1. Science Focus Lesson SC.5.L.17.1 Adaptations
Elementary Science
Science Focus Lesson
SC.5.L.17.1
Adaptations
Benchmark Clarifications
Students will describe how, when the environment changes, differences between organisms allow some plants and animals to survive and reproduce while others die or move to new locations.
Content Limits
Items referring to the adaptation of organisms to different environments may address but will not assess the different stages of the organism’s life cycle.
Items may require knowledge of how animals living in a particular environment are adapted to survive the seasonal changes in that environment.
Items will not assess renewable or nonrenewable resources.
Stimulus Attribute
The term characteristic should be used rather than the term trait.
Polk County Public Schools

2. SC.G.1.2.2
Benchmark:
The student knows that living things compete in a climatic region with other living things and that structural adaptations make them fit for an environment.
Essential Question:
What adaptations of organisms allow them to thrive in their environments?
Vocabulary:
adaptation camouflage characteristic

3. Here are some examples of adaptations:
An ADAPTATION is a characteristic or trait that helps an organism survive in its environment.
Here are some examples of adaptations:
In drier, temperate deciduous forests a thick bark helps to limit moisture evaporation from the tree's trunk. Since this is not a concern in the high humidity of tropical rainforests, most trees have a thin, smooth bark. The smoothness of the bark may also make it difficult for other plants to grow on their surface.
Students should use the word characteristic. Trait will not be used on the FCAT.
Camouflage is a type of adaptation that allows animals to blend in with their surroundings. During summer months, the Arctic fox has a brown coat. During winter, the coat of the Arctic fox is white, matching its icy, snowy surroundings.

4. Plants adaptations allow them to live in specific environments.
Some adaptations are only helpful because of the environment in which a plant lives.
Click on the cactus to explore a web site and learn about plant adaptations in different environments.
Go to the linked web site and explore plant adaptations in a variety of environments.

5. Summary
Round Table:
Beginning with the tallest person in your collaborative group, take turns going around the table in a clockwise direction telling one adaptation made by a plant which allows it to survive in its environment.

6. Like plants, animal adaptations allow them to live in specific environments.
Some adaptations are only helpful because of the environment in which a plant lives.
Select several animals from the links on the left of the web site. Students talk about how the adaptations help with the animals survival in specific environments.
Click on the camel to explore a web site and learn about animal adaptations in different environments.

7. Summary
Round Table:
Beginning with the tallest person in your collaborative group, take turns going around the table in a clockwise direction telling one adaptation made by an animal which allows it to survive in its environment.

8. Guided Practice
1. Some plants have thick and waxy layers on top of their leaves. This reduces water loss from evaporation. Where would a plant without waxy leaves grow successfully?
where it is very cold at night
where it is very hot during the day
where there is plenty of water available
where there is very little water available

9. (where there is plenty of water available).
The correct answer is C
(where there is plenty of water available).
A. Plants without waxy leaves may not grow successfully where it is very cold at
night. Being very cold at night does not mean that overall evaporation rates
would be low. Deserts, for instance, may have hot days and cold nights.
B. Plants without waxy leaves would not grow successfully where it is very hot during the day. Areas that are very hot during the day will have high rates of evaporation and, therefore, be likely to have plants with thick, waxy layers on their leaves.
C. Plants without waxy leaves would not grow successfully where there is very little water available. Plants in dry areas are likely to be adapted to limit water loss by having thick, waxy layers on their leaves.

10. 2. The snowshoe rabbit has white fur in the winter and brown fur in the summer. Which of the following can you infer about the snowshoe rabbit?
it has adapted to blend in with its environment.
it has a disease.
it travels south for the winter.
it was brought from another country.

11. (it is adapted to blend with its environment).
The correct answer is A
(it is adapted to blend with its environment).
This fur color change is typical of healthy snowshoe rabbits
The white fur helps the snowshoe rabbit blend in with the snowy winter environment in the north
The snowshoe rabbit is adapted well to the environment from which it originates

12. 3. Koala bears eat leaves from eucalyptus trees
3. Koala bears eat leaves from eucalyptus trees. If very cold weather killed most of the eucalyptus trees, which of the following would probably NOT happen?
koalas would compete for leaves that were left.
koalas would move farther away to look for food.
the number of koalas in the area would be less.
the number of koalas in the area would be more.

13. (The number of koalas in the area would be more).
The correct answer is D
(The number of koalas in the area would be more).
A. It is true that the koalas would have to continue to compete for a limited food supply
B. As food became more scarce, koalas would begin to wander further in search of food
C. Because of the limited food supply, some koalas would not survive

14. Summary
In your science journal answer the LEQ: What adaptations of organisms allow them to thrive in their environments?
Make sure that the students understand the meaning of the word “thrive- to grow or develop well or vigorously”.

15. Check your understanding!
Polar bears have adapted to live in very cold places where it snows often. Which of the following adaptations helps polar bears to survive?
they eat plants.
they are food for other large animals.
they have small tails.
they have fur that appears white.
Note that a polar bear actually has semi-transparent fur, not white.

16. 2. The nuttall rabbit has adapted to live in the desert
2. The nuttall rabbit has adapted to live in the desert. Which of the following is it likely to eat?
cactus
corn
seeds
smaller animals

17. 3. During long periods of dry weather many plants have a special adaptation that helps to keep them from losing water. What is this adaptation?
they make seeds.
they grow more leaves.
they get shorter.
their leaves curl up.

18. 4. The camel has a special adaptation that makes it easier it to live in the desert. What is this adaptation?
it stores water in its body.
it has large hooves.
it has a long neck.
its body is covered with fur.

19. Answers
1. d- a polar bear’s fur provides camouflage so that it can sneak up on its prey
2. a- cactus is a food that is available in a desert biome
3. d-leaves curl up to expose less surface area which means that less water is lost to evaporation during dry times
4. a-water is scarce in a desert so a camel is able to store water in its hump

20. Summary
Choose a plant or an animal. Write a first person paragraph explaining how YOUR adaptations (as the plant or the animal) have helped you survive in your environment.