VIRTUAL LABS
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Bird Adaptations
How are birds adapted to their habitat?
An adaptation is any characteristic of an organism that makes it better able to survive in its environment. Adaptations are inherited. They are not merely responses the organism makes to an immediate need. For example, a hawk's strong feet and sharp claws are adaptations that enable a hawk to hunt and capture mice.
Adaptations may be structural, internal, or behavioral features that help an organism survive in its environment. When examining an organism's adaptations to its environment, it is important to consider the organism's habitat. The habitat is the physical location where an organism lives. It is where an organism most likely obtains food, rests, and moves about. Over time, organisms that live in a certain habitat adapt structural, internal, or behavioral features that facilitate their living habitat.
In this Virtual Lab you will examine different habitats. You will design a bird that is well-adapted to each habitat.
Objectives:
Procedure:
Note: Birds are not to scale in comparison to each other.
1. Click the Video button. Watch the video to learn about how birds are adapted to their environments.
2. Chose a habitat by clicking the arrow at the bottom of the Habitat slide. Select wetland, temperate deciduous forest, or open-ocean habitat.
3. Click the Bird Habitat Guide button to access information about each habitat and the activities of birds in each habitat.
4. Design a bird that is well-adapted to the habitat. Click the arrow under the Wings, Beaks, or Legs/Feet slide and select the type of wings, beak, or legs/feet that would enable a bird to thrive in the selected habitat. Repeat this step until you have finished designing a bird by making a selection for each body part.
5. Click the Check button. If the bird that you designed is not well-adapted to the habitat, examine the Bird Habitat Guide and try again. If the bird that you designed is well-adapted to the habitat, observe how the bird behaves in the habitat. To repeat the animation, click the bird.
6. Repeat the Virtual Lab and design another bird in another habitat.
Adaptations may be structural, internal, or behavioral features that help an organism survive in its environment. When examining an organism's adaptations to its environment, it is important to consider the organism's habitat. The habitat is the physical location where an organism lives. It is where an organism most likely obtains food, rests, and moves about. Over time, organisms that live in a certain habitat adapt structural, internal, or behavioral features that facilitate their living habitat.
In this Virtual Lab you will examine different habitats. You will design a bird that is well-adapted to each habitat.
Objectives:
- Identify some adaptations of birds to their habitats.
- Compare and contrast adaptations of different species of birds.
- Design birds with adaptations to specific habitats.
Procedure:
Note: Birds are not to scale in comparison to each other.
1. Click the Video button. Watch the video to learn about how birds are adapted to their environments.
2. Chose a habitat by clicking the arrow at the bottom of the Habitat slide. Select wetland, temperate deciduous forest, or open-ocean habitat.
3. Click the Bird Habitat Guide button to access information about each habitat and the activities of birds in each habitat.
4. Design a bird that is well-adapted to the habitat. Click the arrow under the Wings, Beaks, or Legs/Feet slide and select the type of wings, beak, or legs/feet that would enable a bird to thrive in the selected habitat. Repeat this step until you have finished designing a bird by making a selection for each body part.
5. Click the Check button. If the bird that you designed is not well-adapted to the habitat, examine the Bird Habitat Guide and try again. If the bird that you designed is well-adapted to the habitat, observe how the bird behaves in the habitat. To repeat the animation, click the bird.
6. Repeat the Virtual Lab and design another bird in another habitat.
