Animal Adaptations

Sandra Tinajero

Topic: Animal Adaptations

Grade: 3rd Grade
ELP Level (s): Intermediate
TEKS:
112.14
(9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms
have characteristics that help them survive and can describe patterns,
cycles, systems, and relationships within the environments.
(10) Organisms and Environments. The student knows that organisms
undergo similar life processes and have structures that help them
survive within their environments. The student is expected to:
(A) explore how structures and functions of plants and animals allow
them to survive in a particular environment.
English Proficiency Standards:
(i) Usually understand simple or routine directions, as well as short,
simple conversations and short, simple discussions on familiar topics;
when topics are unfamiliar, require extensive linguistic supports and
adaptations such as visuals, slower speech and other verbal cues,
simplified language, gestures, and pre-teaching to preview or build
topic-related vocabulary.
Key Vocabulary:
Adaptation - Any alteration in the structure or function of an
organism or any of its parts that results from natural selection
and by which the organism becomes better fitted to survive and
multiply in its environment.
Environment - The air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other
external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at
any time.
Organisms - A form of life considered as an entity; an animal,
plant, fungus, protistan, or moneran.
Climate - The composite or generally prevailing weather
conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity,
precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the
year, averaged over a series of years.
Habitat - The natural environment of an organism; place that is
natural for the life and growth of an organism.

Materials:
1. Computer
2. Paper
3. Art Supplies
4. Animal Adaptation Handout
5. Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRX2JtKFUzk
Higher Order Thinking Questions:
1. Why do you think different animals have different features (fur,
teeth, sizes, colors, beaks, feathers)?
2. Why do you think different animals live in different
environments?
3. How do you think any animals would react or be affected by the
change of their habitat?
Connections to prior Knowledge:
Show students the different adaptations humans must undergo
in different environments: Alaska, Hawaii, New York, Arizona, ect.
(places that students might be familiar with the most)
Students may understand that in different seasons there are
different changes in adaptations.
Students might know the basic needs and uses of animal parts
(feathers, teeth, beaks, fur, gills, skin color, etc.)
Content Objectives:
1. The students will investigate different adaptations in an animal
and observe the adaptations that they have undergone.
2. The students will be able to recognize characteristics of animals
in different environments.
3. Student will be able create their own unique animal with their
own adaptations use different adaptations to create it.
(Example: A bear with a beak, gills, and with long legs to survive
in more than one environment)
Language Objectives:

1. The students will be able to present and discuss their research

findings on animal characteristics and adaptations to the class,
using key vocabulary and features in their presentations.
2. The students will be able to write a paragraph and explain how
features relate to adaptations in their animal creation (logically
organized, using key words such as because, therefore,
consequently).
Listening/ Speaking/ Reading & Writing
Meaningful Activities: (After the High Order Thinking
Questions & the Vocabulary)
1. After going over the higher order thinking questions, the first activity
will be for the students watch and listen to a video on animal
adaptations. This is a strategy to make content comprehensible.
2. Students will then get into assigned groups. Each group will be given
one adaptation handout with a different animal (shark, bird, bear, or
frog). This strategy is to implement interactive learning.
3. The student will only fill out the What I Know column with their prior
knowledge of the animal assign. By implementing pre-reading skills
and learning strategies.
4. Student will then read their animal descriptive passage.
5. Students will then discuss between their groups what they understood,
learned and what they believe the animal adaptation would be for that
animal.
6. Students will then be taken to the appropriate source for research
(library/computer lab).
7. With their assign groups and animal the student will research the
animals adaptations and environments.
8. Student will then use the technique of spider web to obtain their
research of the adaptations and environments. Applied as a learning
strategy.
9. Once the student finalizes research then they will fill out the What I
Learned column. Applied as a learning strategy.
10.
The groups will then share and present their own findings to the
class of their animal adaptation research.
11.
Individually the student will then have an opportunity to create
their own animal with their own characteristics by using different
animals adaptations. Environment must be included.
12.
The student must write (in the same paper) a paragraph on how
and why they chose their own animals adaptations, characteristics
and the environment.
Review/ Assessment

1. To assess the class with their speaking skills, the teacher would be
using the Oral Presentation Rubric, which grades content, vocabulary,
clearness, and creativity.
2. To assess the class with their writing skills, the teacher would be using
the Descriptive Paragraph of an Animal Rubric, which grades creativity,
organization, grammar and spelling, and key vocabulary.
3. Individually we can implement questions to each student on what they
learned about animal characteristics, adaptations and environments.

Review/Assessments
Listening
Speaking

Listen to video and each others input

Oral presentations/discussions as a class, group and
individually

Reading
Writing

Read handout passages and research data

Write on the What I Know, What I Learned
handout, descriptive paragraph, and the spider
web thinking map

Wrap-Up
1. Make students aware of the different adaptations on different
environments whether its outside, the zoo, at the park and
understand the animal characteristics and environment.
2. The students will be given the opportunity to go to the zoo and
have a hands on experience where they can see and observe for
themselves.

Oral Presentation Rubric : Animal Adaptation Presentation

Student Name:

________________________________________

CATEGORY

Speaks
Clearly

Speaks
clearly and
distinctly all
(100-95%) the
time, and
mispronounce
s no words.

