Adventure with Habitats & Adaptations

Introduction

Students will work individually to investigate habitats and adaptations. They will create their own new animal species with adaptations that are fit to their chosen habitat.

Introduction

Imagine you are flying across the world your plane suddenly breaks down and you have to make an emergency landing. Depending on where it breaks down you could end up in a desert, ocean, forest, arctic, mountains, or grassland. You are hungry, tired, stuck, and all alone when all the sudden a mysterious animal you have never seen before appears out of nowhere. You soon realize this is a new species and they are very well adapted to their habitat.

You, however, are not very well adapted to this new habitat that you are stuck in. You start to study this new animal, take notes over it and research on how it can survive in this habitat. You can start by describing its features and also how you, being an amazing human being, can adapt yourself to survive.

You start to think about the day you will be rescued and want to give all the credit to this new animal, so you need a way to share your findings and discovery with the world. You need to talk about what helps the animal survive in this climate and also how you were able to copy them and adapt yourself to survive.

Task

Beginning your adventure: Step 1

You must select a habitat to research to find out its special characteristics.
Remember your choices are: desert, ocean, forest, arctic, mountains, swamp, or grasslands

Review habitats and adaptations: Step 2

Next, you will need to research habitats and adaptations. There are several links to websites, videos, fact sheets, and there are National Geographic books avaliable to help guide your research.

Creating your new animal: Step 3

Now you must use all of your research to decide which adaptations your new animal will have. Make sure these adaptations will help your animal survive in the habitat you picked. What type of animal is it? Is it a different type of an existing species, like a hairless bear that lives in the desert or is it a species no one has ever imagined before?

Announcement to the world: Step 4

The last step is to make your announcement to the world. You and your partner may decide to make a

Remember to complete your adventure as a wildlife biologist and share your discovery with the world, it is important you read ALL directions very carefully.

Process

Part 1: Research

First order of business, biologists! You need to decide what habitat you have fallen into. Are you stranded in the desert, arctic, ocean, forest, mountains, swamp, or grasslands?
Now you need to study the habitat you have chosen and the animals that live there. Please click and use the attached data log to organize your research. Click on the links below to get started

Biomes-Habitats

Animals and Habitats

National Geographic - Animals

Habitats

What Animals Eat

3. Now it's time to research animal adaptations. Please use the data log to organize your research. I highly recommend the adaptation music video!

Adaptation Music Video Dirtmeister's Science Reporters

The Truth About Adaptations

4. Games to Try

https://switchzoo.com/cheetah_habitat.html - create the ultimate animal based on the habitat your given.

Part 2: Create Your Own Animal Species

It's the moment you have been waiting for! It's now time for you to design your very own animal species that is adapt to your habitat!

You can use your list to combine adaptations and create a new animal

OR

a new type of an existing animal. For example, you could create a hairless bear that lives in the desert. You can change the animal's body parts and original coloring to help it survive in its new habitat.

3. Now it's time to compare your animal to the grading rubric. Go to the Evaluation page to see the rubric. You need to go through each section on the rubric and rate your animal as advanced, proficient, basic, or beginning. This is a perfect time to make changes so your animal is advanced in every category! Remember, this animal saved your life based on the adaptations it had to its habitat!

Part 3: Announce Your Discovery

Now it's time to share your new animal discovery with the world! Field biologists around the world will remember this day forever. Here's what you need to do:

It's time to create your science report
When you are ready, grab a Animal Adaptations graphic organizer that will help you share your discovery with the world.

Evaluation

Category	4- Advanced	3-Proficient	2-Basic	1-Beginning
Structural Adaptations (Body Parts)	The animal has 2 or more special body parts to help it survive in its habitat.	The animal has one special body part to help it survive in its habitat.	The animal has one body part that MIGHT help it survive in its habitat	The animal's body part would not help it survive in its habitat.
Behavioral Adaptations (Way of Acting)	The animal has 2 or more behavioral adaptations to help it survive in its habitat.	The animal has 1 behavioral adaptation to help it survive in its habitat.	The animal has one behavioral adaptation that MIGHT help it survive in its habitat.	The animal's behavioral adapations would not help it survive in its habitat.
Creativity	Your new species is unique. It is an original animal created by you.	Your new species is based on an existing species. You made appropriate adaptations for it to fit in its new habitat.	Your new species is based on an existing species. Although you made a few changes, your animal is very close to the original.	Your new species is based on an existing species. You did NOT make enough changes. Your animal is just like the original one.
Grammar, Punctuation, & Spelling	Deep understanding of grammar, punctuation and spelling in your writing. There are Few errors.	Good understanding of grammar, punctuation, and spelling in your writing.There are some minor errors but it doesn't affect the reader's understanding.	Some understanding of grammar, punctuation, and spelling in your writing. There are some errors and a few DO make it harder for the reader to understand.	Limited understanding of grammar, punctuation, and spelling in your writing. There are numerous errors that make your work difficult to understand.

Modified from : http://questgarden.com/162/09/6/130829222357/evaluation.htm

Conclusion

Wow! Not only did you survive after being stranded in an unfamiliar habitat, you thrived because of the animal adaptations you adopted from the animal you observed! You learned so much as a field biologist about yourself, the habitat you were stranded in, and the animal that helped you survive. What do you think was the most important thing you learned on your adventure?

Congratulations, you received several awards for your scientific discovery!

What habitat will you visit next? To begin a new adventure, start from the introduction page and journey to a new habitat. Stay Safe and continue to make scientific breakthroughs!