Station 1: Bird Bones Internal Adaptations The bones of birds have hollow openings inside. Therefore, bird bones are less dense than human bones. These hollow spaces cause the bird to have lighter mass, allowing easier lift for flight. Birds also have air sacs that are extensions of their lungs. Sometimes, the hollow spaces allow for air sacs to be inflated, giving the bird more oxygen for long flights.
Record all of your observations, questions and answers on your worksheet. How are birds adapted for flight? Materials: microscope chicken bones beaker gloves Safety: Wear gloves when handling bones unless the teacher tells you they are sterilized. Do not put hands on your face or in your mouth. Procedure: 1. Put gloves on 2. Observe the bird bones with a hand lens and sketch them in detail in your spiral. 3. Describe, in detail, the inside of the bone. 4. Remove gloves and throw them away Observations: Describe what you see, and sketch the bone in detail. Analysis: What is the function of the adaptation in the bird bone? Conclusion: How do the bone adaptations help birds fly?
Station 2: Fish Gills Fish have a respiratory system that is very different from ours. Where we have lungs, fish have gills. As a fish opens its mouth, water enters. When the fishes closes its mouth, the water flows over the gills. There are tiny capillaries with semi-permeable membranes that allow the dissolved oxygen from the water to pass into the bloodstream. The carbon dioxide waste passes out of the bloodstream and into the water. This is known as gas exchange.
Record all of your observations, questions and answers on your worksheet. How are fish adapted to breathe? Materials: video of fish timer Procedure: 1. Observe the fish closely and note when it opens and closes its mouth. 2. Count how many times the fish opens and closes its mouth in 20 seconds. Then multiply that number by 5 to get the respirations per minute. Make sure you record your answer. 3. Repeat for the second fish. Record your answer. Observations: Describe what you see. Did the two fish have the same breathing rates? If not, describe the difference. Analysis: What is the function of the adaptation in the fish? Conclusion: How are fish adapted to breathe? What is the name of the adaptation that allow fish to breathe in water?
Station 3: Plant Xylem and Phloem Much like the human body has a circulatory system to transport oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, plants have a vascular system which transports water and nutrients throughout the plant. The main structures of a plant s vascular system are xylem and phloem. While roots absorb water, the xylem transports and circulates it throughout the plant by a system of tubes and cells. The xylem is made of strong tissue which allows it to also help support the plant. Have you ever seen a slice of wood from a tree that was cut down? It will have tree rings. These rings are old xylem tissue. There is one ring for each year of the tree s life. Plants are producers. They make their own food through the process of photosynthesis which produces glucose. This process takes place in the leaves where chlorophyll is present and sunlight can be absorbed. The glucose has to travel to every plant cell to keep them alive. The phloem serves as the transport system to deliver the glucose to each cell. Have you ever heard of tree sap? The phloem is responsible for the transport of the sap. Phloem is always living tissue, where xylem dies after one year and has to be regrown. Xylem moves water and dissolved minerals up from the roots. Phloem moves glucose down from the leaves to the rest of the plant.
Record all of your observations, questions and answers on your worksheet. How do plants transport water and nutrients? Materials: microscope celery sample Procedure: 1. Observe the piece of fresh celery. 2. Observe the celery that sat in food coloring overnight. 3. Record what you see Observations: Describe what you see and sketch the two pieces of celery in detail. Analysis: How are the two celery slices different? What is the function of the structures observed? Conclusion: How do plants transport water and nutrients? What are the names of the structures that transport water and nutrients in plants?