Speaks
clearly and
distinctly all
(100-95%)
the time, but
mispronounce
s one word.

Speaks clearly
and distinctly
most ( 9485%) of the
time.
Mispronounce
s no more
than one
word.

Often
mumbles or
cannot be
understood
OR
mispronounce
s more than
one word.

Uses
Complete
Sentences

Always (99100% of time)

speaks in
complete
sentences.

Mostly (8098%) speaks

in complete
sentences.

Sometimes
(70-80%)
speaks in
complete
sentences.

Rarely speaks
in complete
sentences.

Stays on
Topic

Stays on topic Stays on topic

all (100%) of most (99the time.
90%) of the
time.

Stays on topic It was hard to

some (89%tell what the
75%) of the
topic was.
time.

Vocabulary

Uses
vocabulary
appropriate
for the
audience.
Extends
audience
vocabulary by
defining

Uses
vocabulary
appropriate
for the
audience.
Does not
include any
vocabulary
that might be

Uses
vocabulary
appropriate
for the
audience.
Includes 1-2
words that
might be new
to most of the

Doesn't use
any
vocabulary
words and not
a lot of detail.

words that
audience, but new to the
might be new does not
audience.
to most of the define them.
audience.
Content

Shows a full
Shows a good Shows a good
understandin understandin understandin
g of the topic. g of the topic. g of parts of
the topic.

Does not
seem to
understand
the topic very
well.

Descriptive Paragraph of Animal

Name of student:
________________________
1

2
3
4
Reader has Student
Information
difficulty
presents
in logical,
Sequence of following
information
interesting
Organizat information is work
in logical
sequence ____
ion
difficult to
because
sequence
which
follow.
student
which
reader can
jumps
reader can
follow.
around.
follow.
Student does Student is
not have
uncomfortab Student is Student
grasp of
le with
at ease
demonstrat
Content
information; content and with
es full
Knowledg
____
student
is able to
content,
knowledge
e
cannot answer demonstrate but fails to (more than
questions
basic
elaborate. required).
about subject. concepts.
Presentatio
Work has four Presentation
Presentatio
n has no
or more
has three
n has no
Grammar
more than
spelling errors misspellings
misspelling
and
two
____
and/or
and/or
s or
Spelling
misspelling
grammatical grammatical
grammatica
s and/or
errors.
errors.
l errors.
grammatica

l errors.
Work has
Work has
Work is
Work is
three or four one or two
Neatness
neatly
____
Illegible.
areas that areas that
done.
are sloppy. are sloppy.
Work
Work does
displays the
not have the Reference
correct
ReferenceWork displays appropriate section was
number of ____
s
no references. number of completed
references,
required
incorrectly
written
references.
correctly.
Total----> ____
Teacher Comments:

Shark Passage
There are almost 400 different kinds of sharks.
Each kind of shark looks different, has a unique diet,
and behaves differently. There are sharks in all four
oceans of the world. Some sharks are longer than a
school bus, while others are so small they can live in
fish tanks. Sharks come in all kinds of colors. Most
of the time, their skin color helps them blend in with
their surroundings. But, some sharks that live in the
deepest part of the ocean actually have parts that
glow in the dark. Most sharks live in salt water, but
some can live in fresh water. Like other fish, sharks
have gills. Gills are how fish breathe. Unlike fish,
people use lungs to get oxygen from the air. Fish get
oxygen from the water using gills. Water needs to
move over the gills so that sharks and fish get

enough oxygen. Shark skeletons are made of

cartilage.
Fish skeletons are made of bones.
Cartilage is the bendy, tough substance in peoples
ears and noses. Also, sharks have lots of teeth that
are arranged in many rows. The teeth from the
outside row fall out and teeth from the next row take
their place. Some sharks will lose 30,000 teeth in a
lifetime! Finally, all sharks are unique, or have
different qualities that make them so special.

Name __________________________
________________

Class ____________________Date

http://www.ncsu.edu/project/lancet/third_grade/sharks3.pdf

Sharks

Directions: In the What I Know section, write anything you know

about the animal given. Then, read the passage that comes with this
handout, use the pictures and your research to write what you learned
in the What I Learned column.

Example

What I Know

What I
Learned
Sharks have gills
to breathe in the
water.

Sharks are big

and strong.
Sharks have
big teeth to
eat their food.
Name __________________________
________________

have
Big, Sharks
different skin
Shar colors to blend
with their
p
Class ____________________Date
Teeth surroundings.

Sharks
skeletons
Can live
Differen
are made
of
in fresh
t Sizes
cartilage.
Instructions:
the spider web to gather and organize
your
andUsesalt
&
research data.
Shapes
water
Sharks
can live
Use the lines
below for extra note taking.

Shar
k

Example

Different
skin colors
to blend in
their
surroundin
gs

in fresh or salt
water.

Gills To
Breath
In The
Water

Name __________________________
________________

Class ____________________Date

Directions: Draw your own animal using the animal adaptations and
types of environments you have learned. Then, write a paragraph
describing why you used those adaptations and environment for your
animal creation. Use your imagination!
(Example: A bear with a beak, gills, and with long leg so it can
survive in more than one environment)