Chapter Graphic
 : Animal Adaptations — Praying Mantis
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  Level: Year 4 and year 8
Approach: Station
Focus: Observe and describe the structural features of a praying mantis that are considered to be adaptive features with survival value.
240k
Resources: Picture of a praying mantis

Questions / instructions:
Look carefully at the picture. Write about the parts of the praying mantis that help it to survive. An example has been done for you.

   
% responses
y4
y8
Praying Mantis
a The green colour of the praying mantis helps it to hide in the grass or on leaves.
a
a
a a
strong legs for hopping, walking, attacking
21
27
long front legs, able to reach out to catch prey
19
28
grappling hooks on forelegs to aid climbing
13
20
wide apart bulbous compound eyes to give maximum vision
13
18
biting jaws to eat other insects — not plants
6
10
wings to fly
37
53
antennae/feelers to feel/sense
32
46
Number of valid responses: 4–5
5
10
2–3
38
56
0–1
57
34
Commentary:
 Like the last task this was one of the two tasks in the 1999 assessments that was more disliked than liked by the year 8 students. A majority of year 4 students identified less than two adaptive features, as did one third of year 8 students.
 
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