Life Processes
The student will investigate and understand that adaptations allow animals to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment. Key concepts include
a) behavioral adaptations; and
b) physical adaptations.
Overview
Students will compare and contrast the physical and behavioral characteristics of different animals that allow the animals to adapt and respond to life needs. The students will need to describe specific examples of how animals gather food, find shelter, defend themselves, and rear young. The concepts of hibernation, migration, camouflage, mimicry, instinct, and learned behavior are specific ways in which animals respond to their environment. It is intended that students will actively develop and utilize scientific investigation, reasoning, and logic skills (3.1) in the context of the key concepts presented in this standard.
a) behavioral adaptations; and
b) physical adaptations.
Overview
Students will compare and contrast the physical and behavioral characteristics of different animals that allow the animals to adapt and respond to life needs. The students will need to describe specific examples of how animals gather food, find shelter, defend themselves, and rear young. The concepts of hibernation, migration, camouflage, mimicry, instinct, and learned behavior are specific ways in which animals respond to their environment. It is intended that students will actively develop and utilize scientific investigation, reasoning, and logic skills (3.1) in the context of the key concepts presented in this standard.
Understanding the Standards 3.4
In order to survive, animals act in different ways to gather and store food, find shelter, defend themselves, and rear their young.
Physical adaptations help animals survive in their environment (e.g., camouflage, mimicry).
Various animals possess adaptations which help them blend into their environments to protect themselves from enemies (camouflage). Camouflage is the means by which animals escape the notice of predators, usually because of a resemblance to their surroundings using coloration or outer coverage patterns.
Mimicry occurs when a species has features similar to another species. Either one or both are protected when a third species cannot tell them apart. (Mimicry happens in both animal and plant species.) Some animals look like other animals to avoid being eaten (mimicry). This adaptation helps protect them from their predators. (For example, the viceroy butterfly tastes good to birds, but the monarch butterfly tastes bad. Because the viceroy looks like the monarch butterfly, it is safer from predators.) Mimicry can also occur as mimicked behaviors, mimicked sounds, or mimicked scents.
Behavioral adaptations allow animals to respond to life needs. Examples include hibernation, migration, dormancy, instinct, and learned behavior.
Some animals (e.g., groundhogs, black bears) go into a deep sleep in which their body activities slow down due to seasonal changes and they can live off stored food (hibernation). Hibernation is a condition of biological rest or inactivity where growth, development, and metabolic processes slow down.
Some animals (e.g., geese, monarch butterflies, tundra swans) go on a long-distance journey from one place to another (migration) in search of a new temporary habitat because of climate, availability of food, season of the year, or reproduction.
Dormancy is a state of reduced metabolic activity adopted by many organisms (both plants and animals) under conditions of environmental stress or, when such stressful conditions are likely to appear, as in winter.
Some animals are born with natural behaviors that they need in order to survive in their environments (instincts). These behaviors are not learned but are instinctive, such as a beaver building a dam or a spider spinning a web.
Some behaviors need to be taught in order for the animal to survive, such as a bear cub learning to hunt (learned behavior).
Physical adaptations help animals survive in their environment (e.g., camouflage, mimicry).
Various animals possess adaptations which help them blend into their environments to protect themselves from enemies (camouflage). Camouflage is the means by which animals escape the notice of predators, usually because of a resemblance to their surroundings using coloration or outer coverage patterns.
Mimicry occurs when a species has features similar to another species. Either one or both are protected when a third species cannot tell them apart. (Mimicry happens in both animal and plant species.) Some animals look like other animals to avoid being eaten (mimicry). This adaptation helps protect them from their predators. (For example, the viceroy butterfly tastes good to birds, but the monarch butterfly tastes bad. Because the viceroy looks like the monarch butterfly, it is safer from predators.) Mimicry can also occur as mimicked behaviors, mimicked sounds, or mimicked scents.
Behavioral adaptations allow animals to respond to life needs. Examples include hibernation, migration, dormancy, instinct, and learned behavior.
Some animals (e.g., groundhogs, black bears) go into a deep sleep in which their body activities slow down due to seasonal changes and they can live off stored food (hibernation). Hibernation is a condition of biological rest or inactivity where growth, development, and metabolic processes slow down.
Some animals (e.g., geese, monarch butterflies, tundra swans) go on a long-distance journey from one place to another (migration) in search of a new temporary habitat because of climate, availability of food, season of the year, or reproduction.
Dormancy is a state of reduced metabolic activity adopted by many organisms (both plants and animals) under conditions of environmental stress or, when such stressful conditions are likely to appear, as in winter.
Some animals are born with natural behaviors that they need in order to survive in their environments (instincts). These behaviors are not learned but are instinctive, such as a beaver building a dam or a spider spinning a web.
Some behaviors need to be taught in order for the animal to survive, such as a bear cub learning to hunt (learned behavior).
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/woods/16.html
- This site takes learners on a walk in the woods and promotes observation. Requires students to read a lot so this would be a good challenge for a child with an advanced reading level or with the help of an older student.
http://www.switchzoo.com/make_play.htm
- This website allows students to create their own animal as well as look at other animals in their natural habitat.
- This site takes learners on a walk in the woods and promotes observation. Requires students to read a lot so this would be a good challenge for a child with an advanced reading level or with the help of an older student.
http://www.switchzoo.com/make_play.htm
- This website allows students to create their own animal as well as look at other animals in their natural habitat.
Activities for Students
http://www.education.com/activity/article/What_Doesnt_Belong_third/
- Studnets will be practicing some important learning skills like: understanding relationships, categorizing, comparing, contrasting and observing.
http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/classification-1-classification-scheme/
- To show students that many kinds of living things can be sorted into groups in many ways using various features to decide which things belong to which group and that classification schemes will vary with purpose.
http://uw.kqed.org/edresources/plans/lesson-2b-adapting-to-climate-change.pdf?trackurl=true
- Lesson plan for students to undrstand the climae adaptation for animals.
- Studnets will be practicing some important learning skills like: understanding relationships, categorizing, comparing, contrasting and observing.
http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/classification-1-classification-scheme/
- To show students that many kinds of living things can be sorted into groups in many ways using various features to decide which things belong to which group and that classification schemes will vary with purpose.
http://uw.kqed.org/edresources/plans/lesson-2b-adapting-to-climate-change.pdf?trackurl=true
- Lesson plan for students to undrstand the climae adaptation for animals.
Assessments
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/scottforesman/Sci_4_VP_A4.pdf
- worksheet designed to test the students understanding of the vocabulary words.
- worksheet designed to test the students understanding of the vocabulary words.