Activities inspired by children’s literature

Can You See Me Now? By Christine Anne Royce “You can’t see me” is a popular childhood taunt, and al- danger and predators in its natural environment. Ar- though young children may not understand that hiding nosky highlights certain animals based on their type of in plain sight does not conceal them, it does connect with —from coloration to seasonal changes to body a lesson about camouflage. This month, students will design. Watercolor images beautifully illustrate and sup- learn that camouflage is essential to an animal’s survival port the clear and concise text. in and is accomplished through a variety of ways. Curricular Connections This Month’s Trade Books Hide-and-seek is a common childhood game. From the youngest age, students think that if they hide well, they Red Eyes or Blue Feathers: won’t be found and become “it.” As students become more A Book About Animal Colors skilled at this game, they quickly realize that blending in By Patricia M. Stockland and with their surroundings will make them more difficult to Todd Ouren. spot; thus, they have learned the basic concept of camou- Picture Window Books. 2005. flage even if they don’t realize it. This month’s column fo- ISBN 1-4048-0931-7. cuses on the concepts of and camouflage. Grades K–4 These concepts are part of the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996) in the area of life science. Specifi- Synopsis cally, younger students should understand that an “organ- Stockland uses the question, “What’s the best way to sur- ism’s patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that vive in the wild?” to explain how an animal’s coloration organism’s environment, including … the physical charac- helps it survive in its native environments. The author teristics of the environment” (NRC 1996, p. 129). discusses different animals, ranging from a rhinoceros to Students will be introduced to the idea, “An organism’s a polar bear to a macaw, so that young readers will have behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment” an opportunity to explore how an animal’s color assists it (NRC 1996, p. 157). This idea connects to the story about in survival. the peppered moth in England that is presented in the activity for grades four through six. Although natural se- I See Animals Hiding lection and adaptation are long-term features in By Jim Arnosky. of a particular species, an organism’s coloration assists it Scholastic. 2000. in avoiding predators and helping it to survive in its daily ISBN 0439232155. environment through camouflage. Grades 2–6 Christine Anne Royce ([email protected]) is an associ- ate professor of education at Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

Synopsis Reference I See Animals Hiding focuses on different ways that an National Research Council (NRC). 1996. National science educa- animal’s natural coloration and shape aid it in avoiding tion standards. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

14 Science and Children For Grades K–3: In Plain Sight Materials • Pictures of camouflaged animals from magazines Purpose: or websites—try a Google images search (see In- To observe the characteristics that help animals stay ternet Resources). camouflaged in an environment • Cones or flags for marking an outside area. Procedure: 1. Read Red Eyes or Blue Feathers: A Book About Animal Colors to the students. Stop at each two-page spread and ask students to make observations about what color each animal is and what color their environ- ment is before reading the text (e.g., the fox is a rusty brown and lives in the woods, where there are brown tree trunks and leaves). While reading, have students focus on what helps the animals be camouflaged in their environment. Engage the class in a discussion about why the features help camouflage the animals. 2. Ask students to view pictures of animals and de- scribe what type of location each animal should live in to blend in with that environment. For ex- ample, a picture of a squirrel might elicit respons- ouflaged in the es such as “in a tree,” but the teacher should ask, setting near your “Why does a tree help camouflage a squirrel?” school. You can Some students may suggest locations that a par- focus on other ques- ticular animal would not live in, which can be cor- tions such as, “What rected, but remember that animal habitats are not types of animals were the main focus. well camouflaged in this 3. Once students have described the type of environ- area?” or “If the animal was mov- ment that would be best for camouflage, separate ing would it be easier or harder to find the class into two teams, giving each student an in- them?” Return to the story to discuss why dividual picture of an animal for which they are re- some animal adaptations have evolved sponsible. Using either a coteacher, parent volun- over time based on their environment. teer, or classroom aide, have half of the class with the pictures go outside to a predetermined area set Internet Resources off by cones or flags and place their picture in an Animal Camouflage Pictures area that the animal (e.g., a picture of http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal- a chipmunk could be propped up next to a rock or facts/animal-camouflage-pictures.htm under a bush). The pictures should not be placed Nova Online Seeing Through Camouflage flat on the ground; students should be able to see www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/leopards/seeing.html them from a standing position. 4. Once the first team has placed their pictures, the other half of the class should come to the location Connecting to the Standards and be the predators who are hunting for the prey This article relates to the following National Science (the pictures). Repeat this process by having the Education Standards (NRC 1996): teams switch places. Content Standards 5. Once students have had an opportunity to be the Grades K–4 predator (looking for the pictures), and the prey Standard C: Life Science (those that hide the pictures), bring them together • Organisms and environments to discuss questions such as, “Was it hard to find a place to ‘hide’ the picture? Why or why not?” Some National Research Council (NRC). 1996. National pictures should be brightly colored—such as the bril- science education standards. Washington, DC: liant macaw in the story—and will not be well cam- National Academies Press.

