Instructor’s Name: Gemma Griffin
Grade: K-1
Time: 45 minutes
Topic: Animal Adaptations
Concept: Camouflage
SOL: Science:
K.6 The student will investigate and understand basic needs and life processes of animals.
1.5 The student will investigate and understand that animals, including people, have life needs and specific physical characteristics and can be classified according to certain characteristics: physical characteristics (body coverings).
Rationale:
In order to promote students’ respect for all living creatures, it is important to help students become aware of their habitats. Having students observe animals’ habitats, and how they survive in them, will help students to respect them when they do encounter them in a non-academic setting.
Goals:
- To investigate ways camouflage can help animals survive.
- To connect science and art.
- To connect literature and science.
Objectives:
Cognitive:
The student will be able to identify animals and their habitats; evidenced by their creation of a camouflaged critter.
The student will be able to demonstrate the term “camouflage”; evidenced by their ability to create a camouflaged critter that they hide for their classmates to seek.
Psychomotor:
The student will be able to create a camouflaged critter; evidenced by their classmates inability to find it on the critter “hide-and-seek”.
Affective:
The student will be able to empathize how necessary camouflage is for animals’ survival against predators; evidenced by their participation in a “critter hide and seek” game and class discussion about camouflage.
Materials:
- Paper (cardstock if available)
- Scissors
- Camouflage materials (crayons, markers, leaves, grass, pebbles)
- Glue, tape
Advanced Organizer:
Inspire camouflage investigations with one of these books:
Animal Camouflage, A closer Look by Joyce Powzyk
Hike and Seek edited by Coldrey and Goldie Morrison
I see Animals Hiding by Jim Arnosky
Procedure:
*Note: This lesson works best outside.
- Ask students to think about their favorite critters they saw in the book, or that they might find in their own back yard.
- Take students outside and let them pick places that their critter might live. You might want to limit the area within which students hide their critters. Encourage students to look carefully at the colors and shapes (for example, green grass, different colored leaves, smooth blacktop).
- Challenge students to create critters that will be camouflaged in this home. Have students use the art supplies to make a critter and camouflage it so they blend into their homes. (Refer back to examples from the book). For example, they might paint them and glue on materials such as leaves or grass, loose gravel, etc. to make snakes, bugs, or mice.
- When students are finished, have them put the critters in their homes, then go hunting! How hard or easy is it to find the camouflaged critters?
Questions for Discussion:
How do you think camouflage helps your critter?
Which were the hardest critters to find? Which were the easiest?
Closure:
As students to consider how their critters’ homes might change in winter. How might they need to change the camouflage? (Ex. Snowshoe hare that change color with the seasons).
Assessment:
Was the student able to create a “camouflaged” critter?
Did the student participate in class discussion and activities?
Differentiation:
This lesson was differentiated for spatial and kinesthetic learners, as well as provided for artistic interests.