TEKS & Objectives
7.1. Organisms and environments. The student knows that there is a relationship between organisms and the environment. The student is expected to:
7.11 Organisms and environments. The student knows that populations and species demonstrate variation and inherit many of their unique traits through gradual processes over many generations.
We will explore how animals adapt to their habitat.
I will design a new type of animal.
1. Watch video.
- Animals are adapted to their environments in many different ways.
- Sometimes, those adaptations make them seem like two animals in one!
2. Review vocabulary and complete assignment.
Opossum These animals play dead and emit a terrible smell to trick predators into thinking they aren’t safe to eat. Almost like a skunk + a rat.
Osedax (Zombie Worms) These show up at a whale fall. They release acids from their skin, which breaks down food. They then absorb that food through their skin. They don’t have mouth or a stomach! Almost like a worm + a fungus (mushrooms eat food the same way).
Diving Spider They use their web to trap air in a bubble and spend all day underwater. Almost like a spider + a fish.
French Guiana Termites (pronounced gee-ah-nah) Throughout their lives, they trap toxins (poisons) in a special gland on their backs. Older ones have more toxins saved up, so when the colony is in danger, they explode, releasing toxins into the air to chase away predators. Almost like a termite + a honeybee (when a honeybee stings, it will die, but it does so anyway to protect the hive).
3. Combine different animals to create new ones, with new adaptations.
- The animals from our vocabulary resembled two different animals “mashed into one.”
- Look at the slides below for inspiration, and then make your own animal mashup.
- Think about what habitat your animal would live in, what it would eat and how it would live, using characteristics from each animal.
Speaking of animal mashups…
What do you get when you cross fireworks with a duck?
Fire Quackers
4. “Animal Adaptations”
