>> Hi!

I'm Ms.

Skillman, and I teach fourth-grade science in Trenton at Paul Robeson Charter School.

I miss my kids so much.

I bet you miss your teachers and your friends, too.

But it's okay.

We're gonna get through this, and we're gonna be okay.

I'm so excited, as you can tell, because I'm talking so fast!

[ Inhales ] Okay.

I'm so excited to talk to you about one of my favorite topics, animal adaptations.

You actually hear one of my little friends.

You hear that sound?

Hmm.

What do you think it is?

I see you over there.

You'll come out later.

[ Whispering ] They're getting a drink.

[ Normal voice ] Okay.

Anyway, before we get started, there's two things I need from you.

One, make sure that you have something to write with.

It could be a crayon.

It could be a marker.

It could be a pencil.

I don't know.

I like, as I'm sure other teachers -- I like these flair pens.

But if you have a crayon or a colored pencil -- or my students love these smelly pencils.

Smencils?

I forget what they're called.

You probably know.

They love them.

So, if you have one of them, grab them, one of them, and something to write on.

It could be the work that maybe your science teacher gave you.

You can write on the back of that.

Or, you know, just a small piece of paper, just to take some notes because we're going to be talking about some key words.

Okay, so that's the first thing.

Something to write on and something to write with.

Second thing -- Need you to join me in something that I do every day with my students.

And it's called Mindful Minute.

Okay.

So, as I tell my students, for one minute -- I'm going to bring it up on the screen so that you can see it -- I'm giving you permission to not think about anything.

You have permission to just get all those worries gone.

No homework, no thoughts, no stress, no COVID-19, no math, English, anything.

Don't think about it.

I want you to think about you and your breathing, and you can look at the picture that I'm going to put up there or listen to the music.

Okay?

This is me giving you permission to take care of yourself.

Alright.

So, I'll be right back.

I'm going to put it on, and then we're going to do this together for one minute, 60 seconds, of just silence.

Except for my friends over there.

You might hear them.

[ Mouthing "One minute" ] [ Exhales ] Maybe you can stretch a minute.

Okay?

Here we go.

I'm serious.

[ Inhales, exhales ] [ Sighs ] [ Chittering ] [ Sighs ] That's it.

So, you did it for one minute.

Okay, stretch it out.

Ahh!

Okay.

Now, go get that pencil and that paper.

I'm going to wait, okay?

I'm going to give you, like, some time to go get it.

I'm only going to give you like a minute, though, because you should have some, hopefully, nearby.

Okay?

And then we're going to talk about what we're gonna get doing.

And we're going to read a story.

And you're going to meet someone who means the world to me.

Hmm.

So, before we get started, Chase and I -- This is Chase.

>> Yeah.

>> He's my son.

We are going to read a book about adaptations, about eyeballs.

[ Whispering ] Eyeballs.

[ Normal voice ] Okay?

And what if you had animal eyes?

What animal eyes would you want?

>> No.

I don't want animal.

>> You don't want any animal eyes?

Do you want animal eyes?

Hmm.

I don't know which ones I would want.

>> I want animal teeth.

>> Oh, animal teeth.

>> Like sharp teeth.

>> Ooh.

>> Like a sharp teeth.

>> Like really sharp teeth.

If you could have any body part of an animal, which one would you have?

>> A shark.

>> A shark.

He knew that, like, boom.

Alright.

We're gonna start our book, "What If You Had Animal Eyes?"

By Sandra Markle, illustrated by Howard McWilliam.

Okay.

So, look at that.

Oh, my gosh.

Look at her eyes.

It's crazy.

I like them.

>> Yeah.

I like that cover.

>> Yeah.

You like the cover?

>> Yeah.

>> This book has seen so many things.

What?

>> Look on the front.

And we saw that at the pet store.

>> I know.

We have seen that.

He's saying, "We saw this at the pet store," on this side.

>> It's called a chameleon.

>> It is called a chameleon.

Let's find out what his eyes are like, okay?

>> Yeah, let's do that.

>> Okay.

Let's see.

Oh!

"What if, one day, when you woke up, the eyes on your face weren't yours?

What if, overnight, a wild animal's eyes took their place?"

Oh, my goodness.

Oh, man.

