5th Grade Life Science

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Have you ever wondered how animals are able to survive in the

wild?

Animals have certain adaptations that help

them to survive.

Who is more fit to their environment?

• Polar bears are not naturally found where there are brick walls and dirt.

The brown bear blends in with the flora found in the Canadian wilderness.

That’s better!

Think about the way you dress in the winter.

You don’t wear your shorts and bathing suit when it’s snowing outside!

You wear warm clothes, and maybe even a hat and mittens to protect

yourself from the weather.

And what if you are having a snowball fight?

You probably run away from the person throwing at you,

and maybe even try to sneak up on that person and

throw some snowballs!

The way you dress in the winter, as well as the way that you run and hide from

someone throwing snow at you are kinds of …

Adaptations

We can separate adaptations into two categories:

Physical and Behavioral

Physical adaptations

are body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself,

and to reproduce its species.Physical

adaptations help an animal survive in its environment.

Hey! I’m a walking

stick. I look just like a

stick you’d find on the

ground.

© A. Weinberg

Physical adaptation

Camouflage (use of color in a surrounding)

The chameleon can change its color to match its surroundings. Can you do that?

Mimicry (looking or sounding like another living

organism)

The Viceroy butterfly uses mimicry to look like the Monarch butterfly. Can you tell them apart?

Poisonous

Not poisonous

Physical adaptation

I’m the Monarch!

I’m the Viceroy!

Chemical defenses (like venom, ink, sprays)

Physical adaptation

Body coverings & parts (claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth)

Physical adaptations

The elephant’s trunk is a physical adaptation that helps it to clean itself, eat, drink, and to pick

things up.

Now let’s learn about

Behavioral Adaptations…

Behavioral Adaptations allow organisms to respond

to life needs.

Each organism has unique methods of adapting to its environment by means of

different actions or behaviors.

Behavioral Adaptations are organisms’ actions.

Remember that physical adaptations are body

structures.

We can divide Behavioral Adaptations into two groups:

Instinctive Learned

These behaviors happen naturally & don’t have to

be learned.

These behaviors must be taught.

Instinctive behaviors happen

naturally & don’t need to

be learned

=

Finding shelter

Methods of gathering & storing food

Defending oneself

Raising young

Hibernating

Migrating

Learned behaviors

Obtained by interacting with the environment and cannot be

passed on to the next generation

except by teaching.

=

Review . . .In this lesson, we have learned about

animal adaptations.

There are 2 ways to describe adaptations:

Physical and Behavioral

Physical adaptations are body structures.

Some examples of physical adaptations are:

Camouflage

Mimicry

Body coverings & parts

Chemical defenses

Behavioral Adaptations are animals’ actions.

Behavioral Adaptations can beInstinctive or Learned.

How do adaptations help animals survive in their environment?

• Remember, an adaptation is a body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.

• Adaptation can help an animal breathe, catch food, protect itself, get water, or reproduce.

• All organisms are adapted to live in certain habitats.• Organisms that cannot adapt will become ill or perish.• Organisms that are adapted to their environment will

reproduce and make offspring with the same adaptations.

Adaptation Questions on TAKS

• TAKS likes adaptation questions.

• For these, think about the environment the organism is in and what its MOST important needs are!

• Examples• Desert species need water, cooling system• Tundra species need to keep warm• Saltwater species need to remove extra salt, breath

underwater

Animal Adaptation Purposes

Control Body Temperature

Polar Bear - thick fur and blubber

Desert Animals – Nocturnal – long ears

Animal Adaptation PurposesGetting Food

Shape of a Bird's Beak

Parrot - short curved for cracking seeds and nuts

Duck - Long, flat for sieving

Long-legged Wader – spear-shaped for catching fish

Hummingbird - long straw-like

Animal Adaptation PurposesGetting Food

Finch – On Galapagos Islands, gold finches have 3 different types of beaks depending on what they eat Seeds – thick, heavy beakinsects – sharp, pointed beakfruit – short, stubby beak

