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STEM
The Stem Context
“For students to develop the abilities that characterize science as inquiry, they must actively participate in scientific investigations, and they must actually use the cognitive and manipu lative skills associated with the formulation of scientific explanations.”
The National Science Education Standards: 1996. p . 173.
Life Sciences Context
“…students often do not understand natural selection because they fail to make a conceptual connection between the occurrence of new variations in a population and the potential effect of those variations on the long-term survival of the species. One mis-conception that teachers may encounter involves students attributing new variations to an organism’s need, environmental conditions, or use. With some help, students can understand that, in general, mutations occur randomly and are selected because they help some organisms survive and produce more offspring.”
The National Science Education Standards: 1996 p. 181, 184
Examples of Related National Science Education Standards
“Understanding adaptations can be particularly troublesome at this level [5-8]. Many students think adaptation means that individuals change in major ways in response to environmental changes (that is, if the environment changes, individual organisms deliberately adapt).” p. 156
“Diversity and adaptations of organisms – Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.” p. 158 www.umassk12.net/ipy
A STEM ED Program at the University of Massachusetts, funded by the National Science Foundation and supported by the
Climate System Research Center in conjunction with the International Polar Year

Examples of Related National Science Education Standards Continued
Content Standard C:
As a result of their activities in levels 5-8, students should develop understanding of
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Structure and function of living things
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Reproduction and heredity
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Regulation and behavior
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Populations and Ecosystems
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Diversity and adaptation of organisms
As a result of their activities in levels 9-12, students should develop understanding of
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The cell
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Molecular basis of heredity
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Biological evolution
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Interdependence of organisms
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Matter energy and organization in living systems
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Behavior of organisms
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Examples of Related Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering
Framework Standards
Definition:
Adaptation A modification of an organism or its parts that makes the organism more fit for existence under the conditions of its environment. (p. 147)
Life Science (Biology), Grades 6-8
Evolution and Biodiversity
12. Relate the extinction of species to a mismatch of adaptation and the environment (e.g. Relate how numerous species could not adapt to habitat destruction and over-killing by humans e.g. woolly mammoth, passenger pigeon, great auk). (p. 52)
Changes in Ecosystems
18. Recognize that biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations.
(p. 53)
High school
Genetics
3.3 Mutations in the DNA sequence or gametes may result in phenotypic changes in an organism or offspring. (p. 107)
3.4 Genetic traits result in observed inheritance patterns. (p. 107)

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Adaptations Lab exercises: A centers approach with several activities to test out.
Each activity could be expanded into one lesson or a similar centers approach could be used.
Activity I: Adaptations
– investigation of size and heat
This Lab exercise has been adapted from: http://www.blm.gov/education/00_resources/articles/alaskas_cold_desert/posterback.html
Investigation: Size and Heat
Background: Biologists have noticed that many tundra birds and mammals are larger and have smaller appendages than do similar species living in warmer environments.
This is referred to as Bergmann’s Rule (size increases with latitude or the
Surface/volume ratio decreases in cold climate) and Allen’s Rule ('stubbiness' increases with latitude or the extremities are reduced in cooler latitudes). Tundra hares, for example, are among the largest hares and have shorter ears and legs than do desert hares (called jackrabbits). Similarly, arctic foxes have shorter ears than do desert kit foxes. Even lemmings are larger and have smaller ears and tails than do most other mouse-like animals. Large size and short appendages are adaptations that reduce heat loss and resist the cold.
The amount of heat loss increases as the proportion of exposed surface area to body mass increases. Since that proportion is greater in small animals, they lose heat more quickly. An animal with long legs, ears, or a tail has more surface area than an animal of the same size that has shorter appendages.
However, in some cases, small size can be an adaptation for survival on the tundra.
Why? A small organism can survive on less food than can a large organism of the same species. Shrews, the smallest of all mammals, thrive in the tundra of arctic Alaska.
Materials, Part 1: The station should have two laboratory-type thermometers; large and small containers made of the same material (two tin cans or two plastic jugs, for example); hot tap water; access to cold temperatures outdoors, a refrigerator or cooler filled with ice; the Adaptation Cards (This is on a separate page); and a posted set of instructions.
Materials Part 2: The work station should have one pair of latex gloves; several rubber bands; two laboratory-type thermometers; warm water; graduated cylinders or beakers; two containers of at least 250 ml capacity; access to cold temperatures outdoors, a refrigerator or a cooler filled with ice; the Animal Adaption Cards; goggles; and a posted set of instructions.