Just took their place.

Oh!

The first one -- a chameleon.

I'm gonna show you the chameleon first.

So, this is a type of reptile.

Okay?

>> Yeah.

>> And I actually have a little surprise for you in a little bit.

Okay.

So... "A chameleon's eyes stick out like twin telescopes."

Do you know what a telescope is?

>> Yes.

>> Do you know what a telescope is?

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Okay, hold on.

Hold on.

Let's let them think for a second.

What is a telescope?

I'm thinking of like a pirate.

Like on a boat.

>> Nope.

>> Who uses telescopes?

Who?

>> Peppa Pig did, to look at the Earth.

>> To look at the Earth.

That's right, yeah.

To look at the stars in the sky, they use a telescope.

Okay, so, "These cone-shaped bumps are actually fused-together eyelids that open just enough to peek through.

These limit the chameleon's view, but these eyes can do something tricky."

Do you know any tricks?

Hmm.

I don't know any tricks.

>> Me, too.

I know a lot.

>> Yeah, I know you know a lot.

Okay.

Let's go back to the book, okay?

>> Okay.

>> Okay.

So, they can do something tricky.

"Each eye moves separately.

That way, a chameleon can look for prey, such as crickets, in two directions at once."

So, you have one eye that's looking this way, and one eye that's looking that way.

At the same time.

Can you do that?

>> No.

>> I can't do that.

My eyes won't do that.

Will your eyes do that?

>> No.

>> No, they won't do that.

That's kind of crazy.

>> Yeah.

>> They said a really important word, though -- "Prey."

>> Yeah, prey.

>> You know what?

I'm going to write that down.

That's an important word.

Go ahead and write that word down.

P-R-E-Y.

I'm gonna write it.

>> And -- And also... >> P-R-E-Y.

>> Can I talk for right now?

>> "Prey."

Okay?

Prey.

>> Can I say something?

Do you know what prey is?

>> No.

>> No?

Okay.

Prey is the food or the the meal that another animal is eating.

Alright?

So -- Hold on a second.

So, if they're looking for their prey, what do you think they're looking for?

What do you think a chameleon is looking for...to eat?

>> And also... >> What do you think they're looking for?

What do you think reptiles eat?

Hmm.

>> Um, I know.

>> Some animals eat -- Like, a spider eats, like, other bugs.

>> Yeah, like other bugs.

That's a great, great answer.

Yup.

So, other bugs.

>> Yeah.

>> So it could be crickets, worms -- which, hmm, we might have something to do with that later.

Yes?

>> And a lot -- and all of the animals in the world has the word prey.

>> Not all animals are prey.

>> Well -- >> They're not.

Not all animals are prey.

If you are not prey, do you know another word that you could be, if you're the one that's trying to get the prey?

This is a big word.

>> Or some-- What?

>> Hold on, let me tell you.

Because this is -- this is, like, a big word.

"Predator."

>> That's a big word.

>> Yes, predator.

>> And also -- >> So, a predator is the thing that's going to eat the prey.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, predator.

I'm going to write that one down too.

'Cause that's a big word.

Okay.

P-R-E-D... Pred-i, pred-i... Sometimes I have to sound out a word to make sure I spell it right.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

Pred-i... >> Sometimes I have to do that, too.

>> ...tor.

That doesn't look right to me.

No, it doesn't look right.

Ugh!

Sometimes this gets so complicated, even as a teacher.

So, I'm gonna look it up because -- >> That's cheating.

>> It's not cheating.

>> Yes, it is.

>> No, it's not.

>> Yes, it is.

>> I'm going to tell you why it's not cheating.

>> Why?

>> Because sometimes you need to look up the answer, and it's okay to look it up.

>> Oh.

>> So we can look it up in -- >> But for games, it's cheating.

>> Sometimes it's okay to ask for help and to know what resources you have -- Like a dictionary or a thesaurus.

For me, it just happens to be my phone right here.

So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to put in..."predator."

Oh, look at that!

Okay.

"Predator."

P-R-E-D-A-T-O-R.

Predator.

Predator.

Okay?

And they're the ones that eat the prey.

Okay?

>> Can I eat?

>> Alright.

Can you eat?

No!

>> I mean can I say something?

