Survival of the Fittest?

Science Process Skills
  • Categorizing
  • Relating
  • Inferring

Materials (per group)
Information about endangered species. Visit web sites:
http://endangered.fws.gov/endspp.html http://species.fws.gov/ www.nbs.gov/features/kidscorner/index.html www.rice.edu/armadillo/Schools/Hisdzoo/online/index.html

Doing the Activity
  1. Think about ways you adapt yourself or the things around you when:

    2. Winter/summer
    Day/night
    Test at school/recess
    In water/in the air
    A barbecue on the beach/dinner in a fancy restaurant
  2. What creatures can you think of that once roamed the earth but are now extinct?
  3. Why did these creatures disappear? Which changes in their environment couldn't they adapt to?
  4. Research an endangered species. An endangered species is an animal that might become extinct because something is changing its environment and it cannot adapt. Organize your information in a chart. An example would be:

    Animal Name  
    Describe the Animal  
    Where Found  
    Animal Name  
    How Long Endandered  
    Possible Changes in Environment 

Reflecting
  • What changes or adaptations do you make when you are in different situations or environments?
  • What creatures are extinct from the earth? What happened to them?
  • Share what you found out about your endangered animal.
  • What are a human's basic needs?
  • What adaptations and inventions have humans made to meet these needs?
  • Do other animals make things to help them adapt?

Applying
  • Design a protection plan for your endangered animal. List things humans could do to save the animal.
  • Write to the National Wildlife Federation to learn more about endangered species.
  • Using the software SimLife do the scenario "Battle of the Sexes."

What's Happening
The world's creatures have evolved and become extinct throughout history. The disappearance of any animal or plant species may lead to environmental changes that may eventually affect the most adaptable animal of all-the human being.

More Challenges
The world's creatures have evolved and become extinct throughout history. The disappearance of any animal or plant species may lead to environmental changes that may eventually affect the most adaptable animal of all-the human being.

Activity Source
Iowa State University Extension. Sustainable Agriculture and Wildlife: Piecing Together a Habitat Puzzle. Extension Distribution Center Order # EDC-3. www.extension.iastate.edu/Pages/pubs

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
University Extension
Site contact
E-SET ISU Extension Extension Sites Search
Contact information: Sarah McArdell mcard002@umn.edu
Updated: January, 2000

 

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