Mayhem at the Nature Center: Exploring Animal Habitats

TOPIC: Animal Habitats

GRADE LEVEL: 1st and 2nd Grade

FOCUS QUESTIONS: 

• How do physical characteristics and behaviors of animals help them meet their basic needs in a specific environment?
• How can we use inferencing skills to observe, record and compare physical characteristics of animals?
• How can we work together to successfully solve a problem? 

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: Basic understanding of what a habitat is.

EDUCATION STANDARDS: 

TEKS:

§112.12. Science, Grade 1

• (b) (10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to:
  • (A) investigate how the external characteristics of an animal are related to where it lives, how it moves, and what it eats;

§112.13. Science, Grade 2

• (b) (9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs that must be met for them to survive within their environment. The student is expected to:
  • (A) identify the basic needs of plants and animals.
• (b) (10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to:
  • (A) observe, record, and compare how the physical characteristics and behaviors of animals help them meet their basic needs such as fins help fish move and balance in the water.

§117.107. Theatre, Grade 1

• (a) (2) Through the creative expression strand, students communicate in a dramatic form, engage in artistic thinking, build positive self-concepts, relate interpersonally, and integrate knowledge with other content areas in a relevant manner.
• (b) (3) Creative expression: production. The student applies design, directing, and theatre production concepts and skills. The student is expected to:
  • (D) cooperate with others in dramatic play.

§117.107. Theatre, Grade 2

• (a) (2) Through the creative expression strand, students communicate in a dramatic form, engage in artistic thinking, build positive self-concepts, relate interpersonally, and integrate knowledge with other content areas in a relevant manner.
• (b) (1) Foundations: inquiry and understanding. The student develops concepts about self, human relationships, and the environment using elements of drama and conventions of theatre. The student is expected to:
  • (D) role play, imitate, and recreate dialogue. Context: Students will already have a basic understanding about environments and animal characteristics. This would be good for a middle-to-end of unit lesson about animals. Goals: To help students use inferencing skills to observe animal characteristics and categorize them into appropriate environments. An additional goal is to foster teamwork, collaboration and justification of categorization. 

MATERIALS:

• 4 large pieces of paper with Tundra, Wetlands, Desert and Forest written on them with a corresponding color picture of this environment (w/ no animals).
• 4 Ziploc baggies with pictures of: Tundra hare (close-up of fur, ears, legs), Egret (close up of webbed feet, long legs, bill), Brown Bear (close up of snout, claws, fur), and desert hare (close up of fur, legs, ears).
• Nature Center assistant costume (perhaps a jacket, badge, keys, etc.).
• Boss costume (perhaps glasses, suit, etc.).