>> I want to get this book done because it's gonna be really good.

Okay, let's get this book done.

So... Look, she's at the toy store looking at all the things.

>> And that's when -- >> "If you had chameleon eyes, you could look around the toy store fast and know exactly what you want."

>> And that was the page -- it's my favorite page.

>> Why?

>> Because there's all those toys.

>> Mm.

What's your favorite toy?

>> All of them.

>> All of them.

>> That's also my favorite page.

>> Okay.

What's your favorite toy?

Hmm.

Okay, no.

We need to stop doing that.

We have got to get our work done.

You have got to stop talking.

We have got to stop listening to other people around us that are talking, and focus.

>> And also, I -- >> Okay.

Okay.

Next is a golden eagle.

Ooh, an eagle.

>> Yes.

>> Yes, we are big Eagles fans.

>> Yep.

>> Okay.

"A golden eagle has laser-sharp vision.

This bird can see up to eight times better than most people."

>> What?

>> I know.

"It can also spot its prey" -- ooh, there's that word again, prey -- "up to two miles away."

That's, like, really far.

Yes?

>> And vultures eat dead animals.

>> Yes, they do.

Yes, vultures do eat dead animals.

Okay.

"In a flash, a golden eagle can shift its eyes from focusing on something far to something really close.

This is perfect for keeping an eagle eye on and catching a fast-hopping rabbit."

You want to know a fact?

>> What?

>> Ew, look.

Look at this.

Look.

Look at this fact right here.

Look.

Wait, hold on.

I'm trying to show.

Okay, there we go.

Look at that eyelid.

It says, "A golden eagle's eye has a third eyelid..." Wow.

"...that sweeps across the eyes like windshield wipers and keeps them clean."

It's like a windshield wiper.

[ Imitates windshield wiper ] It's an adaptation.

That's that word again.

Okay.

"If you had golden eagle eyes, you could sit up high in a stadium and still see a football game."

You could be at the tippy, tippy top of a football game and still see it.

Ooh, a dragonfly.

>> I like dragonflies.

>> Dragonfly.

>> I mean, I kind of... >> Yeah.

Okay.

So, a dragonfly.

"Dragonflies' eyes are huge.

They have to be."

Oh, my gosh.

Wait till you hear this.

Are you ready for this?

>> Yes.

>> "Each dragonfly has up to 30,000" -- 30,000 -- "tiny lenses."

Like, so how we have one eye, a dragonfly has 30,000.

>> 30,000 eyes.

>> 30,000 eyes!

>> What?

>> That is insane!

Oh, my gosh!

"Scientists aren't sure how a dragonfly's brain creates images from all of those lenses, but they do believe that having so many lenses is what lets the dragonfly spot movement fast.

That's how a dragonfly can see a flying mosquito in time to catch it."

Oh.

So, if it has to see a mosquito, that tells me that it must eat the mosquitoes.

>> So we don't get any bug bites.

>> Hmm.

Interesting.

Hmm.

"A dragonfly has three small extra eyes that help guide its flight by sensing bright light and shadows."

Look, if you look really closely, you can see... Oh, I'll move my finger.

You can see right there all the little eyes.

Holy cow.

Crazy.

That's insane.

Okay.

What else we got?

Oh, a leopard!

"A clouded leopard's eyes have a special mirror-like layer at the back.

This layer reflects light back through the retina," which is the back part of your eye.

"This helps the clouded leopard see well in dim light at nighttime."

Hmm.

Why would this adaptation be helpful for a leopard at nighttime?

Why would they have to see at night?

Why wouldn't they -- Don't tell them yet.

Why would a leopard have to see at night?

Hmm.

Anybody?

Anybody?

Nobody?

Nobody knows?

>> I know.

>> Why?

Tell me.

>> Because the, like, regular cats do this, a bigger cat, and they have to see in the dark like regular cats.

>> Oh.

Well, what do they do at nighttime that's so important that they have to be able to see?

>> They have to probably get exercise and run.

>> They're running, but they're running toward something.

Hmm.

They're actually eating, because they are something that's called nocturnal.

Do you know what that means?

>> No.

>> Nocturnal -- Let's write that word down, 'cause that's an important word.

I know how to spell this one.

N-O-C-T-U-R-A-L.

"Nocturnal."

So, nocturnal means that they are asleep all day, and then they're awake all night."

>> Like me.

>> No!

Oh, my gosh, I would be so tired.

So, yeah.

So, they're nocturnal, so they need to be able to see during the day if they -- I'm sorry.

No.

They need to be able to see at night... They need, like, night vision, like a spy.

They're like little spies.

Okay?

Alright, cool.

Bullfrog.

This is like another book that him and I read.

There's actually a frog in Alaska that, when it's really cold, an adaptation is that it turns into a frogsicle.

Right?

It's so funny.

Turns into a frogsicle.

Like, for real.

And it doesn't die.

It just freezes.

Chase is gonna go find it for you so we can show you the picture.

Okay.

>> Here it is.

>> Oh, here it is.

>> [ Speaking indistinctly ] >> Okay.

So, I'm going to hold on to that and show you in a second.

Okay.

So... "A bullfrog's eyes are on top of its head so the frog can hide underwater and still watch out for enemies.

Its eyes are also wide apart.

That way, a bullfrog can see nearly all the way around itself without turning its head."

Wow.

So it's like all the way up here, you know, just like your teacher says, "I have eyes in the back of my head"?

It's kind of true for a frog.

So, look, you can see how it's like up top, right?

This is really important.

>> I like that picture.

>> Yeah.

So, Chase brought out, like, one of his toy frogs for you to see.

See how they're, like, up top like that?

>> They got bumps.

>> Yeah.

Here you go.

>> I might get that -- >> Oh, yeah.

Let me -- Can you find that page for us?

>> Yeah.

>> Cool.

Let's see.

Let's find another really -- Did you find it?

Okay.

You're going to hold it?

Alright, show them.

Show them.

Oh, my gosh.

It says, "Do frogs drink hot chocolate to keep warm?"

No!

That's just ridiculous.

It says that some frogs... Look, he's literally a frogsicle.

Crazy.

So -- And I didn't know this.

I had no idea until I read this book the other day.

"The Alaskan wood frog turns into a frogsicle.

It spends the winter with most of its body frozen.

When the air warms up, the frog warms up."

What?

>> And can I show them the first page?

And here's the page where the frog is drinking hot chocolate.

>> Yep.

Okay.

Let's go back to this.

>> It's two pages.

>> Let's go back to this.

I want to make sure that I show you something that's really important before we move on and I show you some other fun things.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> Where is it?

Where is it?

Hmm.

Okay.

There's a viper.

It's a type of snake.

Do you like snakes?

>> Ew.

>> Oh!

He doesn't like snakes.

I don't know how I feel about... If I know the snake is supposed to be there, I'm okay.

Do you like snakes?

>> I don't like spiders.

>> Spiders.

Do you like spiders?

>> No.

>> I don't know.

Spiders... Mr.

Skillman does not like snakes at all.

>> Yep.

That's her... Say hi to Mr.

Skillman.

>> He's not here.

He's at work.

He's actually an EMT.

He drives the ambulance, and he is doing a lot of work right now.

>> And -- But he doesn't drive the ambulance.

He drives his chief truck.

>> Yeah.

>> But he's kind of the chief.

But sometimes he'll go on the ambulance.

He was in a play yesterday.

>> He was.

It's true.

They went, and -- It's actually kind of cute.

They went to -- for a little kid's birthday party.

They went -- >> Wait.

>> Yeah, it was for a kid's birthday party.

And they drove -- >> How?

>> You okay?

>> For like -- for some... So, like -- for like some -- more than one kid.

>> Mm.

Oh, yeah.

It was a couple kids.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

Are you okay?

>> Yeah.

>> Okay.

So... This is a viper, and they have clear eyelids.

So, the snake has clear eyelids.

So you can't even see their eyelids.

So, they're actually blinking, and you wouldn't even know it.

"Its eyelids work like safety goggles."

So it would be like if we were doing a lab experiment, and you wouldn't even have to put goggles on because you would already have these goggles on.

Wow.

So, this snake, right, opens its eyes really wide, and it, like -- they just stay wide open so that it can find a mouse or a lizard for dinner.

>> What?

>> So, you know what's kind of crazy?

>> We're talking about these eyes, right?

And [chuckles] I've noticed something.

There's something, like, pretty interesting, even with the frogsicle -- All of these things have to do with an animal trying to do something.

Hmm.

Do you know what they're trying to do?

>> No.

>> They're trying to survive.

>> What?

>> Yeah, survive.

That means, like, live, okay?

They're trying to live.

They're trying to do whatever that they can to make it.

So that's an adaptation, and that's going to be, like, our keyword for the day.

I'm actually going to go into the other room, and you and I are going to have a chat about adaptations.

And I want you to think about those words that you and I talked about -- prey, predator, and nocturnal.

And while I'm getting myself set up, I want you to write the word "adaptation."

I'm going to write it here for you.

>> And I also want [speaking indistinctly] >> Adaptation.

This word right here -- A-D-A-P-T-A-T-I-O-N.

And I want you to write that down.

And I want you to think about what we talked about and what I just said about surviving.

And think about the eyes.

And if I were to say to you that types of eyes are a type of adaptation, what do you think the definition of adaptation is?

So, I'm going to go get myself together.

You take a minute, write your answer, and I'll be back.

>> Yep.

>> Yes, and the book was so good.

You would've loved it.

It was so good.

Oh, okay.

So, this is my friend here.

This is Ginger.

This is who was making all that noise earlier, before the book?

Look, she's so... Look.

I'll put her really close so you can see her.

Say hi!

Ooh!

Hello, there.

See her eyes?

You see how they're on the side of her head?

Why do you think that?

Why do you think they would be on the side of her head?

She's a guinea pig, by the way.

Which actually isn't a pig at all.

Huh.

Hmm.

Any ideas why?

Also, her ears are right here, and they're really thin.

See?

Yep.

So, her eyes are actually on the side of her head so that she can see behind her and in front of her at the same time.

So, Ginger, let's show them that I made the words that I was telling you about.

So I put "adaptation" and "prey" and "predator."

Okay?

So, thinking about those words, Ginger, do you think, based on her size, that she is prey, which is an animal that is hunted for food, or do you think that she is a predator, an animal that hunts other animals?

Now, sometimes size doesn't matter.

But what do you think about Ginger here?

Hey, I'm not a carrot.

You can't nibble me.

She's actually prey.

So, have you ever tried to pick up a guinea pig?

Mm-hmm.

I didn't until I got her mom.

I actually have her mom over there.

I'm letting her chill for a little bit.

Her name's Penny.

And so, I got her mom, mm, almost three years ago, and she was pregnant.

I mean she was gonna have a baby.

And she ended up having five babies.

And I was going to give her back to the farm.

I got her for my class so that they could see what it would be like.

And then I fell in love with this cute, little face.

[ Baby-talking ] Oh, my gosh.

Look at the face.

[ Normal voice ] Right?

The thing about guinea pigs is, though, they do better with a pair, like with a friend, right?

You don't want to be alone.

That's boring.

So I had to make sure that they were two girls.

And since I really loved Penny, I had to keep the only girl, which was this little girl, and I love her.

So, when I went to go pick them up, I was always told that you have to go from below, let them sniff you first, and then you grab them.

And if they're prey... [ Chittering ] You hear her talking?

If they're prey... Are you trying to tell them?

You can't give them all the answers.

Chase was trying to give them all the answers during the book.

He's cute, though.

So, if they're prey, right, if they told me that I had to make sure that I put my hand under here, where do you think their predator, the animal that hunts them, where you think their predators usually come from, if me, as someone who's not going to hurt them, has to come down here to tell them it's okay?

Where do you think?

I know, you don't want to think about it.

I'm gonna let you think about it while I put her back.

Okay.

So, if you guessed from up there, you are correct.

Actually, they are eaten a lot by big birds.

Kind of like what Chase said earlier about vultures and how they eat a lot of, like, smaller animals and things like that?

Yeah.

That's what comes after guinea pigs.

So if they see a shadow coming down to them, they think that they're going to get eaten.

So an adaptation for them is, "Oh, my gosh.

If I see a shadow, I need to hide."

Okay?

That's a shadow that they've... That's, like, something that they have learned to adapt to and to relate.

Okay?

So, that's actually something that they do, which is a behavioral adaptation.

