ADAPTATIONS Mrs. Pigott’s 5 th Grade Science

LIFE IS EXTREMELY DIVERSE

ALL LIFE ON EARTH ARE ALIKE IN SOME WAYS They all need Food Water and gasses from the air They must meet these needs in many different kinds of places. Rain forests, deserts, oceans, lakes and other places Each plant or animal has features that help it survive in its ENVIRONMENT, or surroundings.

WHAT ARE ADAPTATIONS? Any feature that helps a living thing survive in its environment is an adaptation. Each living thing is born with its adaptation. Adaptations DO NOT develop during its lifetime. The plants and animals that are best suited to the places they live are most likely to survive and reproduce. This is know as “survival of the fittest”. They pass their helpful adaptations on to their offspring (children). What might have caused zebras to have stripes, but NOT horses?

ADAPTATIONS IN LAND ENVIRONMENTS Rain Forests (lots of water and plants) Plants need sunlight to make food, but it is often blocked by other plants because they grow so closely together. So, many rain forest plants have long trunks and broad leave, to gather as much sun as possible. Animals adapt too. Howler monkeys use their tails to grab branches, and sloths use long claws to do the same

LAND ENVIRONMENTS (CONTINUED) In Desert, water is scarce. To survive without very much water, cactuses have roots that spread out near the surface. When the rain falls they soak it up quickly. Plants loose water through their leaves, which is why cactus have needles that also protect them from animals. Lizards and snakes have scales to keep them from loosing water through their skin.

LAND ENVIRONMENTS (CONTINUED) The Artic Tundra is in the northern polar region. It has little rain. It is not dry, but it is cold. Plants in the tundra grow only a short time each year. They are small and close the ground. Most animals have thick fur, layers of fat or both. Animals in the tundra often hibernate to conserve their energy. (which is also an adaptation)

ADAPTATIONS IN WATER ENVIRONMENTS There are two main water environments. Saltwater and Fresh water Oceans contain most of the salty water. Most of the plant life in the ocean is called phytoplankton. They use sunlight to make food and so float near the surface of the ocean. Fish and Whales are two examples of closely related, but different groups of saltwater animals. Both have streamlined bodies to move in water. But, Fish breath with gills And, Whales and dolphins, being mammals, must breath air

WATER ENVIRONMENTS (CONTINUED) Tide Pools are pools of ocean water left on the shore when the tide goes out. Animals that live in tide pools have adaptations that keep them from being swept back out to sea. Can you identify the adaptation used by each of these tidal pool residents?

WATER ENVIRONMENTS (CONTINUED) Rivers and lakes contain the majority of the LIQUID fresh water. Most of the world’s fresh water is frozen in icebergs. One adaptation of a freshwater plant can be seen in the water lily. It has wide leaves that float on top of the water and a long root that reaches to the soil at the bottom. Freshwater fish are very much like saltwater fish in that they are streamlined and breath through gills.

OTHER ADAPTATIONS Camouflage use of coloring and or patterns to help living things blend into their environment. Migration is when animals travel long distances to be able to find food and stay warm during cold seasons.

EXIT TICKET When an animal hibernates what does it do? A. store food B. stays active C. saves energy D. moves to a warmer place The snowshoe rabbit lives in an environment that is cold and snowy during winter. The rabbit loses its brown fur in fall and grows white fur. What is this adaptation called? A. camouflage B. hibernation C. behavior D. migration