win,lose,adapt

WIN, LOSE OR ADAPT

Play this fun game to help reinforce the concept of adaptations. Start by reading the following information to the students.

It is springtime at Indiana Dunes and a Red-tailed Hawk circles high above in the sky. Scanning the ground he sees some suitable nesting material. When he lands, he takes out his tape measure, marks a line on the branch and saws it in half. The hawk carries the branch up high into a tree where he nails it down to make the platform for his nest.

Sound strange, how about this? It’s almost dinnertime and your mother jumps out the window and begins to fly above a meadow. Using her extreme eyesight, which equals a seven power binocular, she spot a rodent in the grass. She swoops down and catches the mouse with her feet. Happily she flies back to the kitchen and serves you dinner.

You know your mom cannot fly and hawks do not use a hammer and nails. However, hawks are born with many adaptations that help them survive. You could name many of them right now. For example, a hawk has wings to fly; sharp claws called talons; eyesight equal to a pair of seven-power binoculars; and a sharp, curved beak to tear meat.

Remember this, an adaptation is special part of a plant or animal that helps it survive.

Try this test to show the importance of one of your adaptations. Place your thumb across your palm. Try to untie your shoelaces and retie them without using your thumbs.

Play this fun game to reinforce the concept of adaptation. It’s played like the old TV show, Win, Lose, or Draw. Print the copycat pages(below) and cut each line into a slip. Make two teams. Designate a timekeeper on each team. Start by having one member pick a slip with an organism and its adaptation.

At the start, the student should draw until his or her team guesses the animal. Students must draw and not act out the word or point to an object. They are allowed to write the name of the animal on the board after it has been guessed. Continue to draw until the adaptation is mentioned. Making a time limit of 180 seconds works well. The team with the lowest score wins.

After the team guesses the animal and the adaptation, have the students explain how the adaptation helps the animal or plant survive.

COPYCAT PAGE * WIN, LOSE OR ADAPT CARDS

BAT – SONAR	RACCOON – PAWS
SKUNK – SMELL	CARDINAL – SONG
EAGLE – CLAWS	BEAVER – FLAT TAIL
OWL – EYES	HORNET – STINGER
OAK – ACORN	HAWK – HOOKED BEAK
BASS – FINS	FROG – HOPPING LEGS
PINE – NEEDLES	VULTURE – BALD HEAD
COYOTE – NOSE	WILD ROSE – THORNS
TURTLE – SHELL	DUCK – WEBBED FEET
DEER – HOOF	RATTLESNAKE – FANGS
FOX – TEETH	SQUIRREL – LONG TAIL
GRASSHOPPER – ANTENNA
CATTAIL – PARACHUTE SEEDS
HUMMINGBIRD - LONG TONGUE
GREAT BLUE HERON – LONG LEGS
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD – WINGS
POISON IVY – POISONOUS OIL
BLUEBERRY BUSH – BERRIES
CATERPILLAR - CAMOUFLAGE
HOGNOSED SNAKE – PLAYS DEAD