Grade4Science:LifeSciencesHabitats

ShrinkingHabitatScenario
Adaptedfromwww.canadianforestry.com

NBCurriculumOutcomes
3011
predicthowtheremovalofaplantoranimalpopulationaffectstherestofthe
community
3012
relatehabitatlosstotheendangermentorextinctionofplantsandanimals

NGSSStandards
Makepredictionsaboutwhatwouldhappenifavariablechanges.

Makeaclaimaboutthemeritofasolutiontoaproblemcausedwhentheenvironment
changesandthetypesofplantsandanimalsthatlivetheremaychange.

Askquestionsthatcanbeinvestigatedandpredictreasonableoutcomesbasedon
patternssuchascauseandeffectrelationships.

Developamodelusingananalogy,example,orabstractrepresentationtodescribea
scientificprincipleordesignsolution.

Time
Roughly60minforsetupandscenario.
Mayneedlongertocompletecreativeaspectoflesson.

Childrenpriorknowledgeandmisconceptions:
Childrenwillknowthatanimalscanbeendangeredorgoextinct,buttheymightnot
knowthatplantscanaswell.
Childrenmaythinkthatifonespeciesiseliminatedithasnoeffectonothers,ortheir
habitat.Theymayalsonotrealizethatinordertobuildanewhockeyrinkorplayground,
asacrificeofhabitathastobemade.

Engagement:
Materials:

whiteboard,picturesofwetlands
Safety:Makesureitemsareplacedaroundtheroominlogicalplaceswherenoonewill
tripover,orbumpintothem.
Procedure:
1. Startwithabriefintroductionaboutthevastvarietyoflifeinwetlandecosystems.
Askyourstudentstothinkaboutawetlandanddescribeitsecosystemthe
thingsfoundthereandlistthemontheboard.Remindthemthatwetlandsare
madeupoftrees,mosses,ferns,soils,water,waterplants,insects,mammals,
birds,waterfowl,slugs,snailsandmanymorespeciesthatwecannotevensee
withthehumaneye.Note:Youmightwanttobreaktheclassintosmallgroups
andaskeachtoproducealistofthingsthatmakeupawetland,andthen
produceaclasslistattheend.Youshouldalsoincludeabioticthingslikerocks,
logs,minerals,etc.,whichprovideimportantresourcesforlivingorganisms.
2. Askyourstudentswhattheythinkmighthappenwhenpartofawetland
ecosystemisremoved.Anexampleintheforestwouldbe:ifthetreeswere
removed,whatwouldhappentotheplantsandanimalslivingintheforest?This
wouldincreasethelightthatgetsontotheforestfloor,alteringtheairandsoil
temperature,soilmoisture,runoffanderosion.Itwouldremovewildlifeshelter
andresultinthelossofhabitatforasignificantnumberofspecies.Somespecies
mightmovetoaborderingareaiftheirhabitatisalteredorlost.Otherspecies
mightbegintocolonizethisnewdisturbedarea.Givetheforestexample,then
askyourstudentswhattheythinkmighthappentothemammals,insects,soils
andwaterinawetlandiftreeswereremoved?Brainstormontheboardwiththe
class.

Exploration:
Materials:
constructionpaper,scissors,maskingtape(wallpaintsafe),markers,string
Forthecreativeprojectportiondependingonchoicesinyourclass:posterboards,
computers,whiteboards,paint,pencils,etc.
Procedure:
1. Explaintostudentsthatyouaregoingtoturntheclassroomintoawetland
communitysothattheycanexploretheeffectsofthelossofhabitatonthe
specieslivingthere.Usepiecesofconstructionpaperorcardboardtocreate
signslistingsomeofthethingstheyidentifiedearlieraspartoftheecosystem
(includeabioticitems).Tapethesignsontodesksandtablesaroundthe
classroomwheretheyexpectthesespeciestolive.Haveasymbolicpondinthe

