ELF Thorns and Threats April 5, 2016 Introduction
Focus:​
To protect themselves, plants and animals have developed many different defenses. Opening Questions:​
What adaptations do plants and animals have to defend themselves? You can begin with the VINS slide show (15 slides on CD with a script) or a discussion of plant and animal defenses. You may want to ask the students a few of the following opening questions: ­ What might keep you (or keep an animal) from touching a plant or another animal? (Sharp prickles, bad smells, hard shell, scary looks or sounds, thorns, poison, etc.) ­ What are some examples of animals with special defenses? (Turtles, porcupines, armadillos, skunks, deer (antlers), lizards (the tail breaks off and twitches), elephants (tusks), goats (horns), toads (secretion from skin), butterflies (coloration), sea creatures in hard shells, and snakes (bite or rattle)). ­ What are examples of plant defenses? (cacti, poison ivy, rose bushes, prickly thistles, nuts with hard shells, and trees with thick bark). Compared to animals, is it harder or easier for plants to defend themselves. Why? ­ Porcupines, turtles, opossums, skunks, and armadillos can’t run fast. Why don’t they need to? (They have specialized defense mechanisms built in). Is running fast a defense for some other animals? ­ What do cats do when they are frightened by another animal? (They turn sideways, with fur erect to look bigger, and hiss to scare away they other animal.) ­ How do some animals overcome the defenses of a plant or an animal? (Examples: Rodents nibble through hard nut shells. Sea otters break shells. Fishers attack a porcupine’s unprotected face. Monarch caterpillars are not hurt by the toxic leaves of milkweed plants). ­ Relate back to the defensive adaptations learned through all prior ELF units this year (Seed Dispersal, Teeth & Skulls, Predator/Prey, and Beak, Feet and Feathers). Puppet Show
ELF Intro/Concl Bin: This puppet show demonstrates defensive adaptations of six animals (three puppeteers ● 6 puppets can take 2 roles each, if you choose). Afterwards, review the defense strategies used by ● Stage each puppet animal. Ask the students if they know a plant that uses a defense similar to ● Slideshow CD that of each animal character. ● Slideshow script If you use the slide show during the opening segment, you might save the puppet show for the closing segment (or vice versa). Centers​
­­ Choose four of the following five center choices: Center 1: Take a Look – Observation Center Objective:​
​
To examine defense strategies of plants and animals by observing the adaptations displayed in the samples. Denver Museum of Nature and Science Loan List: (Valued at over $1000) Reminder, please take out one sample at a time and allow observation with hand lenses and a two finger touch. Many of these samples are breakable, so please make sure students remain seated while viewing the samples. Stingray Tail Spine PB­5899 Scorpion PB­1681 Tarantula PB­5696 Black Widow PB­1796 Paper Wasp and Nest—No number Porcupine Quills PB­6174 Turtle Carapace (shell) PB­2201 Big Horn Sheep Horn—no number Prickly Pear PB­3012 Rattle Snake Rattle—no number Pine needles—no number Explain to students that they will look at samples displaying different defense strategies used by plants and animals to avoid being eaten. They should try to determine the defense strategy (prickly, hard shell, slimy, camouflage, thorny, etc.) for each sample. What animals might try to eat the sample plant or animal? How does the defense adaptation help keep the plant or animal from being eaten? How might a predator overcome the defense? Ask students to think of any plant or animal that uses a similar defense strategy? For example, cacti and porcupines have similar defense strategies. Feel free to bring in your own samples, especially samples that need to be fresh, such as thistles, fuzzy leaves, or other plants. ​
All groups should be careful with samples to preserve them for subsequent classes. ​
There are also photos of a dog after an unfortunate encounter with a porcupine and some laminated ​
Ranger Rick ​
pages discussing uses of antlers and horns. If you have a pet turtle, a bearded dragon, or another pet that displays an interesting defense strategy, feel free to bring it in, if the teacher approves. Students probably should not touch reptiles because of bacteria reptiles often carry and because it could be stressful to the animal. You can also discuss two articles (​
Ranger Rick​
​
Animal “April Fools​
,” and ​
Big Backyard “Stickly Prickly”​
). Books that might be helpful at this center include ​
How Animals Defend Themselves​
, ​
Packed with Poison! Deadly Animal Defenses​
, ​
Amazing Armored Animals​
, Armor to Venom: Animal Defenses​
, and ​
Horns and Antlers​
(Rookie Reader). ELF Center 1 Bin ● Observation Worksheets ● Ranger Rick Animal “April Fools” article ● Big Backyard “Stickly Prickly” article ● Ranger Rick article on Antlers and Horns ● Samples ● Hand lenses Volunteers ● Supplemental samples : fresh plant samples or items from home that illustrate defenses ELF Book Box ● How Animals Defend Themselves by Etta Kaner ● Packed with Poison! Deadly Animal Defenses​
by D.M. Souza ● Amazing Armor​
by Kimberly Pryor ● Horns and Antlers by Allan Fowler ELF Center 2 Bin ● Double Bubble Map guide Objectives: ​