Instructions: Part 1
Which will lose heat and grow cold faster, a large object or a small object? Test your hypothesis with the following investigation.
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1. Fill the large and small containers with hot water. Measure and record the water temperature in each container.
2. Place both containers outside or in a cold place for 15 minutes. Again, measure and record the water temperature in each container.
3. Find the difference between the starting and ending readings for both containers.
Which container's contents cooled down more? Did your prediction match your results?
4. Based on what you found out about the relationship between cooling and the size of the objects, do you think animals living in tundra environmental would be larger or smaller than animals living in warm environments?
5. Using the Animal Adaptation Cards, compare the sizes of the animals in each pair. Which animals are larger - the ones living on the tundra or the ones living in a warm environment? Which moose do you think would be larger, one native to
Wyoming, or one native to Alaska? Try to find out if you are correct.
Instructions: Part 2
Which one do you think keeps your hands warmer, mittens or gloves? Test your hypothesis with the following investigation.
1. While wearing goggles, close off each of the five finger compartments in one of the gloves. Be sure the rubber bands are tight. This will be called the "mitten."
The other glove will be called the "normal glove."
2. Measure and record the temperature of the warm water.
3. Pour 250 mL of the water into the "mitten." Tightly close the top of the "mitten" glove with another rubber band.
4. Pour 250 mL of the water into the "normal glove," so that water runs into the finger compartments. Close the top of this glove with another rubber band. Again, be sure to close it tightly so it won't leak.
5. Place both gloves in a cold place (a refrigerator, or outdoors if the temperature is cold enough), near each other, but not touching. Wait 15 minutes. Pour the water from the "mitten" into one container and the water in the "normal glove" into another container. Measure and record the temperature of the water in both containers.
6. In which glove did the water temperature decrease? How would you explain this difference? Next time it's cold and you go outside, will you wear mittens or gloves to keep your hands warm?
7. Now, think about animals living on the tundra. The blood in their bodies is like water in the gloves. Their toes, ears, and tails are like the fingers in the glove.
Considering what you learned from this exercise, which animal do you think would stay warmer in the tundra, one with long ears, toes, and tail, or one with short ears, toes, and tail?
8. Looking at the Animal Adaptation Cards, compare the appendages (ears, tails, toes, and so on) of the arctic animals to those of the warm-climate animals. Give a reason for the differences you observe.

Teacher Wrap-up
In the first part of this investigation, students observe that the small container lost more heat more quickly than did the large container. Heat loss increases as the proportion of exposed surface area to body mass increases. Since that proportion is greater for the
5 small container than for the large one, the small container loses heat more quickly. In the second part of the investigation, students observe that heat loss is greater for the glove than for the mitten. This is because the glove has a greater surface area than does the mitten.
The Animal Adaption Cards can help students make the connection between their investigations and animals adaptations. Tundra birds and mammals are larger the have smaller appendages than do similar species in warmer environments and, therefore, retain heat better than their desert counterparts.
Animal Adaptation Cards
Arctic Ground Squirrel
This squirrel, typically 20 to 32 centimeters long and weighing one kilogram, has thick fur.
It can hibernate for several months, living off stored fat.
Antelope Ground Squirrel
This warm-climate squirrel, typically 15 centimeters long and weighing 90 grams, has short fur and a fairly long tail. It must eat year-round but can survive for weeks without water.
Arctic Fox
This fox, usually weighing 3-6 kilograms, has long, warm fur that turns white in winter and short ears.

