Adaptation Concentration

Unit 2 – Marine Relationships

Activity 1 – Adaptation Concentration

Materials & Setup

• Far from the Cradle video by Waikiki Aquarium (included with this curriculum)
• VCR

For each group of four to six students
• One set of 20 “Adaptation Concentration” cards (laminated cards included with this curriculum, master, pp. 8-13)
• One “Adaptation Concentration Instructions and Scoring Sheet” (master, pp. 14-15)

For each student
• Student Page “What Good Is It?” (pp. 16-17)

Instructions

1) Show the video, Far from the Cradle (20 minutes). Tell students to pay careful attention because they will be playing a game about how marine animals are adapted to their environment using the information from the video.

2) Divide the class into groups of four to six students. Hand out the Adaptation Concentration game materials and have groups play the game according to the instructions given.

3) Play as many rounds as time permits.

4) Play options:
• Instead of having students fill in the scoring grid, incorporate a simpler assessment component by having students track how many cards they collect in each game.

• Play the game with teams. Have tournaments by pairing winning teams against each other until a champion emerges. You can structure “double-elimination” tournaments, or use any other tournament structure that makes sense, such as a round robin.

• If students are playing as individuals, try mixing up the groups for subsequent rounds by placing all of the first-round winners in a new group, second-placers in another group, and so on.

5) Assign the Student Page “What Good Is It?” as homework.

Journal Ideas

• Think about a fish or another marine animal you’ve seen. Using what you’ve learned in this activity, describe how it seems to be adapted to its environment.
• Some adaptations, such as the leaf scorpionfish’s swaying motions, are called “behavioral adaptations.” Instead of being a structural feature such as body shape or eye placement, these adaptations are exhibited in what the animal does. Describe some things that you do that, like behavioral adaptations, help you fit into different physical or social environments.

Assessment Tools

• Student Page “What Good Is It?” (teacher version, p. 7)
• Participation and conduct during the game
• Adaptation Concentration Scoring Grids
• Journal entries

Media Resources