Physical Animal Adaptations: Adaptation Station

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1 Physical Animal Adaptations: Adaptation Station Activity Summary: In this lesson students will discover physical animal adaptations. By observing characteristics of real skins, skulls and tracks, students will gain understanding of how adaptations help a species thrive in their environment. They will also experience how organizing observational data can assist them in drawing conclusions about the biotic environment. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Take Home Message: Because ecosystems are always changing, plants and animals need to change with them in order to survive and reproduce. Added Bonus: Adaptations such as camouflage and eye placement are changes that took place over hundreds of years, making particular species best suited for their Subject: Science Skills: Communication, Using Scientific Tools, Teamwork, Critical Thinking, Observe/Compare Grade Level: 3-8 Background Information: Adaptation An adaptation is any genetically controlled structural, physical, or behavioral characteristic that helps an organism survive and reproduce under a given set of environmental conditions. It usually results from a beneficial mutation. These changes in the genetic make-up of a species allow it to reproduce and occupy a niche. When faced with a change in environmental conditions, a population of a species has three possibilities: Adapt, migrate or become extinct. Natural selection occurs when some individuals of a population have genetically based traits that increase their chances of survival and their ability to produce offspring. Natural selection happens among individuals. Evolution happens among populations. Why do species have physical adaptations? Case study: Peppered Moths Two varieties of peppered moths found in England illustrate one kind of adaptation: camouflage. Before the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800 s, the speckled light gray form of this moth was prevalent. When these night-flying moths rested on light gray lichens on tree trunks during the day, their color camouflaged them from their predators (left). A dark gray form also existed, but was quite rare. During the Industrial Revolution, soot and other pollutants from factory same stacks began 1

2 killing lichens and darkening tree trunks. As a result, the dark form of moth blended in with the blackened trees, whereas the light form of moth was highly visible to predators (right). Through natural selection, the dark form began to survive and reproduce at a greater rate than its light-colored kin. Terms for This Unit Habitat Place or type of place where an organism lives. All animals live in habitats. Habitats provide food, water, and shelter which animals need to survive. Niche Occupation of a species in an ecosystem. It includes al physical, chemical and biological conditions a species needs to live and reproduce in an ecosystem. When different species occupy different niches a wide variety of life can live side by side in a micro-habitat. Adaptation - there is more to survival than just the habitat. Animals also depend on their physical features to help them obtain food, for protection, build homes, withstand weather, and attracting mates. These physical features are called physical adaptations and take hundreds of years to form. The shape of a bird's beak, color of the fur, the thickness or thinness of the fur, the shape of ears are all examples of physical adaptations which help different animals to survive and occupy a specific niche. Predator An animal/organism that captures, kills and consumes another animal/organism. Specific characteristics of predators are: eyes in the front of the face to focus on the prey, sharp canine teeth to tear tissue, strong jaw or sharp talons, large nasal passage to help track food sources. Prey an animal that is hunted and caught for food. Specific characteristics of prey are; eyes at the side of the head to see predators coming and molars to grind vegetation. Species List Coyote Habitat: Lives in bushy forested areas in the eastern United States. Food: Is an opportunist eating rabbits, mice ground squirrels, and other small mammals as well as birds, frogs, toads, snakes, insects and many kinds of fruit. Carrion from larger animals, especially deer, is an important food source in winter. Red Fox Habitat: Varied: mixed cultivated and wooded areas, and brushlands. Food: It eats whatever is available, feeding heavily in summer on vegetation, including corn, berries, apples, cherries, grapes, acorns, and grasses, and in winter on birds and mammals, including mice, rabbits, squirrels, and woodchucks. Invertebrates such as grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, beetles, and crayfish compose about one-forth of its diet. Striped skunk Habitat: Desert, woodlands, grassy plains, and suburbs. Food: Omnivorous. Feeds heavily on a wide variety of animal food in the spring and summer. Including insects and grubs, small mammals, the eggs of ground nesting birds, and amphibians. Important invertebrate food includes beetles, grasshoppers and earthworms. Eats fruits in season. In the fall the animal gorges itself to fatten up for the lean winter months. Eastern Gray squirrel Habitat: Hardwood or mixed forest with nut trees, especially oak-hickory forests. Food: Feed especially heavily on hickory nuts, beechnuts, acorns and walnuts. Beside nuts they feed on maple buds, bark, and samaras, fungi, and a variety of seeds. They usually feed on one food at a time, changing the item as additional sources come along. They cache nuts that they later recover and eat. Virginia opossum Habitat: Deciduous forest, open woods, brushy wastelands, and farmlands. Food: Carrion forms much of its diet, the diet also includes insects, frogs, birds, snakes, small mammals, earthworms, berries, and other fruits(corn and apples are favorite fruits) Raccoon Habitat: Various wooded and wetland habitats; common along wooded streams. Often found in cities and suburbs as well as in rural areas. 2

