Structural and Behavioral Adaptations That Help Organisms Survive  

What do an arctic hare, camel, dolphin, and jellyfish all have in common? These animals have special structural adaptations that help them survive in their respective habitats.

With this worksheet, your students will identify different adaptations that are necessary for an animal’s survival. Additionally, students will identify structures and functions that help a species thrive. This worksheet includes 8 questions that assess students’ understanding of how living organisms survive.

An answer key is included with your download to make grading fast and easy!  

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

In addition to independent student work time, use this worksheet as an activity for:

• Guided science groups
• Lesson warm-up
• Lesson wrap-up
• Fast finishers 
• Homework assignment
• Whole-class review (via smartboard)

For students who need a bit of a challenge, encourage them to create an additional table and list each species, structure, and function.

For students who may need some support, invite them to reference past lessons or anchor charts. Additionally, this activity can be completed in a 1:1 or small group setting. 

🖨️ Easily Download & Print

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. 

Because this resource includes an answer sheet, we recommend you print one copy of the entire file. Then, make photocopies of the blank worksheet for students to complete. 

To save paper, we suggest printing this 2-page worksheet double-sided.

Additionally, project the worksheet onto a screen and work through it as a class by having students record their answers in their notebooks. 

Get more worksheets to have handy!

This resource was created by Melissa McLaren, a teacher in Massachusetts and Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities to shorten your lesson planning time:  

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Plant and Animal Adaptations - Comprehension Worksheets

Boost reading comprehension skills with a comprehension passage, with questions, about structural, behavioral and physiological adaptations.