Amazing Animal Adaptations
Animals must adapt or die!
During this 30-45 minute lesson, students will discover the basic habitat needs of animals, and explore how living things adapt to seasons and environments. Students will journey through four habitats in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem – the alpine, forest, mountain meadow, and plains/basin environments.
We will visit immersive museum exhibits that highlight animals in each of these unique habitats. Then students will compare the adaptations of animals like a grizzly bear, beaver, and raptor to those of animals in their own region. The presenter will enrich the experience with our hands-on collection pieces.
How do animals adapt to their environment both physically and behaviorally? Uncover the answer by scheduling Amazing Animal Adaptations now. This lesson is interdisciplinary, meeting Common Core Standards, as well as national standards in science, history, and art.
Suggested pre-lesson activity
- Have students research a wild animal that lives in their area
- Have students draw this animal and its habitat
- Students will present their animal illustration during this lesson
Additional resources
YouTube videos
- Yellowstone Animals and Their Habitat
- Yellowstone Super Volcano
- Amazing Animal Adaptations: About the Virtual Field Trip
- 360 Adventure Alpine Playlist
- 360 Adventure Plains Basin Playlist
- 360 Adventure Mountain Meadow Playlist
- 360 Adventure Mountain Forest Playlist
- Landscape Over Time Playlist
- Backyard Briefings Playlist
Animal Adaptations
Grade Level: K–12
Duration: 45 minutes (35 of instruction & 5–10 for questions)
Learning Objectives:
- Learn the requirements of habitats (food, water, shelter & space)
- Learn about the term 'adaptation'
- Learn about specific examples of how animals and plants adapt to their environment