Kit Fox
This desert fox, usually weighing 1-3 kilograms, is light brown year-round and has large ears.
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Snowshoe Hare
This mammal has long, dense fur that turns white in winter and fairly short ears.
Desert Jackrabbit
This mammal has short fur that stays light brown year-round and very large ears.
Collared Lemming
This arctic mammal has thick fur that turns white in winter and a short tail, small ears, and short legs.

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Kangaroo Rat
This desert mammal has short fur that stays light tan year-round and a long tail, long ears, and long legs.
Snowy Owl
This large, white bird feeds on small mammals.
It nests on the ground.
Great Horned Owl
This large, brown bird feeds on small mammals. It builds stick nests in trees

Student Guide
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Your Goal:
Gain an understanding of Bergmann’s and Allen’s Rules based on a hands-on experimental approach.
Step 1: Hypothesize which will lose heat and grow cold faster, a large object or a small object? Test your hypothesis with the following investigation.
1. Fill the large and small containers with hot water. Measure and record the water temperature in each container.
2. Place both containers outside or in a cold place for 15 minutes. Again, measure and record the water temperature in each container.
3. Find the difference between the starting and ending readings for both containers.
Which container's contents cooled down more? Did your prediction match your results?
4. Based on what you found out about the relationship between cooling and the size of the objects, do you think animals living in tundra environmental would be larger or smaller than animals living in warm environments?
5. Using the Animal Adaptation Cards, compare the sizes of the animals in each pair.
Which animals are larger - the ones living on the tundra or the ones living in a warm environment? Which moose do you think would be larger, one native to Wyoming, or one native to Alaska? Try to find out if you are correct.
Step 2: Hypothesize which one do you think keeps your hands warmer, mittens or gloves? Test your hypothesis with the following investigation.
1. While wearing goggles, close off each of the five finger compartments in one of the gloves. Be sure the rubber bands are tight. This will be called the "mitten." The other glove will be called the "normal glove."
2. Measure and record the temperature of the warm water.
3. Pour 250 mL of the water into the "mitten." Tightly close the top of the "mitten" glove with another rubber band.
4. Pour 250 mL of the water into the "normal glove," so that water runs into the finger compartments. Close the top of this glove with another rubber band. Again, be sure to close it tightly so it won't leak.
5. Place both gloves in a cold place (a refrigerator, or outdoors if the temperature is cold enough), near each other, but not touching. Wait 15 minutes. Pour the water from the "mitten" into one container and the water in the "normal glove" into another container. Measure and record the temperature of the water in both containers.
6. In which glove did the water temperature decrease? How would you explain this difference? Next time it's cold and you go outside, will you wear mittens or gloves to keep your hands warm?
7. Now, think about animals living on the tundra. The blood in their bodies is like water in the gloves. Their toes, ears, and tails are like the fingers in the glove. Considering what you learned from this exercise, which animal do you think would stay warmer in the tundra, one with long ears, toes, and tail, or one with short ears, toes, and tail?
8. Looking at the Animal Adaptation Cards, compare the appendages (ears, tails, toes, and so on) of the arctic animals to those of the warm-climate animals. Give a reason for the differences you observe.

Activity II: Adaptations – an experiment with insulation using a ‘blubber’ glove
This Lab exercise has been adapted from: http://www.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/blubber.html
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Background: Many animals have adapted to cold climates by having thick layers of insulating blubber under their skins. Whales, penguins, seals, walruses and polar bears all share this adaptation.
In this exercise students will focus on the following questions: How does being fat / having a layer of blubber help animals survive in very cold climates? What are some body adaptations that allow animals to live in very cold places? How do Antarctic animals like penguins stay warm in bone-chilling water? Have students start to answer these questions before they do the experiment and revisit the questions at the end.
1. Discuss how quickly our bodies are chilled in cold water. What do we do to stay warm? (move around, wear insulating wetsuits, get out of the water).
Although the human body has body fat called adipose tissue that helps to cushion organs and store energy, we do not have the specialized adipose tissue called blubber that whales, penguins and other mammals have. Our bodies can be quickly chilled
(especially in cold water) and we can experience hypothermia. Hypothermia is a condition where the body temperature drops below 35ºC or 95ºF. If we were to fall into the waters off the coast of Maine in the spring, where the water temperature is 4050ºF, hypothermia could lead to exhaustion or unconsciousness in as little as 30-60 minutes and the expected time of survival in the water is 1-3 hours. If the water temperature is under 32ºF, exhaustion or unconsciousness could be experienced in less than 15 minutes and the expected time of survival in the water is less than 15 to 45 minutes.
(information from the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothermia/DS00333/DSECTION=4 ). On the other hand, penguins and polar bears can survive cold temperatures quite easily (unless their layers of insulation are some how compromised such as what happens when there is oil on feathers).

