I really love how creative and interactive this lesson is and feel it’s such a fun way for students to think about ecosystems and adaptations. However, looking at it through a culturally responsive lens, especially here in Montana, I think there’s a big opportunity to bring in more meaningful connections to our local Indigenous communities. For example, many Montana tribes view certain animals as sacred or as having spirits and deep symbolic meaning. Animals like the buffalo, eagle, and grizzly bear aren't just wildlife, they’re seen as teachers, protectors, or spiritual guides. So, while students are imagining new creatures and learning about survival traits, we could also introduce them to how animals are understood in different cultural contexts.

I would definitely incorporate the article I posted. It is one of the best that I have come across and it has an option to play the article. I would play this while showing a PowerPoint of pictures that coincide with the animals that are described throughout it. I think having a discussion afterward about what stood out in the article would be very beneficial. Discussing insights like how the Plains tribes, like the Blackfeet or the Crow, honor the buffalo, not just for its physical strength, but for the way it provides life (for example, food, shelter and tools). Or how the eagle is deeply respected by many tribes as a messenger between Earth and the Creator. These stories and teachings give students a broader view of nature, showing that adaptations aren’t just physical, they can also have cultural or spiritual significance. Adding in resources from Montana’s Indian Education for All (IEFA) standards, or even inviting in a tribal storyteller or Elder to share their perspective, would help all kids feel represented and respected.

This aligns really well with AASL’s “Include” standard by encouraging empathy, equity, and curiosity about how others view the natural world. Specifically, the AASL Competencies that are met are: I.A.1-Students recognize and respect diverse cultural perspectives in learning, I.B.2-Students build empathy and equity through inclusive knowledge sharing, I.C.1-Students engage with and learn from diverse voices and viewpoints, I.D.2-Students reflect on their place in a diverse, global learning community.

The photo above is an AI rendition of an animal hybrid....an owx?

My school is a mix of nationalities, economic statuses, and languages. It has a Spanish Dual Language program, where one class in each grade is taught in Spanish and English. The students in this class are a mix of native Spanish speakers and native English speakers. Students would have an interesting range of biome experiences to share. Brainstorming or Think, Pair, Share when possible would help students get an idea of the various experiences that each of them have to share.

To start the unit, and help build a collective base of knowledge, I would take learners to visit the Coffee Lake Nature Park and wetlands. This is two blocks down the street from our school. CREST, our District’s Center for Research in Environmental Sciences and Technologies program, could accompany us and provide programming on the wildlife and their adaptations in the wetlands. They could also present information about the types of wetlands (forest, aquatic, or grassland), previously existed. The grasslands of Manassas National Battlefield Park will be unfamiliar to many students, so this is a way to introduce the concept of biomes and adaptations and make it more meaningful to students.

Coupled with personal experiences, it would spark discussion about why adaptations are necessary, what they accomplish, and provide a comparison between grasslands and wetlands, giving students different perspectives of the world around them.

During the creation of a well-adapted animal, I would encourage students to not only use pencil, paper, and markers but also to explore the various digital drawing programs we have available, write a descriptive piece about their animal, create a poem, use our vast collection of National Geographic and other animal magazines to create a graphic animal, and even develop a 3D printed animal to share with the class. This would allow students “voice and choice” when creating their well-adapted animal to share with the class.

These ideas relate to AASL’s foundational standard, Include, by:

II.A.1. Learners contribute a balanced perspective when participating in a learning community by articulating an awareness of the contributions of a range of learners.

and,

II.B.1,2&3 Learners adjust their awareness of the global learning community by: 1. Interacting with learners who reflect a range of perspectives. 2. Evaluating a variety of perspectives during learning activities. 3. Representing diverse perspectives during learning activities.

I would also see if I could get local biologists to come in and speak to the students about what they do every day in their work with our local creatures.

If at all possible, I would love to see if local high school students who are in Biology classes could partner with the younger kids this lesson is made for and they could create creatures together.

For example, for the image above, I wanted to create a “Unicorn Moose.” I searched the Creative Commons to find this picture of a moose calf that I could use, then uploaded the picture into ChatGPT and told it “Give this moose a unicorn horn.”

I hope one conversation that would naturally occur during this process would be the need to give ChatGPT good directions. I also hope we would have reinforcement of citing our sources, and finding images that are ok to use.

The AASL standards that are addressed by this include VI.A.1 “Responsibly applying information, technology, and media to learning,” VI.B.1, “Ethically using and reproducing another’s work,” VI.B.2, “Acknowledging authorship and demonstrating respect for the intellectual property of others.”

"Moose calf (Explore 2014-05-09)" by Infomastern is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

If your group of students really gets into it, you can model what your library's population of moths would look like based on a multi-generational model created by having students color paper moths to blend into the library, taping them in place, and asking guest predators in to eat. After each generation, only the moth colors & patterns that remained "uneaten" can be used to create the next generation. After a few iterations, it starts to become very clear what the effective camoflauge patterns and colors of the space are and the students have a clear example of how adaptations can work.

I envision that the librarian would set up learning stations about a few different ecosystems-- mountains, grasslands, rainforests, oceans, deserts, forests, polar, etc. Each station could have pictures, fact cards, and maybe be able to visit this National Geographic website. In small groups, students can visit these stations for a few minutes to familiarize themselves. Then, there could be a brief reminder about adaptations and some brainstorming about which adaptations you might see in different ecosystems. (Polar bears are white like snow. Desert animals often are awake at night.)

Then each kid receives a picture and the name of an animal they have to research. Their mission is to figure out 1) which ecosystem they live in, and 2) one adaptation they have to be able to live there. Students will write that information on the the picture they were given.

Before researching, the class would discuss how they might accomplish the task. Like, "While reading, what questions should you ask yourself?" "What are some clues you might look for?" The librarian would have books pulled, like 5,000 Amazing Facts about Animals, Wild Animal Atlas, The Animal Book, and/or this National Geographic website. Students can look things up in the books, on the websites, and visit the ecosystem stations again. When students have answered the two questions about their animal (where they live, and which adaptations they have), they'll place their animal at the correct ecosystem station. Finally, students can share out what they learned about their animal.

I.A.1 Learners display curiosity and initiative by formulating questions about a personal interest or a curricular topic.

I.B.1 Learners engage with new knowledge by following a process that includes using evidence to investigate questions.

I.C.4 Learners adapt, communicate, and exchange learning products with others in a cycle that includes sharing products with an authentic audience.

Groups/partners could then be assigned different ecosystems to research. The photoshopped images could then be assigned to the groups, and they could design a creature that could live in the ecosystem they were assigned. Groups or partners could then present to the class, explaining the adaptations their creature needed to have to survive in the ecosystem. I think this could make it easier for those students who are not super creative.

I.C.1: Learners adapt, communicate, and exchange learning products with others in a cycle that includes interacting with content presented by others.

III.A.2: Learners identify collaborative opportunities by developing new understandings through engagement in a learning group.

III.A.3: Learners identify collaborative opportunities by deciding to solve problems informed by group interaction.