Welcome to the Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program!
This program is designed specifically for third-grade teachers
and students. The lessons and activities are designed to meet Indiana’s
state-mandated standards of learning. They explore how animals
adapt to their environments in a variety of ways, creating the infinite
diversity of the natural world.
Since we have only a few weeks to look at the animal world,
we will narrow our focus and look closely at a relatively small group
of animals. The animals in this group are ones that you and your
students may see when you visit the Indianapolis Zoo as part of this
program. You and your students will spend time observing the animals’
adaptations, either physical or behavioral, and sort them into different
groups according to a series of criteria. Fun activities will lead you
through the process.
During the program, you and your students will complete five
interactive lessons, both in the classroom and out. During your final
unit you and your class will visit the Indianapolis Zoo and explore
animal adaptations to learn more about how animal body parts help
them survive in their habitat.
You will find that the lessons are simple and easy to follow.
All the instructions and background information you need to teach
the curriculum easily and with little extra research is provided.
This initiative is conceived and created as a partnership between
The Indianapolis Zoo
and the Indianapolis Public Schools
In appreciation of Brendan and Susan Fox,
as well as the Marian M. McConnell Family,
for supporting this program.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
Table of Contents
Indiana Department of Education State Standards
03
Animal Master List
06
Animal Fact Sheets
07
Unit 1: Meet the Zoo Crew
22
Unit 2: What is an Animal Adaptation?
27
Unit 3: Sorting by Animal Behavior
32
Unit 4: Habitat is Where it’s At!
37
Unit 5: Sorting by Physical Attributes with a Trip to the Zoo
44
Notes
47
Photography Credits
48
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
Indiana Department of Education State Standards
Unit 1: Meet the Zoo Crew
3.1.2 Participate in different types of guided scientific investigations, such as observing objects and events
and collecting specimens for analysis.
Science
3.1.4 Discuss the results of investigations and consider
the explanations of others.
3.1.5 Demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively
while respecting the ideas of others and communicating one’s own conclusions about findings.
3.2.7 Ask “How do you know?” in appropriate situations
and attempt reasonable answers when others ask
the same question.
3.4.1
Demonstrate that a great variety of living things can
be sorted into groups in many ways using various features, such as how they look, where they live, and how they act,
to decide which things belong to which group.
3.1.5 Demonstrate knowledge of grade-level appropriate words
to speak specifically about different issues.
Language Arts
3.7.3 Answer questions completely and appropriately.
3.7.7 Use clear and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas
and establish the tone.
Unit 2: What is an Animal Adaptation?
3.1.2 Participate in different types of guided scientific investigations, such as observing objects and events
and collecting specimens for analysis.
Science
3.1.4 Discuss the results of investigations and consider
the explanations of others.
3.1.5 Demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively
while respecting the ideas of others and communicating one’s own conclusions about findings.
3.2.7 Ask “How do you know?” in appropriate situations
and attempt reasonable answers when others ask
the same question.
3.4.1
Demonstrate that a great variety of living things can
be sorted into groups in many ways using various features, such as how they look, where they live, and how they act,
to decide which things belong to which group.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
03
Indiana Department of Education State Standards
3.1.5 Demonstrate knowledge of grade-level appropriate words
to speak specifically about different issues.
Language Arts
3.7.3 Answer questions completely and appropriately.
3.7.7 Use clear and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas
and establish the tone.
Unit 3: Sorting by Animal Behavior
3.4.1
Science
Demonstrate that a great variety of living things can
be sorted into groups in many ways using various features, such as how they look, where they live, and how they act,
to decide which things belong to which group.
3.4.2 Explain that features used for grouping depend
on the purpose of the grouping.
3.4.4 Describe that almost all kinds of animals’ food can be traced back to plants.
3.6.1 Math
Analyze problems by identifying relationships,
telling relevant information from irrelevant
information, sequencing and prioritizing information,
and observing patterns.
3.7.13 Plan and present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays.
Language Arts
3.7.14 Make descriptive presentations that use concrete sensory details to set forth and support unified impressions of people, places, things, or experiences.
3.7.15 Follow three and four step oral directions.
Unit 4: Habitat is Where it’s At!
3.4.1
Science
Demonstrate that a great variety of living things can
be sorted into groups in many ways using various features, such as how they look, where they live, and how they act,
to decide which things belong to which group.
3.4.2 Explain that features used for grouping depend
on the purpose of the grouping.
3.4.4 Describe that almost all kinds of animals’ food can be traced back to plants.
3.7.15 Follow three and four step oral directions.
Language Arts
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Indiana Department of Education State Standards
Social Studies
3.4.3 Identify the continents and oceans, the equator,
the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and the Eastern
and Western hemispheres.
3.3.5 Explain how climate affects the vegetation and animal
life of a region and describe the physical characteristics
that relate to form an ecosystem.
Unit 5 : Sorting by Physical Attributes with a Trip to the Zoo
3.1.2 Participate in different types of guided scientific investigations, such as observing objects and events
and collecting specimens for analysis.
Science
3.1.3 Keep and report records of investigations and observations using tools, such as journals, charts, graphs, and computers.
3.1.4 Discuss the results of investigations and consider
the explanations of others.
3.4.1
Demonstrate that a great variety of living things can
be sorted into groups in many ways using various features, such as how they look, where they live, and how they act,
to decide which things belong to which group.
3.4.2 Explain that features used for grouping depend
on the purpose of the grouping.
3.7.15 Follow three and four step oral directions.
Language Arts
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Animal Master List
COMMON NAME
CONTINENT
HABITAT
FOOD
African Elephant
Africa
grassland
herbivore
Alaskan Brown Bear
North America
forest
omnivore
Amur Tiger
Asia
forest
carnivore
Bald Eagle
North America
forest
carnivore
Bat Star
North America
ocean
omnivore
Bottlenose Dolphin
North America
ocean
carnivore
Chilean Flamingo
South America
swamp
omnivore
Common Raven
North America
forest, tundra, grassland
omnivore
East African Crowned Crane
Africa
swamp
omnivore
Gambel’s Quail
N. America, S. America
desert
herbivore
Grand Cayman Blue Iguana
North America
desert
omnivore
Green Moray Eel
N. America, S. America
ocean
carnivore
Green Tree Python
Australia
rainforest
carnivore
Guinea Baboon
Africa
grassland
omnivore
Inland Bearded Dragon
Australia
desert
omnivore
King Penguin
Antarctica
tundra, ocean
carnivore
Long-horned Cowfish
Australia, Africa
ocean
omnivore
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
Africa
forest
herbivore
Meerkat
Africa
desert
omnivore
Ocellaris Clownfish
Asia, Australia
ocean
omnivore
Ostrich
Africa
grassland, desert
omnivore
Polar Bear
North America
tundra
carnivore
Potbellied Seahorse
Australia
ocean
carnivore
Radiated Tortoise
Africa
desert
herbivore
Red Panda
Asia
forest
omnivore
Red Spitting Cobra
Africa
grassland, desert
carnivore
Reticulated Giraffe
Africa
grassland
herbivore
Ring Tailed Lemur
Africa
forest
omnivore
Walrus
North America
ocean
carnivore
White Stork
Europe
grassland
omnivore
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Animal Fact Sheets
African Elephant
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Loxodonta africana
Africa, south of the Sahara
Savanna grassland
Grasses, leaves, roots, bark and fruit
15-30 years
Endangered
General Information • An elephant’s trunk is an amazing appendage. It contains over 40,000 muscles and tendons, has two finger-like projections on the
end for grasping small items, and can hold 5 gallons of water.
• Both male and female African elephants have tusks (modified incisor teeth).
Tusks are used for protection, digging for water, scraping bark off trees, and
males use them when fighting for dominance.
• Elephants live in a matriarchal (related female) society with herds
consisting of family groups of 2-40 individuals. Males are excluded from
the herd around maturity (10-12 years) and live alone or in bachelor herds.
Elephants are extremely social and calves learn most of their essential life
skills from the herd.
• Elephants usually walk 3-5 mph but can travel at speeds up to 25 mph by
quickening their stride.
• Male elephants can measure 12-13 ft. in height and weigh up to 16,000 lbs.
Females can measure 9 ft. in height and weigh up to 10,000 lbs.
Alaskan Brown Bear
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Ursus arctos
Alaska, except on a few of the smaller islands
Desert thickets, usually near water
Berries, grasses, fish, squirrels, and roots. In some parts of Alaska,
moose and caribou.
20-30 years
Not endangered
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • The term “brown bear” is commonly used to refer to bears
•
•
found in coastal areas where salmon is the primary food source. Brown bears found inland and in northern habitats are often
called “grizzlies.”
Alaska contains over 98% of the United States brown bear population
Brown bears have a particularly good sense of smell. Under the right
conditions they can detect odors more than a mile away.
• Bears are solitary except during breeding season and when they congregate
at streams to catch salmon heading up river to spawn.
• In the winter when food is unavailable or scarce, most Alaskan brown bears
enter dens and hibernate through the winter. While in this state, their body
temperatures, heart rate, and other metabolic rates are reduced. Their need
for food and water is eliminated. In northern areas with long hard winters,
bears may spend from 5 to 7 ½ months in dens.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Animal Fact Sheets
Amur Tiger
Scientific Name
Distribution
Panthera tigris altaica
Russia, along the Amur River Valley
Grasslands, flatlands, and mountains, but prefers river valleys
with rocky slopes
Water buffalo, wild pigs, deer, wild cattle, antelope, and some
smaller animals
10-12 years
Endangered. Total wild population is less than 500 individuals.
Habitat
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • Tigers are the largest of all wild cats.
• The stripes on the tiger’s face are similar to a human thumbprint. There are
no two tigers with exactly the same stripe pattern.
• Tigers use their striped coats as camouflage while hunting. They lie in wait
and creep close enough to attack their prey with a fatal pounce.
• The only enemy of the tiger is the human, and the tiger is threatened by
hunting and depletion of their habitat.
• Tigers are excellent swimmers and often spend time in the water unlike
other cats.
• Female tigers give birth to litters of two to six cubs. Cubs cannot hunt
until they are 18 months old, and remain with their mothers for two to
three years.
Bald Eagle
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Throughout North America
Forested areas near large bodies of water
Prefers fish. Eats large birds, mammals, and carrion
up to 50 years
In 2007, the Bald Eagle was removed from the Endangered
Species List. Preservation efforts brought this species back
from near extinction in the mid-20th century.
Conservation Status
General Information • An eagle nest is called an eyrie. They are some of the largest nests of any bird in the world. An eagle will add nest material to the nest year after year. The largest nest ever found was 9.5 feet in diameter and 21 feet tall.
• Eagles rely on their keen eyesight to spot prey. They can see a fish in the
water while soaring several hundred feet above the surface.
• A bald eagle’s wingspan can be over 6 feet across.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Animal Fact Sheets
Bat Star
Scientific Name
Distribution
Asterina miniat
The bat sea star can be found in the Pacific Ocean from Alaska
to Baja California.
Bat sea stars are found on rocks, among surfgrass, and on rock
and sand bottoms from low-tide line to water 960 feet deep.
Living or dead animals and vegetation
The bat sea star can live 30 years in captivity
Not threatened or endangered
Habitat
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • While often called a starfish, these animals are not at all related to fish
and thus scientists prefer the name sea star. They are invertebrates or animals without backbones.
• Sea stars have a remarkable ability to regenerate. Some species of sea star
have the ability to regenerate lost arms (an arm ripped off by a predator)
and can re-grow an entire new arm in time.
• Sea stars move using a system called the water vascular system. Water is
sucked into the sea star through a small hole on top of the animal and runs
through its tube feet. There are thousands of tube feet all over the sea star’s
underside which are used for movement, capturing food and breathing.
• Sea stars are adept at eating bivalves (clams, oysters, mollusks). A sea star
will wrap its body around prey and use strong arms to pull the shell open.
The sea stars stomach is then pushed out of its mouth and digests the prey
while it is still inside the shell.
Bottlenose Dolphin (Atlantic)
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Tursiops truncates
Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico
Coastal regions, bays, lagoons, gulfs, and estuaries
Wide variety of fishes, squids, and crustaceans such as shrimp.
20-40 years
Not threatened or endangered
General Information • Dolphins are mammals. Even though the spend their lives in the water, dolphins breathe air, give birth to live young, and have hair around the
top of their mouth at birth.
• Dolphins communicate with each other in different ways. Researchers
believe dolphins are capable of making 30 to 40 different sounds. They
make all of these sounds from their nose, or blowhole, on the top of their
head. Another way that they communicate is through body language. They
can slap either their tails or the sides of their bodies against the surface of
the water.
• Dolphins can reach speeds of 18 miles an hour, dive to 1,000 feet and jump
16 feet in the air.
• Dolphins track prey using echolocation. By sending out a series of clicks,
as many as 1,000 per second, a dolphin can determine the size, shape and
distance of an object.
• Dolphins are top predators in their ocean habitat. Killer whales and sharks
will occasionally prey on old, weak or young dolphins.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Animal Fact Sheets
Chilean Flamingo
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Phoenicopterus chilensis
Central Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil
Salt water lakes
Small crustaceans, algae, and unicellular organisms which they sieve from the water with their beaks.
Unknown
Not threatened or endangered
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • Chilean flamingos are naturally a pale pink color. There are many different •
types of flamingos which vary in color intensity. Flamingos get their color from their diet. In the wild, they eat small crustaceans called krill that are pinkish in color. Some flamingos also eat red algae.
Flamingos feed by lowering their head upside down and placing their bent
bill in the water. A flamingo beak is adapted for filter feeding. When the bill
comes together, ridges in the upper and lower bill mesh allowing water to
be pushed through catching small bits of food.
• Flamingos are social birds with flocks that can number in the thousands.
The flock does everything together, including feeding and flying. Living in a
large group is also their main defense.
• Flamingos often stand on one leg. Tucking a leg under the body keeps the
foot warm and conserves body heat in both cool and warm environments.
• At two weeks of age, flamingo chicks join a crèche (pronounced cresh), or
a flamingo nursery. In a crèche, as many as 30,000 birds remain under the
watchful eye of several adults.
Common Raven
Scientific Name
Distribution
Corvus corax
Throughout Alaska and Canada, southward through the Western United States into Central America.
Tundra, forest, grassland, deserts, sea coasts, agricultural fields, towns, and cities
Meat, eggs, insects, grain, fruit, garbage, and carrion
10-15 years
Not threatened or endangered
Habitat
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • The raven is a skilled flier. It frequently is seen to make rolls and somersaults in the air. It has even been observed flying upside down.
• Ravens are considered among the most intelligent of all birds. Like crows
they can learn to imitate a variety of sounds, including the human voice.
• Ravens lay 3-7 eggs that are turquoise with brown spots. Ravens fledge and
leave the nest after 40 days.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Animal Fact Sheets
East African Crowned Crane
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Balearica pavonina gibbericeps
East Africa
Open country, especially grasslands near water, and marshes
Plants, seeds, grain, insects, frogs, worms, snakes, eggs of water animals, and small fish
22 years
Not threatened or endangered
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • When foraging for food, cranes stamp their feet to flush out insects which are quickly caught and eaten.
• Cranes are known for elaborate courtship dances. Crowned crane couples
slowly circle each other with wings half spread. They take short swift
strides, and every so often leap high in the air, and bow low to their
partners.
• Although the purpose of the “crown” is not exactly known, it has been
observed that the adults use their yellow crowns as camouflage in the tall,
yellow African grasses. They kneel on the ground and peer above the grass
with the yellow bristles blending into the grass around them.
Gambel’s Quail
Scientific Name
Distribution
Lophortyx gambelii
Northern Mexico and Southwestern United States. Found in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts
Desert thickets, usually near water
Seeds, fruits and berries
8-10 years
Not endangered
Habitatt
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • Female quail select nest sites usually on the ground. Preferably the nest is hidden under a shrub, rock, or protected site. Ten to twelve white eggs with brown spots are laid each year.
