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Adaptations
Cacti have special adaptations for living in desert heat and dryness. Polar bears have adaptations that allow them to withstand icy conditions. Humans adapt to different conditions by wearing appropriate clothing or building homes...
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Primate Evolution
A short slide show lists the unique adaptations of primates, introduces early primates, and examines hominid evolution. Consider adding some drawings or graphics to enliven the presentation.
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The Great Animal Systems Challenge!
Advanced placement biology aces list systems that have evolved over time, adaptations, and structure-function relationships. The resource requires plenty of writing to answer these questions, so allow a few days for them to complete the...
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Natural Selection
Biology learners tackle evolution-related concepts when viewing this collection of slides. There are no graphics or photos, just notes in bullet-point style detailing adaptations, evidence for evolution, mechanisms for change, and types...
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Vacancy: Habitats Available!
Sixth graders pick a native animal and write a classified housing ad to match the animal's habitat requirements, paste it on posterboard and then try to match each habitat with the animal it represents.
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Animal Nutrition - Variations, Adaptations, & Regulation
Colorful pictures and graphics make this a visually-appealing presentation on animal nutrition. Be aware that two of the sixteen slides include blank graphic organizers, so you will need to find the other existing version of this...
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Fire Fighting
Young scholars consider the effects of a wildfire on prairie life. They explore the ways that plants regenerate after a fire and create fictional plants that have adapted specifically to the prairie environment. They share models of...
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Prairie Scales and Prairie Smoothies
Sixth graders explore the animals that live on the prairie and identify differences between amphibians and reptiles and the adaptations each have made to live on the prairie.
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Guess Who?
Getting ready for a lesson on animal adaptations can be a lot of fun. Kindergartners will go on an egg hunt. Once they have collected all the eggs, they will open them up to reveal an image of an animal. Each pupil will act out their...
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Ecology and Evolution
Young scholars identify the different taxonomic classifications of organisms. In this biology lesson, students create their own organisms and make some changes according to environmental conditions. They present their work in class.
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The Amazing Octopus
Students design imaginary animals that are able to blend into their backgrounds. In this biology lesson plan, students will learn the importance of camouflage in protecting animals from predators. Students will select a peer to act as...
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Dress Like A Frog
Learners recognize amphibian adaptations. In this amphibian lesson plan students explore amphibian adaptations that provide for successful living in their environments. A volunteer dresses up with all of the adaptations using everyday...
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Plant Lifecycles
Students examine the life cycle of plants. In this plants lesson, students identify the various stages of plants and their parts. Students compare the life cycle of a plant with that of an animal. Activities suggested can be modified for...
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Land Plants and Algae
Students compare and contrast algae and land plants. For this plant lesson students discover what algae and land plants require for growth. The students discuss experimental design. The students experiment with different treatments of...
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Charles Darwin
Students produce a newspaper describing the times during which Charles Darwin introduced the theory of natural selection. In this evolution lesson, students make observations and explore the role of observation in Charles Darwin's work....
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Meet One Picky Bird
Students complete a research project In this endangered species lesson, students use the "Think, Puzzle, Explore" method to learn about endangered species. Students research and write a report on the red-cockaded woodpecker.
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The Living Environment
Students investigate animals and their environments. In this animal similarities and differences lesson, students explore animal adaptations and features and their habitats. Students get into groups to discuss the habitat and how the...
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If Peter Pan Can Fly, Why Can't I?
Students redesign a human, using data in research, so that s/he can fly. In this flying lesson, students examine the characteristics and adaptations of groups of animals that can fly. Using this research, students work cooperatively to...
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Create a New Animal
Students understand what physical adaptations are and how they help an animal to survive. In this adaptations lesson, students research four animals and then make an original animal that has adaptations to make them survive.
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Student Designed Investigations: Observations
Students choose an organism and create an experiment with that organism. In this observation lesson plan, students expose a living thing to something from its environment and record their observations. Students must have some prior...
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Reconstructing a Fossil Pterosaur
Students reconstruct the skeleton of the fossil Scaphognathus crassirostis. In this fossil lesson plan, students discuss the Kingdoms of life, geologic history and the history of the skeletons of species. Students are given 20 minutes to...
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Squirrel Islands
In this adaptations worksheet, students read about 3 species that have changed over time to adapt to their environment. Students design a squirrel that has adapted to an island habitat that students are assigned. They describe the...
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Designasaurus: An Activity in Paleontology
In this dinosaur worksheet, students are given a dinosaur skeleton and they work in teams to report about a "newly discovered dinosaur". They create and include it's name, a model of it, its size, the habitat it lived in, its diet, its...
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Adaptation of the Human Hand
In this human hand worksheet, students study the adaptations of the human hand. They perform experiments with their thumbs taped to their hands and compare the time it takes to complete certain tasks to the time it takes to complete them...