Animal Adaptations
TEKS Objective
The student is expected to explore how structures and functions of plants and animals allow them to survive in a particular environment.
Essential Understanding
The student knows that organisms undergo similar life processes and have structures that help them survive within their environments.
Science Background
Adaptation: University of California Museum of Paleontology (website) - An adaptation is a feature that is common in a population because it provides some improved function. Adaptations are evident in both plants and animals. Explore this website and its links for information and lesson plans focusing on evolution, adaptation and more.
Adaptation
University of California Museum of Paleontology, evolution.berkeley.edu
Animal and Plant Adaptations and Behaviours: BBC Nature Wildlife (website) – Overview of the wide variety of anatomical, behavioral and physiological adaptations that help plants and animals survive in different environments.
Animal and Plant Adaptations and Behaviours
BBC Nature Wildlife, www.bbc.co.uk/nature
Signature Lesson
Specialized Structures & Environments: Utah Education Network (website) - Through a variety of hands-on activities, students explore how animals use special structures to gain an advantage for survival in their native environments.
Specialized Structures & Environments
Utah Education Network, www.uen.org
- Supporting Lessons
- Extensions
- Assessment Ideas
- Literature Connections
- Related
TEKS - Additional Resources
Supporting Lessons
Mimicry and Camouflage: BioEd Online (website) - In this lesson (including teacher background, student pages and extensions), students explore and identify unique adaptations that some organisms have developed as survival strategies.
Mimicry and Camouflage
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
Fashion a Fish: Project WILD (PDF) - Students investigate how fish adapt to their environments, how these adaptations can help fish survive in their habitats, and how adaptation benefits animals in general.
Fashion a Fish
Project WILD, www.projectwild.org
Analysis of Animal Adaptations: Institute of Marine Science (PDF) - Learn about adaptations and characteristics of selected deep-sea fish, and then create a new deep-sea creature using the information gained. Includes student pages and review/discussion questions.
Analysis of Animal Adaptations
www.forsea.org, Institute of Marine Science, www.usc.edu
Patterns and Adaptations in Plants and Animals: University of Texas Dana Center (PDF) - Students research patterns and adaptations among native plants and animals in different regions of Texas and identify adaptations of various plants and animals that increase their survival rates.
Patterns and Adaptations in Plants and Animals
University of Texas Dana Center, www.utdanacenter.org
Elaboration Lessons and Extensions
Animal Adaptation Teacher Guide: The Zoo Society (PDF) - This comprehensive unit, designed to support a self-guided tour of the Milwaukee County Zoo, contains a wealth of information and activities on animal adaptations that can be used in any classroom.
Animal Adaptation Teacher Guide
The Zoo Society, www.zoosociety.org
Adaptations, Fit for Survival: Journey North (website) - Students explore the meaning of physical and behavioral adaptation, and investigate animal migrations as an adaptation for survival. The site features maps that show tracking reports of migrating butterflies and humming birds. Additional links focus on other animals, such as cranes and gray whales.
Adaptations, Fit for Survival
Journey North, www.learner.org/jnorth
Animal Adaptations: Science NetLinks (website) - Expand students’ knowledge of animal features and behaviors, and increase student understanding of how well (or poorly) certain animals have adapted for survival in their natural habitats. Includes assessment and extensions.
Animal Adaptations
Science NetLinks, www.sciencenetlinks.com
Assessment Ideas
Have each student or team of students select an animal (or assign animals), investigate the current habitats in which the animal lives by using internet resources or books, and identify a new location to which the animal might possibly be adapted. Examples might include the roadrunner (bird found in deserts of the North American southwest) koala (marsupial that lives in eastern Australia), giant panda (mammal found in the mountains of western China), grey wolf (mammal found in the northern regions of North America, Asia and Europe), lion (mammal found in Sub-Saharan African and Asia), and western diamond back rattlesnake (reptile found in central and western United States and Mexico). Ask students to describe verbally why they think the animal might realistically survive in the selected new environment and geographic region, and then draw a picture to illustrate what they've imagined. In their new habitat drawings, they should illustrate their animals in alternate habitats, and to show sources of food and shelter. Lead students in a debate over whether the animals could actually adapt and survive in the envisioned locations.
Literature Connections
How Do Animals Adapt? Kalman, Bobbie (ISBN-13: 978-0865059573)
What Do You Know about Animal Adaptations? Slade, Susan (ISBN-13: 978-1404241992)
Adaptation, Silverstein, Alvin (ISBN-13: 978-0822534341)
Would You Survive? Animal and Plant Adaptation. Townsend, John (ISBN-13: 978-1410919694)
Additional Resources
Animal Adaptations: EcoKids (website) - How fast can you match animals with their adaptations? Play this game to find out.
Animal Adaptations
EcoKids, www.ecokids.ca
Animal Adaptations: Utah Education Network (website) - Discussion questions and links to an extensive list of websites with information on many different animals’ adaptations to their habitats.
TEKS Navigation
Grade 3
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