Summary: This unit involves students in the effort to research and explore the habitats of organisms which live in
various regions of Georgia. The effects of pollution and how humans affect the environment will focus on the regions of
our state (mountains, marsh and swamp, coastal plain, Piedmont, and Atlantic Ocean). Students will view habitats as
interdependent and connected to help recognize the importance of protecting environments within varying ecosystems.
Students will learn to identify the habitats as they discover interesting facts about a particular habitat in our state.
Students will learn that every organism lives in a unique place or habitat which provides for its needs and survival.
Regions and Habitats of Georgia
Life Science
Sharon M. Moore
Title of Unit
Curriculum Area
Developed By
Grade Level
Time Frame
3rd
14 Days
Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Content Standards
S3L1. Students will investigate the habitats of different organisms and the dependence of organisms on their
habitat.
a. Differentiate between habitats of Georgia (mountains, marsh/swamp, coast, Piedmont, Atlantic Ocean) and
the organisms that live there.
b. Identify features of green plants that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia.
c. Identify features of animals that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia.
d. Explain what will happen to an organism if the habitat is changed.
Understandings
Overarching Understanding
Essential Questions
Overarching
Topical
Georgia’s different regions have different habitats.
In any particular environment, some kinds of organisms
thrive, some survive with difficulties, and some cannot
survive at all.
Changes in a habitat are sometimes harmful and helpful to
an organism.
Changes that affect plants and animals within a habitat affect
more than just a single living thing.
The ecosystem and environments within an ecosystem are all
interdependent.
Related Misconceptions
All of Georgia is the same from the top to the bottom of the
state.
How do the
characteristics of the
habitat determine the
organisms that live there?
How do an organism’s
characteristics allow it to
live and thrive in a
certain habitat?
What is a habitat? What
makes up a habitat?
How are the regions of
Georgia different and
similar?
How do changes in a
habitat affect the
organisms living there?
Why are the habitats
important to us?
All organisms can live in any part of the state of Georgia.
All organisms can adapt to changes in a habitat.
Knowledge
Skills
Students will know…
Students will be able to…
The meaning of relevant vocabulary:
Habitat, Region, Georgia, Organism, Mountain, Marsh,
Swamp, Coast Coastal Plain, Piedmont Atlantic Ocean, Barrier
Reef, Blue Ridge and Valley, Appalachian Plateau,
Environment, characteristics, features, and adaptations
Differentiate between habitats and regions in Georgia.
Differentiate between the living things and where they
live.
Identify features of plants and animals that allow them
to live in certain regions of Georgia.
Living things or organisms have adaptations that allow them to
live in their habitat.
You can find some organisms in more than one habitat.
Habitats can change over time and affect the living things in
the surrounding environments.
Common organisms that thrive in the mountain region and
habitat.
Common organisms that thrive in the marsh/swamp habitat.
Common organisms that thrive in the piedmont region and
habitat.
Common organisms that thrive in the coastal plain region and
habitat.
Common organisms that thrive in the Atlantic Ocean.
Locate and label different regional habitats on a map of
Georgia.
Research organisms from different Georgia habitats and
record their findings.
Write a report about an organism from a chosen or
assigned habitat.
Create a presentation of the different habitats in Georgia
including organisms that live there.
Identify and explain cause and effect of habitat
destruction.
Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)
Performance Task Description 1: The students will write an informational news article as a reporter
explaining why a chosen animal lives within a particular habitat and what makes it perfect for them.
As a reporter you are given the task of researching an animal located within one of Georgia’s
Goal
habitats. You will have the task of writing a brief summary of findings for the newspaper.
Their role is to be proactive in locating information and building knowledge about their animal
Role
and its habitat.
Audience Other students/reporters who will come together to present their findings.
The reporter must identify and animal of interest, locate resources for information, decide on
Situation what is important to know about their animal and its habitat, write a meaningful informational
piece, and present that information in front of a group.
Product/Performance Present the report in written and oral format. A rubric will be used to grade the assignment.
