Grade4Science:LifeSciencesHabitats

AnimalsThatLiveaWetland

NBCurriculumOutcomes
STSEOutcomes:
Studentswillbeabletodemonstratethatspecificterminologyisusedinscienceand
technologycontexts.(1046)

ScienceGeneralCurriculumOutcomes:
Studentswillbeexpectedtocommunicateproceduresandresults,usinglists,notesinpoint
form,sentences,charts,graphs,drawings,andorallanguage(2072)

ScienceSpecificCurriculumOutcomes:Studentswillbeexpectedtodescribehowvarious
animalsareabletomeettheirbasicneedsintheirhabitat.(3022)
Studentswillbeexpectedtocomparetheexternalfeaturesandbehavioralpatternsofanimals
thathelpthemthriveindifferentkindsofplaces(3001)

SocialStudiesGeneralCurriculumOutcomes:
Examinetheconceptofexploration(4.1.1)
Inquiry:Interpretphotographs,problemsolve,hypothesize,formulateinterviewquestions,
compareandcontrast,makedecisions,developstrategiestogatherinformation,make
predictions.
Participation:Participateinexploratoryfieldtrips,contributetodiscussions,predictchange,
andworkcollaborativelyingroupstoinvestigate.

LiteracyGeneralCurriculumOutcomes:
1.
Studentswillbeexpectedtospeakandlistentoexplore,extend,clarify,andreflecton
theirthoughts,ideas,feelings,andexperiences.
2.
Studentswillbeexpectedtocommunicateinformationandideaseffectivelyand
clearly,andtorespondpersonallyandcritically.

STSEOutcomes:
Studentswillbeabletodemonstratethatspecificterminologyisusedinscienceand
technologycontexts.(1046)

ScienceGeneralCurriculumOutcomes:
Studentswillbeexpectedtocommunicateproceduresandresults,usinglists,notesinpoint
form,sentences,charts,graphs,drawings,andorallanguage(2072)

ScienceSpecificCurriculumOutcomes:Studentswillbeexpectedtodescribehowvarious

animalsareabletomeettheirbasicneedsintheirhabitat.(3022)
Studentswillbeexpectedtocomparetheexternalfeaturesandbehavioralpatternsofanimals
thathelpthemthriveindifferentkindsofplaces(3001)

SocialStudiesGeneralCurriculumOutcomes:
Examinetheconceptofexploration(4.1.1)
Inquiry:Interpretphotographs,problemsolve,hypothesize,formulateinterviewquestions,
compareandcontrast,makedecisions,developstrategiestogatherinformation,make
predictions.
Participation:Participateinexploratoryfieldtrips,contributetodiscussions,predictchange,
andworkcollaborativelyingroupstoinvestigate.

LiteracyGeneralCurriculumOutcomes:
1.Studentswillbeexpectedtospeakandlistentoexplore,extend,clarify,andreflectontheir
thoughts,ideas,feelings,andexperiences.
2.Studentswillbeexpectedtocommunicateinformationandideaseffectivelyand
clearly,andtorespondpersonallyandcritically.

TechnologyUsed:
Insteadofwritingintheirsciencejournalstudentsareabletodoavideoresponse

Childrenspriorknowledgeandmisconceptions:
Studentsmaynotbeawarethatanimalshavebasicneedsliketheydo.Theymayalsohave
amisconstruedvisionofwhatbasicneedsare.

Time
:1hour

EngagingQuestion
Whatarebasicneeds?
MaterialsNeeded:

TeacherIntroductionExplorationPhase:ClassActivity
BlankpaperPlaygroundorclassroom
PencilsWhiteboardandMarker
ScienceJournals
iPads
Habitatshandout

Netbooks

Exploration
TeacherIntroduction:
AskstudentsWhatdoyouneedtosurvive?ThinkPairShare:Pairstudentsupandhave
thembrainstormwithawordwebonablankpieceofpaper.Thenhaveaclassdiscussion
aboutwhattheycameupwith.Extendtheirthinkingbyasking,Doanimalsneedthesame
thingstosurvive?ArethereanyanimalsthatliveinaWetlandthatsharethesamebasicneeds
ashumans?Haveaclassdiscussionbasedontheiranswers.
*Beawarewhencomparinganimalneeds/habitatstohumans.Somestudentsmaybesensitive
becauseoflowSES

