Module 15: How Animals Adapt-Science 2 - Course Guide

Module Overview:

In this module, students will learn to describe how environmental changes can cause an animal to become extinct, and explain what it means for an animal to be extinct. They will make observations about what can happen when animals’ basic needs are not met and recognize what scientists are doing to study endangered animals. Students will make observations about adaptations that help animals survive, identify how animals adapt to changing environments, and compare an extinct animal to a living animal.

Module Materials:

  • Pencils
  • Crayons or colored pencils
  • Notebook
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Highlighter
  • Markers
  • Blank paper

Module Objectives:

Lesson # Lesson Title Objective(s)
1 Extinct Animals
  1. Describe how environmental changes can cause an animal to become extinct.
  2. Explain what it means for an animal to be extinct.
2 Endangered Animals
  1. Make observations about what can happen when animals’ basic needs are not met.
  2. Recognize what scientists are doing to study endangered animals.
3 Animal Adaptations
  1. Make observations about adaptations that help animals survive.
  2. Identify how animals adapt to changing environments.
4 Project: Dinosaurs vs. Birds
  1. Compare an extinct animal to a living animal.

Module Key Words:

Key Words
extinct
changing environments
endangered
environmental changes
adapt
physical adaptation
behavioral adaptation

Module Assignments:

Lesson # Lesson Title Page # Assignment Title
1 Extinct Animals 6 Animal Extinction Assignment
2 Endangered Animals 6 Sea Turtles Assignment
3 Animal Adaptations 7 Making Migrations Assignment
4 Project: Dinosaurs vs. Birds 2 Dinosaurs vs. Birds Project

Learning Coach Notes:

Lesson # Lesson Title Notes
1 Extinct Animals After completing this lesson, have your student research a list of animals that have become extinct and find out why they became extinct. Talk about what causes extinction and ways to prevent animals from becoming extinct.
2 Endangered Animals After completing this lesson, help your student research a list of endangered animals and look into why some are endangered. Discuss how people can work to get animals off the endangered species list.
3 Animal Adaptations After completing this lesson, ask your student to describe different ways animals adapt to their changing environments.
4 Project: Dinosaurs vs. Birds Ask your student to review the directions for this project before they begin. When finished review their work with them, asking them to double-check and make sure they followed the directions.

Module Guiding Questions:

When a student starts a lesson ask them questions to check for prior knowledge and understanding and to review concepts being taught. At the end of the lesson ask the questions again to see if their answer changes.

Lesson Title Question
Extinct Animals
  1. How does an animal become extinct?
Endangered Animals
  1. What can cause an animal to become endangered?
Animal Adaptations
  1. How do animals adapt to changing environments?
Project: Dinosaurs vs. Birds
  1. Were dinosaurs related to birds?

Module Video Questions:

When a student watches a video take time to ask them questions about what they watched. Suggested questions for the videos in this module are listed here. Suggestion: Have the student watch the entire video first all the way through. Then have them watch the video a second time, as they watch it pause the video and ask the questions.

Lesson Title Video Question
Extinct Animals Extinct Animals
  1. What animals in this video were extinct?
  2. Why did they become extinct?
Endangered Animals Field Trip to the Zoo
  1. What animals were endangered at the zoo?

Module Suggested Read Aloud Books:

Take time to read to your student or have them read aloud to you. Read a different book each day. While reading the book point out concepts being taught. You may purchase these books or find them at your local library. Suggested things to discuss while reading the book:

  • What is the main idea?
  • What are three things new you learned?
  • How does this book relate to what you are learning about?

# Book Author Lexile Level
1 The Extinct Alphabet Book Jerry Pallotta
2 Extinct: An Illustrated Exploration of Animals That Have Disappeared Lucas Riera
3 Sea Turtles Gail Gibbons

Module Outing:

Take some time to apply what your student is learning to the real world. Suggested outings are below.

# Outing