Adaptations

spring unit

revised April 24, 2008

Unit goals

Plants and animals have a variety of characteristics that help them survive and reproduce. These are called adaptations. Adaptations can be physical (sharp teeth or camouflage colors) or behavioral (freezing to avoid predators or moving in large groups.) The goal of this unit is to examine adaptations through looking at how birds have a variety of beaks that are able to get specific foods and exploring to find how plants have physical adaptations to discourage animals from eating them.

This unit is specifically designed to address appropriate AAAS Project 2061 benchmarks and second grade Minnesota Academic Science Standards IB and IVC.
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-- Summary Box --

Before your visit, please review with your students ...

physical and behavioral adaptations
their fall visit and how seeds had adaptations to travel away from the parent plant
basic characteristics of birds including beaks and feet and how there are a variety of forms and shapes of these characteristics
basic structures of plants and how even though the basic structures are similar there are a variety of forms and shapes of these structures
behavior expectations

At River Bend ...

during the introduction we will review the above material
students will engage in a bird beak adaptation activity to understand that beaks are like tools that are suited for eating certain kinds of foods
students will participate in a plant adaptation scavenger hunt to understand plants have physical characteristics that discourage animals from eating them

In closing we will ...

inquire about discoveries along the trails or in activities
review the importance of adaptations to plants and animals
remind the students of their next visit as third graders in the fall
talk of upcoming events at River Bend
invite the students to return on their own with family and friends

Back in the classroom ...

Have students create a plant or animal either by drawing or using a variety of craft materials that has certain adaptations. Have each student show what they made and describe what the adaptation is and what it is used for.
Take a walk around the school yard and look for adaptations plants may have to help them survive.

What are adaptations?

Plants and animals have characteristics and behaviors which help them survive in their habitats. These characteristics provide strategies for survival so they can both live and reproduce, allowing generations of species to continue living. These strategies for survival are called adaptations, which are developed over time, and can be either physical or behavioral.

Physical Adapations

Physical features of plants and animals help them survive in their climate, allowing them to gather food, be safe, and reproduce. This type of adaptation tends to not change during the plant or animal’s life time, but can change with generations.
Examples:

The coloration on an animal's fur coat can be the same color as trees, plants, and/or landscape during winter months
Beavers and birds have oil in their fur and feathers to waterproof themselves
Some birds have webbed feet for swimming
Sharp talons help birds capture prey
Animals have a variety of teeth to help consume food
Trees with chlorophyll on their bark to photosynthesize in winter
Waxy coats on buds to protect new growth in winter conditions
Some plants have thorns to prevent browsing by animals

Behavioral Adaptations

Actions and behaviors of an animal that are instinctive or can be learned are called behavioral adaptations. These can change over an organism’s life time, allowing them to adapt to their habitat and climate in order to survive and reproduce.
Examples:

Birds eat more in winter and fluff their feathers in order to stay warm
Animals travel in schools, herds, flocks, etc, for protection
Prey freeze to avoid being caught by predators
Predators freeze as well, to avoid being seen by prey
Animals posturing to show dominance, like squirrels chasing each other to prove the fittest

Note: Plant adaptations tend to be more physical than behavioral. They have physical responses to their climate.

What do we need to remember when we visit River Bend?

1. Being quiet will help you to see and learn more along the trail.
2. Wear a name tag so we can get to know you better.
3. Listen to whoever is talking.
4. Raise your hand if you have something to say.
5. Remember, “what lives here, grows here, dies here, stays here.”
6. Stay with your group.
7. Be nice to nature - and to each other!

Some suggested pre- or post-visit activities

Wildlife vs. human Olympics
Animals’ adaptations help them find food, keep from becoming food and survive and reproduce in their habitats. Have an Olympic competition between wildlife and people. Here are some fun adaptations that we can compare our abilities to other animals by actually measuring what we can do:

Deer can run 30 mph to escape predators. That is 100 yards in 7 seconds. How long does it take you to run 100 yards?
Some spiders can travel over 300 times their body length in 10 seconds to capture their prey. How many of your body lengths can you travel in 10 seconds?
A green frog can jump 5 times its body length in one jump to escape predators. How many of your body lengths can you jump in one jump?
A sperm whale can hold its breath for 2 hours to stay underwater to find food. How long can you hold your breath?
A flea jumps to a height 100 times its body height. How high can you jump?
A rhinoceros beetle can lift and carry food that weighs 850 times its own weight. How much can you lift?
A hummingbird flaps its wings 60 times a second. This means it can fly up and down and hover and even fly backward so it can get its food from flowers. How long does it take you to flap your arms 60 times?

Animal Adaptations
Have students choose an animal, find a picture of that animal and then see what adaptations they can find that this animal has, either physical or behavioral. Create a classroom display for these amazing animal adaptations.

Camouflage
Camouflage, protective coloration, is an adaptation that helps animals to blend in with their surroundings. This works for prey to make it harder for the predators to see them but also works for predators to make it harder for the prey to see them. Plants also sometimes have camouflage colors so they are not as easily seen by animals that eat them. Create a habitat background and have the students create a plant or animal that is camouflaged to be in that habitat. Have the students place their camouflaged things in the habitat and then let students see which ones they can detect.