Survival Topic Page

"Survival of the Fittest"
Understanding how species adapt to environments to survive.
Designed by Catherine Gossett for 7th grade Science inclusion students.

Why are animals the way they are? Did you know a wolf has a large nose and a sharp sense of smell to help it detect prey? Did you know a giraffe has a long neck to feed on treetops and to see predators far away? Animals are the way they are because they have adapted to their environments over time to help them survive. Adapting means to change to fit your environment. Let's find out more about animals and their special adaptations!

The following are web sites you can use while looking for information to complete our mission scenarios and just for fun!

	1. Animal Magazine: How much does an African elephant weigh? At this site you can click on a picture of an animal to answer all the questions you can think of.
	2. Fact Monster Have you ever used the encyclopedias in the library? This site is an online encyclopedia that has information similar to encyclopedias in the library. It is directly linked to information on animal adaptations.
	3. Zoo Access Have you ever visited a zoo? This site is the web site for the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago Illinois. Select and animal exhibit and meet the animals inside. A fact sheet about each animal will come up that includes information about their special adaptations.
	4. Electronic Zoo Would you like to visit a cyberspace zoo? Go to this site to learn about all types of animals.
	5. Animal Planet Have you ever watched the animal planet channel? This is the official site for animal planet. There is an abundance of information on domestic and wild animals at this site called animal planet a to zoo.
	6. Wildlife Facts Search this site for facts about animals. This site has hundreds of animals to learn about.
	7. Adaptations! What is animal adaptation? Explore this site to find information on animals and how they have adapted to their environments.
	8. Almanac Have you ever used an almanac to find information? This is the World Almanac for Kids site with amazing animal facts. You can use it to find oodles of facts about oodles of animals.
	9. Wildlife This is the kids' web site for the National Wildlife Association. It contains information about how you can help animals that are in danger of becoming extinct. It includes links to clubs and Ranger Rick magazine.
	10. Wild Adventure! Ready to go on a wild adventure? Visit this site to find news, facts, and information for kids about the Wildlife Conservation Society. You can go wild with all the animal facts, conservation for kids, wildlife arcade, and wildlife news.

Scenario Mission #1     Imagine you have just gotten a summer job as a zoo guide at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. Each zoo guide talks to visitors about one animal they know all about. The owner of the zoo wants you to choose which animal you would like to tell visitors about. He expects you to know all about the animal so you can answer the visitors' questions. You must include the animals special adaptations. Steps: 1. To begin, you can tour the official site and learn which animal you are interested in or you can choose an animal by going to the sites of each of the following groups of animals: large mammals, birds, bears or wolves, birds of prey, primates,lions, small mammals, apes, or antelopes or zebras.
2. Once you have chosen a group of animals from the list, you must then choose a specific animal.
3. When you arrive at the site for the animal group, choose a specific animal by clicking on the down arrow on the right side of each page.
3. A list of animals that are in the zoo will appear. Click on the name of the animal from the list and click GO!
4. Look through many animals and choose the animal you are most interested in.
5. Find and record the following information about the specific animal you have chosen to share with visitors:
     A. A general description of what the animal looks.
     B. How much does it weigh and what height?
     C. What color is its hair?
     D. Where on Earth do they live?
     E. Is it an endangered species?
     F. What is their habitat like?
     G. What does the animal eat? How much does it eat?
     H. Where does it sleep?
     I. Does the animals live with others of its own kind or alone?
     J. What are the animal's special adaptations? - Do not forget to mention how
     this adaptation has helped the animal survive.
     K. Include a picture or use a site address so the owner can see a picture.

(You will be sharing your information with the class, just like you would if you were an actual tour guide at the ZOO.)

7th grade Science QCC Standard 21.1 : Defines and gives examples of adaptation for survival of the species.
7th grade Technology QCC Standard 16: Uses technology and telecommunications tools to locate, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, apply, and communicate information.

Assessment Rubric for Scenario Mission 1

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Score
7th grade Science QCC Standard 21.1: Defines and gives examples of adaptation for survival of the species.	The student is able to define and give examples of adaptation in one animal for survival with extra help and assistance.	The student is able to define and give examples of adaptation in one animal for survival with some help or assistance.	The student is able to define and give examples of adaptation in one animal for survival without help or assistance.
7th grade Technology QCC Standard 16: Uses technology and telecommunication tools to locate and communicate information.	The students uses technology and telecommunication tools to locate and communicate information with extra help and assistance.	The students uses technology and telecommunication tools to locate and communicate information with little help and assistance.	The students uses technology and telecommunication tools to locate and communicate information without help and assistance.

Scenario Mission #2 As an employee of the zoo, you are often asked to take care of other important tasks besides answering information about your chosen animal. This time the owner of the zoo wants to measure the height and weight of all the animals. The owner is changing some of the animal exhibits. He is considering adapting some of the animals' environments to fit their size by taking space from smaller animals for the larger animals who need more. He would like you to find the height and weight of ten animals and graph this information so it can be easily read. Steps: 1. You can use some of the same sites you used in mission one to complete this task or use some of the other web sites provided.
2. Select ten animals you would like to investigate. Find their
average adult height and weight.
3. Use this information to develop two graphs. One graph will be for height and one for weight.
4. If you are unsure about graphing this information go to this graphing site.
You can use this site to develop your graphs.
5. Using the graphs you developed, you will make your recommendations to the owner about which animals need the most space and which need the least.

7th grade Math QCC Standard 4: Uses computer software and applications to research, investigate, and analyze data and to represent this information using charts, tables, graphs, or other presentation forms.
7th grade Technology QCC Standard 16: Uses technology and telecommunications tools to locate, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, apply, and communicate information.

Assessment Rubric for Scenario Mission 2

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Score
7th grade Math QCC Standard 4: Uses computer software and applications to research, investigate, and analyze data and to represent information using graphs.	The student uses computer software and applications to research, investigate, and analyze data and to represent information using graphs with extra help and assistance.	The student uses computer software and applications to research, investigate, and analyze data and to represent information using graphs with little help and assistance.	The student uses computer software and applications to research, investigate, and analyze data and to represent information using graphs without help and assistance.
7th grade Technology QCC Standard 16: Uses technology and telecommunications tools to locate, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, apply, and communicate information.	The students uses technology and telecommunication tools to locate and communicate information with extra help and assistance..	The students uses technology and telecommunication tools to locate and communicate information with little help and assistance.	The students uses technology and telecommunication tools to locate and communicate information without help and assistance.

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cgossett@decatur.k12.ga.us

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