Grade 6 · Science · Lesson 20

Adaptations and Natural Selection (Intro)

A polar bear in the Arctic has thick white fur. A camel in the desert has a hump full of fat. A fish underwater has gills instead of lungs. None of these animals chose those features — they were born with them, and the features fit perfectly with the place each animal lives. Body parts and behaviors that help a living thing survive in its habitat are called ADAPTATIONS. In this lesson you will see why each animal looks the way it does, and how adaptations get passed down through NATURAL SELECTION.

What this lesson teaches

1Define an adaptation as a trait that helps a living thing survive in its habitat
2Match an adaptation to the environment it fits
3Tell a physical adaptation apart from a behavioral adaptation
4Explain how natural selection helps well-adapted animals pass on their traits

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