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2. Ask students to list ways in which animals are able to stay warm in cold water.
There are many ways that animals have to stay warm in cold water. Blubber is one thing, however, there are several other ways including: air bubbles that can get trapped in feathers. Waterproofing supplied by natural oil on feathers or fur
– note this type of oil is produced by the animal’s body and is very different than crude oil! Having a low surface area to volume ratio can also help.
Materials Needed:
1 large pla stic bin ¾ full of water and ice to serve as the “ocean”
1 blubber glove (see directions for their construction)
2 gallon-sized food storage bags with zip strips
1 lb of vegetable shortening
Duct tape
2 additional gallon-sized food storage bags with zip strips
1 data sheet
2 thermometers
2 small jars or beakers with 50 ml of room temperature water in each
Heating pad
Stop watch or clock with a second hand or timer
Blubber Glove Construction Directions:
Materials for each blubber glove you want to make:
2 gallon-sized food storage bags with the zip strips —not a zipper
1/4 to 1/3 can of vegetable shortening
Duct tape
Directions:
1. Place the vegetable shortening inside one of the zip food bags
2. Turn the other zip bag inside out
3. Put your hand inside the “inside out” bag
4. Match the zip sides of the bag on your hand to the opposite color zip strip on the bag with the shortening in it
5. “Dive” the hand protected by the clean bag into the shortening
6. Squish the shortening all around the hand so it is completely insulated
7. Remove your hand and zip the two bags together
8. Place duct tape around the zippers to avoid accidents when children handle the glove.
9. Use the additional bags to create a second glove without adding the shortening (this will be a control glove).
Experiment 1: This is an experiment with quantitative data
1. Predict how each hand will feel (temperature-wise) when one hand has the blubber glove and the other the plain glove and both are put in the ice water.
2. Choose a person to be the subject of the experiment. Place the blubber glove on one hand and the plain glove (without the ‘blubber’) on the other hand. Place both hands in the cold “ocean” being careful

11 not to let any of the water enter either bag (a partner might need to help hold the tops up out of the ocean.)
3. Have another person time how long the hands remain in the water.
How do the hands feel after 30 seconds? After 1 minute? After 1.5 minutes? After 2 minutes? Note: this is qualitative data based on how the person’s hands feel. Be sure to explain to students the difference between qualitative and quantitative data (or have them explain the difference to you!)
4. Take your hands out of both bags. Dry the outsides.
5. Place the blubber glove on top of the hot heating pad. Imagine that the pad and blubber glove represent a warm-blooded animal like a penguin, seal, or whale. Does any of its inner heat escape to your hand? How do the hands feel after 30 seconds? After 1 minute? After
1.5 minutes? After 2 minutes? Again, this is qualitative data based on how the person’s hands feel. (Don’t leave the blubber glove on top of the heating pad!)
Experiment 2: This experiment will be about collecting quantitative data
1. Place a small jar / beaker with water inside the blubber glove and the other small jar / beaker in the empty plastic bag
2. Put a thermometer in each and let it stand for at least 1 minute. Take the reading and make a data point on the “Prediction Graph” and on also on the “Experimental Graph.”
3. Using the key on the chart, students will draw a line to show their predictions for each “bird”—the blubber glove set-up represents the
“fat” bird, and the plain bag set-up represents the “skinny” bird.
4. Place each bag in the ice water being careful not to let any water into the bags.
5. Record the temperature every 30 seconds for the next 10 minutes on the Data Sheet and the “Results” graph.
6. Dry off the bags and jars – and repeat the experiment, but this time place the “fat” and “thin” birds on the heating pad instead of in the ice water. Record the findings on the Data Table and second Results
Graph.
7. Write a reflection paragraph about the observations and what this activity demonstrates about animals with blubber.

Student Guide
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Your Goal: Investigate how vegetable shortening (a form of fat) can simulate the insulating ability of blubber.
Our hypothesis is that the shortening will simulate blubber and have an effect on how temperature is perceived qualitatively and quantitatively. Form predictions about what might happen when hands encased in the blubber gloves are placed in ice water. How might the data collected in the second experiment support this? What do you predict the temperature graph to look like?
Blubber Glove Construction Directions:
Materials for each blubber glove you want to make:
2 gallon-sized food storage bags with the zip strips —not a zipper
1/4 to 1/3 can of vegetable shortening
Duct tape
Directions:
1. Place the vegetable shortening inside one of the zip food bags
2. Turn the other zip bag inside out
3. Put your hand inside the “inside out” bag
4. Match the zip sides of the bag on your hand to the opposite color zip strip on the bag with the shortening in it
5. “Dive” the hand protected by the clean bag into the shortening
6. Squish the shortening all around the hand so it is completely insulated
7. Remove your hand and zip the two bags together
8. Place duct tape around the zippers to avoid accidents when children handle the glove.
9. Use the additional bags to create a second glove without adding the shortening (this will be a control glove).
Experiment 1 : This is an experiment with quantitative data
1. Predict how each hand will feel (temperature-wise) when one hand has the blubber glove and the other the plain glove and both are put in the ice water.
2. Choose a person to be the subject of the experiment. Place the blubber glove on one hand and the plain glove (without the ‘blubber’) on the other hand. Place both hands in the cold “ocean” being careful not to let any of the water enter either bag (a partner might need to help hold the tops up out of the ocean.)
3. Have another person time how long the hands remain in the water.
How do the hands feel after 30 seconds? After 1 minute? After 1.5 minutes? After 2 minutes? Note: this is qualitative data based on how the person’s hands feel.
4. Take your hands out of both bags. Dry the outsides.
5. Place the blubber glove on top of the hot heating pad. Imagine that the pad and blubber glove represent a warm-blooded animal like a penguin, seal, or whale. Does any of its inner heat escape to your hand? How do the hands feel after 30 seconds? After 1 minute? After

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1.5 minutes? After 2 minutes? Again, this is qualitative data based on how the person’s hands feel. (Don’t leave the blubber glove on top of the heating pad!)
Experiment 2: This experiment will be about collecting quantitative data
1. Place a small jar / beaker with water inside the blubber glove and the other small jar / beaker in the empty plastic bag
2. Put a thermometer in each and let it stand for at least 1 minute. Take the reading and make a data point on the “Predicted Results” graph and on also on the “Results” graph. Make sure to fill in a scale for the y-axis of the graph and to record if using ºF or ºC.
3. Draw lines to show your predictions for each “bird”—the blubber glove setup represents the “fat” bird, and the plain bag set-up represents the
“skinny” bird. Use a solid line for the “fat” bird (surrounded by
“blubber”) and dashed line for the “thin” bird (no insulation).
4. Place each bag in the ice water being careful not to let any water into the bags.
5. Record temperature every 30 seconds for the next 10 minutes and record the findings on the Data Table and the Results Graph.
6. Dry off the bags and jars – and repeat the experiment, but this time place the “fat” and “thin” birds on the heating pad instead of in the ice water. Record the findings on the Data Table and second Results
Graph.
7. Write a reflection paragraph about the observations and what this activity demonstrates about animals with blubber.