3 Food: Omnivorous and opportunistic. Crayfish, worms, insects, turtle and bird eggs, tender buds and shoots, grasses, and garbage are typical foods. During winter dormancy from November to March they live off fat accumulated in the summer. Porcupine Bobcat Beaver Habitat: Mixed or coniferous forest with adequate denning sites, especially northern hardwood-hemlock. Food: Woody vegetation in winter including inner cambium, buds, needles of white pine and hemlock as well as sugar maple and birch bark. Summer food includes basswood, aspen, elm and birch leaves; grasses, fruits, seeds and nuts. No longer found in NYC (200+ years) Habitat: Mixed deciduous-coniferous and hardwood forest with high prey densities. Also bushy, rocky woodlands interspersed with old roads, fields, and densely regenerating stands. Food: Snowshoe hare, cottontails, squirrels, muskrats, small mammals, birds, and their eggs. Deer is a principle winter diet in New York State. Carrion (untainted), snakes, fish, crustaceans, and some vegetation are also eaten. Habitat: Small to large slow flowing brooks, streams, rivers, or lakes that are usually, but not necessarily, bordered by woodlands. Reservoirs and drainage ditches are used if food resources are nearby. Food: Consumes the bark of deciduous trees, especially aspen, balsam poplar, alder, willow, cottonwood, red-osier, birches, oak and maple. Additional summer food includes grasses, sedges, rushes, and aquatic plants such as water lily and water arum. Red-Tailed Hawk Habitat: Inhabits a wide variety of primarily open habitats throughout its range, including pastures, urban parks, mixed deciduous and coniferous forests. Prefers a matrix of open pastures, fields, meadows, or swampy areas interspersed with deciduous or coniferous woods. Food: Small to medium-sized mammals, especially voles, mice, rats, cottontails, chipmunks, and squirrels. Also takes amphibians, reptiles, small birds, and carrion. Great Horned Owl Habitat: Inhabits mature forests, orchards, second-growth forest, forested wetlands, riverine forests, agricultural areas, and large suburban parks. Food: Rodents are its staple food. Other prey includes birds, small carnivorous mammals, and reptiles on the forest floor. Black Bear Habitat: Forest-dominated landscape interspersed with a variety of openings, wetlands, and regenerating stands. Food: They are omnivorous and their diet is largely determined by seasonal availability of food. Spring food includes grasses, sedges, forbs, grub, ants, carrion, and newborn deer fawns and moose calves. Summer food includes mainly berries, and fruits. Fall food includes acorns, beechnuts, and hazelnuts. In every season bears eat garbage and bird seed where available. White-Tailed Deer Habitat: Forest edges, swamp boarders, areas interspersed with fields and woodland openings and in winter month s coniferous forest. Food: Seasonally browse on a variety of deciduous and coniferous growth: feeding on twigs, young bark, and dried red maple leaves and cedar litter in winter. Summer foods include various forbs, grasses, sedges, and ferns. Summer food is hardwood leaves and grasses. Fall food includes Gilled mushrooms, beechnuts, and acorns. Eastern Chipmunk Habitat: Primarily deciduous forests, but also coniferous forest and brushy areas. Young as well as mature forest if sufficient understory or rocky cover is present. Food: Warm season foods include insects, fungi, birds and eggs, small mammals, and assorted reptiles and amphibians. Staples include seeds, nuts and acorns. Eastern Box Turtle Habitat: Woodland, field edges, thickets, marshes, bogs, stream banks. Found chiefly in open deciduous forests. Food: Young individuals are chiefly carnivorous. Food items include earthworms, slugs, snails, insects, and their larva, crayfish, frogs, toads, snakes, and carrion, leaves, grass, berries, fruit, and fungi. Activity 1 What is an Adaptation? (10 minutes) Objectives: Students will discover animal adaptations and discern several examples of physical and behavioral adaptations that common animals possess. 3

