Animal Habitats
Lesson #1: Introduction to Habitats
Book(s): Unit 2 – Life in an Ocean, A Bed for the Winter, Animal Babies in Grasslands
Time Frame: 2 sessions of 20-30 minutes
Learning Standards:
Science
Life Science: Living Things and Their Environment
1) Identify the ways in which an organism’s habitat provides for its basic needs (plants require air, water, nutrients, and light; animals require food, water, air, and shelter).
Student will be able to:
1) Explain how a habitat provides food, water, shelter, and air to animals.
2) Match different animals to different habitats and discuss.
Anticipatory Set: Ask the students what humans need to survive. Write their answers on the board and discuss. Try to limit the ideas to food, water, air, and shelter. Explain that animals all need these four things to live and that the habitat (where they live) of an animal provides all of these things. (Note: On the board should be the list of food, water, air, and shelter and title this list with the word habitat.) Use the books about where animals and plants live (listed above) to tie these activities in with what they are reading.
Activity:
1) Divide the students up into groups of three. Give each group the pictures of the habitats (ocean, river, and forest). Discuss the major differences between each habitat as a class.
2) Each group member will be in charge of one habitat. Have the entire class start with one habitat (such as Ocean). Then, give each group the pictures of the 12 animals. Ask the groups to attach the animals to the correct habitat and discuss as a group as necessary. Move around the room and assist student groups and listen to their ideas and questions to help guide the discussion. For one class, you will probably only get done with one habitat (the other habitats can be done the next day of class.)
3) When all of the groups are done (or close to done) with all of the habitats hold up one animal at a time and ask the different groups to identify its habitat. Discuss any differences as necessary. Some animals may live in more than one type of habitat (Examples: frog (river and forest), newt (river and forest))
4) Discuss how animals survive in different habitats and how the habitats are different. Some possible questions include: How is the sea turtle different from the turtle that lives near the river? How is the ocean different from the river? Can a fish live in both the ocean and the river? Can a whale live in the river? Could a deer live in a river or the ocean? Why not? Why or why not? Why are there lots of newts in the forest but not many bobcats? Why are there more dragonflies by the river than fish in the river? (Note: Dragonfly larvae are a major source of fish food.)
5) As time permits, make a food web for one of the habitats with the students. For example, if your class chooses the river, make labels for the students so that some are plants, some are insects such as dragonflies, some are fish, some are birds, and some are turtles (optional). There should be around 6 plants, 4 dragonflies, 2 fish, 1 bird, and 2 turtles. Give each plant a long piece of yarn to hold. Ask the animals that eat plants to grab onto the yarn (dragonflies and turtles). Give each dragonfly and turtle a piece of yarn. Ask the animals that eat dragonflies or turtles to grab onto the yarn (fish and turtles eat dragonflies). Then, give each fish a piece of yarn and ask the remaining animals to grab onto the yarn (birds eat fish). More than one student may hold a piece of yarn. Make sure that there are more student plants and insects than birds and fish. Have the class sit back down and make a diagram of the food web on the board. Discuss with the class. Why are there more plants at the river than fish? What do plants eat? Relate the food web to the idea of pollution. If the river gets polluted what will happen to the birds? Explain.
Closure: Review the concept of a habitat with the class. Explain that a habitat has everything that a living thing needs to survive. For animals this includes food, water, shelter, and air. Talk about some of the different animals and how their habitats provide them with these necessities. Where does a fish in the river get food, water, shelter, and air? How a sea turtle get food, water, shelter, and air? How does an owl in the forest get food, shelter, water, and air? These ideas can be tied in with the books they are reading (listed above).
Assessment: Participation in class discussions and activities
Resources and Materials: Habitat pictures and animal pictures, animal labels (not provided) and yarn for habitat food web