Unit 3: Adaptations of

Organisms
Term 2 2023/2024

Teacher : Ms. Nahla Ahmmad

STARTER

• Students will explore the
statement of inquiry and chose
a global context
• Students construct explanations
based on evidence to support
fundamental understandings of
adaptation.
• They will use ideas of variation
and adaptation in a population
to make sense of how
organisms survive and
reproduce.
5 ‘E’s Description of activity duration
Engage Image, reflection…
Questioning 5 mins
Introducing unit and choosing global context: system
Adaptation is a means of fitting into the system.
recalling information about adaptation , its importance and structural
adaptation examples.
Explore List some examples of functional and behavioral adaptation.
Students deduce their own definition of behavioural and functional
15 min
adaptation based on examples
Understand the difference between different structural, functional and
behavioral.
Explain Interpret and define basic terminology 15 min
Basic species of bears, their diet, habitats and adaptation
Elaborate Write down the indicators of structural, anatomical and behavioural 15 min
adaptations in bears.
Application: build your own fish.
Evaluate Plenary : can adaptation lead to evolution? 5 min
 KEYWORDS Adaptations of
Adaptations organisms
Structural adaptation
Behavioral adaptation
Migration

Design a layout about

about different
What do u adaptations that you
know about know.
adaptations?
About this
unit…
Unit 3: Adaptations of Organisms
In this unit we will look into:
• What is meant by adaptations in organisms? ( Factual)
• Who was Charles Darwin?
• Theory of evolution –Natural Selection( conceptual)
• Genetic Modification ( Debatable)
Global Context
Which global context
may fit?

Orientation in
Key Concepts
space & time- Related
Concepts
exploration into how Environment
Systems organisms have
adapted over time to
Form
Function
live in their
environments Evolution
Create a story board.
INQUIRY QUESTION: What is meant by adaptations in organisms? ( Factual)
 Prepare a map adding the features and
their role for the following organisms.
• Camel
• Date Palm
• Arabian oryx
• Falcon
INQUIRY QUESTION: What is meant by adaptations in organisms? ( Factual)
Create a diorama-for an organism on a A4 paper.
PAIR WORK
• Include the environment / habitat it lives
• Organism with its adaptation feature and its role
• Include behavioral, functional or structural
adaptation

INQUIRY QUESTION: What is meant by adaptations in organisms? ( Factual)

 Create a diorama-for an organism on a A4/A3 paper.
PAIR WORK
• Include the environment/ habitat it lives
• Organism with its adaptation feature and its role
• Include behavioral, functional or structural
adaptation

INQUIRY QUESTION: What is meant by adaptations in organisms? ( Factual)

 INQUIRY QUESTION: What is meant by adaptations in organisms? ( Factual)

Work in groups of 3 to
carry out research into
how organisms have
adapted to:
• Altitude
• Chemicals in the
environment
• Cold
• Dry conditions
• Fire
• heat

ATL Skills:
Communication-Produce an informative attractive poster
Use of appropriate forms of communication for different forms.
 WORD SEARCH

Work in groups and

ATL Skills: complete the
Communication-Produce an informative attractive poster Evolutionary Tail activity
Use of appropriate forms of communication for different forms.
Work in pairs and
complete the
Evolutionary Tail
activity
Analyze
the graph/
data
Research and find facts
 Adaptations
IB

Variation
Habitat – environment - ecosystem
• How do organisms vary?
- Shape
- Size
- Behavior
- Habitat
• What are the favorable conditions of living:
- Food
- Water
- Shelter
If not they will adapt or die.
Can students explore any changing living condition.
Can students define a habitat?

- https://youtu.be/ZrSWYE37MJs
 Adaptations

•Adaptations: are adjustments or changes in structure,

function or behavior in response to a changing condition
•Changes: temperature, rain fall, or climate that
force adaptation
 Adaptations
IB

• How is the process of

adaptation explained by
Darwin?
- Individuals are variable
- Variation is due to genetics
- Survival of the favorable /fittest
 IB

Adaptation by natural selection

• How Darwin explained evolution by natural
selection?
- Variation
- Differences in genetic make up
- Survival of the most fit
- Pass of genes by reproduction.
- https://youtu.be/BcpB_986wyk
 Recap: recall the definition of adaptation giving some
examples. IB
Adaptation enables the organism to fit into the system:
environment

Main:
Behavioral adaptation: is an action that • Functional adaptation:
animals carry out to increase their chances of
survival. - Control of sweat
Examples : - Hibernation
- change in posture. - Release of defensive smell by skunks
- Reduce activity or huddle: give examples
- Desert cactus flowers at night for nocturnal
pollinators
Communication
through language
 Structural adaptation IB

• Structural adaptation helps organisms survive in their environment.

• Example: Giraffe long neck explore and describe.
• Students can give different examples of adaptations.
• Students explore and observe the type of adaptation shown in figure 2.1.
• https://youtu.be/Xbx6bqCjT0E
Students list some adaptations
they have seen.
K-What do you Know?
• Herbivores
• Carnivores
• Omnivores
 Activity: Adaptations in BearsIB

Information
• https://youtu.be/Xbx6bqCjT0E and literacy
skills
• Bears: Adaptation Behavioral Functional Structural Habitat
- All bears are omnivores except polar
bears.
- Students explain and explore Polar bear
characteristics and adaptations using
examples. Black bear
- Specify bear’s diet, habitat and how
Panda bear
adaptations make them fit to
survive? Survival, adaptation…

We can add another column what would it be?

Why do you think that some bears were classified differently?
•ACTIVITY 1- Adaptations in
Polar Bear
•In what ways do you think
adaptations make the organisms
better suited to perceive and respond
to changes in their environment?
•Draw a mind map that shows the
features and their adaptations.
•If you are unsure of any, read / refer
textbook Pg 29-30.

• Outline how the features of a polar

bear help it to survive in Arctic.( in
your notebook)

•Activity -2 Work individually

Worksheet given

In this activity you have practiced skills that are assessed using criterion
A:knowing and understanding
In this activity you have
practiced skills that are
assessed using criterion
A:knowing and
understanding
Large decline in polar bear numbers
High risk of extinction
Polar bears feed on seals-loss of sea ice affect
their ability to find food
Warm weather may collapse their dens-habitat
Exposure to diseases
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT-Criterion C

• Assessment
• In this activity you have practiced skills that are assessed using
criterion C: Processing and evaluating
L- What I Learnt
 IB

Adaptation of Marsupials
• The kangaroo is Marsupial (carries
baby in a pouch)
• It’s a mammal
• They suckle their baby in pouch
• Native to Australia
• Fossil records show in surrounding
islands
• Tasmania was linked to mainland
Australia
• Tasmanian Devil is a carnivore only
in Tasmania
• Migration, Adaptation ,Herbivore,
carnivore. Geographical isolation.
• Solution of questions page 28.
 IB

Practical: Build your own fish: Key terminology

Build A Fish (pbslearningmedia.org)
• Omnivore
• Herbivore
• Size Media and
• Camouflaged
literacy skills
• Coloration • Prey
• fin size • Carnivore
• Body shape • Producer
• Consumer
• Head shape
• Autotroph
• Habitat suitability
• Heterotroph

Plenary: WWW and EBI

Critical thinking
Scientists can trace the common ancestor of these bears ,
skill: to draw
However, they have adapted to their unique environment:
conclusions and
What is that called? What can you predict?
generalizations