Animals-Teacher Edition V2

Animals

Sangari Active Science, 2nd Edition

Teacher’s Edition

Published by Sangari Active Science, 44 Amogerone Crossway #7862, Greenwich, CT 06830.

ISBN: 978-1-940901-09-1

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Copyright © 2014 Sangari Active Science. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

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AnimalsTeacher’s Edition

SummaryWhat Is Sangari Active Science? ______________________________________________ 8

The Teacher’s Edition ________________________________________________________ 9

Next Generation Science Standards __________________________________________ 10

Literacy and the Common Core for Science ___________________________________ 14

Differentiation ______________________________________________________________ 20

Graphic Organizers _________________________________________________________ 23

Other Content Connections __________________________________________________ 24

Materials for Investigations __________________________________________________ 25

Safety______________________________________________________________________ 27

Why Study the Subject? _____________________________________________________ 28

Unit Overview _____________________________________________________________ 29

Animals UnitLesson 1 What Is an Animal? ______________________________________________ 30

Lesson 2 How Do Animals’ Senses Help Them Survive? _____________________ 42

Lesson 3 How Do Habitats Provide Animals with What They Need to Live? ___ 54

Lesson 4 What Animals Live in Forest Habitats? ____________________________ 66

Lesson 5 What Animals Live in Desert Habitats? ____________________________ 78

Lesson 6 What Animals Live in Freshwater Habitats? ________________________ 90

Lesson 7 What Happens to Animals When Their Habitats Change? __________ 102

Lesson 8 How Do People Change Animals’ Habitats? _______________________ 114

Lesson Check Up Answer Keys _____________________________________________ 126

Appendix A: Graphic Organizers ____________________________________________ 134

Appendix B: Glossary ______________________________________________________ 150

8 Animals Teacher’s Edition

What Is Sangari Active Science?The Sangari Active Science curriculum for grades 1-5 provides teachers with the resources you need to create a rich learning environment, in which children’s natural curiosities are stimulated and nurtured. Students do science by engaging in scientifi c practices: asking questions; collecting and analyzing data; and using evidence to explain their ideas. Sangari Active Science provides opportunities for students to be active learners. They handle the materials and tools of science as they do science, read about science, write about science, and talk science in each of the 8 lessons in each one of the Sangari Active Science units.

Literacy learning and science learning are interwoven in inquiry-based, hands-on lessons. Using a 5 Es model, each lesson is designed to engage students in learning science concepts, and in understanding science as an ongoing process of questioning, investigating, and making sense of observations to answer questions and to generate new ones. Coherence as a design principle ensures that concepts and practices at earlier grade levels lay a foundation for application at later grade levels, with students’ overall elementary experience preparing them for rigorous middle school science, as well as for the problem-solving skills needed for lifelong learning.

The Teacher’s Edition provides background information about lesson-specifi c content and supports the teacher in fostering an environment in which students can learn like scientists—making careful observations and thinking about what those observations mean. Student Lab Manuals provide colorful images to stimulate interest and to support learning as students follow written procedures for investigations. Informational text for independent or teacher-led reading support each lesson. Science Notebooks allow students to journal, write responses, predict, organize data, draw models, write conclusions and explanations, and study vocabulary in a single place that serves as a science portfolio.

In Sangari Active Science, the teacher helps students to learn science but also to enjoy science learning as students come to understand what science is and what scientists do.

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The Teacher’s EditionThe Sangari Active Science Teacher’s Edition provides lesson plans including step-by-step instructions to be followed carefully, as well as fl exible discussion prompts and ideas for introducing and reinforcing concepts. Adaptations should be made in response to or in preparation for students who perform at varying levels, for example. The Teacher’s Edition also describes the preparation necessary to conduct investigations and activities. Safety icons appear where safety issues are known to be present.

Presentation of the UnitWhy Study the Subject? The historical signifi cance of the content as well as where it fi ts into modern science are important lenses through which the teacher can survey the content. This unit-specifi c section identifi es the relevance of content in both arenas.

Unit Overview presents the eight lessons and describes how each activity or investigation deepens understanding of science content and practices. Where appropriate, the overview calls out longer-term projects that must be prepared for before the unit begins. By highlighting each lesson’s main purpose, and showing how lessons connect with one another, the overview helps teachers to conceptualize the unit holistically.

The 5 Es Model, providing ways for students to engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate understanding, is applied in each Sangari Active Science lesson. Lessons follow a research-based cycle of instruction. Each component includes suggested timing that teachers may use as a guide as to how long to spend on a given part of a lesson. Lessons begin with a discussion to activate prior knowledge and stimulate engagement, using photos or illustrations that connect students’ experiences or imaginations to the Big Idea that frames the lesson. Teachers are provided the purpose for the lesson to support students in knowing what they are examining and why. Suggested vocabulary words are also identifi ed.

The instructional cycle continues as suggested prompts support the teacher in modeling and guiding discussion. Hands-on activities, investigations, and experiences allow students to explore science. Through examination of prediction and explanation questions in the Science Notebooks, students are able to evaluate their own learning in each lesson. Over time, students’ review of their own written documentation of their learning across a unit enables them to evaluate their overall learning about specifi c content. Opportunities for the teacher to assess students’ developing understandings are highlighted in each lesson.


Next Generation Science Standards Whether or not your state has adopted the Next Generation Science Standards, the practice of teaching content through engaging in scientifi c practices is central to any curriculum that aims to teach science in the way that students learn and in the way that scientists work. The Scientifi c Practices section (below) is relevant at every grade level and in every science discipline. While the Crosscutting Concepts may not be identifi ed as such in individual states’ standards, they are clearly important in science education for students across grade levels.

Sangari Active Science addresses the Scientifi c Practices to varying degrees, as appropriate to lesson content and grade level, with all eight practices being incorporated into students’ experiences of science across time. Students at the earliest grade levels make observations and write or draw in their Science Notebooks. They draw and label when they do not yet know how to caption their representations. When appropriate, the language of modeling is applied to their representations. Making observations, recording them, and collecting and recording increasingly sophisticated measurement data takes place across elementary science. Thus, what data collection, representation, modeling, analysis and interpretation, and explanation and argumentation mean can be addressed in an age-appropriate manner across the full elementary science curriculum. Most important is that Sangari Active Science lessons in the Teacher’s Edition provide opportunities, and the Student Lab Manuals and Science Notebooks scaffold and support those opportunities, as well as support students in engaging in the practices of science.

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Overview of NGSSUnlike the grade-level bands that previous standards employed, NGSS specifi es standards for kindergarten through the end of fi fth grade, outlining expectations of what students should know and be able to do to demonstrate understanding.

Standards are written in terms of performance expectations that combine a disciplinary core idea, a crosscutting concept, and a scientifi c practice. NGSS guidelines make clear that “instructional decisions” determine the steps taken along the way to meeting a performance expectation. That is, rigorous science learning is infused with multiple opportunities to engage in scientifi c practices, thus no lesson can combine a single practice, with a single crosscutting concept, with a single disciplinary core idea to “meet” an NGSS standard. Students engage in the practices of science as they explore and learn, and “meet” standards only after a series of lessons in which they do, discuss, read, and write about science. The following section outlines the three components of NGSS.

Disciplinary Core IdeasNGSS describe core ideas in four disciplines: physical science; life science; Earth and space science; and engineering, technology, and applications of science. Core ideas are chosen, in part, for their foundational role in science. That is, advanced understanding is dependent on fi rst understanding basic ideas. Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) are not one-shot content to be taught in a lesson and presumed understood. DCIs are addressed in multiple contexts, in multiple ways, over time. No longer can a standard be written on the board and presumed met because it was addressed in a single lesson. DCIs are met over time and across content according to principles of coherence, in which lessons in a single unit build increasing understanding of an idea, as do units across a curriculum. Ultimately, students meet performance expectations when they have engaged with the content via the multiple practices necessary in order to do so.


Crosscutting ConceptsNGSS names and describes seven crosscutting concepts because they are important across science disciplines, although they may look different across disciplines. For example, energy in physical science, in which energy is talked about in terms of how light from the sun interacts with materials, is different from learning about energy as it is applied to what happens inside humans as they eat. That way of talking about energy is also different from discussion of energy as it applies to volcanic eruptions. All three scenarios involve energy and matter; all require discussion of fl ows, cycles, and/or conservation, but the concept is crosscutting in that it is looked at, discussed, and made sense of differently in different sciences. Relating all, across content areas within science, is not the way science (or energy, as an example) is typically addressed in classrooms. NGSS’ crosscutting concepts are:

Patterns

Cause and Effect

Scale, Proportion, and Quantity

Systems and System Models

Energy and Matter: Flows, Cycles, and Conservation

Structure and Function

Stability and Change

Each of the seven is addressed in the Sangari Active Science curriculum, laying a foundation for future science learning.

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Scientifi c PracticesNGSS names eight scientifi c practices, in which students are expected to engage in elementary school, with “grade-appropriate profi ciency” in kindergarten through fi fth grade:

Asking Questions (science) and Defi ning Problems (engineering)

Developing and Using Models

Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

Constructing Explanations (science) and Designing Solutions (engineering)

Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

The eight practices replace longstanding use of the scientifi c method as language for the process in which scientists engage in order to do their work. In part, scientifi c-method language, always preceded by the word the, implied a linear progression, that the work of science is far less messy than it actually is, and that steps are always done in a particular order. Scientifi c practices language suggests components rather than a linear progression, and suggests that any component may be addressed at any time. The eight practices also highlight the role of communication in science. The value of getting the right answer to a question is trumped by the value of being able to explain how and why something happens, or to argue, using evidence from an investigation, that one thing is a likely cause of something else.

The eight practices are central to Sangari Active Science education. Students engage in various components throughout the lessons, and the design of materials allows the teacher the freedom to have students go beyond a typical answer by having them take a position and engage in arguing from evidence, for example. Even if a lesson does not specifi cally name such a practice, use one or more when it is evident that students could engage in argumentation given the issues that arise in discussion, or news events (discoveries, research fi ndings, weather phenomena) that spark interest and are related to current or previous classroom work. Let the lessons be a guide, but not a script when research-based, best practices meet with teachable moments in the classroom.


Literacy and the Common Core for Science

To address Common Core requirements, students need consistent opportunities to read, write, speak, and listen in science in order to develop all levels of communication skills. The Student Lab Manual and Science Notebook are key components of Sangari Active Science, effectively integrating literacy learning, the learning of scientifi c practices, and science content learning in every lesson.

ReadingEach Active Science lesson provides informational text in a Learn More section of the Student Lab Manual. Colorful photographs, diagrams, and other images support the text, serving to engage readers and, in some cases, to offer additional ways to make sense of the content. At the lowest grade levels, the teacher will likely read aloud to students as they follow along. Paired readings and other strategies enable students to read without direct teacher support. Repeated readings—having students re-read a section independently after it has been read aloud—is a good strategy for informational text in which students are expected to make sense of science content in written form. Writing opportunities in students’ Science Notebooks contain instructions so that even sentence-completion and check-box responses enable the teacher to read the prompts and questions to the youngest readers. Although language in the student materials supports very young learners, it will not be appropriate for independent reading by the newest readers who may not know words like “check” as in “check the box below,” or phrases such as “which of these” in a multiple-choice question. Sangari Active Science provides text to be read in each lesson, with teacher support, combined with independent reading, as appropriate, to address the range of students' reading abilities.

Science provides a unique opportunity to encounter texts that engage students with science content. Science reading includes informational text, ideas, terms, concepts, and following procedures in context. Reading informational text is a new skill at the elementary level, and students need to distinguish it from narrative text. For example, re-reading text with a different purpose in mind for each reading is a useful skill that good readers at all age levels, including adults, use frequently. Reading in science also includes comprehending illustrations, charts, and other visual representations new to elementary students as sources of information rather than page adornment.

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Reading a Learn More section aloud, models fl uent oral reading. Having students read aloud as a class along with the teacher is a partner-reading strategy that can be applied in a whole class. Another strategy is a think aloud, in which the teacher reads, and then stops and asks questions of the text. Also, a think aloud, in which the teacher needs to re-read something in order to understand it, models, for new and developing readers, strategies used by successful readers. Research supports think alouds even for more advanced readers who often can read the words, but nonetheless need to develop strategies for approaching increasingly challenging texts and realizing when they do not understand what they have read.

Reading sections more than once while returning to prior lessons to refl ect is an important strategy for reading to learn. Modeling good reading is especially important at the elementary level. Sangari Active Science can be supplemented with a reading corner or science corner in which additional texts at varied reading levels are available for independent reading. The value of hearing fl uent reading of informational text cannot be underestimated. For readers and for older students, independent reading of expository text, with time for refl ection, supports developing readers at a crucial time in their literacy learning.

WritingKeeping written records is part of the process of producing and documenting scientifi c understandings. For students, writing is also central to their ability to “make sense” of their ideas—to record them, refl ect on them, compare them, challenge them, and revise them either because their ideas change, or because they aim to communicate their ideas more clearly. In each lesson, students use their own Science Notebook to document initial ideas, to predict, to record data, to make sense of data in writing, to explain, and to study vocabulary used orally throughout lessons. Students are encouraged to be precise, concise, and clear whether they are using writing to predict future outcomes, to describe observations, or to explain how or why something happens in an investigation or in their everyday experiences outside of science class.

In their Science Notebooks, students make lists, use charts and tables and create their own, and write sentences, as well as paragraphs (at the higher grade levels). At the earliest grade levels, where the teacher will do more reading aloud (or will guide reading),


check boxes enable yes/no responses to be quickly recorded. Lengthier responses are labeled with letters (A, B, C) to facilitate following along, so that the teacher can easily call attention to “sentence A” before reading aloud. Opportunities to write or draw enable maximum fl exibility for grade-appropriate use, or allow for varied student learning needs or capabilities. At all grade levels, science vocabulary should be used throughout the lesson, with vocabulary then reinforced in the Science Notebook. Additional vocabulary words may be added, according to the teacher’s learning goals for lessons, units, and the overall science program. Room for sentences or paragraphs is provided, with the degree of complexity and grammatical accuracy fl exible by grade level as well as by teacher requirement for individual students. Blank pages at the end of each Science Notebook allow for additional writing tasks, or allow room for students who need more space for lengthier responses or drawings.

In the Science Notebook, students write opinions in the fi rst-person (I, me, my, mine), and they write in scientifi c style. Sharing examples of possible responses supports students in learning the language of science and the ways in which scientists communicate ideas. The teacher might construct a sample response—appropriate for the students’ abilities—or might use a sample student’s work (anonymously) as a model. In schools with more than one teacher at a grade level, teachers have had success with swapping student work so that model student writing comes from another class and is used for public discussion as to what makes it strong, as well as how it could be improved. Similarly, modeling how to organize data or to write an appropriate explanation enables students to take up the language and practice of science in ways that scaffold their experiences and build their confi dence and their understanding.

Throughout each unit, students use writing in a variety of forms. Science Notebooks provide space to write and draw, and the teacher decides whether complete sentences, scientifi c vocabulary, cohesive paragraphs, and technical writing are needed for each task, or as varied by task or by student. Grade-level appropriateness is one consideration, but so is the ability of each individual student, with all students having opportunities to write, to share, to provide feedback on one another’s writing, and to revise writing, as they have learned to do in ELA. Science writing must be clear, concise, and precise, and the Science Notebooks provide opportunities for developing and practicing writing as a skill of both recording and communicating in each and every lesson.

