Swimming Armadillos | Coastal Kingdom
Third grade students will construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can thrive, struggle to survive, or fail to survive by researching armadillos.
Essential Question
How do the physical characteristics of an organism help it meet its needs and survive in its environment?
Grade(s):
- 3
Subject(s):
Recommended Technology:
Other Instructional Materials or Notes:
Use evidence to construct an argument that in a particular habitat some organisms can thrive, struggle to survive, or fail to survive.
Lesson Progression
Learning Intentions: I am learning that adaptations can help some organisms survive.
Success Criteria: I will know that I am successful when: I can identify adaptations of an organism based on the needs of the organism.
Engage: Show students video clip from Coastal Kingdom located on Knowitall.org of “Armadillo Surprise”. Ask students to answer the following question on an index card, “How are armadillos able to swim?” They can leave their index card at their desk/table.
Explore: Tell students they are all about to be transformed into the life of an armadillo. This next activity is best done outdoors but can be done in a classroom. Divide students into groups of 2-3 depending on class size.
Activity: Tell each student group that they have approximately 10 minutes to complete this scavenger hunt. Armadillo Adaptations Scavenger Hunt
Explain: Use this article about Nine-Banded Armadillo from Fossil Rim Wildlife Center to read with students while gathered in circle with their scavenger hunt items. Ask students to hold up the item they collected when they hear something in the article that relates to the item they chose. See Scavenger Hunt Key for more details.
Elaborate: Create chart with students to help them identify the adaptations of the armadillo based on the needs of the organism. For example: Strong claws- dig burrows (hide from enemies), find food; Long, sticky tongue- eating insects; Armor-protect form predators. Armadillos: Animals with Armor! can be shown to help develop the chart.
Evaluate: Have students pick their own organism and create a chart similar to the adaptations/needs chart created as a class about the armadillo. They should record physical characteristics of the organism on one side of the chart and what the physical characteristic is used for on the other side of the chart. Have students share their index card answers for how they thought armadillos could swim. Share with students that “Armadillos are excellent swimmers who can hold their breath for up to six minutes underwater, when crossing narrow streams, they will often walk across the bottom of the stream by digging their claws into the soil instead of swimming across. For wider bodies of water, they are able to inflate their intestines to increase buoyancy and swim across!” (National Park Service). This is another example of an adaptation of this mammal.
Teacher Notes
extension: After creating their organism charts, challenge advanced students to delve deeper. Have them research the specific habitat of their chosen organism. Using their research, students can then create a presentation explaining how the adaptations they identified not only help the organism survive but also allow it to thrive within its particular environment. This encourages them to consider the complex interplay between adaptations and habitat.
differentiation: When creating the adaptations chart as a class, provide struggling students with a scaffolded version. The chart could have pre-populated categories on the "Needs" side (e.g., Find Food, Avoid Predators) with blank spaces for students to fill in the corresponding adaptations. This additional support helps them connect the adaptations to the organism's basic needs for survival.
Armadillo Surprise | Coastal Kingdom
Join Coastal Kingdom for an engaging look at the armadillo in this captivating video. Explore the armadillo’s distinctive features, behavior, and role in its ecosystem
View AssetArmadillo Adaptations Scavenger Hunt
View ResourceArmadillo Adaptations Scavenger Hunt Explanations
View ResourceNine-Banded Armadillo Article
Use this article during the explain portion of the lesson.
View ResourceArmadillos: Animals with Armor! Video
Reference during the elaborate portion of the lesson.
View ResourceAssessments
Use the chart students create in the evaluate portion of the lesson to assess student learning outcomes.
