos below.



All three of the pictures above are great examples of structural, or physical, adaptations. As you can see, the physical traits that each of these animals possess enable them to survive in their unique environments.

In the first picture, the most obvious adaptations of the spider monkey are its tail and arms. Its rather long arms and tail enable the monkey to swing from branch to branch. If spider monkeys, or monkeys in general, were to have shorter arms, legs, and tail, they may not be able to survive in their environment and may end up becoming endangered or extinct.

In the second picture, you can see that the two polar bears are almost the exact same color as their environment. Therefore, their fur is a structural adaptation that prevents predators from being able to easily see them. Imagine if black or brown bears lived in this environment. They would not blend in well with their habitat and would become an easy target for predators. The fur of polar bears also protects them from the cold weather (e.g. snow) by keeping them warm.

Lastly, the rabbit in the third photo has quite large ears. The size of its ears serves as an adaptation that enables the rabbit to have a very strong sense of hearing. As a result, the rabbit is able to hear any predators that may be nearby. Also, the structure and shape of its ears are structural adaptations as well. They can detect the direction of sounds very accurately.

Other structural adaptations (and my personal favorite) include one of your vocabulary words: **camouflage**. Camouflage is an example of an adaptation because it is a trait that allows animals to blend in with their environment. Animals use camouflage to protect themselves from predators as well as to catch their //prey//.

Here are some great photos to show you how well animals are able to blend in with their environment when they are camouflaged:



Moving on, the other form of adaptation as previously mentioned is **behavioral** adaptation. Behavioral adaptation are the behaviors animals perform or the actions they do in order to survive and reproduce in their environment. This type of adaptation is the kind that __DOES__ change during an animal's lifetime. Because these actions and behaviors develop during an animal's lifetime, they are considered a //learned// behavior because different species learn to behave a certain way as they get older.

Some examples of behavioral adaptations include:
 * birds eating more in the winter
 * birds fluffing their feathers to stay warm
 * prey freezing to avoid being caught by predators
 * bears hibernating in the winter
 * animals maintaining a certain posture to show dominance
 * animals traveling or migrating in herds, schools, or flocks for protection against predators

Here are some pictures to get a better idea of behavioral adaptations visually:



As you can see, adaptations come in all forms, including physical traits such as fur, arm length, and camouflage, to behavioral traits like hibernation and migration.

As a review of all these varying forms of adaptations and to prepare you for the test on Friday, your assignment for today is to come up with five (5) **different** examples of structural (physical) adaptations and five (5) different examples of behavioral adaptations. Please do not include any of the examples I have given you in the pictures. I would like you to come up with original examples that I have not provided you with visually. (Hint: You may use the bullet lists above to get ideas.)

To complete this activity correctly, your submitted assignment should include the following: This assignment should be submitted in the **//discussion//** tab located at the very top of this page (in the center, between the 'page' and 'history' tab). Because this is your only assignment for today, I am expecting you to take a considerable amount of time carefully reading all of the notes above and working diligently on your assignment. I will be looking for originality and creativity when grading your submitted work. Also, these notes will come in handy when it is time for you to study for your test on Friday. Good luck! :)
 * Your name and the date
 * A bullet list of five (5) different structural adaptations
 * A bullet list of five (5) different behavioral adaptations
 * Each of the ten (10) adaptations should include the following parts:
 * 1) the //type// of animal
 * 2) //what// the adaptation is (its fur, its color, its sense of smell, etc.)
 * 3) //why// this is beneficial and/or considered an adaptation

__**Wednesday** __ I hope the assignment yesterday helped you learn to recognize and distinguish the differences between behavioral and structural adaptations. Since animal adaptations is the topic of this week's lesson plan, we will continue to work on activities that will enhance your understanding of the subject. To begin today, please watch the two videos below. The first one is a fun-filled slide show presentation created by Animal Planet that shows its top 10 animal adaptations. The second video deals with camouflage and describes each of the four different animals and their type of camouflage.
 * Top 10 Animal Adaptations: Animal Planet**

**Camouflage Video** (Note: This video may take a few minutes to load depending on your internet connection.)

As you can see, there are several different ways animals use adaptations to survive in the wild. Did you see any new adaptations today? Did you use any of these in Tuesday's assignment?

Please look over this graphic organizer below to better distinguish the differences between behavioral and structural adaptations.

As you can see, there are several different ways animals can adapt to their surroundings. Animals depend on these structural and behavioral traits to do a number of things, including obtaining food, defending themselves, building homes, withstanding harsh (hot/cold) weather, and attracting mates.

Your assignment for today is to participate in a scavenger hunt. The purpose of this scavenger hunt is to:
 * 1) Enhance your understanding of the two types of animal adaptations, how they compare, how they contrast, and how they work together to prevent endangerment and possibly extinction.
 * 2) Prepare you for your test in two days.
 * 3) Provide an opportunity for you to practice your navigation skills when researching the internet.

