Create a Creature (Years 5 and 6)

Why do animals look the way they do? You’re going to find out more about animal adaptations … and then apply your understandings to create your own creature … adapted to life on another planet!

You’ll be exploring these questions:

• What do animals need to survive, thrive or adapt?
• In what ways are animals classified?
• How are the planets different from earth? How might these differences affect life?
• Can you justify why animals might adapt in particular ways?

Getting started

Over long periods of time, all creatures adapt to their environment. These adaptations help species to survive!

Work through the following activities and start thinking about the different ways that animals adapt. Start creating a list of all the different variations to help you complete the first task.

• to start tuning in to animal adaptation play this animal adaptations game
• here’s another quiz – can you pick the adaptations these animals have made?
• try one of the interactive challenges
• read the related articles
• now try the habitat quiz

How many different ways can animals adapt to suit an environment? Brainstorm or create a mind map to show at least ten! Include examples of animals that have done this. Use colour and try to extend your thinking.

You could use kidspiration, inspiration or Mind 42 – an online mind mapping tool (sign up required – includes user name, password and email address). Otherwise this is a good activity to do on paper – be creative!

Tony Buzan invented mind mapping. For more information, read this article from Wikipedia. It includes a mind map about good mind maps!

Print out and use it to help you create an effective, clear mind map the Self assessment criteria (Word - 108Kb).

Digging deeper

Now you know a little more about how animals adapt to their environments, work through these objects from DigiLearn.

Work through one of the following two learning objects. You will need to match body parts to a range of creatures and then make decisions such as where it should live based on its physical features and the information provided. Body parts are designed for particular functions!

Create a Creature: find a home (LO ID L1125) Teacher link to DigiLearn (requires login).

Create a Creature: match a creature (LO ID L1124) Teacher link to DigiLearn (requires login).

Choose one creature from the program and create a mind map about its body parts and reasons for them. For example:

Then choose a creature of your own and devise your own mind map. You will need at least 4 subheadings with 2 reasons attached to each.

Now it’s time to create your own creature!

Decide where your creature will live, what it will eat and how it will move. Then select from a range of body parts. Once your creature has been created, you will be asked to justify why you chose specific body parts. Answer thoughtfully. You can then print off your picture and answers to share with the class.

Create a Creature: my creature (LO ID L1123) Teacher link to DigiLearn (requires login).

Going further

You are going to research a planet in our Solar System (not Earth!) and create a creature that can live on this planet.

Think carefully about what you’ve learnt about animal adaptations. Decide which planet you’d like to find out more about. How is your creature going to adapt to cope with life on the planet? For each answer you’ll need to think about how this information might affect the creature you create! It would be best to have a discussion with your class or in a group first.

You will be considering the following areas:

• temperature range
• planet surface
• gravity
• atmosphere
• food
• length of day and year and how a creature senses surroundings.

Print out and write your answers in detail to the document "Planet research" (Word - 47Kb).

Access these websites to learn about the surface and atmosphere of the planets in our solar system.

• Kids Astronomy
• Windows to the Universe
• Exploring the planets

Want more information? Use resources from your school library. Here’s the Education Channel search for ‘Space'

Option: Copy your answers into an email, wiki or blog post (if possible). Share your work with at least 3 other people and ask them to make at least 2 changes/improvements to your plan. They should type these changes in a different colour.

Summarize your final thinking using a diagram of a Fishbone (Word - 38Kb)

Taking action

Now it’s time to design your creature! On A3 paper or using a program such as Paint, draw a picture of your creature. Make sure you include all the features you wrote about while planning. Keep looking back to your planning documents.

Include at least 7 descriptive labels to show how your creature is adapted to live on your planet. Use 5 + colours.

Some questions to help you create a creature that can live on this planet:

• How does it move - what body parts are involved?
• How does it protect itself?
• How does it sense its environment - eyes? ears? other?
• What does it eat? What body parts are involved?
• If it breathes, what does it breathe and how does it do it?

Create your creature online!

See the Zook-Kit at Bamzooki . Practise using the Zook-Kit and develop a confident understanding of the program.

Use the Zook-Kit and your design and the information from your chart to design your creature. Use all the information from your planning to assist you with the process. Name your creature!

Are you able to represent your creature accurately using the kit? Create a PMI Chart (Word - 55Kb) to summarize the positive, minus and interesting points about creating a creature using the Zook-Kit.

Extension Challenges

• Choose an animal living in a specific habitat – eg a polar bear living in the Arctic or a dolphin living in the sea. Adapt that animal to life in a different environment! First choose a new environment for the animal to live in. Use the BAR strategy – make one part bigger, add something and replace one part with something more suited. Draw a before and after picture for your animal, clearly labelling the changes made and the different habitats.
• create a 3D model of your creature using materials of your choice – could include modelling clay, cardboard, string, paper mache etc. Create a venn diagram with 3 circles – compare creating your creature on paper, using the Zook-Kit and using materials.
• write a story or play about your creature and its adventures on its new planet.

Assessment

Time to present your work to the class! You will need to talk for 5 minutes describing your creature and the adaptations you made so it could live on your chosen planet.

Plan your speech first: Oral presentation planning (Word - 50Kb) Then try to use small written cards with notes when presenting to the class. Practise in front of others first! Have a look at the assessment rubric to see how you’ll be assessed: Oral presentation assessment rubric

Teachers: Create your own rubric with Rubistar

VELS & teacher tips

Create a Creature addresses VELS standards at Level 4. See VELS document (Word - 42Kb).

For suggestions about classroom implementation and information about Bamzooki, see Teacher tips (Word - 29Kb).

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