Amazing world of animals

by Carol Read

Teacher’s Notes
Lesson 3: Animal camouflage
Yo u n g L e a r n e r s

Children will learn to: recognize the role of camouflage in animal adaptation and survival; identify
different types of animal camouflage; observe and describe how animals are camouflaged
Main outcome: Children make and complete an origami book of animal camouflage
Cognitive skills: predicting, matching, comparing, reasoning, deciding, justifying
Main language: What’s the name of ...? It’s called ... How does it work? / How are ... camouflaged? The ...
is camouflaged by ... What animals use ...? It’s / They’re ... / It’s / They’ve got ... / ... looks like ... / the same
as ... / It uses ...
Main vocabulary: camouflage, environment, colour, pattern, shape, design, mimicry, pattern, texture,
stripe, spot, patch, light, shadow, attack, hunt, hide, protect, imitate, predator, prey, harmless, dangerous,
poisonous, shape, names of animals, names of habitats, colours, parts of the body
Materials: Worksheet 1: Types of animal camouflage (copy for each child); Worksheet 2: Origami
book of animal camouflage (copy for each child); photos or computer images of camouflaged
animals (optional); example of origami book made from Worksheet 2; scissors.

Revision activity Suggested lesson procedure

• Ask What is an animal’s habitat? (the place or Activity 1
environment where it lives) / Name four different
• Ask children to predict types of animal camouflage
habitats (rainforest, desert, grasslands, the Arctic) and
and listen to their ideas. Either use photos or show
listen to the children’s response.
computer images of camouflaged animals to prompt
• Divide the class into two teams. Say riddle sentences their ideas, if you have these available, or ask children
to each team in turn, e.g. It’s got large paws to walk to think about how animals they know use camouflage.
on the snow (polar bear) / It’s got big ears to keep cool Use this as an opportunity to introduce or review
(elephant). Children name the animals and score points vocabulary in the reading texts, e.g. stripe, spot, patch,
for their team. The team with most points at the end wins. pattern, shape, and show what you mean by drawing
on the board where appropriate.
Introduction and setting objectives
• Elicit or remind the children that all the features • Give a copy of Worksheet 1 to each child.
mentioned in the riddle sentences are adaptations • Divide the class into groups of four. Within each
which help animals to survive in their habitat. Say, for group give each child a number 1-4.
teacher’s notes

example, There’s one adaptation common to many

animals which we haven’t talked about yet. Can you • Explain that you want the children to work individually
guess what it is? Listen to the children’s response and and read and find out about one type of camouflage only,
give them a clue if necessary by saying, for example, depending on the number they have been assigned.
Polar bears are white and snow is white. Use this to • Ask children to use the information in the text to
introduce the idea of camouflage. Elicit or explain complete the corresponding part of the table. Hold up
that camouflage is the word we use to describe the the worksheet and point to the numbers by the texts
ability some animals have to use disguise in order to and the examples in the table to show what you mean.
hide from their predators and/or prey. Establish that
• Children work individually and read the text they
camouflage helps animals find food and avoid attack
have been assigned and complete the corresponding
and is crucial for survival in many different habitats.
part of the table.
• Say In this lesson we’re going to learn to identify and
• When they are ready, ask children to work with their
describe four different types of animal camouflage.
group and take turns to ask and tell each other about
Say We’re also going to make an origami book about
all the types of camouflage and complete the rest of
animal camouflage and prepare pages or extracts of
the table. Demonstrate this with one group and type
our books for our class (or group) e-zine (or magazine).
of camouflage, e.g. What’s the name of type 1/the first
type of camouflage? It’s (called) ‘blending’. How does it
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ONESTOPCLIL / Young Learners / Amazing world of animals / Lesson 3: Animal camouflage

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© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2010

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 Amazing world of animals
by Carol Read

Lesson 3: Animal camouflage

Teacher’s Notes
Yo u n g L e a r n e r s

work? The colour of animals matches the colour of their first one way like this and then the other way like this.
environment. What animals use this type of camouflage? Open the paper up, fold it again and cut along the bold
Polar bears, meerkats, etc. line. Push the outer edges together and fold into a book
• Children exchange information about the different types like this.
of camouflage and complete the table in their groups. • When children have made the book, explain that
• Check the answers by asking different groups to children should complete the picture and sentence on
report back about each type of camouflage in turn. each page and elicit or give an example, e.g. Page 1:
The polar bear is camouflaged by its colour. Explain that
Type of for pages 5 and 6 children should draw and write about
How it works Examples of animals
camouflage
The animal is the same polar bear, snowy owl,
animals of their choice.
1. Blending colour as its environment so Arctic hare, camel,
it’s difficult to notice. meerkat, Arctic fox
• Children work individually to complete their books.
It’s difficult to see where the Activity 4
2. Pattern animal’s body begins and zebra, lion, tiger
ends. • Divide the class into pairs. Ask the children to read
The animal has a design or and show each other their books in turn.
shape that makes it look like stick insect,
3. Design
something else so it’s difficult hawk moth • Children take turns to read and show their books to
to notice.
their partner.
The animal imitates another
king snake,
4. Mimicry animal to confuse its predators
angler fish • At the end, ask different pairs to report back how
and prey.
many animals in their books are the same. Ask a few
Activity 2 individual children to show and tell the class about
• Explain that some animals use more than one type some of the animals they have included.
of camouflage. Elicit or give one or two examples, Activity 5
e.g. Giraffes are a similar colour to grasslands in the dry
season (blending) but they also have patches (pattern) • Divide the class into their project groups. Explain that
that make it difficult to see where their body starts and you want children to write about animal camouflage for
ends in the sunlight. / Stick insects are the same colour their e-zine (or magazine). This can include writing about
(blending) and shape (design) as a twig. each type of animal camouflage based on the completed
tables in Activity 1, and choosing and preparing extracts
• Play a game with the whole class. Explain that you about different animals from their origami books.
are going to say the names of animals in turn and
children should identify the type(s) of camouflage • Either give out A4 paper for children to write about
they use, e.g. Lion! Blending! / Zebra! Pattern! / Tiger! different types of animal camouflage and the animals
Blending and Pattern!, etc. they choose from their origami books or children work
teacher’s notes

