GRADE 8: ADAPTATIONS
Core Themes/Standards (NGSS): Growth, Development, and Reproduction of Organisms; Natural Selection and Adaptation; Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
We recommend that these videos be watched in the order below, but each video can stand alone or be watched out of order. Included in many of the videos are “DISCUSS!” slides designed to allow the video to be paused for student discussion/brainstorming and concept review before continuing with the experiment.
Fossil Exploration
Explore featured specimens from the MOST’s fossil and mineral collection in this interactive video feature! Guess the animal each fossil once belonged to, and learn about the adaptations made by each species as it evolved since then.
Our State Animal
Explore the adaptations of our New York State animal and use the clues given throughout the video to guess its identity!
The Science of You
What makes you YOU? This video compares and contrasts the adaptations of the animals featured in the other unit videos (Fossil Exploration and Our State Animal) to the adaptations made by the human species.
DNA Extraction Experiment
Extract real DNA from wheat germ in this classic experiment. A teacher kit for demonstrating this experiment will be provided to your classroom by the MOST. Instructions for this experiment can be found here. Teacher kits also contain MOST Family Passes (1 per student in your classroom).
ADAPTATIONS UNIT WORKSHEETS AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
- Vocabulary Bingo Card This Bingo Card contains many of the terms used throughout the videos. This can be used as a general overview for teachers, or as an activity for students to complete while watching the video series (words are spread throughout the videos within the series).
- Extension Activity: Inventory of Traits
- Extension Activity: Pardon the Punnett
- Extension Activity: Exploring Fingerprints