Standards Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding of S3L1a.
Other Evidence: Quizzes, tests, and teacher observation.
Performance Task Description 2: The students will use an outline map of Georgia to label different regions and habitats.
They will include the fall line/shore line, the capital of Ga., the city where they live, and lines separating the different regions.
Goal: As a worker at the Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, Georgia you are charged with creating a presentation for
students visiting the museum.
Role: You are the presenter of information about where the different regions and habitats are located in Georgia. You
must also be able to identify organisms that live in the different regions. You must find a way to visually represent the
parts of Georgia and the organisms that live there. You will demonstrate your knowledge of how Georgia is divided into
regions and habitats.
Audience: Teachers, co-workers, students, and supporters of the museum.
Situation: The presenter must identify regions and habitats of Georgia, locate resources for information if a person would
like to learn additional information, decide on what is important to know about the organisms in the habitats, present a
motivational and meaningful presentation, and present that information in front of small and large groups.
Product/Performance: Make an oral presentation. A rubric will be used to grade the assignment.
Standards: Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding of S3L1a.
Other Evidence: Quizzes, tests, worksheets, mini-books, and teacher observation.
Performance Task Description 3: The students will use the slide show feature of KidsPix to create slides of
each habitat in Georgia. They will need to pick and appropriate background, label the slide with the name of the
habitat represented, and then stamp animals inside the page that would be found in that habitat.
Goal: As a worker at the Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, Georgia you are charged with creating a presentation for
students visiting the museum.
Role:
You are the presenter of information about the five habitats are located in
Georgia. You must also be able to identify organisms that live in the
different habitats. You must find a way to visually represent each habitat
in Georgia and the organisms that live there. You will demonstrate your
knowledge of how Georgia has different landforms, different habitats,
and different living things common to each area of Georgia.
Audience:
Teachers, co-workers, students, and supporters of the museum.
Situation:
The presenter must identify habitats of Georgia, use notes and
information from previous lessons, decide on what is important to know
Product / Performance: Make an oral
presentation. A rubric will be used to grade
the assignment.
Standards:
about the organisms in the habitats, put the necessary information into a
KidsPix slide, present a motivational and meaningful presentation, and
present that information in front of small and large groups.
Students are given the opportunity to learn information through viewing,
writing, and artistic expression. Rubrics will be used to assess the
completeness of the tasks and oral presentations.
Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding of S3L1a.
Other Evidence:
Quizzes, tests, worksheets, mini-books, and teacher observation.
Learning Plan Stage 3
Where are your students headed? Where
have they been? How will you make sure the
students know where they are going?
How will you hook students at beginning of
lesson?
What events will help students experience
and explore the big idea and questions in the
unit? How will you equip them with needed
skills and knowledge?
Explain that there are five habitats in the state of Georgia. You will be
presenting the students with information that allows them to connect
certain plants and animals with the appropriate habitats in Georgia.
Students will receive an outline of what they will be doing daily.
The teacher will complete a read aloud titled,
Below is a brief overview of what students will be expected to do during
the Georgia habitats and regions unit. A more detailed lesson plan is also
included below the table.
Students will take a pretest.
Students will view podcasts that teach important lesson information.
Students will create mini-books on lesson content.
Students will listen to a read aloud.
Students will complete oral and written presentation.
Students will complete lesson handouts related to the lessons.
Students will research information for projects.
Students will complete two KidsPix presentations.
Students will view video slideshows of habitats.
Students will play the competitive Habitats Jeopardy game.
Students will complete periodic quizzes, tests, and self-assessments on
lesson information.
How will you cause students to reflect and
Students will be required to write informational pieces based on research.
rethink? How will you guide them in
The teacher will use the six traits of writing to guide them through their
rehearsing, revising, and refining their work? written pieces.
How will you help students to exhibit and
Students will complete think-pair-share activities throughout the lessons.
self-evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, The teacher will use observations and questioning to assess students and
and understanding throughout the lesson?
allow them to also assess themselves.
