AUSTRALIA A LAND OF EXTREMES

Why is Australia like no other continent on Earth?

Why does it have a range of animals found nowhere else on Earth?

How have the animals adapted to living in a land of extremes?

An integrated unit of work involving Science and Studies of Society and the EnvironmentLearning intentions:

Understand why Australia is a continent like no other on Earth and has unusual animals.

Identify the different states, capitals and significant features of Australia.

Analyse an animal that lives in Australia and their habitat. Mind map ready to share with others.

Learn how living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment in Australia. This will be through research and analysis. (yr5 Aust. Science outcome)

Determine some of the possible consequences of animals not adapting to our changing world.

MAPPING AUSTRALIA AND MARKING IN THE ROUTE OFARE WE THERE YET?From a map of Australia locate the following, and mark on your own map:

the states of Australia

the capital cities

significant features: Rivers

Mountains

Deserts

Islands

Seas

Coral reefs

Rocks

Rainforests

Mark in the route taken in the book Are We There Yet?

Mark in the directions of north south east and west and indicate on the route which direction the family is taking.

INTRODUCTION

What is a habitat? Mind map different habitats found in Australia and what is found in them. (plants and animals)

Using one of the books we have identify the animal and the habit that it lives in. What is the habitat like? Illustrate the animal in its habitat.

What is meant by adapt? Why do you think that animals need to adapt to their environment? Can you think of any ways that animals have adapted to their environment? (Doesn’t have to be Australian)

Brainstorm as many Australian animals that you know of that you have not identified in your mind map.

Brainstorm reasons why you think Australia is like no other continent on Earth.

Why is Australia a land of extremes and unusual animals? Part 1

Australia is home to many unusual animals, bugs and creatures that are found nowhere else in the world. The reason why Australia has so many unusual species of animals is because they have been able to evolve into independent species. Australia was originally part of Asia and the Antarctic, but with the sea rising over many years (said to be about 45 million years ago) the area was able to form its own unique land mass.

Australia a land of extremes part 2

Australia is a fairly stable flat land mass with about half the land being desert or semi desert (arid or semi arid land).With the isolation that Australia now found itself, the animals and birds were able to develop unique forms.

Australia is situated a long distance from other parts of the world, and having many climatic changes throughout each part of the country, Australian animals have had to adapt to this.

Why is Australia a land of extremes Part 3

This has led Australia into being one country that boasts many unusual types of species, land and sea dwelling. Animals live almost everywhere in Australia, from the fairly cold regions of the alps in New South Wales and Victoria and the colder climate of Tasmania, to the temperate areas of the east and southern coasts, to the hot desert areas, to the tropical areas.

Adaptation websites

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5414BFTaJUY

http://www.kidport.com/reflib/science/Videos/Animals/AnimalVideoIndex.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5414BFTaJUY

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER FROM THE VIDEOS

1. What does adaptation mean?

2. What is a habitat?

3. List the ways animals have adapted.

4. Over what period of time has it taken for adaptation to occur?

5. How has the camel adapted to its environment?

6. How has the lion adapted to its habitat?

How do animals adapt? part 1

All animals live in habitats. Habitats provide food, water, and shelter which animals need to survive, but there is more to survival than just the habitat. Animals can live in many different places because they have special adaptations to the area they live in.

What is adaptation?

An adaptation is a way an animal’s body helps it survive, or live, in its environment.

How do animals adapt to their environment?

Physical adaptation

Animals depend on their physical features to help them obtain food, keep safe, build homes, withstand weather, and attract mates. These physical adaptations make it possible for the animal to live in a particular place and in a particular way. Each adaptation has been produced by evolution. This means that the adaptations have developed over many generations.

How do animals adapt to their environment? part2

Animals come in various shapes, sizes, and colours. They live in different habitats around the world. Over time, they have developed special body parts and special behaviours that help them survive in their habitat. Each animal has adapted to the conditions of their habitat and has developed ways to use the available resources. These changes are called adaptations. An adaptation is an inherited characteristic. It is not developed over an animal’s lifetime but over generations.

How do animals adapt? part 3

Adaptations may be physical, behavioural, or physiological. The high hind legs of a cheetah are a physical adaptation. The annual migration of the monarch butterfly is a behavioural adaptation; while a chameleon, changing its skin colour for camouflage, displays a physiological adaptation.

How do animals adapt? part 4

Protection from predators

Many animals have developed remarkable defences to keep from being eaten. Some never move too far from home, some have a keen sense of smell, sight or hearing, some have horns or antlers to fight off predators. Some only come out at night so they are not so easily seen. Other animals use chemicals which they spray from various parts of their body and a few use tricks and copy other animals defences.

Mimicry adaptation part 5

What is mimicry adaptation?

Mimicry is adapting to look like something else. An example would be the hawkmoth as it looks just like a dead leaf, tattered and veined.

Basic adaptations that help creatures to survive:

Shape of a bird’s beak

The number of fingers

Colour of the fur

The thickness or thinness of the fur

The shape of the nose or ears

RESEARCH ON ANIMAL ADAPTATIONYour group works for a conservation park and your job is to inform visitors of how animals have adapted to their particular habitat. Your group’s job is to gather as much information as you can about two particular animals and how they have adapted to their environment. Remember to think about what part of its body it uses to move, eat, see, hunt, stay warm, stay cool, to hide.)

Name of each animal:

• The food it eats and how it gets it. What part of its body does it use?

• Describe its overall appearance and any special features that help it to survive.

• What it uses for shelter/protection from the weather

• What does it do or what features does it have that protect it from predators?

• How it attracts mates

Also to be included is information on what habit the animal lives in, describe what it looks like and what other animals live there.

You will all need to write a scientific report using power point to explain your findings which are to be used by the conservation park to inform visitors. An explanation of how Australia came to be a land of extremes and is like no other country in the world is to be used in the introduction. (You can use the information that is at the top of this presentation.

(All work is to be done through identifying relevant information through books, the net, photos, etc. identifying the key words and putting them into sentences.)

Your research on how different animals adapt to their environment using the following websites

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX8VQIJVpTg

http://primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/adaptation.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRX2JtKFUzk

Create a new animal

The last task to be done is to create a new animal and create ways for it to adapt to its environment.

What is also required is that you read about climate change and make predictions about what your animal could do to survive climate change.

What do you think will happen to many animals and your animal if they are unable to adapt to different weather patterns or are unable to adapt to a new environment?