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Activity III: Adaptations – wing shapes and body types
The following activities / demonstrations have been adapted from: http://www.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/penguin.html
These demonstrations can be used in a class to illustrate adaptations of shape and density.
Materials needed:

Tub or pan of water approx. 4 inches deep or deeper.
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Sheets of paper
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2 empty toilet paper rolls
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2 cans
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Some sand to add to one can
1. Flying birds need a large wingspan to hold them in the air, but small wings work best for birds swimming through the water. The smaller wings move through a heavier medium like water easier than larger wings. Puffins are very clumsy fliers in the air, but under water they can soar. Penguins have taken this one step further and are unable to fly in air, but underwater there are few that can match them. Demonstrate the differences with two large sheets of paper. Try to push a sheet of paper through a pan of water. It doesn't push very well. Fold another large sheet of paper five or six times and try pushing that through the water. The smaller, stiffer paper, like a penguin's wing, works better.
2. Most birds have hollow bones to make their bodies light enough to become airborne. But the penguins' heavy, solid bones help them float lower in the water.
You can demonstrate the difference between hollow bones and solid bones with two toilet paper rolls, one empty the other stuffed with tissue paper.
3. Float an empty can in a bucket of water open end up. It floats high in the water like flying aquatic birds (ducks, for example). Add sand to another can until it sinks slightly. Now push down on both cans. The sand-filled container is easier to push down into the water. In this way, it is easier for a penguin to dive into the water.
4. As a group, make a Venn diagram to show the ways that penguins are different from and similar to other birds. Have different groups of students make Venn diagrams showing how penguins are different from and similar to seals, whales, fish, and other birds.
5. Using ideas from the discussion about penguin adaptations and Venn-diagrams, have groups of students design a totally new marine animal that is also welladapted for the cold. Make a picture of the animal. Model it from play-dough or clay and place it in a shoe box diorama. Have students explain the rationale behind the design of their animals and habitats. Does it reflect earlier discussions?

Activity IV: Fooling the senses
Adapted from: The New York Times -- February 4, 1987 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE7DA1E30F937A35751C0A961948260
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While there are adaptations that can be traced in evolutionary history, such as the thick layers of blubber that help some animals survive extreme cold, there are other shortterm adaptations that are a way for the brain to protect itself from sensory overstimulation. Perhaps you’ve had this experience. For example, have you ever had a clock with a loud ticking noise and gotten so used to it that you can sleep right through the noise, but if you loan the clock to some one not used it they may not be able to stand the sound (at first).
TEMPERATURE
Materials: 3 bowls. Put very cold water in the bowl on the left, put very hot water (as hot as you can stand it) in the bowl on the right. In the middle bowl put tepid water. Put one hand in the hot water and the other one in the cold water. Count to 30. Now plunge both hands into the bowl with tepid water. How do both hands feel?
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Explanation: You adapted to heat on one side and cold on the other. Tepid water, by comparison, would thus feel hot to the cold-adapted hand and cold to the hotadapted hand.

Additional Web-Resources on Adaptations http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/science/cold_penguins.htm
The science of cold. This website does a good job of explaining how penguins
19 can survive cold temperatures. http://anthro.palomar.edu/adapt/adapt_2.htm
Explains Bergmann’s Rule is and how are surface area and heat loss associated with each other? http://www.blm.gov/education/00_resources/articles/alaskas_cold_desert/posterback.ht
ml
How do species survive the Arctic Tundra? This website gives some clear illustrations and explanations. http://www.lavoisier.fr/notice/gb283689.html
This is a link to a summary about a book: Cold ocean physiology by H.O. Portner and R.C. Playle. More technical science in nature, but may appeal to those wanted more detailed explanations. http://www.utmsi.utexas.edu/staff/dunton/k12/adaptations.pdf
This is a slide show that can be downloaded as a pdf file. The focus is on how plants and animals (including humans) survive in the Arctic. http://www.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/penguin.html
This is the website on penguins and includes several exercises about adaptations created by the Gulf of Maine Museum in Portland, ME. http://www.anta.canterbury.ac.nz/resources/adapt.html
An interesting website that gives some details about how some animals have adapted to the cold of Antarctica. http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0402-insects_cold.html
This website explains an anti-freeze type compound that some invertebrates have in their bodies that help them survive Arctic Temperatures.