Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes	Part A: Adaptations Brainstorm
30 minutes	Part B: Adaptation Posters
20 minutes	Part C: Mimicry
5 minutes	Reflection

Part A: Flipped classroom

Prior to participating in this lesson, students should complete the following flipped classroom activity (also available on the Student Worksheet).

In this activity they will watch the following clip and:

Define biotic factors and give three examples
Define abiotic factors and give four examples

Biotic and Abiotic Factors (https://youtu.be/0mjafH5pVLA)

Part B: Adaptations brainstorm

Step 1.

Begin this lesson by going over the vocabulary from the lesson preparation. Invite students to explain what each word means and give examples. Words you could cover might include:

Biotic
Abiotic
Predation
Habitat
Direct
Indirect

Step 2.

Hand out the Student Worksheet and invite students to complete the SEE, THINK, WONDER activity as they watch the following video:

Adaptations of Sea Snakes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E_I4AgsIok)

Once complete, invite students to share their thoughts on the clip: What did they find most interesting or surprising?

Step 3.

Now explain that evolutionary success is determined by how well an organism can survive and reproduce. Organisms must be able to cope with or adapt to the biotic and abiotic factors of the environment they live in, or they won’t be able to survive.

Work as a class to brainstorm characteristics or behaviours that animals and plants have to help them survive. Record student ideas on the board (you could separate the board into plants and animals, to ensure students consider plants as well).

You could prompt students with the following points:

Large teeth
Claws
Runs fast
Hard shell
Spikes (plants and animals)
Tastes bitter (plants)
Intelligence
Hides when threatened
Attacks when threatened.

Through this process lead students to the idea that the characteristics or features described in the last step are known as adaptations or adaptive traits. An adaptation can be structural (a physical trait/body parts), behavioural (what the organism does, its behaviours), or physiological (processes inside the body).

Step 4.

Now go back to the traits listed on the board and ask the class to identify them either as structural, behavioural or physiological. If any of the three categories are missing, have them think of a trait that fills that category.

Step 5.

Next, ask the class: Would a specific adaptation be useful in every environment? Invite them to suggest their answers and to justify their reasoning.

Lead students to the idea that each adaptation is suited to a particular environment. You could remind them that the sea snakes were narrow vertically so that they could move through the water more easily, whereas land snakes would be a different shape physically to help them move across the land.

Step 6.

Now invite the class to break into pairs. One student in each pair will think of an animal and the environment it lives in and tell their partner. Their partner will then choose a different environment to relocate the animal to and the first student will predict what would happen to their animal and why. They will then swap roles.

For example, one student chooses a polar bear. The second student moves it to the desert. The first student predicts that the polar bear will overheat due to its thick blubber.

Other examples could include: a koala’s ability to digest eucalyptus leaves won’t help them in a forest of non-eucalypts; or a monkey’s ability to swing from tree to tree won’t help them in the ocean.

Invite students to share their ideas with the class. Reinforce the key takeaway that adaptations help organisms survive in their own environment, with their specific biotic and abiotic conditions.

Part C: Adaptation posters

Step 1.

Show the class photos of the new Australian species discovered in the Bush Blitz, using the Backyard Bushblitz Species Slide deck.

Step 2.

Explain the activity as follows:

In pairs, you will draw a Bush Blitz animal and identify its adaptations (you will be assigned an animal from the Bush Blitz Information Sheet).
Before identifying the adaptations, you will need to first describe the environment the animal lives in and list the biotic and abiotic factors. There is some information on the Bush Blitz sheet that will be provided, but you will also need to do some research on the environment.
After researching the environment, identify and label the adaptations that help the animal respond to the abiotic and biotic factors of where it lives. Each label must say what the adaptation is and describe how it helps the animal cope with a specific abiotic or biotic factor. For example, Venom - Helps the snake capture prey for food (biotic factor).

Extension opportunity:

Students could label each adaptation as either structural, behavioural or physiological.

Students could complete the activity on A3 paper/card or on the computer using an app capable of building posters, such as Canva.

Step 3.

Once students have finished their posters, invite them to walk around the room for a few minutes to view each others’ posters. Students could also provide feedback on each poster using the two stars and a wish feedback strategy.

Part D: Mimicry

Step 1.

Introduce the adaptation of mimicry by showing the following clip:

SciShow Kids Animal Tricksters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV0kkFMK2CI)

Step 2.

Invite students to answer these questions on the Student Worksheet:

What is mimicry?
Suggested answer: The close resemblance of an animal or plant to another animal or plant or object.
What are the two advantages of mimicry from the video?
Suggested answers: Animals or plants avoid being eaten (stay safe); they attract food (get closer to prey).
Give two examples of mimicry, either from the video or one you know already.
Suggested answers: A hoverfly and a wasp have the same black and gold banding, the butterfly has shapes like owl eyes on its wings.

Step 3.

Show the class the pictures of the Ant Mimicking Spider and Bee Fly from the Bush Blitz Information Sheet. Ask them to determine what the animal looks similar to and the advantages this mimicry gives them (such as avoiding being eaten or attracting food).

Step 4.

Now invite students to form new pairs. Explain that one student will research an example of plant mimicry and the other will research a case of animal mimicry. Each student will need to answer these questions on the Student Worksheet:

What is the plant or animal called and what does it look like?
Where can you find it (part of the world, type of ecosystem, e.g. rainforest, desert)?
What factors threaten the plant or animal’s ability to survive? (e.g. predators, climate, disease.)
What advantage does the mimicry give to the plant or animal?
What plants or animals have a similar-looking mimicry to yours?

Allow students 10-15 minutes to complete their research.

Once the students have answered the questions, invite the pairs to share their responses and discuss the ways that mimicry is similar or different between the plant and the animal.

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to answer these reflection questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

If a friend asked you to explain the adaptations of an animal they found, would you feel confident doing this?
What are two things you want to know more about as a result of this lesson?
What are some strategies you could use to find more information about the topics in this lesson?

Differentiated learning

Extension -

At Part B, Step 1, students can label each adaptation as either Structural, Behavioural or Physiological.
At Part C, Step 4, students could create a stop motion or claymation to demonstrate the mimicry and how it either helps the animal hide from predators or attract prey.

Provisions for Learning Support –

At Part B, Step 2, instead of asking them to identify the biotic and abiotic features, you could provide them with a list of these. Then they can complete the rest of the task independently. Alternatively, ask the student to think of any adaptations that help an animal or plant respond to abiotic and biotic factors in general, instead of those specific to a particular animal.

Teacher reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

• What did you learn about your teaching practice?
• What worked well?
• What didn't work so well?
• What would you share?
• Where to next?
• How are you going to get there?

Backyard Bush Blitz - Adaptations

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