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