How will you tailor and otherwise
Flexible grouping will be used along with different presentations of
personalize the learning plan to optimize the
information. Some of the activities are written and some require bodily
engagement and effectiveness of ALL
kinesthetics. All instructions will be written and given orally.
students, without compromising the goals of
the unit?
How will you organize and sequence the
I have designed the lesson assessments and activities using the six facets
learning activities to optimize the engagement of understanding. Students will explain their understanding of regions
and achievement of ALL students?
and habitats of Georgia through oral and written presentations. They will
demonstrate or interpret their understanding of habitats and regions of
Ga. through their oral and written KidsPix presentations. Students will
apply their knowledge of habitats and regions of Ga. through researching
and creating the presentations and the successful completion of quizzes
and tests. Next, students are allowed to give their perspective and
address their response to other perspectives through their informational
writings and oral presentations. Students will show empathy regarding
the information they learned by answering constructed response
statements related to organisms of Georgia. Finally, they will
MATERIALS
RESOURCES
demonstrate self assessment by expressing their thoughts and feelings
through think-pair-share activities. Students will end the unit with a fun
Jeopardy game on habitats.
Dictionaries, KidsPix program, encyclopedias, Let’s Get Regional
handout, Land Regions of Ga. handout, Georgia’s Land Regions
handout, internet connection, podcasts, mini-books on each habitat, tech
lab and library time, Habitat Jeopardy, and assessments of learning.
Websites:
http://naturalhistory.uga.edu/htmldocs/scienceboxes/scibox.asp
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/habitats.html
http://worldalmanacforkids.com/
http://www.georgiaherp.com/
http://www.gwf.org/
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)
Habitat Unit Lesson Plan
S3L1. Students will investigate the habitats of different organisms and the dependence of organisms on their
habitat.
a. Differentiate between habitats of Georgia (mountains, marsh/swamp, coast, Piedmont, Atlantic Ocean)
and the organisms that live there.
b. Identify features of green plants that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia.
c. Identify features of animals that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia.
d. Explain what will happen to an organism if the habitat is changed.
Day 1
1. Students will take a pretest on habitats.
2. The teacher will read the book, What’s a Penguin Doing in a Place Like This? By Miriam Schlein.
(You may read any book that relates to animals that are not in their correct habitat)
Day 2
3. The students will complete a worksheet titled The Land Regions of Georgia with the teacher.
Students will be expected to color in the map and answer all questions.
4. The students will complete Georgia’s Land Regions worksheet with the teacher. They will
answer questions 1-5.
Day 3
5. The students will go to the media center and view a series of podcasts on regions and habitats.
A. Students will watch the first podcast in the series on the piedmont region and habitat.
B. Students will complete the first part of the Let’s Get Regional by coloring in the piedmont region
and putting the symbol on the map.
C. Students will put together the mini-book about the piedmont region.
Day 4
6. The students will go to the media center and view a series of podcasts on regions and habitats.
A. Students will take a ten question quiz on the piedmont region.
B. The students will watch the second podcast about the mountain region.
C. Students will complete the second part of Let’s Get Regional by coloring in the mountain region
and symbol.
D. Students will put together a mini-book about the mountain region.
Day 5
7. The students will go to the media center and view a series of podcasts on regions and habitats.
A. Students will take a ten question quiz on the mountain region (page 8 of mini-book).
B. The students will watch a third podcast about the swamp/marsh habitat and coastal plain region.
C. Students will complete the third and final part of Let’s Get Regional by coloring in the coastal
plain region on the map.
D. Students will put together a mini-book about the swamp and marsh habitat.
E. Students will complete the word scramble about the swamp and marsh for a quiz (page 8 of minibook).
Day 6
8. The students will go to the media center and view a series of podcasts on regions and habitats.
A. Students will put together a mini-book about the coastal plain region of Georgia.
B. Students will complete a quiz on the coastal plain region. It is on page 8 of the mini-book.
C. Students will watch the fourth and final podcast on the Atlantic Ocean.
Day 7
9. The students will put a mini-book together about the Atlantic Ocean habitat.
10. The students will do a think, pair, share with an assigned partner.
11. The students will take a quiz on the Atlantic Ocean habitat. The quiz is on page 8 of the minibook.
12. The teacher will do a brief review of all of the information learned up to the day of the last
podcast and mini-book.