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Visual LiteracyIn the world of science, visual literacy requires understanding and interpreting images that range from realistic drawings and photographs to diagrams and graphs that represent scientifi c or technical information. Students learn to label and caption drawings and other representations in their early elementary experience, and learn to both develop and interpret increasingly sophisticated representations throughout the curriculum. Sangari Active Science lessons use many images, and include (via the Portal) links to additional visual resources (e.g., videos, simulations). The ability to both make sense of and to generate representations is fundamental to literacy in science. Using the images during the Engage part of the lesson, and probing students to think about the illustration in a new way, helps students to realize that there is often more information available in a visual image than what they see at fi rst glance. Sangari Active Science lessons involve both interpreting visual images and creating visual representations, skills students can begin to develop in elementary school and continue to hone over time.

Speaking and ListeningEvery Sangari Active Science lesson depends on discussion, both to elicit prior knowledge and generate questions, as well as to make sense of investigations after students have engaged with activities. A Word Wall that documents new words as they are encountered in conversation or in reading supports students in engaging in discussion. Students can look to the Word Wall as they explain ideas, and certainly as they complete writing tasks, to help them acquire scientifi c language and vocabulary. Students’ speaking and listening skills are honed with opportunities to do both, and with the teacher’s support in asking questions such as, “What’s another way you could say what Student X just said?” or “What do you think of Student X’s idea?” Both require listening as well as formulating a response, and support discussion that goes beyond someone posing a question, the usual two or three students answering, and the class moving on to the next question. Students can be held accountable for listening and responding during presentations, for evaluating peers’ use of evidence as they offer conclusions, and for including particular components in their own more formal presentations to the class.


LanguageAppropriate use of the conventions of oral and written language develops over time and is often a lengthy process as everyday use and formal use of language collide. Sangari Active Science lessons provide numerous opportunities to develop both oral and written language and communication skills. You must decide the level of formality required in individual tasks, as well as when use the following conventions: upper- and lower-case letters; rules of capitalization and punctuation; proper use of pronouns and verb tenses; and more complex sentence structures, including commas and conjunctions. Science Notebooks enable students to write and revisit their writing, as returning to answers in earlier lessons may allow opportunities for students to apply language skills they learn as the school year progresses to their previous work.

Vocabulary Providing students with the vocabulary needed to read, write, and discuss science is crucial for students’ developing understandings of science content. Comprehension of informational text is dependent upon vocabulary that is likely to be new to many elementary students. Although volcano or earthquake may be familiar in their listening vocabularies, for example, they may not be familiar in students’ reading vocabularies (as sight words). Students may recognize them in writing before they will learn to write and spell such words. Other language is likely to be new to most students’ listening vocabulary. They may not know internal and external, and certainly are not likely to know different types of volcanoes that they might read about in Sangari Active Science (or other books). Increasing students’ vocabulary is a goal in each lesson. Teachers have found that what can appear to be a lack of background knowledge is often due to students not having adequate vocabulary to discuss their experiences. Building vocabulary helps students connect their everyday experiences, or phenomena they have seen on television or the Internet, to new science concepts they are learning about in class.

In addition to science-specifi c words identifi ed in the lessons, the teacher may wish to support students in learning other words useful for communication across content areas, and certainly prevalent in materials they will read. Verbs such as describe and compare, and nouns such as observation and representation are not science specifi c, but are encountered repeatedly in science as well as in other contexts. Each Sangari Active Science lesson identifi es a small number of science words that are important for students in the context of a particular lesson. Teachers should add to the list or modify it as necessary. Lessons begin with an informal introduction of identifi ed vocabulary words using high interest photographs, discussion to activate prior knowledge, and background

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information that the teacher provides. Throughout the lesson, vocabulary learning is supported formally and informally with reading, writing, and team discussion to deepen understandings.

Lessons suggest a variety of techniques to help students understand and use new science language. These include but are not limited to:

● using new words repeatedly throughout the lesson, as well as encouraging students to incorporate them into their responses.

● posting new words on a Word Wall along with drawings or other visual representations to support word meaning and recall.

● using graphic organizers to connect terms and related words or synonyms.

● analyzing root words, prefi xes, and suffi xes.

● engaging students in acting out word meanings.

● encouraging students to write and draw in the vocabulary section of their Science Notebooks so that they have visual cues to associate with word meanings.

● using word games to encourage word play.

Many other resource books contain strategies that may be used for additional vocabulary study. Index cards, for example, may be used to support vocabulary learning if a word is written on the front, and sections drawn on the back are used for any of the following: draw a picture, list synonyms, list antonyms, use in a sentence that defi nes the word, write the pronunciation phonetically, and list what the word is not (e.g., “weight” might help students thing about mass, but weight and mass are not the same).

Much research has shown that key to developing vocabulary is that vocabulary is learned in context. That is, studying a list of words, or writing them in sentences, or writing defi nitions is not the way people learn vocabulary. Regardless of age or grade level, students learn vocabulary because they hear it, read it, write it, and use it in context. Although the process chosen to study words is at the discretion of individual teachers, Sangari Active Science promotes addressing vocabulary after words have been used multiple times, and students have had opportunities to hear and see new vocabulary. Even with the use of a Word Wall, vocabulary development happens over time. Encourage new vocabulary use as students write and as they discuss science.

Opportunities in each lesson allow students to complete a Sangari Active Science unit with an understanding of a few new vocabulary words, which become the prior knowledge they bring to new situations, whether they are reading a book, viewing something on the Internet, or hearing words used by other people in other contexts.


Overview: Universal Design for LearningDifferentiation is inherent in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a design philosophy whose underlying premise is that meeting students’ individual needs is best accomplished when lesson design is fl exible, and instruction moves each student’s thinking, learning, and skills forward from wherever he or she begins, in a manner that does not assume one size fi ts all. Sangari Active Science lessons often provide activities for reinforcement and practice, for extension that goes beyond the classroom activity, or for adding artistic expression, for example, to lessons. Elements may be used or not, or adapted according to the teacher’s assessment of his or her students’ prior knowledge and their needs as a class and as individuals. The three primary components of UDL, multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of expression, are addressed in each Sangari Active Science lesson, providing all students—even those at the ends of the learning continuum, or those with unique learning requirements—opportunities to learn science in a way that they learn best.

EngagementResearch reveals the importance of engagement as it links to interest, motivation, and achievement. Sangari Active Science students manipulate materials in hands-on activities, read informational text, participate in discussion, and write or draw in their Student Notebooks in every lesson. Students develop models to represent science phenomenon, and use their models to explain how and why things happen. In some lessons, students watch video, explore websites, or play games. The teacher might choose to add others, as appropriate for the students’ learning, and as the Internet provides access to new science material every day. A variety of ways to engage with the science ideas, beginning with images and discussion that activates prior knowledge, provides all students with entry points into the content and ways to explore and investigate it. Students engage with science as a whole class and in collaborative teams or pairs, and have independent time to read, write, or draw in their Science Notebooks.

Differentiation

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Student Interaction: Students bring to the classroom a range of experiences related to science, as well as varied degrees of interest in learning science. As they test ideas, collect data, and use their Science Notebooks to articulate what they have discovered, each individual’s learning becomes his or her own. Groups and pairs may be confi gured to address reading needs, individual interests, or learning strengths. Consider Think-Pair-Share and Heads-Together techniques to allow time for student refl ection prior to answering questions, starting a discussion, or writing so that all students have an opportunity to process information before being called upon to use it. Discussion, thus opportunities to address speaking and listening skills as described in the Common Core for Science, is a central component of every Sangari Active Science lesson.

Representation ● Visual – Lessons incorporate numerous photographs and illustrations. The

Student Lab Manual includes cartoons, photographs, charts and graphs, diagrams, and other images so that students can encounter science content in a variety of ways.

● Auditory – Teachers may read aloud or have students do paired reading of the informational text in each lesson. Discussion—thus speaking and listening—are core elements of Sangari Active Science. Teamwork provides opportunities for student-to-student talk as they share ideas and challenge one another’s evidence for claims and conclusions.

● Kinesthetic – Every lesson has students’ hands on materials, and they have opportunities to move as they learn.

● Use of Technology – Many educational websites are suggested via the Portal to enable teachers to use additional resources in class. They may also be used to provide resources for students who need more practice, more exposure to the content, or who are able to “go beyond” the content as it is addressed in class. Websites may be used to provide additional material as students do research, gather information from multiple sources, or complete other tasks that further science learning goals and those described in the ELA Common Core for Science.


ExpressionStudents write, draw, or both in every lesson as ways in which they express, demonstrate, and record their developing understandings. This work, done in each individual’s Science Notebook, provides the teacher with ongoing opportunities to assess learning formatively and adjust classroom experiences, as needed. Rich discussion also enables teachers to assess understanding as students express their ideas and communicate orally. In addition, each lesson contains embedded assessments, a Lesson Check Up after the lesson is completed, and unit assessment. Students express understanding orally, in their notebooks, and on assessments that combine multiple choice and extended response opportunities.

English Language LearnersSangari Active Science lessons promote language learning by encouraging oral language use in whole-group, small-group, and paired settings. Lessons begin with discussion about illustrations or photographs in the Student Lab Manual as a shared reference point. These images and informal conversation around them, guided by teacher questions or questions from students, enable everyone to engage with content from the outset, regardless of language profi ciency. Use of a Word Wall pairs oral language with written representations of key words. Students may then reference the Word Wall during oral language activities (discussion) in class as well as during independent or group writing activities. Frequent, fl uent, oral reading by the teacher is encouraged, with students following along in their lab manuals or Science Notebooks. Vocabulary is highlighted in each lesson, and vocabulary study in the Science Notebook supports extensive oral use of new words during activities. Visual representations throughout the Student Lab Manual provide support for concept and vocabulary learning. Sangari Active Science materials provide language immersion opportunities as students read, write, speak, and listen in a language-rich learning environment.

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Graphic organizers and learning maps are helpful when students need to make sense of relationships (types of rocks and how they are formed), to make comparisons (similarities and differences between the needs of plants and those of animals), or to track initial ideas (e.g., predictions, prior knowledge) and whether those ideas change over time (e.g., what I learned in a K-W-L chart). Sangari Active Science lessons often suggest the use of a particular graphic organizer, but the teacher can use an organizer at any time (or use a different one from that suggested), as needed to support student learning or to differentiate instruction.

Graphic organizers may be used in the Engage portion of lessons to document initial ideas from discussion. In the Explore portion of lab activities, graphic organizers can help students process information, organize fi ndings, compare before and after observations, take notes from readings or other presentations of information, sort facts from opinions, or summarize what they have learned.

When introducing graphic organizers, model their use with familiar information (pets, animals, zoos, foods, activities) so that students can more easily see what the organizer helps them to do with information. Be sure students understand that graphic organizers are tools for learning and organizing information, and that a properly completed chart is not, in itself, a learning goal.

Refer to Appendix A for a selection of 15 graphic organizer blackline masters, including the Frayer Model, a graphic organizer used for word analysis and vocabulary building.

Graphic Organizers

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER BLACKLINE MASTERS

Graphic organizers take a variety of forms for different purposes.


Mathematics Common CoreScience offers many opportunities for integration with mathematics. Sangari Active Science units address all eight standards from the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Reading pie charts, bar graphs, and line graphs; measuring in various units; and representing, analyzing, and interpreting data are tasks that reinforce mathematics content. Understanding and using varied units of measurement is a practical and pervasive math-science connection. Each Sangari Active Science unit incorporates activities that support mathematics skills and their application in science and everyday life. Providing the metric conversion chart and allowing students to access it, as needed, can help students navigate between measurement systems in science, mathematics, and everyday life.

Social StudiesSangari Active Science units encourage learning about Earth’s physical aspects, connecting environmental issues and the demand for natural resources. Using geography as a lens for the study of environmental issues promotes a broad view of local, regional, and global challenges. This helps students understand an array of parameters for decision-making and critical steps necessary for environmentally aware and active citizens. Units also include historical context as a lens from which to view content. Units explore the planet’s geologic time and eras, the transformation of Earth over time, changes in life forms, and historically signifi cant developments such as water wheels or changes in materials or technology. Sangari Active Science content is viewed as part of life on Earth with natural connections to geography and history.

ArtArt is a way to capture students’ imagination, and art activities in Sangari Active Science encourage their creativity. For example, when studying rocks and minerals, students view sculptures and artistic glass. Some lessons contain opportunities for students to examine famous works of art. Students are often asked to draw, illustrate, or model phenomena. Teachers might emphasize the role of accuracy and precision in some types of visual representation, requiring astute observation skills so important in science and in art.

Other Content Connections

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Sangari Active Science supports active, hands-on learning, providing experiences that encourage the development of problem-solving skills as students work with the materials and tools of science. Piaget paints a picture of a once-typical science lesson:

A suffi cient experiment was believed to have been provided as long as the student had been introduced to the results of past experiments or had been allowed to watch demonstration experiments conducted by his teacher, as though it were possible to sit in rows on a wharf and learn to swim merely by watching grown-up swimmers in the water.

Each lesson notes the materials needed from the unit kit, as well as common items to be gathered. Where advance preparation is required (e.g., mixing a solution), the Teacher’s Edition includes directions for preparation. Handling, caring for, disposing of, and safe packing of materials are important skills for students to learn. In some cases, materials are used for more than one lesson, so carefully returning them to the kit is important.

Safety risks are minimal when materials are used properly. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) accompany all chemicals provided in Sangari Active Science kits. Lessons detail correct use and storage. As appropriate, kits contain additional protective safety equip-ment such as gloves and goggles.

I hear and I forget,I see and I remember,I do and I understand.

—Chinese Proverb

Materials for Investigations


A Note about Tools for Magnifi cation Magnifying glasses or hand lenses and microscopes are useful observation instruments in science.

Using the Magnifying Glass: 2 Approaches

The magnifying glasses in the Sangari Active Science kit have two lenses, each with different diameters. The smaller lens increases an object’s image by six diameters; the larger lens magnifi es by three diameters.

Place the object to be observed on a table, or hold it in one hand. Looking through either end of the magnifying class, move it closer or further away until the image is in focus.

Hold the magnifying glass close to one eye. Holding the object in the other hand, move the object back and forth until it is in focus. This is how jewelers examine the details of jewelry.

Using a Microscope

For closer, more precise magnifi cation, microscopes are useful for some types of observation. A few steps facilitate their use:

A glass slide holds the object in place. The slide then fi ts under the support centered, and can be centered in the fi eld of view of the lens.

Turn the focus ring on the upper part of the microscope to one side or the other until the object is in focus.

To adjust the light, move the microscope refl ector until the light is optimal for viewing

27

CU

clean upGO

weargoggles

DT

don’ttaste

HF

heat/fl ameES

energy source

SO

sharp object

PM

poisonous material

BH

biohazardGL

glassMA

medicalalert

WH

wash hands

Safety Sangari Active Science students do science; they do not simply read about science! Doing science requires materials, equipment, and practices that then require rules for classroom safety. When performing activities and investigations, follow directions in the lessons, and use materials provided or suggested. Safety icons appear where safety issues are known to be present; however, general health and safety practices should be implemented at all times (e.g., for allergies or for students who might experience breathing diffi culties because of asthma).

Always discuss safety with students prior to engaging in activities. Safety awareness and habits also apply to future science classes, as well as to handling household materials in students’ homes. General classroom safety rules for the classroom include the following. This list appears at the front of the Student Lab Manual for each Sangari Active Science unit:

● Always follow the teacher’s directions. ● Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth when completing science activities or when working with

plants or chemicals. ● Do not mix chemicals to see what will happen. ● Tie back long hair and push up long sleeves before beginning science activities. ● Wash your hands at the end of the lesson. ● Be careful of any sharp items used in science. ● Clean up any spills and keep your area neat. ● Report any accidents or spills to your teacher right away.

