Animal habitats
By Margaret Sauer and Shirin Kukanich
Grade level: 2
Rationale
A habitat is a place where plants and animals live together. It is necessary for children to learn about habitats because as humans, our actions are important to the survival of these environments. Learning about habitats makes the children more aware of the animals, along with their need to live together and depend on each other in the habitat. Children should understand that there are a wide variety of habitats that cover our earth. For this lesson we focus on three common Wisconsin habitats because at this second grade level these habitats will most directly relate to the students and their lives.
Objectives
Students will be able to define
"habitat".
Students will be able to recognize animals
found in the three given habitats.
Students will be able to recognize some
characteristics of the given habitats.
Students will be able to place their
animal in its habitat.
Students will be able to recognize that
all animals have a habitat.
Materials
Paper, crayons, scissors, pencils, clipboards, worksheets, permission slips, letters to ask for chaperones, lessons plans and schedules for chaperones, tape, poster board
Pre-activity
Teacher role
Construct a list of animals that are found in the chosen Wisconsin habitats. These habitats may include lake, forest, and tundra. Make sure that the animals on this list are also located in the UWSP Museum. Have magazines and other pictures available for the students to look at. Lead a brief discussion on habitats, focusing on the three chosen and the animals picked by the students. Collect the animals for future use.
Student role
Choose an animal from the list given by the teacher. Draw, color, and cut out the animal. Think about where the animal lives, what they eat and what other animals live by the animal. Share their thoughts with the class and participate in discussion.
Sample list of animals
Bluegill/ sandhill crane/ ruffed grouse/ snapping turtle/ snowy owl/ chipmunk/ mallard duck/ snowshoe hare/ timber or gray wolf/ barred owl/ musk ox/ bobcat/ muskrat/ caribou/ red squirrel/ moose/ red-bellied snake/ moose/ lake trout/ turkey/ white-tailed deer.
Considerations
Reservations at museum should be made in advance. Prepare permission slips and find chaperone’s early. Make copies of schedule, lesson plan, and worksheet with answers for chaperones. Bring necessary supplies and emergency information.
Day before trip checklist:
 | Call to confirm reservations |
| Call to confirm transportation |
| Call to confirm chaperones |
| Make sure all permission slips are turned in |
| Field
trip schedule 9:00 Begin discussion about students’ animals and habitats. 9:10 Discuss rules about behavior and assign groups. 9:20 Bathroom break. 9:30 Put on coats and get in groups with chaperones. 9:40 Get on bus (the big yellow dog) and role call. 10:00 Arrive at museum and introduction by museum staff. 10:15 Tour museum and fill out worksheets. 11:00 Meet in orientation room for conclusion
11:15 Get on bus and role call. |
On-site activity
Anticipatory sets
Briefly review the previously covered information on habitats. Review rules of behavior with children and chaperones. Give the chaperones each a lesson plan, schedule, and a copy of the worksheet with answers. Break class into small groups with an adult assigned to each.
Teacher role
Hand out worksheet, pencils, and clipboards to students. Remind students to think about their animal and its habitat. Point out the "Habitat search" section of the worksheet, which requires them to pay close attention to the other animals and their habitats.
Student role
Find their specific animal while looking through the displays at the museum. Fill out first part of worksheet about their animal. Fill out "Habitat search" part of the worksheet.
Closure
Have students turn in completed worksheets, clipboards and pencils. Give them an opportunity to ask questions or make comments about what they saw. Have the students name something they learned while looking through the museum.
Post activity
Teacher role
Start with a discussion about what the students saw, learned, liked, etc. Make three posters (lake, forest, and tundra) and hang them around the room. Hand out animals from the pre-activity. Explain new activity of placing their animals on the habitat posters. Conclude with a discussion about the finished posters and what types of animals are found in each one.
Student role
One by one the students hold up their drawn animals from the pre-activity. As a class, they decide which habitat the students’ animal lives in. Students may give clues about their animal to help the class. Once the class picks the correct habitat the child tapes their animal to the poster. Participate in discussion about the habitat posters.
Assessment
Check students’ worksheets and hand back. Through the discussion following the post activity, the teacher will be able to assess the students understanding of animals and their habitats. Students should be able to use the word ‘habitat’ in describing where their animal lives. They should be able to discuss and list characteristics of the habitat their animal is in as well as the two other habitats.
Extension activities
| Have students draw their animal in its habitat. Have them include various characteristics of this habitat. The picture should contain other animals and surroundings found in that habitat. Do the same for another habitat found at the museum. |
| Visit a Wisconsin habitat like the ones discussed in these lessons. |