Animal Adaptations Laura Diehl –Sixth Grade Teacher Pat Minikel- Librarian Mary Beth Schisgall- Sixth Grade Teacher Jericho Schools UFSD     This unit was developed through the New York Institute of Technology’s Project VIEW, a Federal Innovation Challenge grant in partnership with the Schenectady City Schools.

 

Introduction and Overview Animal Adaptations is designed for a group of sixth grade science students. o Live Cockatiels will be brought into the classroom for an exciting introduction to this unit. This hands on experience will allow for students to begin asking and thinking about why birds have certain body structures. o The pre-videoconference lesson will have students study specific adaptations which include beaks and feet of different birds. o The videoconference will be Birds of a Feather with the Smithsonian Education Research Center. o The post videoconference activity will include library research of a land biome, the creation of a poster of an imaginary animal that could live in that biome, and an oral presentation of this poster describing the animal’s adaptations. Time Required for Unit Completion Approximately seven 40 minute periods. Pre-requisite Knowledge o Students must have an understanding of the proper etiquette for videoconferencing. o Students must understand the basic needs for survival. Standards/Performance Indicators Addressed MST Standards 2, 4 and 7 Essential Question(s) If you were to keep a penguin as a pet, what would you need to change about your home? Materials o Computers with Internet Access o Access to library media center o Videoconferencing equipment o Computers with Internet Access and printing ability o Live birds o Poster paper o Markers, colored pencils or crayons o Lesson worksheets Beaks and Feet of Feathered Friends Pre-videoconference Lesson SYNOPSIS Students will explore the beaks and feet of different birds. They will understand that a bird’s structure is directly related to how it survives in its environment. SKILLS Speaking, listening, reading, writing, cooperative learning, critical thinking, and internet utilization. DURATION Two forty minute periods. ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S) Where would a bird with a long pointed beak and feet with three long toes in front and one in the back live? OBJECTIVES Students will: • study pictures of different bird beaks and suggest reasons for the differences • use the internet to learn about the feet and beaks of different birds. • apply the information gathered from the internet to answer questions about adaptations. MATERIALS • Student Worksheet titled “Bird Beaks” • Computer with Internet access and printing ability PROCEDURES • Show the slide show titled “Bird Beaks” and discuss. • Complete the worksheet titled “Bird Beaks” with the class. • Have students work in pairs and visit the Internet webpage titled “Characteristics of Birds Lab” from Troy High School. Students are to complete option 2, which is a printable worksheet. Students can access this page from the Jericho Middle School Library Web site by selecting Science from the drop-down subject menu and clicking on Biomes. CLOSURE: In a classroom discussion, the students will answer the following questions: • Where would a bird with a long pointed beak and feet with three long toes in front and one in the back live? • The wings and body of a bird are covered with different groups of feathers. We will be videoconferencing with the Smithsonian to learn about different types of feathers. Why do you think there are different groups of feathers on a bird? EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT Students will be evaluated on their ability to complete the worksheets provided and on their ability to work in pair cooperatively. Bird Beaks Student Worksheet     1. Why do birds have different types of beaks?   2. How do birds use their bills in a special way to eat food?     3. The shape of a bird’s bill will often tell what kind of food a bird eats.In the chart below describe the shape of each bird beak in the slide show and then suggest what it might feed on.   Shape Food American Bald Eagle     Vulture     Stork     European Eagle Owl     Ostrich     Hawk     Flamingo     Golden Eagle     Ibis     Crowned Crane     Duck     Egret     Blue Heron     Bird Beaks Power Point Videoconference with SERC (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center) Birds of a Feather In this videoconference the provider will emphasizes feather adaptations in birds. Students will be able to examine the structure of several types of feathers and identify the differences. After they will be able to recognize how to look for adaptations and determine why they are important to a birds particular habitat. In addition, students will continue the discussion about beak and feet adaptations. Duration – 1 hour Library Research Lesson for Researching Biomes LESSON TITLE / TOPIC Get the Facts Straight! It’s no Fun to be A Fish out of Water SYNOPSIS Students will learn how to find information about the characteristics of a specific Biome, including the various animals and plants that live there. Students will identify adaptations the animals and plants developed to help them survive in their Biome. SKILLS The skills students will need include reading, writing, cooperative learning, critical thinking, and information literacy skills. DURATION 4 class periods. ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S) Where can I locate information I can trust about the how animals and plants have adapted to live in my Biome? (PERFORMANCE) OBJECTIVES • Students will understand what they need to know about their Biome. • Students will brainstorm various sources for information about Biomes. • Students will identify the best types of sources of information for researching Biomes. • Students will locate information from a variety or resources including books, online databases (magazines, newspapers, and reference resources), World Book Online, and Internet Web sites. • Students will extract the specific information they need to know from these resources. • Students will use this information to identify specific ways animals and plants have adapted to their Biome and create a poster including an imaginary animal and plant that reflects adaptations that would help them survive in the Biome. • Students will make a presentation to the class describing their poster and explain their imaginary animal’s and plant’s adaptations. • Students will hand in a Works Consulted