To begin, click on the ** Scavenger Hunt Link **, which is provided by the Utah Education Network. There you will find a brief paragraph on animal adaptations that I would like you to read. Next, you will notice a long list of animals with question(s) regarding each one. In order to complete this assignment correctly, I want you to answer all of the questions for the //first fifteen (15) animals listed.// In other words, answer all of the questions starting with the question for the **'African Hedgehog'** up until the question regarding **'Manatees.'** This assignment should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document saved as .docx just as all of my previous Word documents were saved. Please answer the questions using complete sentences. Make sure to include your name and the date at the top. Please take your time finding the answers to each question, and have fun! :)

__**Thursday** __

I hope you had fun with your scavenger hunts yesterday. Scavenger hunts are a great way to build your knowledge of the lesson as well as using the internet to gather information.

Today I am going to put your creativeness to the test. By now, all of you should have a very good understanding of animal adaptations. To make sure of this, today's assignment involves creating your very own animal. I have provided four (4) different environments for you to choose from. You must choose only one (1) environment to use for your assignment. Once you have decided which environment you want to use, you will need to come up with adaptations for your imaginary animal. Your animal will need to have both behavioral and structural adaptations in order to be strong enough to withstand the conditions of its environment. You will need to consider how the animal is going to keep warm and/or cool itself off, find and eat food, protect itself, make a home, care for its young, etc.

Here are the four (4) environments. Please choose only one (1) for your assignment:

1. This environment is dark and cold most of the time. It is very mountainous. It rains almost everyday. Because of the wet, dark conditions, the only plants that grow well are small mosses and fungus. Animals in this environment include a type of mouse, a nocturnal hunting large cat, fish, and a variety of insects.

2. This environment is dry and hot. Most of it is flat. Water is found in underground streams but there is little water on the surface of it. Most of the environment's surface is covered in sand, although there are patches of dry grass. When plants can get their roots down into the water table, they grow into tall trees with leaves at the top but not along the trunk. Plants which are not connected to the water table are small and dry, but they are edible. Animals in this environment include insects, a species of birds which roost in the high trees, a sand-colored lizard and a type of rat.

3. This environment is tropical (wet and hot). Most of it is covered by a rain forest. The environment is very flat. Water collects in large pools and lakes which have water in them all year 'round. A species of poisonous plant grows thickly on the ground. The spines of this plant are poisonous, and any animal which steps on one is sure to die. The vegetation is plentiful, and includes leaves, fruits and nuts. Animals include carnivorous snakes, varieties of insects, monkeys, fish and birds.

4. This environment has a moderate climate. It never gets very hot or very cold, but stays mild all year 'round. It rains for part of the year and the water forms pools and lakes which dry up towards the end of the year. Then it is very dry. The environment is partly mountainous and partly flat. Vegetation includes tall trees with high leaves and fruit, and a smaller plant which bears nuts. However, these nuts are inside hard shells which need to be removed before the nut can be eaten. Animals include rats and mice which live underground, insects, birds that nest in the tall trees, slow moving mammals which also live in the trees and a species of carnivorous nocturnal wolf.

Here are the complete instructions for this assignment:
 * Choose an environment from above.
 * Once you have chosen which one you want to use, create your imaginary animal.
 * In **paragraph** format, answer the following questions:
 * 1) What does your animal look like (size, shape, color, texture, etc.)
 * 2) What does it eat?
 * 3) How does it catch/get its food?
 * 4) How will it keep warm or cool off?
 * 5) Where does it sleep? Does it need to make its habitat or is it already provided?
 * 6) How will it defend itself from predators (Note: It must have predators; it cannot be at the top of the food chain)?
 * 7) How does it take care of its young?
 * 8) How long does its young stay with it before they venture off on their own?
 * Make sure to briefly state which environment you chose from the four (4) options above.
 * Be sure to include your name and the date.
 * When finished, submit your assignment in the **discussion** tab located at the very top of this page (in the center, between the 'page' and 'history' tab).
 * Make sure to STUDY for your test tomorrow! You will have an opportunity to watch a brief video that will serve as a review prior to taking the test. The remainder of the class time will be spent taking the test.**
 * Happy studying! :)**

__**Friday** __

As you know, today is the day of your test on animal adaptations. Because of this, your only assignment is to complete and submit your test. Below you will find a link to a video. Watching this is //__optional__//. The video is simply a review of the adaptations we have learned thus far. However, I do strongly encourage you to take the time to watch the video before starting the test. It can only benefit you. I hope you enjoyed learning about animal adaptations and working on your assignments this week.

(Note: You may need to click on the play button once or twice in order to start the video.)
 * Adaptations and Survival Video -Review**

Below you will find the link to your test. You will need to upload your test (Microsoft Word document). Using the highlight feature of your Word software, highlight the letter choice that you feel is the correct answer for each of the twenty (20) test items. Once you have completed the test, make sure to upload and submit your test. Please save the test in the .docx format like it already is. Make sure to fill in your name and the date.

**Animal Adaptation Test - - - - - >**

**Good luck! Have a great weekend. :)**