Spinning a yarn about adaptations in different biomes: stories and science for preschool learners

Abstract

Evolution and ecology are essential to an understanding of biology, but questions remain as to when and how young children can learn about these concepts. The concept of adaptation represents an opportunity for children to engage with these ideas, and this article presents several lessons used to teach adaptation to children aged three through six at a summer Science Technology Engineering Art and Mathematics camp. The lessons incorporate interactive yarn stories to illustrate particular adaptations in three biomes: desert, arctic tundra, and deciduous forest. The yarn stories also introduce environmental features and particular organisms that are used in subsequent investigations. Examples and assessment data from preschool children in this camp are used to illustrate young children’s emerging understandings of adaptation throughout these lessons.