Grade Level: 1-2. Next Generation Sunshine State Standards SC.1.E.6.2; SC.1.L.14.1; SC.1.L.17.1 SC.2.L.17.1; SC.2.L.17.2

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1 Grade Level: 1-2 Next Generation Sunshine State Standards SC.1.E.6.2; SC.1.L.14.1; SC.1.L.17.1 SC.2.L.17.1; SC.2.L.17.2 Program Overview Encounter live animals in the Dalton Discovery Center, look for jumping fish on an electric boat ride, and take a peek into the von Arx Wildlife Hospital where we care for more than 3,200 wild animals per year. Learn how you can help the Conservancy protect Florida s water, land, and wildlife. Learning Objectives Students will be able to: 1. Recognize that all plants and animals, including humans, need the basic necessities of air, water, food, and space. 2. Recognize and explain that living things are found all over Earth, but each is only able to live in habitats that meet its basic needs.

2 Pre-Program Activity 1: Animal Classification Foldout Duration of activity: 30 minutes Materials: Animal pictures, types of animals, characteristics sheet, construction paper, scissors, glue, pen or pencil, colored pencils or crayons Background: Mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, and amphibians are all classified by unique characteristics. Directions: Instruct the students to cut out the animals and characteristics. Fold the construction paper into thirds and then glue the six animal pictures and the animal classification card evenly onto the doors. Cut slits in the doors in between the pictures. Write the animal categories on the board and work with the students to write the matching characteristics underneath the animal type. Point out that while some of them share characteristics, they re all different types of animals! Have them glue the correct characteristics on the inside of each type of animal. When the foldable is complete, the animals will all be on the outside, with the characteristics on the inside. The foldout will resemble the image to the right. (See below for worksheets and answer key)

3 Fish Bird Mammal Reptile Amphibian

4 warm blooded covered in fur or hair live on land or in water covered in scales have fins live in water have a beak covered in feathers live on land or in water adults breathe air moist skin live on land or in water cold blooded dry, scaly skin live on land or in water Animal Classification By

5 Answer Key: Mammals: warm blooded covered in fur or hair live on land or in water Fish: covered in scales have fins live in water Birds: have a beak covered in feathers live on land or in water Amphibians: adults breathe air moist skin live on land or in water Reptiles: cold blooded dry, scaly skin live on land or in water

6 Pre-Program Activity 2: Where do I Live?- Intro to Southwest Florida Habitats Duration of Activity: 45 minutes Materials: Habitat sheets, animal sheets Background: The main habitats in the Conservancy of Southwest Florida s Dalton Discovery Center are uplands, hardwood hammock, wetlands, mangrove estuaries, and the patch reef. Uplands are characterized by dry, sandy soils, and drought-tolerant plants such as slash pines and saw palmettos. These habitats are shaped by fire. Animals include gopher tortoises, snakes, small mammals and birds. Hardwood Hammocks border wetter areas and contain hardwood trees such as oak and gumbo limbo trees. This is Florida panther habitat. Wetlands are freshwater habitats that are regularly flooded. Cypress trees tend to grow in dense clusters, called cypress domes. This habitat supports animals like alligators, fish, turtles and wading birds. Mangrove estuaries are brackish water habitats (mix of fresh and salt water) that are made up of red, white, and black mangroves. The red mangrove s prop roots provide cover for juvenile wildlife. Manatees, birds, and turtles also use the mangrove forest habitat. Coral reef habitats are made up of limestone, soft coral, seagrasses, and algae. Reefs support a wide variety of aquatic species including sea turtles. Directions: Before the lesson, print out the various southwest Florida habitat pictures, and place in different areas of the room. Review the different habitats with students. Divide students into groups and assign each group an animal. Then allow them to explore the room and place their animal in the correct habitat. Review all of the animals and habitats. Uplands/Scrub Dry, sandy soil Shaped by fire

7 Hardwood Hammock Wet soil Oak trees Wetlands/Swamp Usually flooded Freshwater

8 Mangrove Estuary Brackish water Nursery habitat Coral Reefs Saltwater Algae also grows here

9 I m a gopher tortoise! I like a dry habitat. I dig burrows so that I m safe from fires. I m a Florida panther! I like to live under the shade of oak trees. I m an alligator! I like living in freshwater by cypress trees.

