Animal and Plant Habitats

We used PebbleGo to look at different habitats and ecosystems. As a class we made a Tree Map of facts learned for each habitat including what it looks like as well as what animals and plants could live there. The students then used the Tree Map to draw picture representations of each habitat along with at least one animal and one plant that could live there.

Garden Scavenger Hunt

We went on a scavenger hunt in the garden to look for various things such as rocks, plants, bugs, and more. The students identified objects as living and non-living. They identified the parts of a plant. They talked about what animals use the garden as a habitat.

Safari Sunset Art

As a part of our lessons on various habitats and ecosystems, we talked about the desert and what animals must have to survive in the desert. We also talked about grasslands and the need for larger animals to have a wide space to roam. To extend our learning, I taught the students how to paint a sky to look like a setting sunset. We worked on mixing white into colors to make them lighter and then worked on blending the colors to fade into each other. After the paintings were dry, I helped the students trace various animals that would be found in this habitat as well as trees on black paper. They added these silhouettes to the paintings. They turned out fantastic!

Animal Habitats

In science we have been learning how animals are dependent on their environment and the specials characteristics they have to make them suitable for that habitat. We looked at pictures and discussed the tundra, ocean, desert, grasslands, and rainforest. We then charted what physical features each habitat had. We followed that up by listing animals that live in each environment and what features they had to help them survive there. The students then chose four of the habitats to write about. They also drew one animal that could be found in each.

Measuring in the Garden

To review measuring and comparing length, we took our math lesson out to the school garden. Using pop cubes, the students took turns estimating and then measuring the various heights of plants. They compared the pop cube lengths to one another to determine which plant was the longest and which was the shortest. While we were in the garden we reviewed the parts of the plants and how bugs and plants are interdependent upon one another.

Garden Research: Expert Guest

We are very fortunate to have a garden expert as a part of our school community. One of the grandparents at our school owns a local garden store and volunteered her time to come answer questions for our students as a part of their research. She brought in various plants for them to explore, explained the needs of specific plants, and then answered their questions. The students then went back to class and wrote down answers they found to their questions on their research handouts.

Interdependence of Plants and Animals

To assess their understanding of the interdependence of plants and animals, the students created posters to show how at least one animal depends on a plant in the garden habitat.

OMNI Field Trip

In March we visited The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History to view the film The Living Sea at their OMNI Theater. The film summarized and showcased many of the ocean animals we researched in Reading, the bodies of water and landforms we studied in Social Studies, and the pull of the moon we studied in Science.

Ocean Zones Foldable

Ms. Willemin, our student teacher, taught the students about the various ocean zones. To help the students further understand the different depths of the ocean, they created a four tiered foldable to show the different ocean zones. They colored each part a darker shade of blue to show that the farther away from the sun, the darker it gets. They then read about the different zones and the animals that live in each zone.

Kelp Forest

The students learned about the Kelp Forest during our ocean unit. They learned about the parts of the ocean plant and made comparisons to the parts of land plants. They also learned about how animals and humans depend upon the Kelp plant. The students created Tree Maps and diagrams to show their learning.