Diversity and Adaptation Among Living Things

The student will understand that living things have characteristics that enable them to survive in their environment.

 Lesson Plans

Day 1

Some Land Biomes - Explain that for the next seven days the students will be studying how plants and animals adapt to different environments. This page show the environments (biomes) that will be studied. The chart will be used again later in the unit.

Tropical Rainforest

1. Evan-Moor Corp. Worksheet p. 146
   As students view the page discuss which animals and plants live in the rainforest.

   Animals small mammals, birds, and insects Over 15 million species of plants and animals (greatest biodiversity) Small animals monkeys birds snakes rodents frogs lizards multitude of insects

   Plants three different layers canopy tall trees (100-120 feet) understory ground layer very little vegetation

2. Evan-Moor Corp. Worksheet p. 147 - Students locate where rainforests are found on earth.

3. Make a climograph for the rainforest.

   Manaus, Brazil

   Temp	78.8	78.8	78.6	78.8	79.2	79.3	79.7	81	81.5	81.5	80.8	79.9	79.9
   Rainfall	10.4	10.3	11.7	11.1	8.0	4.1	2.6	1.8	2.5	4.4	6.3	8.7	82.2
   	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D

4. Animals (Cut out animal cards. Discuss adaptations of each animal.)

   • many animals have adapted by learning to eat a particular food eaten by no other animal

   • Toucans have adapted by developing long, large bill. This adaptation allows this bird to reach fruit on branches that are too small to support the bird's weight. The bill also is used to cut the fruit from the tree.

   • sloth uses a behavioral adaptation and camouflage to survive in the rainforest. It moves very, very slowly and spends most of its time hanging upside down from trees.

5. Plants Evan-Moor Corp. Worksheets p. 148 (Shows the 3 layers of the rainforest.) Explain how this helps plants and animals adapt to this environment.)

6. Read Rainforest section of animal book from Enchanted Learning.

7. Watch Reading Rainbow - The Salamander Room

Day 2 Desert

1. Evan-Moor Corp. Worksheet p. 150 - As students view the page discuss which animals and plants live in the desert.

   Animals (hot such as the Australian Desert or cold such as the Gobi Desert) small mammals, birds, and reptiles

   Plants short grasses sagebrush creosote bushes cacti

2. Evan-Moor Corp. Worksheet p. 151 - Students locate where deserts are found on earth.

3. Make a climograph for the desert.

   Las Vegas

   Temp	42.1	46.9	51.4	59	68	77.5	83.7	81.9	73.9	63	50.4	42.3	61.7
   Rainfall	.4	.4	.6	.3	.2	.1	.4	.5	.3	.3	.4	.4	4.3
   	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D

4. Animals (Cut out animal cards. Discuss adaptations of each animal.)

   • small mammals, reptiles, and insects to deal with high temperatures is staying in the shadow (shade) of plants or rocks

   • burrowing into the ground

   • inactive during the hot daylight hours

   • absence of sweat glands

   • storage of fat in humps or tails, rather than throughout the entire body

5. Plants

   • long (20-30 foot) taproots that go deep into the ground and tap into groundwater sources

   • horizontal root systems lie just below the surface and extend far beyond the plant canopy. When it rains the numerous tiny roots capture the water

   • store water in their roots, stems, leaves, or fruit

   • small leaves

6. Read Desert section of animal book from Enchanted Learning.
   Desert Animal Book http://members.enchantedlearning.com/books/animals/desert/

7. Art Activity - Glue sand onto the bottom half of a piece of blue construction paper. Cut a cactus from a green piece of paper and paste it onto the blue and sand background.

Day  3 Deciduous Forest

1. Evan-Moor Corp. Worksheet p. 153 - As students view the page discuss which animals and plants live in the forest. (Add forest animal stickers to this page.)

   Animals birds, insects, mammals, and reptiles wide variety bears raccoons squirrels skunks wood mice deer bobcats mountain lions timberwolves coyotes elk and bison

   Plants first layer broadleaf, deciduous trees maple oak hickory beech evergreens hemlock spruce fir second layer saplings and species of trees that are naturally shorter third layer shrubs fourth layer wildflowers and berries fifth layer mosses and lichens that grow on tree trunks

2. Make a climograph for the deciduous forest.

   Mountainous Deciduous Forest (Blowing Rock, NC)

   Temp	29.5	31.8	39.9	48.4	56.7	63.3	66.9	66.0	60.3	50.4	42.3	33.3	49.1
   Rainfall	4.3	4.7	6.1	5.2	5.6	5.3	7.1	6.9	5.6	6.2	4.8	4.5	66.2
   	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D

3. Animals (Cut out animal cards (page 154). Discuss adaptations of each animal.)
    

   • migration and hibernation

   • food storage - nuts and seeds

4. Plants

   • broadleaf plants that loose their leaves when climate turns cold

5. Read Forest section of animal book from Enchanted Learning.

6. http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/forest-other.htm

Day 4 Tropical Savannah

1. Evan-Moor Corp. Worksheet p. 155 - As students view the page discuss which animals and plants live in the tropical savannah.

