BACKGROUND/PRIOR KNOWLEDGE NEEDED

Transcription

1 MAKE A HABITAT GRADE LEVEL(S) 1 LESSON OBJECTIVE In this lessn, students will learn abut habitats, and the characteristics that separate ne habitat frm anther. Students will be able t define habitat and recgnize that all living things have basic survival needs. Students will create their wn habitat by drawing a picture, based n a fictinal animal. They will need t include the living and nn-living cmpnents and have t explain why they are there and hw they all relate. BACKGROUND/PRIOR KNOWLEDGE NEEDED Our wrld, bth terrestrial and aquatic, is cmprised f many different and unique habitats. A habitat is defined as the physical cnditins that surrund a species, r species ppulatin, r assemblage f species, r cmmunity (Clements and Shelfrd, 1939), r, mre simply, where an animal lives. Every inch f planet Earth is a habitat. Habitats that are familiar t many f us include frests, deserts, swamps and grasslands. Each f these habitats is a hme fr a distinct set f animals and plants. Even ur cities and huses have becme habitats fr certain animals. These habitats all have a characteristic set f physical factrs such as temperature, misture level, and what they are made f that will dictate what animals and plants can live there. Fishes live in water and have certain things abut their bdies; adaptatins that help them survive there. Their fins help prpel them thrugh the water, and their gills enable them t breathe underwater. These same fishes wuld nt be able t survive in trees as their fins are useless fr climbing and they wuld nt be able t breathe. Cnversely, a mnkey that is very well suited t living in trees wuld never survive under water. Its hands and arms are suited t climb and swing in trees, nt swimming, and it wuld nt be able t breathe underwater as it has lungs, which d nt functin under water. Every habitat n earth is a bit different and therefre has different rganisms living there. The Ls Angeles area has many different habitats within its limits. They range frm the steel and cement buildings fund dwntwn, t the sandy beaches f Santa Mnica, and t the chaparral in the surrunding hills. Each f these habitats is hme t a different grup f plants and animals. Sme examples f habitats in the greater Ls Angeles area, their characteristics and sme typical inhabitants, include (see map fr reference): 1-Sandy Shre (Inhabitant = Western Gull): Cmprised f sand Adjacent t the cean Always changing because f the tides and waves Heavily used by humans

2 The Western Gull has webbed feet that help it swim as well as walk n the sft sand. It eats crabs, dead fish, mussels r any ther debris that washes ashre. 2-Oak Wdland (Inhabitant = Deer): Big trees Oak Trees are spread ut and are surrunded by bushes and grasses Acrn, frm the ak trees, are fd fr many animals Deer eat grasses, leaves and acrns and use the trees fr cver, but can run fast in the pen t escape predatrs. 3-Dwntwn (Inhabitant = Pigen): Tall buildings Lts f metal, cncrete and wires Nisy Ht in the summer, cld and windy in winter Pigens have feet adapted t hld nt branches and wires, and rst n windwsills and rftps. Their small beak is used fr eating a variety f small seeds and bits f fd. 4-Chaparral (Inhabitant = Grund Squirrel): Steep hills Very Dry Lw bushes and grasses The grund squirrel lives undergrund and has claws used fr digging. They eat seeds, bugs and plants. 5-Salt Marsh (Inhabitant = Hern): Fund by the cast Partly inundated by shallw salt water Cvered by grasses The hern has lng legs fr wading and a lng pinty beak fr catching small fish. The hern nests in the tall marsh grasses. The animals that live in each f these habitats are generally suited t live in that habitat nly (sme exceptins apply). Their bdies, r their behavirs, wuld nt allw them t survive in anther habitat. Prir t the human ppulatin explsin and massive develpment that fllwed in the Ls Angeles area, these habitats flurished and supprted a wealth f life. As mre and mre humans arrived in Ls Angeles, we have built huses, grcery stres, gas statins and stres. This develpment has destryed the existing habitats, and therefre displaced the animals that lived there. Sme habitats, like the sandy shre, marsh, and ak wdland were greatly impacted because they are areas desired mst fr develpment. Chaparral habitats were affected less because steep terrain was less suitable fr building. We need t learn abut and understand the many different habitats in the Ls Angeles area, s that we may preserve the unique animals and plants that live there. This educatin is crucial nt just here in Ls Angeles, but all ver the wrld. Many habitats have been decimated, many rganisms have becme extinct, and many thers are endangered. By understanding what is ging n arund ur hme, we will be better equipped t lk beynd ur lcal envirnment and make psitive changes.