including at least three resources that they used for information. • The science teacher will evaluate the student’s presentation and Works Consulted using the rubric developed for the project. MATERIALS • 30 computers with Internet access to the Jericho Middle School Library’s Web site which has pre-selected Web sites students can use for trusted information about Biomes, animals, plants. • The Jericho Middle School Library Web site also provides access to our subscription online services including The Student Resource Center and the General Reference Center Gold databases from Gale, The World Book Online, and our OPAC for students to locate books. • A cart of reference books appropriate for this assignment will be made available for students. •Students will be given a handout on library research strategies and resources for researching biomes. • Students will be provided with handouts on How to Use the Student Resource Center and General Reference Center Gold Databases from Gale. • A handout will be provided to students with instructions for using NoodleBib, an online subscription service they will use for to write their Works Consulted. • A Power Point with instructions for using NoodleBib will be shown to students. • A rubric will be provided to students so they know exactly what they need to do to get an A. • Students will be provided with markers, and poster board. PROCEDURES (Day One) • Science teachers will explain project to the students, assign students in pairs, and assign students a specific Biome to research. • Librarian will have students brainstorm as a group various sources they can use for information and prioritize the best resources for students to use for this project. • Students will be reminded how to use the OPAC to locate books on the shelf for their topic. • Students will be directed to specific reference books appropriate for this assignment. • Students will be reminded how to use the Index and Table of Contents to locate information in books. • Students will be shown how to locate pre-selected Web sites for this topic from the Jericho Middle School Library Web site. • Students will be shown how to use World Book Online. • Students will be shown how to use the Student Resource Center and General Reference Center Databases from Gale to locate reference sources, magazine and newspaper articles. • Students will begin researching. PROCEDURES (Day Two) • Students will be shown a Power Point with instructions on how to use NoodleBib to write their Works Consulted. • Students will begin writing their Works Consulted using NoodleBib. • Students will continue their research. PROCEDURES (Day Three) • Students will finish their research and Works Consulted. • Students will Create their poster. • Students will evaluate their own work based upon the rubric for the assignment and make any necessary adjustments in order to meet all of the assignment requirements. PROCEDURES (Day Four) • Students will make their presentations to the class. • Teachers will evaluate presentations and Works Consulted based upon the rubric ALTERNATE PLAN B What if the technology fails? Students will use books and videos in the library for information. CLOSURE: • Students will discuss what they would need to do if they wanted to keep a penguin as a pet. EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT   Great 3 points Good 2 points Fair 1 point The student’s poster contains at least one imaginary animal and one imaginary plant that accurately demonstrates at least two adaptations which represent what their animal and plant would need to survive in their biome.       On the back of the poster the student includes at least five facts about their biome including temperature, etc.       The student can articulate to the class exactly what adaptations his imaginary animal and plant have and why they are needed to survive in their Biome.       The student hands in a Works Consulted which includes at least three different resources.         RESOURCES Allaby, Michael, ed. Plants and Plant Life. 10 vols. Danbury: Grolier Educational, 2000. Animal Planet: Animals A to Zoo. 2004. Discovery Communications Inc. 17 Dec. 2004 <http://animal.discovery.com/guides/atoz/atoz.html>. Beer, Amy Jane, et al., eds. Endangered Animals. 10 vols. Danbury: Grolier Educational, 2002. Biology. Dept. home page. 1998. Troy High School. 6 Jan. 2005 <http://www.troy.k12.ny.us/thsbiology/labs_online/home_labs/bird_lab_home.html>. Biome/Habitat Animal Printouts. 2002. Enchanted Learning. 17 Dec. 2004 <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/>. Biomes of the World. 9 vols. Danbury: Grolier Educational, 1999. “Bird Lab.” Trou High School Interactive Biology Site: Labs Online:Home Labs. 1998. Troy High School. 6 Jan. 2005 <http://www.troy.k12.ny.us/thsbiology/labs_online/home_labs/bird_lab_home.html>. Encyclopedia of Mammals. 17 vols. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1997. Forest Conservation Links. 2004. Forest.org, Inc. 17 Dec. 2004 <http://forests.org/links/>. The Grolier Student Encyclopedia of Endangered Species. 10 vols. Danbury: 1995. Ken, Boschert. The Electronic Zoo. 2002. Washington U. Div.of Comparative Medicine. 17 Dec. 2004 <http://netvet.wustl.edu/e zoo.htm>. Minikel, P. Jericho Middle SchoolLibrary: Science: Biomes. 6 Jan. 2005. Jericho Middle School Lib. 6 Jan. 2005 <http://www.jerichoschools.org/ms/library/science/biome.html>. Oakland Zoo Animals A to Z. 2003. Oakland Zoo. 17 Dec. 2004 <http://www.oaklandzoo.org/atoz/atoz.html>. Viau, Elizabeth Anne. World Builders: Introduction of Biomes: Viau. 2003. Charter Coll. of Education, California State U. 17 Dec. 2004 <http://curriculum.calstatela.edu/courses/builders/lessons/less/biomes/introbiomes.html>. Weigel, Marlene, ed. Encyclopedia of Biomes. 3 vols. Detroit: UXL, 2000. Welcome to the Bronx Zoo. 2003. Wildlife Conservation Society. 17 Dec. 2004 <http://www.bronxzoo.com/>. What’s It like Where You Live? 2004. Missouri Botanical Garden. 17 Dec. 2004 <http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/index.htm>. Whitfield, Philip, ed. A Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Animals. 3 vols. New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1999. Wildlife and Plants of the World. 17 vols. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1999. WorldBiomes.com: Explore Five of the World’s Main Biomes. 2001. 17 Dec. 2004 <http://www.worldbiomes.com/default.htm>. World of Animals. 31 vols. Danbury: Grolier, 2003.   Return to top of page