Adaptation and Behavior

Lesson #11: Learned and Instinctive Behavior

Time Frame: 50 minutesNote: There is only one copy of the DVD required for this lesson at each school. If two classes are going on simultaneously, Williams student teachers will have to coordinate using the DVD. A possible solution could be switching the order of Lessons 10 and 11 for one class.

Learning Standards: Science

Life Science: Plant (and Animal) Structures and Functions1) Describe how organisms meet some of their needs in an environment by using

behaviors (patterns of activities) in response to information (stimuli) received from the environment. Recognize that some animal behaviors are instinctive (e.g., turtles burying their eggs), and others are learned (e.g., humans building fires for warmth, chimpanzees learning how to use tools).

2) Recognize plant behaviors, such as the way seedlings’ stems grow toward light and their roots grow downward in response to gravity. Recognize that many plants and animals can survive harsh environments because of seasonal behaviors, e.g., in winter, some trees shed leaves, some animals hibernate, and other animals migrate.

Student will be able to:1) Define and differentiate between learned and instinctive behavior. 2) Give examples of learned and instinctive behavior.

Resources and Materials:

Item AmountScience journalsAnimal Behavior and Communication DVD 1 (in bin)DVD player (in classroom)Color overheads or PowerPoint examples of animal behavior 1 set (in binder)

Focus Activity: Ask students to answer the following question in their science notebooks. What behaviors have you learned to do? What are abilities are you born with? For example, what can babies do really well?

Introduction: Discuss the focus activity as a class. Differentiate between behaviors that are learned and behaviors that occur without experience. Make list on the board of human behaviors that are learned and behaviors that are not learned (instinctive). Add to this list as class continues. Review and highlight the importance of stimuli for any behavior to occur and reference the definitions of behavior and stimuli from the last science lesson.

Activity: 1) Write the following terms and their definitions on the board. Discuss the terms as

a class and relate to the focus activity.Instinctive behaviors: behaviors that occur without experience, a pattern of activities that is not learnedLearned behaviors: behaviors that are changed by experience

2) Watch a short (26 minute) DVD (or video) about animal behavior. Ask students to take notes as they watch the DVD. Their notes should be in the form of two lists, one with examples of instinctive behaviors and one with examples of learned behaviors. To further shorten the video: you may forward through the section where the students build a maze and the ending discussion about people training animals.

3) Discuss the student notes from the DVD as a class going through each example of learned behavior and instinctive behavior.

4) Then, using either overheads or PowerPoint, give the students examples of behaviors from each of the lists below and ask them to discuss and explain if each type of behavior is learned or instinctive.

Teacher Information:

Learned behaviorsMany songbirds learn to sing by listening to other birds (some science studies show baby birds that grow up not listening to any bird songs are not able to sing)

Chimpanzees use tools to get foodDolphins use a sponge to protect their nose and scare up fish to eatHumans build fire for warmth (work with the students to discuss other human behaviors and relate to the focus activity)

Instinctive behaviorsSpiders spin websBirds build a nestChipmunks hibernateBirds and butterflies migrateTurtles bury their eggsHoney bees dance to communicate location and distance to a food source

Debated by scientists: Learned or instinctive behavior?Crows and make and use tools to get food (this may not be a learned behavior because birds can independently make and use tools without prior experiences or observations of tool use)

Closure: Discuss the following ideas and questions as a class. Why are their more examples of instinctive animal behaviors than learned animal behaviors? Why do we have more human learned behaviors than human instinctive behaviors? How are

humans different from most other animals? How does this help us survive? Are these behaviors adaptations? Explain. Assessment: Science notebook responses about human behaviors, notes from the DVD with lists of learned and instinctive behaviors, and classroom discussions about the examples of animal learned and instinctive behavior

Resources and Materials: Science notebooks, DVD on Animal Behavior, DVD player, Color overheads or PowerPoint with examples of animal behavior

Extension Activities:Using small mammals, such as gerbils, rats, or hamsters, your class can build a maze and test predictions about learned behaviors with these animals. Your class can also use Siamese fighting fish to observe male display behavior and see if these males learn to minimize their display responses over time. However, there are many legal and ethical considerations if you choose to use vertebrates in your classroom. If you are interested in any of these activities please let me know.

Websites Relating to Animal Behavior:http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0607_050607_dolphin_tools.htmlhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1006_041006_chimps.htmlhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/05/0523_020523_0523TVchimps.htmlhttp://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/reprint/297/5583/981.pdf (about New Caledonian crows)http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/songbirds.html (about birds learning to sing)