Adaptations Adventure
INTRO:
1000 years ago zoologists from America were on a secret mission from the President to bring a group of rare animals across the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, during their journey they got caught in a storm and were shipwrecked on an uncharted island. Luckily, the zoologists were rescued by the US Military, but the animals escaped and they were unable to retrieve it before leaving the island.
It is now the year 3011 and you have been ordered by the current President of the United States to return to the island and bring back the rare animal. However, since 1000 years have passed, the animal has probably made adaptations to its environment and may not look the same as it did when it was lost. You have been given the following information about the conditions of the island:
The island is partly mountainous and partly flat. The flat portion of the island has a moderate climate, meaning it never gets very hot or very cold. The mountainous part can get very cold and snowy up in the peaks. On this island, it rains for part of the year and the water forms pools and lakes. These lakes dry up towards the end of the year, and then the island is very dry. Vegetation includes tall trees with high leaves and fruit, and a smaller plant that bears nuts. However, these nuts are inside hard shells that need to be removed before the nut can be eaten. Animals besides the mystery animal that live on this island 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.
TASK:
Your mission is to predict the types of adaptations that the animal may have made so that you know what to look for when you arrive on the island. As a group, you have been instructed by the President to draw an illustration of the animal as you believe it would appear today. In addition, you must write a paragraph explaining why you predicted the adaptations that you chose. You will present your drawing and conclusions to the President and Congress (your teacher and the class) in a 3-5 minute presentation during which you will explain your reasoning behind your predictions. The President has assigned each member of your team a specific role:
Professor of Protective Coloration
Specialist of Structural and Behavioral Adaptations
Master of Migration and Hibernation
You will individually gather information about your specific topic. After you have completed your individual research, you will come together as a group in order to pool your resources and create your final project.
PROCEDURE:
First things first! Begin your process by reading through the following sites in order to get a better understanding of animal adaptations in general.
1. Explore this page as a group to learn what animal adaptations are. What are Animal Adaptations? Learn more about adaptations here.
2. As a group, examineDirtmeister’s Science Reporters Animal Adaptationspage. Read examples of how sharks, foxes, raccoons, and bears all use different types of adaptations.
3.Think you understand animal adaptations? Play these games as a group to test your skills! (Make sure to read the directions before playing)
Ecokids Animal Adaptations Game
How Animals Meet Their Needs
Your Individual Tasks are below:
Professor of Protective Coloration
Your role as Professor is to research four types of camouflage: Concealing coloration, disruptive coloration, disguise, and mimicry.
You are concerned about how animals use camouflage for protection and survival. While you are doing your research, you will use a worksheet to answer several important questions about your topic. At the end of the project, you will need to turn in the completed worksheet to your teacher. Use the websites below to answer the questions on your worksheet about protective coloration.
Foxes: Camouflage Animal Camouflage and Coloration Pictures Coloration
Specialist of Structural and Behavioral Adaptations
Your role as Specialist is to examine two particular types of animal adaptations: Structural and Behavioral Adaptations. You will use the following websites to conduct your individual research. As you are exploring, use this worksheet to help you organize your information.
Structural adaptations are adaptations that involve some part of an animal's body, such as the size or shape of the teeth, the animal's body covering, or the way the animal moves. Can you determine the structural adaptations of the animals featured in these websites? (Remember, there may be other types of adaptations listed, but you must determine which ones are structural)
Use the websites below to answer the questions on your worksheet about structural adaptations.
Platypus Platypus Fur Alligator Polar Bear Camel Duck Goat
Behavioral adaptations are activities that help an animal survive. Behavioral adaptations can be learned or instinctive (a behavior an animal is born with). One type of behavioral adaptation is social behavior (if an animal lives by itself or in a group). Another type is behavior for protection. An animal's behavior sometimes helps to protect the animal. Can you determine the behavioral adaptations of the animals featured in these websites?
Use the websites below to answer the questions on your worksheet about behavioral adaptations.
Zebra Zebras Communicate Opossum Squirrel Monkey
Master of Migration and Hibernation
There are several different types of Migration. Visit this site and learn more about all of the different kinds:
Migration Basics
After studying these animals: Arctic Tern, Monarch Butterfly, Caribou, American Robin, Bighorn Sheep, Atlantic Salmon, crabs, sea turtles, frogs and toads here categorize them into the four major groups of migration that you just read about on your migration organizer.
Hibernation is another factor that you have to take into consideration that the mystery animal could have undergone over the past 1000 years. Visit this site to learn more about hibernation.
Now that you have explored some of the things that help animals to hibernate and what different kinds of hibernation are, compare the ways in which true hibernators differ from deep sleepers on your hibernation organizer. Be sure to give some examples of animals that fall under each category.
Final Steps
1.You all should now have a better understanding about the specific roles that you play in animal adaptations. Now you’re ready to start to create your animal illustration! First, use the brainstorming sheet in your packet to organize your research for your drawing.
2. Now that you’ve done some brainstorming and the creative juices are flowing, you should start creating your illustration. Remember that the reason for this illustration is to predict the types of adaptations that the mystery animal has made to its environment. You must also write a paragraph explaining your illustration and why your group chose the adaptations that they did.
3. After completing your drawing and paragraph, it is time for the group to plan how you will present your research and predictions to the President and Congress. Remember, your group’s presentation should convince the President and his advisors that your illustration of the animals’ adaptations are correct, so be sure to justify your predictions! Use persuasive arguments!
4. You will need to turn in the following: your illustration, paragraph and individual worksheets.