To compare and contrast the ways that plants and animals defend ● Bubble Cards themselves and to reinforce awareness of common defense mechanisms used by both ● String plants and animals. ● Scissors ● Sidewalk chalk Introduce and review the idea that to survive plants and animals have made many ● Defense bank with adaptations and one of those adaptations is the ability of a plant or animal to defend itself. defense cards You can use the books and handouts to help illustrate some examples of plant and animal ● Animal and plant defenses. picture cards ● Laminated plant and **Use the “Double Bubble Map” Guide to help set up the next part of the activity. animal defense pages Explain to the students that they are going to make a Double Bubble Map on the ground to ● Dry erase marker compare and contrast the ways that plants and animals defend themselves. (A Double Bubble Map is a type of Thinking Map. Students in all grades have been using different Books: kinds of thinking maps this year in school so they should be somewhat familiar with this ­Plants Bite Back way of organizing information.) ­Strange Plants ­Armor to Venom To start, place the animal bubble and the plant bubble on the ground about two feet apart. Next, ask the students to start describing animal and plant defenses. Try to get them to think about specific defenses that animals have such as ​
shedding body parts​
(lizards), specific defenses that plants have such as ​
trapping​
(Venus Fly Trap) and defenses that plants and animals have in common such as ​
stings​
(nettles and bees), ​
hard coat or shell (nuts and turtles), etc. After a student names a defense, give the student the bubble that matches that defense. Ask the student to place the bubble in the bubble map you are making on the ground. (Defenses that only animals or only plants have go to the outside of the plant and animal bubbles; defenses that they have in common go in between the plant and animal bubbles.) Use the yarn piece to connect the defense bubbles back to the animal and plant bubbles. If you are outside you can use the sidewalk chalk. Have students continue identifying defenses until you have placed all the bubbles in the map. Make sure every student gets a turn to put bubbles In the map. Blank bubbles and a dry erase marker have been included in the bin if students brainstorm a defense that is not listed in a premade bubble. Use the Double Bubble Map Guide to help you. To wrap up, discuss how several plants and animals have developed surprisingly similar defenses such as projections, poison, bad smells and bad tastes. You can also include the fact that although there are a great variety of defenses in the plant and animal kingdoms, predators continue to adapt and are able to overcome some defenses and help maintain balance in the ecosystem. Center 2: Natural Defenses: Thinking Map and Adventure
Game (Good activities for outside) ​
Center 2 , Part 2: ADVENTURE GAME To reinforce awareness of animal and plant defenses, you can play the Adventure Game. 1. One person is the adventurer. The rest of the group picks an animal card or a plant card. 2. The animals and plants sit along an imaginary path. 3. The adventurer carries the Defense Bank down the path. As the adventurer meets a plant or animal he/she will pass out the defense they think the plant or animal needs to be safe. 4. When the adventurer is done, it’s time to determine who survived and who didn’t. 5. Have each animal or plant decide whether or not they got the right defense. 6. Correct defense = survival Incorrect defense = eaten by predator 7. The adventurer gets a point for every animal/ plant they helped survive. 8. If time permits, repeat so that each person gets a chance to be the adventurer. Try to use different plants and animals for each round. ** Younger grades will need help reading the defenses in the defense bank and passing them out. Center 3: ​
Pantomime Parade – Performance Center
Objective:​
To act out the way some plant and animal defense strategies work. ELF Center 3 Bin You might want to begin this center with a riddle and a pantomime for the group as a ● (Blue) whole. Here is the riddle: Pantomime I always get stepped on. scenario cards Animals and people are constantly “picking” on me. I am stuck at the bottom of the food chain, Classroom And I live in the dirt. ● Pencils, markers Sometimes I have to defend myself a little and paper (for To stand up to my predators extension) I am a …? [PLANT] For a group pantomime that underscores the above riddle, ask the students to pretend that ELF Books they are each plants of their own choice. Walk around and “stomp” on them (putting your ­Exploding Ants: Amazing Facts hand on top of their heads), eating them, or have them react as you become a cold wind About How Animals or a hot breeze that blows through. Then ask them for ways that they, as plants, can Adapt,​
by Joanne protect themselves from getting eaten (thorns, spines, poisons, smell, hair, thick leaves, grow in 2out­of­the­way place (like mistletoe), and go through some examples. Then, talk Settel ­What Do You Do about how prey animals must defend themselves from predators, relating back to when Something Hunter/Hunted. Wants to Eat You? Then, pass out a blue card describing a scenario to each student. For younger students, By Steve Jenkins by you may need to whisper the scenario. Each then performs for the group a pantomime to ­Tricky Behavior ​
Kimberly Pryor demonstrate a plant or animal defense. The audience tries to guess what is happening. Here are the 20 scenarios, each printed on a blue laminated card in the ELF Center 3 Bin: 1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
6.)