January 2010 15 Materials For Grades 4–6: Moth Madness Activities• Various inspired types of by paper children’s and cloth, literature Purpose: • 3- to 4-in. moth pattern (see NSTA Connection), To examine camouflaging in an environment by hunting • tape, for moths in the classroom. • data table for students (see NSTA Connection) Procedure: 1. Prior to class, cut out two to three moths per student in different colors and textures (see NSTA Connection for moth pattern). You can use material such as construc- tion paper, newspaper, or felt to ensure that you have a collection of different colorations. Hide moths around the classroom in obvious places; make many of them blend into their environment (e.g., a blue moth on a blue poster) and place others where they do not blend into their environment (e.g., a black moth on a white nally placed in the room. There may wall). Make a mental note of where you hid the moths. be some moths that the students did not 2. Introduce I See Animals Hiding to the students by locate. reading them the entire book or the sections dealing 8. Conclude with a discussion of coloration and camou- with camouflage associated with coloration. Focus flage. Discuss what made these particular moths so on the different types of animals described in the text difficult to find. Guiding questions that can be used and where they are hiding in the illustrations. Use the are, “What features make some moths more visible text and pictures to ask students to define coloration than others?” and “What are some colors or patterns and camouflage. that would help moths survive in a meadow or wood- 3. Explain to students that many animals hide and sur- land environment?” vive in their natural environments because they are camouflaged in their surroundings. Share the story of Internet Resource the peppered moth in England during the 1800s (see The Peppered Moth Internet Resource). www.millerandlevine.com/km/evol/Moths/moths.html 4. Have each student create (or provide them with) a data table (NSTA Connection). Explain the different components of the table so that students are aware of Connecting to the Standards the type of information they will record. This article relates to the following National Science 5. Generate ideas from the students about how they will Education Standards (NRC 1996): locate the moths. Possible answers might be, “Look Content Standards for colored moths on similar colored backgrounds” or Grades 5–8 “Look from different angles by moving your head.” Animals do this when they locate a prey in hiding, part- Standard C: Life Science ly through adaptations in their eyesight (e.g., ability to • Diversity and adaptations of organisms see in nocturnal conditions), and partly by moving their National Research Council (NRC). 1996. National head back and forth to gain a better vantage point. science education standards. Washington, DC: 6. Show students a sample moth and explain that you have National Academies Press. placed moths around the room. All moths are in view (i.e., not hidden in a drawer or cabinet). While sitting in their seats, provide the students with three minutes NSTA Connection to find and record as many months as they can. Stu- Find a moth pattern and data table at dents should look quietly so they do not give away the www.nsta.org/SC1001. Read a free chapter location of the moths to other students; tell them that from the NSTA Press book Animal Coloration: Activi- their own survival as a predator depends on this. ties on the Evolution of Concealment at www.nsta. 7. Have students return to their tables and decide which org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781933 moths were the easiest to locate and which were the 531298.3. most difficult to locate. Locate all of the moths origi-

16 Science and Children