Summer SAVY, Session 3 Day 3, Animal Adaptations (Gruchot) (1st – 2nd)
Dear SAVY Families,
I can’t believe that today is already Wednesday! Our week at SAVY Session 3: Animal Adaptations has been flying by, and your scientists have continued to impress me with their inquisitive natures and dedication to science. Today, we were fully immersed in the animal kingdom and acted like scientists in new ways!
We started the day by drawing pictures of our houses and comparing them with a partner. Scientists were asked to note what similarities and differences they noticed between their house and their partner’s house. This activity prompted us to think about the difference between needs and wants and make a list of four things that ALL living things, plants, and animals need for survival. Ask your scientist to remind you of these four necessities for survival.
Next, we continued our study of change by formally defining the word “adaptation.” This word is very closely related to change and sets the groundwork for what we will do in the rest of our class. The rest of the day was focused on learning about different adaptations that animals have, including diverse body coverings and appendages. We learned about biodiversity through videos, animal flashcards, recalling our own experiences, and, a class favorite, viewing the live animal cameras at the San Diego Zoo.
Here is the link for the animal camera if students are interested in viewing more at home: https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cameras
The highlight of our day was a visit from the Nashville Wildlife Conservation Center! They brought a live opossum to show to our scientists and taught our scientists about the unique adaptations that allow opossums to survive in their habitat. Your scientists are experts on opossums now, so be sure to ask all that they know about these special creatures.
Discussion Questions:
- What is an adaptation?
- Why do animals have to adapt?
- What are some common adaptations?
- What adaptations do we have to be able to survive?
- What happens if one of the survival needs is not being met?
I hope your scientists get some rest tonight, as we have two very full days of SAVY Session 3: Animal Adaptations to look forward to!
Sincerely,
Ms. Gruchot