So, I wrote it down right here.

"Behavioral adaptation."

Okay?

I want you to write it down.

Behavioral adaptation.

Think about the word that is in there -- Behavior.

So, this is behavior adaptation.

What do you think the definition would be?

Hmm.

Let's see.

If they go running when they see something coming from up above... I'll give you another example.

My cat, when we wake up in the morning, she starts crying so hard because she knows what time it is.

So it's a behavior, because she knows what to do to survive.

She wants us to go feed her.

So, behavioral adaptation is something that you do.

It's a behavior.

Okay?

So, that's her behavior.

Now, remember, we were talking about eyes earlier, and how they're all -- they can be, like, anywhere?

And I still can't get over that dragonfly that has -- What was it?

-- 30,000.

Holy cow.

Anyway, that is a structural adaptation.

So structural adaptation is something that's a part of you.

You can't change it.

Okay?

So, it's something that's a part of your structure.

Okay?

Your body, your...all of this.

Okay?

So can you think of an example of a structural adaptation?

I want you to think.

I'm going to think of one, too.

I'm going to write one down.

Structural adaptation.

Hmm.

Let's see here.

Ooh.

No, no.

Are you writing your answer?

I hope so.

Um... Okay.

[ Chuckles ] That's a silly one.

I just thought of a really silly one.

Okay.

Alright.

I would love to know what you wrote.

Okay.

Structural adaptation.

My example is I think, like, the taller you are, your feet have to get bigger, right?

They have to be able to hold you up and, like, walk with you as a part of your structure.

That's an adaptation for our species.

Okay?

Remember, that's -- that's our definition.

"A change that helps a species survive."

So, feet, the size of your foot.

Okay?

Cool.

We're gonna play a little game.

Hmm.

I am going to name... I'm only going to do four.

I'm gonna name four different adaptations.

You're going to tell me if you think they are behavioral, structural.

Hmm.

Okay?

Get ready.

Get ready.

Okay.

Number one.

Let me make them straight for you.

Hmm.

Okay.

Number one.

I'm gonna start a little easy.

Playing dead to trick a predator.

Playing dead to trick a predator.

Whoosh!

Behavioral adaptation.

They're pretending.

They know that if someone thinks they're dead, they're not going to eat them.

So behavioral adaptation.

They're acting.

It's something that they do.

It's something that they can control.

Okay.

Number two.

Spines on a cactus.

Hmm.

Spines on a cactus.

Choo, choo.

Choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, choo.

Boop!

Structural adaptation.

It's structural because it's a part of who they are.

They cannot change it.

It's a part of their structure.

It's a part of their body.

Okay?

Number three.

A giraffe's long neck.

Woop, woop.

A giraffe's long neck.

Behavioral or structural?

Structural!

Because it's a part of their body.

It actually did not use to be that long.

Do you know why it got so long?

Think about what they eat.

Remember, an adaptation is something that helps them survive.

So, if they eat all those plants and the trees that are high up, they need to be able to reach it.

Their necks got long.

Last one.

Migration.

So, if birds are migrating down south when it's really cold here... My gosh, these crazy guinea pigs.

Okay?

Sorry.

If the birds are migrating down south, which one is it?

They are migrating.

"Migrate" means "to move."

They are flying.

They are moving.

Behavioral!

Because they are choosing to fly away.

Remember that African wood frog that turns into a frogsicle?

Which I still think is absolutely hilarious.

Yep, you could stay, they could stay, but they would be frozen.

Yep.

So they actually choose, "Okay, if I want to live, I need to go to Florida."

Do you think they go to Disney World?

That would be really funny.

Oh, my gosh.

Can you... [ Sighs ] If you ever get to Disney World... Maybe you have, I don't know.

...and you see birds that are there while you're there, I bet you, after watching this, you're going to think, "I wonder if they're here on vacation."

That'd be really funny.

Oh, my gosh, so funny.

I have a couple more things that I want to show you that has to do with adaptation.

And I'm going to get a little helper for this one.

So, I have a new friend.

This here's José.

I'm gonna show you José.

Look, buddy.

Say hi.

Hi, everybody.

My name's José, and I am a bearded dragon.

So, he's really cool.

I want to show you his ears.

