Karen McKelvey and Diane Main

Course goals and objectives

The following instructional unit, Adaptation, is from a science module by Full Option Science System (FOSS) called Structure of Life. This module is geared to grade three students in California. The Structures of Life Module consists of four investigations dealing with observable characteristics of plants and animals. The following instructional activities are based on Investigation 3, Part 2 and 3: Meet the Crayfish. During this instructional unit students investigate the structures of plants and animals and learn how some of the structures function in growth and survival. Students study several biomes or environments and consider the particular adaptations that allow organisms to survive in diverse environments.

In this unit students will:

1. Become familiar with the diversity of organisms in different environments in terms of their structural and behavioral adaptations.
2. Learn that organisms' structures and behaviors are adaptations that improve their chances for survival in their environment.
3. Learn examples of organisms that live in a number of different environments in California and the rest of the world.

The following Grade Three California Science Content Standards for Life Science are addressed in this investigation:

Adaptations in physical structures or behavior may improve an organism's chance of survival. As a basis for understanding this concept:

* LS3a Students know plants and animals have structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.

* LS3b Students know examples of diverse life forms in different environments, such as oceans, deserts, tundra, forests, grasslands, and wetlands.

The objectives for this course are:

1. A student can define what an adaptation is and how environment affects adaptations.
2. A student can name the four different types of adaptations (movement, getting food, protection/defense, and raising young).
3. Given a picture of an organism, the student will list two examples of its adaptations and how each adaptation helps the organism survive in its environment.
4. Given a list of animal adaptations, circle: an adaptation for movement; an adaptation for getting food; an adaptation for protection/defense; and an adaptation for raising young.