Download Creature Adaptations for the Universe

Creature Adaptations for the Universe
Objectives
• Students will create a creature that is adapted for the conditions of a specific
planet.
• Students will learn about conditions that are specific to each planet, aside from
earth.
Suggested Grade Levels
5th and 6 th Grade
Subject Areas
Science
Technology
Timeline
Two or three 45 minute periods
Background Knowledge
Mercury is the planet closest to the sun. It receives a lot of solar radiation. It has
no atmosphere. The temperature on the sunlit side of Mercury is 800 degrees
Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt lead. On the dark side, Temperatures can get
down to 280 degrees below zero. Mercury has many craters.
Venus, closest to Earth, does not receive as much solar radiation as Mercury.
Venus does have an atmosphere, but not like Earth’s. Venus’s atmosphere has
an immense amount of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. The atmosphere traps
heat from the sun causing the temperature on Venus to rise above 900 degrees
Fahrenheit. On Venus, thick clouds of sulfuric acid are blown around by hurricane
winds of up to 220 miles per hour. The air pressure there is about 90 times
Earth’s.
Mars is covered with red iron oxide dust. The atmosphere contains mostly carbon
dioxide, some nitrogen, and a little water vapor. The pressure on Mars is only
1/100th of an atmosphere, yet there are strong winds that kick up the red dust into
storms than can cover the entire planet and last for a year or more. The average
temperature is a 40-degrees below zero. Most of that water is frozen as tiny ice
crystals found in clouds or as part of the large ice caps that cover the planet's
poles. During the winter, it gets so cold that carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
condenses, covering the polar ice caps with dry ice.
Jupiter is the largest gas giant. 1,300 Earths equals the size of Jupiter. The
atmosphere is made of mostly hydrogen, some helium, and trace amounts of
water, ammonia, and other gases. It is very cold there, about 180 degrees below
zero. A giant storm, known as the Great Red Spot is there. Winds from this storm
can reach hundreds of miles per hour. Below Jupiter's atmosphere lies an outer
mantle, which is made of liquid molecular hydrogen and helium. Below that, the
inner mantle is made of liquid metallic hydrogen. It is very hot - more than 54,000
degrees Fahrenheit.
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are gas giants similar to Jupiter. They are made of
hydrogen and helium, mostly in liquid form. Each of these planets is very cold on
the surface and extremely hot at the core. They also are very far away from the
sun.
Pluto is a rocky ball of ice and frozen methane, it is the only planet know to have
solid methane ice.
Information obtained from
http://chainreaction.asu.edu/solarsystem/digin/travel.htm
Materials
Computer Lab (optional)
Student worksheets
Modeling Clay of different colors
Lesson
Day One – Computer Lab
This day is optional. You may choose to provide students with the required
information.
1. Show students a poster or pictures of the nine planets.
2. Point to each planet and ask students what they think it is like on that
particular planet. Have a discussion with them and interject a few facts about
the planets.
3. Tell students to choose one planet, except earth. They will go to the computer
lab and research their planet. Numerous web sites are listed in the resource
that you can give to students.
4. Give students a worksheet with the websites listed on it and questions that
they need to find the answers to. See addendum
Day Two
Students will create a creature with adaptations that will allow it to survive on the
planet they chose.
1. Ask students if they think life exists on their planet. “Could humans survive,
why not?”, “What sort of life do scientists expect to find on planets?”
2. Tell students they will create a fictitious animal and model it out of clay. This
animal has to meet certain criteria. The animal must have three adaptations
that able it to survive in it’s harsh environment.
3. Before students are given clay, they must complete their plan sheet. See
addendum.
4. Begin creating clay models
Day Three
1. Students will finish their models, as they finish or after everyone is finished
have them present their creature to the class. They must say the creatures
name, what the three adaptations are and why it has them. Students have a
lot of fun with this activity.
Extension
Explore what scientists are doing to explore the planet, Mars. Discuss if there
have been signs of life.
Evaluation/Assessment
When the students present their creature to the class they will be evaluated upon
their knowledge of the planet and if the adaptations of their creature are
appropriate to it.
Resources
http://chainreaction.asu.edu/solarsystem/digin/travel.htm
http://www.eagle.ca/~matink/themes/Solar/planets.html
http://www.nineplanets.org/
http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/planets/
Planet Web Search
Name____________________________
Use the following websites to help you with your questions.
http://chainreaction.asu.edu/solarsystem/digin/travel.htm
http://www.eagle.ca/~matink/themes/Solar/planets.html
http://www.nineplanets.org/
http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/planets/
1. What planet are you researching?________________________
2. Does your planet have an atmosphere, if so what kind of gasses is it made
of?
3. What is the surface of your planet like (what does it look like, what it is
made of)?
4. What are the temperatures of your planet, is it hot or cold?
5. What are the temperatures of earth?
1. Describe two things that you found out about your planet that you find
interesting. Try not to mention anything that you wrote about in questions
1-5.
Planning for Creature Adaptations
Explain below three adaptations your creature will have. In your explanation
include why your creature has these specific adaptations. The adaptations should
be related to the information you found on the internet yesterday.
1.
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2.
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3.
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Draw a sketch below of your creature.
What is the name of your creature?_________________________________