Designing Adaptations

Subject Area	Biology - Ecology
Age or Grade	Introductory Biology – Grades 9 +
Estimated Length	2 hours
Prerequisite knowledge/skills	Students must have a basic understanding of the process of evolution, and how the environment of a population can affect the evolution of its individual members. Specifically, students must understand the following concepts: evolution, mutation, adaptation, natural selection. Students should also be familiar with the concept of an ecosystem.
Description of New Content	Students will be provided with a detailed description of an ecosystem found on our planet, preferably one that they are not familiar with. They will also be given a description of 5 different plant, animal, or fungal species which inhabit this ecosystem. While it is not crucial for students to memorize the features of the organism or region, they will need to read and comprehend the information to get the most out of the activity. Three sample ecosystem descriptions are provided in the links bellow. These descriptions were obtained from the Encyclopedia of Earth. Each description also lists five organisms that the students can choose from for this activity. Drakensberg Montane Grassland, Woodland, and Forest East Siberian Taiga The Sonoran Desert[The link bar feature is not available in this web]
Goals	To illustrate the principles of adaptation by challenging the students to design an improvement for an existing species based on its environment
Materials Needed	Ecosystem descriptions Internet access for each group of students
Procedure	Opener - Review the concept of adaptation by showing pictures of organisms and asking the students to explain certain features. For example: Why are lions sandy colored? Why do geckos have “sticky” paws? Why do giraffes have long necks? Development – Divide students into groups (2 or more) and provide each group with an ecosystem description. Instruct the students to select an organism from the list provided, and design 2 or more additional adaptations to help it survive in the unique conditions of the ecosystem. Some criteria for adaptations include: - Students should use online resources to research their organism and identify some already existing adaptations before they design additional ones. - Students must explain what characteristics of the environment led to the natural selection of the new adaptation and propose a mechanism for how this trait may evolve - Each adaptation must be realistic: no super powers such as human weapons, invisibility, etc. The adaptation must be similar to some ability already existing in nature. If the students are not sure, they should consult the teacher. Closer – Each group will give a 5 minute presentation about their organism and its new adaptation. Students will also turn in a written description of their organism and its existing adaptations (one paragraph), as well as the newly designed ones (one paragraph per adaptation). Specifically, they must address the first two criteria listed above.
Evaluation	Students will be graded on the quality of research about their organism, and how well their selected adaptations allow the organism to survive in its ecosystem. High points will be given to those teams who exhibit creativity and thoughtfulness.
Extensions	Time permitting, students can create visual aides to illustrate their adaptations (a poster or a 3D clay model)
References	Encyclopedia of Earth : http://www.eoearth.org/