Lesson video

Hello, everyone, its Miss.

Simkin, back again for your next science lesson, I hope that you've all been keeping well and you're ready to do some awesome science this morning.

Let's get started, our lesson question today, is how are organisms adapted to cold environments? So last lesson, we looked at hot environments, and in this lesson, we're going to look at cold environments.

In today's lesson, you're going to need a piece of paper.

You might need more than one piece of paper today, a pencil, a colouring pencil and a ruler.

If you don't have those things, pause the video and go and grab them, now, please.

We are also going to need these star words today.

Some of them we've learned already in this unit, we're going to start by just saying them.

So I'm going to point to myself and say the word.

And then when I going to point to the screen, you're going to say it.

Environment, adaptation, insulation, camouflage, conditions, migration.

Great, so like I said, some of these words we've come across all ready.

So we've been looking at different environments and those are the surroundings where an organism might live.

So last lesson, we looked at desert environments, this lesson, we're going to look at cold environments.

When we talk about environments, we talk about the conditions that we find in them, so basically it means what the environment is like.

So in our last lesson on desert conditions, were very hot and very dry.

This whole unit is on adaptations, which are a part of an organism that help it to survive.

We've already looked at camouflage, which is an example of an adaptation.

And that is when an organism can blend in with its surroundings.

We're going to learn two new words today.

They are insulation and migration, and these are also examples of adaptations.

And we'll see which animals have these adaptations later.

Insulation is essentially a layer, that stops heat from escaping from your body.

So this jumper is acting as insulation for me now, stopping heat from escaping, and we all have a layer of fat.

You can feel it under your skin, that acts as insulation.

It keeps us warm.

It stops heat from escaping from our body.

Migration is our next word.

Migration is a seasonal movement, so it means it happens at a particular time of year, a particular season, maybe summer or winter.

And it's a movement of animals from region to another.

And they're really big distances that we're talking about here.

In our lesson today, we are going to start with some recap, then we're going to look at the conditions in cold environments.

Then we're going to learn about six different animals that live in cold environments, and we are going to make a fact card for each of them.

And then I'm going to show you how to play the game with those fact cards.

We learned some of the adaptations of this plant.

Can you remember what it's called? Write down the name and see if you can remember, any of its adaptations.

Pause the video and do that for me now.

Wonderful, so well done, if you remember that this is the cactus plant, and also, well done if you remembered any of the adaptations, if you didn't that's okay, that's why we're recapping it now.

And cactus has waxy skin, spines, so those prickly bits.

Water storage, it stores water inside itself, and tap roots is really, really long roots, that can be metres long.

Okay, another bit of quick recap.

We learned about these three animals last lesson.

Can you remember what they were called or any of the adaptations that you have? Just give yourself 30 seconds to see what you can remember.

Pause the video and do that now.

Great, well done, if you remembered that.

Lovely creatures over here are, the fennec fox.

This is our fennec fox.

Kangaroo rat and our camel.

I know we learned lots of different adaptations about them.

So well done, if you remembered any of them, a few of them might have that you might have written down, were camouflage.

They've got thick fur, which can seem quite weird in the desert, but it keeps them warm in the cold nights, the kangaroo rat and the fennec fox burrow to keep themselves at a constant temperature.

The camels have eyelashes that are really long and nostrils that shut to keep the sand out.

Those are just some that you might have remembered.

Good job, if you got any of those, now let's move on to today's learning, which is all about cold environments.

So the complete opposite of last week.

Here is a map of the world.

I'm just going to give you 10 seconds to have a look at it and see if you can figure out which parts of the world, we might be learning about this lesson.

So this lesson, we are going to look primarily at the areas in this map that are white, the polar zones, okay? These are some of the coldest parts of our planet.

And so the animals that have adapted to survive there have some pretty cool adaptations to allow them.

What do you think the conditions are going to be in an environment like this? This is a photo from Antarctica.

What do you think the conditions would be? Just take a second to have a think.

What would it be like if you were standing on one of those ice bags, how would you describe it to somebody else? Let's see if you were correct.

