We Love
Our Neighbors

UNDERSTAND

Objective: to understand that different animals live in different habitats on Earth and every animal needs food, water, and shelter to be safe and healthy

Vocabulary: shelter

Reading: Maple & Rosemary

Science Activity: Where Animals Live

Earth Friends Lesson

Module 2: Lesson 2

Begin Lesson

move: 7 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.

Sit in a circle and hand each child their Animal Friend from the week before.

Curious Question

What 3 things does your animal friend need to live? I wonder what you need to live?

Main Lesson

Every animal needs 3 things to live.

Food-something to eat

Water-something to drink

Shelter-a safe and healthy home

sit & learn: 5 minutes

Where Animals Live

Set out the 8 Habitats. Ask the children to take turns placing their Animal Friend on the habitat where their animal lives.

Where do you think your animal wants to live? What does your animal like?

There may be some overlap, and some boards will not have any animals. Additionally, some animals can live in more than one habitat. Let the children decide. Some may be “incorrect” or everyone might want to share one space. Anything goes here, because knowing there are different habitats where animals can live is the objective here.

Closing Sentiment

Every human and every animal that lives on Earth needs food, water, and shelter to live. We can make sure we all have safe homes. We are all Earth Friends.

move & learn: 8 minutes

End Lesson

Teachers in the Classroom

Teacher Activity

Care For Every Neighbor

We have been talking a lot about animals, but do you know what else needs food, water, and a place to live?

Materials Needed: an indoor plant (such as a spider plant or pathos Check out this safe and nontoxic list here.) or an herb (such as basil, sage, or lavender)

Introduce the children to the classroom plant/s. Our plants also need food, water, and a safe place to live.

Show the children the ways they can take care of and be kind to the plant/s. You could put up pictures of care-taking or a list of simple words: water, sun, love (whatever your class decides).

Throughout the Week

Discuss: the different kinds of plant and animal friends you can find close to where we live.

Learn: Using the photos in We Love Our Neighbors, familiarize the children with the 8 different habitats.

Reading: Maple & Rosemary

Vocabulary: habitat, shelter

Good Choices

I can ask questions about where my animal friends live.
I can make sure the land, water, and air are clean for plants, animals, and humans. An adult can help me.
I can take care of a plant and ask an adult if I need help.

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.

Families at Home

Discover: We learned about safe and healthy homes for animals this week, called shelter. Take a walk around the neighborhood and look for different places animals live. Do they live underground, in trees, or fields? What animals and animal homes do you see?

Explore: A tree. Find a tree in your yard or neighborhood, and get to know it. What do its branches look like? What does it need to stay alive? Where does it live? Trees are alive, like us, too.

Visit: An animal sanctuary. Explain to your child that the animals live here, but this is not their natural habitat. Humans have created a home for them since they cannot live in nature where we are.

Create: We drew pictures of the different habitats where our animal friends have food, water, and shelter. You can draw habitats with your child at home or use materials in nature to create a habitat, such as sticks, leaves, or shells to represent where their animal friend lives.

Module 2: Understand