1. ADAPTATIONS For Survival
29th June 09 (Mon)
Charles Darwin

2. Lesson Objective At the end of the lesson, pupils are able to:
Recognise that adaptations serve to enhance survival of an organism.
State that adaptations may be structural or behavioural.
Understand that adaptations enhance survival by enabling the organism to:
Cope with physical factors
Obtain food
Escape predators
Reproduce by finding and attracting mates
Germinate by dispersing seeds

3. Adaptations
Adaptations are special characteristics of an organism that help it survive in its habitat.
Example: Polar Bears
Polar bears are adapted to the cold lands in the Arctic. They have:
a thick coat of fur,
lots of body fat,
hair on their soles to increase friction and prevent slipping.

4. Adaptations Structural Behavioural
can be
Structural
Behavioural
Special body parts of an organism that help it to survive. For e.g. its colour, shape and body covering.
 Polar bears have thick and white coat of fur to protect against the cold.
How an animal behaves or what it does to survive.
 Toads hide during the day and come out to feed at night when it is cooler.
An organism usually has more than one adaptation.
Structural and behavioural adaptations often complement each other.

5. Write your answers in your Science note book / on a piece of paper.
Adaptation
Structural adaptations are special body parts of an organism that help it to survive in its natural habitat.
Refer to Science TB, Pg 49
Write your answers in your Science note book / on a piece of paper.

6. Write your answers in your Science note book / on a piece of paper.
Adaptation
Behavioural adaptations are special ways an organism behaves to survive in its natural habitat.
Refer to Science TB, Pg 49
Write your answers in your Science note book / on a piece of paper.

7. Those unable to move or adapt will eventually die.
What happens to organisms if the environment changes and becomes unfavourable? E.g. the temperature increase by 2oC to 3oC, or the habitat suddenly receives less water?
Animals could move out of the changed environment or adapt to the new environment (usually a behavioural adaptation).
Those unable to move or adapt will eventually die.

8. SUMMARY
Adaptations are special characteristics of organisms that help them survive in their habitat.
Adaptation can be structural or behavioural.
If the environment of a habitat changes and becomes unfavourable, animals need to move out or adapt. If not, they will eventually die.

9. To do: Access LEAD portal for Activity 1: Survivors!
Read Science Textbook, Pg 48 & 49
Science PSLE Booklet, Pg 3 – 12 and Pg 30 – 31