So these are some of the main conditions that are in the, Antarctic.

So that's the South pole.

So they have annual average temperatures of minus 50 degrees C.

The coldest that it ever really gets in England, or the UK is probably around minus 10, maybe a bit called a right up North in Scotland.

But most of the time, it doesn't even get that cold.

But in Antarctica, the average temperature is minus 50.

That means there are times of the year when it's colder than that as well.

It is absolutely freezing, literally.

Cause you can see all the ice that's frozen in that picture.

They also have really strong winds.

Some parts of the year, there is 24 hours of darkness.

So during some parts of winter, the whole day is dark.

And just like you can see in the picture, there is really thick ice.

Okay, take a mental image in your brain, we're about to see what you can remember.

Can you fill in the gaps, please? Pause the video and complete that for me now.

Great, let's check your answers.

Well done, if you got these correct, minus 50, winds, 24 hours and ice, were the gaps, give yourself a tick, if you got those correct.

If not, no problem, that will help you to learn the fact for next time, just correct your answer now for me please.

Okay, the next thing we're going to do, is we're going to make our fact cards.

So at the end of this, we're going to have a fact card for each of our animals that we're going to learn about that lives in a cold environment, but I need to first get those fact cards ready with you.

So we're going to need an A4 piece of paper, and I'm going to use plain paper, cause I think it will be clearer, but if you don't have plain paper, line paper is fine, but it needs to be a new piece.

So not the piece that you've made your notes from so far, a new piece of paper.

So just pause the video, if you need to go and grab that now, please.

Great, okay, so we're going to get all page looking like this, on the screen, but I'm going to do it with you under the visualizer, step by step.

I'm going to be using a ruler, so that my lines are really straight and neat.

I would suggest you do the same and I'm going to be using a pen, so that you can see really clearly what I'm doing.

I suggest that you probably use a pencil because then if you make a mistake, you can rub it out.

So you can see I've got my plain piece of A4 paper here and it's landscape.

The first thing I'm going to do, is I'm going to draw a line down the middle this way.

It doesn't need to be exact, but I'd say the middle is about, 11 centimetres on your ruler.

You wanted to be really accurate, you can maybe fold your paper in half to see where your line needs to be.

And then draw a line down the middle with your ruler.

Pause the video to do that for me now, please.

Great, the next thing we're going to do, is we need to split it into 1/3 this way.

So each of these 1/3 is about 10 centimetres.

So I'm just going to make a little mark here, for 10 centimetres.

And I'm going to draw my first line, through here like this, pause the video and do that for me now.

Great, then I'm going to measure 10 centimetres again and I'm going to draw my next line.

Now we go, so now I have, one, two, three, four, five, six parts of my paper.

These are going to become my cards.

Just pause the video to make sure that your page looks like mine.

Brilliant, the next thing we're going to do, is we need to draw a couple lines like this here.

So watch me do it first and then you can do it.

Between each line, there needs to be space for you to write.

So I'm going to draw one, two, three, four lines, okay? So you have one, two, three, four lines, each about a finger width apart.

They should take up half of the page.

Can you pause the video to do that for me now, please? Great, the next thing is to make all our boxes look like that.

So we're going to draw four of the same lines in all of our boxes.

You can draw it with me.

So while I'm doing it, you should be drawing as well.

It doesn't matter if they don't line up, perfectly.

And again on the bottom.

Four lines in each.

If you have a long ruler, then you might be able to just draw one all the way across, but I've left my long ruler at school.

Great, okay, so your page should look like this.

If you need some more time, just pause the video.

Great, the next thing we're going to do is we're going to draw a line like this to make a little column at the end here.

Okay, so you only need to get about a finger width here, and you should have four little squares.

So pause the video to do that for me now.

Great, and then we are going to do the same, in every card.

Okay, this takes a while to set up, but you will have a really fun game that you can play at the end of this lesson, okay? So that's how your card should look, pause the video if you need to catch up.

