Animal+Adaptations+(3rd+Grade)

by Chris Pugh

Science - CFU 0307.5.1 Create representations of animals that have characteristics necessary to survive in a particular environment.

Language - CFU 0301.3.2 Write for a variety of purposes: to entertain, persuade, inform, demonstrate knowledge, answer questions, tell a story, respond to literature.

ISTE NETS -Creativity and Innovation 1b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

The clip is only 1 minute and 40 seconds and quickly builds background information for students.
 * Intro the lesson with video clip about animal adaptations that help defend the animal.**

1. Go to this link,[| http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/] 2. Pause the player after it loads 3. Click on ANIMALS & PETS from left hand menu. 4. Click on FISH from the left hand menu. 5. In the orange box on the right, click on "Fishy Disquises". 6. Click FULL SCREEN to make it as large as possible.

1. Discuss other uses of animal adaptations they know as teacher records them to the board. The video showed Camouflage with the frogfish and Mimicry with the others. 2. Open Firefox browser. 3. Delete address in bar. 4. Type http://www.switcheroozoo.com/. 5. Click on the TEACH AND LEARN button. 6. Click on EDUCATIONAL GAMES. 7. Choose SWITCH ZOO. 8. Select one of the main animal types to be the body of their new animal. 9. Choose a new animal HEAD from the either the orange sign at the side or the fence across the bottom. (Keep in mind the jobs a head does. It eats, sees, smells, hears, communicates with sound and movement. The kind of head determines how and what the animal can do all of these.) 10. Click on the LEGS section of the animal and select from the parts at the side or bottom. (Keep in mind the jobs the "legs" do. They run, swim, fly, jump, climb or crawl. The kind of legs determines how quickly and which the animal can do.) 11. Click on the TAIL section of the animal and select from the parts at the side or bottom. (Keep in mind the jobs the tail does. Depending on the animal, it is used to communicate(peacock), balance(kangaroo), defend(scorpion), move(fish), swat insects(cows and elephants), climb(monkey), or hunt(scorpion). The kind of tail determines how and what it does.) 12. Click on the green button labeled "SHOW TITLE" in the lower left section of the window. 13. Click in the text box below the animal picture to name their new animal using the words that describe the look or behavior of the animal just as scientists do when they discover a new species. Also, type "by" and their name. 14. Click the SHOW STORY button in the lower left section of the window. 15. Type the information about the parts of the new animal including what their parts help them do. 16. Click the camera icon below the picture to switch to printing mode. 17. Click PRINT, then OK, and finally PRINT to print out their animal.
 * TSW...**


 * If time is a concern, simply leave out the "SHOW STORY" portion as they shoving writing tasks into a lesson does not produce their best writing. If the story is left off, the animal facts will show and print. They can then use their own picture of their animal as a starter for a science focused writing.**