Electronic Field Trips
Dinosaurs and Us Unit
Lesson Two
Discussion of Adaptation
- Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School
- Subject Area: Science
Brief Description
Students
will synthesize the information they gathered at the museum to discuss ways
in which dinosaurs adapted to their environments. Students will also apply
the same logic to an analysis of human habitat, survival needs, and survival
need fulfillment
to understand how people have adapted to their environment.
Objectives
Students will:
- Learn about the concept of adaptation.
- Apply the concept of adaption to humans.
Materials and Resources
In developing our lessons and activities, we made some
assumptions about the hardware
and software that would be available in the classroom for teachers who visit the
LETSNet Website. We assume that teachers using our Internet-based lessons or
activities have a computer
(PC or Macintosh) with the necessary hardware components (mouse, keyboard, and
monitor) as well as software (operating system, TCP/IP software, networking or
dial-up
software, e-mail and a World Wide Web client program, preferably Netscape, but
perhaps
Mosaic or Lynx). In the section below, we specify any "special"
hardware
or software
requirements for a lesson or activity (in addition to those described above)
and the level of Internet access required to do the activity.
-
Special hardware requirements: None.
-
Special software requirements: None.
- Internet access: None.
Activity Description
- Review students findings from Lesson One. Have students synthesize their findings
to answer the question of how dinosaurs adapted to their environment. Be sure to
note the difference between adaptations that are purely physical, such as sharp teeth or
being able to running fast, and ones that are behavioral or social, such as hunting in packs.
As part of the discussion, talk about how the extinction of dinosaurs provided information on
how they adapted to their environment.
- After the class has generated a list of dinosaur adaptations, have students
break into small groups to answer the same set of questions for people:
- What survival needs do we have (food, shelter, safety, etc.)?
- What types of places do people live in (forests, desserts, cities, farms, etc.)?
- How do people meet these needs?
- Have students reconvene as a whole group and share their findings about the survival needs
humans have, how the meet them, and the types of habitats people live in. From this information
have students develop a list of adaptations that humans have made to meet their needs.
Back to Dinosaurs and Us Unit Lesson Plans
LETSNet is © Michigan State University College
of Education and Ameritech