Habitats for animals – an inquiry
Curriculum overview
The Australian Curriculum: Geography content descriptions addressed in the illustration are:
Learning goals
The illustration-specific learning goals are:
These geographical concepts of environment and habitat, interconnection and sustainability are all developed in this illustration.
Teaching approaches
1. Favourite wild animals discussion
An introduction suitable for children of this age is a discussion of their favourite wild animals. This will probably lead to a mention of lions, tigers, chimpanzee, gorillas, giraffe, elephants, kangaroos and other animals.
Questions could be posed about the places where each of these animals live. Countries, continents, regions and particular habitats might all be mentioned.
2. Habitat researchThe discussion could develop into the idea of the habitat for each animal. The following habitats could be described and perhaps illustrated with photographs:
3. Vegetation researchThe next step of the inquiry is to discover information about the vegetation which grows in each habitat and the food that particular animals eat. This task could be split up so that each child finds out the food for an animal that interests them.
The links between animals and their food sources could be shown through the children's drawings. Each child might do a labelled drawing of an animal, the vegetation of its habitat, and the food that it eats. In this way the different habitats will have been described at each child's level of concrete or abstract understanding.
4. Habitat pattern analysisThe next step to link this information to world geography is for each of the habitats to be located on a world map. The map could be a large outline map on which the drawings of animals in their habitats are pasted. Alternatively, it could be a smaller outline map of the world where each student adds information.
Next, look at each habitat and explore the reasons why that habitat is found in that location. · As a class, identify the natural vegetation, including rainforests, savannah, grassland, woodland and desert, in these three locations by referring to the Blue Planet Biomes website: blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm. Edit the Google Earth map to include an image of features in these areas, such as major rivers and cities.
· Have the students use the Blue Planet Biomes or Living Planet websites to collect data about the types of native animals that exist in the selected locations of South America and Africa. Ask: How are species of plants and animals unique to each environment?
· Ask the students to collect and represent data and information about the resources are available in the selected locations, such as forestry, food production, grazing, fishing, mining, and to classify them in a table as renewable and non-renewable.
· Use a set of images to mix-and-match the type of environments, resources and species available in the selected locations. A set of images is available on the WWF website at www.panda.org. As a class, label the images and record them on the wall world outline map.
· Have the students create climate graphs (temperature and rainfall) for each location (use a suggested resource such as Macmillan’s Keys to Geography, p. 86–87), using data collected from www.worldclimate.com.
· Instruct the students to construct tables and graphs to identify the different types of vegetation occurring in Australia and selected countries in Africa and South America, e.g. grassland, forests and grasslands.
5. Communication of research informationAfter doing these activities each child will have maps, sketches, diagrams and factual information. This could be presented in a display, a booklet or as part of an oral presentation. The central point of learning that needs to be obvious in this is an understanding of the interconnections between animals and their habitats, and that habitats need to remain sustainable for the animals' existence not to be threatened.
6. Extension activitiesChildren often respond emotionally to the idea of animals in danger of extinction, and this could prompt further inquiry about which animals fall into this category. The next logical question is 'Why are they in danger?' From there, the issue of the habitat being in danger because of human influence could be investigated.
The concept of sustainability could be examined in more depth by relating animals, vegetation and climate to each other. This is a more abstract concept.
What you needWorld map.
Some photographs of the listed habitats.
Time frame: Could be spread over a few weeks if students get involved and interested in following further lines of inquiry.
Curriculum connectionsThis illustration links with the content descriptions of the following Phase 1 Australian Curriculum.
English
ResourcesBooks:
Johnson, J. (2012). Animal Planet: Atlas of Animals. Sydney: Weldon Owen. An excellently produced and comprehensive atlas of animals and habitats. It has sections on the habitats of each continent which are displayed in colourful double page spreads.
Websites:
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2013). Australian Curriculum: Geography. Retrieved May 2013, from: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Geography/Rationale.
National Geographic Education. GIS in action. Students are able to us GIS to save animals. Retrieved August 2012, from: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/interactive/maps-tools-gis-action/?ar_a=4.
Australian Museum. Nature, culture, discover focuses on Australian habitats. Retrieved August 2012, from: http://australianmuseum.net.au/Wild-Kids-Habitats/.
National Geographic. Kids dare to explore! Search for your favourite animal or any habitat. Retrieved August 2012, from: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/.
Curriculum overview
The Australian Curriculum: Geography content descriptions addressed in the illustration are:
- The types of natural vegetation and the significance of vegetation to the environment and to people (ACHGK021)
- The importance of environments to animals and people, and different views on how they can be protected (ACHGK022)
Learning goals
The illustration-specific learning goals are:
- understanding of the idea of habitat
- understanding of the interconnections between animals and their food in a habitat
- developing an appreciation of our responsibility to protect environments that provide habitats for animals
- recognising the role of vegetation in providing habitats for animals.
These geographical concepts of environment and habitat, interconnection and sustainability are all developed in this illustration.
Teaching approaches
1. Favourite wild animals discussion
An introduction suitable for children of this age is a discussion of their favourite wild animals. This will probably lead to a mention of lions, tigers, chimpanzee, gorillas, giraffe, elephants, kangaroos and other animals.
Questions could be posed about the places where each of these animals live. Countries, continents, regions and particular habitats might all be mentioned.
2. Habitat researchThe discussion could develop into the idea of the habitat for each animal. The following habitats could be described and perhaps illustrated with photographs:
- desert
- rainforest (jungle)
- savanna grassland
- tundra, icesheets and snow
- mountains
- wetlands.
3. Vegetation researchThe next step of the inquiry is to discover information about the vegetation which grows in each habitat and the food that particular animals eat. This task could be split up so that each child finds out the food for an animal that interests them.
The links between animals and their food sources could be shown through the children's drawings. Each child might do a labelled drawing of an animal, the vegetation of its habitat, and the food that it eats. In this way the different habitats will have been described at each child's level of concrete or abstract understanding.
4. Habitat pattern analysisThe next step to link this information to world geography is for each of the habitats to be located on a world map. The map could be a large outline map on which the drawings of animals in their habitats are pasted. Alternatively, it could be a smaller outline map of the world where each student adds information.
Next, look at each habitat and explore the reasons why that habitat is found in that location. · As a class, identify the natural vegetation, including rainforests, savannah, grassland, woodland and desert, in these three locations by referring to the Blue Planet Biomes website: blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm. Edit the Google Earth map to include an image of features in these areas, such as major rivers and cities.
· Have the students use the Blue Planet Biomes or Living Planet websites to collect data about the types of native animals that exist in the selected locations of South America and Africa. Ask: How are species of plants and animals unique to each environment?
· Ask the students to collect and represent data and information about the resources are available in the selected locations, such as forestry, food production, grazing, fishing, mining, and to classify them in a table as renewable and non-renewable.
· Use a set of images to mix-and-match the type of environments, resources and species available in the selected locations. A set of images is available on the WWF website at www.panda.org. As a class, label the images and record them on the wall world outline map.
· Have the students create climate graphs (temperature and rainfall) for each location (use a suggested resource such as Macmillan’s Keys to Geography, p. 86–87), using data collected from www.worldclimate.com.
· Instruct the students to construct tables and graphs to identify the different types of vegetation occurring in Australia and selected countries in Africa and South America, e.g. grassland, forests and grasslands.
5. Communication of research informationAfter doing these activities each child will have maps, sketches, diagrams and factual information. This could be presented in a display, a booklet or as part of an oral presentation. The central point of learning that needs to be obvious in this is an understanding of the interconnections between animals and their habitats, and that habitats need to remain sustainable for the animals' existence not to be threatened.
6. Extension activitiesChildren often respond emotionally to the idea of animals in danger of extinction, and this could prompt further inquiry about which animals fall into this category. The next logical question is 'Why are they in danger?' From there, the issue of the habitat being in danger because of human influence could be investigated.
The concept of sustainability could be examined in more depth by relating animals, vegetation and climate to each other. This is a more abstract concept.
What you needWorld map.
Some photographs of the listed habitats.
Time frame: Could be spread over a few weeks if students get involved and interested in following further lines of inquiry.
Curriculum connectionsThis illustration links with the content descriptions of the following Phase 1 Australian Curriculum.
English
- Plan, rehearse and deliver presentations incorporating learned content and taking into account the particular purposes and audiences (ACELY1689)
- Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning to expand content knowledge, integrating and linking ideas and analysing and evaluating texts (ACELY1692)
- Incorporate new vocabulary from a range of sources into students' own texts including vocabulary encountered in research (ACELA1498)
- Use simple scales, legends and directions to interpret information contained in basic maps (ACMMG090)
- Living things have life cycles (ACSSU072)
- Living things, including plants and animals, depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073)
- Earth's surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity (ACSSU075)
- Locate relevant information from sources provided (ACHHS084)
ResourcesBooks:
Johnson, J. (2012). Animal Planet: Atlas of Animals. Sydney: Weldon Owen. An excellently produced and comprehensive atlas of animals and habitats. It has sections on the habitats of each continent which are displayed in colourful double page spreads.
Websites:
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2013). Australian Curriculum: Geography. Retrieved May 2013, from: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Geography/Rationale.
