Interdisciplinary Lesson Plans
Stage I
Create a
Switcheroo
Stage II
Name Your
Animal
Stage III
Write a
Field Guide
Stage IV
Creative
Tasks
Stage V
Persuasive
Writing
Stage III: Write a Field Guide

Now that you have created and named your animal, you are ready to equip him or her with distinctive characteristics.

Whether you joined two, three or four mammals, this new animal is a combination of the various characteristics of more than one creature. You will determine your new animal's characteristics based on those of the source animals.

Start by researching each of the animals in your combination. You can scroll down the page to see what you will need to know. Click in the box below for links to sites where you can find the information.

Once you have become familiar with some of the characteristics of the source animals, you are ready to write your Field Guide. Imagine that you have discovered this animal in the wild, and you are preparing a guide for others to learn about your discovery.

Remember to print the completed page before leaving it. When you leave the page, your answers will be erased and you will not be able to return to them.

1. Based on the animals that comprise your switcheroo, do you think it would be a

Herbivore (plant eater)? Carnivore (meat eater)? Omnivore (meat and plant eater)?

 

 

2. Describe some of the foods your switcheroo eats:

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*Only text that is visible without scrolling will print. If you need more room for your answer, click More.

3. Your animal is a vertebrate. Explain why:

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4. Is your animal a mammal, bird, fish, reptile, amphibian, arthropod, insect, or mollusk? Explain why:

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5. Identify the environment in which your switcheroo lives. Click one of the following choices:

 Tropical
 Arctic
 Forest
 Desert
 Savannah
 Aquatic

Next, write a paragraph that describes your switcheroo's environment. Be sure to include specific details in your description.


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6. What kinds of habits does your animal exhibit?

a. Sleeping: Is your switcheroo awake at night (nocturnal) or during the day? Does he or she sleep out in the open, in a cave, or in a hole?
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b. Describe your switcheroo's social life. Does he or she travel in a pack or alone? Does he or she depend on family members? For food? For love?

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c. Does your switcheroo migrate during certain times of the year? When?

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d. Does your switcheroo hibernate? If so, then for what length of time? Six weeks? Six months? During what season?

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7. What kinds of sounds does your switcheroo make? Does he or she bark, growl, roar, yip, squeal, screech?

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8. What is the expected life span of your switcheroo?

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9. Describe some common habits that your switcheroo exhibits.

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10. Is he or she a wild or domesticated animal? Please explain.

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11. Is your animal prey, a predator, or both?

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Important: Print the completed page before leaving it.

The answers you type will remain on the page until it is refreshed. When you leave the page, your answers will be erased and you will not be able to return to them.

 

Stage III: Write a Field Guide