4 Procedure: Define: Adpatation - An adaptation is any physical or behavioral characteristic that help and organism survive and reproduce in a given environment. These characteristics make the organism specifically suited to its niche. Distinguish between physical adaptations (something on the animals body) and behavioral adaptations (an action performed by the animal) by asking students to give examples of each. (Common answers include but are not limited to: Physical adaptation bears fur keeps them warm in the winter. Behavioral adaptation Birds migrate in order to find enough food to sustain them through the winter months). State that today we will focus on Physical adaptations. Activity 2 Adaptation Stations (30 minutes) Note: Be very time conscious so that you have time to debrief the lesson, it is ok if every student doesn t answer every question. Materials List: Photocopies of booklets for teams, magnifiers, habitat station poster(school specific), animal crossing poster (school specific)plus: School A: Station 1 Habitat Red fox fur, Skunk fur, Opossum fur and Porcupine quills Station 2 Skulls/Diet Grey Squirrel skull, Raccoon skull, Red-tailed Hawk skull, Coyote skull Station 3 Animal Crossing Coyote prints, Opossum prints, Deer prints, Duck prints School B: Station 1 Habitat Coyote fur and tail, Grey Squirrel fur, Raccoon fur and Porcupine quills Station 2 Skulls/Diet Bobcats skull, Opossum skull, Beaver skull, Great-horned Owl skull Station 3 Animal Crossing Beaver print, Coyote print, White-tailed Deer print, Black Bear print Objectives: Prep: Station Setup: Group A Students will discover animal adaptations first hand by observing: camouflaged skins, the skulls of predators and prey, and animal tracks. By being asked specific questions regarding animal needs and adaptations, students will discover the abundance of animal adaptations and how they help species to thrive within their environment. Have each student break up into pairs. Each pair will then receive an investigative booklet. Each of the 3 stations must be set up during Activity 1 or have them ready to set up once the directions are given for the activity without distracting the student s attention away from the material being presented as they will need this material to finish later tasks. 4

5 Station 1 Habitat Station Furs: Red Fox, Skunk, Opossum, Porcupine Quills Habitat Options Poster & Animal ID Poster Magnifying Glasses Station 2 Diet Station Skulls: Gray Squirrel, Raccoon, Red-tailed Hawk, Eastern Coyote Magnifying Glasses Station 3 Animal Crossing Station Foot Prints: Coyote, Opossum, White-tailed Deer, Mallard Animal Track ID Cards Magnifying Glasses Group B Station 1 Habitat Station Furs: Coyote, Gray Squirrel, Raccoon, Porcupine Quills Habitat Options Poster & Animal ID Poster Magnifying Glasses Station 2 Diet Station Skulls: Bobcat, Opossum, Beaver, Great Horned Owl Magnifying Glasses Station 3 Animal Crossing Station Foot Prints: Beaver, Black Bear, Coyote, White-tailed Deer Animal Track ID Cards Magnifying Glasses Procedure: Review Unit Terms Have students take turns summarizing the terms for the class. Terms to be included are Habitat, Niche, Adaptation, Predator, and Prey Set the Scene All of the skulls and skins were being transported from the Manice Education Center to be used at the Museum of Natural History for a new exhibit on Animals found in the North Eastern United States. Along the way, the boxes opened and everything was mixed together. The students (who will be referred to as Park Rangers) are needed because of their expertise at animal identification. Students will be broken up into pairs and each pair will be given an investigation hand-out equip with a small amount of background information on animal adaptations and species diversity. Emphasize how important it is that we sort this mess out so that other students will be able to learn and touch these animals as well their work is really important. Stations The students (in pairs) will be evenly distributed among the stations. When they finish the first station they will continue on to the next station in order (1 through 3). Students will read through Facts for Scientists as backup material for their investigation. They will then use this information accompanied by their observations to complete their investigative booklet. Debrief Questions: 5

6 What are some specific adaptations we saw today and how did that adaptation help the animal survive? Why do different animals have different adaptations? What would happen if all animals had the same adaptations? Would the ecosystem function? Why or why not? Assessment: See if students can define a species and an adaptation as well as give examples of each. Have investigative booklets collected and corrected to be hung in the classroom. See if they can come up with some of their own adaptations as humans within their environment. Written by Kenny Haack-Damon Sources Miller, G.T. (2001) Environmental Science/Eight Edition(pp.115). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Coles. Degraaf, R.M., & Yamasaki, M. (2001). New England Wildlife: Habitat, Natural History, and Distribution. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England. "species." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Dec <Dictionary.com "species." The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Dec <Dictionary.com "species." The American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 12 Dec <Dictionary.com 6