Plant and Animal Adaptations

 
Day 1 

Students will read Plant Responses pages 82-91 and complete worksheet about plant responses.  Students will discuss plant adaptation and survival. 

HW - Plant Responses worksheets

 
Day 2 

Students will begin "Water Tolerance" investigation.  Students will work with four kinds of plants to discover a plants range of tolerance for water.  Students will begin the lab report for water tolerance by finding a question, making a hypothesis, and listing materials.

HW-none  

 
Day 3 

Students will make observations of plants.  Review test #7. Students will watch videos about the Nitrogen Cycle and the Carbon Cycle.  Students will take notes on each of the videos.

HW- none

 
Day 4

Students will read Cycles of Life in their science books pages 510-521.  They will learn how the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle work  Students will answer questions about the two different cycles. 

HW - Cycles of Life questions.   

 
Day 5

Students will read Food Chain and Food Webs in their science books pages 496-507.  Students will write vocabulary words and answer questions about food chains and food webs.        

HW - Food Chain and Food Web vocabulary and questions  

 
Day 6

Students will watch a video on Food Chains and Food Webs. Students will work on Food Web packet which is information from the video.

HW-Food Web video questions                                           

 
Day 7

Students will discuss how plants and animals survive in different ecosystems. Students will do - "To be eaten or not to be eaten: that is the question".  Student will be divided into groups and they will create a food web and a tree map using various organisms.  Students will discuss how the food web would be effected if some of the parts are removed.

HW-none

 
Day 8

Students will continue creating a food web and tree map of organisms with their assigned groups.

HW-none

 
Day 9

Students will read and discuss animal adaptations, using handouts from TAKS study guide.  Students will take notes on different types of animal adaptations; overall shape, color and pattern, body parts, internal processes.  Students will complete worksheet to view the different colorations between male and female animals. 

HW-none

Order Bugs for Bugs and Beetles

 
Day 10

Students will view a video about animal adaptations and complete a worksheet to view the different colorations between male and female animals.  They will also complete a TAKS practice page about animal adaptations.

HW-Camouflage Worksheets  pages 60-61 and  TAKS Animal Adaptations

Reserve lap tops for insect research

 
Day 11    
Students will view different types of animal skulls to determine if an animal is a herbivore or carnivore and prey or predator, Tips for TAKS pages 67-69.  Students will learn about inherited traits and learned behaviors and complete a TAKS practice about inherited traits.  They will view videos about predators and prey and how they adapt in an environment. 
 
HW-Predator and Prey worksheets pages 67-69 and TAKS Inherited Traits
 
Day 12

Students will discuss range of tolerance and optimum conditions of plants.  Students will finish the Water Tolerance lab report.  Students will write conclusions for their lab report. Students will begin Salt of the Earth lab investigation.  Students will investigate how well plants survive when given water with different amounts of salt.  Students will discuss the control and variable in this experiment.

HW-none

 
Day 13
Students will read and take notes on darkling beetles and isopods. Students will make observations in their spirals while closely examining a darkling beetle and an isopod.  Students will create an insect runway to be used in experiment. Students will discuss the metamorphosis of insects.  Students will view several examples of insect life cycles.
 
HW-none
 
Day 14

Students will begin creating an Insect power point using the lap tops.

HW-none

 
Day 15
Students will make observations on Salt of the Earth investigation. Students will conduct experiment to test whether darkling beetles or isopods prefer dark or lighted surfaces. Students will write observations into their spirals.  Continue power points. Students will research an insect and make a power point presentation.  Presentations will include pictures, type of metamorphosis, and interesting facts.

CW -  Observations over beetles and isopods using different amounts of light

 
 
Day 16
Students will make observations on Salt of the Earth investigation. Students will research an insect and make a power point presentation.  Presentations will include pictures, type of metamorphosis, and interesting facts.
CW - Research     HW - None
 
Day 17
Students will make observations on Salt of the Earth investigation. Students will research an insect and make a power point presentation.  Presentations will include pictures, type of metamorphosis, and interesting facts.
CW - Research     HW - None
 
Day 18
Students will make observations on Salt of the Earth investigation. Students will research an insect and make a power point presentation.  Presentations will include pictures, type of metamorphosis, and interesting facts.
CW - Research     HW - None
 
Day 19

Students will observe the differences and similarities of the beetles and isopods. Students will conduct an experiment to test whether darkling beetles or isopods prefer wet or dry soil. Students will write observations into their spirals.  Continue insect power points.

CW-Investigation and research  HW-None

 
Day 20

Students will conduct experiment to test whether darkling beetles or isopods prefer dark or lighted surfaces. Students will write observations into their spirals.  Continue power points.

CW-Investigation and research   HW-None

 
Day 21

Students will finish insect power points and begin presenting to the class.

CW-finish research    HW-None

 
Day 22

Students will finish insect power points and begin presenting to the class.

CW-finish research    HW-None