   Animals large, mammals, birds, and reptiles African savannah wildebeest warthogs elephants zebras rhinos gazelles hyenas cheetahs lions leopards ostrich mousebirds starlings weavers

   Plants Grasses are the dominant plant life in the savanna Trees growing alone or in small clusters are also part of the savanna biome

2. Make a climograph for the savannah.

   Chipata, Zambia

   Temp	72.7	72.3	72.3	71.6	68.7	64.6	64.2	68	73.9	78.4	77.4	73.9	71.6
   Rainfall	9.6	9.0	6.6	1.9	.1	0	0	0	0	.5	3.5	8.6	39.8
   	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D

3. Animals (Cut out animal cards (page 156). Discuss adaptations of each animal.)

   • most birds and many of the large mammals migrate during the dry season in search of water

   • elephant's physical strength and anatomy allow it to tear open the trunk of the baobab tree and to suck the water from it

   • fly or to run fast enables most birds and large mammals to escape the flames caused by lightening

4. Plants

   • grasses grow quickly when there is adequate water

   • The baobab tree has adapted to the savanna biome by only producing leaves during the wet season.

   • The acacia tree long, sharp thorns and a symbiotic relationship with stinging ants.

5. Art Activity

   • Elephants http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/elephants.htm

   • Giraffes http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/jungle-giraffe.htm

   • Lions http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/jungle-lions.html

Day 5  Artic Tundra

1. Evan-Moor Corp. Worksheet p. 161 - As students view the page discuss which animals and plants live in the artic tundra.

   Animals birds, insects, and mammals musk ox Arctic wolf brown bear

   Plants mosses, lichens, low-growing shrubs, and grasses--but no trees

2. Make a climograph for the arctic tundra

   Artic Tundra (Barrow, Alaska)

   °F	-13.3	-17.6	-14.9	-2.1	19.4	34.0	39.2	37.8	30.6	13.6	-1.6	-11.1	9.5
   inches	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.3	0.8	1.0	0.6	0.5	0.2	0.2	4.5
   	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	Year

3. Animals (Cut out animal cards (page 162). Discuss adaptations of each animal.)

   Compare the snowshoe hare to the jack rabbit. Note the differences and discuss why.

   • Few animals live in the Tundra year round. Most animals use the tundra as a summer home.

   • Year round mammals include:

     • musk ox - grows two layers of fur (one short acts as insulation and one long protects from wind and rain)

     • Arctic wolf

     • brown bear - hibernates

4. Plants

   • grow close together and low to the ground (helps to prevent wind and ice damage)

   • small leaves help retain water

5. Art Activity  http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/arcticanimals.htm

Day 6 Taiga

1. Discuss which animals and plants live in the taiga.

   Animals birds and mammals moose deer bears bobcats squirrels chipmunks ermine moles bald eagle chickadee woodpeckers warblers

   Plants not a large variety of plant life most common tree - conifer spruce fir pine tamarack

2. Make a climograph for the taiga.

   Moose Factory, Ontario, Canada

   Temp	-4.8	-1.4	10.2	27.3	41.7	53.8	60.3	58.3	50.2	39	22.6	4.1	30
   Rainfall	1.5	1.2	1.5	1.4	2.2	2.8	3.1	3.1	3.0	2.6	2.1	1.6	26.6
   	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D

3. Adaptations

• Taiga

  • Animals

    • Most animals migrate

    • hibernating when temperatures drop

    • layer of insulating feathers or fur

    • color of feathers or fur protects the animal from its predators

  • Plants

    • Evergreens - shape, leaf type, root system, and color

4. Moose craft page http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/moosecrafts.html

Day 7 Which organisms are likely to survive in a particular environment?

Sort animal cards into biomes.

Some Land Biomes -  Use the chart to compare and contrast the biomes.

Resources

Information  http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/biomes.html

http://www.science-class.net/Lessons/Ecology/Ecosystems_Biomes/biomes_intro.pdf#search=%22create%20a%20climograph%20artic%20tundra%20temperatures%20rainfall%22

Powerpoint on how to create a climograph http://peer.tamu.edu/integrated/2_China/chclimo.ppt

World Climate http://www.worldclimate.com/

Climograph Forms http://web.geog.arizona.edu/~comrie/nats101/wa/wa2climo.htm

Desert Outline Map http://members.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/desert/outlinemap.shtml