7.)
8.)
9.)
10.)
11.)
12.)
13.)
14.)
15.)
16.)
17.)
18.)
19.)
20.)
You are picking a prickly rose You smell a skunk You are eating an onion You are a frightened turtle You are a cat afraid of a dog You are a goat using your horns You are walking through stinging nettles You are a dog who gets porcupine quills in its nose You are trying to pick up a slippery fish You are stung by a bee You are an opossum playing dead You stepped on a yellow jacket nest. You step on a cactus You are picking raspberries You have a bad case of poison ivy You eat deadly mushrooms and suffer the consequences You are an owl puffing itself up to look scary You are climbing a thorny tree You are a woodpecker trying to hammer through thick tree bark to get at ants You are patting a prickly porcupine As an extension for older students, once each performs a pantomime, you might ask them each to use their scenario card (or one from any of the pantomimes they watched) as the premise upon which to write a short story. The story could explain, for example, how and why the turtle became frightened, what it does to protect itself, and the ultimate outcome of the conflict. Those who finish early can illustrate their story. If time allows, let each student read his/her story to the group. Younger students could make up a story to tell through drawings. If students don’t create a story, pass out new cards and have each student demonstrate another defense strategy. Continue until you run out of strategies or time. Center 4: Defense Strategies Puzzles ­ Game
ELF File Box ● 10 Defense Objective:​
​
To identify defense strategies that plants and animals have in common. strategy puzzles ●
Key w/ strategy Put all the puzzle pieces on the table and have the students work through all the puzzles descriptions together. ●
Animal Once the puzzles are assembled, ask the students to work together to determine the Photographs common strategy shared by the organisms depicted on their puzzle (with younger students, you may want to work together as one group; with older you might want to break Classroom in to two teams). ●
White board or easel Once they have figured out the common strategy on their puzzles, ask each to present ●
Markers their defense strategy to the group while the adult volunteer records the different categories on the white board or easel paper (older students might do the writing themselves). Ask the students to describe how each of the examples performs the specific defense strategy. Repeat until all puzzles are completed. Then, ask the students if they can think of additional strategies. Some are listed below. Give some hints to elicit suggestions. Laminated photographs of additional animals that display various defense strategies are included in the materials. After assembling the puzzles, show these photos and ask students to identify the strategy or strategies depicted and add to the defense strategy list. The puzzles depict the following strategies: A Puzzle: Prickly Porcupine – loose, barbed quills stick in enemy Cactus – spines repel enemies Beechnut – nut covered with sharp bristles until completely ripe B Puzzle: Smells Bad
Skunk – when cornered, squirts foul­smelling substance Black cherry tree – twigs and leaves contain foul­smelling chemicals C Puzzle: Stings
Yellow jacket – sharp stinger is attached to poison sac Nettles – sharp, brittle hairs inject irritating chemical when broken off D Puzzle: Hard Shell
Clam or mussel – closes hard shell when disturbed Turtle – retreats into hard shell when disturbed Butternut – nut is encased in hard shell and inedible husk E Puzzle: Looks Scary
Underwing moth – camouflaged until it flies, then flashes large “eye spots” on underwings. Owl – when threatened, spreads feathers and wings to look as large as possible. Puffer fish – when threatened, inflates to several times its normal size. F Puzzle: Sounds Scary Rattlesnake – before striking, rattles its tail Bob Cat – hisses when frightened Puzzle G: Thorns Blackberry – sharp, hooked thorns discourage enemies from eating plants Hawthorn – long thorns on twigs discourage enemies from eating plants Rose – sharp thorns discourage enemies from eating plants Puzzle H: Slimy and Slippery
Slug – slimy coating repels enemies Eel – slippery coating aids escape Earthworm – slippery coating aids escape Puzzle I: Tastes Bad or Poisonous
Toad – when eaten, tastes bad and causes predator to get sick Milkweed – the leaves contain poison and a bad­tasting sticky sap Puzzle J: Protective Coloration/Mimicry Fawn – mottled coat blends in with background Snowshoe hare – Turns white to camouflage itself in winter Walking stick – Color and appearance of a stick, to meld into environment Additional Strategies​
: Warning Colors Skunk Poison dart frogs Playing dead Opossum Hog­nosed snake Speed Deer Antelope Herd behavior Bison Elephants Center 5: 3­D Defense! – Art Center
ELF Center 5 Box Objective: ​