Safety icons are strategically placed in the Teacher’s Edition and the Student Lab Manuals to call attention to safety for specifi c lessons. The entire collection of icons appears in the front of the Student Lab Manual for each unit.


Why Study the Subject?

Students at this age have curiosity about and interest in animals. The presence of animals in their lives provides students with experiences and familiarity on which to build knowledge from a science perspective.

Throughout this unit, students will study animals through readings, activities and investigations, and direct observation. Each aspect engages students with impor-tant and meaningful concepts, as well as with the practices of science, as they study a wide variety of animals, from the common to the lesser known.

The lessons of the Animals unit can be categorized in three main areas:

Characteristics of AnimalsMost animal characteristics are important for survival within a particular habitat. Throughout the unit students learn about various animal characteristics and how each is vital to different aspects of its survival.

Animal SurvivalThe basic needs for animal survival are air, water, and food. However, other factors play a large role in animal survival. Students learn about how animal senses such as hearing are also necessary. Various types of animal coverings such as fur and feathers are another essential. Students investigate the habits of animals and learn about various methods of survival skills and instincts.

Animal HabitatsAnimals live in specifi c habitats because these habitats meet the basic needs for food, water, air, and shelter. Students are provided hands-on, specifi c examples of this concept throughout the second part of the unit. While students learn about dif-ferent habitats directly and recognize plants and animals within each of them, they begin to apply their knowledge of animal characteristics and survival techniques to the reasons why specifi c animals are found in distinct habitats.

29

During the 8 lessons of the following topics will be addressed: characteristics of animals, animal survival, animal habitats, and observation and research. To begin, students are invited to think about animals in their environment. Through discus-sion and comparison, student knowledge of animal diversity is extended. Students take part in setting up, caring for, and observing an ant farm. Throughout the rest of the unit they will observe ant activities and movements of the ants, noting how they create tunnels and move through the farm. The subject of the environment is furthered in Lesson 2, which addresses how animals use their sensory capabilities to survive in their environment. Students investigate how animals detect their sur-roundings, with a focus on seeing, hearing, and smelling.

In the next section of the unit, students analyze where animals live as they are introduced to the term habitat. They choose a nearby habitat to observe during an on-going investigation. Lesson 4 introduces students to the habitat of a forest. In a whole-class project students complete a mural of a forest habitat. In Lesson 5, another area of the class is transformed through a mural depicting a habitat as students learn about deserts. A Desert Guide Book is the goal of a class project in which groups provide information about various desert plants and animals. Next, studies of freshwater and saltwater habitats reinforce the concept that animals live in a specifi c habitat because it meets the basic needs for food, water, air, and shel-ter. Students participate in creating and discussing such habitats through additional murals and by exploration of various plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects. In Lesson 7 students look closely at two habitats—forest and desert—and deter-mine living and nonliving parts of the environment. The fi nal lesson challenges students to consider how humans change habitats. In a hands-on investigation stu-dents observe a model of how human activity can negatively affect habitats such as a desert or forest.

Unit Overview


Lesson OverviewDiscuss the Big Idea: What is an animal? (An animal is a multicellular creature that moves voluntarily during at least part of the life cycle, reacts, eats other organ-isms, requires water, and reproduces.)

Identify different kinds of animals.

Describe how animals are alike and different.

Introduce and use the vocabulary terms in context. Engage students in vocabulary-building activities as outlined in the front matter of this unit to reinforce the meaning and usage of these terms.

● bird – an animal with a body covered in feathers, two wings, a backbone, and a beak

● insect – a small animal; most have three pairs of legs, one or two pairs of wings, and a hard outer skeleton

● mammal – an animal that is covered with hair or fur and produces milk ● reptile – an animal that is covered in scales or scutes

Explore the Big Idea by participating in the Lab Activity.

Extend understanding through the Learn More section in the Student Lab Manual. Students will learn more about ants and their colonies.

Evaluate student learning through the following:

● informal observation ● embedded assessments ● lesson check up ● unit test

What Is an Animal?LESSON 1

ObjectivesStudents will

● observe mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects via photographs. ● recognize that animals have certain, defi ning characteristics. ● compare characteristics of mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects.

LESSON 1

What Is an Animal?

1110

What do all animals have in common?

What are two kinds of animals?

31Lesson 1 What Is an Animal?


Preparing for the Lesson Prepare for the Lab Activity by setting up the materials in your Materials Center. Read the directions for the ant farm. Make sure that you have all materials you need to set it up. You may want to set up the ant farm prior to the class or you may want students to participate in the setup.

Arrange the room so students can work in small cooperative teams. They will be sharing Animal Picture Cards.

The Animal Picture Cards can be used to complete the Lab Activity, but you may want to enrich the activity by letting students use books, old magazines, or the Internet. If so, prepare those resources so that they are ready for use.

Engage: Start the LessonDirect student attention to the image at the beginning of the lesson. Ask students to help you create a list of the characteristics of the animal in the image. (a bear) Ask them to describe what they notice about this animal. (four legs, claws on feet, big teeth, ears that stick out, fur) Then, do the same with dogs and cats, again creat-ing a list of characteristics. Use a graphic organizer from Appendix A to organize responses. With students, discuss what is common about the lists. These common characteristics are those typical of a mammal. Have students look at the image again. Ask them how they think the bear breathes. (through its nose) How else does the bear use its nose? (to smell)

Create a four-column chart on chart paper or poster board so that information can be added to it throughout the unit. Write Animal at the top of the chart as a title. At the top of each column, write Mammal, Bird, Reptile, and Insect. Read the title and column headings on the chart with students. Point out that mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects are all animals. Tell students that in this unit they will learn about different kinds of animals, their characteristics, how they change, and the habitats in which they live. Guide students to observe all the characteristics they see in the image, and write the characteristics on the chart under Mammal.

10 Min

10 Min

Explore: Introduce the ConceptShow students pictures of mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects. Ask students to work in their teams to list all the characteristics of each.

Discuss how these characteristics determine what kind of animal they are and allow us to identify them. Review what students learned about bears. Explain that there are a few more characteristics that mammals have. They have two or four legs if they live on land. If they live in water, they may not have visible legs, as they may have evolved into fi ns or be completely internal. They produce offspring. They breathe through their lungs, they have backbones, and they produce milk for their young. Write these characteristics on the chart.

Ask students to describe a bird’s characteristics. Students may describe birds as having two legs and feet, feathers, and wings to help them fl y (in most cases) from place to place. They may also say that birds have beaks to help them eat food and that they lay eggs in nests. Help students look at the images of the birds to under-stand that birds have ear holes instead of external ears that stick out (although some, like owls, have tufts of feathers that look like ears). Point out that birds breathe with their lungs and they have backbones. Explain that a backbone is a set of bones that runs along the back of an animal. These bones are part of the skeletal system of an animal. Write these characteristics on the chart.

Embedded Assessment #1

1 What animal is in the image at the beginning of this lesson? (It is a bear.) How do you know? (It is big and black, has four legs, claws, fur, a big nose, and teeth.)

2 Think-Pair-Share the name of your favorite animal. Is it a mammal, bird, reptile, or insect? (Students usu-ally describe their own pets.)

3 How do you know that your favorite animal is a mammal, bird, reptile, or insect? (If they chose a dog, they know it is a mammal if it has fur or hair, and produces milk. If other animals are selected,

they should include details of that type of animal.)

15 Min



Have students describe what they know about reptiles, such as snakes and lizards. Students may describe reptiles by saying they have four short legs or no legs; their skin is dry and scaly; and they have ear holes instead of external ears. Students might notice their long tongues. They may also say that reptiles use their limbs and tails to crawl, and that they have claws on several toes or all toes. Point out that reptiles breathe with their lungs, and they have backbones. Record these character-istics on the chart.

Instruct students to describe the characteristics of insects. Students may describe insects as having two wings and six legs. Some insects, such as silverfi sh, have no wings. They do not have ears. Instead, they may have ear holes or even use their antennae or entire bodies to detect sounds.

Point out that insects do not have lungs and they have no backbones. They have tough outer coverings and exoskeletons to protect them. Review these characteris-tics with students. Point out that mammals, birds, and reptiles all have backbones. Tell students that human beings are mammals who breathe through their lungs and have backbones. Explain that most animals do not have backbones. Some familiar animals without backbones are jellyfi sh, sponges, insects, and worms.

Lab ActivityMake Animal Fact Cards and Set Up an Ant Farm

Preparation ● Display books and old magazines that you have gathered for students to use. If

you have access and students are independent, you may wish to provide web-sites for student to research animals.

● If students are helping to set up the ant farm, place all the materials in one location.

Divide the class evenly into teams. Students need to be in groups of four so that each team selects one of each type of animal (e.g., one mammal, one reptile, and so on) and each student draws only one (either a mammal, reptile, insect, or bird).

Animal Fact CardsTell students they are going to use the construction paper to make Animal Fact Cards with pictures on the front and facts on the back.

MATERIALS

For the Class

● (1) ant farm ● (1) pair of tweezers ● Internet access

(optional)*

Per Team

● (4) sheets of white con-struction paper

● (1) deck of Animal Picture Cards

● crayons, markers, col-ored pencils*

● magazines with animal images (optional)*

*Not included in kit

35 Min

Distribute the decks of Animal Picture Cards. Each team should select one mammal, one bird, one reptile, and one insect from the animal pictures. Make sure each team selects a different set of animals to ensure they create a variety of Animal Fact Cards. If you have access, encourage them to look through old magazines for photographs or illustrations of their animals. Students may also choose to use animal websites with which they are familiar. Help them down-load photographs to use for reference.

Give students time to draw the animals. Circulate among the teams to make sure students are drawing all the main characteristics of each animal. It is important that they draw realistic pictures to show the characteristics of each animal. Point out that scientifi c illustrations must be accurate if they are to be useful for animal guides, books, newspapers, and magazine articles.

Encourage students to work together to make a list of facts for the animal on the back of each card. Tell students to use the Animal Information pages located in Lesson 1 of their Science Notebooks. Tell teams to ask themselves the follow-ing questions.

● How many legs does each animal have? ● Does it have external ears that stick out or ear holes? ● Can it fl y? ● Does it lay eggs or give birth to live offspring? ● Does it have fur, feathers, scales, wet skin, or dry skin?

Lab ActivityMake Animal Fact Cards

and Set Up an Ant Farm

With your team, choose one mammal, one reptile, one bird, and one insect. Use the Animal Picture Cards for ideas.

Draw your animal on the construction paper. Make sure to show the characteristics that help you identify the animal.

Work with your team to write two facts about each animal on the back of each card. Use the Animal Information pages in Lesson 1 in your Science Notebook to find information.

With the class, sort the fact cards into animal categories.

A bird is an animal with a body covered in feathers. It has two wings, a backbone, and a beak.

An insect is an animal with three pairs of legs. It has one or two pairs of wings and a hard, outer skeleton.

A mammal is an animal that has a backbone. It is usually covered with hair or fur, and it produces milk.

A reptile is an animal that is covered in scales.

The Ant Farm

Look closely at the ant farm. Talk about how to take care of the ants with your teammates.

What do ants eat?

How often should you feed ants?

How much water do they need?

How should you give them their water?

Observe the ant farm.

How many ants do you see?

What are the ants doing?

How many tunnels can you count?

Where are they?

In your Science Notebook, make a drawing of the ant farm. Show the tunnels that you see. Also show some ants.

1

13Lesson 1 What Is an Animal? 1312 Animals



Discuss that a fact is information that is known. A fact can be checked in a book or a reliable website. A fact can relate to a habitat where an animal lives, the weight of an animal, or other characteristics of an animal. These are facts: a bear normally has four legs; its ears stick out; it has white, brown, or black fur. These facts can be checked by consulting reliable books or websites. The facts that students write should be simple, short phrases. Help students understand that not all websites have accurate or reliable information.

When teams have completed their Animal Fact Cards, ask the class to sort the animals into mammal, bird, reptile, and insect categories. Collect the fact cards.

The Ant FarmStudents will work together as a class for this activity. If you have not already set up the ant farm, work with students to set it up. Point out that ants usually live under-ground, where it is dark. To make the ants comfortable in their new home, students should put a cloth over the farm for a few days.

Lead a discussion about what students must do to take care of the ant farm. What do they think ants need to live there? Brainstorm with students and create a list of their ideas on the board. Next, continue the discussion by asking how students could help keep the ants alive and well in their new home. It is impor-tant to feed the ants at least every three days. If there is any uneaten food in the farm, it should be taken out with tweezers, as it is important not to overfeed them. Tell students ants also need water. They should add about fi ve drops of water every few days. It is very important not to shake the ant farm or to move it because the ants are sensitive and the tunnels are fragile. Ask students to pre-dict what the ant farm will look like in a few days. They should write their ideas in their Science Notebooks.

Have students observe the ants. Use the following questions to stimulate discussion.

● How would you describe the ants? ● How many body parts do they have? ● What body parts can you name? ● What do you see at the top of the ants’ heads? ● How do they hear? ● Where are their wings? ● What do you see the ants doing? ● What paths do they take?

Ask students to make drawings in their Science Notebooks of the ant farm. Remind them to include the tunnels and the ants that they see in the ant farm.

SUGGESTION

As students learn more about the animals and cre-ate fact cards, from time to time, ask volunteers to add information to the appropriate cards. As you teach these lessons, there will be other team and/or individual opportunities for students to add infor-mation to the Animal Fact Cards. By the end of the unit, students should have a collection of completed animal cards containing a variety of facts about each animal.

SUGGESTION

It is important for students to understand that they must take care of the ant farm so the ants will thrive. Set up a rotating team of three students to check and take care of the ants every other day. One student could feed the ants, one could remove old food, and another could give water to the ants. All stu-dents should observe the ant farm regularly to notice new tunnels and other changes. Encourage them to draw diagrams in their Science Notebooks that refl ect the changes they see with each observation.

Learn MoreAntsAnts are insects. Some live in large groups. The groups are called colonies. Each ant has a job in the colony. A colony has many worker ants. Worker ants are strong. They carry objects that weigh more than they do. Ants have two antennae. They allow an ant to feel and to smell. Ants have two stomachs. They store food to eat in one stomach. In the other stomach, they store food for other ants to eat.

1

15Lesson 1 What Is an Animal? 1514 Animals

Explain: Learn MoreRead this section aloud with students. To help ensure understanding as you read, pause to encourage questions, predictions, or discussion.

What did students like about this section? Ask students where they see ants in their community. Do they ever watch what the ants in nature are doing or where they are going?


1 Which animals have feathers—birds or reptiles? (Birds have feathers.)

2 Which animals produce milk—reptiles or mammals? (Mammals produce milk.)

3 What is important about making accurate and detailed scientifi c drawings? (Details are important to record and compare facts. Science drawings help keep records for today and the future.)

5 Min



Elaborate: Extend the LearningThis section is intended as an additional teacher resource and is not required for teaching this lesson. It can be used for differentiation of instruction or extending learning for students.

AnimalsMany millions of species of animals inhabit Earth. They range from the largest creature to ever live (blue whale) to tiny insects that are still unnamed or not even discovered yet. Each animal has its own behavior and characteristics that help it survive. All animals are multicellular, consume food, react, and reproduce. Most animals move voluntarily, but some, like sponges, do not (except in their juvenile forms). Animals have certain characteristics that help scientists place them into subcategories.

MammalsMammals can be found on all the continents of the world and in every ocean. They also live in nearly all habitats of the world—both terrestrial and aquatic. Many mammals live in forests. There are also mammals that are partially aquatic. These include sea lions, walruses, and seals, among many others. Some mammals, such as whales and dolphins, are aquatic. All mammals are warm-blooded, meaning they maintain a constant body temperature.