Great, the next thing we're going to do, is we are actually going to write a word in each.

The next thing we're going to do, is we are going to cut out our cards that we have six separate ones.

I forgot to warn you, that you'd need scissors.

So if you don't have scissors with you, but you have them in the house, you can pause the video and go and get them.

If you don't have scissosr as a tool, that's okay.

I'll show you a trick in a second.

So each of your cards should look like this.

You have a blank section at the top three lines here, and then you're force, sorry, four lines here and four squares here.

Okay, so you're cutting along here and here.

If you don't have scissors, then let me show you a trick.

You don't have scissors, you can do this instead.

You can fold along the line that you want to cut, make sure it's a really crisp fold.

So maybe even push it down with your finger like that.

Then this is a little bit gross, but it works.

You need to lick it, slightly like this.

And then I'm going to show you again, under the visualizer, the movement that you need to do to pull it apart.

So then you should be able to gently pull it apart like this in a nice straight line, so that's what you can do.

If you don't have scissors.

Now that we have our six fact cards, we're going to learn about six animals and we're going to fill in some information about them on these fact cards.

So first of all, let me tell you about the polar bear.

And don't write anything down yet.

This is our first animal.

I'm sure it's one that lots of you are familiar with.

This is a polar bear that lives in the North pole at the Arctic.

It has a white colour to camouflage on ice.

It has thick layers of fat for installation so much thicker layers than we have.

It's got large feet, you can see in the picture, the big feet, and it's got claws that help it to grip on the ice.

And it's got oily fur that helps to shed water, a bit like a waterproof coat, which is helpful, cause polar bears do a lot of swimming.

So, now we know those four facts about a polar bear.

I'm going to show you how I want you to write them on here.

We're not just going to write the facts but we're actually going to give this polar bear a score.

So we are going to give us a score out of 10, for some different things.

The first thing we are going to decide out of 10, how well camouflaged is our polar bear? So it says there on the side, it's got a white colour to camouflage on the ice.

What do you think the score out of 10 should be? I think it's pretty well camouflaged.

It's white and the ice is white.

So I've given my polar bear, an eight out of 10 for camouflage.

Then the next thing that we're going to score our polar bear on, is how easily it can move around in its environment.

So my polar bear has large feet with claws that grip on the ice, it's also got big muscly legs, so it can swim, long distances and run and walk long distances.

So I'm going to give my polar bear a nine for moving around.

The next thing that I'm going to rate my polar bear on, is how well it can keep warm.

So one of my facts on the side, is that it has thick layers of fat for insulation.

You can also see that it's got a thick fur coat.

However, I know that there are some animals that have even more adaptations than these to keep warm.

So for now I'm going to get my polar bear, a seven for keeping warm.

So, 7/10, still good score.

And then the last section, So, all of our animals, we're going to rate on their camouflage, their moving around and they're keeping warm, So those are what? Our first three columns are going to be for.

And then the last one is just like a fun fact or an extra adaptation.

So the adaptation that's left that I haven't been able to categorise, is oily fur that sheds water.

So I've written that in the box and I'm going to give that a five, it's not that cool in adaptation.

It's not that impressive, but it's quite helpful.

So I've given it a five, okay? What I would like you now, is to choose one of your empty fact cards and to fill in this information about the polar bear.

So you're going to start by draw or writing, polar bear in the picture at the top.

Drawing a picture of a polar bear and then writing these ratings down, okay? Your picture doesn't have to be very good, in fact, I will show you mine if you want, and you are allowed to giggle at my drawing.

So this, is roughly what your fact card should look like.

So we've got polar bear, a picture of a polar bear, and then you've got your three ratings here, okay? I'm going to put back on the other screen so that you can see really clearly.

Pause the video to complete your polar bear fact card for me now, please.

The next animal we're going to learn about is the penguin.

So let me show you the facts for the penguin.

These are our full facts.

They huddle together to stay warm.

They have thick layers of fat for insulation.

Their dark colour, absorbs heat from the sun.

