ADAPTATIONS TO ARID HABITATS – Teachers’ Notes
Who is it for?
11-14 year olds
How long will it take? The presentation and experiment set up are ideal as an hour-long
session. The experiment can be left running overnight or until the next
class, when the results and write up can take place.
Learning outcomes:
Students will learn about how different animals and plants are adapted to surviving in arid
habitats. Students will develop practical planning and investigative skills and will practice critically
analysing and evaluating evidence from their observations and experiments.
What do you need?
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Interactive whiteboard or projector
Computer to connect to whiteboard or projector
ARKive’s Adaptations to Arid Habitats classroom presentation (PowerPoint)
Adaptations to Arid Habitats Worksheet 1 (one per student)
Adaptations to Arid Habitats Worksheet 2 (one per group)
One medium to large sponge per group (to be divided into four pieces)
Water (to soak sponges)
Selection of materials to simulate adaptations – e.g., plastic bag or cling film as
waterproof skin; cardboard or other material to provide shade; washing up bowl or other
container to simulate a burrow
If a heat lamp or desk lamp is available you can use these to simulate sunshine;
otherwise, the sponges can be left in a warm, sunny spot (ensure there is natural light)
Weighing scales
Summary:
This creative and practical activity is designed to teach 11-14 year olds about the concept of
adaptation, looking specifically at how animals and plants are adapted to survive in arid habitats.
Students will learn the definition of adaptation, and why living organisms need adaptations to
survive in their natural environment. Using Barrow Island in Australia as a case study, students
will also learn the definition of an arid habitat and about the particular challenges that arid
environments pose to living organisms.
Students will look at examples of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and plants and the specific
adaptations that enable them to survive in arid habitats. Students will compare those species
living on Barrow Island with examples of species living in other arid habitats worldwide.
Students will complete a worksheet that requires them to decide whether particular adaptations
are behavioural adaptations or physical adaptations, using examples given in the presentation.
Working in groups, students will then be asked to design and carry out experiment aimed at
testing the effectiveness of different adaptations in reducing water loss. Students will leave the
experiment for at least 24 hours, and will collate and report their results in a written scientific
report.
Preparation guidelines:
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Read through the instructions to make sure you understand the activity.
Download the Adaptation to Arid Habitats PowerPoint presentation.
Print out a set of Worksheet 1, one for each student in the class.
Print out a set of Worksheet 2, one for each group.
Assemble equipment for the adaptation experiment. Each group will need four sponges
(or a large sponge split into four equal pieces), access to weighing scales, and enough
equipment to simulate shade, waterproof skin and a burrow.
How to run the session:
1. Begin by introducing the concept of adaptations to arid habitats by working through the
Adaptation to Arid Habitats PowerPoint presentation. See slide notes on the PowerPoint
presentation for further guidance and information.
2. At the appropriate point during the presentation, hand out an ‘Adaptations to Arid
Habitats Worksheet 1’ to each student to fill in.
3. Once the students have completed the worksheet, run through the answers on the
PowerPoint presentation as a class.
4. The last slide of the presentation introduces the experiment. Once you have explained
the experiment to the students, ask them to divide into groups. Hand out an ‘Adaptations
to Arid Habitats Worksheet 2’ to each group and ask them to fill in the preliminary
questions.
5. Hand out sponges and equipment and supervise the students setting up the experiment.
If necessary, prompt the students as to how best to simulate the different adaptations, for
example by putting the sponge inside a plastic bag or cling film to simulate waterproof
skin. Students will need to ensure that their experimental design is consistent; for
example, all the sponges should be soaked thoroughly, squeezed out to avoid
oversaturation, and then weighed, and this treatment should be applied consistently for
all adaptation simulations. Similarly, students will also need to consider the necessity for
a control experiment.
6. Once the experiment has been set up, it should be left running overnight or until the next
class. It is advisable to place the experiments in a sunny spot or under a heat lamp to
ensure that the best results are achieved. Save the worksheets as the students will need
these when collecting the results at the end of the experiment.
7. In the next class, get the students to record the results and answer the remaining
questions on the last page of the worksheet. The students will be asked to produce a
graph illustrating their results.
8. You may then want to ask the students to write up the experiment in full.
Suggestions for extension activities:
Extension 1 - Design a Species
Ask the students to come up with their own imaginary species adapted to live in an arid habitat.
Get the students to design a poster illustrating their species and labelling its different adaptations.
If desired, the students can then present their posters to the rest of the class.
Extension 2 - Camel Adaptations
Ask the students to research the different ways in which camels are adapted to living in desert
habitats. They can use the ARKive website, other online sources or books.
Ask the students to design a poster or create a presentation explaining the camel’s adaptations
and how they help it to survive.
Extension 3 – Adaptation Comparison
In this activity, students have learned how animals are adapted to arid habitats, using Barrow
Island, Australia as a case study. For this extension activity, get students to consider other habitat
types, for example, polar, tundra, temperate, tropical, etc. Ask the students to pick a habitat type
and have them research a particular location (e.g. Polar/Arctic) in order to compile their own case
studies. Students should research the species that live in their chosen habitats and the
adaptations they have evolved which allow them to thrive in their environment. Students can then
choose how they wish to present their findings, for example, as a presentation, poster, written
report, or other format.