Giraffe - long neck

Anteater - long tongue

Animal Adaptation PurposesGetting Food

Shape of a Bird's Beak

Carnivore – sharp pointed teeth for tearing

Herbivore – flat teeth for grinding

Animal Adaptation Purposes

Protection from Predators

Hedgehogs - sharp spines

Turtles and Snails - shells 

Skunk- spray chemicals

Bees and wasps - sting

Animal Adaptation Purposes

Protection from Predators

Brown moth - color blends into environment

Flounder – buries itself in the sand

Animal Adaptation Purposes

Movement

Squirrel - climb trees

Duck - webbed feet to push through the water

Animal Adaptation Purposes

Movement

Camel – wide feet to move over sandwithout sinking in; feet have callusesto help protect them from burning on the hot sand

Owls – fringed flight feathersmuffle the sound of air passingthrough their feathers makingtheir flight silent

Plant Adaptation Purposes

Leaf Shape

Large Leaves -Rainforest plants so can get more sunlight

Evergreens – Don’t have to use energy to re-grow leaves each spring

Plant Adaptation Purposes

Water Conservation

Cacti - thick trucks and branches to store water; shallow roots to absorbrain

Waxy Layer on leaves - prevents water from evaporation

Plant Adaptation Purposes

Protection from Predators

Thorns - keeps animals from eating

Plant Adaptation Purposes

Reproduction Colors – attract insects so they will spread the flower’s pollen

TAKS Questions

1 Brightly colored flowers are most often pollinated by —

F windG mammalsH rainfallJ insects

2 All of the characteristics listed above are useful for gathering food EXCEPT —

A 1B 2C 3D 4

Characteristics of

a Hummingbird

1. Colorful feathers

2. Narrow beak

3. Small body

4. Strong wings

24 Which part of a jackrabbit most helps it escape predators?

F Long legsG Thick furH Short tailJ Small head

25 The African baobab tree has a huge trunk that can store as much as 100 kiloliters of water. This adaptation would be an advantage in a climate that is very —

F coldG dryH windyJ sunny

27 Which skull belongs to an animal best adapted for catching and eating fish?

A C

B D

29 The mole is an animal that digs tunnels. Which of the following characteristics would NOT be an advantage to a mole?

A Sharp clawsB Large earsC Small eyesD Strong legs

30 Some salamanders have a sticky tongue and a wide mouth lined with teeth. These animals most likely feed on —

F insects and other tiny animalsG leaves and other plant structuresH algae and other microorganismsJ dead and decaying materials

31 As seagulls fly over the water, they sometimes dive into the water to catch prey. Which of these senses is useful to seagulls that feed in this manner?

A SightB SmellC HearingD Touch

32 Which of the following characteristics would NOT give animals an advantage in the ocean?

F Long body hairG A smooth bodyH Structures that sense movementJ A strong sense of smell

33 The type of penguin shown in the picture above lives in the icy lands of Antarctica. The male penguins huddle together in a tightgroup. They stay in these tight groups most likely because they are —

F looking for the sunG hiding from predatorsH sharing body heatJ fighting over a piece of food

34Which of the following characteristics of a field mouse is most likely inherited from its parents?

F Brown furG Torn earH Scar on its legJ Chipped tooth

35 Which of the following is an inherited trait in African clawed frogs?

A The location of wave detectors on the frogsB The location of the frogs in a pondC The number of insects eaten by the frogs in an hourD The number of times the frogs look for insects in an hour

36 Coyotes learn some of their behaviors as they move around in their environment. Which behavior is most likely learned?

A RunningB Drinking waterC Avoiding cactiD Sleeping

37 Raccoons living in cities have learned to open lids of garbage cans. This is an example of an animal —

A adapting to its environmentB inheriting the ability to change its dietC being tamed by humansD becoming a plant eater

38 Which of these is an example of a learned behavior?

A C

B D

Shake and Learn

• Lyrics

• Practice singing

• Match pictures and descriptions

• Worksheet

• Extension: Bulletin Board Set

Website Fun…

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/10_11/interdependence.shtml

• http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/climate/adaptations/index.cfm