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Animal Studies STUDENT NOTEBOOK

GUIDE 4th Grade AMSTI Science Unit

Science Alabama Course of Study   

5.) Describe the interdependence of plants and animals. • Describing behaviors and body structures that help animals survive in particular habitats Examples:  - behaviors-migration, hibernation, mimicry; - body structures-quills, fangs, stingers, webbed feet • Describing life cycles of various animals to include incomplete and complete metamorphosis. Examples: damsel fly, mealworms • Identifying characteristics of organisms, including growth and development, reproduction, acquisition and use of energy, and response to the environment.

TO BE USED AS A GUIDE FOR STUDENT NOTEBOOKING.

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Animal Studies Table of Contents

1: Thinking About Animals and Their Homes 2: Inviting Animals into the Classroom 3: Living in Water: Dwarf African Frogs 4: Observing the Frogs More Carefully 5: Where Land and Water Meet: Fiddler Crabs Reading Selection: Diving into Dolphin Behavior 6: Observing the Fiddler Crabs More Closely 7: Observing the Behaviors of Frogs and Crabs 8: Living on Land: Millipedes 9: Observing the Millipedes More Closely 10: How Do the Animals Respond to a Change in

Their Habitats? 11: Observing Humans Closely 12: Researching Animal Behavior 13: Part 1: What Makes an Animal Special 14: Part 2 What Makes and Animal Special? 15: There’s No Place Like Home

Reading Selection: What Makes Beavers Special? 16: Presenting Our Research 17: Post-Unit Assessment

Appendix A. Glossary B. Animal Observation Sheets

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Lesson 1: Thinking About Animals and Their Homes

Question 1: What do you KNOW about frogs, crabs, and millipedes?

FROGS CRABS MILLIPEDES

Comparing FROGS, CRABS, and MILLIPEDES Question 2: How are frogs, crabs and millipedes different/alike?

ALIKE DIFFERENT

3   3: Where do scientists study animals?

4: What are some ways you think scientists study animals?

5: Where can you go in your area to observe animals in their natural habitats?

Environment—total surroundings

________________________ and _______________________________

○ Animals, plants, climate, water, light, air

Habitat—area that satisfies a particular animal’s needs

Arrangement of

○ ____________________________________________________

RULES for CLASSROOM HABITATS 1. Do not bang on habitats.

2. Do not disturb the animals.

3. Be gentle, especially when moving the habitat.

4. Keep the lids on the habitats, unless told otherwise.

5. Keep objects out of habitat, unless told otherwise.

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Record Sheet 1-A

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Lesson 2: Inviting Animals into the Classroom

Question: What will the frog, crab and millipede need to survive in the classroom?

Hypothesis:

School Web: Living vs. Nonliving

School

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Animal Background 2-A

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Lesson 3: Living in Water: Dwarf African Frogs

Question: What will the dwarf African frog need in its habitat to survive?

Hypothesis:

Habitat Proposal

Dwarf African Frog Habitat Proposal

Draw and describe your ideas for the dwarf African frog’s classroom home.

ANALYZE: What are the elements of the dwarf African frogs’ habitat?

Elements of the Natural Habitat

Elements of the Classroom Habitat

TG 24

8  Build the dwarf African frog habitat and illustrate.

Feeding Observation 1. What happened when you put food in the tank? 2. Did both frogs respond to the food? What happened when you moved the food with the

spoon? 3. How much food did the frogs eat? 4. Did the frogs eat from the surface or bottom of the habitat?

Fill in Habitat Information Chart for the dwarf African frogs.

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HABITAT INFO CHART DWARF AFRICAN

FROGS FIDDLER CRABS MILLIPEDES HUMANS

 

Food

 

 

 

  

 

 

Water

 

 

 

 

    

Shelter

 

 

 

 

    

Space

 

 

 

 

    

Air

      

 

TG p. 118

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Lesson 4: Observing the Frogs More Carefully

Q: What characteristics of the frog help it to survive in its natural habitat?

Characteristic Observations in Tank Observations in Cup

Body Covering

Body Structures

Movement

Color

Shape

Size

Adapted from Record Sheet 4A

11  Record Sheet 4-B

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Dwarf African Frog Body Parts

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Facts about the Dwarf African Frog- Student Notes

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Animal Background 2-B

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Lesson 5: Where Land and Water Meet: Fiddler Crabs

Question: What will the fiddler crab need in its habitat to survive?

Hypothesis:

Habitat Proposal

Fiddler Crab Habitat Proposal

Draw and describe your ideas for the fiddler crab’s classroom home.

ANALYZE: What are the elements of the fiddler crabs’ habitat?

