Animal Adaptations1st–2nd GradeObjective

• Exploretherelationshipbetweenabird’sbeakanditsabilitytofindfoodandsurvive.

Materials Needed• “AwesomeAdaptations”and“ABeakforEveryJob”

informationcards• “WhyDoBirdsHaveDifferentBeaks?”activitycard• Easy-GripSafetyTweezers-Setof12[EE607]• Spoons• Super-SafeEyedroppers-Setof12[LA446]• Plasticfishandplasticworms(orothersmallobjectsto

representfishandworms)• Plastictray• WaterProducts with item numbers are available at LakeshoreLearning.com.

Introduction

1. Askstudents,“Haveyoueverwonderedwhyaturtlehasahardshell?Orwhyachameleoncanchangecolorstomatchitssurroundings?”

2.Explainthatthesearetwoexamplesofanimaladaptations,orwaysthatanimalschangeinordertosurviveintheirenvironment.

Procedure1. Tellstudentsthatyouaregoingtolearnaboutavarietyofanimaladaptationsandhowtheyhelpanimals

surviveandthrive.

2.Giveeachstudentacopyofeachinformationcardandread“AwesomeAdaptations”aloudasstudentsfollowalong.(Youcanalsoinvitestudentvolunteerstotaketurnsreadingtheparagraphsaloud.)

3.Askthefollowingquestionstoallowstudentstoreflectonthepassage:

•Whataresomewaysthatanimalskeepfrombeingeatenbyotheranimals?

•Howiscamouflagehelpfulforcertainanimals?

4.Read“ABeakforEveryJob”andaskstudentsthefollowingquestions:

•Canyoudescribethedifferentbeaksmentionedinthepassage?

•Howarethedifferenttypesofbeaksusefultothedifferentbirds?Whatpurposesdotheyserve?

Guided Practice

1. Tellstudentsthat,asafollow-uptoreading“ABeakforEveryJob,”theyaregoingtoconductanexperimenttodeterminewhatkindofbeakisbestforaparticularpurpose.

2.Dividetheclassintosmallgroupsofthreeorfourstudents.Giveeachgroupaplastictraywithasmallamountofwater,aspoon,apairoftweezers,aneyedropper,andsomeplasticwormsandfish.

©Lakeshore www.lakeshorelearning.com

3.Explainthatthetweezersrepresentalong,sharpbeakusedfordiggingandsearchingthroughmud;theeyedropperrepresentsalong,thinbeakusedforsippingflowernectar;andthespoonrepresentsabucket-likebeakusedforscoopingupfish.

4.Giveeachstudentacopyoftheactivitycard.

5.Encouragestudentstoworkwithintheirgroupsandtaketurnsfollowingtheinstructionsontheactivitycardasyoureadeachstepaloud.

6.Instructstudentstorecordtheirobservationsinthechart.

7.Invitestudentstoshareanddiscusswhattheylearnedbyconductingtheexperiment.

©Lakeshore www.lakeshorelearning.com

Itisn’teasytobeananimal.Youhavetofindthingstoeat.Atthesametime,otheranimalsmightwanttoeatyou! Animalshavemanywaystosolvethisproblem.Someanimalsaresobigthatotheranimalscannothurtthem.Otheranimalsrunsofastthattheirenemiescannotcatchthem.Animalsmayprotectthemselves

withsharpspinesorhardshells.Ortheymayusecamouflagetohide.Camouflageiscolors,patterns,andshapesthatmakeananimalhardtosee. Solutionsthatworkinoneplacemightnotworkinanotherplace.Animalsmustchangetosuittheplacewheretheylive.Thisiscalledadaptation.

Information Card

Awesome Adaptations

How Not to Be Eaten

Animalsadapttoprotectthemselvesfromenemies.Theyalsoadapttogetthefoodthatisfoundwheretheylive. Forbirds,gettingfoodmeanshavingtherightkindofbeak.Somebirdsneedbeakslikebucketstoscoopupwaterandfish.Hummingbirdssticktheirlong,thinbeaksintoflowers

tosiponnectar.Otherbirdsneedlong,sharpbeaksthatcanprobethemudforworms. Therearemanydifferentkindsofbeaks.Eachonedoesitsjobwell.Scientistscantellwhatbirdseatjustbylookingattheirbeaks!

Information Card

A Beak for Every Job

How Birds Get Food

Wh

y D

o B

ird

s H

ave

Dif

fere

nt

Bea

ks?

Too

lW

hat

kind

of

bird

bea

kis

thi

s to

ol li

ke?

Wou

ld a

bir

d us

e th

is t

ype

of b

eak

to p

ick

up w

orm

s,fi

sh, o

r ne

ctar

?

Nam

eYo

u w

ill n

eed:

twee

zers

, spo

on, e

yedr

oppe

r,pl

asti

c w

orm

s, p

last

ic f

ish,

pl

asti

c tr

ay, w

ater

spoo

n

twee

zers

eyed

ropp

er

Thin

k of

a b

ird

that

you

hav

e se

en o

r re

ad a

bout

. H

ow d

oes

it u

se it

s be

ak

to g

et f

ood?

Wri

te a

bout

it o

n a

shee

t of

pap

er.

Try

Th

is!

Do

this

:1.

Pla

ce a

sm

all a

mou

nt o

f

wat

er in

the

pla

stic

tra

y.

Pr

eten

d th

e w

ater

is n

ecta

r

from

a f

low

er.

2. I

mag

ine

the

twee

zers

,

eyed

ropp

er, a

nd s

poon

are

diff

eren

t ty

pes

of b

ird

beak

s.

U

se t

hem

to

pick

up

the

pl

asti

c w

orm

s, p

last

ic f

ish,

and

wat

er.

3. C

ompl

ete

the

char

t.

Ty

pes

of

Bea

ks

Ty

pes

of

Bea

ks sc

oopi

ng b

eak

prob

ing

beak

sipp

ing

beak

Act

ivit

y Ca

rd