How does a beaver meet its needs for survival?

Today in Science students learned about a beaver's physical and behavioral adaptations that enable it to survive.  A physical adaptation of the beaver's tail is that it stores fat which can be used as a source of energy.  A behavioral adaptation of the beaver's tail is that when a beaver slaps its tail on the water it is warning its babies of danger.

Students learned about several other physical and behavioral adaptations of the beaver and one lucky student got to dress up as a beaver and model each physical feature.  Then students categorized what they learned as either physical or behavioral adaptations.

Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework

Grades 3 - 5:  Life Science - Adaptations of Living Things

8.  Describe how organisms meet some of their needs in an environment by using behaviors (patterns of activities) in response to information (stimuli) received from the environment.  Recognize that some animal behaviors are instinctive, and others are learned.