Their wings are shaped like flippers to help them fly under water at speeds, 15 miles per hour.

So now, we need to make a fact card for the penguin, okay? So we're going to use those four facts and I'm going to let you choose the scores each time.

So for the polar bear, I chose and I told you, I think that it should have a nine for colour, sorry, an eight for camouflage.

This time you get to choose, how well camouflaged do you think the penguin is? Before you choose that, actually, can I tell you something really cool about penguins? They might look less camouflaged than the polar bear because they're black on the top, but actually they're more camouflaged, because penguins spend most of their time in the water.

And so they have a white belly and a black back on purpose because if you're a predator looking down on the water, then the water will seem really dark.

And so the penguins black back blends in with that.

But if you're a predator looking up, so maybe a killer whale, then the water's going to look really light because the sunlight will shine through it.

And so the penguins white belly, protects it from that, which is really cool, okay? So bear that in mind when you're choosing camouflage.

Let me show you how you're going to set up your card.

So here is my polar bear one.

We're going to choose a new one for the penguin, just like your polar bear card.

And in fact, if you have it here, you can fill it in.

You're going to have your animal at the top, penguin.

In fact, it was an emperor penguin.

You're going to draw your picture of your penguin.

I'll let you spend a bit more time on yours than me, okay? And then you are going to write, Camouflage, staying warm, and moving around, okay? Can you do this part of your card, please? And then we can talk about the scores and what this fact will be in a moment.

I'll show you the screen again, Okay, just set it up so it's ready.

Pause the video and do that for me now.

Great, okay, so let's talk about camouflage.

What do you think its score should be for camouflage? It's got a black back and a white front so that when it's in the water, it's really hard for predators to spot.

What score out of 10, would you get it for camouflage? Make your choice and write it down, now.

Now, our polar bear had thick layers of fat for insulation, but our penguin also has that, but it also can huddle together to stay warm and its dark colour absorbs heat from the sun.

So what score are you going to get it for staying warm? If it was me, I would give it a higher score than the polar bear.

So write your number down out of 10 for the penguin, staying warm.

And then the last one we're going to rate it on, is moving around, before we get to our fun fact, what would you rate a penguin on moving around? So that fact on the screen tells us that, they can fly under water really fast.

So that might make you think it needs a high score, but how do penguins move around on land? They kind of waddle, don't they? They're not very fast that might make you want to give them a low score, up to you to decide, what are you're going to give you a penguin for moving around.

And then the last thing you're going to do, is you're going to choose your favourite fact from here and you're going to write it in the bottom line and score it.

Okay, so, which is your favourite fact about penguins and what score would you give out of 10? Say for me, I'd probably write, I really liked the flying one, so I'd write, fly underwater and then I'd write 15 miles per hour, cause that's pretty fast.

And I give that a score.

So your card might look something like this, and then fly underwater, 15 miles per hour, which is pretty cool, okay? You might not have given them the exact same numbers as me, that's absolutely fine, it is your choice.

If you need a bit more time on the penguin card or you need to see those facts again, just go back in the video for me.

Okay, next please.

I would like you to do a card for the reindeer.

So remember you're setting up your card in the same way each time.

So title, picture, and then camouflage, staying warm, moving around, are the three things you're scoring out of, and then your fun fact on the bottom.

I'm going to read you the facts of the reindeer, and then I want you to pause the video and create your reindeer card.

So they have two layers of fat, that would be good for keeping them warm.

They've got large feet with two toes and two claws that would help them to grip on the sand.

They migrate South in the winter.

Oh, that's a really great way of keeping warm.

Just leave the cold.

And they have thick layers of fat for installation.

Pause the video and complete that for me now, please.

Great, the next card you're going to make is, the Arctic wolf.

So again, you're setting it up in the same way and I want you to use the facts on the screen to fill in your card.

So you've got white colour for camouflage.

Two layers of fur, thick layers of fat for insulation.

Small ears is to reduce heat loss and very large territories with pack territories of 2,500 square kilometres.

That's massive, so a territory of an animal is the space where it moves around and lives basically.

