Animorph Costumes: Animal Adaptations

Students will:

• Explain how a specific animal adaptation helps the animal survive its environment

• Differentiate between physical and behavioural adaptations

• Recognise that different animals have different adaptations that suit their particular environment

• Design and create a costume that visually represents one or more animal adaptations

Students can:

• Communicate their understanding of animal adaptations by explaining the features of their cardboard costume

• Collaborate with a partner to design and build their adaptation costume

• Creatively use the provided materials to represent an animal adaptation

• Observe and discuss the adaptations represented in other groups’ costumes

Adaptation, structural adaptation, behavioural adaptation, life cycle adaptation, environment, habitat, mimicry

Adaptation

Adaptation is a trait or characteristic that helps a living thing survive and reproduce in its environment. Emphasise that these traits develop over long periods through evolution.

Structural adaptation

These physical features of an animal's body help it survive (e.g., the shape of a bird's beak, the thickness of a mammal's fur, the camouflage patterns on an insect). 

Behavioural adaptation

These are the actions and behaviours that animals do to help them survive. Things like birds migrating, bears hibernating, beavers building dams, and wolves hunting in packs.
 

Life cycle adaptation

Some animals have adaptations related to their life cycle, like how caterpillars transform into butterflies! These adaptations or changes help the creature to survive different parts of its life. 

Habitat

Animal adaptations vary wildly from habitat to habitat. That’s because an animal's environment shapes its structural and behavioural adaptations. The habitat is a specific place where an animal gathers food, water, shelter, etc.