Behavioral or Structural

Adaptation Task Card Sort

52 Adaptations Cards
Differentiated
Recording Sheets
Lots of lesson options!
Behavioral or Structural Adaptations Sort Teacher Directions:
There are many ways you could use this product! I have included 52 cards showing
examples of adaptations so you can use it the best way for your classroom. The
adaptations go from basic to fairly complex so it can be differentiated for the
different levels of learners in your classroom.
1. Put out some cards (like 15 at a station) and have students read the cards and
identify the type of adaptation and record on the sheet (wither the ½ sheet or
the whole sheet). When you use it at stations, it is a perfect time to
differentiate so that more advanced students are getting the more difficult
adaptations (either because they are harder to figure out, or because there is
more reading involved.)
2. Use this as PASS GAME- have students remain in their seats and pass the cards
around the classroom. For this you can choose how many would work best- If
you have 25 students using 30 cards at a time works best.
3. Or you could give out the sheet where the adaptations are all listed an have
students check the correct box after reading the card.

There are so many cards included that you could do this several times, increasing
the difficulty each time!
I have made the worksheets editable so you can tailor them to your own best use!
Enjoy!
BEHAVIORAL STRUCTURAL
ADAPTATION ADAPTATION

The things The physical

organisms DO to features of an
survive. organism that
help it survive.
1 2

Canadian Geese The Arctic Fox has

migrate in winter to thick fur to keep
get food it warm.
all year.

3
Chipmunks 4
Ducks have
collect and store webbed
food so they can feet to help them
find it in swim.
winter.
5 7
Opossums “play Hawks have
dead” to confuse sharp claws
predators. to catch
and kill
their prey.

6 8
Woodchucks Rabbits have large
hibernate through ears so they
can hear
a long
and avoid
winter. danger.
9 10 Leaf Insects are
A rosebush has
thorns to discourage shaped like a leaf so
animals from eating predators
them. think they
are real
leaves.

12 Leaf insects sway 13

Frogs have long
as they walk so that strong legs to
they look like leaves hop
blowing
in the
quickly
wind. and far.
11 14
Beavers claim their
A beavers' territory by building
front teeth piles of mud and
grow marking
continuously to be it with
able to chew wood. scent.

15 A moose has long 16

legs to walk through Male moose,
deep snow, over bushes called bulls, roar
and logs, loudly to
and wade attract
through mates.
marshes.
17 18
A Polar Bear has A Polar Bear has
very small ears to thick rough pads on
keep it from losing their feet to better
heat. walk
on ice.

19 21
Armadillos can An Oak Tree
roll up into a ball to drops its leaves in
protect the winter to avoid
their snow
undersides. damage.
20A penguin is white 22
Penguins make
on the front and nests side by side
black on its back to and huddle
camouflage in the to keep the
water. chicks warm.

24 A sea turtle has 4 23 Sea turtles return to

limbs that can be the same beaches
rotated so they can
swim and
to lay their eggs
move on every
land to lay year.
eggs.
25 26 The leaves of a
A Birch tree has
wide large leaves on Pitcher plant form
pitchers (water
high up branches holding jugs) to
to catch drown and
sunlight digest insects
for photosynthesis. for nutrients.

27
The Arctic Willow has
28 The Mesquite tree
shallow roots because the has long root systems
ground is permanently to draw water from
frozen under deep underground.
shallow layer
of thawed
soil.
29 32
A Bald Eagle will
often get their meals Bald Eagles
by stealing the kills of have a long, wide
other
animals.
tail to help soar
high in the sky.

31 30 Pelicans help each

The Pelican first uses
its elastic pouch to other by swimming
catch fish they then together and beating
drain out the water and their wings on
swallow the surface to
the fish. move fish into
shallow water.
33 A Pufferfish has an 34
Pufferfish swim slow
elastic stomach to take in
huge amounts of water so and clumsy which
they become a large makes it easy to be
ball several attacked by
times their a predator.
normal size.

37 35
Sharks do not have The Great White
any bones in their Shark attacks and
body- they have a surprises their prey
skeleton of (seals and
cartilage. sea lions)
from below.
36 A Green Basilisk lizard 38 Green Basilisk Lizards
has long toes on their rear are very territorial and
feet with fringe-like scales spend most of the time in
that allow them to walk trees near
on water to
water! protect their
space.

39 42
The stripes on a
Spiders spin
Kingsnake look like
those on a poisonous sticky webs to trap
coral insects
snake. to eat.
40 When threatened, 41
Bumblebees have
a skunk will raise its a long tong to get
tail and spray a nectar
toxin at the from
predator. flowers.

43 Camels store fat 44

Giraffes have an
(not water) in their extra-large heart to
hump that can be pump blood
used for up their long
energy necks to the
later. brain.
45Cheetah will stalk 46 Female Birds of
their prey before Paradise will watch
pouncing on the males dance to
them to get decide
as close as who to
possible. mate with.

47 48
Male peacocks Polar Bear dig
have beautiful
dens to stay warm
feathers
to attract in the
a mate cold.
with.
49 50 Mama koalas
Koalas define their
territories by have a pouch where
making newborn
scratch koalas spend
marks on their first
trees. 6 months.

51 52
Zebras Zebra
have live in a
stripes to herd for protection so
camouflage in there are more eyes
to spot predators.
a herd.