Teach Animal Adaptations with an MS Word Diagram

This project is part of a triptych that collaborates with a classroom unit on animals. The first was another diagram, that one to teach animal characteristics.

This one is a great project that mixes the visual with the written. Students loved collaborating to come up with the animal adaptations. Allow them to take ample time surveying the plethora of amazing animal pictures that represent the adaptations they selected. Overall a popular project that teaches a lot. Easily completed in 30 minutes.

  • Open MS Word
  • Add a heading at the top (name, teacher, date using Shift+Alt+D shortkey)
  • Add a title–Animal Adaptations. Explain the importance of a title on a document. Make sure it’s a bold font, larger than the heading and centered.
  • Insert an MS Word diagram as above
  • Add ‘Animal Adaptations as the first tier
  • Have students suggest adaptations that have allowed animals to survive their environmental changes. See the ones suggested above. Show students how to add bubbles, how to make sure they are linked to the top level as desired
  • Have students use Google images to find a picture that matches the the adaptation. Add a bubble under the suggested adaptation. Show students how to select the adaptation bubble and add one beneath with the toolbar. I suggest using the thumbnail for this bubble–it fits perfectly and saves a lot of resizing. Plus, it serves as a link for future research
  • Save and print. Well done!

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.

Author: Jacqui
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