The adaptation of animals to the environment. What aspects do Primary and Secondary students consider?

Abstract

Adaptation is an essential characteristic of living beings. Its study contributes to knowing the environment in which they live, but also to explaining it, since it constitutes a key idea for the construction of a relevant model like evolution. For this reason, this study analyzes the adaptive ideas that students in 5th Primary Education and 1st ESO activate when they design an imaginary animal that lives in the desert. The results show that the participants describe a desert prototype without problem and focus the adaptations of the designed animal on the primary needs: obtaining water/food, and defense of other living beings. The adaptations are associated with morphological traits, followed by physiological and animal behavior. Finally, it's reflected on the didactic importance of this type of adaptations.