Squirrel Island - Purpose

• To explain how adaptations help organisms survive in different environments.

Squirrel Island - Background

• A beneficial or neutral mutation can quickly become harmful when the environments change.

• The environment greatly affects an organism’s ability to survive, and even a small change can be harmful to some organisms.

Creatures of the Deep - Purpose

• To explain how adaptations help organisms survive in different environments.

Creatures of the Deep - Background

• A beneficial or neutral mutation can quickly become harmful when the environments change.

• The environment greatly affects an organism’s ability to survive, and even a small change can be harmful to some organisms.

For example – the panda’s thumb…

For example – the kakapo…

For example – the penguin…

For example – the Kaibab and Albert’s Squirrels…

Squirrel Island - Procedure:1. Work with your partner.2. Put your names on the back of the drawing paper.3. Use a PENCIL4. You will be assigned an island habitat.5. Design a squirrel that has adapted to the environment of

the island (beneficial mutations).6. Draw the island environment and the squirrel.7. On a separate sheet of paper, describe the adaptations,

and why they are beneficial to the squirrel. You will answer the questions on the next slide.

8. Neatness and attention to detail matters!

Squirrel Island - Procedure:1. Draw the island

environment and the squirrel.

2. On a separate sheet of paper, describe the adaptations, and why they are beneficial to the squirrel.

3. Give an example of each of the following in your Squirrel Island ecosystem:

• Producer• Consumer• Predator• Prey• Scavenger• Decomposer• Habitat• Community• Population• Niche• Abiotic factor• Biotic factor• Limiting factor• Carrying capacity

Creatures of the Deep1. Work with your partner.2. Put your names on the back of the drawing paper.3. Use a PENCIL4. You will be designing a creature that lives in an aquatic habitat.5. Design a creature that has adapted to an underwater habitat

(beneficial mutations).6. Draw its habitat, and the creature.7. On a separate sheet of paper, describe the adaptations, and

why they are beneficial to the creature. You will answer the questions on the next slide.

8. Neatness and attention to detail matters!

Creatures of the Deep - Procedure:1. Draw its habitat, and

the creature.2. On a separate sheet

of paper, describe the adaptations, and why they are beneficial to the creature.

3. Give an example of each of the following in your ecosystem:

• Producer• Consumer• Predator• Prey• Scavenger• Decomposer• Habitat• Community• Population• Niche• Abiotic factor• Biotic factor• Limiting factor• Carrying capacity