There are several characteristics that set mammals apart from other animals.

● Some mammals may only have hair for a period of time in their development; however, most mammals have hair for their entire lives. Hair has several impor-tant purposes. It insulates animals to keep them warm. Some mammals also have whiskers that let them know when they are in contact with objects. Mammal hair is often a particular color or pattern. This serves to protect animals from their enemies and to communicate social information, such as danger.


1 Discuss within your team the advantages of ants having two stomachs. (They use both stomachs to store food for themselves and for other ants.)

2 Ants are strong. How could you demonstrate this fact? (They can carry objects that weigh more than they do.)

3 What do you think the ant farm will look like in a week, and in two weeks? (Students should see the ants create lots of tunnels, increase in number, and work together.)

● Mammals have three middle ear bones that function to transmit sound. ● Almost all female mammals give birth to live young and produce milk to feed

their offspring. Mammals also spend more time raising and training their off-spring than other animals.

BirdsBirds can be found on all continents of the world and are divided into families. Some of the families are water birds, songbirds, and birds of prey. All birds evolved from a common ancestor that is believed to have been a meat-eating dinosaur about 150 million years ago. Even though there are a few birds that do not fl y (such as penguin, ostrich, kiwi), most birds do. Most of them also run very well and some even swim under water. Birds have very strong, light skeletons. Their bodies are covered in feathers and they have two feet and a beak. Their beaks are very important characteristics because most birds do not have teeth. Some birds have very long beaks or tongues that help them get fruit or nectar. Birds lay eggs that are hard-shelled. They take care of their young until they are able to be on their own. Birds spend a great deal of time looking for food so their sight and hearing are excellent, although they have hardly any sense of smell. All birds are warm-blooded.

Birds play an important role in seed dispersal and the natural control of insects.

ReptilesTurtles, tortoises, lizards, and snakes are all reptiles. They live in freshwater, salt water, and dry land habitats in many parts of the world. Reptiles usually have a head, neck, body, and tail. Except for snakes, they have paired limbs with fi ve toes each and some of their toes have claws. Their legs are on the sides of their bodies and often poorly developed. This causes most reptiles to crawl, glide, or climb if they have paired limbs. Some lizards can stand on their hind legs and run. One spe-cies can run so fast this way that it can run on water (Basilisk Lizard). Some snakes also glide, but most slither. A few reptiles, such as Loggerhead Turtles, live in the water most of the time, but mostly reptiles are land-dwelling animals; all of them can swim. Reptiles usually have overlapping plates that are called scales, except for turtles and tortoises, which have shells made of scutes or plates. The scales are made of a special kind of protein called keratin that makes them waterproof. This allows reptiles to survive in hot and dry environments. The scales protect a reptile’s body from harm when it fi ghts or is attacked. The scales also keep body moisture in and unwanted water out. This enables them to live in dry places. Reptiles use lungs to breathe. They lay eggs that have protective leathery shells. This protects the eggs from some predators. All reptiles are cold-blooded, meaning they take on the temperature of their environment. This makes them sluggish in cold weather.



InsectsInsects are found in most terrestrial and freshwater habitats. In fact, insects can be found just about everywhere in all shapes and sizes. Insects are divided into groups, such as bees, butterfl ies, moths, and beetles. Insects share many features. Most insects have bodies that are made up of three parts: a head, thorax, and abdo-men. They usually have a pair of rather large compound eyes, three ocelli (small eyes or light-sensitive spots), and a pair of antennae located on their heads. They use their antennae to smell and touch objects in their environment. Some insects also use their antennae to detect sounds. They have one or two pairs of wings and three pairs of walking legs. A hard skeleton covers their outer body. This skeleton protects their inner body. All insects start out as eggs. Some insects go through a metamorphosis, or complete transformation, during their life cycles. There are other insects, however, that hatch into their adult forms. Many insects are pol-linators for many fruits and vegetables that people eat. Several insects also make products that people use, such as honey and silk. An insect that lives on prickly pear cacti produces a red chemical that is used to make red dye. The dye is used in many juices and foods. All insects are cold-blooded. Explain to students that while the spider is on the Animal Information page, it is not really an insect. Spiders belong to a group of animals called arachnids, which also includes scorpions.

Evaluate: Refl ect on the LessonWere students able to name a variety of characteristics of mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects?

It is important that students understand that there are certain characteristics that are common to each group of animals, such as the following: only mammals have fur, only birds have feathers, only reptiles and fi sh have scales, and only insects have skin that is hard on the outside. They should be able to identify whether an animal is a mammal, bird, reptile, or insect by observing their characteristics.

Were you able to guide students to read or construct representations of the real world using graphs, images, and diagrams?

When completing the activity, encourage students to read in their Student Lab Manuals and/or document their teamwork with graphs, images or diagrams placed in their Science Notebooks.

What Is an Animal?LESSON 1 LCU

Scientist’s Name

Teacher: Read the questions below aloud to the students.

1. Circle the features insects have.exoskeletons produce milk three pairs of legs antennae

2. Which is a feature of a reptile?A. They are cold-blooded.B. They have scaly skin.C. Both A and B are reptile features.

3. Draw a picture of a mammal, making sure to include some of its features. On the line below it, label what your mammal is.



Lesson OverviewDiscuss the Big Idea: How do animals’ senses help them survive? (Animals have evolved to use their senses to survive in their environments.)

Understand how different animals see, smell, hear, and become aware of their environments.

Compare how different animals use their senses to survive.

Introduce and use the vocabulary term in context. Engage students in vocabulary-building activities as outlined in the front matter of this unit to reinforce the meaning and usage of this term.

● antennae – a pair of feelers on the head of an insect used for touching, smell-ing, and sometimes detecting sounds


Extend understanding through the Learn More section in the Student Lab Manual. Students will learn more about how insects hear.



How Do Animals’ Senses Help Them Survive?

LESSON 2

LESSON 2

How Do Animals’

Senses Help Them Survive?

How do animals use their senses to survive?

Which sense do you think is the most useful to an animal?

1716


● identify how different animals smell, hear, and detect aspects of their environments.

● recognize how animals see. ● interpret how animals use their senses to survive.

43Lesson 2 How Do Animals’ Senses Help Them Survive?


Preparing for the Lesson Arrange the classroom to facilitate cooperative teams.

Read the following background notes:

Animals use all their senses, including sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch to survive. Birds have keen eyesight so they can fi nd food at a great distance. Some animals have an excellent ability to hear so they can escape an enemy or fi nd prey. Many animals hear or see better than human beings. Others see or hear differently, providing them additional tools for survival.

Prepare for the Lab Activity by setting up the materials in your Materials Center.

Engage: Start the LessonDirect student attention to the image at the beginning of the lesson. Ask a student to describe the image and the kind of animal shown. (owl) Point out that this owl is a Great Gray Owl. Ask students what they notice about its eyes. (The eyes are yellow and round.) What do you notice about its beak? (It is yellow and it looks very sharp.) Do you see any ears? (no) Ask students where they think the owl’s ears are. Students may say under the feathers, which is true. Explain that owl ears are on the sides of an owl’s head under fl aps behind its eyes. Help students understand that owls have very good eyesight and hearing to help them fi nd food.

Ask students how they get information about the world around them. Use the fol-lowing prompts to spark discussion.

● How do you know that leaves are green? (I can see the leaves.) ● How do you know that someone is popping popcorn? (I can hear and

smell it.) ● How do you know when the sun is hot? (I can feel the sun’s heat.) ● How do you know if someone is speaking in a soft voice? (I can hear the

person speaking softly; I can see the lips moving, but hear nothing.) ● How do you know if a fl ower petal is soft? (I can touch it.)

5 Min

10 Min

Guide students to understand that, like them, mammals, bird, reptiles, and insects use their senses to get information about the world around them. Their senses help them to survive by communicating, fi nding food, moving safely from place to place, listening to sounds of animals that might want to eat them, and listening to the sounds of animals they want to eat.

Discuss how each of us, animals as well as people, only perceives part of our surroundings. Animals may only pay attention to their immediate surroundings because that is what is most important to their survival. Explain that many animals, however, can detect parts of their environment in ways that people cannot.

Tell students that most animals hear differently from the way people do. Many animals hear much better than humans do. Explain that it is one of the senses most needed to survive. Explain that some animals can hear higher or lower pitch sounds than humans. Dogs, for example, can hear high frequencies that we do not. Young people can even hear sounds that adults cannot! Whales can hear extremely low-pitched sounds that are produced hundreds of miles away. Elephants also hear lower pitches than humans, and use these to communicate across great distances. Explain that insects hear differently from other animals. Some insects use their antennae to hear. There is a small organ on the antennae that collects sound infor-mation. Sound waves vibrate in different parts of an insect’s body.

Brainstorm with students to explain how animals might use their sense of smell to help them survive. Sense of smell helps animals move from place to place. Mammals use their noses to smell while many insects have almost no sense of smell. Point out that animals usually have a much better sense of smell than people do because smell helps them fi nd food and mates, detect predators, and survive.



Explore: Introduce the ConceptAsk students what kind of animal an owl is. (a bird) What do they know about birds? (Birds have feathers and most can fl y.) Why is it useful for birds to have good eyesight? (Birds need to see insects or small animals to capture them for food.) Why is it important for birds to hear? (to hear prey or predators; to communicate with other birds)

Point out that owls use their eyes and ears to hunt for food. They listen to the movement of animals as they move along the ground through leaves and trees. Explain that animals also need their ears to hunt and to hear when predators are nearby. They use their voices and ears to communicate with one another. Birds and mammals have eardrums that vibrate when there are changes in air pressure, such as those produced when we make sounds.

Lab ActivitySound Makers

Divide the class evenly into teams. Distribute materials to each team.

Tell students that they will test their hearing to fi nd out how well they recognize different sounds. To get started, have students sit quietly in the classroom for two minutes, writing down any sounds they hear. They should also indicate if the sounds are soft or loud. After a few minutes, discuss what students heard, writing their responses on the board. Then, ask them the following questions if they have not been mentioned.


1 How would you describe the animal in the image to someone who could not see it? (It is an owl—a big bird with large eyes, a sharp nose, and feathers.)

2 How do you think the owl’s good eyesight helps it survive? (The owl uses its keen sight to help it fi nd food.)

3 How do you know owls are birds? (The owl has feathers and a beak, which are features that all birds have.)

MATERIALS

Per Team

● (4) small bowls with tops

● dry beans* ● crumpled dried leaves* ● pebbles* ● dried rice*


5 Min

20 Min

Lab ActivitySound Makers

Sit quietly and listen for sounds.

In your Science Notebook, write down what you hear.

Indicate which sounds are soft and which are loud.

See if you hear any sounds with a high pitch.

Fill the containers. Move them around on the table. Take turns. Shake each container.

What is the sound?

How loud is it?

Is the pitch high or low?

What might cause an animal to hear the sounds softer or louder than you?

Close your eyes and listen while one person on your team shakes a container. Point to where you hear the sound. How does detecting the direction of a sound help in survival? Write your ideas in your Science Notebook.

2

How sensitive do you think this blue jay’s ears are? Point to where its ears are located.

19 Lesson 2 How Do Animals’ Senses Help Them Survive? 1918 Animals

● Did you hear the wind? ● Did you hear birds? ● Did you hear traffi c outside? ● Did you hear voices outside? ● Did you hear a clock?

For each sound they heard, ask whether it was soft or loud. Find out which sounds had a high or low pitch. Then ask students what was the most interest-ing sound they heard. What made it interesting?

Have students put seeds, pebbles, rice, or dry leaves in each container and put on the tops. Ask a volunteer from each team to move the containers around so students do not know what is in each container. Have another volunteer shake each container, and ask teammates to describe what they hear. Ask them to describe if the sound is loud or soft. Ask if they know what is causing the sound. Do they think that animals would hear these sounds softer or louder than they do? What might cause this? (Animals would hear louder because they generally hear better than people do.)

Ask students to repeat Step 2, but this time close their eyes. Have one student move the containers and ask the other students to point to where they hear the sound. How do animals use the sounds they hear?




Lead a discussion about how students think ants hear. Ask if they have observed the ants in the farm when a noise was made. Ask a volunteer to make a noise next to the ant farm and observe what happens.


1 What is a sentence you can make using the word pitch? (Answers might include: The loud, high pitch of the sound hurts my dog’s ears.)

2 How does hearing higher-pitched sounds than humans help some animals survive? (They hear things we do not, alerting them to an enemy or potential prey.)

3 How does good eyesight help an animal survive? (Students should indicate that animals with good eyesight can fi nd food easier and see an enemy sooner or from a greater distance.)

10 Min

How Do Insects Hear?You hear with your ears. Most insects also hear with a pair of organs. These organs are like drums. A thin layer of skin stretches

over an open space. The open space is fi lled with air. As the skin vibrates, the air in the space makes the vibrations louder. Some insects have their parts for hearing inside their bodies.

Ants use their antennae to hear. Crickets have hearing organs in their front legs. Many insects can hear the sounds bats make, so they can get out of a bat’s way and not get eaten.

Learn More

Grasshoppers have hearing organs in their bodies.

Crickets have hearing organs in their front legs.

Ants use their antennae to hear.

2

21 Lesson 2 How Do Animals’ Senses Help Them Survive? 2120 Animals


SoundSound travels from one place to another through air, water, soil, and most solid objects. People think of sounds as soft or loud; this is referred to as the volume of a sound. The more energy it contains, the louder the sound.

As air temperature rises, sound waves travel faster. Sounds can be very low or very high. This is a characteristic of sound called the frequency. An object that vibrates fast produces a higher frequency. An object that vibrates slowly produces a lower frequency.

Some animals, such as bats or dogs, hear sounds at a higher frequency (ultra-sounds) than humans while other animals, like whales and elephants, hear sounds at a lower frequency (infrasound) than humans.




1 Turn to a partner and describe what you have learned about how insects hear. (Ants use antennae, crickets use organs in their front legs, and grasshoppers use organs in their bodies.)

2 Think-Pair-Share one animal and one way it protects itself against its enemies. (Answers will vary. For example, owls and birds use sight and sounds to alert them that an enemy is near.)

3 Describe one way that your senses help you. (Answers might include that touch helps us know when something is too hot or cold, sight helps us to see things that might be dangerous, and so on.)

Sound and Marine MammalsSound travels four times faster through water than it travels through air. For years, scientists have researched the vocalizations of marine mammals, particularly dol-phins and killer whales.

Dolphins communicate with each other using clicks and whistles. The clicks are used to fi nd food. The whistles are used to communicate with the other dolphins in the group. Each dolphin has its own whistle that is called a signature whistle. This enables dolphins to communicate and recognize one another.

Killer whales live in family groups called pods. Each pod has its own sounds, or dialect, containing individual sounds that are unique to the group. Within each pod, every whale can produce this group of sounds, which number about twelve. The pods use these same sounds over and over again.

Evaluate: Refl ect on the LessonWere students able to understand the similarities and differences in hear-ing among mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects?

Students at this age should be able to identify basic characteristics that distinguish these animal groups. They should understand what characteristics make animals alike and what characteristics make them different.

Were students able to understand how animals must use all their senses to survive?

Students should have a basic understanding that sight, hearing, smell, taste, and other senses help animals to fi nd food and to protect them against their enemies. They should be able to name several sense characteristics that different animals have that help them to survive. For example, birds have excellent eyesight because seeing their prey or enemies from a distance has allowed them to survive. Reptiles generally have poor eyesight, meaning their prey must be close for them to capture it. Some reptiles, like rattlesnakes, can detect the heat of their prey, a sense that most other animals do not possess.