at computers and prepare descriptions to go in their

• At the end of the game, explain that not all animals e-zines (or magazines). Children can also illustrate
use camouflage. Some animals, such as parrots and their e-zines (or magazines) with pictures or photos.
ladybirds, have bright colours either to attract attention
or as a warning. For example, parrots have bright Learning review
colours to attract a mate, and ladybirds have bright • Briefly review learning by asking the children What
colours to warn predators that they taste bad. have we done today? What have you learnt? How did the
Activity 3 reading activity help you learn about animal camouflage?
What did you enjoy most / find most interesting / difficult?
• Say, for example, Let’s make a mini origami book
about animal camouflage! and show the children the Optional extra
book you have prepared. Children make animal camouflage posters. Divide the
• Give a copy of Worksheet 2 to each child and make class into groups and give each group a large sheet of
sure children have scissors available. card, paints and/or crayons or coloured pens. Assign
or ask each group to choose a habitat, e.g. rainforest.
• Ask children to cut round the outline of the book.
Children create a poster to show camouflaged animals
Demonstrate and give instructions for making the book,
in the habitat they choose. At the end, children show
e.g. Fold the paper in half, first one way like this and then
each other their posters and take turns to try and spot
the other way like this. Now fold the paper in quarters,
and name all the animals.
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ONESTOPCLIL / Young Learners / Amazing world of animals / Lesson 3: Animal camouflage

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© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2010

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 Amazing world of animals
by
by Carol
Carol Read
Read

Worksheet 1 Types of animal camouflage

Lesson 3: Animal camouflage
Yo u n g L e a r n e r s

Work in groups. Read about one type of camouflage. Exchange

information and complete the table.
One of the most common types of animal adaptation is camouflage. Camouflage is
the ability some animals have to use disguise in order to hide from predators and prey.
Camouflage helps animals find food and avoid attack and is crucial for survival in many
different habitats. There are four basic types of animal camouflage.
Type 1: Blending: The colour of animals matches the colour of the environment in which
they live. For example, in the Arctic, polar bears, snowy owls and Arctic hares are white
like the ice and snow, and in the desert, camels and meerkats are light brown like the
sand. Some animals, such as the Arctic fox, also change colour to match the seasons
and have white fur in winter and brown fur in the spring and summer.
Type 2: Pattern: Some animals have patterns on their bodies such as spots, stripes
or patches. These patterns make it difficult to see where the animal’s body begins and
ends. For example, in grasslands the vertical stripes of zebras are like the patterns of
tall grass and in the bright sunlight, this can be confusing to predators, such as lions.
In rainforests, the stripes of tigers are similar to the light and shadow of plants and this
allows them to get close to their prey before they attack.
Type 3: Design: Some animals have designs or shapes that make them look like other
things. This makes them difficult to notice and helps to protect them from their enemies.
This kind of camouflage is common in insects. For example, stick insects are the same
shape, colour and texture as a twig. The hawk moth has a design like two eyes on its
wings. This makes birds think it is a much bigger animal such as a snake.
Type 4: Mimicry: Some animals imitate features of animals that are dangerous
or poisonous and this helps to keep away predators. Other animals imitate features of
animals that are harmless and this helps them to catch their prey. For example, the king
snake is harmless but it looks like the poisonous coral snake and so predators avoid it.
The angler fish has an antenna that looks like a little fish. When other little fish come near,
it attacks and eats them.
worksheet 1

Type of camouflage How it works Examples of animals

1. Blending

It’s difficult to see

2. where the animal’s
body begins and ends.
3. stick insect, hawk moth

4.
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ONESTOPCLIL / Young Learners / Amazing world of animals / Lesson 3: Animal camouflage

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© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2010

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 Amazing world of animals
by Carol Read

Worksheet 2 Origami book of animal camouflage

Lesson 3: Animal camouflage
Yo u n g L e a r n e r s

is camouflaged by its

animal camouflage
My origami book of
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by
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2

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is camouflaged by

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is camouflaged by
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3

6
worksheet 2

.looking like a

is camouflaged by

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is camouflaged by
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ONESTOPCLIL / Young Learners / Amazing world of animals / Lesson 3: Animal camouflage

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© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2010

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