Elements of the Natural Habitat

Elements of the Classroom Habitat

TG p. 52

16  Build the fiddler crab habitat and illustrate.

Feeding Observations

1. Put plankton in water and on land. What happened when you put food in tank?

2. Do the crabs respond to the food the same way the frogs do?

3. How are the crab’s responses different?

Fill in Habitat Information Table for fiddler crabs.

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Reading Selection: Diving into Dolphin Behavior

Read the selection and answer the following questions.

1. Write 2 or 3 things you discovered about how people study dolphins.

2. How is the animal research you are doing similar to the dolphin research being done at the research center?

How is it different?

3. How is your animal log similar to the data sheet the research center is using?

How is it different?

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Lesson 6: Observing the Fiddler Crabs More Closely

Q: What characteristics of the crabs help it to survive in its natural habitat?

Characteristic Observations in Tank Observations in Cup

Body Covering

Body Structures

Movement

Color

Shape

Size

Adapted from Record Sheet 6A

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Record Sheet 6B

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Fiddler Crab Body Parts

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Crab Info Sheet

Take Home Activity- Lesson 6 Blackline Master

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Lesson 7: Observing the Behaviors of Frogs and Crabs

1. Share observations made about the frog and the crab

2. Discuss “What we want to know …” (What have we learned and what questions remain?)

3. Self Assessment (following pages)

4. Extension: Life Cycle Wheel

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Animal Background 2-c

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Lesson 8: Living on Land: Millipedes

Question: What will the millipede need in its habitat to survive?

Hypothesis:

Habitat Proposal

Millipede Habitat Proposal

Draw and describe your ideas for the millipedes’ classroom home.

ANALYZE: What are the elements of the dwarf millipedes’ habitat?

Elements of the Natural Habitat

Elements of the Classroom Habitat

TG p. 89

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Build the millipede habitat and illustrate.

Feeding Observations

1. What happened when you put food in the habitat?

2. Do the millipedes respond to food the same way the frogs or crabs do?

3. In what ways are the millipedes’ responses different?

Fill in Habitat Information Table for millipedes.

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Lesson 9: Observing the Millipedes More Closely

Q: What characteristics of the millipedes help it to survive in its natural habitat?

Characteristic Observations in Tank Observations in Cup

Body Covering

Body Structures

Movement

Color

Shape

Size

Adapted from Record Sheet 9A

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Record Sheet 9B

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Millipedes Body Parts

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Millipedes Info Sheet

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Tri-Venn

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Lesson 10: How Do the Animals Respond to a Change in Their Habitats?

Question: How will the FROGS respond to a change in the light of their habitat?

Hypothesis: If we change the lighting of the frogs’ habitat, I think

Plan:

Observation: What happened?

Conclusion:

Reflection/ Next Steps:

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FIDDLER CRABS

Question: How will the FIDDLER CRABS respond to a change in the light of their habitat?

Hypothesis: If we change the lighting of the fiddler crabs’ habitat, I think

Plan:

Observation: What happened?

Conclusion:

Reflection/ Next Steps:

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MILLIPEDES

Question: How will the MILLIPEDES respond to a change in the light of their habitat?

Hypothesis: If we change the lighting of the millipedes’ habitat, I think

Plan:

Observation: What happened?

Conclusion:

Reflection/ Next Steps:

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Lesson 11: Observing Humans Closely

Question: How well does school meet our basic needs?

My Needs Does my school meet this need?

Is this need met completely or partly?

Adapted from Record Sheet 11-A

Update Habitat Information Table

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Record Sheet 11-B

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Lesson 12: Researching Animal Behavior

Question: What behaviors of the frog, crab, and millipede could we study?

Ex: How often does the crab go into the water?

Record Sheet 12-A

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13: Part 1: What Makes an Animal Special?

Question: What specific characteristics of humans enable them to survive in a variety of habitats?

Humans- Structures and Behaviors

Structure

Characteristics of

the Structure

Job/ Function: How the structure helps the animal

survive in its habitat

Behaviors_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Adapted from Record Sheet 13-A

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Lesson 14: Part 2 What Makes an Animal Special?

Lesson 14 Blackline Masters

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Lesson 15: There’s No Place Like Home

Students compare frog, crab, millipede and humans. Each team will choose a characteristic to compare.

COMPARING ANIMALS

Characteristic Frog Crab Millipede Human

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Reading Selection: What Makes Beavers Special?

Read the selection and answer the following questions.

1. What special characteristics do beavers have that help them survive in their habitats?

2. In what ways to beavers change their surroundings so that they can survive?

3. What other animals can change their surroundings so that they can survive?

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16: Presenting Our Research 17: Post-Unit Assessment

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Animal Studies Glossary

43  Daily Behavior Checklist

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Dwarf African Frog Observations Date Time Observed Behavior

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Fiddler Crab Observations Date Time Observed Behavior

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Millipede Observations Date Time Observed Behavior

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