Title of Book:
Chameleon’s Colors
Author:
Chisato Tashiro Translated by Marianne Martens
Publisher:
North-South Books/2003
ISBN- 10: 0735821119
ISBN- 13: 978-073582118
Grade Levels for Recommended Use: Third Grade – Seventh Grade
TEKS: 7(10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that there is a relationship
between organisms and the environment.
Brief Summary: Chameleon is tired of constantly changing colors. He blends in wherever he
goes and no one ever sees him! Hippo, however, is envious of Chameleon. He would love to be a
different color. Surprisingly, all of the other animals in the jungle would, too! So, Chameleon
sets to work painting stripes on the lion and polka-dots on the elephant. He uses every color and
pattern under the sun. But, as the animals soon learn, changing their original appearance causes
problems they never expected.
Materials needed:
Real chameleon and habitat (borrow from a local pet store)
Index cards
pencils
12 inches x 12 inches of brightly colored material
Color paper that match the material
Hole punch
Dixie cup
White board with expo markers
Graph paper
Color pencils
Suggested Activity:
1. Borrow a chameleon from a local pet store. Have it in the classroom a day or two
before reading the story. The students will ask the question, “Can chameleons turn
any color?” Ask the kids to examine the chameleon’s habitat. Then ask them the
question “Would changing into red, pink, purple help the chameleon blend into its
habitat?”
2. Tell the students to carefully pay attention to the story. There is something that is a
science misconception in the story. (I have taught my students what a misconception
was before this activity, like deoxygenated blood is blue)
3. Give the student an index card for them to jot down the misconception.
4. Read the story to the students.
5. When finished ask the students for the misconception. (It is the fact that the book
shows that chameleons change to pink, blue, and a checker pattern.)
6. Have each group spread out its piece of material.
7. Each group needs to sprinkle the color paper hole punches onto their material piece.
8. Line the students up a couple of steps away from their table with the material piece
with paper holes on it.
9. Each student has 10 seconds to pick up as many holes in 10 seconds that they can see.
Picking up ONE at a time. They go back to the back of the line waiting for everyone
to have a turn.
10. Once all the groups are finished, have the students return to their table and put their
person’s cups in front of them.
11. The students sort and count the color dots that were left on their groups’ material.
The groups will fill out a classroom data table on the white board.
12. The students will now sort and count their personalized cup of dots. They are to fill
out the data table and graph their results.
Color
Number of dots
Light yellow
Dark yellow
Gold
Red
Light blue
Medium blue
Dark blue
Black
Purple
orange
13. As a whole group discussion, show the students the graph from the left over holes.
14. Ask them to compare their individual graphs with people around them. “What color
was picked up the most? What was the color picked up least? Why?
Extension: This activity can easily be changed into a natural selection lab.
Based on an activity in Science Giants: Life Science pg 11-12.
T i c o t s k y, A . ( 2 0 0 7 ) . S c i e n c e g i a n t s : l i f e s c i e n c e . T u c s o n , A r i z o n a :
Good Year Books.
In lab groups of 5,
1. Have students put 10 of each color dot into a cup. Mix the colors and pour them onto the
material.
2. The students take turns removing the ten easiest to find dots (give each group a cup
marked REMOVED so the students have a place to put their removed dots)
3. Once everyone in the lab group has gone, round one is over.
4. The students need to sort the remaining dots into colors.
5. The students fill out a data chart showing their results from round one.
6. They will add two dots for every two of a single color. (The new dots are offspring)
7. Single dots do not reproduce but match enough of them to bring the population back to
one hundred to round two. This simulates migration. Put the new population into the
mixing cup to prepare for round two.
8. Student will go through this for four rounds making sure to fill out their data table after
each round. The population will become dominated by the color dot that was the hardest
to find. The most effectively camouflaged dot will have been naturally selected to
succeed in their environment.
Adapted by Cindy Hopkins, 2010
Chameleon’s Colors
Author: Chisato Tashiro Translated by Marianne Martens
Data Table:
Color
Number of dots you found
Red
Orange
Light yellow
Dark yellow
Gold
Purple
Light blue
Medium blue
Dark blue
Black
Graph your data on the back.
HOTS
1. What color did you pick the most? Why?
2. What color did you pick the least? Why?
3. What did this experiment teach you about camouflage?
Adapted by Cindy Hopkins, 2010