Research Scenario
The cardinal, camel, red-eyed tree frog, and polar bear have gotten lost from their natural habitats. Since they cannot find their way home, they cannot find food or shelter to survive. The President of the United States is offering a reward to any second grader who can help to save their lives by bringing these animals back to their correct habitats of either the arctic, desert, rain forest, and woodland forest.
Essential Question: How does an animal's habitat affect its survival?
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Task
1. Research the four habitats (arctic, desert, rain forest, and woodland forest) to discover what the environment is like. Fill in the information that you have found in this graphic organizer.
2. In your groups, research one of the four animals that is lost and find that animal’s home. Each group member should fill in their animal web on Kidspiration using either pictures or words or a video documentary.
Product
Create a diorama showing what an appropriate living environment would be like for your animal. Include samples of living and non-living things that might inhabit that animal's correct habitat.
Click here for directions and to view some sample dioramas.
Assessments
Use this checklist for your final diorama.
The following scoring tools may be used or adapted by your Supervisor (teacher) to evaluate your research process and your final product and presentation.
Questions
How does an animal’s habitat affect its survival? |
Subsidiary Questions:
- What is a habitat?
- What is an ecosystem? Watch a video and find out!!
- What is an environment?
- What are some characteristics of a desert, rain forest, woodland forest, and the arctic?
- What types of animals would you find in each environment?
- How do animals depend on plants and other forms of life for survival?
Gather & Sort
Use this graphic organizer and some of these sources to help you to research a little bit about each of the four habitats: arctic, desert, rainforest, and woodland forest.
Your teacher will divide you into groups, in order to research one of the animals. Use this web and some of these sources to collect and organize your information on one of the following assigned animals: cardinal, camel, red-eyed tree frog, and polar bear.
****Don't forget to use your student resources page to help you complete your organizer and web. ****
Organize
Study the information you have gathered on the four habitats and your specific animal to determine which living environment would be the most appropriate home for your animal.
Combine what you have learned and read about to create a diorama displaying parts of your animal’s habitat.
Students who bring their animals back to the correct habitat will be rewarded.
Conclusion
Presentation:
- Present your diorama to your teacher and class, explaining the details of what you included in your habitat and how they might help your animal survive.
- Do a gallery walk to the other groups to check out their dioramas in more detail and decide whether they chose the correct habitats for their animal.