Big Idea Plant and Animal Responses to the Environment

Plants and animals don't change overnight! They change very slowly over hundreds of thousands of years, gradually becoming better able to survive in their environments. In this natural process, they change as a result of their surroundings. That's adaptation!

Which of the following is an example of adaptation?

• penguins growing beaks and wings overnight

• birds eating breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday

• polar bears’ fur turning white over many years

• dogs getting sent to the groomer to be washed

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adaptations

Plants don't have brains. But some scientists think plants have something very close to what we call a nervous system. The nervous system is your body's way of feeling and reacting to things in the world. For example, some kinds of trees are known for moving rapidly after something touches them. Venus flytraps quickly close around an insect when it touches their leaves. This type of response to things happening in a plant's environment reveals that plants can “feel.”

Which of the following is true about plants?

• Some plants can “feel” and respond to things in the world.

• Venus flytraps are the only plants to have brains.

• All plants have the same nervous systems as humans.

• Plants always shake and move after their leaves are touched.

Adaptations help animals and plants survive in their environments. For example, one cool plant adaptation is the leaves of the pitcher plant. These plants use their tube-shaped leaves to trap and digest insects. The insects are attracted to the plant's sweet nectar and colorful appearance. Once inside the tube, it's too slippery for insects to climb out. They fall into a pool of water at the bottom of the tube, and the plant digests them.

Which of these best describes another plant adaptation?

• A plant is the same color as a grasshopper, helping the grasshopper blend in.

• A species of butterfly lays its eggs on the leaves of a particular tree.

• A plant dies if it doesn’t get enough water.

• A plant gives off a smell that attracts nearby insects, which it then eats.

True or False: Plants don't have brains, but they still adapt to their environments.

• True

• False

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What is the main way that being camouflaged helps an animal?

• It helps them store more food and water.

• It helps them blend into their environment so other animals can't attack them.

• It helps keeps them cool in a hot climate.

• It makes them look dangerous to other animals.

Which of the following is an adaptation that helps protect the animal?

• Cows have incisors.

• Cactuses have thick stems.

• A porcupine has sharp quills.

• Hummingbirds have long, skinny beaks.

Which of the following is an adaptation that helps the animal eat?

• Squirrels are the colors of the trees they live in.

• Pelicans have big beaks.

• Cactuses are covered in spikes.

• Rainforest plants have waxy leaves.

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