Introduction
Animals.. Animals.. They are out there, somewhere, hiding in plain sight. Others are able to defend themselves in the most unusual and bizarre ways. You are a mad animal enthusiast who is searching the world for an animal with the most unusual combination of defense mechanisms. Frustrated, you decide to take a page out of Dr. Frankenstein’s playbook and create your own animal.
Task
Your job is to investigate all of the possible animal defense mechanisms, create a slide presentation, and then create an animal that uses a minimum of two defense mechanisms.
Process
1. Open the slide presentation to view the defense mechanisms to be researched.
2. Use a wide variety of the resources provided to research each defense mechanism. (Be sure to keep a log of the resources used)
In your slide presentation, each defense mechanism has its own slide.
Each slide must include the following:
- Add a color background to the slide
- Photo or image of the defense mechanism
- A two sentence description of the defense mechanism in your own words.
- List of 2-3 animals that use the defense mechanism.
3. Create an imaginary animal that combines 2 defense mechanisms.
- Make sure that you choose the habitat that your imaginary animal will live in.
- Explore different ways to combine defense mechanism to make a NEW animal rather than recreating known animals.
4. Create a drawing of your imaginary animal
5. On your second to last slide,
- Add a color background
- Type the name of your imaginary animal
- Import the drawing of your imaginary animal
- Type a description of your imaginary animal which discusses its habitat and how it uses its defense mechanisms. (4-5 sentences)
6. On your last slide, create a works cited page that lists all resources that were used.
Resources
Internet:
1. Title: DK Science: Defence
URL: https://www.factmonster.com/dk/encyclopedia/science/defence-0
2. Title: Animals that Regenerate
URL: https://www.factmonster.com/math-science/biology/plants-animals/animals-that-regenerate
3. Title: Time for Kids: Animal Defenses
URL: https://www.timeforkids.com/k1/animal-defenses/
4. Title: How Sea Slugs Steal the Defenses of Their Prey
URL: https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/how-sea-slugs-steal-defenses-their-prey
5. Title: Animals with Stinky Defense
URL: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/animals-defenses-smells-predators
6. Title: Defence Against Predators Facts for Kids
URL: https://kids.kiddle.co/Defence_against_predators
7. Title: Whoa! Check Out These 12 Animals That Spit Acid
URL: https://a-z-animals.com/blog/whoa-check-out-these-12-animals-that-spit-acid/
8. Title: Defense Mechanisms Animals use to survive
URL: https://www.treehugger.com/what-is-a-defense-mechanism-373406
9. Title: 15 Animals with Bizarre Defense Mechanisms
URL: https://www.treehugger.com/bizarre-defense-mechanisms-found-nature-4863042
10. Title: Animal Defenses
URL: https://www.stcharles.k12.la.us/cms/lib/LA01906411/Centricity/Domain/2645/Animal%20Defenses.pdf
11. Title: 10 Top Defence Mechanisms in Nature
URL: https://www.pugdundeesafaris.com/blog/defence-mechanisms-in-nature/
12. Title: Batesian Mimicry
URL: https://www.amentsoc.org/insects/glossary/terms/batesian-mimicry/
13. Title: Aposematic & Diematic Colouration
URL: https://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/SurvivalStrategies3.html
14. Title: Camouflage and Disguise
URL: https://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/SurvivalStrategies2.html
15. Title: Mimicry
URL: https://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/SurvivalStrategies4.html
14. Title: Chemical Defences
URL: https://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/SurvivalStrategies8.html
15. Title: How Do Animals Protect Themselves
URL: https://naturemuseum.org/2020/05/how-do-animals-protect-themselves/
Video:
1. Title: Animal Camouflage
2. Title: Masters of Disguise
URL: https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.colt.disguise/masters-of-disguise/
Books:
Animal Disguises by Belinda Weber
Fake Out! Animals That Play Tricks by Ginjer Clarke
Taipans by Elizabeth Raum
Stonefish by Elizabeth Raum
Blue-Ringed Octopuses by Elizabeth Raum
Box Jellyfish by Elizabeth Raum
Poison Dart Frogs by Elizabeth Raum
Stingrays by Elizabeth Raum
Evaluation
| Exceeds Expectations (4) | Meets Expectations (3) | Approaches Expectations (2) | Doesn’t Meet Expectations (1) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Defense Mechanism Slides |
The group created an excellent slideshow presentation that |
The group created an excellent slideshow presentation that included a title slide, all defense mechanism slides included all four required elements of colored background, a photo or image of the defense mechanism, a two sentence description of the defense mechanism in their own words, and a list of 2-3 animals that use the defense mechanism plus a Works Cited slide. |
The group created a slideshow presentation that included most of the required elements of a title slide, all defense mechanism slides included all four required elements of colored background, a photo or image of the defense mechanism, a two sentence description of the defense mechanism in their own words, and a list of 2-3 animals that use the defense mechanism plus a Works Cited slide. |
The group created a slideshow presentation but it did not necessarily follow the guidelines. |
| Imaginary Animal | The group created an an excellent new imaginary animal that combines 2 defense mechanisms. -The habitat that the imaginary animal will live in was clearly discussed. and -The group clearly discussed the defense mechanisms and how the animal will use them. |
The group created an new imaginary animal that combines 2 defense mechanisms. -The habitat that the imaginary animal will live in was discussed. and -The group discussed the defense mechanisms and how the animal will use them. |
The group created an new imaginary animal that combines 2 defense mechanisms. |
The group created an animal but it did not necessarily follow the guidelines. or No new animal was created. |
| Works Cited | The Works Cited includes all sources used and those sources reflect a variety of resource types and formats. | The Works Cited includes all sources used. |
The Works Cited includes most sources used but one or two are missing. | The Works Cited is missing several sources that were used in the project. |