BY: KATIE ECKLEBERRY9/22 /09

Environment Requirements

Standard 4: The Living Environment

Indicator 5.4.4: Explain that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some do not survive as well, and some cannot survive at all.

Taken from: http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/StandardSearch.aspx

Link to activity:http://www.indianastandardsresources.org/fil

es/sci/sci_5_4_environment.pdf

Definitions

Adaptation: a form or structure modified to fit a changed environment.

Organism: a form of life composed of mutually interdependent parts that maintain various vital processes.

Environment: the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at any time.

Habitat: the natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism.

Taken from: http://dictionary.reference.com/

Background Information

“Animals live everywhere on earth, in every kind of terrain, and every kind of climate. An animal's living place is called its habitat. Most animals are only adapted to live in one or two habitats. Some animals migrate in the spring and again in the fall to find warmer habitats with an abundance of food.” Since animals are use to living in a certain habitat, they would have trouble adapting to a new habitat or if their own habitat was modified.

http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?activity_id=3792

Materials

You will need to get the following materials before starting the project:

•Pencil

•Colored pencils

•White paper

•Tape

•Copy of one strip of the Black Line Master Habitat

Assignments

•Research materials on animals from a variety of different

habitats

(All of these materials can be found in the “environment

requirement kit” provided by your USI instructor.)

Think About the Following Before Starting:

What does a wolf need to survive?•Enough space•Food•Water •Shelter

Do you think a wolf could live anywhere?•Wolves like other organisms have specific places they can live. Their habitats have to provide them food, water, and shelter from the elements and predators.

How do organisms adapt to live in a particular environment?Examples: • Cacti have tiny leaves to avoid evaporation.•Polar bears have think fur that keeps them warm.•Tropical plants have broad leaves to catch enough sunlight.

Project

You are going to be working to design an

animal that is well adapted to live in the

environment that you have chosen from the box.

Remember that your creature must be able to

find food and water, avoid being eaten, and find

shelter.

You may use the research materials in the

room to determine what adaptations your

creature might have.

Procedure:

1. Tape your environment strip to your

paper.

2. Then draw the animal you have created

on the paper.

3. Label the features that allow your animal

to survive in its environment.

(You may use all of the research materials to

help you come up with the features

needed to survive in your environment.)

What if the habitat changed?

1. Do you think the animal you created could live in any

environment?

2. What would happen to your organism if it were placed in

another environment?

3. What do you think would happen if the habitat was

altered?

•(Remember that each animal has specific adaptations that

allow it to survive in its environment; if the environment

changes the organism may no longer be able to live there.)

4. Think about changes that might benefit your animal and

changes that might hurt your animal. (List these changes

on the back of your drawing.)

Summary

By doing this project you should now have a greater understanding of the types of environments animals need to live in to survive and satisfy their needs.

You should also know that when modifications are made to an animals environment it can be beneficial or harmful.

You should have a better understanding of which animals are able to adapt to modifications made to their environments and which ones would not be able to survive.

Habitat Assignments Black Line Master

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Desert: Very dry, hot during the day and cold during the night,many hours of sunlight, hard soil, few plants and animals-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tropical Rainforest: Rains every day, many plants and animals,little sunlight under the trees, warm all of the time-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tropical Reef: Warm water, lots of organisms in a little space,not too much sunlight-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Deep Sea: Very cold, no sunlight, very few organisms-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Open Ocean: Strong currents, no land, some other organisms,some sunlight-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Temperate Forest: Sometimes warm, sometimes cold; large trees;many plants and animals; some rain-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Arctic: Very cold, sunlight only part of the year, little rain,lots of ice, few organisms-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Grassland: Rainy season and dry season; few trees or hills;sometimes warm, sometimes cold---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Resources:

Definitions: http://dictionary.reference.com/Images: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Anim

als+clipart&FORM=MFEIMG&publ=Yahoo&CREA=userid1743fd6238b39d03a6f035d7a220e4fc77f6y#

Background Information: http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_a

ctivity.cgi?activity_id=3792 http://www.fi.edu/tfi/units/life/habitat/habitat.

html

Game extension activities: http://www.activescience-gsk.com/module2/h

ome.html