Resources Pack The Galápagos Islands. In this resource pack

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1 Resources Pack The Galápagos Islands In this resource pack p1 p2 p3 The Galápagos Islands: Map and Fact File Spot the Difference Evolution of a Whale Infographic p4 p5 p6 Galápagos Quiz Nature Diary: Blooming Catkins Spring Wordsearch Glossary p7 Glossary Sentences p8 Crossword p9 Answers p10 ecokidsplanet.co.uk 41 Claremont Rd, Barnet, EN4 0HR

2 The Galápagos Islands: Map and Fact File Label this map F S - - S I S C S - - C F E Facts & Figures Location: Equator, 900km west of Ecuador. Climate: Subtropical. Size: 8,000 square kilometres of land spread across 45,000 square kilometres of sea. Habitats: Open sea, rocky shoreline, mangroves, forest and grasslands. Level of biodiversity: Low. Species: 32 mammal species, 28 species of reptile, 146 bird species, over 400 species of fish, and about 500 plant species. Endemic species: Many, including the giant tortoise, the marine iguana, the Galápagos sea lion, 26 different species of bird, and 50 species of fish.

3 Gala' pagos Islands Spotting The Galápagos Islands were settled by plants and animals that arrived from South America, the Caribbean and even Antarctica! Can you spot 10 differences between these pictures? Colour a prickly pear cactus to feed a hungry land iguana each time you find one! Try drawing flowers and fruits as well! t n rre u C Panama South Equatorial Current South America Hu olt mb ent Curr The Gala'ápagos Islands t n rre u C Panama North Equatorial Current South America Hu olt mb ent Curr

4 Evolution of a Whale Million years ago The modern day sperm whale was once a land mammal. Scientists believe that the whale has adapted to its environment to become, firstly, an amphibious creature, and then, eventually, a whale as we know it today. This evolution has taken 50 million years! Modern sperm whale

5 The Galapagos Quiz 1. Which of the following species is not endemic to the Gala pagos Islands? a Marine iguana b Galápagos penguin c Blue-footed booby 3. Marine iguanas feed on... a Algae and seaweed b Small crustaceans c Small fish d All of the above 5. What are the main environmental threats to the islands? a El Niño b Intrusion of non-native species c Overpopulation d All of the above 7. Why did pirates take many giant tortoises with them? 2. What does Gala pagos mean in old Spanish? a Volcano b Saddle c Tortoise 4. When did Darwin visit the Gala pagos Islands? a 1605 b 1835 c How did the ancestor of marine iguanas arrive on the islands? a Swam from South America with a current b Drifted on a piece of wood d Arrived on a pirate ship 8. How old are the Gala pagos Islands? a To trade them as pets a 200,000 years old b To sell their shells b 4 million years old c As a source of fresh meat c 40 million years old

6 Nature Diary 2016 Catkins April/ May One of the joys in my garden at this time of the year is catkins. Catkins appear on trees before the leaves, so they can be pollinated by the wind. If the leaves were on the tree first, the pollen might stick to them. Take a walk in your local park or fields and see if you can find trees with blooming catkins! Use the photos and tips below to identify some of Britain s native trees. These trees were able to move to Britain from Europe before the English Channel separated Britain from the continent. Name: Silver birch Characteristics: A medium-sized elegant tree, with a striking white trunk and diamond markings. Both male (yellow-brown) and female (bright green) catkins are found on the same tree. Observation tips: Look for flowering catkins in April and May! Seen Name: Scots pine Characteristics: A large evergreen tree with a crown of branches on top. The needle-like long blue-green leaves are slightly twisted. Male flowers (clusters of yellow anthers) and female flowers (small and red-purple) grow on the same tree. Observation tips: Look for flowering cones in May and June! Seen Name: Aspen Characteristics: A medium-sized tree with round green leaves that have large irregular blunt teeth. Male catkins (brown with yellow pollen) and female catkins (purple at first, later white and fluffy with seeds) grow on separate trees, attracting a range of insects. Observation tips: These catkins have been flowering since March. Seen Name: Bay willow Characteristics: A small tree with long and slender branches. The glossy leaves are dark green above and white below. Male catkins (yellow) and female (green, later white and fluffy with seeds) grow on separate trees. Observation tips: Look for flowering catkins in May and June. Seen

7 Wordsearch This is a zigzag word search puzzle. Words go left, right, up, down, not diagonally, and can bend at a right angle. There are no unused letters in the grid, every letter is used only once.

8 Glossary The Galápagos Islands Adaptation (noun) The process of change by which a living thing becomes better suited to its environment. Carapace (noun) The hard upper shell of a tortoise. DNA (noun) The complicated chemical that carries all the information about how a living thing will look and work. It tells cells what to do and allows living things to reproduce. El Niño (noun) An unusual climatic change affecting the Pacific region every few years bringing warm water with a lack of nutrients, often having adverse effects on plants and animals. Evolution (noun) The way in which all living things change and develop over millions of years. Generations (noun) All the people or animals born and living at around the same time, all of similar age. Iconic (adjective) Very famous or popular. Sub-species (noun) A category below species to show the differences between animals of the same species. Amphibious (adjective) An animal that is suited to living on both land and in water. Distinctive (adjective) Easy to recognise because it s different from other things. Ectothermic (adjective) Relating to an animal that is dependent on external sources of body heat. Endemic (adjective) A plant or animal that is only found in a certain place Extinct (volcano) (adjective) Not having erupted in recorded history Hatchlings (noun) A young animal that has recently emerged from its egg. Pigment (noun) The natural colouring of an animal or plant. Theory (noun) A person s idea to explain something based on experiments and investigations.

9 Complete The Galápagos Islands Sentences Choose a word to complete these sentences from issue 18 of Eco Kids Planet It wasn t until scientists took blood samples and studied their that they realised they were a completely different species from the yellow variety. Española Island is one of the oldest in the Galapagos. Its volcano is now, which means that it no longer erupts. The most difference between the sub-species is the shape of their shells: domed or saddle-shaped. The penguins rely on cold sea temperatures for their food, and in , when a warm ocean current called badly affected the fish supply, 70% of the penguins starved to death. The oldest fossilised skull is from a land mammal, the second is from an mammal. There are two main forms of tortoise. One has a domed (high, rounded) (upper shell) and lives higher up on the island. We Española Island marine iguanas are the most colourful of all the. For the first time, there were predators tortoise were dinner for rats, pigs and dogs. This was Darwin s of evolution that animals and plants adapt, or change over many, to suit their environment. 10. Nicknamed Lonesome George after an American TV comedian of that name, this survivor was taken to a zoo in Santa Cruz for safety. 11. Hey, Ignatius! You re not so hard to see you ve got so much red. Why is that? 12. Charles Darwin is the scientist credited with the theory of, which says that species gradually change over time in response to what happens around them. 13. The special word to describe creatures like us is we need the outside temperature to warm our body. 14. Marine iguanas display an amazing array of. 15. The Galápagos archipelago is best known for its amazing array of species. adaptations amphibious carapace distinctive DNA ectothermic El Nino endemic evolution extinct generations hatchlings iconic pigment sub-species theory

10 The Galápagos Crossword Across 4. A young animal that has recently emerged from its egg 6. A plant or animal that is only found in a certain place 11. The process by which all living things are believed to have developed from earlier forms 13. The hard upper shell of a tortoise 14. An animal that is suited to living on both land and in water 15. The natural colouring of an animal or plant Down 1. Easy to recognise, unique 2. The process of change by which a living thing becomes better suited to its environment 3. A substance found in all living things that carries genetic information 5. A category below species to show the differences between animals of the same species 6. An unusual climatic change affecting the Pacific region every few years 7. No longer active 8. All the people of around the same age 9. Describing a cold-blooded animal that needs to be warmed up by an external source of heat 10. An idea or set of ideas that is intended to explain facts or events 12. Very famous or popular

11 Spot the difference ANSWERS The Gala'ápagos Islands Panama Current Panama Current South Equatorial Current North Equatorial Current South America South America Humbolt Current Humbolt Current Galápagos Quiz 1. C 2. B 3. D 4. B 5. D 6. B 7. C 8. C Spring Wordsearch Glossary sentences 1. DNA 2. extinct 3. distinctive 4. El Nino 5. amphibious 6. carapace 7. sub-species 8. hatchlings 9. theory, generations 10. iconic 11. pigment 12. evolution 13. ectothermic 14. adaptations 15. endemic Crossword Across 4. hatchling 6. endemic 11. evolution 13. carapace 14. amphibious 15. pigment Down 1. distinctive 2. evolution 3. DNA 5. sub-species 6. El-Niño 7. extinct 8. generations 9. ectothermic 10. theory 11. iconic