10 I m a baby pufferfish! I like to use tree roots as a nursery so I can grow big and strong. I m a loggerhead sea turtle! I like to use soft coral and seaweed to rest and find food.

11 Post-Program Activity 1: Birds and Worms- Intro to Camouflage Adapted from Birds and Worms from the Project Learning Tree Curriculum Guide Duration of Activity: ~ 1 hour Materials: 60 small objects in green, yellow, and blue (indoor use: pipe cleaner segments, yarn, string, paper shapes, etc.), (outdoor use: biodegradable items such as breakfast ceral, colored pasta), 2-4 containers, chart paper or white board. Background: Animals use camouflage to blend in with their environment in order to hide from other animals. Prey animals often blend in with their environment to hide from predators, but some predators are camouflaged to better sneak up on their prey. Some animals, like the American alligator, are camouflaged when they re young and lose that coloration as they grow. Directions: You ll need a large, open area for the activity. Spread your 60 objects randomly across the area. Ask your students to name animals that are color coded to their environment and why they think that coloration is beneficial (i.e. frogs and polar bears). See if they can come up with the term camouflage and review that term. The students will be birds searching for some worms (the 60 small objects). Divide your students into 2-4 teams for the relay race. Place the bins by the start line so teams can deposit their worms once they catch them. The object of the race is to be the first team to feed all of the birds on their team. On Go, the first bird will fly over the field and pick up the first worm they see, and then they will immediately fly back to the start and deposit the worms into the container. Then the next bird will do the same. Once all of the birds on a team have found a worm, the team will sit down. Repeat this process one more time. Take the containers back to the classroom and tally each number of colored objects that were collected. Ask the students why they think there is more of one color than the other. The brighter colored worms do not camouflage well because they aren t color coded to their environment like the other colors.

12 Post-Program Activity 2: A Home for a Reptile Adapted from What Bear Goes Where? Project WILD Curriculum Guide Duration of Activity: 45 minutes Materials: Reptile pictures (below), construction paper, scissors, glue, optional craft materials to attach to the posters such as felt, pipe cleaners, etc. Background: Snakes, alligators, and sea turtle are all reptiles, so they share common characteristics such as they have dry, scaly skin, are cold-blooded, and breathe air. Have students recall the reptiles that they saw and met at the Conservancy: Snakes. Snakes are carnivorous and eat things like small mammals, birds, and even other snakes! While some snakes prefer wetter environments, many snakes live in dry, upland habitats. Uplands are characterized by dry, sandy, well-drained soils. Plant species include slash pine trees, saw palmetto, and wiregrass. Alligators. American alligators live in swampy, freshwater environments, but can sometimes be found in brackish water (mix of fresh and salt water). Alligators have stripes when they re young to aid in camouflage and lose their stripes as they grow older. Once mature, alligators will eat birds, fish, turtles, and other reptiles. Rivers, lakes, and wetlands are prime alligator habitat. This habitat is characterized by cypress trees, ferns, and sawgrass. Sea turtles. Like all reptiles, sea turtles have dry, scaly skin and breathe air. They spend their entire lives at sea. Females only come onto land to lay their eggs. They use coral reefs and seaweed drifts to rest and forage for food. Sea turtles have streamlined, elongated flippers that make swimming long distances easier. The Conservancy s loggerhead sea turtle can use her powerful jaw to crush through shells and eat the organism inside. She also eats fish, crabs, jellyfish, and lobsters. Directions: 1. Print out enough reptile pictures for each student to have one. Discuss the characteristics of each animal, including similarities and differences. Discuss what each animal eats. 2. Ask the students to imagine where each animal lives. Have them come up with characteristics of each habitat. 3. Have students use construction paper to create a habitat for their animal. Make sure they include food, water, shelter, and plant life. Suggestions for the posters are as follows: Snake: Pine trees, short palm trees, mammals, birds, and eggs to eat; bushes or burrows for shelter; a rock for sunning itself. Alligator: cypress trees, birds, mammals, and fish to eat; sawgrass.

13 Sea turtle: coral reefs; fish, squid, shellfish, and seagrass to eat; seaweed. 4. Once the posters are completed, discuss the similarities and differences for each animal s habitat. To further discussion, ask the students if they think the animals would be able to live in habitats they don t belong in.