Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: What is the International Year of Camelids?

20 minutes

Find Out: Adaptations of camels

25 minutes

Take Action: How camelids thrive in their environments

5 minutes

Reflection

Tune In: What Is the International Year of Camelids?

Step 1

The United Nations has declared 2024 the International Year of Camelids to highlight how camelids are key to the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. Camelids include Bactrian camels, dromedaries, guanocos, llamas, alpacas and vicunas. These amazing animals contribute to food security, nutrition, economic growth, and culture for many communities worldwide.

Watch the following video with your students:

International Year of Camelids 2024 - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (youtube.com/watch?v=ccnzotps124&t=73s)

Step 2

After watching the video ask your students

What types of animals make up the camelids?
- Bactrian camels, dromedaries, guanocos, llamas, alpacas and vicunas.
What two types of places do camelids live?
- They live in harsh conditions, such as highlands and deserts.
What did you see people using these animals for?
- Milk, meat, fibre, transport, culture.
How do you think they can help people as the climate changes?

Step 3

Show your students the images of the camelids on the attached visual explainer. As you cycle through the images. Discuss with your students:

Which of these animals are they familiar with?
What are some of the similarities/differences between all types of camelids?
How do you think these features might help them to thrive in harsh conditions?
- Harsh conditions could include: extreme heat or cold, scarcity of water and food, sandy ground, and high winds

Find Out: Adaptations of Camels

Step 1

If you haven’t covered adaptations with your class yet, you might like to watch the video below and explain the following to your students.

An adaptation is a feature or behaviour that an organism (living thing) displays that helps it to survive in the specific environment they live in. There are three types of adaptations. (Images on the attached visual explainer).

Structural - a physical feature of the organism. Cacti have spikes to deter animals from eating them - these spikes also mean they don’t lose as much water - handy in the desert!
Physiological - these are chemical changes to the way the body works. Snakes produce venom to protect themselves from predators.
Behavioural - how an organism acts. An echidna rolls up into a ball when it is threatened, so that only its spikes are showing and they are protected from predators!

Animal Adaptations for Kids, Learn about the physical, life cycle, and behavioural adaptations of animals - Learn Bright (youtube.com/watch?v=m2MibjJgyjs)

Step 2

Camelids have some very special adaptations that allow them to thrive in the harsh climates they live in. Because they are so suited to the environment it means they can help humans thrive in these environments as well. Advise your students that we will focus on camels in this section - students will have the opportunity to explore the different types of camelids in the Take Action section.

Watch the following video with your students that shows the different adaptations of Camels through a song.

Bonus points if any of your students can learn the rap!

The Adaptation Song with lyrics - Tony Cole (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Boo1nSo73Gs)

Step 3

Talk through the adaptations of camels your students saw in the video.

Wide feet	Keeps them from sinking in the sandy desert
Long, thick eyelashes	Prevents sand from blowing into their eyes
Fat-filled hump	Energy storage for when food is scarce
Thick, shaggy coat	Provides insulation against the intense heat of the desert during the day and helps retain body heat during cooler nights.
Thick lips	Allow them to eat thorny plants found in the desert
Pads on their feet and chest	Provides a barrier between their bodies and the hot sand, meaning they can sit or stand for long periods.

There are more behavioural and physical adaptations of the camel that aren’t mentioned in the video. Students requiring extension could research these adaptations to add to the list.

Step 4

Let’s experiment!

You might like to run this short experiment to show how the shape and features of camel feet allow them to travel across hot, sandy deserts. A photo of cow and camel feet is included in the attached visual explainer to show your students the difference when you complete the experiment.

Take Action: How Camelids Thrive in Their Environments

Step 1

All of the different types of camelids have slightly different adaptations to suit the environment they live in. Divide your students into groups and allocate each group a different type of camelid

Bactrian camels
Dromedaries
Guanocos
Llamas
Alpacas
Vicunas

Step 2

Ask your students to fill in the following tables and questions on their student worksheets. Students can present their research in the table or take it further and produce a poster showing all of the information.

Students can begin their research using this information about Camelids from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

Extension opportunity: Your students could even try to create their own adaptation song about their type of camelid!

The type of Camelid I am researching is: _____________________

Question	Research	Image
Where does it live?
What are the features of this habitat/ environment?
Does it have any predators?
What does it eat?

Adaptation	How this helps them thrive in their environment	Image

How is this animal significant to the people/communities that live with them?

Do they provide humans with anything? (think meat, milk, fibre, transport)
Do they have any cultural significance?
How do their adaptations help humans to thrive in these harsh environments?

Step 3

Bring the class back together and share their research on each type of camelid.

Reflection

Reflect on this lesson with your students by asking the following questions

Why do you think the United Nations made this year the International Year of Camelids?
What is the most interesting adaptation you learned about today that you didn’t know before?

Adaptations of Camelids

Go to

Summary

Lesson guides and printables

In this lesson