Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

Lesson 1 Change Over Time

Vocabulary:

Adaptation: a characteristic that helps an organism survive in its

environment

Notes:
Adaptation

To adapt means to change (something) so that it functions better or is

better suited for a purpose

Humans Have Changed Species

Produce different breeds with new and helpful traits
to people
o Dogs: hunting, working, tending sheep, racing
o Horses: Clydesdales (pull heavy loads) Thoroughbreds (fast)

Environment Can Change Species Adaptations

Climate and weather can cause species to change over time

Example: Sparrows
o Colder climates: Sparrows are larger than those in the warmer
environment in order to survive cold temperatures

Lets Practice!
True or False
1. Adaptation means to stay the same. False
2. Humans and environments can cause species adaptations to change in
order for them to survive. True
3. Humans have produced different breeds of animals to help the human
population. True
4. Sparrows are found to be small and thin in cold environments. False
5. Adaptation is a characteristic that helps an organism to survive in its
environment. True

Lesson 2 Structural Adaptation

Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

Vocabulary:

Structural Adaptation: actual body parts or coloration that help

an organism survive in its environment

Notes:
Structural Adaptations vs. Behavioral Adaptations
Structural: actual body parts or coloration that help an
organism survive in its environment
Behavioral: an organisms behavior or the ways an organism
acts to help it survive

Structural Adaptations

Organisms have structural adaptations for:

o Getting food/energy
o Maintaining structure
o Tools for Reproduction

Blending: when colors on an animals body match its

surroundings

Pattern: when an animals stripes, spots or other color

markings make the outline of the animals body hard to see

Disguise: when an animal hides in plain sight by looking like

an object in its surroundings

Lets Practice!
Watch the video link below and list 5 adaptations of
camels.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJH-01WLEg0

Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

List 5 Adaptations of Camels
1. ____________________________________
2. ____________________________________
3. ___________________________________
4. ___________________________________

5. ___________________________________
Match each animal with their adaptation.

Camouflage to blend
with surroundings

Strong legs for jumping

Long neck for reaching leaves
on tall trees

Lesson 3: Behavioral Adaptations

Vocabulary:

Behavioral Adaptation: an organisms behavior or the way an

organism acts to help it survive in its environment

Hibernation: some animals spend winter months in a sleeplike

state

Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

Migration: seasonal or periodic movement of animals response to

changes in climate or fold availability or to ensure reproduction (ex:
some birds fly(migrate) south for the winter)

Notes:
Behavioral Adaptations
Learned Behavior is determined by past experiences, often by observing
others.
Innate Behavior is an instinct or built into an organisms body

Lets Practice!
Adaptation
The THORNS of a rose bush keep animals from eating
it.

Struct
ural
X

The COLORFUL SKIN of a poison dart frog warn its

predators that its toxic.
A lizard keeps warm by sunning itself on a rock.

A turtles hard shell protects it from predators.

Behavi
oral

A mother lion teaches her young to hunt.

**Think: is it part of the organism (structural) or is the organism doing something

(behavioral)

Lesson 4: Extinct or Endangered

Vocabulary:

Endangered: a species that is in danger of going extinct

Extinct: a species that no longer exists

Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

Notes:
Extinct vs Endangered
o Endangered
o Species with small or declining population
o Still living but in danger of disappearing forever
o Examples:
Monarch butterfly
Polar bears
Giant Pandas
Gorillas
o Why?
Hunting/fishing
Habitat loss
Pollution
Pet Trade
Invasive species

o Extinct
o NO MORE LEFT
o Examples
Dodo Bird, Dinosaurs

Lets

Practice!

Use your study guide to complete the blanks.

1.
2.
3.
4.

An animal that no longer exist is called extinct.

A species that has a declining population is called endangered.
An example of an endangered species is a monarch butterfly.
Name two reasons why there are endangered species.
1. Habitat loss
2. Hunting

Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

Hunting

Habitat Loss

Endangered

Extinct

Monarch Butterfly

Lesson 5: Changes in Ecosystem

Vocabulary:

Biotic: living things in an ecosystem

Abiotic: nonliving things in an ecosystem

Notes:
Changes That Can Affect An Ecosystem

Biotic
1. Introduction of new species
2. Extinction of species

Abiotic
1. Pollution

Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

2. Drought
3. Flooding

Tsunami: huge waves caused by earthquake/volcanoes

Biotic Changes
1. Plants, animals and microorganisms die

Abiotic Changes
1. Salt water
2. Weather
3. Flooding
4. Pollution
5. Wind

Lets Practice!
Write A for Abiotic Change or B for Biotic Change.

1.Animals die: B
2.Pollution: A
3.Flooding: A
4.Weather: A
5.Plants die: B

Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

Lesson 6: Rates of Environmental Change

Vocabulary:

Rapid change: a change that takes less than a day

Ecological succession a change that takes more than one day

(sometimes many years)

Succession: change in the ecosystem as the organisms respond to

and change the environment

Notes:

Rapid Changes: earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, volcanoes and floods

o Within minutes/hours, organisms may be faces with new
challenges
o Some organisms may survive, some may not due to adaptations

that are specific for the environment they lived in

Mount St. Helens Volcano

Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

o 1980 volcano caused a very fast change
Quickly killed all organisms in surrounding area
o Ecological succession occurred due to the slow change and the
time that it took for the area to improve and regrow and become
home to plants and animals again

Lets Practice!
Mark each
column with
appropriate characteristic.
Change

the

Rate- (rapid or slow)?

Biotic or Abiotic?

Regrowth after a
volcanic eruption

slow

Biotic

Flooding

rapid

Abiotic

Seasonal Change

rapid

Abiotic

Global Warming

slow

Abiotic

Succession

slow

Biotic

Tree Falling

rapid

Biotic

Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

Lesson 9 and 10: Population Changes and Human Factor

Vocabulary:

Exponential Growth: a species population reproduces without

limitation (no predators)

Overpopulation: occurs when a population exceeds the carrying

capacity of an area

Carrying capacity: maximum population size that an area can

support stably over time

Human Factor: adjustments that humans have made have altered

the balance of our ecosystem

Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

Notes:
Factors that can limit growth..
1.
2.
3.
4.

Amount of food
Nesting places
Light
Mates

Human Factor

From 1960-2014, population has gone from 3-7 billion.

Humans are responsible for the greatest amount of
environmental change
Some ways humans have impacted the ecosystem of Earth
o Introduction of species
o Farming
o Pollution
o Deforestation/wetland destruction
o Extinction of species

Lets Practice
Human
Action

Why?

Effects on the Environment

Powers cars
and electricity

Increase greenhouse gases

Food

Creates erosion

Deforestatio
n

Farming and
building

Destroys habitiats

Habitat Loss

Building

Pollution, loss of wetlands,

Burning
Fossil Fuels
Farming

Unit 6: Adaptation and Change

needs and
cities

forests and meadows