LESSON 2 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. For which of the following are antennae used?A. touchingB. smellingC. Both A and B

2. Name two features of the Great Gray Owl.

G rea t Gr a y OwlGreat Gray Owl

3. Draw a picture of one thing you learned about an animal’s features that helps it meet a basic need. Under your drawing, label that feature.



Lesson OverviewDiscuss the Big Idea: How do habitats provide animals with what they need to live? (A habitat is a place where an animal or plant lives and where its basic needs can be met in regard to food, oxygen, water, and shelter.)

Recognize and explain what a habitat is.

Identify how animals need food, water, oxygen, and shelter in their habitats.


● community – a group of organisms within a habitat ● habitat – a place where an organism lives, like its address in nature


Extend understanding through the Learn More section in the Student Lab Manual. Students will learn more about the importance of an oak tree in a habitat and how it helps animals meet some of their basic needs.



How Do Habitats Provide Animals with What They Need to Live?

LESSON 3

LESSON 3

How Do Habitats Provide

Animals with What They

Need to Live?Careful! Hole!

What habitats do you see near your school?

How might habitats be important to animals?

2322


● describe how animals live in different habitats that meet their basic needs of food, water, oxygen, and shelter.

● identify that all animals have specifi c habitats in which they live. ● analyze characteristics of a habitat and how it provides what the animal needs. ● draw conclusions about a habitat.

55Lesson 3 How Do Habitats Provide Animals with What They Need to Live?


Preparing for the Lesson Plan this lesson for a dry day so students can select and mark the habitat they want to observe. In order to see the habitat in different weather, plan to check the habitat every few days. Make sure that you get advance approval from park offi cials for this activity, if necessary. Additionally, it is advisable that you have teacher assistants or parent volunteers help you with this activity.


Engage: Start the LessonDirect student attention to the image at the beginning of the lesson. Encourage students to look closely at the image and describe what they see. Tell them that this is a very old oak tree that provides shelter and food for many different animals.

Guide students to notice the holes in the tree. Ask them how they think animals might use those holes. (to make nests and live) Use the following questions to deepen the discussion:

● What animals might live in the holes? (squirrels, owls, fox, insects) ● What parts of this tree do animals eat? (leaves, moss, twigs, acorns) ● What animals might make nests high up in the tree? (squirrels, birds,

insects) ● What animals might live on the leaves or on the moss? (insects) ● What animals might live in the soil under the oak tree? (chipmunks, worms,

insects)

10 Min

10 Min

Continue by telling students that oak trees grow in many different places such as cities, towns, and villages. They grow in forests, fi elds, meadows, yards, and around ponds and lakes.

Explain that a habitat is a place where an animal lives. An easy way for stu-dents to think of this is for them to consider an animal’s habitat to be its address in nature. Write habitat on the board. Ask students to think of animals they might fi nd in the environment where their school is. What kinds of plants and animals live there? Have students offer at least two responses. Write the animal names on the board. Use the following questions to stimulate discussion.

● Where does each of these animals live? ● Where does it get food? ● Where does it get water?

Point out that there is a community of plants and animals within a habitat. This means that a particular group of organisms live there. For example, there may be a community of red foxes that live in holes in oak trees, in the ground, or in caves in a habitat. Habitats vary in size. Some are very small and others are large.


1 Think-Pair-Share the defi nition of the vocabulary words community and habitat. (A community is a group of organisms within a habitat. A habitat is a place where an organism lives, or its “address” in

nature.)

2 Use each of the vocabulary words in a sentence. (Answers might include: Animals live in a community. A habitat is a home for animals.)

3 Describe as many ways as you can how animal habitats are like your home. (They both are a place to live. Both have food, oxygen, water, and shelter to meet basic needs. Animals depend on each

other.)



Explore: Introduce the ConceptGuide students to understand that a habitat must provide the basic needs of food, water, and shelter for an animal. If one of these natural resources disappears, ani-mals must move or adapt by using other resources. If they cannot move to a new place or adapt to their surroundings, the individual animal, and maybe even the species, dies.

Ask students to look out the window and describe the habitat they see. Depending on where your school is located, students may see a variety of trees and plants or they may only see a few. They may see a river or a fi eld. Tell students that any place can be considered a habitat. Habitats include cities, towns, villages, farms, streams, rivers, rain forests, plains, meadows, mountains, and marshes. Even houses and buildings are habitats for animals. Guide students to understand that plants and animals live where they can obtain the nutrients, water, and shelter they need.

Instruct students to observe their ant farm. Ask a student to explain how the ant farm is a habitat. Where do the ants live? (underground; in tunnels) What do they drink? (water) What do they eat? (depending on the species, pieces of leaves, insects, birdseed) Ask students if the ants’ basic needs for survival are being met. (yes) How do you know? (They have food, water, oxygen, and shelter. They seem to be thriving.)

Explain that the ant farm is a habitat that humans made for animals, but it resem-bles an ant habitat in nature.

10 Min

Lab ActivityOutdoor Habitats

Divide the class evenly into teams.

Tell students that today they will choose a small habitat to observe over the next few weeks. Challenge them to discuss with their team a small area to observe, such as a tree, a decaying log, a small piece of a fl ower garden, a measured section of the grass, or a bush. Before you go outside, remind students to be respectful of nature. They should not step on plants (except the grass), pick any fl owers, or touch animals. Their goal is to observe a habitat and record what they observe. In doing so, they should not change the habitat in any way.

Go outside with students and allow each team to choose a habitat. Encourage them to choose different areas. Guide each team to use string and sticks to enclose their habitat. Help each team write the name of their habitat on the gar-den label, such as log, tree, bush, lawn, or fl ower garden, and push the marker in the ground near or in the habitat.

Lab ActivityOutdoor Habitats

Go outside and choose a habitat to observe. Use sticks and string to enclose your habitat. Write the name of your habitat and the date on the label.

Observe your habitat closely. What do you see? Take notes. Draw diagrams in your Science Notebook. Record today’s weather conditions.

3

Observe your habitat for two weeks. Note changes in the habitat, including changes in weather. Note animals you see. Look at and describe the soil. Look on and under leaves. Look on branches and inside logs. Write in your Science Notebook all that your observe and all the changes you see.

At the end of two weeks, discuss the observations you made about the habitat. Select one student in your team to talk about your discoveries to the class.

25Lesson 3 How Do Habitats Provide Animals with What They Need to Live?24 Animals

MATERIALS

Per Team

● (4) tongue depressors ● (1) garden label ● (1) marking pen ● (1) thermometer ● 4-m string

Per Student

● (2) rubber bands ● (1) magnifying glass ● (1) pair of gloves

25 Min



Instruct students to stand or sit quietly and observe their chosen habitat. They should look at it from different angles, including from high above and down low, near the ground. Encourage them to make observations about the weather, the time of day, and the animals they see in their habitat. Then ask them to make drawings in their Science Notebooks. Ask students to write short informa-tional captions for their drawings.

Back in the classroom, explain that they will observe their outdoor habitats every few days for two weeks. During that time, it is important that they note any changes they see, kinds and numbers of animals they see, and where they see the animals in the habitat, such as on a leaf on the tree, on the branch of a tree, inside the log, and whether plants are blooming or dying. Guide students to understand that it is important to gather as much information about their habitats, including soil conditions, type of plants and their growth patterns, and anything else that might be interesting about the study site. Noting changes in the habitat is especially important, as this will help them draw conclusions about what lives and grows there.

After each observation, bring students together and help them list and orga-nize their data on the board. List what organisms have been found, where they were, what they were doing, and the weather for the day. What is the habitat like? At the end of two weeks, give each team an opportunity to discuss among themselves observations they have made about their habitats. Encourage them to use their notes and drawings to help them draw conclusions. Then ask each team to choose a team member to present an oral report to the class about the habitat. Allow time for class discussion after each student has given a report.

SUGGESTION

Write John James Audubon on the board. Tell students that Audubon lived a long time ago and studied birds in nature. From his studies, he made very detailed drawings of birds in their habitats. From sketches, he would paint detailed pictures of the birds. He also included the branches the birds perched on, as well as eggs and nests whenever possible. Audubon trav-eled widely, drawing and painting birds everywhere he went.

If you have Internet access, allow students to visit Audubon’s website and fi nd an image of your state bird. Give students an opportunity to look at the paintings and discuss them among themselves. Guide them to understand the importance of accurate drawings when they observe animals in their habitats.


1 What characteristics of the habitat you chose made you choose it? (Answers might include: We chose an old tree because we saw bugs. We chose a pile of dirt so we can observe worms. It had a lot

of plants and maybe animals.)

2 What is important about observing the habitat during several different times of day? (It is important to observe what is going on in the habitat at different times because the activity can change.)

3 If you changed something in the habitat, such as moving the leaves, adding water, or removing plants, how would it change what you observe? (It could change the conditions of the habitat,

and some animals may die or move.)




Lead a discussion about the importance of oak trees to the survival of animals in a habitat. Review with students the importance of oak trees to animals.

Learn MoreOak Tree HabitatMany animals live in communities with other animals. An oak tree is a fi ne habitat for many animals. Squirrels

build nests on high branches. Robins build nests on lower branches. Woodpeckers drill holes in old tree trunks and branches. Foxes build dens in holes near the

ground. Deer and bears rest under tree branches on hot days. Insects live on many parts of the tree. They live inside or under the oak bark.

The young fox peeks out from his den in the bottom of a tree.

All of these animals are part of communities that use an oak tree as their habitat. Many animals also eat parts of the oak tree. Some eat berries in the

spring. Others, such as squirrels and deer, eat acorns in autumn. Other animals eat leaves and moss. An oak tree is important for shelter and food for many organisms.

From its habitat, a squirrel can look for food.

3

27Lesson 3 How Do Habitats Provide Animals with What They Need to Live?26 Animals


1 What causes so many animals to select the oak tree as part of their habitats? (It has low and high branches to make homes and holes in it for shelter. The tree makes acorns and moss and provides

shade.)

2 What part of the oak tree do animals eat? (Bark, acorns, leaves, and mosses growing on the bark are food sources for animals.)

3 What do you think would happen if all the oak trees in a habitat were cut down? (Animals would move or die, including animals that depend on others in the habitat for survival as part of the food

chain. The whole area would totally change.)

10 Min


Oak Tree HabitatsOak trees are classifi ed as hardwoods. This means they are deciduous, usually losing their leaves in the autumn in cold climates and the leaves grow back in the spring. The wood itself is actually harder than woods like pine.

Oak trees grow all over the United States—from Maine to Florida and from Massachusetts to California. The trees grow in rich soil and poor soil. They can sometimes be seen on sandy dunes along the Atlantic coast. There are large oak tree communities that form entire forests, and there are oak trees that stand alone in the middle of meadows or around ponds and lakes. Oak trees can grow quite large, providing shelter and habitat for many different kinds of animals and plants in all seasons.

White Oak TreeThere are many different species of oak trees in the United States, the most com-mon being the white oak. With a maximum diameter of more than one meter, this tree can grow to be 25-m high. It is quite resistant to insects and generally has a lifespan of about 100 years. Oak trees provide shelter, food, and habitat for many animals.

Some animals make their homes in the ground around the roots of the oak tree. White-tailed deer and bears rest under its large branches on hot summer days. Insects also make their homes in oak trees. They eat the moss and lichens that grow on the bark and large limbs of oak trees and they lay their eggs on the leaves. The caterpillar during its life cycle will spin its cocoon and attach itself to an oak twig.

Oak trees provide food to a variety of animals. Acorns are important food sources for animals, as are the leaves of the tree. A 75-year-old oak tree can produce thou-sands of acorns a year for squirrels and chipmunks. Birds eat the insects that live under the bark of the tree.

any

ee. s.at eaves.

oak

urces



Evaluate: Refl ect on the LessonWhat conclusions were students able to draw about the importance of animal homes in a habitat?

Students should learn more about plants and animals in their habitats by observing them over a two-week period of time. They should understand that habitats provide food, water, and shelter to animals. While the organisms that students will fi nd during their observations are all dependent on air, in other lessons they will learn how animals specifi cally require oxygen that is found in the air. They will also learn about fi sh and other animals that use oxygen dissolved in water. Students should be able to draw conclusions about what animals need to survive in their habitats.

Did students draw useful diagrams and write short informational descrip-tions about their habitats?

Students should be able to draw simple diagrams and write short informational descriptions about their habitats. If some students have diffi culty writing infor-mational descriptions, give them an opportunity to give oral descriptions about their pictures. Developing these skills will help students understand more fully the importance of close observation of a place.

Did you guide students to argue logically from evidence?

As students gain science information and connect it with their preconceived ideas and experience with real world activities, their arguments may not be logical or use science evidence. Guide the discussion, helping students sort out the evidence so that students can begin to articulate a logical argument based on evidence.


LESSON 3 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. The place where an animal lives is called itsA. dwellingB. spaceC. habitat

2. Many animals make trees their homes. In the box under each part of the tree below, list an animal that might live there.

3. If a tree were cut down, what would happen to the many animals that live there?A. They would have to adapt. B. They could die.C. Both A and B are correct.



Lesson OverviewDiscuss the Big Idea: What animals live in forest habitats? (Forest habitats pro-vide shelter, food, water, and air to many different kinds of animals, including mam-mals, birds, insects, and reptiles.)

Explain that forests provide everything necessary to survive for many different kinds of animals.

Recognize characteristics of a forest habitat.


● forest – a large area of land where many trees and plants grow ● forest fl oor – the ground under forest trees, including the shrubs and bushes

growing there


Extend understanding through the Learn More section in the Student Lab Manual. Students will learn more about the forest fl oor.



What Animals Live in Forest Habitats?

LESSON 4

LESSON 4

What Animals

Live in Forest

Habitats?

Where do forest animals fi nd shelter?

What do animals eat in the forest?

2928


● identify some mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles that live in forest habitats. ● describe how forest animals share food, water, air, and shelter. ● draw conclusions about a forest habitat.

67Lesson 4 What Animals Live in Forest Habitats?


Preparing for the Lesson In the next three lessons students will learn about different habitats where ani-mals live. If you have not already done so, set up three areas in your classroom for students to build habitats. Hang mural paper in each area for forest, desert, and freshwater habitats. Students will be using the Animal Picture Cards from Lesson 1 to draw pictures and gather more facts for each habitat.

Plan ahead to have extra facts about forests and the animals that live there.

Create a set of index cards with names of animals that would be found in a forest habitat. Some examples are: bear, fox, wolf, deer, squirrel, rabbit, chip-munk, owl, robin, woodpecker, spider, ant, beetle, turtle, chameleon, and snake. Include mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles. Also, make sure you have enough variety so that each student in a team has a different animal.


Engage: Start the LessonDirect student attention to the image at the beginning of the lesson. Brainstorm with students to create a list on the board of what they see. (a lot of trees, a forest, leaves, sky, and so on) Ask the following questions to stimulate discussion:

● What animals do you think might live in this forest? (bear, deer, foxes, squir-rels, chipmunks, birds, insects)

● What do animals in a forest eat? (plants, leaves, berries, acorns, other animals)

● Where do animals fi nd water? (rain, lakes, rivers, plants, leaves) ● Where do animals fi nd shelter? (in the ground, in logs, under bushes, in

trees)

10 Min

15 Min

Review with students what they learned about oak trees in Lesson 3. Tell them that a forest is one of the places where oak trees grow. Explain that a forest is a large area of land where many trees and plants grow. Ask students to name some animals that they learned about that might live in oak trees. (squirrels, birds, foxes, insects) Guide students to understand that these animals, along with many others, live in forests where oaks and other trees and plants grow. Some animals fi nd food, water, and shelter on the forest fl oor.

