Module 2: We Love Our Neighbors
We Love
Our Neighbors
OBSERVE
Objective: to observe that each of the 3 climate zones has different habitats
Vocabulary: natural environment
Reading: Maple & Rosemary
Science Activity: What’s In the Water?
Earth Friends Lesson
Module 2: Lesson 3
Begin Lesson
move: 5 minutes
8 Animal Habitats
This is a repeated activity that the children will do at the beginning of each lesson of Our Neighbors. The repetition will help the children learn the 8 habitats where animals (and plants) make their homes on Earth. Habitats are different and can provide different needs for Earth Friends all over the world.
For the activity, the children will learn the motion that connects to each habitat. You can call out the habitats and the children can respond with the appropriate motion. As the lessons progress, you will then add each child's animal friends to the habitats.
We are going to learn about the different animal habitats. Every habitat is special in its own way, and we are going to move our bodies and pretend to be exploring each different habitat.
GRASSLAND: hot or warm, where the land is covered with grass and a few trees. Make a running or walking motion and “shhh-shhh-shhh” sound like you are moving through grass.
POLAR: cold, where the land is covered with snow and the water is full of icebergs. Shiver.
DESERT: hot and dry, where the land is covered in sand and not many plants or trees. Wipe sweat off brow.
MOUNTAIN: all kinds of weather can be found here, but the land is full of hills, ledges, and rocks. Climb in place with arms and legs.
FRESH WATER: ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams, where life is underwater and near the shore with all kinds of weather. Move arms and body as if swimming.
TEMPERATE FOREST: warm or cold, where the land is covered in many trees. Spread arms wide to make branches of tall tree.
RAIN FOREST: hot and wet, where the land is covered in trees and plants of all kinds. Reach arms overhead and then down wiggling fingers and making a “shhhhhh” sound for rain.
OCEAN: all kinds of weather, salt water, and life is underwater and on the beach. Make a wave motion from one side to the other.
Download all 8 Habitat PDF illustrations to use here!
(illustrations by Andrew Mrotek)
Use the photo books to show the children the 8 different habitats.
Curious Question
I wonder what kind of habitats can you find where we live?
Allow the children to name different places where plants and animals live in their local area. Remember, it's okay if they name something that doesn't exist locally.
Main Lesson
Many of us live in the Temperate Zone, and here our natural environment, or what is outside and in nature, has many different habitats. Every habitat needs to have clean fresh water that is full of life. Some habitats have a lot (like Fresh Water) and some have very little (like Desert).
sit & learn: 5 minutes
What’s In the Water
Materials Needed: 2 32 oz. glass jars with lid; 3 collection jars (for samples):
1 cup mud from a pond/stream floor
1 cup algae from the surface of a pond/stream
2 cups water from a pond/stream
Preparation:
Jar #1: Put the mud in the bottom of the empty glass jar, next the algae, and then pour over the pond (or any water in nature) water. Close the lid, and set in the sun or a window to make sure there is “life” in your water. Look for tiny creatures.
Jar #2: Fill with tap water.
Have the children sit in a circle before you pass around the glass jars of water.
Show Jar #1 to the children first. This water came from a pond. Let's look and see what is in the water. What do you see? Allow them to see what is in the water (the more alive the water, the better).
Next, show jar #2 (or allow the children to watch you fill it from the tap). This water came from our sink. This is the water we drink.
Set the 2 jars the sun or a window. Allow the children to compare the 2 different jars of water. Soon the children will see different critters swimming around.
Closing Sentiment
Every human, every animal, and every plant that lives on Earth needs to have clean and safe water. We can drink our clean water from the tap, but clean water in the natural environment is full of life and important for everyone.
move & engage: 10 minutes
End Lesson
Teachers in the Classroom
Teacher Activity
Habitats All over the Earth
It's time to get down the Classroom Earth and our Climate Zone markers.
First, have the children set up the climate zones with the markers.
We are going to put our habitats on Earth*. Have each child place a habitat on the Classroom Earth where they think it might go based on climate zone understanding.
Example: Polar Habitat can go at either the North or South Pole. Ocean can be placed anywhere in the blue. Temperate Forest will go in the Temperate Zone and so on. Do not worry if the right habitat is in the right place. The objective here is for the children to learn that there are different habitats all over the world not just where they are.
*You can make habitats out of any material or size using the habitat illustrations. However, making smaller card or boards will work better in relation to the Classroom Earth. (You could also make habits in 2 sizes.).
Throughout the Week
Discuss: what kinds of habitats you can find in the local environment.
Discover: Go on an animal home scavenger hunt outside the school. Let the children walk around and see what kind of animal homes and shelters they can find. Birds' nests, ant hills, spider webs. Tally the number and talk about what kind of animals live in your environment.
Create: a home for an animal using toys in the classroom. Let the children be creative and think about what animals might need. Blocks can build shelter. Cloth can be a nest. A box can be a cave. The objective here is to merge a STEM activity with the subject they are learning. A rabbit may get a house of blocks, or Legos become trees for monkeys.
Reading: Maple & Rosemary
Vocabulary: habitat, shelter, natural environment
Good Choices
I can pay attention to where my feet, hands, and body are when I'm outside in my environment so I can keep animals' homes safe.
I can learn about what different kinds of plants and animals live by my house and in my town.
Vocabulary:
habitat: A home found in nature is called a habitat. Every habitat is special in its own way, and we are going to pretend to be the habitats where our plant and animal friends live.
shelter: A place where an animal can rest and sleep safely in their home, such as a tree, cave, burrow, or nest is their shelter.
natural environment: Everything that is outside of our house and the buildings where we live is called our environment. Our natural environment is everything that nature makes.
Families at Home
Discover: what kinds of animal homes you can find in your backyard or in your neighborhood. Anything from spider webs, to abandoned nests, to insect dwellings.
Visit: a pond and make a pond jar.
First, visit a local pond or stream to collect 3 samples:
At least 12 oz. of water
Algae or a plant growing under water
Mud at the bottom
Next, at home, create a miniature freshwater habitat. Find a 16 oz. jar and place the mud at the bottom, next the plant, and then pour the pond water over. Close the jar with a lid, and then set the jar in a sunlit window, and as the contents settle, check for tiny creatures!
Learn: about different animals that live all over the world by watching or reading Our Planet.
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