Animals and the Weather

CONCEPTS TO BE COVERED
LESSON OBJECTIVES
Understand Students
will understand
U1. Weather and
seasons affect the
growth and behavior of
animals.

Know Students will

know
K1. Adaptation: A
structure or behavior
that helps an organism
survive in its
surroundings.
K2. Migration: The
seasonal movement of
animals from one place
to another.
K3. Hibernation: A deep,
sleeplike state when an
animals body processes
slow down.

Do- Students will

D1. Define the following
terms: adaptation,
migration, hibernation,
and camouflage.
D2. Illustrate the
following terms:
adaptation, migration,
hibernation, and
camouflage.
D3. Compare and
contrast the behavior of
different animals.

K4. Camouflage: The

shape, color, or pattern
of animal that helps it
blend in with its
surroundings.
RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING
Science 2.7
and their

The student will investigate and understand that weather

and seasonal
changes affect plants, animals,
surroundings. Key concepts include
a) Effects of weather and seasonal changes on the
growth and behavior of living things.

LIST OF MATERIALS NEEDED

Animals in Winter
Animal information pages
Template student page
Glue
Scissors
Crayons
Paper
PROCEDURE
I.
Introduction

II.

III.

IV.

Tell students that our story began as we discovered that there

were no monarch butterflies in Virginia in the winter. Ask
students to tell a shoulder partner what it is called when the
monarch flies to a warmer climate for the winter.
Refer to the model of butterflies on tree branch made in
previous lesson. Our monarch is in Mexico in the Oyamel forest
resting and huddling with other monarchs to stay warm.
Tell students that while the monarchs are resting in the Oyamel
forest, we will learn about what other animals might be doing
during the winter.
Engage and Educate
Show Animals in Winter (4:49).
o After the video, ask students to turn to shoulder partner
and share something they learned that animals do to
survive the winter. Ask a few sets of partners to share
what they discussed with the class.
Explain to students that there are some animals that dont
migrate or hibernate through the winter. Some animals change
color when the weather becomes wintery.
o Share with students that the coat of the white tailed deer
becomes greyer. Some weasels lose their brown summer
coats and have white winter coats. The arctic fox and
snowshoe hare also get white winter coats.
o Ask, How might these color changes help an animal
survive the winter? Next, ask What is it called when
animals use their color or pattern to blend in with their
surroundings?
Tell students that we are going to take a closer look at a few
animals to see what they do as the season and the weather
changes.
Active Learning
Provide each table group with an animal information page. Have
one student read the information card to the group. Ask another
group member to cut apart the bottom cards. A third group
member can arrange the cards in the order of the year from
spring to winter. The fourth group member should check to be
sure the sequence is correct and hand the other group members
one of the season cards.
o Each group member will illustrate what the animal is
doing at that time of the year on another sheet of paper.
They should glue their card on the top corner of the paper.
o When all illustrations are complete the students should
attach them together to form a yearlong timeline of their
animal.
o Each group will present their timeline and discuss what
they learned about their animal. Hang the timelines on
the board and ask students to compare and contrast the
lives of different animals.
Reflection

Ask students to write the words hibernate and camouflage then

draw a picture to show what each of those words mean. Next,
have them write a sentence or two explaining how animals use
hibernation and camouflage to survive the changing seasons.

MODIFICATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Create sentence frames.
o Hibernation is when animals go to ___________ when its
cold.
o Some animals change color from brown to _________ in the
winter.
ASSESSMENT PLAN
Students timelines will be reviewed. I will look to see if student correctly
illustrated their animals adaption/behavior. In addition, I will also read
students reflections and analyze students ability to correctly define and
illustrate the terms hibernate and camouflage.