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Notes for teachers

This would be an end of the unit project.

Students would need prior knowledge about animal adaptations and biomes/habitats.

I use Flipgrid, but you could use any other video app or website.

Magazine article may be written or typed in Google Docs.

Student Instructions linked here.

Coloring Pencils or crayons
Paper/ You may also use a manila folder to create the animal and habitat. Open the folder and then fold in about ½ of each side so it will stand up.
Paper for creating magazine article.
Access to computer for Flipgrid,
Rubric

Materials Needed

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Standards

Science Standards

4.L4U1.11 Analyze and interpret environmental data to demonstrate that species either adapt and survive or go extinct over time. ● When the environment changes in ways that affect a place’s physical characteristics, temperature, or availability of resources, some organisms survive and reproduce, others move to new locations, yet others move into the transformed environment, and some die. ● Fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago and also about the nature of their environments. ● For any particular environment, some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

Technology Standard

Creative Communicator - Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals

AZ ELP Standard 6

participate in grade appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions

ELA 4.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. a. Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. c. Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because). d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

U2: The knowledge produced by science is used in engineering and technologies to solve problems and/or create products.

Core Ideas

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Objectives:

I can create an imaginary animal with both physical and behavioral adaptations to help it survive in the environment where it lives.

I can write a magazine article about my animal and its discovery.

I can create a Flipgrid video to share my animal and its discovery.

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Agenda

Lesson will take several days of 50 minute classes. I would allow about 5 days. You may need longer for creating and Flipgrid and sharing.

Day 1: Introduce project and handout instructions, students can start brainstorming.

Day 2: Creating Animal with adaptations. Label all adaptations.

Day 3: Design habitat with animal in it. Label food sources, predators, where the animal lives.

Day 4: Write magazine article.

Day 5: Share on Flipgrid.

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Driving Question

Can you show what you know about animal adaptations, both physical and behavioral, by creating a new animal that could exist in the biome you chose?

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Project Instructions

Step One – Choose your biome. aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra, freshwater, marine, savanna, tropical rainforest, temperate rainforest, and taiga.

Step Two – Decide which physical adaptations your animal would need to have to exist in this biome.

Type of Body Covering - Fur, Feathers, Scales.
Color - Patterns, Camouflage - a color or pattern that allows an animal to hide in its environment, Mimicry in coloring or behavior.
Body Part - Claws, Beak (what shape), Antlers, Ears, Echolocation, Wings, Blubber (to keep them warm) Eyes (night vision etc.)
Defenses - Spray, Quills, Venom
Is your animal a carnivore, herbivore or omnivore?

Picture of animal with adaptations labeled. Before it is in its habitat.

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Project Instructions Continued

Step Three – Decide which behavioral adaptations your animal will have.

For example:

Hibernation,
Migration,
Community (packs, herds, alone.)
Mimicry.
Habitat (nest, burrow, tree, etc.)

Step Four – Create & illustrate your animal based on the physical and behavioral adaptations you have chosen

Label all adaptations
Your animal must include at least four physical adaptations.
Your animal must have at least 1 behavioral adaptation.
You must illustrate your animal living in its ecosystem.

(aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra, freshwater, marine, savanna, tropical rainforest, temperate rainforest, and taiga).

Include living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem that your animal depends on for survival. Be sure to include things your animal would eat. Also include any predators that may want to eat your animal.
Show where your animal would sleep (nest, den, etc.).
Illustrations must be in color!

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Project Instructions Continued

Step Five – Write a magazine article announcing the discovery of your animal. Be sure to include: your animals name: Your animals physical adaptations, including their purposes for survival, your animals behavioral adaptations, including their purposes for survival, what your animal eats, and how its adaptations help it get food, where your animal lives, and how its adaptations help it survive in this environment

Step Six- Use Flipgrid or another video presentation website to present your animal drawing with adaptations labeled and its habitat in your video. Also read your magazine article about discovering your animal.

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Assessment

Finished product: Rubric

Have students create a Flipgrid or similar video to explain why they created their animal with its adaptations, so that it would survive in the habitat they chose.

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Differentiation

Students could be given a background of a habitat to start with and then they would only need to create their animal.
Students could have fewer adaptations needed on their animal.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Students could do further research about the habitat they chose and how humans may be changing or influencing this habitat and the animals in it.
Students could also research how a certain animal has adapted to a new habitat.