Day 8
13. Students will go to the tech lab and view habitat slideshow information on the Georgia Museum
of Natural History website. (http://naturalhistory.uga.edu/~GMNH/habitats/habitats.htm ) You may
use video streaming if you have some good ones on habitats.
14. Students will return to the classroom and write their news article about an animal or plant and its
habitat using slideshow notes and an encyclopedia.
Day 9
15. Students will present their information from their research to the class. All presentations will be
posted for students at the school to view.
Day 10-12
16. Students will go to the tech lab and work with KidsPix to create a slide show about habitats in
Georgia. They will begin with blank slides, choose a background for each habitat, put pictures of
plants and animals into the slides, and run the slide show.
Day 13
17. Students will go the tech lab and take turns presenting their slides to the class.
Day 14
18. Final day of habitats
A. Play Habitat Jeopardy
B. Test on habitats.
Additional Grasp Activity:
Create a new animal or plant species for a specific habitat with features that will help it survive in
the region. (Animals and plant information will be combined in one brochure)
Goal: Understand that different plants and animals thrive in different regions and habitats of Ga.
Role: You are a graphic artist hired by the educational director of the New Georgia Animal Museum
to depict the plants and animals and identify their characteristics in a brochure. (one per student)
Audience: Patrons of the museum are taking a self-guided tour.
Situation: The New Georgia Animal Museum will be arranged along a pathway with stops at each
region and habitat. You will show information that identifies and documents your plant and animal
in each picture.
Product: You will create a brochure that describes each region and identify its plant and animal life
and the features that allow them to thrive there.
Standards/ Requirements:
a) Your brochure should depict each region
b) Include labels giving the name and features that allow the plant or animal to thrive in that region
Assessment of (a): The student will complete the following scenario.
The _________________ disappeared from the
_____________________ region and was found in the
_______________________ region. Explain what will
happen if it is not returned to its proper home.
A PDF of all forms is attached.
1. Habitat test and test key
2. Mini-books
3. Animal Research Sheet
4. Let’s Get Regional (worksheet)
5. The Land Regions of Georgia (worksheet)
6. Georgia’s Land Regions (worksheet)
Attached Word or Other Documents
1. Georgia Outline Map
2. Habitat Unit Checklist
Writing Rubric
Tasks
3 Points
Title
Product has an
appropriate title
Ideas and
Content
Organization
Style
Capitalization,
punctuation,
and usage
2 Points
1 Point
Product has a
Product has no
title, but does not
title
match the topic
States the main
States main idea
idea and two
and one
supporting
supporting detail.
details.
Uses the
Uses no order.
incorrect order.
States main idea
and three
supporting
details.
Uses logical
order.
Beginning,
middle and end.
Readable, uses Hard to read, few
describing words. describing words.
Product has no
Most
more than 3
capitalization and
errors.
punctuation is
correct, but has
4-5 errors.
Not readable.
Some or no
punctuation or
capitalization is
correct, and has
more than 6 or
more errors.
Student News Article Requirements
1. You must include a title that expresses the main idea of your writing.
2. You must include your main idea in the first or last sentence. You can put it in both places.
3. You need to include as many supporting details as necessary to support your main idea.
A. Part 1 will name and describe your habitat.
B. Part 2 will talk about your plant or animal.
C. Part 3 includes why you chose the organism and habitat.
D. Part 4 includes any additional information you would like to share about your research.
4. The teacher needs to understand what you write down.
5. Your information should be neat.
6. Please work on spelling, complete sentences, and correct use of punctuation.
Habitat Slide Show Evaluation
1
2
Number of Points
Received
Number of
Students created Students created
Slides
1-2 slides.