Ask students what else they know about forests. Make a KWL chart on the board. In the fi rst column, list what students know about forests. In the second column, write questions that students have about forests.

Forest KWL Chart

What We Know about

Forests

What We Want to Know

about Forests

What We Learned about

Forests


1 Think-Pair-Share what details you see in the image at the beginning of the lesson. What animals do you think might live in this environment? (The image is of a forest with lots of trees; bears, squir-

rels, and foxes are some of the animals that live there.)

2 What does the forest have in it that bears use to survive? (The forest has food from berries, nuts, plants, and other animals; water from streams and lakes; and air and shelter from trees, logs, bushes and caves.)

3 What is another animal that would survive well in a forest? Explain what it would need from the forest. (Squirrels, birds, deer, and foxes survive well because there is plenty of food, water, and

shelter.)



Explore: Introduce the ConceptTell students there are many different types of forest communities. One type of forest community has a cold season and a warm season, and trees change color in autumn. These forests often have oak, maple, birch, and other types of trees. In a second type of forest community, the weather is cool or cold, and the trees that grow there are mostly evergreens. Evergreen trees have hard needles, and they produce cones instead of flowers. A third kind of forest is found in very warm, wet places where it may rain every day, or the forest may have a wet season and a dry season. The trees are usually green, and many of them have very large leaves. In each type of forest, many different plants and animals depend on each other for survival.

Lab ActivityForest Habitat

Preparation ● Create a mural with an outline of oak trees, logs, acorns, and any other plants

important to the forest habitat. ● Write Habitat on the label and secure it to the side of the bucket. Place the

bucket in a central location in the classroom.


Distribute a set of green index cards, prepared with animal names, to each team. Students should work together to read the names on the index cards and say what they know about the animals. They should refer to the Animal Characteristics chart they created in Lesson 1 to help them decide how to iden-tify the animals.

MATERIALS

For the Class

● (1) plastic bucket ● index cards with

animals found in a forest habitat (see #3 in Preparing for the Lesson)

● label ● computer with Internet

access* (optional)

Per Team

● select animals from the deck of Animal Picture Cards*

● (1) pair of scissors* ● crayons and markers* ● drawing paper* ● nature magazines and

books about forests*


25 Min

10 Min

Ask students to sort the animals according to whether they are a mammal, bird, reptile, or insect. Then, each member of the team should select one animal and learn where it fi nds food, water, and shelter in a forest. (Students who fi nish early could research additional animals, or assign particular animals to specifi c students.) Each member of a team should research a different kind of animal so that a variety is represented. (An option is to then have all students who are researching “deer” work together for this portion of the activity.) Students should record information about their animal in their Science Notebook. In addition to the Animal Information pages located in Lesson 1, students could use books, magazines, or the Internet as resources. Some students may be familiar with animal websites. Provide them with an opportunity to share web-sites with the class.

After students have completed research, they should draw a picture of their ani-mal on a separate piece of paper. Encourage students to draw detailed charac-teristics of each animal. Once everyone on each team has fi nished researching and drawing, students should share information with their team. As they share, students should record information about each type of animal in their Science Notebook.

Lab ActivityForest Habitat

Read the names of the animals on the index cards. Talk with your team and share what you know about each animal. Look at the Animal Characteristics chart you completed in Lesson 1. Use it to help you identify whether each animal is a mammal, bird, reptile, or insect.

Sort the animal cards into groups. Put the mammals together, the birds together, the reptiles together, and the insects together. Choose one animal to investigate. Research where it finds food, water, and shelter in a forest habitat. Record the information in your Science Notebook. Use the Animal Information pages in Lesson 1 of your Science Notebook to help you. Your teacher might have you use other materials, too.

Use a separate piece of paper to draw the animal you researched. Include as many detailed characteristics in your drawing as you can. After everyone has finished, share the information about your animal with the other members of your team. Record all the information in your Science Notebook. This means you will have notes about each type of animal.

Cut out your drawing. The mural of a forest shows some of the plants found there. Work with your class to decide where your animal would be found in a forest habitat. Add your animal to the class mural.

4

Fawn

Chipmunk

31Lesson 4 What Animals Live in Forest Habitats?30 Animals



Have students cut out their drawings. Tell them that they will build a mural of a forest habitat by adding their drawings to the mural already begun with oak trees, acorns, and logs drawn onto it. One at a time, ask students who drew a mammal to tape their drawings on the habitat mural where they would expect to see these animals. Continue this process with reptiles, insects, and birds. Discuss the placement of the animals with students throughout the activity.

Return to the KWL chart. Ask students what new information they learned about forest habitats and add it to the chart. Tape the chart in the forest habitat area of the classroom.


1 Within your team, look at each other’s drawings and add one interesting fact to each card. (Students should add facts and help improve each other’s work.)

2 Share with a partner the defi nition of your vocabulary words in this lesson. (A forest is a large area of land where many trees and plants grow. A forest fl oor is the ground under forest trees.)

3 What are some animals that live in a forest habitat? (Answers might include bear, moose, fox, wolf, deer, squirrel, rabbit, chipmunk, owl, robin, butterfl y, woodpecker, ant, and beetle.)

Learn MoreForest FloorSome animals do not climb trees. They fi nd food and water under trees. This part of a forest can be called the forest fl oor. Acorns and leaves fall to the forest fl oor. Many animals eat them. Here, a moose eats berries from a bush. Other berries fall to the forest fl oor. They become food for other animals. Berries are healthy. They also have water in them.

Autumn leaves fall off aspen trees.

Cones and needles fall off pine trees.

Some animals search for food in trees and bushes. A squirrel looks for food in a log. Ants and beetles live under the log. Many animals fi nd food and shelter in forest habitats.

These forest animals search for food in the forest trees and bushes.

4

33Lesson 4 What Animals Live in Forest Habitats?32 Animals


Lead a discussion about the forest fl oor, which animals might live there, and what they do. Guide students to understand that many animals fi nd food and water on the forest fl oor.


1 How would a forest fl oor be important to some animals? (The forest fl oor has all the basic needs for the animals that cannot fl y or climb trees.)

2 Describe what you might see if you found an old log in a forest and picked it up. (Answers might refl ect that ants, beetles, and other insects live under logs; when the log is lifted up, the insects will scramble to fi nd new shelter.)

3 In the Lab Activity, you made drawings and added information to the card. What is important about making these as accurate as possible? (Students should share it is important to gather the facts

and recreate them with accuracy.)

10 Min




ForestsForests grow in many parts of the world and are divided into three kinds, depend-ing on their location.

Deciduous ForestsDeciduous forests are usually located in places where there are four seasons. These forests require a temperate climate, which is not too hot and not too cold. In decid-uous forests, trees typically lose their leaves in the fall, but the leaves grow back again in the spring. In tropical and subtropical climates, including South Florida, deciduous trees often lose their leaves in the spring and new growth appears immediately. Among the many trees that grow in deciduous forests are different species of oak trees, birches, beeches, cedars, sugar maples, pines, and aspens. Deciduous forests are home to a wide variety of animals.

Deciduous Forest

Coniferous ForestsMany coniferous forests are usually located in places where, for at least part of the year, the climate is quite cold. Trees that grow in these forests must be hardy to withstand severe weather. Among the trees that grow in these forests are different species of evergreens, pines, and fi rs. Coniferous trees have long pine needles and cones that hold their seeds. Much of the southern United States is covered with pine trees that do not withstand such cold weather. Northern coniferous forests are home to animals that have adapted to harsh, cold conditions, such as bears, moose, and wolves. These forests are typical of mountainous areas. Southern coniferous forests are home to deer, bear, turkeys, and other animals.

Rain ForestsRain forests are located in places where it is usually very hot and wet, although there are temperate rain forests in Washington State. While there are tropical rain forests in Central America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia, the only true tropical rain forests in the United States are located in Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Rain forests cover a relatively small area of the world’s land (about 7%), but they contain more than half of all animals on the planet. Rain forests are home to monkeys, par-akeets, fl ying geckos, iguanas, and butterfl ies, among many other species. South Florida has some forest areas that include both tropical and temperate trees.

Coniferous ForestRain Forest



Evaluate: Refl ect on the LessonWere students able to place their drawings in the approximate area where forest animals and plants thrive and grow?

Students should be able to identify where forest animals and plants live and grow and tape their drawings in appropriate places on the forest habitat mural. It is important that students have a basic understanding of what animals and plants live in a forest habitat and where animals and plants live in a forest habitat.

Were students able to pictorially represent the animal names on their word cards and draw and describe the main characteristics of their animals?

An important skill for students this age is the ability to draw pictures and write short descriptions that accurately refl ect important characteristics of their animals.


LESSON 4 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. What is the forest fl oor?A. under the ground, below the tree rootsB. the ground under the trees, including the shrubs and bushesC. in the fi rst high part of the tree

2. Identify four animals that survive well in forests.

3. Draw the forest fl oor. Be sure to include some animals that live there and the food they eat from the forest fl oor.

A ni m al s th a t li v e i n th e fo re s tAnimals that live in the forest



Lesson OverviewDiscuss the Big Idea: What animals live in desert habitats? (Desert habitats provide shelter, food, water, and air for many different kinds of animals, including mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles.)

Explain that deserts provide food, water, air, and shelter to many different kinds of animals.

Recognize characteristics of a desert habitat.


● cactus – a spiny plant that grows in hot, dry areas ● desert – a large, sandy, dry area where there is little rain ● nocturnal – active at night


Extend understanding through the Learn More section in the Student Lab Manual. Students will learn about roadrunners.



What Animals Live in Desert Habitats?

LESSON 5

LESSON 5

What Animals

Live in Desert

Habitats?

What animals live in a desert habitat?

Where do desert animals fi nd shelter?

3534


● identify mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles that live in desert habitats. ● describe how desert animals share food, water, air, and shelter in an

environment. ● draw conclusions about desert habitats.

79Lesson 5 What Animals Live in Desert Habitats?


Preparing for the Lesson Prepare the green index cards with names of animals for students to research in the Lab Activity. Make sure each team has a variety of mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles. Some suggestions for animals are: jack rabbit, collared lizard, gila monster, roadrunner, elf owl, cactus wren, ant, beetle, and desert grasshopper. Make sets for each team.

You may wish to provide books, magazines, and Internet resources for students to use during the Lab Activity.

Engage: Start the LessonDirect student attention to the image at the beginning of the lesson. Ask students to describe the image. Ask them what kind of plants they see. (cacti and shrubs)Point out that cacti and shrubs can live in the desert because they conserve the water they need to live and grow. Cacti provide homes and food for different ani-mals, such as elf owls and hawks. They also store a lot of water. This makes parts of the cacti excellent sources of water for animals. These plants also provide shelter and shade from the hot sun for smaller animals, such as reptiles and insects. Gila (pronounced “heela”) woodpeckers and elf owls make their homes in saguaro cacti. Cacti also provide food for some animals. Desert tortoises eat prickly pear cactus fruit.

Write the word desert on the board. Tell students that a desert is a large area of land that can be very hot, dry, and sandy and has few plants, almost none of them large. Discuss that many animals have had to adapt over time to live in deserts because there is not much water. There are also very few trees to provide shade. Most of the plants that grow in deserts are shrubs and cacti. Shrubs are plants that grow low to the ground and have woody stems. Most cacti also grow low to the ground. A cactus usually has leaves that have been modifi ed to be spikes or thorns. This modifi cation prevents water loss to the air and protects the plant from ani-mals. Both shrubs and cacti grow in hot, dry areas.

10 Min

15 Min

Ask students what else they know about deserts. Make a KWL chart on chart paper. In the fi rst column, list what students know about deserts. In the second column, write questions that students have about deserts.

Desert KWL Chart

What We Know about

Deserts


about Deserts


Deserts


1 Think-Pair-Share details you see in the image at the beginning of the lesson. What animals do you think might live in a desert? (The image is a desert with cactus and dry soil; animals that live there

include roadrunners, rabbits, Gila monsters, collared lizards, squirrels, rattlesnakes, and cactus wrens.)

2 What makes it hard for many animals to survive in the desert? (It is very dry and does not have a lot of water, plants, and food needed for the survival of many animals.)

3 Within your team, discuss how being close to the ground benefi ts desert plants. (The desert is very dry and does not have a lot of water. Shrubs and cacti grow close to the ground, so less water is

needed to keep them alive.)



Explore: Introduce the ConceptAsk students if they know what animals live in the desert. (bobcats, Gila monsters, lizards, insects, desert tortoises, roadrunners) Students will respond accordingly, depending on where they live and their prior knowledge.

Direct students to turn to the Learn More section in their Student Lab Manuals. Give them time to look at the images and ask them which animals they recognize. What names do they know? What do they know about these animals? If they do not know animal names, read them aloud. Ask students to tell whether the animal is a mammal, bird, reptile, or insect, and describe the characteristics of each animal.

Create a four-column chart on chart paper with the following headings: Mammal, Bird, Reptile, and Insect. As you lead a discussion about desert animals in the Learn More section, write each animal name under its correct heading. Tell students that there are not many large mammals living in deserts because they cannot withstand the heat or fi nd enough water, shelter, or food to survive. Places where animals fi nd shelter are inside and under cacti, rocks, or in sand. Explain that some small mammals that live in the desert are bobcats, jackrabbits, prairie dogs, and pack-rats. Common reptiles in the desert include Gila monsters, collared lizards, desert tortoises, and snakes. Birds such as roadrunners, Harris hawks, great horned owls, and elf owls also live in the desert. Many insects live underground, such as beetles, ants, and wasps. Tape the chart in the area you have set aside for the desert habitat where students can use it as a reference if necessary.

Guide students to understand that many desert animals are nocturnal. Remind them that nocturnal animals hunt at night and sleep during the day. Ask students why so many desert animals might be nocturnal. (cooler during the night) Diurnal animals that live in the desert fi nd cool places to rest during the hot days.

10 Min

Lab ActivityDesert Animal Fact Sheet

Read the names of the animals on the cards for your team. Write down any facts you or your teammates know about the animals in your Science Notebooks. Remember that a fact is information that can be checked in a reliable source.

Work with your team to research each animal. Use the Animal Picture Cards, the Animal Information pages, and any other information your teacher provides, to help you find facts about each animal. Record the facts in your Science Notebook.

Share the information you found with your team. Choose three interesting facts to write on the fact sheet for each animal. Each person will be responsible for completing a fact sheet for one animal, sharing information about that animal with the class, and drawing that animal.

Pick one or two interesting facts to share with the class. Make sure you know the characteristics of your animal well enough to describe what it looks like.

Draw your animal. Decide where it would be found in a desert habitat so that you can put it in the correct place on the classroom mural. Where would it find shelter? What would it need to eat?

5

Roadrunner Fact Sheet

Roadrunners have long legs.

They are 50 to 60-cm long.

They are 24 to 30-cm tall.

Roadrunner Tracks

37Lesson 5 What Animals Live in Desert Habitats?36 Animals

Lab ActivityDesert Animal Fact Sheets

Preparation ● Make fact sheet pages for each team by writing Fact Sheet at the top of a sheet

of lined paper. ● If you have a capable student, ask her to draw a large, simple outline of a tall

saguaro cactus on the mural paper in the desert habitat area of the room. Or, draw it yourself.

● Ask some students in each team to use the image at the beginning of the lesson as a model to draw some desert plants on the desert habitat mural.

