Animal Adaptations
Animal adaptations, such as camouflage, are high-interest topics that are easily integrated into both reading and math curriculum.
By Jennifer Sinsel
Whenever I ask my primary students what they’d like to learn more about, the answer inevitably involves animals. Young children are intrigued by the creatures who share our environment, especially when it comes to the physical and behavioral adaptations that make them so different from us (and each other!).
An adaptation is a trait that enables an animal to survive in its environment. Adaptations can be behavioral (such as birds migrating south for the winter) or physical (such as the thick coat of a polar bear, which helps it survive bitterly cold temperatures). An animal that is well adapted to its environment will survive long enough to produce offspring, while animals that are not well adapted usually die before they can reproduce.
When I introduce the idea of adaptations, I like to use the children’s book “How to Hide a Butterfly and Other Insects” by Ruth Heller. Heller has written a series of books about different types of animals, and kids love to search for the camouflaged critters hidden within each page. Camouflage is an important adaptation that enables many animals to hide from predators, or disguise themselves while hunting for prey.
After discussing the book, I tell students they will now play the role of a predator (bird) trying to locate prey (butterflies). Prior to the class, I randomly tape five green squares, 10 black squares, 15 white squares, and 70 newsprint squares to a newspaper. Once I hold up the paper, everyone has 15 seconds to estimate how many of each colored “butterfly” they see. When the time is up, we share our estimates. Many students are quite surprised to learn there are 70 newsprint squares (some inevitably fail to see any at all!), which really drives home the point of camouflage!
In order to integrate math, students complete a double-bar graph of their individual estimates and the actual numbers of “butterflies.” Depending on their age and ability level, they can also figure the average estimates of each color for the entire class and graph that data as well. As a culminating activity for the day, it is fun to have each child create his or her own camouflaged butterfly to hide somewhere in the room!
Animal Adaptations Lessons:
Students learn about animal adaptations and how these help animals to survive. They learn about and compare/contrast carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. They also learn about specialized body parts that help animals when they eat. Using specific adaptations, they write a menu that would work a particular animal.
Animal Adaptations: Physical Characteristics
Students discuss human adaptations. They tape their thumbs to the palms of their hands and experiment with picking things up, writing, and tying their shoes. Students work on a worksheet in small groups. Then students choose a habitat, and place an animal in that habitat. They list physical and behavioral adaptations needed to survive.
In this worksheet, students analyze bird adaptations by looking at different birds and determining what the bird eats and where it lives. They look at the bird's beak and feet to guess what it eats and where it lives. Then students create a graphic organizer and answer questions.
In this worksheet about birds, students pick up different "food" items using items that represent different types of beaks. At the end of the activity students answer eight short questions.