Animal habitats
by Rose Niznik
Grade level: K, 1
Rationale
A habitat is a place where an animal lives. Different animals have different habitats. Visiting the museum will help children to visualize each animal’s habitat. After visiting the museum, they will be able to categorize each animal within it’s own habitat.
Objectives
To learn what a habitat is, to understand that animals have different homes, to categorize animals with their habitats, and to identify different types of animals with their habitats.
Materials
Four sheets of poster board, paint, markers, paste, scissors, magazines with animal pictures to cut, book entitled “Animal Homes” by Jeffery Terreson.
Pre-activity: Making a poster board habitat.
During circle time, introduce the room theme. Ask the children “What is a habitat?” and explain. Read “Animal Homes” to the children. Talk about how different animals live in different habitats. Explain that there are many habitats but that we will talk about habitats including: Ocean, meadow/pond, jungle, and forest.
Divide the class into 4 groups, and give each group a poster board with markers or paint. Assign one of the four habitats to each group. Have each group make their own poster of the habitat they have. Ask the children to think about what animals could live in their habitat. Be sure that they do not include any animals in their picture, yet. Tell them about the trip to the museum, and what kinds of animals they think they will see there that live in their habitat.
On-site activity: Animal checklist
Hand each child a checklist of the animals. Ask them to check off each animal as they see it. Ask them to look carefully at each animal, and think about it’s habitat.
Post activity: Placing animals
Put the children back into their habitat groups. Give them magazines and have them cut out the animals that would live in their habitats. Paste the animals on the posters. Display the posters around the circle time rug or mat. Discuss what animals live where. Ask the children questions like: “Why do you think that the bear lives in the forest?” “Where would a spider live?” Encourage discussion and thinking.
Have the children do the following fingerplay: Here is a nest for Robin (cup hands together) Here is a hive for the bee (make a fist) Here is a hole for the bunny (finger and thumb touch to make a circle) And here is a house for me! (hold hands up, palms facing, and slant fingers to touch fingertips)
Extension activities
Offer other literature about habitats and animals. Have the children act out an animal and the audience guess which animal they are and where they live. The children can create and act out a play with animals in the forest or ocean. Encourage them to use their imagination. At Math Lab, offer animal counters.
References
“First Time, Circle Time”,
by Cynthia Holley and Jane Walkup.
“Animal Homes”, by Jeffery
Terreson.