3 Clements, Frederic E., and Victr E. Shelfrd Bi-eclgy. Jhn Wiley & Sns, New Yrk. 425 pp. EDUCATION STANDARD(S) Grade 1: Califrnia Science Standards Plants and animals meet their needs in different ways. As a basis fr understanding this cncept: 1. Students knw different plants and animals inhabit different kinds f envirnments and have external features that help them thrive in different kinds f places. 2. Students knw bth plants and animals need water, animals need fd, and plants need light. 3. Students knw animals eat plants r ther animals fr fd and may als use plants r even ther animals fr shelter and nesting. Envirnmental Principles & Cncepts (EEI) crrespnding learning bjectives: Recgnize that natural systems (envirnments) prvide the resurces (gds and ecsystem services) fr survival fr plants and animals. Describe human activities that can influence the functin f natural systems and the availability f resurces fr plants and animals. Explain that if there are significant changes t natural systems (envirnments) plants and animals may nt be able t survive in thse areas. Recgnize that t survive, plants and animals (including humans) need resurces including water, fd, air and light. List the resurces animals (including humans) need t survive.

4 Prvide examples f things that humans d that can influence the availability f resurces needed by plants and animals (including humans). Prvide examples f things that humans d that can influence the availability f materials animals (including humans) use fr fd, shelter and nesting. MATERIALS NEEDED Dry erase bard and dry erase pens, fictinal animal picture (sample prvided), sheet f paper, assrted crayns. DIRECT INSTRUCTION Ask the students what they need t stay alive? (Write answers n the bard) Target answers: Fd: Plants and animals are used fr energy t live and grw Water: Needed t help us live and grw Clthes: T keep us warm and cmfrtable A huse/apartment (shelter): made ut f wd, stne and metal t keep us warm, dry and safe. Ask them if they culd survive with nly ne f these things? Or culd they survive withut ne f these things? Target answer: N Have the students name ne f their favrite animals. Where des it live and what is it like there (ht r cld, dry r wet, trees r sand, etc)? (Write them n the bard) Ask them if this animal culd live in a different place? Cld instead f ht? Dry instead f wet? Sandy instead f trees? Target answer: N Explain that these animals all need a special set f things r cnditins, in rder t survive. These things and cnditins are what make up their hme, r what scientists call a HABITAT. The definitin f a habitat is: the place r envirnment where a plant r animal naturally r nrmally lives and grws, r, mre simply, where an rganism lives. Everything a plant r animal needs t survive can be fund in its habitat! Ask the students if any f them have a pet? What des their pet need t survive? Sme pssible answers may include: Dg: water, fd, air, space t run Gldfish: clean water, fd Hamster: water, fd, wd chips fr a nest

5 Explain that these are all things that help make up their pet s habitat. A habitat is made up f bth living things (plants and animals) and nn-living things (rcks and water). All living things n this planet live in a habitat. And all the living things in a habitat make that habitat wrk. Let s make ur wn habitat Ask the students: What makes ne habitat different frm anther? The things in it and what it is like there (ht, cld, wet, dry). D yu find different animals in different habitats? Yes. Explain that different animals need different things in their habitat t survive. Fd: each habitat will have different plants and animals present that are fd items Cver: each habitat has different vegetatin r types f places fr animals t hide and live Let s meet an animal yu have never seen befre. Shw the students a picture f ne f the fictinal animals. Walk the students thrugh sme f the animal s external features and what they might be gd fr. Fins fr swimming, big ears fr gd hearing, beaver tail fr slapping as an alarm, lng legs fr wading, etc. Tell the students that they are ging t make up a habitat fr this fictinal animal and draw it. They can make it hwever they like, but they must be able t explain why it is the way it is (i.e. the fictinal animal is red and has big claws fr climbing. The fruit bearing plants are red and tall, because red helps the animal camuflage, and the big claws help the animal climb the tall plants t eat the fruit). Make sure that the students add fd, water and shelter int their habitat as well and can explain hw their animals get their necessities. Give the students minutes t draw their habitat. Make sure t walk abut and prmpt the students with questins (i.e. What wuld the animal eat?) Why are the plants red?) When time is up have students share their habitats and explain hw their fictinal animal lives there. When each student has explained their habitat, tell them that peple have changed smething abut it (cut dwn trees, taken the fruit, remved an animal, etc), and ask them what wuld happen t their animal? Target Answer: Their animal wuld have t mve r it wuld nt survive. Fllw this with what we culd d t help keep their animal in their habitat (plant mre trees, nt take all the fruit, leave all the animals, etc). GROUP/INDEPENDENT WORK Students can wrk independently r in varying grups depending n the level f ability, class size and/r teacher s preference.

6 ASSESSMENT/WRAP UP Suggested Grading Rubric Picture Fd Shelter Water Picture incmplete. Picture nt drawn. Fd nt present in Shelter nt present in Water nt present in Picture f habitat is drawn with detail and in a neat manner. Fd present in Shelter present in Water present in Picture f habitat drawn with detail and in a neat manner, including clr. Multiple fd surces present in Shelter present in picture with details, such as a place fr sleeping and prtectin frm the elements. Water present in picture and placed in a lcatin that is lgical (in a lake, r river).

7 Sample Fictinal Animal