To review defense adaptations by encouraging imagination to outdo nature. ● Paper plates Discuss the various defense adaptations that animals have made in order to survive. List ● Model Magic clay (Get your as many different defense strategies as the students can name. These may include classes supply prickly, smelly, stingers, hard shell or amour, scary appearance, camouflage, scary of this from the sounding, slimy, playing dead, horns or antlers, etc. ELF closet (just like the Owl Next, explain to the students that they are going to design and build an animal with super Pellets.) defenses. Show them the examples of completed animals. Then, give each student a ● Washable paper plate. Ask them to put their name on the plate and do a quick sketch of an Markers imaginary plant or animal that has super defenses. The students can name their animal and write it on the paper. Students can use books for inspiration, such as ​
Tricks Animals ● Animal Defense Research Sheet Play​
, ​
Poisoners and Pretenders​
, ​
Animal Defenses​
, and ​
Animal Sharpshooters​
. ​
***DO
NOT SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THE DRAWINGS. Classroom ● Pencils When students are ready, give them ½ of a package (1/2 an ounce) of Model Magic clay and ask them to build their animal. They can use markers to color their creations and the volunteer for this center can bring in extra supplies such as toothpicks, pipe cleaners and Volunteer bring: ● Extra decorating other items to add to the students’ creativity. supplies such as pipe cleaners, Students can choose to invent both an animal and a plant but they must build them out of toothpicks, etc. the same amount of model magic (1/2 oz.). ELF Books As students finish their sculptures, they can complete the Animal Defense Research ­Tricks Animals Play Sheet. Different options for completing the fact sheet include: by ​
Clarkson ● students write the answers to the questions on the research sheet ­Poisoners and ● students draw the answers to the questions (good for younger grades) by ● the volunteer can use the fact sheet to help students describe their plant of animal Pretenders​
Chinery to the group. ­Animal by When you are finished, students should place their sculpture and plate into a Ziploc bag so Sharpshooters​
Fredericks they can take their work home. They should also take home their research sheet. The ­Vanishing Act​
by Art clay will harden and air dry after approximately 24 hours. Wolfe If there is left over model magic, please place it in a Ziploc and leave it in the Center 5 Bin. ­Animals in Disguise by Ganeri ­Clever Camouflage by Pryor ­Animal Defenses by Stephens Wrap­up
Options
● Perform the slide show or the puppet show, whichever was not used in the opening. ● Read a book: ​
What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You​
by S. Jenkins, Don’t Laugh, Joe​
by K. Kasza, ​
Sassafras​
by A. Penn, or ​
Puffer’s Surprise​
by B. Winkelman are some possibilities. ● Let students share “3­D Defense” creations. ● Do ​
Adapt and Survive: Coyote’s Choice​
activity Adapt and Survive: Coyote’s Choice​
(a possible option for the conclusion) This activity will help students understand that change, both natural and human­made, is a normal part of an animal’s existence, and that adapting is necessary for survival. It is a good way to sum up the overall Adaptations theme for this year’s ELF units. Students will need a piece of paper and a pencil. Read the handout titled, “Animal Adaptations ­ Adapt and Survive: DISCUSSION” aloud to the class. Next, explain to the students that they are now Coyote pups and you will be reading scenarios with different choices that, as coyote pups, they must make. If they make the right choice they will survive but if they don’t make the right choice they won’t survive. Students can write down which choice they make (either A or B) on their piece of paper. Read all of the questions and let students make all of their choices before you read the answers. The answers and explanations are located with the Coyote’s Choice discussion and choice questions. Lead a discussion about how they did with their choices. Did they think there was danger when there really wasn’t? Did they think someplace was safe, and it turned out to be a trap? How many of them survived to adulthood? (This activity was borrowed from the Wildlife Prairie State Park who adapted it from ​
Keepers of the Animals.​
) Books Available: ●
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How Animals Defend Themselves​
by Etta Kaner ­1 Packed with Poison! Deadly Animal Defenses​
by D.M. Souza­1 Amazing Armor ​
by Kimberly Pryor­1 Horns and Atlers​
by Allan Fowler­1 Plants Bite Back! By ​
Richard Platt­2 Strange Plants­2 Armor to Venom­2 Exploding Ants: Amazing Facts About How Animals Adapt,​
by Joanne Settel­3 What Do You Do when Something Wants to Eat You? ​
By Steve Jenkins­3 Tricky Behavior ​
by Kimberly Pryor­3 Tricks Animals Play​
by Jan Clarkson­5 Poisoners and Pretenders​
by Michael Chinery­5 Animal Sharpshooters​
by Anthony Fredericks­5 Vanishing Act​
by Art Wolfe­5 ●
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Animal Defenses­5 Animals in Disguise​
by Anita Ganeri­5 Puffer’s Surprise ​
by Barbara Winkelman ­conclusion Sassafras ​
by Audrey Penn ­conclusion Don’t Laugh, Joe! ​
by Keiko Kasza ­conclusion