Animal Adaptations

Description

The unit begins with an in depth study of animal coverings, a topic covered in the first grade science curriculum. The next source is a powerpoint, “Animal Coverings,” that explains the five major body coverings. As readers continue through the pack, “Animal Body Coverings,” is a simple is a video that answers the questions, “What are body coverings and why do animals have them?” The next source is a video titled “Animal Adaptations for Kids” that helps children deepen their understanding of why animals have body coverings and how this relates to the way humans use clothing to adapt to their environment. Next is a leveled reader titled "How Do They Move?" This book has a very low Lexile score, and is therefore the first text that the students will read independently. It discusses and illustrates how animals have different adaptations to help them move. The next source, an info-graphic, titled “Polar Bears”, has captions that clarify what features and adaptations a polar bear has and how it helps them. The next four sources are books or articles that discuss specific animals or groups of animals and how their adaptations help them. Finally, "Animal Adaptation," is a non- fiction book that will be explored as a read-aloud. The Lexile is 620 and it captures the learning from the entire unit as it discusses physical features and behaviors related to animal adaptations. Each branch of the unit includes independent reading opportunities for students that build in complexity.