Animal Coloration

In third grade, the big idea revolves around animal coloration as a form of adaptation used to survive. Butterflies are the content to the standard focused on traits, structures, and the environment. Students use various resources including Mystery Science and actual painted lady butterflies to understand the main types of coloration animals utilize. Camouflage is one adaptation that’s looked at, with students designing their own camouflaged butterflies. Different examples of animal mimicry are researched including the viceroy and monarch butterflies. In addition, butterflies are created to demonstrate the startle adaptation. Warning coloration is the final trait that was applied to the creation of students’ own animals. For the culminating project, students take the adaptations they learned about and write a script that they use to create an iMovie. These concepts will be explored further as classes learn about crayfish and in their ornithology study.

Click on a teacher's name to view their Animal Coloration Movie Playlist: