Geography: Animal Quest Materials
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 3.3ACTIVITY GEOGRAPHY: ANIMAL QUEST MATERIALS1Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Geography: Animal Quest Materials”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/Plate Boundaries and Animal Species MapType of boundaryColor of lines that show different types of boundariesDivergentBrown and pinkConvergentBlue and purpleTransformYellow and greenLocation4Location2Location5Location3Location1
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 3.3ACTIVITY GEOGRAPHY: ANIMAL QUEST MATERIALS2Biomes Map
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 3.3ACTIVITY GEOGRAPHY: ANIMAL QUEST MATERIALS3Species CardsKangarooHabitat: Dry grasslands and savannasSpecial ability: Power leapEvolutionary origin: Millions of years ago, biologists believe that a species of tiny opossum-like tree-dwelling animals made their way across the continents before the movement of Earth’s plates separated them. The kangaroo’s ancestors became isolated when their landmass drifted away. They left the trees and adapted to life on land, developing into powerful jumpers with strong legs to travel great distances across grasslands. Hopping is a helpful adaptation to move quickly across deserts,where food can be hard to find.Giant tortoiseHabitat: Dry, rocky areas and lush highlandsSpecial ability: Endurance modeEvolutionary origin: Their home was formed from repeated volcanic activity in the ocean. The evolutionary story of giant tortoises, therefore, probably required a long-distance swim a few million years ago. Without many predators and with an ample food supply, the tortoises evolved to become much larger than their relatives in other areas. They can go into endurance mode and survive for months without food or water.JaguarHabitat: Thick rainforests and riverbanksSpecial ability: Shadow stalkerEvolutionary origin: The jaguar’s ancestors come from a long line of big cats. These cats likely used a land bridge to arrive attheir current home. After rising oceans covered the land bridge, jaguars evolved to adapt to a habitat that required them to be stealthy rather than swift. Their spots provide camouflage in the jungle, and they’re good swimmers. They can move silently, which allows themto stalk their prey even in dense forests.
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 3.3ACTIVITY GEOGRAPHY: ANIMAL QUEST MATERIALS4Emperor penguinHabitat: Harsh, icy landscapes and icy ocean watersSpecial ability: Glacier glideEvolutionary origin: While their ancestors lived in warmer waters, emperor penguins have evolved a thick layer of fat and waterproof feathers,whichhelp them survive in a much colder environment. Their wing-like flippers help them move quickly through the water while hunting their prey. They glide on their bellies to conserve energy on long journeys.LemurHabitat: Warm and humid rainforestsSpecial ability: Night visionEvolutionary origin: Evolving on an island ecosystem, lemurs are unique amongprimates. Fossil evidence suggests lemurs have a common ancestor on a large mainland continent nearby. Some scientists think they arrived on the island by surfing on rafts of floating vegetation. Their big eyes, which are capable of night vision, are an adaptationto threats from predators, including dinosaurs. Their enhanced vision meansthat even in low light, they can easily leap through the tree canopy.Page 1:Map of Earth's principal tectonic plates, by M.BittonCC BY-SA 3.0Page 2: Terrestrial BiomesbyOpenStax,CC BY 4.0Page 3: Red kangaroo, By Sheba_Also, CC BY-SA 2.0Page 3: Giant tortoise, ÓFreepikPage 3: American jaguar, ÓFreepikPage 4: Emperor penguin, ÓFreepikPage 4: Ring-tailed lemur,ÓFreepik