The Price of Survival
In this lesson, students will identify important animal adaptations, then “purchase” the ones that will help them survive through natural and human-caused changes.
By completing this lesson, your students will be able to answer these essential questions:
- What factors contribute to the survival of wildlife species?
- What are some common adaptations found in Arizona
wildlife species? - How does the perceived value of an object affect its
purchase price?
More About this Lesson Plan
Many animals are successful in their environment because they have adapted over time to survive under those specific conditions. however, changes occur. Forests are clear cut and become grasslands. Wetlands have dried to become deserts. These changes can be costly, if not fatal, to the animals living in these areas. They have to move or quickly adapt to the new environment.
In this lesson, students will identify some important animal adaptations. Then, they will “purchase” adaptations that will help them best survive in an environment and struggle through natural and human-caused changes.
This lesson was designed to accompany the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Bone Box Resource Trunk. The trunks contain tactile resources including the skulls and pelts of common Arizona mammals. The boxes are free for Arizona educators to check out and use. You should plan to reserve the boxes early, however, because they are popular and may book up.
The downloadable PDF includes all of the worksheets and answer keys necessary to successfully implement the activity in the classroom. In addition, it includes ideas to extend and modify the lesson for different audiences.
Standards Correlation
This lesson has been correlated to the following Arizona Department of Education academic standards:
Education through AZGFD
See resources for teachers, including lesson plans. Learn about hunter education, and classes to earn bonus points.
teacher resources
The goal of the AZGFD education program is to promote awareness, appreciation and stewardship of the state’s wildlife resources by using wildlife as a context for learning.
hunter education for bonus points
Classroom and online instruction, and field days for hunter education. Online “Ethically Hunting Arizona” class allows hunters to earn a lifetime bonus point.