• Gambel’s quail are fast runners and only fly to escape danger or to roost
at night. They are not fast in flight and prefer to remain on the ground if
possible.
• These quail rely on camouflage to avoid predators, especially if hidden by
vegetation.
• Gambel’s quails live in groups called coveys. In the daytime, they forage in
family groups, but in the evening they gather in huge coveys of up to 200
birds.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Animal Fact Sheets
Grand Cayman Blue Iguana
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Cyclura nubila lewisi
West Indies, Grand Cayman Islands
Rocky areas and brush lands
Fruits, plants, and small vertebrates
20-25 years
Endangered. The Grand Cayman Blue Iguana is the most
endangered of all lizards. There are fewer than 30 remaining
in the Cayman Islands.
General Information • During the mating season, hormones turn the males electric blue while
the females brighten to powder blue.
• Iguanas never stop growing, although the growth rate does slow down
as they get older. Adults of five feet in length from nose to tail are not
uncommon.
• Juveniles are gray and black, then turn to blue, black, and gray as adults.
• Females dig to find a nest sight that is exactly the right depth, temperature
and humidity for her eggs. Once outside, she packs more soil into the
tunnel entrance, then she scatters leaves all over the area, until the nest is
completely disguised.
Guinea Baboon
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Papio papio
West Africa
Savanna woodland, dry forest
Grass, leaves, fruit, seeds, insects, and small animals
25-30 years
Near threatened due to habitat destruction
General Information • Grooming is a very important social activity in baboon life. It creates social bonding and keeps their coats clean and healthy.
• They are one of the most terrestrial of all primates and tend to sleep on
vertical cliffs instead of trees.
• Baboons have an elaborate communication system of vocal, visual, and
tactile communication. Vocals include grunting, barking, screeching,
yakking, and clicking. Visuals include tension yawning, staring, canine
display, eyebrow raising, fear grimace, tooth grinding, rapid glance, lip
smacking and social presenting. Tactile communication includes social
grooming, nose-to-nose greeting and social mounting in response to social
presenting.
• Troops can number 200 individuals which are divided into bands of 60
individuals which are divided into clans.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Animal Fact Sheets
Green Moray Eel
Scientific Name
Distribution
Gymnothorax funebris
Habitat Coral reefs, mangroves, rocky shorelines, seagrass beds, hide in crevices, prefers shallow water less than 100 feet.
Diet Octopus, shrimp, small crabs, lobster, mollusks and small fish
Longevity
Conservation Status
Not threatened or endangered
General Information • The yellow tint of the mucus that covers an eel’s body, in combination
with its drab brown color, gives the fish its characteristic uniform green appearance.
• Green moray eels have no scales. Their thick skin is covered in mucus that
protects the animal from parasites and disease.
• Morays open their mouth, not to look threatening, but to draw water in and
out, which is necessary for respiration.
• Green morays are sedentary predators with strong teeth. Rather than hunting
for food, they wait until food comes to them.
Green Tree Python
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Morelia viridis
New Guinea, northern Australia and some adjacent islands
Rainforest, bamboo thicket
Frogs, lizards, birds, small mammals
15-20 years
Endangered due to habitat loss
General Information •
•
•
•
•
•
Green tree pythons can be a variety of colors. Adults are generally bright green with flecks of white, yellow, black. Juveniles are almost never green, instead adopting vibrant shades of yellow and red.
Green tree pythons spend the majority of their lives in trees. With tight,
muscular coils and a prehensile tail, the green tree python can wrap itself
tightly around a branch and blend in with the surrounding leaves
Snakes have backbones. Humans have 33 vertebrae, but large snakes can
have as many as 400 vertebrae. The more vertebrae, a snake has, the more
agile it is.
Snakes can not hear vibrations in the air, but do pick up vibrations carried
through the ground. It seems these ground vibrations are “felt” thought their
lower jaw. They lack an external ear and eardrum.
Snakes use their tongues to taste the air. They pick up particles in the air
before putting their tongues to the top of their mouths, to the Jacobson’s
organ. Here taste detectors decipher the external information.
Snakes can eat prey many times the size of its head. A snake has two joints
along its jaw line and its lower jaw bone is not fused together in front like
many animals giving the snake great flexibility to open its mouth extremely
wide, nearly 150 degrees. Therefore, it can swallow prey much larger than
itself. Sharp curved teeth hold the prey in place while the snake seems to
“walk” its open mouth forward around its food. Its neck skin is very elastic
allowing the meal to pass from the mouth into its digestive tract.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Animal Fact Sheets
Inland Bearded Dragon
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Pagona vittceps
Interior of central and eastern Australia
Dry, thorny scrubland
Small vertebrates, insects, flowers, and other soft plant material
10-12 years
Not threatened or endangered
General Information • The bearded dragon received its name due to its threat posture-inflating its body, opening its mouth and expanding the large, spiny throat pouch.
• Bearded dragons also communicate by arm waving. The bearded dragon
stands on three legs and waves one of its forelimbs in a slow circular
pattern. One function of arm waving seems to be species recognition. Arm
waving is also used to show submission. A small bearded dragon responds
with arm waving when confronted with a larger, more dominant bearded
dragon.
• Female dragons can lay up to nine clutches of 15-30 eggs in sand or soil
each year. The eggs hatch after 55 to 75 days of incubation. Like most
reptiles, the hatchlings receive no parental care.
• Bearded dragons can change the shade of their scales. This allows them to
regulate body temperature. Color changes can also depend on emotional
state, as well as be used for concealment when threatened.
King Penguin
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Aptenodytes patagonicus
Sub-Antarctic islands
Rocky, cold, aquatic habitats
Crustaceans, squid, plankton, and small fish
15- 20 years
Not threatened or endangered
General Information • The King penguin is the second largest penguin; the largest is the
Emperor penguin.
• King penguins use their wings, for swimming and their black feet for
walking on land, as they cannot fly. Their dense feathers protect them from
cold Antarctic weather and consist of four layers. The outer layer of feathers
is oily and waterproof and encloses three downy layers for warmth.
• King penguins feed by deep water diving, using their flippers to propel
themselves to depths of several hundred feet. Dives may last 15 minutes or
more
• When the female king penguin lays her egg, she delicately passes it to her
mate. Male penguins keep newly laid eggs warm, but they do not sit on
them, as many other birds do. Males stand and protect their eggs from the
elements by balancing them on their feet and covering them with feathered
skin known as a brood pouch.
• At sea, the predators of King penguins are the Leopard seals and Killer
whales who wait beneath the surface near the shore for unsuspecting birds.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Animal Fact Sheets
Long-horned Cowfish
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Lactoria cornuta
Indo-Pacific in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters
Ocean, muddy or sandy habitats in still bays, coral reef
Forage for small invertebrates, crab and shrimp by blowing water
with its mouth into the sand to dislodge them. Also grazes on algae.
8-10 years
Not threatened or endangered
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • Cowfish get their name from the long horns on their head, resembling
a cow.
• Cowfish are slow swimmers. They are propelled by a large dorsal fin, and
two pectoral fins. The tail and tail fin are used for steering. Like a helicopter,
they are able to swim backwards.
• When threatened, long horned cowfish can release toxin to ward off
potential predators. This toxin is exuded through the skin from almost all
areas of the body.
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Gromphadorhina portentosa
Madagascar island, off the coast of Africa
Rainforest
Fruit
2-5 years
Not threatened or endangered
General Information •
•
Female cockroaches give birth to live young. Eggs are carried internally
for 60 days and the young cockroaches emerge as nymphs. One female
can produce 30-60 nymphs.
It is easy to tell male and female Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches apart.
Males possess large horns while females have only small ‘bumps’. The
antennae of males are hairy while the antennae of females are relatively
smooth.
• Hissing plays an important role in colony hierarchy and courtship
interactions. Cockroaches will also hiss when disturbed. This hiss can startle
predators and allows the cockroach to escape to safety.