And these wolves can have territories as big as 2,500 square kilometres.

To put that into perspective, that is if you think of the size of a football field, that's around 200,000 football fields.

So that's the size of the territory where a pack of wolves would hunt and live.

That means it must be pretty good at getting around, okay? Pause the video and complete your Arctic wolf card for me now, please.

Great, next animal is this little guy, called the Weddell seal.

It has thick layers of blubber for insulation.

It can dive to 700 metres for up to 80 minutes.

Imagine holding your breath for 80 minutes, wow.

And it's got sharp teeth to scrape the ice and maintain breathing and diving holes.

So that blubber for insulation, it's like a different type of fat that keeps you extra warm.

Pause the video and create your Weddell seal card for me, now, please.

Our last animal that we're getting to look at is, the Arctic hare.

So the Arctic hare has a white colour to camouflage on ice.

20% of that body mass is fat for insulation.

That's actually quite a low number.

That's quite a low percentage compared to the other animals.

So if it was me, I would give it quite a low score for staying warm.

However, what's good about it not having very much fat to keep warm, is that this lack of weight that this brings, enables them to reach 40 miles per hour while running to escape predators that's as fast as a car, and a cool fact about them is that they live in groups of 12 to 3000.

And that's an adaptation that helps to protect them from predators because there's safety in numbers always.

There's 3000 of you, then you've got less chance of being the one that's picked to be eaten.

Pause the video and complete your fact card about the Arctic hare, now, please.

Fantastic, so we should now have six cards that look like this, okay? And I'm going to teach you how to play a game, that might be a bit similar to a game that you've played before, okay.

We're going to play this game and you can't play this game with somebody in your house with just the six cards that we've made.

However, if you want to make the game longer, maybe when you've got a bit more time on a weekend, if you're bored over the, if you're bored at any point, then you might want to make some more cards because the more cards you have, the more fun the game is.

And these are some other animals that you could research, okay? There's a big list here.

So you could always come back to this video and have a look at this list.

You've got Arctic fox, moose, dall sheep, ermine, lemming, muskox, sea otter, and so on.

Okay, these are all animals that live in cold environments, either in the Arctic or the Antarctica.

Okay, I'm gonnaa show you how to play this game now.

So you need two players to play this game.

So you will have to ask someone very nicely in the house to play with you, maybe when they've got some free time, the first thing you do, is you shut off your six cards and then you hand them out, so each person has three and you shouldn't be able to see them.

So you need to do it faced down.

So each person has three cards, okay? You then take your cards in your hands.

So I'm one player, I'm going to have to have an imaginary player cause nobody in my house would play with me today, okay? And you decide to start fast, who starts first, Maybe you could play a game of rock, paper, scissors to decide, and you say, I have the polar bear with, and then you choose one of the categories.

So with camouflage eight, for example, okay? And then the other player has to look at their cards and see what their camouflage is and they have to show you.

So for example, they might say, "I've got the penguin with camouflage 10." Okay, if they did it, that was the first card on the front.

If their camouflage is higher, which it is, then I have to give them my card, okay? And then is their go.

So each time somebody, each time.

If you can take it in turns to, sorry, you can take it in turns for it to be your go and say it fast and you'd have to choose a category.

So maybe next time I would say, I have the reindeer and I have the reindeer with moving around, six.

Okay, each time you're choosing, you want to choose highest one to see if you can win.

And then the overall winner at the end of the game, is the person who has the most cards.

So if you win each time in your category, then you're going to take all of your cards, okay? It's a bit like a game called Top Trumps that you might have played before.

I hope you get a chance to play that game and even if you don't, then you've still got some really great fact cards, full of adaptations that you've learned about animals that live in cold environments.

I hope you enjoyed lesson today.

If you would like to share your work, then you can ask a parent or carer to share photos of your work on Twitter, with the #LearnWithOak with the #ONAscience And then I will be able to see them.

I will see you back here soon for another science lesson.

Have a lovely day, everybody, bye.