Those little holes... I don't want him to feel like he's falling.

But, ugh, those little holes right there, that's his ears.

He's an old man, so he can't really hear a whole lot.

But if you look at his eyes -- Look at his eyes -- you see how they're zeroing in?

Kind of like the chameleon?

Right?

Kind of cool, huh?

Yeah, so this is José, and he is really cool.

I'm learning a lot about him.

He's really calm, so... He eats worms.

So, if he eats worms, going back to our keywords prey and predator, is José the prey or the predator when it comes to the worms?

Which one are you, hmm?

Which one are you?

[ Whispering ] The predator.

[ Normal voice ] Yeah.

He's the predator.

That means he hunts the worms.

Now, I have a funny little video.

He usually stays at my classroom, but since we're all home, he's home with me.

But I took it at my classroom.

I'm gonna share it with you, and I hope you like it.

It's so funny.

And then we're going to talk about it.

So, this is the video, and it cracks me up.

Um, going to play it a couple times for you.

Okay?

First, let me move myself out of the way.

Okay.

You'll see my son, Chase, who you met earlier, and he actually takes the worms, and we want him to get his exercise, so we kind of play fetch, like you would with a dog, where you throw the ball and then they run and get it?

We do that with worms.

Okay?

So, let's see what happens.

Now, remember, he's an old guy.

Oh.

He saw it on the screen.

Gets me every time.

Do you see yourself?

I'm gonna play it one more time just because it's that funny.

Are you watching it?

Okay, one more time.

Look at him looking at it.

That's hilarious.

So, I'm going to pause it for a second because I really want you to look at the coloring on his skin.

Yeah, you can see it in person.

You can also see it on the thing.

See how he -- Do you see that?

Do you see those push-outs?

That's actually something that they do that's like, "I'm in charge.

You need to listen to me."

That's why he was doing that.

Anyway, he's actually kind of blending in with the floor.

So, what's another word that's pretty popular when it comes to adaptation?

We didn't really talk about it a whole lot today, but it's called camouflage.

So, he, looking at his colors, would kind of camouflage in a lot of where he comes from.

He comes from the desert in Australia.

So, all of these colors.

Kind of blends in with sand and, like, the dark grass.

So, there's one more thing I want to talk about, and that's this guy's tail right here.

So, when I got José, I actually rescued him.

And I don't know if you've seen a lot of lizards or bearded dragons, but their tails are usually really pointy and really long.

And I thought it was really weird that his tail wasn't.

But you can see, like, he's alive.

He's fine.

So, I thought, "What happened?"

So I talked to the people where I got him from, and they say that the people that they rescued him from, they weren't using the correct sunlight, like the correct light bulb, because, like, our light bulbs are his sun because he's not in the desert.

Right?

And so his adaptation was, actually, some of his tail fell off.

So it lost, like, that pointiness.

So we don't really know how long it would be.

And... I'm gonna show you.

He's just kind of chilling.

Chilling here.

probably kind of freaked out because he's next to -- Oh, he's coming up to the screen.

Look.

Do you see yourself?

[ Chuckling ] Oh!

He sees himself in a reflection.

Oh, my gosh, I wish you could see this.

This is hilarious.

So, I did want to show you this.

This is actually the inside of his skull.

So, the eyes are here.

Okay?

And his nose.

You see how it comes out like that?

And his teeth are really tiny.

Of course, this is just a replica, because his face is not this big.

But this is what it would look like.

This is what his skeleton would look like.

Okay, so, I found some things that I wanted to share.

I know I said I was done, but... they're really cool.

First thing -- We were talking about birds earlier, and I found a replica owl skull.

Look at this thing.

Look at it.

That's the eyes, right?

So crazy.

So crazy.

Look at the eyes.

I can't... So, what's really crazy about this is that if you look at it, right, if you -- This is like hard bone that the... Like, that's hard.

Okay?

So their eyeballs, like... They can't turn their eyes like we can, so they have to actually turn their entire head around.

They can almost turn their head in a full circle.

Not a complete circle -- They can't -- but almost.

Like, that is crazy.

Insane.

Wow.

It's crazy.

Huh.

Okay.

Back to José for a second.

I found a fossil thing for lizards so that you can see what I was talking about with the tail, how it's usually really long and pointy, because José is a type of lizard.