• The hissing sound is made by forcing air through spiracles. Spiracles
are small holes on both sides of the insect’s abdomen that are part of the
respiratory system.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Animal Fact Sheets
Meerkat
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Suricata suricatta
Majority of the southern tip of Africa
Desert, savannah and open plains
Primarily insects but will eat small animals, plant matter and eggs
10-15 years
Not threatened or endangered
General Information • Meerkats are highly social animals and live in packs consisting of up to
3 familial groups. Each individual family group includes a breeding pair
and their offspring. Packs can have up to 30 individuals.
• Meerkat predators include eagles, hawks, jackals, servals (small African
cat), and sometimes owls. Because of this predation, the meerkat has an
extensive variety of anti-predator behaviors including alarm calling, running
for cover, mobbing the enemy, covering the young and usually maintaining
an alert stance (standing in an upright position making them look larger)
• At night, meerkats seek shelter in a multi-chambered burrow. Also if
daytime temperatures are too high, they return to their burrows in order to
cool off.
Ocellaris Clownfish
Scientific Name
Distribution
Amphiprion Ocellaris
Clownfish are found in the warm waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, northwest Australia, southeast Asia and Japan.
Clownfish live in small groups with sea anemones and on the sea floor.
Left-overs of anemones’ meals of fish, algae, plankton
The clownfish can live 3-5 years in captivity.
Not threatened or endangered
Habitat
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • Clownfish have a “symbiotic” relationship with anemones in that they catch •
most of their food by working with their host. Clownfish will swim near the anemone attracting larger fish. The anemone will then catch and eat most of the large fish, and the clownfish eats the remains.
Sea anemones’ tentacles kill other fish that touch them, but clownfish are
immune to the poison of sea anemones because of a thick mucus layer that
covers their bodies.
• Only one small group of clownfish will live in an anemone. The group is led
by the breeding pair. Male clownfish will guard the eggs that are laid for the
6-10 days they take to hatch.
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Animal Fact Sheets
Ostrich
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Struthio camelus
Central and Southern Africa
Dry, arid regions, savannahs
shoots, leaves, flowers, seeds and sometimes insects.
40-50 years
Not threatened or endangered
General Information • The ostrich is a large, flightless bird. It is, in fact, the largest living bird
on earth. A male ostrich weighs approximately 250 lbs. and is 8-9 ft. tall.
• The male ostrich has soft black feathers on its back with white primary
feathers on its wings and tail, making him easy to spot. Females and all
young ostriches have brown feathers instead of black to help camouflage
them.
• The average ostrich egg is 6 inches in length and weighs about 3 pounds.
• Contrary to cartoons and comic strips, ostriches do not bury their head in
the sand. Sometimes, in order to escape detection, ostriches may lie on the
ground with their necks outstretched. This peculiar behavior probably gave
rise to the myth.
• When being pursued by a predator they have been known to reach speeds in
excess of 40 mph and they can maintain a steady speed of 30 mph.
Polar Bear
Scientific Name
Distribution
Ursus maritimus
Throughout the circumpolar Arctic
Polar bears can be found on pack ice, coastal islands, and coastlines and even in Arctic waters
Seals, stranded whales and walruses, and carcasses
25-35 years
Threatened. The polar bear is the first animal to be placed on the endangered species list due to habitat loss from global climate change.
Habitat
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • Although the polar bear’s coat appears white to creamy yellow,
each individual hair is actually a clear hollow tube that channels
the sun’s energy directly to the bear’s black skin and helps it stay warm
• Polar bears are well adapted to survive in extremely cold temperatures.
Their blubber layer can be up to 4.5 inches thick, two layers of fur give
added insulation, and small ears and tail prevent excessive heat loss.
• Female bears usually have two cubs, each weighing about one pound. In
general, the cubs will remain with their mother for three years, which is
when she is ready to breed again.
• The bear’s large black nose is so keen it can track prey from 20 miles away.
• Polar bears’ primary prey are ringed seals. Bears capture ringed seals by
lying in wait by one of their breathing holes. When the seal rises for air, the
polar bear yanks it from the water.
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Animal Fact Sheets
Potbellied Seahorse
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Hippocampus abdominalis
Coastal regions of New Zealand and Australia
Coral Reefs
Mysis shrimp and other small organisms
Unknown
Vulnerable due to the pet and souvenir trade and due to habitat destruction.
General Information • Seahorses are fish even though they are positioned vertically instead
of horizontally like most fish. They have gills and fins, but their scales
are modified to be more like armor.
• Seahorses have prehensile tails that allow them to hold on to things such as
sea weed and each other.
• Seahorse courtship begins with dancing. Interested seahorses swim toward
each other, change color, wrap their tails together, and begin a mating
dance. At the end of the dance, the female deposits her eggs into the males
pouch.
• The male can give birth to 5-900 ponies depending on the age and size of
the parents. The average brood size for adults is 250-300. Ponies are only ½
- ¾ of an inch when born.
• The potbellied seahorse is one of the largest seahorses. Adults can be up to
12 inches long.
Radiated Tortoise
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Geochelone radiata
Southern Madagascar
Arid scrub land
Fruit, fresh shoots, grasses, and other vegetation
60+ years
Endangered due to loss of habitat and poaching for food
General Information •
•
Turtles and tortoises have hard, protective shells that are made up of bone covered plates called scutes. Like human bones, a turtle’s shell is part
of its skeleton. The turtle cannot crawl out of it, because the shell is permanently attached to the spine and the rib cage.
All tortoises lay eggs, which they bury in soil, sand, or vegetation. Once the
eggs are laid, they are on their own. The mother does not incubate or care
for her eggs or for the hatchlings when they emerge
• Tortoises don’t have teeth. Instead, their mouths have a hard, sharpened
edge that they use to bite with, kind of like a bird’s beak.
• The oldest tortoise ever recorded was a radiated tortoise that lived to the age
of 188.
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Animal Fact Sheets
Red Panda
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Ailurus fulgens
Himalayas, S-SE Asia to South China
Dense, temperate, high altitude bamboo forests
Bamboo, grasses, roots, fruits, berries, birds, eggs, small rodents, grubs, and lizards
8- 14 years
Endangered due to habitat loss from logging and agriculture
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • Red pandas spend most of their lives in trees where they forage for food
and sleep.
• Scientists have had a hard time deciding who is the red pandas closest
relative. It has been classified as a relative of the giant panda, and also of the
raccoon, with which it shares a ringed tail. The red pandas are considered
members of their own unique family, Ailuridae
• The pandas use their ringed tails as blankets in the chilly mountain climate.
• Like giant pandas, red pandas have an extended wrist bone that functions
almost like a thumb and greatly aids their grip.
Red Spitting Cobra
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Naja pallida
East to Northeast Africa
Dry grassland and semi-desert
Other reptiles, birds, small mammals
15 years
Not threatened or endangered
General Information • Snakes have backbones. Humans have 33 vertebrae, but large snakes can have as many as 400 vertebrae. The more vertebrae a snake has, the more agile it is.
• Snakes can not hear vibrations in the air, but do pick up vibrations carried
through the ground. It seems these ground vibrations are “felt” through their
lower jaw. They lack an external ear and eardrum.
• Snakes use their tongues to taste the air. They pick up particles in the air
before putting their tongues to the top of their mouths, to the Jacobson’s
organ. Here taste detectors decipher the external information.
• A snake can eat prey many times the size of its head. A snake has two joints
along its jaw line and its lower jaw bone is not fused together in front like
many animals giving the snake great flexibility to open its mouth extremely
wide, nearly 150 degrees. Therefore, it can swallow prey much larger than
itself. Sharp curved teeth hold the prey in place while the snake seems to
“walk” its open mouth forward around its food. Its neck skin is very elastic
allowing the meal to pass from the mouth into its digestive tract.
• When excited or disturbed, this cobra will raise its body and also spread the
ribs in the neck region into a hood.
• They can spray venom from their fangs up to 9 ft. into the eyes of an
aggressor causing blindness.
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Animal Fact Sheets
Reticulated Giraffe
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata
Africa south of the Sahara
Open woodland and wooded grassland
Leaves and shoots of trees and shrubs, flowers, and seed pods
15-20 years
Not endangered, could be at risk soon due to habitat loss
General Information • The giraffe is the world’s tallest land animal. A male giraffe may be up to
17 feet tall.
