Imaginary Creatures: Designed To Survive

How do environmental conditions affect what inhabits certain areas?

Here's a chance to design and make an amazing imaginary creature, based on a particular type of environment!

Your creature can be any kind… insect, bird, mammal, water life (if there is water in your environment).

If your creature is one that changes as it develops (like a caterpillar into a butterfly, or a tadpole into a frog) you could make a representation of it at each stage.

Think about what kinds of traits a life form living in your chosen environment should have in order to have a good chance of survival.

First, you need to decide on the environment your creature lives in, and describe what it is like. This can be an environment on Earth, or an imaginary one on an imaginary planet... or the real environment on one of our own planets, or their moons.

Be prepared to answer questions about your creature, and explain how you have designed it specifically for its environment.

Some points to consider:

• What kind of survival/protection could it use? 

• Camouflage? Venom? Claws or teeth? Nocturnal? Living mainly underground or inside a log? Very fast?

• What adaptations does it have to suit its environment? 

• Fur or feathers for warmth? Areas to give off heat in a hot climate? Ability to use little water, or store it? Only coming out at night to avoid the heat, or living underground? (what special traits might it need if so?)

• What are its food and water (or other fluid, if your creature doesn't use water) sources?

• What is there available in its environment to provide these? How do they obtain/find/hunt/eat/drink this? Do they have any competition for this source and how do they combat this?

• What does it use to attract a mate?

• Colouring? Sounds? Scent? Fancy displays of activity? Fighting off any competition?

• What about babies?

• Live babies? Eggs? Pouch? Nest? Hollow trees? Burrows? Who cares for them…. Mother? Father? Both? How long do they remain reliant on their parents?

• Where does it spend most of it’s time?

• Ground level? Scrub, low bushes? Trees? Water? Underground? Sky?

Try drawing designs of what it may look like. 

Next you can begin construction. Use any bits and pieces you like, paint it too! Be creative… try to make it have something about it that is very different from any creatures we know!

Think of an appropriate name for your kind of creature. Make up a fact sheet with its name, and basic facts about your creature and its lifestyle.

Now, create a diorama of your environment, and place your creature in it for display, with its fact sheet.

If you enjoyed this, do it all over again with a totally different environment!

Create a whole series of creatures and environmental dioramas.