DISCUSS:
Why are polar bears white if they don’t have any predators (other animals that might want to eat them)?
Can you think of how this is helpful to them?
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DISCUSS:
Why are polar bears white if they don’t have any predators (other animals that might want to eat them)?
Can you think of how this is helpful to them?
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In this lesson, students make observations to construct an explanation of why camouflage is helpful to animals. In the activity, Moth Hide and Seek, students test their ability to spot camouflage moths, and then design a camouflage pattern for a moth of their own and hide it in the classroom!
Preview activity| Color A Moth printout | 1 per student |
| Look For Moths worksheet | 1 per student |
| Moths For Teachers printout | 1 per class |
| Stump #1 printout | 1 per class |
| Stump #2 printout | 1 per class |
| Tree #1 printout | 1 per class |
| Tree #2 printout | 1 per class |
| Tree #3 printout | 1 per class |
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Crayons
Provide a variety of colors so students can create moths that camouflage in the classroom.
Colored pencils or markers also work.
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Details
3 crayons per student
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Scissors
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1 pair per student |
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Glue Dots
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9 dots per class |
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Glue Dots
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1 dot per student |
Each tree takes a wall space measuring about 32" wide by 55" tall (about the size of a door). You can build your trees on an empty wall, a bulletin board, or on a door. The activity works best if you have three different bark patterns, but if you don’t have enough space (or time) to make three trees, you can make one tree and two stumps.
To make your trees and/or stumps, follow these steps:
You are going to hide paper moths for your students to find, and then your students will hide moths for you to find. Put a glue dot on the back of each moth and place it on a tree or stump — hide all nine moths. Put most of them on the bark that match, but put a few on the bark that don’t match, so that they are easy for your students to find.
Student slideshow: English | Spanish
Teacher printout: English & Spanish
Check out this gallery of eight camouflaged animals from National Geographic. It includes slides that reveal the hidden critters. (Be sure to make the images full screen.)
You can elaborate student learning and engagement with Mystery Science mini-lessons.
Why are butterflies so colorful? In this mini-lesson, students explore why some butterflies are colorful and how that helps them survive.
Do wild animals ever dress up in costumes? In this mini-lesson, students explore how some animals use bits of their surroundings to camouflage in their environment.
If you are in an NGSS state, these mini-lessons support the DCI LS1.A: Structure and Function
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