• Even though their necks are extremely long, giraffes have seven vertebrae
in their neck, just like humans.
• Giraffes have no upper teeth. Instead, their long flexible tongues and
muscular upper lips are used to rip leaves from the branches. The tip of a
giraffe’s tongue is black to prevent it from becoming sunburned.
• Giraffes can go for over a month without drinking and do so often, perhaps
due to the vulnerable position they must assume in order to drink. This may
be the reason giraffes do not graze on grass.
• A female gives birth to one calf, which may fall six feet to the ground.
Calves are 6 feet tall at birth and can get up and walk within 20 minutes.
Ring Tailed Lemur
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Lemur catta
Southern and Southwestern Madagascar
Dry deciduous forest
Fruit, leaves, flowers, herbs, occasionally insects and small
vertebrate prey
15-20 years
Endangered due to habitat loss and the exotic pet trade
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • Ring tailed lemurs are primates. While they may have the same mask and ringed tail as a raccoon, the two are not related. Raccoons have six rings
on their tails. Lemurs have thirteen.
• Ring tailed lemurs use their tails for communication. While traveling,
the tail is held high up in the air, like a flag, to help keep group members
together.
• Ring tailed lemurs not only show off their tails as a visual signal, but coat
them with scent from glands on the wrists. Tails are shaken at each other in
“stink-fights” over territory.
• Females form the core of lemur troops and are dominant to males.
• Social bonds are established and reinforced by grooming, using a
toothcomb, which is made up of their 6 bottom teeth.
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Animal Fact Sheets
Walrus (Pacific)
Scientific Name
Distribution
Odobenus rosmarus divergens
Found in the North Pacific between Alaska and the East coast of Russia, mainly in the Bering and Chukchi Seas
Shallow regions of the circumpolar Arctic coastline
Mollusks (clams, mussels, etc.)
16 - 40 years
Not threatened or endangered
Habitat
Diet
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • The walrus has air sacs under their throats that they can fill like floatation bubbles and bob vertically in the water and sleep.
• A walrus can move on land as fast as a man can run. Unlike seals, which
have to drag their hind ends around, a walrus can walk on all fours.
• Walrus use their whiskers, or vibrissae, to locate prey items on the ocean
floor. These sensitive whiskers can detect food buried under ocean sediment.
• The walrus has a special strategy to dig for clams, the squirt! A walrus
squirts high-power jets of water out of their mouths. They use this talent
like a water drill to get to clams under the mud.
• Both male and female walrus have tusks. Tusks are used to haul out onto ice
floes, to cut through ice, and as weapons against predators. Male walrus will
use their tusks to fight other males, especially during breeding season. Tusks
can be up to 39 inches long and grow throughout the animal’s life.
White Stork
Scientific Name
Habitat
Distribution
Diet
Ciconia ciconia
Europe, migrate to Africa in winter
Marshes, water-meadows, grassy plains, and cultivated countryside
Frogs, small reptiles, small fish, small rodents, invertebrates,
and insects
20-30 years
Not threatened or endangered
Longevity
Conservation Status
General Information • White storks build large nests of sticks on cliff faces, at the tops of trees and on human structures such as tall buildings, chimneys, telephone poles, and nest platforms specially built for them
• The stork has been well known in towns and villages throughout Europe for
hundreds of years and has become well established in folklore. The myth
that storks deliver babies to waiting parents seems to have its origins with
the European white stork in Germany. Migrating storks would often return
to villages at the time of year that many babies were traditionally born.
• White storks migrate from Europe to Africa in flocks that may be as large as
11,000 birds.
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1
Background Information
Unit 1: Meet the Zoo Crew
The natural world is complex and interesting. Plants and animals live
in virtually every corner of the Earth, all of them adapted to live in
their habitat, within their food web, as a vital part of their ecosystem.
Each animal is adapted to support itself with the optimal amount of
food, water, and shelter that it needs to survive in its habitat. As a result
of this variety and specificity we are given the opportunity to learn
about an infinite array of animals and their breathtaking beauty and
diversity.
Since we have only a few weeks to look at the animal world, we will
need to target our focus and look closely at a relatively small group
of animals. The animals in this group are ones that you and your
students may see when you visit the Indianapolis Zoo as part of this
program. During this program, you and your students will spend time
observing the animals’ adaptations, either physical or behavioral, and
sorting them into different groups according to a series of criteria. Fun
activities will lead you through the process and allow your students to
draw conclusions about which groups they belong in.
In Unit 1, you will be introduced to the animals that we will be
working with throughout the program. Your students will play an
animal guessing game to get to know the animals. So, let’s meet the
zoo crew!
Goals and Objectives
1. Students will be introduced to the Indianapolis Zoo program
and the group of animals that they will be studying throughout
the program.
2. Students will learn three simple facts about each animal
in the study group.
3. Students will identify things that they are interested in learning about animals.
One 45 minute class period
Time Needed
>
>
>
>
>
Materials
Teacher Instructions
Animal fact cards (one set)
Tape
Animal labels
Butcher paper
Marker
Preparing for the lesson…
1. Get out animal fact cards included with teacher packet
2. Make a table chart
a. Using butcher paper, or a chalkboard, draw three large circles to represent tables. Label each table - One table as
“Meat Eaters,” another table as “Plant Eaters,” and the final The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Unit 1: Meet the Zoo Crew
table as “Meat and Plant Eaters.” Post the chart on the wall; bulletin board or any large, flat surface so that the students
can see it easily and fill in the chart successfully.
3. Make animal labels
a. Make a copy of the animal labels page.
b. Cut the labels apart. Put them near the table chart
for the students to use. Teaching the unit…
Program Introduction
1. Introduce the Indianapolis Zoo’s Animal Diversity program
and its goals. Explain that the program will be full of fun activities and will include a visit to the Zoo.
Beastly Banquet Game
1.
Explain that the class is going to a dinner party to which all different kinds of animals have been invited. There are animals flying in from all over the world for this exciting event. Unfortunately the animals will not know each other because
many of them have never been outside of their habitat and don’t recognize the animals from other places.
2.
The party will be held in the classroom. There will be music
and dancing and yummy food for all, a real night of nights! Unfortunately, the guest list was lost and the party hosts
don’t know who’s coming, what to order, or who should sit
with each other!
3.
Show the students all of the animal fact cards. Some of them will be very familiar to the students. Others will be less familiar. Go through them one by one, name them, and explain the category words like “habitat, adaptation,” etc. Discuss some of the more unfamiliar animals in depth.
4. Go around the classroom and tape an animal fact card on each child’s back. Don’t show the card to the student and tape it
in the middle of the back so that each student can’t see their card.
5. Explain to the students that each of them has been given an animal to portray. The card gives the animal’s name, where it lives,
what it eats, and a descriptive word.
6. The students are to ask each other questions to find out who they are and the facts listed on their cards. They can only ask yes or no questions to find out their identities.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Unit 1: Meet the Zoo Crew
7.
If your students, as a group, are generally unfamiliar with the animals on the cards, you can adapt the activity. Give each child his card. Ask him to read his card and think about the category words, then go to the table chart and proceed with the activity.
8. Once they have guessed their identities, they take the cards off
of their backs and go over to the table chart hung on the wall.
9.
By looking at their facts, the students will have to decide where they should sit and tape the labels with their animal names
on the table chart. First they should look at what they eat to determine at which table they will find the food they will like
the best. Second they should look at their list of predators to make
sure that they won’t be eaten or attacked by the animal that will
be sitting next to them. Third they might even get to choose
to sit next to animals that live in the same kind of habitat they do (tree dwellers with tree dwellers, etc.).
10. When the whole class has guessed their identities and filled
out the chart, gather together to discuss the results. Go around
each table and make sure that the animals are placed properly. Randomly ask the students to justify their table placement
by giving the reasons and facts to support their decisions. If there are any misplaced, ask the class to help place the animals correctly, using the facts listed on the students’ cards.
