Day 2 Structural Adaptations Materials: What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? , 1 large square sheet of paper for each student, interactive notebook, pencils Objectives: Students will: define structural adaptation explain why structural adaptations are important identify structural adaptations used by animals described in What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? identify 4 animals and their structural adaptations complete a foldable to document and illustrate 4 animal structural adaptations
As an introduction to this lesson, start with a formative assessment. Ask the students to remind their classmates what an adaptation is. Why are adaptations important? What are the 2 main types of adaptations? Have students raise hands to answer the questions. Then, explain that today they are going to learn about different animals and their structural adaptations. A good way to spark the students' thinking is to ask the students, "what adaptations do humans have for walking?... Feet! What adaptations to humans have for breathing? Lungs! Alright, then, what adaptations do fish have for walking? Right, they don't walk, they swim! What adaptations do they have for swimming? What adaptations do fish have for breathing?" (The adaptations list could go on and on but stick to the basics.) Read What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? by Steve Jenkins to the students. Before reading the book, tell the students to listen for the structural adaptations that help animals escape for predators. After reading it once, start a 3 column form of notes for the students to follow in their notebook. Title the left side of page, "Animal," the middle, "Structural Adaptation," and on the right, "Purpose." Read the story again, this time stop as you go for the class to take notes together. The examples of structural adaptations from the book could include: Animal Structural Adaptations Purpose puffer fish has prickly skin the predator can't bite it pangolin "armor" like protection the predator can't bite it gliding frog large webbed feet it can glide from predators flying fish winglike fins it can glide from predators blue-tongued skink has a bright blue tongue startles predators Once the students are finished with the notes, tell them that they are going to use the information they just wrote down to make a diamond 4 door foldable. For directions to make this foldable, click on diamond 4 door foldable, and look on p. 6. The students should choose 4 of the animals they just learned about to use for their foldable. They should include the name of the animal, its adaptation, and the purpose of that adaptation on their foldable. (Write these directions on the board as a guide for the students.) Have an example of this type of foldable to show the students. (Use different animals, though, in your example.)