To culminate our science unit and the work we have done on inherited traits, habitats, and adaptations, your child will be creating his/her own animal, a kind of "Creature Creation."
I will discuss the assignment and send the information home on Sunday; however, you may read the instructions
here, as well.
One of the first things to do is to consider the habitat you want your animal to live in (see below), as well as the traits it will have. (This is a helpful
worksheet to organize your thoughts, and the
powerpoint is the same information. We will be doing this in class on Sunday.)
For a little inspiration, follow this
link for the "make-your-animal" website. The possibilities are endless!
This is a fun link, which shows some rare animal adaptations. You might get some good ideas by viewing these, as well. Finally,
these are some of the creatures former students made. Some are better than others, but you will quickly get the idea.
Most importantly, this is a great way for your child to demonstrate what he/she knows and understands about adaptations and how they help plants and animals survive and reproduce. Have fun with it!
Habitats/Ecosystems
Desert
The temperature is very hot and dry. There is very little water available to drink. Food is sparse, and is found mostly in the form of very small animals & insects, as well as a very limited amount of plant life. As such, animals have to move around a lot to find shelter, food, and water. There are few predators. Nothing moves very fast.
Rainforest
The temperature is very hot. The air is constantly very humid, and it rains almost every day. Both plant and animal life is abundant, and many different forms of food are available. The food chain is very complex, and no matter how big or small an animal is, predators abound. Trees are very close together, so even though animals can move around, they cannot do so very quickly. All food sources are also very easy to find, but there is a lot of competition.
Ocean/Lake/River Environment
The water environment can be home to many different types of life (fish, birds, water-dwelling animals such as dolphins or beavers, etc.) The temperature is constant and temperate. Food MIGHT be available, if the animal can access it. Water is abundant (obviously). There are many predators. Some animals can move quickly, depending on their traits.
Grassland/Prairies
Temperature ranges from cool to very hot. There is not very much shelter, so animals need to move around a lot. Animals also need to move around a lot (migrate) to find their food, although various forms of food are available. Water is sometimes available, but at some times of the year it can be difficult to find. There are many predators, and those predators can move very quickly across the land.
Forests
The average temperature of the forest is 10 degrees Celsius. The average amount of rainfall in the forest is 30 to 60 inches a year. As the seasons change, so do the colors of the leaves of the deciduous. During the winter months water is generally not available to keep the leaves of some plants alive. Therefore, the leaves of some plants fall off and grow back in the spring. Those plants, like evergreens, keep their leaves during the winter have special adaptations to stay alive. Precipitation in the temperate deciduous forest is spread throughout the year. However, during the winter months it is usually frozen and unavailable to animals. Animals must adjust to cold winters and hot summers. Leaves generally fall off in the fall, leaving animals with less cover to hide themselves from predators. You'd find bears (black and brown), fox, squirrels, cardinals, raccoons, and snakes in this habitat as well as many others.
Arctic
The Arctic is a very cold, windy, and often snowy biome located around the North Pole.Animals that live in the Arctic (either full time or seasonally) are adapted to extreme conditions. Many animals who overwinter in the Arctic (like the Arctic fox and the ermine) have a coat that thickens and changes color to white during the winter as camouflage in the snow (blending into the background is called cryptic coloration). Some animals hibernate during the cold season; they go into a very deep, sleep-like state in which their heartbeat slows down. These animals often hibernate in an underground burrow or pit. Some hibernators include skunks, chipmunks, and some bears (but these bears are not true hibernators, they go into a state that is closer to a normal deep sleep). Many animals (like the Arctic tern) spend the summer months in the Arctic, but leave as the weather turns frigid and food becomes scarce (these animals return again the next summer, repeating this pattern year after year). This behavior is called migrating.