So, his tail doesn't look like that.

That is what it looks like.

Well, that's what it's supposed to look like.

Okay?

Some facts about a lizard.

Where'd they go?

I thought they were really interesting too.

So, lizards smell with their tongue.

And it's actually true of snakes, too.

They stick out their tongues, and that's how they can tell if their food or if other animals are near.

I thought that was really interesting.

Okay.

Then...a beaver.

Do you know what a beaver is?

So, beavers chew wood.

That's what they do.

They like to go into water, and they like to build dams, and they like to chew wood.

That's what they like to do.

This thing is massive.

Look at this.

So big.

And you can open it up.

They've got the teeth inside and the teeth on the outside.

That's a lot of teeth.

Interesting fact about their teeth, which is actually the same as Ginger and Penny -- Their teeth grow constantly.

It doesn't stop.

So if they didn't chew the wood that they chew, their teeth would end up growing longer and longer and longer and longer and longer.

And then this would go up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, and it would actually hit their mouth.

So it's really not good for them if they're not chewing.

It's the same with the guinea pigs.

If they don't have like a chew toy or something to chew on -- They have, like, their little house that they chew on.

But if they don't have something to chew on, their teeth would just keep growing, growing, growing.

Their teeth is actually made out of the same stuff that our fingernails are made out of.

What?!

[ Imitates explosion ] Okay.

Another fact about beavers is... Let's see, which one do I want to share?

I have four of them.

This is what a beaver looks like.

That's what a beaver looks like.

Okay?

Let's see.

They live together in groups.

They do not like to be alone.

Hmm.

And...they make sure that their homes are, like, hidden away, so in order to get to their homes, you have to be able to go underwater.

That's how they keep themselves safe from predators.

There's that word again.

Predators.

Okay.

This one, I wasn't going to take it out, and then I found out what it was.

Oh, my gosh.

So cool.

Look at this.

I'm gonna let you guess for a second.

What do you think it is?

Alright, I'll give you a hint.

It's someone's -- not someone.

That would be really weird.

Something, some animal.

It's an animal's tooth.

What animal do you think this is?

It's an exact replica, so it's not the real tooth.

But it belongs to an animal.

I'll put it up closer so you can see it.

I'll put it in my hand so you can see the size.

Like, it's pretty big.

It's not mine.

Way too big.

Do you give up?

I'm gonna show you a picture.

Hippopotamus.

This is a hippopotamus tooth.

What?!

That is ridiculous!

Oh, my gosh.

So, of course, hippos are huge.

Hippos can weigh up to 9,000 pounds.

I can't even... Wow.

So, they have very large teeth.

When predators come near, they just yawn.

Like, they open their mouth as if they're yawning and, like, show their teeth, like, "Ha, I'll use these.

Ha!"

And then, that usually scares their predators away.

I don't know, this is pretty scary.

Wow!

That's its teeth.

[ Yawns ] Mm!

I am sorry.

Alright, let's see if I have any more down here.

Hmm.

Do I have something else?

Let's see.

Ooh, something else!

Oh, I have this.

Let me get it out.

[ Thud ] [ Laughing ] Ow!

This one's cool.

It's a turtle shell.

Isn't it neat?

And that's the other side of it.

Super cool, huh?

I love that.

Look at the colors.

The colors are a structural adaptation, and so is the formation of the actual shell because it makes it look like...rocks.

If a turtle is just kind of hidden in the rocks, you wouldn't even know it was there.

Structural adaptation.

Unbelievable.

That's all I got.

That is it.

So, with that being said, I am so thankful and grateful that you have stayed with me for an hour and learned so much about animal adaptations.

I hope you had as much fun as I did, because I loved being here with you, and... I don't want you to forget our objective, though.

"Explain why an animal would have an adaptation."

Why would they have one?

Why would this be important, guys?

Why would it be important to have this hard shell?

Why would it be so important to have the teeth?

Right?

Why would it be so important to, like, have such big eyes?

Okay?

Like, why are these things important?

How do they help them survive?

That's the answer that I want you to walk away knowing from today.

I think you did a good job following along, so I think you got this.

Stay healthy, stay safe, make good choices, and I will talk to you later.