Our world is always changing. The land, weather, and even tiny molecules are constantly shifting. Because of this, living things need to adapt to survive. When the world around them changes, they change too, sometimes in big ways.
Let’s think about pineapples. They only grow in warm, tropical places because that’s the perfect environment for them. An environment includes the non-living things around a living thing, like temperature and rainfall. While pineapples thrive in the tropics, they wouldn’t grow at the poles, where it’s too cold. But animals like penguins and polar bears are perfectly suited for those cold environments. They have special features, called adaptations, that help them live there.
About 360 million years ago, Earth was much warmer and full of forests and swamps. Back then, there were giant centipedes, huge amphibians, and dragonflies as big as birds! But these creatures aren’t around today. Why? Because the environment changed. It became cooler and drier, and many plants couldn’t survive. Since plants are at the bottom of the food chain, their extinction affected all the animals that depended on them for food and oxygen. This led to the disappearance of those giant insects and amphibians.
Let’s look at a smaller creature, the peppered moth. These moths come in two colors: light and dark. In the past, light moths blended in better with the trees, making them less likely to be eaten by predators. But when people started burning coal, pollution turned the trees dark. Suddenly, the dark moths had the advantage because they blended in better. More dark moths survived and reproduced, leading to more dark moths overall.
Thankfully, we’ve learned to reduce pollution over the last 50 years. As the environment became cleaner, the number of light-colored moths began to rise again.
All living things have adaptations that help them fit into their environment. When the environment changes, living things might develop new adaptations to survive. Sometimes, these changes can affect the entire food chain. But that’s a story for another time!
Adaptation Observation Walk: Take a walk in your garden, park, or neighborhood with a grown-up. Look for different plants and animals. Can you spot any special features or adaptations they have? For example, do some plants have thick leaves to store water? Do certain birds have long beaks to reach food? Draw or write about one adaptation you find and how it helps the plant or animal survive in its environment.
Build a Creature: Use clay, playdough, or craft materials to create your own imaginary creature. Think about where your creature lives. Is it a hot desert or a cold, snowy place? What adaptations does your creature have to help it survive there? Share your creation with your family or friends and explain how its adaptations help it live in its environment.
Story Time with the Peppered Moth: Imagine you are a peppered moth living during the time when the trees were changing color. Write a short story or draw a comic strip about your adventures. How did you feel when the trees changed? What did you do to survive? Share your story with someone and discuss how the moths’ adaptations helped them over time.
