Name_________________________

STUDENT INSTRUCTION AND ANSWER SHEET

Activity 1: Constructing Imaginary Creatures and Environments

In this activity you will construct imaginary creatures and environments from the lists of characteristics. Be creative since these creatures and environments do not have to behave like anything here on Earth.

A. As a group, you will need to decide which characteristics you want your imaginary creature to have. To do this first obtain a creature card from your teacher, then make a single choice from each of the 6 creature characteristics. Once you have made all your choices, fill out your creature card (including a name for your creature) and put it in the class creature box. Repeat this process two more times to construct two more creatures. Make sure you create significantly different creatures each time.

B. Obtain three environment cards from your teacher then follow the steps in question A using the environment characteristics to create an interesting environment. (Note: The environments you create in no way need to match the creatures you have already created.) Record your choices on your environment card and then put it in the environment box. Repeat this process two additional times, making sure that each environment you create is different.

C. Once every group has finished filling out their creature and environment cards and put them in the appropriate boxes, pass the boxes around the room. Now it is time for your group to draw a single creature card and a single environment card from each box. This will be your first creature/environment pair to study. Once each group has drawn their first pair, each group will draw a second creature/environment pair. Repeat this process again so that each group has a third creature/environment pair.

D. Your group should now have three creature/environment pairs to study. In this portion of the activity, we want to determine the success of each creature in the environment with which it was paired. To do this we will compare each creature characteristic and environment characteristic one pairing at a time. Obtain a scoring worksheet from your teacher.

To score your creatures, use the following set of rules.

i. Award one point if the creature characteristic helps your creature survive in that environment. For example, if the creature characteristic chosen from group #1 is "uses methane gas" and the corresponding environment characteristic from group #1 is "methane gas", then your creature will earn one point.

ii. Award zero points if the creature characteristic and environment characteristic have no effect on your creature's success. For example, if the creature characteristic chosen from group #6 is "has the ability to dig" and the corresponding environment characteristic chosen from group #6 is "multi-colored terrain", then your creature will earn zero points.

iii. Subtract one point if the environment characteristic restricts your creature's ability to survive. For example, if the creature characteristic chosen from group #1 is "uses oxygen" and the corresponding environment characteristic from group #1 is "carbon dioxide gas", then your creature will lose one point.

E. Score each pair of creature and environment characteristics. Once you are done, record the total score on the provided scoring worksheet.

F. Would you rate the creature with the greatest score as having been very successful, moderately successful, or not successful in its environment? Describe the success or failure of the interaction between the creature and its environment for each set of characteristics.

G. Give an example of an organism found on Earth that has a unique characteristic which makes it specifically suited to live in a particular habitat.

H. Sometimes the characteristic that an organism has that makes it successful in its natural environment becomes useless when the organism is placed in another environment. Describe a real creature and environment found on Earth that would be an example of this situation.

I. What one change would you make to your creature to make it more successful in the environment with which it was paired? Explain why you chose to make this change. If you feel no changes are needed for this creature, choose one of your less successful creatures to answer this question.