Adaptation and Behavior
Lesson #11: Learned and Instinctive Behavior
Time Frame: 50 minutes
Note: There is only one copy of the DVD required for this lesson at each school. If two
classes are going on simultaneously, Williams student teachers will have to coordinate
using the DVD. A possible solution could be switching the order of Lessons 10 and 11
for one class.
Learning Standards:
Science
Life Science: Plant (and Animal) Structures and Functions
1) Describe how organisms meet some of their needs in an environment by using
behaviors (patterns of activities) in response to information (stimuli) received
from the environment. Recognize that some animal behaviors are instinctive
(e.g., turtles burying their eggs), and others are learned (e.g., humans building
fires for warmth, chimpanzees learning how to use tools).
2) Recognize plant behaviors, such as the way seedlings’ stems grow toward light
and their roots grow downward in response to gravity. Recognize that many
plants and animals can survive harsh environments because of seasonal
behaviors, e.g., in winter, some trees shed leaves, some animals hibernate, and
other animals migrate.
Student will be able to:
1) Define and differentiate between learned and instinctive behavior.
2) Give examples of learned and instinctive behavior.
Resources and Materials:
Item
Science journals
Animal Behavior and Communication DVD
DVD player
Color overheads or PowerPoint examples of animal behavior
Amount
1 (in bin)
(in classroom)
1 set (in binder)
Focus Activity: Ask students to answer the following question in their science
notebooks. What behaviors have you learned to do? What are abilities are you born
with? For example, what can babies do really well?
Introduction: Discuss the focus activity as a class. Differentiate between behaviors that
are learned and behaviors that occur without experience. Make list on the board of
human behaviors that are learned and behaviors that are not learned (instinctive). Add
to this list as class continues. Review and highlight the importance of stimuli for any
behavior to occur and reference the definitions of behavior and stimuli from the last
science lesson.
Activity:
1) Write the following terms and their definitions on the board. Discuss the terms as
a class and relate to the focus activity.
Instinctive behaviors: behaviors that occur without experience, a pattern of
activities that is not learned
Learned behaviors: behaviors that are changed by experience
2) Watch a short (26 minute) DVD (or video) about animal behavior. Ask students
to take notes as they watch the DVD. Their notes should be in the form of two
lists, one with examples of instinctive behaviors and one with examples of
learned behaviors. To further shorten the video: you may forward through the
section where the students build a maze and the ending discussion about people
training animals.
3) Discuss the student notes from the DVD as a class going through each example
of learned behavior and instinctive behavior.
4) Then, using either overheads or PowerPoint, give the students examples of
behaviors from each of the lists below and ask them to discuss and explain if
each type of behavior is learned or instinctive.
Teacher Information:
Learned behaviors
Many songbirds learn to sing by listening to other birds (some science studies
show baby birds that grow up not listening to any bird songs are not able to sing)
Chimpanzees use tools to get food
Dolphins use a sponge to protect their nose and scare up fish to eat
Humans build fire for warmth (work with the students to discuss other human
behaviors and relate to the focus activity)
Instinctive behaviors
Spiders spin webs
Birds build a nest
Chipmunks hibernate
Birds and butterflies migrate
Turtles bury their eggs
Honey bees dance to communicate location and distance to a food source
Debated by scientists: Learned or instinctive behavior?
Crows and make and use tools to get food (this may not be a learned behavior
because birds can independently make and use tools without prior experiences
or observations of tool use)
Closure: Discuss the following ideas and questions as a class. Why are their more
examples of instinctive animal behaviors than learned animal behaviors? Why do we
have more human learned behaviors than human instinctive behaviors? How are
humans different from most other animals? How does this help us survive? Are these
behaviors adaptations? Explain.
Assessment: Science notebook responses about human behaviors, notes from the
DVD with lists of learned and instinctive behaviors, and classroom discussions about
the examples of animal learned and instinctive behavior
Resources and Materials: Science notebooks, DVD on Animal Behavior, DVD player,
Color overheads or PowerPoint with examples of animal behavior
Extension Activities:
Using small mammals, such as gerbils, rats, or hamsters, your class can build a maze
and test predictions about learned behaviors with these animals. Your class can also
use Siamese fighting fish to observe male display behavior and see if these males learn
to minimize their display responses over time. However, there are many legal and
ethical considerations if you choose to use vertebrates in your classroom. If you are
interested in any of these activities please let me know.
Websites Relating to Animal Behavior:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0607_050607_dolphin_tools.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1006_041006_chimps.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/05/0523_020523_0523TVchimps.html
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/reprint/297/5583/981.pdf (about New Caledonian crows)
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/songbirds.html (about birds learning to sing)