● Select animals from the deck of Animal Picture Cards whose habitat is the desert. If students created these cards for any of the animals in Lesson 1, make them available, too.

● Decide whether you want students to draw animals on a separate piece of paper, cut them out and tape them to the mural, or just draw the animals directly onto the mural.

20 Min




Distribute a set of green cards with animal names to each team. Give teams time to read each name, circulating and offering assistance as needed. Tell students that they will make fact sheets to create a Desert Guide Book. Remind students that a fact is information that is known. Explain that in science we assume that facts, like observations or measurements, are true. Science also assumes, however, that even these can change as we fi nd better ways to meas-ure, observe, and understand nature. A fact can be checked in a book or at a website that is reliable. A fact can be about a habitat where an animal lives, the weight of an animal, or other characteristics of an animal. Here are some facts: A desert tortoise lives in the desert. It weighs 2 to 7-kg. It can live 80 years. These facts can be checked in reliable books and at reliable websites on the Internet. In science, we use such facts until others have been shown to be more reliable. All scientifi c knowledge is tentative and subject to change.

Challenge teams to research three facts about each animal listed on the cards. Remind students to use the Animal Picture Cards and the Animal Information pages in their Science Notebooks. Have students refer to the list of charac-teristics of mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects they created in Lesson 1. Encourage them to use the images in the Learn More section as references, too. You may also wish to allow students to use any books or magazines that you have gathered as well as the Internet for their research.

After they have completed their research, ask teams to discuss information they researched and choose three interesting facts. Discuss the facts they found and whether the information is reliable. Each student should be responsible for cre-ating a fact sheet for one animal. They will write the information on the sheet and be prepared to describe the animal to the class. They will also prepare to draw the animal either on drawing paper or directly on the mural.

MATERIALS

For the Class

● (1) plastic bucket with Habitat label

● green index cards with previously prepared animal names

● Internet access* (optional)

● lined paper* ● drawing paper

(optional)*

Per Team

● Select animals from the deck of Animal Picture Cards whose habitat is the desert.

● animal magazines and animal books (optional)*

● pencils*


When students have completed their fact sheets, ask each student to tell one or two facts about each animal and give a description. If some students on differ-ent teams have the same animal, you can discuss different information found. Then have students put their fact sheets together to create a Desert Guide Book about desert animals. Collect the green animal name cards and place them in the Habitat bucket.

Ask students from each team to draw animals they were assigned. They can either draw them on a separate piece of drawing paper or directly on the mural. Encourage them to place the animals where they might be seen in the desert based on the information they have researched. Suggest that they add addi-tional drawings to the mural as needed for their animals, such as palm trees, woodpecker holes, bushes, fl owers, or water holes.

Return to the KWL chart. Ask students what new information they learned about desert habitats and write the information on the chart. Then tape the chart in the desert habitat area of the classroom.

SUGGESTION

Whenever possible, it is important for students to have fi rst-hand observa-tion experience of different habitats. If your school is near a desert habitat, plan a fi eld trip. Find a place for students to sit quietly where they can observe and listen to ani-mal sounds around them. Then, give them an oppor-tunity to explore the desert area under supervision. Guide them to notice plant and animal life. If this is not possible, invite a desert expert to come to your classroom to talk to your students. A parent of one of your students may be just the person you want. Experts from the local community are a valuable addition to your science lessons.




Direct students to look at the image of the roadrunner. Discuss the characteristics of roadrunners and what desert plants or animals they eat to survive.

Cactus Wren

Gila Monster

Prickly Pear Cactus

Collared Lizard

Desert Grasshopper

Mesquite Tree

5Learn MoreRoadrunnersRoadrunners live in deserts. They can fl y, but they like to walk and run. Their feet are very strong. They can run very, very fast. Their long toes support them as roadrunners run across the soft sand of the desert. Notice their feathers. Roadrunners eat snakes, lizards, and spiders. Many plants and animals only live in desert habitats. Roadrunner

39Lesson 5 What Animals Live in Desert Habitats?38 Animals


1 What are some reasons it would be easier to fi nd animals in the desert or the forest? (It would be easier to track an animal in the desert if it leaves tracks in the sand. If the animal fl ies, it would not

make a difference because it would not leave tracks, but in the forest it might be harder to see the bird because of the trees.)

2 Turn to a partner and describe what your life would be like in a desert or a forest. (Students may choose a desert because it would be warm year-round. Some may choose a forest for more water and food sources.)

3 Describe what it would feel like and what you would see and notice if you walked through a desert barefoot. (Students might say that their feet would hurt because the sand is hot and cacti are

prickly.)

10 Min


DesertsThere are three major deserts in the United States: the Sonoran, the Mojave, and the Great Basin.

The Sonoran Desert (hot and dry) is located in the Southwest and is very large. It covers the southwestern part of Arizona, along with the southeastern part of California, and extends into Mexico. Of all the deserts in the United States, more rain falls in this desert than any other. When no rain falls, the desert is very hot and dry. It can also get very windy and there are often summer monsoons. If there has been a fair amount of rain in the fall and winter, spring fl owers bloom in abundance across the desert fl oor. Among the plants that grow in the desert are barrel cactus, saguaro cactus, prickly pear cactus, Palo Verde, brittlebush, and mesquite, all plants that are mostly low to the ground. Among the mammals that live here are bobcats, bighorn sheep, mule deer, grey foxes, jackrabbits, javelinas (wild boar), and pack-rats. There are also Gila woodpeckers, great horned owls, cactus wren, and a vari-ety of reptiles and insects. Many animals that live in this environment are nocturnal and stay inactive during the hot days. There are some lizards, however, that sun themselves on rocks when it is cool.

The Mojave Desert (hot and dry) is located in Eastern California. To the south is the Sonoran Desert and to the north is the Great Basin Desert. The Mojave changes from a cold desert in the north to a hot desert in the south. There is a wide variety of plant life that is usually low to the ground, including Joshua Trees, which only grow in the Mojave Desert. Other plants that grow here are brittlebush, saltbush, sagebrush, and Mojave asters. Among the animals that live here are coyote, desert tortoise, and the Mojave rattlesnake. Many animals that live in this environment are nocturnal and stay inactive during hot days.

The Great Basin Desert (semiarid) is located in northern Nevada, southern and western Utah, southeastern Oregon, and southern Idaho. Of the deserts in the United States, this is considered a “cold desert” because of its location and its elevation. There is more precipitation here than in the Mojave or Sonoran deserts, and snow falls in winter. Like in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, the vegetation is low to the ground. Some typical shrubs that grow here are sagebrush, greasewood, and big sagebrush. There are very few cacti. Among the animals that live here are coyote, kit foxes, jackrabbits, skunks, kangaroo rats, and many different species of birds.



Evaluate: Refl ect on the LessonWere students able to place their pictures in the approximate area where desert animals and plants grow?

Students should be able to identify where desert animals and plants grow and draw their pictures in appropriate places on the Desert Habitat Mural. It is important that students have a basic understanding of what animals and plants live in a desert habitat and where they live.

Were you able to guide students to brainstorm, evaluate, and synthesize initial ideas?

Students use engaging photographs at the lesson start to brainstorm, discuss background information, and synthesize their initial ideas about the Big Idea. Guide this discussion to uncover student misunderstandings on the topic before students begin the activity, and refer to this discussion throughout the activity if students lose track of the lesson purpose.


LESSON 5 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. What is a large, sandy, dry area where there is little rain?A. rigidB. tautC. desert

2. Which is a plant that adapts to sandy, dry areas?A. palm treeB. cactusC. fi cus

3. What are some animals that can live in dry, sandy habitats? Search across and down, and circle the words when you fi nd the right answers.

l p s n a k e p t z

i f e a u s g q o m

z u s n a k e s r f

a c x t r a k f t t

r a b b i t z z o o

d d e s e r t v i r

j l a s t i g b s x

r o a d r u n n e r



Lesson OverviewDiscuss the Big Idea: What animals live in freshwater habitats? (Freshwater habi-tats provide shelter, food, water, and oxygen to many different kinds of animals, including mammals, birds, insects, amphibians, and reptiles.)

Explain that freshwater habitats provide food, water, oxygen, and shelter to many different kinds of animals.

Recognize characteristics of a freshwater habitat.


● freshwater – inland bodies of water that have little salt ● lake – a large body of freshwater that is surrounded by land ● pond – a small body of freshwater that is surrounded by land ● river – freshwater that fl ows into or out of a lake, or into another river, or an

ocean


Extend understanding through the Learn More section in the Student Lab Manual. Students will learn more about beavers and how they build their dams.



What Animals Live in Freshwater Habitats?

LESSON 6

LESSON 6

WhatAnimals Live

in Freshwater Habitats?

How are a pond and a lake alike?

Where does a river fl ow?

4140


● identify mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles that live in freshwater habitats. ● describe how freshwater animals obtain and share food, water, oxygen, and

shelter. ● draw conclusions about freshwater habitats and the animals that live there.

91Lesson 6 What Animals Live in Freshwater Habitats?


Preparing for the Lesson Create a set of index cards with names of animals that would be found in a fresh-water habitat. Some examples are: deer, beaver, fox, mallard duck, seagull, swal-low, dragonfl y, water strider, mosquito, turtle, snake, frog, salamander, trout, eel, and minnows. Include mammals, birds, insects and reptiles. Note the addition of two new types of animals: amphibians and fi sh. Be sure to describe the char-acteristics of these new types and to add them to a class chart so that students can refer to the characteristics while working (information about these types of animals is available on the Educator Portal). Also, make sure you have enough variety so that each student in a team has a different animal.


Gather books, magazines, and Internet resources on freshwater habitats for students to use during the Lab Activity.

Engage: Start the LessonDirect student attention to the image at the beginning of the lesson. Ask students whether this is a pond or a lake. (pond) How are a pond and a lake different? (Ponds are smaller than lakes.) What animals do you think live in this pond? (painted turtles, ducks, green frogs, fi sh) What do these animals eat? (water plants, leaves that fall in water, fi sh, insects)

Guide students to understand that animals live in different habitats because those habitats meet their specifi c needs for food, water, oxygen, and shelter. Make a word web on the board. Write Freshwater Habitats in the center oval. Ask students to identify some freshwater habitats. (ponds, lakes, rivers, streams) How are these habitats alike? (They are all freshwater; lakes and ponds are enclosed.) How are these habitats different? (A lake is big. A pond is small. A river or stream fl ows into another body of water.) Review each kind of freshwater habitat with students. Ask students to name some animals that live in these freshwater habitats. Students may name beavers, turtles, fi sh, ducks, salamanders, dragonfl ies, and frogs.

Ask students what else they know about freshwater habitats. Make a KWL chart on the board. In the fi rst column, list what students know about ponds, lakes, and riv-ers. In the second column, write questions that students have about ponds, lakes, and rivers.

10 Min

10 Min

Freshwater Habitat KWL Chart

What We Know about

Freshwater Habitats


about Freshwater Habitats


Freshwater Habitats

Discuss that fi sh and amphibians are two new types of animals found in freshwater habitats. Ask students what they know about the characteristics of these types of animals and create a detailed list that students can refer to throughout the lesson.

Explore: Introduce the ConceptExplain that a characteristic of ponds is that they are usually not as deep or as large as lakes. Ponds are often shallow and many almost dry up during certain times of the year. In the north, ponds may freeze solid all the way to the bottom while lakes will always have some liquid water below the ice. Direct student atten-tion to the image again. Ask students what they can see at the bottom of the pond. (leaves) Tell students that many animals live near ponds, lakes, and rivers because they are excellent water and food sources. Forests, meadows, or fi elds may sur-round ponds and lakes. Rivers run through forests, meadows, and fi elds, often tak-ing water to lakes and ponds. What mammals do you think might drink water from ponds, lakes, and rivers? (deer, mice, raccoons) What birds do you think might live near ponds, lakes, and rivers? (swallows, blackbirds, owls, hawks) Tell students that deer like to eat some water plants. Share that swallows like to catch insects just above the surface of the water and then drink from the pond.


1 Use all the details you observe to describe to your partner the image at the beginning of the les-son. What animals live there? (It is a picture of a pond with water surrounded by land, trees, and other

plants. Frogs, birds, fi sh, snakes, and insects live there.)

2 What is the difference between a pond, a lake, and a river? (A pond is a small body of freshwater, a lake is a larger body of water, and a river is freshwater that fl ows into the lake, another river, or an ocean.)

3 Think-Pair-Share why you think the water in ponds, lakes, and rivers is called freshwater. (Freshwater is naturally occurring water on Earth that does not have salt like the ocean.)

5 Min



Explain that many different kinds of insects live in and around freshwater habi-tats, including dragonfl ies and mayfl ies. Small salamanders and painted turtles live in freshwater habitats. There are many different kinds of larger fi sh, such as trout, bass, bream, and various kinds of small minnows.

Lab ActivityFreshwater Habitat

PreparationIf you haven’t previously, draw a simple outline of a pond and a stream in the center of the mural paper in the freshwater habitat area of the room. Add cattails, bushes, and any other plants important to the freshwater habitat.


Distribute materials to the teams. Give students an opportunity to read each animal name on the index cards with their teams and tell what they know about each animal. Guide them to recall the characteristics they learned about mam-mals, birds, reptiles, and insects in previous lessons, as well as the characteris-tics of fi sh and amphibians they have learned in this lesson. Challenge them to include these characteristics in their animal descriptions.

Lab ActivityFreshwater Habitat

Read the animals listed on the green index cards. Talk with your team and share what you know about each animal listed. Look back at the two Animal Characteristics charts you have completed to help you identify what kind of animal each is.

Sort the animals according to whether they are a mammal, bird, reptile, insect, fish, or amphibian. Select one to find out where they find food, water, and shelter in a freshwater habitat. Record the information in your Science Notebook. Use the Animal Information pages in Lesson 1 of your Science Notebook to help you.

Draw a detailed picture of the animal you researched on a separate piece of paper. After everyone has finished, share the information you gathered with the other members of your team. Record this information in your Science Notebook. You will have notes about each type of animal.

Cut out your drawing. Look at the mural of a freshwater habitat that shows some of the plants found there. Work with your class to put your animal in the place it would be found in the habitat.

6

Freshwater habitats are found in lakes, ponds, and rivers.

Lake Superior, one of the Great Lakes, is an example of a lake formed by a retreating glacier.

43Lesson 6 What Animals Live in Freshwater Habitats?42 Animals

25 Min

Ask students to sort the animals according to whether they are a mammal, bird, reptile, insect, fi sh, or amphibian. Each member of the team should select an animal to fi nd out where the animal fi nds food, water, and shelter in a freshwa-ter habitat (students who fi nish early can research additional animals). Make sure each member of the team is working on a different kind of animal so that a variety is represented (An option is then to have all of the students research-ing “beaver” work together for this portion). They should record information in their Science Notebooks. In addition to the Animal Information pages located in Lesson 1, students may wish to use available books, magazines, or the Internet.

When students have completed their research for their animal they should draw a detailed picture of it on a separate piece of paper. Encourage them to draw pictures that show the characteristics of each animal.

Once everyone on the team has fi nished researching and drawing their animal, have students share their information with their team. This will allow each stu-dent to record information about each type of animal in their Science Notebook.

Ask students to cut out their drawings. Show them the mural with a pond, cat-tails, bushes, and rocks drawn onto it. Tell students that they will build a pic-ture of a freshwater habitat using the drawings they made. One at a time, ask students who drew a mammal to tape their drawings on the freshwater habitat mural where they would expect to see these animals. Continue this process with reptiles, insects, and birds. Discuss the placement of the animals with stu-dents throughout the activity.

