This is a writing unit on animal adaptations. Students will need to be expert researchers and will be able to dip their toes into the wonderful world of EBSCO! They will research the animal assigned to them using various graphic organizers and research questions to help guide their thinking. Once research is complete, they will fill out the OREO graphic organizer with an introduction, 3 facts with details, and a conclusion. At that point, students will publish their work.  Cover Image: Canva AI Generated 

In this video an educator from the Hogle Zoo helps us understand more about beavers, the structure and function of their habitat, and more.

This lesson will help students explain animal habitats. Students will use the drawing tool in Pages to complete two pictures of animal habitats.Image-By me, Brooke Lee

This lesson takes students through 3 iPad apps to explore and explain animal habitats. Students will use the drawing tool in Pages to complete two pictures of animal habitats, use Keynote to follow links to San Diego zoo cameras and record their own audio describing the exhibits, and finally use iMovie to record themselves in their favorite animal habitat!*The thumbnail image was taken by Lindsay Stahl at the Living Planet Aquarium

In this instructional video, the Hogle Zoo explains how to use the lesson plan "Beaver Puppet 2.2.2."

By participating in this activity, students will:
• understand the concept of structure and function and how it applies to a beaver's ability to create and live in a wetland habitat.
• make comparisons between their adaptations and the structure and function of a beaver's body for survival in its wetland habitat.

This powerpoint accompanies the lesson plan "A Night in the Life of a Beaver."

This powerpoint accompanies the lesson plan "A Night in the Life of a Beaver."

In this instructional video, the Hogle Zoo explains how to use the lesson plan "Beaver Tools of the Trade 2.2.2."

By participating in this activity, students will:
• understand the concept of structure and function and how it applies to a beaver's ability to create and live in a wetland habitat.
• make comparisons between unrelated objects through metaphorse to learn the structure and function of a beaver's body for survival in its wetland habitat.

In this instructional video, the Hogle Zoo explains how to use the lesson plan "Build a Beaver Dam 2.2.2 & 2.2.4."

By participating in this activity, students will:
• understand the benefits and problems with a human-made dam to an ecosystem
• understand the benefits and issues with the construction of a beaver-made dam to an ecosystem
• understand the adaptations and behavior of beavers in changing habitats
• use engineering skills to build a beaver dam
• understand the beneficial role beavers play in habitat construction for other animals, including people.

CK-12’s Life Science delivers a full course of study in the life sciences for the middle school student, relating an understanding of the history, disciplines, tools, and modern techniques of science to the exploration of cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, evolution, prokaryotes, protists,fungi, plants, animals, invertebrates, vertebrates, human biology, and ecology. This digital textbook was reviewed for its alignment with California content standards.

The topic of this video module is how to classify animals based on how closely related they are. The main learning objective is that students will learn how to make phylogenetic trees based on both physical characteristics and on DNA sequence. Students will also learn why the objective and quantitative nature of DNA sequencing is preferable when it come to classifying animals based on how closely related they are. Knowledge prerequisites to this lesson include that students have some understanding of what DNA is and that they have a familiarity with the base-pairing rules and with writing a DNA sequence.

This video discusses how the concepts of structure and function can be taught using animal and plant adaptations.

This video takes a tour of the Hogle Zoo African Savanna exhibit and also discusses what elements go into creating an exhibit.

In this instructional video, the Hogle Zoo explains how to use the lesson plan "How to make an Exhibit."

By completing this activity, students will have a better understanding of what habitats are and what living things need to survive in their habitats. Students will create a model of an animal's habitat at a zoo. Each exhibit that the student's design will be uniquely suited to an individual species and its specific habitat needs. When all of the exhibits are combined to make a zoo, the lesson will also emphasize s the diversity of living things and underscore the everyday needs of living things as the exhibits will need to provide similar elements for the animal's survival.

This video asks you to identify habitat needs, animal adaptation and more while on a tour of the African Savanna exhibit at the Hogle Zoo.