Adding Adaptations to Insects

Adapted From Dwight Bohlmeyer's "Reebop Reproduction"

Purpose: At the end of this activity the student will have a new understanding of how insects/organisms have elements of the same physical adaptations, and yet look completely different. The students will learn how certain adaptations can select an insect for survival. The time limit for this activity is 45 minutes to 1 hour.

TEKS: Fourth Grade Science

(8) Adaptations Increase Survival of Members of a Species

a. identify characteristics that allow members of a species to survive.

1. compare adaptive characteristics of species

Materials: There should be enough of the following materials supplied such that each child can make an insect and perform the activity.

• Paper bags with strips of paper identifying different physical adaptations
• Pipe cleaners
• Wiggley eyes
• Play-dough

Motivate! : The teacher will begin the class by looking into each of the paper bags and telling the students that he/she has a puzzle that needs to be solved. The teacher has the designs for building different insects, but they are all separated by pieces. The teacher will ask if the students are willing to help put the insects together.

Activity:

• The activity will begin with the students drawing a slip of paper from each paper bag at the front of the room. Each paper bag will represent a different physical characteristic. Before letting the students draw from the bags, the teacher may ask the students to describe what they think a "physical characteristic" is.
• The students will then be asked to construct an insect based on the physical characteristics they had selected.
• Once the students have completed their insect, they can then share it with the class. The teacher can ask the students what about their insects' physical characteristics is beneficial and what characteristics may hinder the insect?

Safety Tips:

• The only necessary thing to be watchful of will occur as the students go outside to find the insects. The students will need to be careful in finding the insects, and a teacher should be with the children at all time.

Concept Discovery: After the class has shared their insects, a teacher will then take the insects outside to hide them along the nature trail. Once the insects are hidden, the class will go in search of the insects along the trail. What insects were the first to be found? Why were these insects easy to find? The students will be able to see in this portion of the activity that those insects selected to have coloring much like that of the environment are the same insects that are last to be found. What do these characteristics mean in terms of predator and prey relationships?

Going Further: Students can write in their journals about why insect adaptations can have a positive or negative affect on the insect. Students can then write about what adaptation would be most beneficial to insects in different habitats, in order to assure survival.

Closure: The teacher will close by having the students share what they have learned in creating their insects. The teacher will follow this up by reminding students that different adaptations are important as they make each organism better suited for survival.

Assessment: Students will be assessed based on their ability to justify why some adaptations may be beneficial, while some physical features may be detrimental to an insect. The student will also be expected to present this information to the class, along with their unusual insect.

Connections:

• English- The students can create a unique story about their insect

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