middleoftheroom,tallgrassessection,treecoveredarea,muddybanks,marsh
section,etc.Movethesearoundtheroomtobetterrepresentawetlandfilledwith
avarietyoflife.Thenaskthestudentstodecidewhatroletheywishtoplayinthis
wetlandecosystem.Theyneedtoselecttheirspeciesandthendeterminewhere
thatspecieswouldmostlikelylive.Theycanchoosetobeaplant,insector
animal,butitmustbesomethingthatwouldliveinthatparticularcommunity.
3. Onceallstudentshavesettledintotheirhabitat,readtheshortscenarioonthe
followingpagealoudtothem.
4. Attheconclusionofthestory,askthestudentswhattheythinkthecommunity
shoulddo.Generateafewideas,writethoseideasontheboard,andthen
proceedwiththerestoftheactivity.
5. Letthestudentsknowthatyourclassroomisthecommunitythatyoureadabout!
You,theteacher,willbethecommunityplanner,andyouhavedecidedto
removeonethirdofthetreestoallowforthegrowthofthecommunity.Drawan
imaginarylineintheroomtosimulatetheremovaloftrees,orgrasses,etc.and
consequently,thelossofhabitat.Askeachstudent/specieswhathashappened
totheirhabitat,andwhattheywilldoinordertosurvive.Youcanaskthem
questionssuchas:
Q:Doyouhaveenoughhabitatremainingtosurvive?
Q:Canyoumovetoanewhabitat?
Q:Areyougoingtohavetroublefindingfood?
Q:Willyounowbemoreeasilycaughtbyapredator?
Q:Haveyoulostyournestingorbreedingareaforyouryoung?
Q:Hasyourdrinkingwatersupplybeenlostordamaged?
Q:Doyouthinkyoucouldbecomeaspeciesatrisk?
Q:Whathappenstoallofthepeoplewhocantfindhousinginthecommunity?
Q:Howdoesthecommunitycontinuetoprovideallthethingsthatmakepeoplehappy
(e.g.,soccerpitches,hockeyarenas,etc.)?
Q:Whatdoyoubelievewouldhappenifmorehabitatwereremoved(e.g.,halfofthe
remainingwetlandecosystem)?

Next,removeyourimaginarylineandeliminateadifferentsectionoftheroom(idea:the
waterinthepond),askthequestionsagain.

Finallymakethedecision:decideonanareaofyourclasstodestroyandbuildon,for
thecommunity.

6.Askeachstudenttographicallyrepresentwhathappenedtotheir
speciesafterthedestruction,usingtheirchoiceofacomicstrip,puppetshow,a
graph,aroleplay,avideo,orsomethingelsecreativeoftheirchoosing.Making
sureitshowstheeffectsofhabitatlossbefore,duringandafter.


Explanation:
Studentscanpresenttheircreativeprojectstotheclass,orinsmallgroups.Discussthe
effectsoneachspeciesofplantandanimalthestudentschosetorepresent.
Teachershouldgiveexplanationofsomeeffectsandproblemsthatthestudentsmay
havemissed,broadeningtheirknowledgeevenfurtherofpossibleimplicationsmadeby
habitatdestruction,andremovalofspecies.
Ifonestudentsspeciesperishes,whatisthelossofthatspeciesonanotherstudents
species?Explainthesetotheclassandhavethembrainstormwhatthetotaleffecton
theirspecieswillbe.Willtheysurvive?

Elaboration:
Askstudentstowritetheirownstoryofhabitatlossfromtheperspectiveoftheirspecies,
oranotherspeciesthatmayinterestthem.Allowstudentsaccesstocomputersto
researchtheirspeciesneeds.

Evaluation
Checkforunderstandingbylisteningandtakingnotesonwhatneedstoberetaught
throughouttheactivity.
Usetheircreativeprojecttogagewhetherthestudenthastheunderstandingtomove
ontothefinalproject.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

nceuponatimetherewasacommunityinFredericton,NewBrunswick.

Thiscommunitywasanactive,growingcommunitywithavitalpopulationofyoung
peopleandadults.Therewereplentyofsoccerpitchesandbaseballdiamonds,ahockeyarena,
curlingclub,andallthethingsthatmakepeoplehappy.
Thecommunitywasgrowing!Asitsnumbersgrew,sodidtheneedformoreplacesto
live.Soon,therewasnotenoughlivingspaceforallthepeoplewhowantedtoliveinthe
community.So,thecommunityleadersproposedtoexpandandbuildanewhouses.The
communitywassurroundedbylovelywoodlandsandwetlands,howeverinordertosatisfythe
demandforadditionalhousing,communityplannershadtoclearout10hectaresofthe
30hectaremixedforest.Manywildlifespeciesusedtheseareasfortheirhabitat,includingred
oak,sugarmaple,whiteandredpine,ferns,mosses,redsquirrels,rabbits,Hawks,WoodDucks,
WoodpeckersandOwls,smallbirds,porcupines,raccoons,deer,blueherons,lilypads,cattails,
mallards,fish,frogsandmanyothers.
AmeetingwascalledintheCommunityCentresothateveryoneinterestedinthe
developmentcouldpresenttheiropinion.Thedeveloperandsomeofthecommunityleadersfelt
thatitwasagoodideabecauseitwouldprovidemorehousingandalsogeneratemoretaxdollars
forcommunityimprovements.Ecologistsandconservationistswereconcernedaboutthelossof
greenspaceandthepotentialimpactonwildlifeandtheirhabitat.Whatstepsshouldbetakento
maketherightdecisionsaboutthedevelopmentandconservationissues,andhowwillthe
communitymeetitsgrowingdemandforhousing?