3-4 slides.
Content of
The slides of the The slides contain
Slides
slide show do not
some words to
include both
describe pictures
pictures and/or
of the animals and
labels.
plants.
Background
The slides are not
Some of the
colored or
slides are not
And organisms
completed neatly. colored or are not
completed neatly.
More than two
organisms are not
One- two
in correct location organisms are not
or not under
in correct
correct heading.
location.
Total Score
3
Students created
5-6 slides.
The slide show
consists of all
labels and
pictures.
The research
paper is complete
but pictures are
not detailed.
All organisms are
under correct
headings or in
correct location.
Score
Georgia Regions Map Rubric
Teacher: __________________________
CATEGORY
Neatness
Map Labels
Title and Capital
Included on the
Map
Student: _________________________
4
All lines and shapes are neatly
drawn. All errors have been
neatly corrected and all features
are colored completely.
3
Most lines and
shapes are neatly
drawn. Most errors
have been neatly
corrected and most
features are colored
completely.
2
1
Some lines and
Many lines and
shapes are neatly shapes, corrections
drawn. Some errors of errors, and/or
have been neatly features are not
corrected and some neatly done.
features are
colored
completely.
Region labels are easy-to-find At least five labels
Some labels are
Map includes only
and are in an easily viewable
are included, but
present, but at least 1-2 labels.
color. 7 labels for the regions, either the fall line is two- three are
None of the labels
mountain areas, and fall line
not labeled correctly missing.
are visible.
are correct.
or at least one of the Labels are not
regions are not
clearly visible over
labeled correctly.
the entire map.
Most labels are in a
color that is easily
viewable.
Title and capital city included Title or capital city is Title or capital city Student did not
and spelled correctly.
missing, or one is
is present, but both include the title
misspelled.
are misspelled.
and capital city.
Copyright. © 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 ALTec, the University of Kansas. Used with permission.
Unit Reflection
This unit was created to teach third grade students about regions and habitats in Georgia. The
layout of the unit was designed for maximum benefit to the student. The lesson begins with
language arts integration. The teacher will do a read aloud to activate students’ thinking about
where plants and animals live. The reason I chose one in which the animal is out of its natural
habitat was because I wanted students to start thinking about why animals live in different places.
The majority of the lesson is taught via a podcast and can easily be completed with the regular
classroom teacher or a substitute. Absent students could easily be put on a computer to view missed
information. They would then complete the activities related to the podcasts. Another important
point is that not only is the lesson integrated with language arts, but it is also integrated with
geography.
I attempted to present the lesson information in a variety of ways to meet the diverse needs of
students. I differentiated instruction throughout to give the students different ways to process the
information. Students have the opportunity to read information, view information with or without
video or audio, express their artistic abilities, and present information orally. This unit gives every
student the opportunity to shine in their best area.
Using the backwards design model has one key focus. Using assessments as the basis of the
lesson is very important. I knew when I started the lessons I wanted the students to create slide
shows, graphic representations, and written information. I also knew what types of information
would go into each product they would produce. I was able to present the information in a way that
allows students to have built up their knowledge prior to tackling the assigned tasks. Even though
the actual projects are at the end of the unit, much thought was given to the preparation needed by
students to do an effective job on their project.
I tried my best to keep the lessons on track towards making sure goals and objectives would be
met. I used resources that have proven effectiveness and validity. Varying instructional strategies
were presented to keep students motivated and interested. Also, careful attention was paid to how
many activities could be done in each hour long period. I have tried this unit and made changes to it
to reflect more efficiency.
For assessment purposes I would use both assessments of and for learning. I also kept the
assessments short and periodic. Next, I searched for assessments that were not just one type of
assessment. Assessments were based directly upon information available to the students. When I
used the quizzes in my class, I allowed the students to use their mini-books to locate information.
The final assessment required students to use only what they learned from the lessons.
I enjoyed creating the unit and feel this would be a great unit for any third grade class to learn
the concept of habitats.