Squirrel Island - Purpose

• To explain how adaptations help organisms

survive in different environments.
 Squirrel Island - Background
• A beneficial or neutral mutation can quickly
become harmful when the environments
change.
• The environment greatly affects an organism’s
ability to survive, and even a small change can
be harmful to some organisms.
 Creatures of the Deep - Purpose
• To explain how adaptations help organisms
survive in different environments.
 Creatures of the Deep - Background

• A beneficial or neutral mutation can quickly

become harmful when the environments
change.
• The environment greatly affects an organism’s
ability to survive, and even a small change can
be harmful to some organisms.
For example – the panda’s thumb…
For example – the kakapo…
For example – the penguin…
For example – the Kaibab and Albert’s Squirrels…
 Squirrel Island - Procedure:
1. Work with your partner.
2. Put your names on the back of the drawing paper.
3. Use a PENCIL
4. You will be assigned an island habitat.
5. Design a squirrel that has adapted to the environment of
the island (beneficial mutations).
6. Draw the island environment and the squirrel.
7. On a separate sheet of paper, describe the adaptations,
and why they are beneficial to the squirrel. You will
answer the questions on the next slide.
8. Neatness and attention to detail matters!
 Squirrel Island - Procedure:
1. Draw the island • Producer
environment and the • Consumer
• Predator
squirrel.
• Prey
2. On a separate sheet of • Scavenger
paper, describe the • Decomposer
adaptations, and why • Habitat
they are beneficial to • Community
the squirrel. • Population
• Niche
3. Give an example of
• Abiotic factor
each of the following in • Biotic factor
your Squirrel Island • Limiting factor
ecosystem: • Carrying capacity
 Creatures of the Deep
1. Work with your partner.
2. Put your names on the back of the drawing paper.
3. Use a PENCIL
4. You will be designing a creature that lives in an aquatic habitat.
5. Design a creature that has adapted to an underwater habitat
(beneficial mutations).
6. Draw its habitat, and the creature.
7. On a separate sheet of paper, describe the adaptations, and
why they are beneficial to the creature. You will answer the
questions on the next slide.
8. Neatness and attention to detail matters!
Creatures of the Deep - Procedure:
1. Draw its habitat, and • Producer
• Consumer
the creature.
• Predator
2. On a separate sheet of • Prey
paper, describe the • Scavenger
adaptations, and why • Decomposer
they are beneficial to • Habitat
the creature. • Community
• Population
3. Give an example of • Niche
each of the following • Abiotic factor
in your ecosystem: • Biotic factor
• Limiting factor
• Carrying capacity