Activities

2. Is there an animal species you would not like to “go up against?” Why? What adaptations or traits do they have that you are afraid of? Draw or list 3 of the inherited traits.  
   
   
3. Think of the Plant Kingdom. Do most plants move? How do these species repopulate? Draw a flow chart depicting the following ways plants get aid in reproduction. (Choose 2)
   
   
   1. Insects
   2. Animals
   3. Wind

4. Observe the patterns in the examples of reproduction below. Focus on explanation of the traits that allow the animal to survive and reproduce.
   
   
   1. The Atlantic Salmon is born in freshwater when the adult female lays eggs, with the hope they will be protected in the calmer freshwater habitat. When the eggs hatch, they live and grow in freshwater until they become big enough to travel to the Atlantic Ocean. In this saltwater environment, the Atlantic Salmon eats and grows with the ultimate goal to reproduce. Migration upstream back to freshwater occurs when the female are ready to lay eggs.
   2. The Eastern Grey Kangaroo is one of the largest species of kangaroos. Females have one baby at a time, which at birth is smaller than a cherry. The infant immediately climbs into its mother's pouch and does not emerge for two months. Until they reach about 10 or 11 months of age, threatened joeys, may find safety in their mom's pouch.

Compare and contrast the examples of reproduction of the Atlantic Salmon and the Eastern Grey Kangaroo. Use the following questions to guide your thinking: What specific differences allows the offspring an increased chance of survival? How does the environment help the offspring? Does the offspring have any inherited traits that aid it in survival?

5. Classify the following examples as physical trait, instinctive trait or both. Explain your thinking for each.
   
   
   1. Sloths move slowly so they will be less noticeable to predators.
   2. A polar bear can swim up to 20 miles per hour.
   3. The Asian Elephant is known to flap their ears to cool down in the heat.  ­­­­­­
   4. The male sea horse has a pouch on one side of the body where the female will deposit as many as 1,500 eggs and for the male to carry.
   5. A chameleon has the ability to move each eye independent to find and locate prey.

Answer Key/Rubric

2. Students may list: teeth, claws, poison/venom, size/strength, etc.
   
   
3. Students may draw: a bee getting pollen stuck on their body and transferring to another plant, animals eating seeds and excreting them in other locations, and wind blowing pollen.
   
   
4. The Atlantic Salmon is one of the many species who lays eggs in a freshwater or estuary environment to protect the offspring from predators of the ocean. As opposed to the Eastern Grey Kangaroo who keeps their young close in order to protect them. In both species, when the offspring has grown, they will then continue a similar reproduction cycle (depending on their gender).
   
   
5. 
   
   1. Both- physical ability to move slowly, and instinct to avoid predators
   2. Both- they have the physical ability to swim and the instinctive ability to hunt
   3. Both- physically large ears, instinct to flap them to cool down
   4. Both- physically have the pouch, instinct to mate
   5. Both- physical ability to move both eyes at once, and instinct to utilize them for hunting