summary learning objectives 2002 worcester public … objectives 2002 worcester public schools (wps)...

Partnerships Implementing Engineering Education Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Worcester Public Schools

Supported by: National Science Foundation

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Life Sciences: 4.E.3 _________________________________________________________________ Animal and Plant Adaptation Grade Level 4

Sessions 1 hour Seasonality N/A Instructional Mode(s) Whole class Team Size Half the Class WPS Benchmarks 04.SC.LS.03

04.SC.LS.05 04.SC.LS.06

MA Frameworks 3-5.LS.6 Key Words Adaptation, Survival, Evolution

Summary The teacher will first present the students with transparencies and give a short lecture on adaptation. After the teacher will split the classes in to two teams and play “The Adaptation Game”, which is played much like the game charades.

Learning Objectives 2002 Worcester Public Schools (WPS) Benchmarks for Grade 4 04.SC.LS.03 Differentiate between observed characteristics of plants and animals that are fully inherited (e.g., color of flower, shape of leaves, color of eyes, number of appendages) and characteristics that are affected by the climate or environment (e.g, browning of leaves due to too much sun, biorhythms). 04.SC.LS.05 Give examples of how inherited characteristics may change over time as adaptations to changes in the environment that enable organisms to survive (e.g., shape of beak or feet, placement of eyes on head, length of neck, shape of teeth, color). 04.SC.LS.06 Investigate how invasive species out-compete native plants (e.g., phragmites and purple loose-strife). Discuss how some native plants die as a result

Additional Learning Objectives 1. Give examples of how inherited characteristics may change over time as

adaptations to changes in the environment that enable organisms to survive, e.g., shape of beak or feet, placement of eyes on head, length of neck, shape of teeth, color.



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Required Background Knowledge None

Essential Questions 1. What is adaptation? 2. Can you name an animal that has adapted to an environment in order to survive?

How about a plant?

Introduction / Motivation

Ask the students the following questions: - Why do animals need to adapt?

o You should get the following responses (or lead the students to the following answers):

§ Weather § Food § Protection from predators

- If I were to move you to the North Pole, what would you need to do in order to survive?

Have the class read the Penguin Overhead out loud and then ask them what it means and how they can relate it to adaptation. Show the students the overhead with the different animals and plants (Transparencies 1 & 2) and ask the students what important traits they have that are a form of adaptation and what it is used for.

Procedure The instructor will: 1. Split the students up into 2 large groups naming them Team A and Team B. One

student will be the spokesperson. 2. Place the Adaptation Cards into a bag, hat, or a bowl. 3. One student from Team A will come up and pick a card then they will have 1

minute to draw a picture of the adaptation (In bold on the card) on the board. Team A (excluding the teammate drawing) will have to conference their answer within the minute that the picture is drawn. At the end of the minute, one student will give an answer of the picture and an animal/plant that exhibits this



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adaptation. If they are right, they will earn 2 points. They can earn an extra point if they can say why the animal/plant needs this adaptation.

4. If Team A does not have the right answer, then Team B will have the chance for a “steal”. Team B will have to give an immediate answer so they must be conferencing while the picture is being drawn. They can earn up to one point for the steal and an extra point if they can say why the animal/plant needs this adaptation. If both teams do not have a correct answer, then no points will be awarded.

5. The teams will alternate the picture drawings.

Materials List Materials per class Amount Location

Adaptation cards 15 See Attached

Vocabulary with Definitions 1. Adaptation – An alteration or adjustment in structure or habits, often hereditary,

by which a species or individual improves its condition in relationship to its environment.

2. Survival – a natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms’ best adapted to the environment.

3. Evolution - A gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form.

Assessment / Evaluation of Students The instructor may assess the students in any/all of the following manners:

1. Graded on participation.

Lesson Extensions None

Attachments 1. Penguin Overhead 2. Adaptation Cards 3. Adaptation Transparency 1 4. Adaptation Transparency 2



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Troubleshooting Tips Children who appear to be having trouble grasping the concept may need some one on one attention. Just sit with the student and explain to them how giraffes over a very long process known as evolution developed a long neck to eat the tall leaves off the trees. Try and paint a picture of how the giraffes with short necks wouldn’t get to eat so they would not survive, but the long necked giraffes kept on reproducing and making the necks longer. Giraffes are only one example the idea is to get the student to understand the idea of the survival of the best suited for his environment.

Safety Issues None

Additional Resources None

Key Words Adaptation, Survival, Evolution

Penguin Adaptation

Figure 1: Penguin Classes

Penguins are designed for life in the sea. Some species spend as much as 75% of their lives in the water. (They lay their eggs and to raise their chicks on land.) Heavy, solid bones act like a diver's weight belt, allowing them to stay underwater. Their wings, shaped like flippers, help them "fly" underwater at speeds up to 15 mph. A streamlined body, paddle-like feet, insulating blubber, and watertight feathers all add to their efficiency and comfort underwater. They also have a remarkable deep-diving ability.

In addition to blubber for insulating warmth, penguins have stiff, tightly packed feathers (up to 70 per sq. in.) that overlap to provide waterproofing. They coat their feathers with oil from a gland near the tail to increase impermeability. Black and white counter shading makes them nearly invisible to predators from above and below.

Like most birds, penguins have little or no sense of smell (a boon for those in a crowded penguin rookery!) Like other birds, their sense of taste is also limited. Their vision appears to be better when they are underwater. Scientists suspect they may be nearsighted on land.

Penguins are considered to be the most social of birds. Rookeries may contain thousands of individuals. (As many as 24 million penguins visit the Antarctic continent!) Even at sea, they tend to swim and feed in groups. Most species of penguins build nests, but the nests may consist only of a pile of rocks or scrapings or hollows in the dirt. Emperor penguins build no nests; they hold the egg on top of their feet under a loose fold of skin called the brood patch. http://octopus.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/penguin.html

Exoskeleton

(Shell)

Protection from enemies. Protects from drying out. Waterproof

Stingers

For protection

Bees Wasps

Eyespots

(on wings)

Butterflies; to scare off enemies

Slimy Skin

Frogs, Salamanders

Protects from drying out

Poison Glands

Toads

Protection from enemies

Long Legs

Escape predators. Reach food in high places

Horns

Defense. Mating displays

Whiskers

Help to feel environments (in the dark)

Thick Stems

Cactus; hold in moisture in the dry climates

Seeds blow in wind

Dandelions, Grass; help spreading growth

Large canine teeth

Dogs, cats; Help to kill prey

Webbed feet

Ducks; used for swimming and walking in mud

Long hair/fur

To keep warm in cold climates

Long sharp claws

Cats; help climb trees. Help to escape predators

Bright colors

Fish; used for attracting mates

Figure 2: Black Bear

http://estes.on-line.com/wildwatch/Bear.html

Figure 3: Heron

http://www.photo.net/photo/pcd1641/bird-fancy-grey-93.tcl

Figure 4: Cactus

http://www.life.umd.edu/cbmg/faculty/acaines/bsci124/extracreditplants.html

Figure 5: Snake

sfghed.ucsf.edu/ ClinicImages/Coral%20snake.jpg

Figure 6: Octopus

fusionanomaly.net/ octopus. jpg

Figure 7: Matured Dandelion

http://www.theherbspecialist.com/herbphotos/dandelion.jpg

summary learning objectives 2002 worcester public … objectives 2002 worcester public schools (wps)...

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