Habitats
by Keisha Vehrs and Aimee Hannon
Grade level: 1, 2
Rationale
It is important to familiarize children with the environment in which animals live as well as where they live. With this information the children will learn what humans and animals need to survive.
Objectives
Students will create their own habitat
with pictures and drawings.
Students will participate in discussions
about habitat.
The children will draw pictures of two of
the habitats that they see at the museum.
Pre-activity
Materials
Photographs from home, construction paper, crayons, and markers.
Anticipatory set
The teacher will send home a letter/permission slip with the children explaining the lesson and the field trip. It will also ask parents to send the photos of their habitat to school with the children. *Attached is a copy of the letter. The class will then participate in a discussion about what they think habitat is. They will discuss such things as whether all habitats are the same or different and why this is true. They will also discuss that habitat includes four things; food, water, shelter, and space. Ideas for a discussion could be what are included in each of these four things.
Procedure
 | With the photos the children bring in of their habitats, they will begin gluing onto a piece of construction paper in any order they like providing they have more than one photo. The children are welcome to draw any other objects that they feel are important, that are not in the photo(s). |
| The children will write where they think that they get food/water and shelter/space on construction paper next to their photos. |
| Sitting in a circle, the children will each explain their photos and the descriptions next to them. The teacher will act as a facilitator and ask questions such as "tell me more about your shelter". |
Assessment
As the children are sitting in a circle, the teacher will be able to assess what they've learned from seeing their pictures, listening to their comments, and asking about them.
Extension
A collage could be made by looking through magazines to find different habitats.
On-site activity
Before we go
| Make sure we have all permission slips. |
| Call to confirm correct date and time (bus and museum). |
| Have bathroom break. |
| Bring first aid kit. |
| Collect any fee money (if fee is necessary). |
| Head count. |
At the site
Materials
Crayons, blank paper, if available clip boards.
Anticipatory set
Review what habitat is (at the museum) and answer any questions the children or chaperones have. Finally, go over field trip rules (bus and museum rules), in the classroom, before leaving on the trip.
Procedure
| The teacher will lead a tour of the museum and the children will choose two of their favorite habitats. |
| After the tour, the children will get the materials and find a spot to draw the two habitats of their choice. |
Field trip schedule
| 8:00 Explain bus and museum rules |
| 8:20 Bathroom break and get on the bus |
| 8:30 Leave for the museum |
| 9:00 Arrive at the museum |
| 9:10 Meet in musuem auditorium to review what habitat is. Also, the lesson will be explained at this time. (Leave coats here) |
| 9:30 Museum tour |
| 10:00 Meet in auditorium to get materials for drawings. Children will find a spot in the museum to draw two habitats of their choice. |
| 10:30 Bathroom break |
| 10:40 Meet in auditorium to get coats |
| 10:50 Load onto the bus |
| 11:00 Leave site and go back to school |
| 11:30 Arrive back at school |
| 11:45 Lunch at school |
Post-site activity
Materials
Pre-site picture, pictures that the children drew at the museum, a large binder, 3-hole punch, and markers.
Anticipatory set
The teacher will lead a discussion about what the children learned, saw, liked, or disliked at the museum.
Procedure
| Sitting in a circle, the children will show and tell about one of the pictures they drew at the museum. |
| Have each child bring all three pictures to the teacher so he/she can 3-hole punch them and put them in a binder. |
| The book will be displayed in the classroom. |
Assessment
The children will be evaluated on the pictures they made and their comments about both their pictures and the museum.
Extensions
Each child will write a short story about one of the habitats in the binder that they saw at the museum.
Parent Permission Slip Dear Parents, During the week of February 22-26 our class will be involved in a unit on habitats. For our first activity, the children will be making pictures of their habitats. In order to do this, we would like to use a photo or photographs of their home/habitat. (This can be an outside picture or an inside picture.) Please send these photos by February 22. In addition, we will be going on a field trip on February 24 from 8:00-11:30, to the UWSP Museum of Natural History. Attached is a permission slip with a check space for chaperones. Please return by Monday February 22. My child, ___________________ has my permission to attend the field trip to the UWSP Museum of Natural History on February 24, 1999. Signature____________________________ ______Yes, I can chaperone _____No, I cannot chaperone |