Northern Animal Adaptations

Objectives

You have learned that animals posess characteristic structures which have allowed them to adapt to a specific environment or activity. To demonstrate your knowledge of animal adaptations, you will design an animal that could live in a Alaskan-type harsh, northern climate and ecosystem. You must be able to justify all elements of your "designer animal".

Requirements

You must

• write a 200 word description of the animal's habitat
• draw a diagram of an Alaskan food web and depict where your animal would fit within it. The food web must contain at least 10 organisms
• make a chart descibing at least 10 adaptations this animal possesses that enable it to live an northern climate. Briefly describe why each of these structures is necessary for the animal to adapt to its environment.
• present your animal to the class in the form of a drawing, painting, or clay sculpture
• creatively name the animal

Questions to Keep in Mind

• Is your animal diurnal or nocturnal?
• Is your animal a hervivore, carnivore, or omnivore?
• How does your animal capture its prey?
• How does yur animal get from once place to another? Swiming? Flying? Climbing? Jumping?
• What Biome does your animal live in?
• Does your animal migrate, hibernate, or acclimate during the winter?
• How does this organism protect or defend itself?
• What is the life span of your organism?
• How does your organism communicate with others?

Anything is possible as long as you can justify the adaptation!

Resources

Website resources on Alaskan vegetation, wildlife and climate

Forest and vegetation of Alaska - http://nrm.salrm.uaf.edu/afes/pubs/FSN1.pdf

Arctic animals of Alaska - http://score.rimsk12.ca.us/activity/Alaska/

Alaska’s Boreal Forest life - www.wildlife.alaska.gov/.webloc

Alaska-Vegetation,Wildlife and People - http://nrm.salrm.uaf.edu/afes/pubs/FSN1.pdf

Alaska Department of Fish and Game - www.wildlife.alaska.gov

Alaska-msn Encarta - http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=ecosystems.boreallife

Reference for Alaskan Climate - Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Alaska

Alaska National Park Page - www.us-national-parks.net/state/ak.htm

Alaska Wildlife Alliance - www.akwildlife.org/

Evaluation