Animal Adaptations 1st–2nd Grade Objective • Explore the relationship between a bird’s beak and its ability to find food and survive. Materials Needed • “Awesome Adaptations” and “A Beak for Every Job” information cards • “Why Do Birds Have Different Beaks?” activity card • Easy-Grip Safety Tweezers - Set of 12 [EE607] • Spoons • Super-Safe Eyedroppers - Set of 12 [LA446] • Plastic fish and plastic worms (or other small objects to represent fish and worms) • Plastic tray • Water Products with item numbers are available at LakeshoreLearning.com. Introduction 1. Ask students, “Have you ever wondered why a turtle has a hard shell? Or why a chameleon can change colors to match its surroundings?” 2. Explain that these are two examples of animal adaptations, or ways that animals change in order to survive in their environment. Procedure 1. Tell students that you are going to learn about a variety of animal adaptations and how they help animals survive and thrive. 2. Give each student a copy of each information card and read “Awesome Adaptations” aloud as students follow along. (You can also invite student volunteers to take turns reading the paragraphs aloud.) 3. Ask the following questions to allow students to reflect on the passage: • What are some ways that animals keep from being eaten by other animals? • How is camouflage helpful for certain animals? 4. Read “A Beak for Every Job” and ask students the following questions: • Can you describe the different beaks mentioned in the passage? • How are the different types of beaks useful to the different birds? What purposes do they serve? Guided Practice 1. Tell students that, as a follow-up to reading “A Beak for Every Job,” they are going to conduct an experiment to determine what kind of beak is best for a particular purpose. 2. Divide the class into small groups of three or four students. Give each group a plastic tray with a small amount of water, a spoon, a pair of tweezers, an eyedropper, and some plastic worms and fish. ©Lakeshore www.lakeshorelearning.com