Activity:
Ifweatherpermittingtakestudentsouttotheplayground.
Dividestudentsintotwogroups(threequartersofthestudentsinonegroup,andonequarterin
theother).Marktwoparallellinesonthegroundorfloor918mapart.Haveeachgroupline
upbehindoneline.Thesmallergroupbecomesthedeerandthelargergroupthehabitat.
Foreachround,eachdeerdecideswhichcomponentofhabitatitwillrequire(exceptspace)
anditmakestheappropriatesign.Oncethesignforaroundhasbeendecideditcantbe
changeduntilthenextround.
Signsinclude:
Food:clamphandsoverthestomach
Water:puthandsovermouth
Shelter:holdhandstogetheroverhead
Eachstudentinthehabitatgroupalsodecidesonacomponentfortheroundusingthesame
signsasthedeer.Eachroundstartswiththedeerfacingawayfromthehabitatgroup.
Everyonedecidesonhisorhersign.Onasignalfromtheteacher,eachdeerstudentturnsto
facethehabitatgroupandrunsovertotakethehandofastudentwiththematchinghabitat
componentsign.Thedeerbringthehabitatstudentsbacktothedeerline,indicatingthey
successfullyobtainedwhattheyneeded.Anydeerthatcannotacquirethehabitatcomponent
theyneeddieandjointhehabitatgroup.
Repeatfor1015rounds,keepingtrackofthedeerpopulationnumbers.Whilethegameis
goingonteacherwritestheresultsontheboard,witheachroundrepresentingoneyear.

Explanation
Habitatiswheretheanimalorplantlivesandisabletomeetitsbasicneeds.Habitat
componentsincludefood,water,abilitytoreproduceandshelter.Elaborateonabilityto
reproducebecauseitwasntinvolvedintheactivity.
Ahabitatcanbeassmallasapuddle,oraslargeasaforest.

Reflectonthegameandtheresultsontheboard.Whatdostudentsthink?Whathappensifour
basicneedsarentavailable?Classdiscussiononquestions,withregardstothegame.
Intheirsciencejournalsstudentsaretoanswerthefollowingquestions:(whichwillbewritten
ontheboard)
1.Whatdoesananimalneedinitshabitatinordertosurvive?
2.WhatdidyoulearnfromtheDeerandHabitatactivity?
3.Lookforidentificationofthecomponentsofananimalhabitat:
Food
Water
Shelter
Abilitytoreproduce
Whathappenswhenthereisashortageorabsenceofoneofthecomponents?
*Answersincompletesentences.
Havestudentspassintheirjournalswhenfinished.

Enrichment:
Intheirsciencejournals(graphpapertobeprovided)studentsgraphresultsfromthegameand
suggestexplanationsforpatternsindata

Activity2:
Studentsselectoneanimalthatlivesinalocalorregionalfreshwaterwetlandandinvestigate
theiranimaltodeterminethepartsofthehabitatonwhichtheydepend.Eachstudentwillbe
providedwithaNetbook,aswellastheclassroomlibraryisavailable.
*StudentscanrefertotheWetlandsbulletinboardiftheyneedhelpdrawingtheirwetland
Teachershowsmodel:
DrawsaMallardandwetlandonboard.
Food:Mallardseatbeetles,flies,dragonflies,worms,manyvarietiesofseedsandplantlife.
Allofthisisfoundinwetlands.

Shelter:
Needaplacethatiswellconcealed,inaccessibletogroundpredators,orhavefew
predatorsnearbyfortheirnests.

Water:Theypreferwaterthatis1metreorless.Theyareattractedtobodiesofwaterwith
aquaticvegetation.

Elaboration
Review:Whatdomostanimalsneedtosurvive?Whathappensiftheycantgetoneormoreof
theirbasicneeds?

Explaintostudents:Nowthatweknowwhatanimalsneedtosurvive,nextclasswewilllook
athowanimalssurviveintheirwetlandhabitat.

Evaluation
Observations,conversationsandquestioningareinformaltypesofformativeassessmentthat
willtakeplacethroughouttheclass.Studentswillalsobeassessedontheirsciencejournal(or
videoresponses),andhandoutfromactivity2.

Date:____________________Name:_______________________

WhatdoIneed?
Drawtheanimalinthewetland:

Whatdoesyouranimaldependonthatisinthehabitat?Describeeach.

Food:

Shelter:

Water: