Introduction

Hello everyone! If you are ready to discover more about the wonderful world of adaptations, you have come to the right place! There's so much we can learn about survival in the wild from many interesting animals! Using the Internet allows you to discover more than you may have ever known possible. In this activity, you will learn about many different animals, and you will see many pictures of these animals in their habitats. Below is a list of questions, and you will want to put on your thinking caps, get out your treasure maps, and hunt for the answers! Some of these questions would make great science mini-investigations, and they could even be a starting point for a science fair project. So, when you come to each question, think about what topics you are interested in. Pursue them further after this activity, if you would like! At the end of the activity, don't forget to go after the Big Question. Have fun and do your best!

Questions

1. Identify four special body parts that help beavers live near and in the water. In an interactive activity, judge which body parts would be most helpful for a beaver to have, and create a beaver that is well-adapted to its environment.
   
   
2. Can Octopuses 'taste' if something is bitter, sweet, or sour, or feel if something is rough or smooth? Click on the 'Giant Octopus' link. Can you predict why this animal changes its color and the feel of its skin to match its habitat? What is an 'octopus's garden?' Create a drawing to illustrate an 'octopus's garden.'
   
   
3. Click on the link that says, 'Crunch, Nibble, Gulp, Bite.' Play the interactive game to see the different ways fish eat. Compare and contrast the four types of mouths that fish have. Predict how these different mouths help the fish collect food and survive in their environments.
   
   
4. Find the animals hidden in the pictures! Look up the word 'camouflage' in the dictionary. How do you think camouflage helps animals survive in their environments? Imagine you were a snowshoe hare. Do you think you would be safer in a snowy area or in a forest?
   
   
5. Can plants living in the Tundra biome grow in very cool temperatures? Predict whether plants living in the Tundra biome are small and close to the ground or tall plants that grow very high.
   
   
6. Identify two adaptations animals living in the arctic and alpine tundra have that help them survive in such a cold place. Then, make an educated guess as to one animal that might live in the Tundra biome.
   
   
7. Identify four different areas where the Chaparral biome can be found. Predict why it might be helpful to be a 'drought avoider' or a 'drought tolerator' type of plant. Do you think these are important and/or interesting adaptations?
   
   
8. Is the Chaparral biome a home for some birds and reptiles? Imagine that you are a grysbok, a small antelope living in the Chaparral of South Africa. Why is it to your advantage to be a small animal living in a biome where short shrubs grow?
   
   
9. Name three different adaptations that plants living in the Desert biome have developed to help them survive in such an area, where water is scarce.
   
   
10. Mammals are able to regulate their body temperatures. As a result, mammals living in desert areas can keep their body temperatures stable during the hottest parts of the day, and they can keep themselves warm during the night. Can reptiles and amphibians living in the desert regulate their body temperatures? How do reptiles and other animals escape the heat of the desert? If some animals, such as bears, are known to hibernate during the winter, do you think that there are some animals who do the same thing to avoid the intense heat of the desert?
    
    
11. In the Tropical Rainforest biome, trees grow at five different layers. Identify the five different layers of tropical rainforests. What are tannins? How do tannins help trees survive and reproduce in the rainforest?
    
    
12. Which organisms are the most numerous in the Tropical Rainforest biome? How have the appearances of these organisms helped them to adapt (survive and reproduce) to their habitats?
    
    
13. Once at the 'Firefly Facts' website, select the link that says 'Habitat and Range.' Is it possible for some firefly species to be aquatic and live under water?
    
    
14. Once at the 'Firefly Facts' website, select the link that says 'Bioluminescence.' Do all known firefly species produce light? How much of a firefly's energy is given off as light? Compare this to how much of a lightbulb's energy is given off as light.
    
    
15. At the 'Animal Adaptations' website, select the link that says 'Structural Adaptation.' Identify three structural adaptations that animals have. How do you think these adaptations help humans survive in their environments?
    
    
16. At the 'Animal Adaptations' website, select the link that says 'Protective Coloration.' What is another word for protective coloration? The root word in the word protective is, in fact, protect. Can you name some animals that are protected in their habitats because of the way they look?
    
    
17. What does the word 'Mimic' mean to you? Do you think that both humans and animals can mimic certain sounds? Decide why being able to mimic sounds might be a good adaptation to have.
    
    
18. At the 'Animal Adaptations' website, select the link that says 'Behavior Adaptations.' Are all animals born knowing certain behaviors that will help them survive and reproduce in their habitats, or do some animals learn certain behaviors that help them adapt in their environments? Can you describe one example of a behavior adaptation?
    
    
19. Develop a short list of reasons why you think animals migrate, or move from one area to another during certain times of the year, and then move back again. Now, go to the 'migration' website. Are some of the reasons for migration that you predicted listed here?
    
    
20. At the 'Animal Adaptation Web Adventure' website, follow the instructions for this activity one step at a time. Your first job is to make a guess about what is in the picture that looks so blurry. Then, you will receive another clue to help you keep guessing. Continue guessing and getting clues until you are able to check your answer. Once you have checked your answer, compare your guess or guesses to the right answer. Were you right? Did you come close to guessing the right answer? What is one adaptation that you are learning about through doing this activity?
    
    
21. Do sharks need to come up to the surface to breathe, or are they able to stay underwater? What adaptation do sharks have that allows them to take in oxygen?
    
    
22. Do you think camouflage helps predators, as well as animals who are trying to hide from them? How would predators being able to camouflage themselves be helpful to them? How does the Arctic fox use camouflage during the summer and winter to survive in its habitat?
    
    
23. Identify some behavior adaptations that raccoons have. In certain areas, humans have destroyed the raccoons' habitats. If raccoons have no trees to nest in, where do you think they go? In your opinion, do you think raccoons have adapted to lives without forests and trees? Why do you think they have or have not?
    
    
24. Why is hibernation a good adaptation? When bears hibernate, they do not eat. How do they survive the long winter without eating any food?
    
    

The Internet Resources

• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - Beaver Adaptation Activity
• Our Octopus and Kin Exhibits
• Activities, Games, and Fun Things to Do!
• If You Can't Run, You've Got to Hide!
• Biomes - Living Worlds - 'Tundra'
• Biomes - Living Worlds - 'Tundra'
• Biomes - Living Worlds - 'Chaparral'
• Biomes - Living Worlds - 'Chaparral'
• Biomes - Living Worlds - 'Desert'
• Biomes - Living Worlds - 'Desert'
• Biomes - Living Worlds - 'Rainforests'
• Biomes - Living Worlds - 'Rainforests'
• The Firefly Files - Firefly Facts - Habitat and Range
• The Firefly Files - Firefly Facts - Bioluminescence
• Animal Adaptations - Structural Adaptations
• Animal Adaptations - Protective Coloration
• Animal Adaptations - Mimicry
• Animal Adaptations - Behavior Adaptations
• Animal Adaptations - Migration
• Mystery Feature - Animal Adaptation Web Adventure
• Animal Adaptations - Sharks
• Animal Adaptations - Foxes
• Animal Adaptations - Raccoons
• Animal Adaptations - Bears

The Big Question

You have learned about many adaptations that animals have. Based on all of this information, what is YOUR definition of an adaptation? After discovering so much about different species of animals, do you think humans have certain adaptations? What are some of these? What are three discoveries you made during this treasure hunt that are most interesting to you?