National Geographic Education. GIS in action. Students are able to us GIS to save animals. Retrieved August 2012, from: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/interactive/maps-tools-gis-action/?ar_a=4.
Australian Museum. Nature, culture, discover focuses on Australian habitats. Retrieved August 2012, from: http://australianmuseum.net.au/Wild-Kids-Habitats/.
National Geographic. Kids dare to explore! Search for your favourite animal or any habitat. Retrieved August 2012, from: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/.
Lesson 1
http://idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/season10/habitat/facts.cfm
What is a habitat? habitat: a special place where a plant or animal lives
A habitat is a special place where a plant or animal lives. Just like you have a home or place to live, so do animals and plants. When we talk about an animal’s or a plant's home it is more like a neighborhood than a "house." An animal needs five things to survive in its habitat:
Just like you have to go to the store to get food, an animal leaves its "shelter" to get the things they need to live. If the population's needs aren't met, it will move to a better habitat.
Different animals need different habitats. A fish, for example, needs clean water in which to live. A grasshopper, however, needs a big space where it can hop and leaves that it can eat.
Working together
There are many plants and animals that will share the same habitat. The animals and plants that live together in a habitat form a "community." The community of living things interacts with the non-living world around it to form the ecosystem.
Because resources like water and food may be limited, plant and animal species often compete with each other for food and water. The only way that they can all live together is if they occupy slightly different niches or hold different "jobs" in the community. No two species can occupy exactly the same niches They all have their own jobs or niche in the community.
A niche is the smallest unit of a habitat that is occupied by a plant or animal. The habitat niche is the physical space occupied by the plant or animal. The niche is the role the plant or animal plays in the community found in the habitat.
There are lots of different habitat types on Earth. Habitat examples could include lakes, streams, forests, or even a drop of water. All habitats on the Earth are part of the biosphere. Because the Earth is always changing, habitats are constantly changing. Habitats that have similar climate and plants are called biomes .
So what's a critical habitat?When a species is threatened, or becomes near extinction, it becomes important to protect their habitat. Certain areas become a "critical habitat" that are protected by laws to prevent killing, removing or bothering those species so that they can produce young and continue to thrive.
The grizzly bears of Yellowstone National Park were once on the endangered species list. But through protection of their habitat and efforts to make sure that they could survive, they have increased in numbers and are now, no longer in danger.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/habitats
http://lgfl.skoool.co.uk/content/keystage3/biology/pc/learningsteps/HITLC/launch.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNTHVLxPP54
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/interactive/maps-tools-gis-action/?ar_a=4.
http://idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/season10/habitat/facts.cfm
What is a habitat? habitat: a special place where a plant or animal lives
A habitat is a special place where a plant or animal lives. Just like you have a home or place to live, so do animals and plants. When we talk about an animal’s or a plant's home it is more like a neighborhood than a "house." An animal needs five things to survive in its habitat:
- food
- water
- shelter
- air
- a place to raise its young
Just like you have to go to the store to get food, an animal leaves its "shelter" to get the things they need to live. If the population's needs aren't met, it will move to a better habitat.
Different animals need different habitats. A fish, for example, needs clean water in which to live. A grasshopper, however, needs a big space where it can hop and leaves that it can eat.
Working together
There are many plants and animals that will share the same habitat. The animals and plants that live together in a habitat form a "community." The community of living things interacts with the non-living world around it to form the ecosystem.
Because resources like water and food may be limited, plant and animal species often compete with each other for food and water. The only way that they can all live together is if they occupy slightly different niches or hold different "jobs" in the community. No two species can occupy exactly the same niches They all have their own jobs or niche in the community.
A niche is the smallest unit of a habitat that is occupied by a plant or animal. The habitat niche is the physical space occupied by the plant or animal. The niche is the role the plant or animal plays in the community found in the habitat.
There are lots of different habitat types on Earth. Habitat examples could include lakes, streams, forests, or even a drop of water. All habitats on the Earth are part of the biosphere. Because the Earth is always changing, habitats are constantly changing. Habitats that have similar climate and plants are called biomes .
So what's a critical habitat?When a species is threatened, or becomes near extinction, it becomes important to protect their habitat. Certain areas become a "critical habitat" that are protected by laws to prevent killing, removing or bothering those species so that they can produce young and continue to thrive.
The grizzly bears of Yellowstone National Park were once on the endangered species list. But through protection of their habitat and efforts to make sure that they could survive, they have increased in numbers and are now, no longer in danger.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/habitats
http://lgfl.skoool.co.uk/content/keystage3/biology/pc/learningsteps/HITLC/launch.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNTHVLxPP54
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/interactive/maps-tools-gis-action/?ar_a=4.