11. When you are finished, explain that what the students have done is sort the animals according to a set of criteria. Through the next several weeks, the students will be sorting this same group
of animals in different ways given different sets of criteria.
They will see how scientists compare and sort animals to learn more about them.
Assessment
This unit is easily assessed using the table charts that the students
completed. Anecdotally assess your students’ ability to understand
the facts and apply them to correctly finding a place to seat their
animals. Students should be able to explain their reasoning behind their
placement.
Extensions
Ask your students to come up with a perfect dinner party menu for
their animals. There should be an appetizer, a main course, a side dish,
and a dessert. Ask each student to present his menu to the class.
Hand out drawing supplies and ask the students to draw a picture or
write a short story about the Beastly Banquet. Imagine what it would
be like. Could there really be a banquet like this one? What funny
things would happen? How would it turn out?
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Unit 1: Meet the Zoo Crew
Animal Labels
%
Ostrich
Walrus
Common Raven
White Stork
Bald Eagle
Chilean Flamingo
Grand Cayman
Blue Iguana
Madagascar
Hissing Cockroach
Red Spitting Cobra
Bottlenose Dolphin
East African
Crowned Crane
Reticulated Giraffe
Amur Tiger
Guinea Baboon
African Elephant
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Unit 1: Meet the Zoo Crew
Animal Labels
%
Meerkat
Long-horned
Cowfish
Red Panda
Polar Bear
Alaskan Brown
Bear
Inland Bearded
Dragon
Radiated Tortoise
Ring Tailed Lemur
Gambel’s Quail
King Penguin
Potbellied Seahorse
Ocellaris Clownfish
Green Moray Eel
Bat Star
Green Tree Python
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
Program
26
2
Unit 2: What is an Animal Adaptation?
Animals come in all shapes and sizes. Each species is specially adapted
to survive in its unique ecosystem. Animals can adapt in two general
ways. Their bodies can adapt to outside stimuli (i.e. warm fur in
response to colder air temperature). Or they can change their behavior
patterns in response to changing stimuli (i.e. storks begin to nest on the
roofs of houses because there are fewer tall trees in their ecosystem).
These changes in body form or behavior are called adaptations.
Adaptations are the things that animal species have on their bodies or
the way they act in order to optimally succeed in their environment.
These adaptations are what make animal species different from each
other, even among closely related species.
Background Information
In this unit, students will be introduced to animal adaptations. Through
a few simple investigations, several examples of adaptations will be
illustrated.
Goals and Objectives
1. Students will learn what an adaptation is and be able
to give three examples.
2. Students will be able to give examples of three
physical adaptations.
3. Students will be able to give examples of three
behavioral adaptations.
4. Students will learn that humans also have adaptations.
They will be able to give three examples of human adaptations.
One 45-minute class period
Time Needed
>
>
>
>
>
Materials
Pictures of 10 animals cut from magazines mounted
on construction paper
Butcher paper to post animal pictures
Masking tape
Space big enough for students to complete some simple physical experiments
Copies of student assessment (one per student)
Preparing for the lesson…
Teacher Instructions
1. Animal pictures
a.
Cut 10 pictures of animals from an old nature magazine.
They can be pictures of any kind of animal, but each animal should be represented only once. They should be full-body shots as opposed to head shots so that the students can identify the animals’ adaptations.
b. Mount them on construction paper for strength.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Unit 2: What is an Animal Adaptation?
c. Laminate them if you would like to preserve them
for continued use.
Teaching the Unit…
Program Introduction
1.
Gather the class. Tape the animal pictures next to each other
on the butcher paper so that all of the students can see and
compare them. There should be space under each one for you
to write a list of student answers.
2.
Ask the students to look at the pictures and identify the things
on the animals’ bodies that help them survive in their habitat.
Lead them off by identifying some yourself. Examples: Tiger’s
big teeth and claws for hunting, elephant’s trunk for reaching
the ground and high in trees to get food, tree frog’s sticky feet
for holding onto vertical surfaces.
3. As the students name the adaptations, write them on the board
under each animal so that you will accumulate a list for each.
4. Explain that these things are adaptations, things that animals have
on their bodies that help them survive in their ecosystem.
5.
Start with the first animal and then ask about what actions
the animals might take that help them survive. Examples:
Birds build specific kinds of nests dependent on where they
live, wolves hunt in packs, zebras live in herds for safety
from predators.
6. Explain that these are also adaptations. The way a species
of animals acts can also help them be successful (find food,
have babies, stay alive) in their ecosystem.
Adaptation Experiments
You will lead your class through a series of simple, quick experiments
that illustrate some animal and human adaptations. You can present
them in any order.
1. Kangaroo Hop
a. Ask your students to stand next to their desks.
b. Tell them to bend over so that their torsos are at 45-degree angles to their legs.
c. Now ask them to hop a few steps.
d. Was that hard or easy?
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Unit 2: What is an Animal Adaptation?
e. Still bending over, ask them to hop on one foot for a few steps.
f. Was that hard or easy?
g. Now ask them to elongate their non-hopping legs behind them in the air and try to hop again.
h. Was that harder or easier than without their legs extended?
i. Animals that travel on two legs either have bodies that stand vertically straight like humans do or long tails to help them balance in a horizontal position like a kangaroo or a songbird.
2. Monkey Thumbs
a. Go around the room to each child and tape each of their thumbs tightly to the rest of their hand. They shouldn’t be able to wiggle their thumbs or use them in any way.
b.
When all are taped, ask them to perform a normal,
easy task that they would complete in the course of their regular day. Examples might include picking up a pencil,
tying their shoes, or putting their papers away.
c. Ask them what it is like to have no thumbs. Was the task easy or hard to do?
d.
Explain that some primates (including humans) have opposable thumbs or thumbs that rotate and are used
for grasping. Some even have opposable toes! These opposable digits are helpful when climbing trees, grasping branches,
and foraging for food.
e. Ask the students to take off the tape and try the same
task again. Was it easier or harder?
f.
Ask the students to extend all of their fingers on one hand
and touch their thumbs to each of the other fingers on their hand one at a time. Explain that they are showing off their opposable thumbs! There are some primates (like tamarins
and marmosets) and other kinds of mammals that don’t have the ability to touch all of their fingers.
3. Binocular Eyes
a. Divide your class into groups of three.
b. Ask each group to choose one student to be the prey animal.
That person should stand with his back to the rest of the group.
c. The other two should try to sneak up on the prey from behind and tap him on the shoulder. If the prey sees them coming,
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Unit 2: What is an Animal Adaptation?
he should turn around to catch the predator before he “strikes.” This should be pretty easy to do, especially if the predator comes from directly behind the prey.
d.
Next ask two members of each group to team up to become
a prey animal. They should stand back to back with their arms linked tightly. Students should stand with their eyes facing forward, not turning their heads from side to side.
e. Ask the third member of each group to be the predator and try
to sneak up on the prey animal without it noticing. It will be much harder to do this successfully.
f.
Ask the students which way was easier for the prey to see
the predator coming. Explain that animals that are hunted
by others (like deer, rabbits, zebras, etc.) have eyes on the side of their heads to see predators coming from behind.
This is especially true of animals that graze. Animals
that are predators and hunt for their food (like owls,
tigers, bears, etc.) have eyes on the front of their heads
for better depth perception and can more easily attack
a moving target in front of them.
g. Ask the students if they know which humans have?
Why do they have forward-facing eyes?
Do we hunt for our food? Did we ever?
Assessment
Give each student a questionnaire (Unit 2: What is an Animal
Adaptation?) and ask them to fill it out. Collect the questionnaires, mix
them up and re-distribute them so that each student gets someone else’s
paper. Ask the students to grade the paper for a total of 10 points, one
point for each correct answer. Collect the papers and record the scores.
Extensions
Ask a student to lie down on a sheet of butcher paper. With a marker,
trace the outline of the child’s body. Ask students to add features and
put clothes on your “human.” See if the class can identify any other
adaptations that humans have. They could be physical (body) ones or
behavioral (action) ones. As a class, label all of the human adaptations
on the outline that the class can think of. Use string and index cards to
point to the different adaptations on the human. Hang this to use as a
great bulletin-board display.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Unit 2: What is an Animal Adaptation?
NAME:_____________________________________________________
1. What is an adaptation?
2. What are three examples of an animal body adaptation?
1.
2.
3.
3. What are three examples of an animal action adaptation?
1.
2.
3.
4. What are three examples of human adaptations?
1.
2.
3.
The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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3
Unit 3: Sorting by Animal Behavior
Animals can be grouped by studying their everyday behavior.
We can compare their life processes to draw similarities between
them then group them together with others that spend their lives
in the same ways. In this unit, students will work in small groups
to categorize animals by studying their life processes. They will learn
about the process, decide which criteria they would like to use to sort
the animals, then dramatically portray their animals to the rest
of the class. The class will guess the criteria the group used.
Background Information
Goals and Objectives
1. Given information about an animal life process, the students
will identify criteria by which a list of animals can be grouped.
2. Students will learn to match animal behavior with criteria
in order to categorize a group of animals.
3. Students will learn about different animals’ behavioral
life processes.
4. Students will be able to communicate an animal’s traits nonverbally in dramatic form.
One 30-minute class period
Time Needed
>
>
>
>
Materials
Super Star Team Assignments (one set copied and cut apart)
Animal fact cards
Writing supplies
List of 30 animals written on chalkboard (consult master list)
Preparing for the lesson…
Teacher Instructions
1. Super Star Team Assignments
a. Make one copy of the Super Star Team assignments.
b. Cut along the dotted lines so that each group will have
an assignment to work from.
c. Post the animal fact cards in the room where all of the groups can see them.
d. Clear an area in your classroom to use as a stage for each group to perform.
e. Choose two or three animals from the sorting list. Select the animals’ fact sheets.
Teaching the Unit…
Program Introduction
1. Gather the class and begin your discussion by randomly choosing three animals from the master list you have been using throughout The Indianapolis Zoo Animal Diversity Program
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Unit 3: Sorting by Animal Behavior
the program. Ask the students about the animals and their behavior. Encourage the students to identify behavioral adaptations that they know of or are familiar with.
2.
Compare the three animals that you have chosen. The idea
is for students to understand how animals might have all kinds
of different ways of doing a very basic thing like eating, sleeping, raising babies, etc. Explain that they will be comparing
and contrasting animals and categorizing them according
to different criteria.
Some questions to help students make the comparison are:
a. What do the animals eat? How do the animals get food?
b. How do the animals move from place to place?
c. How do the animals protect themselves?
d. How do the animals listen and communicate?
e. Where do the animals find shelter?
3. Divide the class into five groups.
Super Star Game
1.
Hand out to the groups the Super Star Team assignment sheets
that tell what types of animals they are recruiting for – feeders, travelers, defenders, communicators, and builders. Groups do
not want to let anyone else know what their assignment is
(i.e. who they are recruiting for).
2. Each group will recruit different animals from the master list to form a team, similar to choosing teams for kickball or another sport. Teams should consist of no more than 8 animals.
3.
Give the groups about 5 minutes to look at their assignments and identify what would make them a great team based
on their assignment. For instance, if they are recruiting
the team for feeders, they would want some grazers, some
hunters, and some foragers on their team.
4.
They then identify animals from the master list that meet their criteria. They should decide what their top choices would be
and then those that would round out their lineup. All teams should recruit for all of the criteria they have identified.
5. Groups will have 5 minutes to finalize the animals for their team. Record them on your paper.
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Unit 3: Sorting by Animal Behavior
6.
Once the groups have selected their teams, they must decide how they are going to act out 3 of the animals on the team as well as the criteria for selection. For example, if they are recruiting feeders, they might pantomime hunting behavior, grazing, or filter feeding.
7.
The groups take turns acting out the animals. See if the other groups can guess the criteria they used to recruit their team based on the animals they are acting out. The teacher can record the correct guesses on the chalkboard. If the other groups don’t correctly guess the criteria, the group can go ahead and act out
the actual criteria.
Assessment
Assess this activity anecdotally for each team’s ability to create a good
team of animals, group them correctly, and get the class to guess their
team criteria. Students should be able to justify their animal’s inclusion
by the criteria and discuss their choices.
Extensions
Create an Animal Hall of Fame in your classroom. Ask each team to
identify the one animal in each category that best illustrates the criteria
and either draw a portrait or find a photo of the animal. Ask them to
list three reasons why the animal is the best and create a label for the
animal. For instance, the best runner might be the cheetah because
it runs faster than any land animal; it has non-retractable claws for
traction and a long tail to balance its body at high speeds. Frame the
pictures and post them on a bulletin board to make your class’s Animal
Hall of Fame.
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Unit 3: Sorting by Animal Behavior
Super Star Team Assignments
Feeders What should we look for to build a great team?
%
Who should we try to recruit?
Our Team
Travelers What should we look for to build a great team?
Who should we try to recruit?
Our Team
Defenders What should we look for to build a great team?
Who should we try to recruit?
Our Team
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Unit 3: Sorting by Animal Behavior
Super Star Team Assignments . . . continued
Communicators What should we look for to build a great team?
%
Who should we try to recruit?
Our Team
Builders What should we look for to build a great team?
Who should we try to recruit?
Our Team
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4
Background Information
Unit 4: Habitat is Where it’s At!
Animals are specially adapted to their habitats, no matter where
in the world they are. Jungle animals from Asia have similar
adaptations to animals that live in South American Jungles.
Animals from the grasslands of Africa have similar adaptations
to American prairie dwellers.
In this activity, students will learn what an animal needs to survive
in a certain habitat, and will categorize the animals in our sorting group
by their habitat. Given a habitat description, the students will “pack
their bags” to spend a month living there. They will identify what the
animal needs to survive and then match the animal with the habitat.
Goals and Objectives
1. Students will learn about major animal habitats around the world.
2. They will identify what traits or adaptations animals need
to survive successfully in a specific habitat.
3. By studying an animal’s adaptations, students will categorize animals according to habitat criteria.
4. Students will understand that all animals that live
in specific habitats around the world possess similar physical
and behavioral adaptations.
5. Students will understand that similar adaptations can serve different purposes in different habitats. (i.e. Long tails can assist
in balance or in swinging through trees.)
One 45 minute class period
Time Needed
>
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Materials
World Map
Habitat descriptions (copied and cut apart,
one description per student)
Animal fact cards
Adaptation Option page (one copy per student)
Suitcase handout (one copy per student)
Large sheet of art paper (one per student)
Pencils
Crayons or markers
Glue
Scissors
Preparing for the lesson…
Teacher Instructions
1. Make copies of habitat descriptions and cut apart. Every student should have one description to work from.
2. Make copies of the Suitcase handout and Adaptations Option page. One of each per student.
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Unit 4: Habitat is Where it’s At!
Teaching the Unit…
Program Introduction
1.
Gather the class to begin discussion. See if the students can name some animal habitats. See how many they can name and then
get more specific. In other words, they may name “ocean”.
Lead them to name other ocean habitats like coral reefs,
deep sea, shoreline, etc.
2.
Using a large world map, choose one of the habitats that
your students have discussed and identify all of the places
on the map where that habitat exists. Choose an easy one to do:
i.e. Tropical Rainforests exist all around the equator on all of the continents that touch the equator. Remember that the students will remember what habitats their continents had from the last activity.
3. Pass out the habitat descriptions. Each student should have
one to work from. Give the students a few minutes to read
their description.
Pack Your Bags Activity
1. Distribute the suitcase handout, and the Adaptation Option page, one to each student.
2.
Explain that the students will be pretending to pack
for a month long camping trip to their habitat. They will
read their habitat description, and think about what they
would need to survive there. On their trip, they will live off
the land. They will not take food, but will gather it in the habitat. The students should list the contents of their suitcase provided in the open suitcase picture. They should think carefully about what they would take, and whether it would help them survive
for the entire month.
3.
Next, ask them to look through the Animal Adaptation
Options handout. They will need to think about their habitat
and design an animal that would be suited well to that habitat. They will choose one adaptation from the “senses” category,
one from the “body covering” category, and one from the
“wild card” category.
4.
Have students divide the art paper into 1/3’s. Write their habitat
at the top of the paper. In the first section, they will cut out the adaptation options they have chosen and draw and name the animal they have created using those adaptations that fit their habitat.
5. In the next section, they will write briefly about why they have chosen the adaptations for their habitat that they did.
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Unit 4: Habitat is Where it’s At!
6. Finally, in the 3rd section they will use the Animal Fact Cards
to write down at least two animals that live in their habitat.
7.
Follow up with a class discussion in which students share
their work with the rest of the class. Topics should include
the similar adaptations for the habitats, but students should also notice that the same adaptations can be used for different purposes. (i.e. Long tails being used for balance vs. long tails used
for swinging from trees.)
Assess this activity for accuracy and completeness. Students should
complete the entire handout and have successfully created and chosen
animals that have the adaptations necessary for survival in that
particular habitat.
Assessment
Students could write stories about their pretend camping trip
or complete a mocked up postcard telling others about their trip
and the habitat they have visited.
Extensions
Students could design a travel brochure to entice others to visit their
habitat. They could include pictures, marketing copy and itineraries
to choose from.
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Unit 4: Habitat is Where it’s At!
Habitat Description Cards – copy and cut apart
%
Grasslands
• Change of seasons - hot and dry
in summer and cooler in winter
Ocean
•Under water all the time
•Water can be very cold or warmer • Flat land
• Can see far distances in all directions
• Grasses, small isolated trees, and plants
• Water sources spread apart,
depending on the weather or season
•Light on the surface, darker deeper down
•Can get oxygen either by breathing air
or water
•Only visible plants found on the ocean
like watering holes
floor close to shore
•Lots of tiny plants and animals float near the surface
24
Tropical Rainforest
•Hot, humid year-round
•Rainy season and dry season
•Thick leaves with very tall trees
•Trees grow to be as high as 100-240 feet Deciduous Forest
•Change of seasons – summer, spring,
fall, winter
•Air temperature and weather conditions change a lot during a year
tall, as tall as a 20-story building
•Lush, thick leaves in the tall treetops,
with plants
•Floor covered in dead leaves
•Near a source of water like a river
•Dark and hot on forest floor
•Hard to see far distances – too thick
•Most of the food is up high in the trees much easier to see on forest floor
though some fruit falls to the ground
•Near a water source like a river
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Unit 4: Habitat is Where it’s At!
Habitat Description Cards – copy and cut apart . . . continued
Tundra
•Cold year-round
•Flat, rocky, and icy land
•Icy and frozen during winter,
thaws out in summer
•Sun shines all day and night in summer, and it is dark all day and night in winter
•Can see for miles in all directions
•Almost no plants except some moss
and short grasses
•Lots of animals around in summer,
very few in the winter
%
Swamp
•Wet and muddy year-round
•All land is under shallow water and sits
on goopy mud
•Flat land but tall grasses can make
it hard to see anything farther than
a few feet ahead
•Lots of plant life, both in and out
of the water
•Can have saltwater or freshwater
•Next to a major water source like a river, ocean, or lake
•Can be found all over the world
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Unit 4: Habitat is Where it’s At!
Pack Your Suitcase!
Pretend you are going on a long trip to your wild habitat.
Look at your habitat card.What would you need to pack
in your suitcase?You will need enough stuff to stay
for a whole month.Write a list of the things you will
pack in the suitcase below.
Things I need to pack to spend a month living in my habitat.
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Unit 4: Habitat is Where it’s At!
Animal Adaptation Options
Senses
Big Eyes
Big Nose
Big Ears
Small Eyes
Small Nose
Small Ears
Eyes on Top of the Head
Body Covering
Thick Hair
Scales
Has Shell
Short Hair
Feathers
Slimy Skin
Tail
Blubber
Long Neck
Webbed Feet
Long Legs
Horns
Wild Card
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5
Background Information
Unit 5: Sorting by Physical Attributes with a Trip to the Zoo
Probably the most obvious way to group animals is to sort them by
their physical attributes. We know that if an animal has large ears it
generally means that it has a good sense of hearing or if an animal has
eyes on the top of its head, it spends much of its time floating on top
of the water. We know animals that have sharp claws are good hunters
or climbers and those with grasping (prehensile) tails live high in the
trees.
In this unit, students study a variety of animal adaptations and learn
how to sort them by their physical attributes. You and your class will
visit the Indianapolis Zoo where students will observe animals and
determine how animal body parts help an animal survive in its habitat.
Contact the Indianapolis Zoo at 317.630.2044 to schedule your trip to
the zoo.
Goals and Objectives
1. Students will observe different physical characteristics of live
animals and learn to group them accurately based on these criteria.
One four-hour field trip
Time Needed
Pencils
Materials
Animal Adaptations Scavenger Hunt (one copy per student)
Preparing for the lesson…
Teacher Instructions
Contact the Indianapolis Zoo at 317.630.2044 to set up your field
experience. You will need to schedule your bus and gather chaperones.
The Zoo requires one adult for every 10 students. The Zoo will have
other guidelines and checklists for you to follow.
On your field trip…
While you visit the Indianapolis Zoo, you and your class will explore
and discover animals by observing their physical adaptations and
sorting them into groups based on their physical characteristics.
Each student should receive an Animal Adaptations Scavenger Hunt to
complete while they visit the zoo. The scavenger hunt will challenge
students to find animals with three specific adaptations, claws, beaks,
and tails. Students are encouraged to list as many animals as they can
find with these three adaptations.
Back in the classroom…
When you return to the classroom, list all of the animals that students
found with claws, beaks, and tails. After listing the animals, discuss the
different uses for each adaptation. Some animals may fit into more than
one category.
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Unit 5: Sorting by Physical Attributes with a Trip to the Zoo
Claws can be used for climbing, digging, or predation. Beaks come
in many different shapes and sizes. Some beaks are for eating seeds,
some for eating meat. A flamingo beak is used like strainer to eat small
shrimp. Tails also have many uses. Tails can be used for balance, for
climbing, for swatting flies or for communication.
Sort the animals in each list by the way the adaptation is used. For
example, elephant, giraffe, rhinoceros, lion, and zebra could all be
grouped as animals that use their tails for swatting flies.
Check your students’ handouts for accuracy and completion. All
handouts should be complete and accurate. Points can be awarded for
each. Anecdotally assess your students’ ability to correctly identify
different uses for the same adaptation. Students should be able to
identify animals that use an adaptation in the same way and animals
that use the same physical adaptation differently.
Assessment
Extensions
If you have a few minutes at lunchtime, play Animal Charades.
Students act out an animal’s physical characteristics to give clues to
the rest of the class which tries to guess the animal, just like regular
charades. The one who guesses correctly becomes the actor. Actors
can use no sounds or words in their performances. This is a great
way to cement animal adaptations in your students’ minds in a fun,
spontaneous way.
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Unit 5: Sorting by Physical Attributes with a Trip to the Zoo
Scavenger Hunt
As you see zoo animals, sort them into the correct space.
Claws
Claws & Tails
Claws & Beaks
Claws, Beaks
and Tails
Tails
Beaks
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Notes
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IPS Animal Diversity Curriculum Photo Credits
African Elephant Don Reynolds
Alaskan Brown Bear John Gomes, Alaska Zoo
Amur Tiger Don Reynolds
Bald Eagle Tim Ayler
Chilean Flamingo Don Reynolds
Common Raven Jackie Curts
East African Crowned Crane Don Reynolds
Gambel’s Quail Don Reynolds
Grand Cayman Blue Iguana Paul Riley
Green Tree Python Richard Reams
Guinea Baboon Paul Riley
Inland Bearded Dragon Don Reynolds
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Randy Baughn
Meerkat Tim Ayler
Polar Bear Scott Olmstead
Potbellied Seahorse Paul Riley
Radiated Tortoise Don Reynolds
Red Panda Fred Cate
Red Spitting Cobra Richard Reams
Ring Tailed Lemur Scott Olmstead
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