Return to the KWL chart. Ask students what new information they learned about freshwater habitats and write this information on the chart. Then tape the chart in the freshwater habitat area.

MATERIALS

For the Class

● (1) plastic bucket with Habitat label

● select animals from the deck of Animal Picture Cards who live in a freshwater habi-tat. If students created Animal Fact Cards for any of these animals in Lesson 1, make them available, too

● green index cards with previously prepared animal names*

● Internet access* (optional)

Per Team

● drawing paper ● Animal Picture Cards

for freshwater habitat* ● crayons and markers* ● nature magazines and

books about freshwater habitats* (optional)





Ask students to look at the images of the beaver. Lead a discussion about the char-acteristics of a beaver, especially about its sharp teeth and claws. Guide students as they examine the images of a beaver lodge and the log that the beavers chewed.


Freshwater HabitatsSome 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, glaciers covered parts of North America. Over time, Earth warmed and the glaciers began to melt. As the melting glaciers retreated and produced runoff, they gouged out and fi lled many of the major lakes in North America. Other lakes and ponds around the world were formed more than 300,000 years ago by tectonic plate activity. Lakes and ponds formed by tectonic plate activity are considered the oldest, and often the deepest, in the world. These lakes provide freshwater habitats that are home to a wide variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects.


1 On the board, draw a pond, a lake, and a river. Ask different students to come to the board and draw one animal that would live in each and explain their choices. (Students should be able to

describe the difference between a pond, a lake, and a river. The animals they draw should be correct for freshwater habitats.)

2 Write three sentences using each of the vocabulary words. (Answers might include: The lake is larger than the pond. The river fl ows into the ocean. Freshwater does not have salt.)

3 What might cause birds to make nests in trees near a pond? (They might want to be near the water and the insects that live near the water so that they have both food and water.)

10 Min

Learn More

Beaver

Beaver Lodge

Beavers build a dam to make a pond.

6

Beaver HabitatsBeavers can create their own ponds. Their teeth are sharp. Their jaws are strong. They chew on trees and branches, and cut them down. Beavers build dams across streams with the tree trunks and branches. Dams slow down how fast the water can fl ow. In a small stream, the dam makes a beaver pond.

Beavers use branches and mud to build a shelter in the pond. The shelter is called a lodge. A lodge is warm inside. The top has an air hole, so the beavers can get fresh air. The door to a lodge is underwater. Think about how this would make a lodge safer for a beaver family.

45Lesson 6 What Animals Live in Freshwater Habitats?44 Animals

Ponds and LakesPonds and lakes are fi lled with standing or slow-moving water and surrounded by land. They only cover about 2% of the world’s land surface, but they contain most of the world’s available freshwater. Glaciers hold more freshwater, but that water is not available for use. Streams, as well as precipitation, run-off water, and ground-water feed many ponds and lakes.

After the lakes were formed, plants grew around the perimeter of these freshwater habitats. Plants in and around ponds are many different heights and shapes. They provide an essential part of the environment and are important for other plants and animals.

Beavers have formed many of the ponds found in parts of the United States. These small ponds are created when beavers dam small streams using trees they cut down with their teeth, such as birches and poplars. Beavers may live in their shelters for several years and move on when they have cut most of the suit-able trees in their area.

Ponds and lakes are important sources of water for communities, but are often vulnerable to pollu-tion, causing problems for plant and animal life that depend on them for food, water, air, and shelter.

Lake Superior, one of the Great Lakes, is an example of a lake formed by a retreating glacier.



RiversRiver headwaters often begin in the highest mountain elevations. As the freshwater moves down the mountain, it fl ows towards another body of water. The freshwater can be rainwater, melting snow or glaciers, springs, or lakes that have overfl owed. Rivers are also vulnerable to water pollution, causing problems for animals and plants that depend on rivers for food, water, oxygen, and shelter.


1 Share with a partner if you have ever seen a pond built by a beaver. If you have not actually seen a beaver pond, use the images in your book to describe how you think this is done. (Beavers use their

teeth to cut the sticks, wood, and tree limbs. They move these to the river or stream. They use their sharp claws to help them balance and stay on the wood as they continue to pile the sticks and limbs. They add mud to make the sticks stay together, much like we would add cement between bricks for building.)

2 What does the beaver dam do? (The sticks, tree parts, and mud build a wall that holds the water in the pond or dams up the water stream.)

3 What else do you know about beavers? (They live in freshwater. They are good swimmers. They build both dams and lodges—their homes—in water with sticks and mud.)

St. Croix River in Wisconsin

Evaluate: Refl ect on the LessonWere students able to place their pictures in the approximate area where pond animals and plants grow and explain their decisions?

Students should be able to identify where pond animals live and plants grow. It is important that students have a basic understanding of what animals and plants live in a freshwater habitat and where animals and plants live in a freshwater habitat. Providing reasons for decisions is a key part of the scientifi c process and should always be encouraged.

Were students able to work cooperatively when building a freshwater habitat mural?

Students should be able to work cooperatively in teams. While discussions should be lively and encouraged, it is important that they understand that all teammates deserve an opportunity to share their prior knowledge about animals that live in ponds, lakes, and rivers.




LESSON 6 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. What is a large body of freshwater that is surrounded by land? A. ocean B. river C. lake

2. What is freshwater that fl ows into a lake, an ocean, or another river? A. lakeB. riverC. ocean

3. Draw a picture of an animal that lives in a freshwater habitat. Draw its habitat, too. Label your animal.



Lesson OverviewDiscuss the Big Idea: What happens to animals when their habitats change? (Habitats are important for the survival of all animal and plant species. For long-term survival, animals live in habitats that provide them with necessary resources, which usually include food, water, oxygen, and shelter where they raise their young.)

Explain that animals live in habitats that provide them with food, water, oxygen, and shelter.

Recognize that animals must have food, water, oxygen, and shelter in their habi-tats to survive.


● environment – conditions that surround people, animals, and plants and affect their growth

● natural event – something caused by nature


Extend understanding through the Learn More section in the Student Lab Manual. Students will learn more about wind and rain and how they affect habitats.



What Happens to Animals When Their Habitats Change?

LESSON 7

LESSON 7

What Happens to Animals

When Their Habitats Change?

What habitats are in your community?

How can different kinds of weather change a habitat?

4746


● identify the importance of habitats for animals. ● describe how habitats provide food, water, oxygen, and shelter to animals. ● compare two habitats.

103Lesson 7 What Happens to Animals When Their Habitats Change?


Preparing for the Lesson Gather the Habitat bucket with the index cards used in previous lessons.


Engage: Start the LessonDirect student attention to the image at the beginning of the lesson. Ask students what kind of animal they see. (a sea turtle) Where is this sea turtle? (on a beach) What is the name of the habitat? (sandy shoreline or ocean) What else do students notice in the image? Tell students this is a green turtle and many green turtles live in the ocean around Florida. They nest in several states along the Atlantic coast, such as Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. Show students where these states are on a map, and tell them they will learn more about green sea turtles later in the les-son. Green turtles were once a popular delicacy in fi ne restaurants, popular enough to almost drive them to extinction.

Ask students why this habitat is important to sea turtles. (It meets their survival needs better than other habitats.) What would happen if the sea turtle could not live here? (It would have to move, probably to a place that was not as good for it.) What would it be like for the sea turtle to fi nd a new home? Guide students to understand that all animals have habitats where they live. They have food to eat and safe places to sleep. Even when animals travel to other places to make nests and lay eggs, they often return to their original habitats. If animals have to perma-nently move to other habitats for any reason, this decreases the number of animals that live in that area and changes the conditions in the habitat. Remind students that animals are in particular habitats because those are the ones that they are best suited for.

Tell students that a natural environment is the physical, natural conditions that surround people, animals, and plants and affect their growth. All habitats are affected by the conditions that surround them. Thus, environments can have unnatural elements, such as introduced species, introduced materials, and changed landforms. These conditions can be good or bad for the habitat and the organisms that live there. Plants and animals that live in a habitat are those that have best adapted to that natural environment over time.

5 Min

10 Min

Explain that habitats can change because of natural or human events. Natural events are events caused by nature, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or even heavy rains. Heavy rain and strong winds change forests and shorelines. Wind (and sometimes water) changes deserts. Human events include removal of plants and animals, introduction of new species, changing topography, and introduction of chemicals or buildings. Fires can be considered both a natural and human event, as humans or lightening can spark a fi re.


1 With your partner, fully describe the image at the beginning of the lesson. (The image shows the ocean, sand, shoreline, and a turtle on the beach.)

2 How does this habitat help the turtle survive? (This is where the turtle fi nds food, water, and shelter that meet its basic needs for survival.)

3 Tell another student everything you know about the turtle in the image. (It has a hard shell, big feet, a small head, and a nose.) How do you think these things are important to the turtle’s survival? (Its hard

shell protects it from the sun and animals that may try to attack; its big feet help it swim in the ocean and crawl on land; its small head fi ts well in the shell to protect it from an enemy.)



Explore: Introduce the ConceptReview with students the habitat areas around the classroom. Discuss animals and plants that live in those habitats. Ask students what animals must have in their habitats. (food, water, oxygen, and shelter) How do animals interact with each other in their habitats? (They may compete for common food and water sup-plies. Sometimes, they take over another animal’s shelter after an animal has left. Predators depend on prey for nutrition.) Guide students to understand that there is a link among all living things within an environment.

Ask students to look around the classroom. What nonliving things do they see? (books, lights, bookcases, clock, blocks, paper, and crayons) What living things do they see? (Answers might include people, fi sh, plants, and ants.)

Remind students that a habitat can be large or small. If you are a butterfl y, your habitat might be a garden with many fl owers. If you are a beaver, your habitat is a pond with surrounding trees and bushes. Explain that living things can affect and change their habitats. Ask students how beavers make their dams and lodges and how this may change their habitat. (They gnaw at trees and cut them down to make their dams and lodges.) Over time, beavers may eat so many trees that they have to move to a new location to fi nd wood and food. This is one example of how a habitat changes naturally over time.

10 Min

Lab ActivityBuild a Desert Environment

Preparation ● Use either the Animal Picture Cards from Lesson 1 or the Habitat bucket with

the index cards. ● Put the approximate amount of sand that each team will need in one of the two

large, aluminum pans and the approximate amount of gravel each team will need in one of the two large, aluminum pans.


Tell students they will build a small desert environment. Remind them that an envi-ronment can be large or small, and it has living and nonliving things.

Place a sheet of black paper in front of each student. Then ask students to take a little sand and gently sprinkle it on the paper. Instruct them to look closely at the sand with their magnifying glasses. Ask them what they notice. (very tiny bits of sand) Then ask students to touch the sand. How does the sand feel? (rough, gritty) Have students write their observations in their Science Notebooks.

Lab ActivityBuild a Desert Environment

7

Examine the sand closely. Spread a spoonful onto the paper. Use a magnifying glass to examine it. Touch it. How does it feel? Write your observations in your Science Notebook.

Pour one centimeter of gravel into the pan. Spread it out evenly. Describe how it looks. Then cover it with four centimeters of sand. Where does the sand go?

You have made a desert environment. Place the desert environment in a sunny place.

Sand Dunes

49Lesson 7 What Happens to Animals When Their Habitats Change?48 Animals

MATERIALS

For the Class

● (2) large, aluminum pans

Per Team

● (1) set of Animal Picture Cards from Lesson 1

● (1) aluminum pan ● (1) ruler* ● gravel* ● sand* ● small pebbles*

Per Student

● (2) rubber bands ● (1) magnifying glass ● (1) pair of gloves ● (1) sheet of black paper


20 Min



Instruct team members to put about one centimeter of gravel in their pan and make sure that it covers the bottom of the pan. Then direct them to cover the gravel with sand. The sand should be about four centimeters deep. Encourage students to use their rulers to measure the depth. Instruct them to scatter a few pebbles over the sand.

Ask a student from each team to put the desert environment in a sunny place in the classroom. Remind students that a desert environment usually gets a lot of sun and not much water. Ask students what is living in this environment and what is nonliving. (There is nothing that is living. Sand is nonliving.) Hand out animal cards to each team and ask students to identify which animals might live in an actual desert environment. Remind students that animals are a living part of an environment. Tell students that they will use their desert environments in the next lesson.


1 Think-Pair-Share about the survival of an animal that lives in the ocean. Make sure you describe what the animal looks like and how this helps it survive. (Answers might include that fi sh have fi ns

that help them swim to get food, and they have gills to take oxygen from the water.)

2 What would happen if you were able to remove all the sand in a desert or all the trees in a forest? (The whole environment would change; some animals and plants would not live, while others would adapt to fi t into the new environment.)

3 Tell how each of the following is correct or not correct: Black bears live in the forest. (Correct; they require animals and berries found in the forest for food.) Cactus wrens live in the desert. (Correct; they are adapted to a desert environment.) Desert animals need lots of water to live. (Not correct; they

have adapted to an environment that has little water.) The forest has lots of trees in its habitat. (Correct; that is what makes it a forest.)


Lead students to understand how wind and rain affect habitats. Discuss rainstorms and windstorms in your community and how they affect plants and trees.

Learn More

Coconut Palm Trees Blowing in a Storm

Tree Bent Over by Years of Wind

Wind and RainAnimals in an environment need water. Plants also need water so they can grow. Rain may provide the water they need. Too much wind and rain can

harm wild animals. Many birds build nests near ponds, lakes, and oceans. Big waves and strong winds can ruin their nests. Other birds build nests in trees and bushes. Wind and rain can knock their

nests out of the trees. Over time, as strong winds push against a tree trunk, the wind can affect the way the tree grows.

7

51Lesson 7 What Happens to Animals When Their Habitats Change?50 Animals


1 Describe a natural event. (Answers might include: Tornadoes have high-speed rotating winds that can destroy land and houses; fl oods have a lot of water that rises, causing damage to homes; hurri-

canes have high winds and blow water inland, causing water and wind damage; fi res burn down forests and homes.)

2 Have you ever had a natural event cause problems for you and your family? Share with a person in your team what happened and when it happened. (Answers may include a windstorm that blew the roof off the home, fl oods in the house, a fi re destroying homes, and so on.)

3 Imagine that you are a scientist who has been asked to study the effects of wind on the desert. How would you do this? (Students should note that they would need to fi nd information, study the

facts, and set up an experiment with what wind could do.)

10 Min




EnvironmentsThere are many different kinds of environments, both inside and outside. An indoor environment includes everything inside a living space—tables, windows, chairs, human beings, and plants. An outdoor environment includes grass, soil, trees, ani-mals, sand, rocks, and water. Both living things and nonliving things are contained in both types of environments. In order for an environment to become a habitat or ecosystem, there must be animals and plants. Animals and plants in a habitat or ecosystem are interconnected and depend on each other in many ways. Many of these organisms also compete directly for the same resources.

All environments change over time. Natural events, such as tornadoes, thunder-storms, or high winds cause some changes, while humans cause other environ-mental changes. When an environment changes, these changes affect the animals and plants that live in the habitat or ecosystem. For example, if an oak tree is destroyed, the populations of animals that live in the oak tree do not have shelter. Squirrels, robins, chipmunks, and foxes have to fi nd new places to live. Populations of animals who eat acorns, leaves, and small insects on or inside the bark would not have food. They would have to fi nd food elsewhere. The population of ani-mals that fi nd shade under an oak tree would have to seek another shady place to rest. This would have a negative effect on the habitat. When the basic needs of animals—food, shelter, oxygen, and water—are not met, animals cannot live. If animals live in a limited habitat that does not meet all their needs, it can lead to the extinction of a variety of species.

Evaluate: Refl ect on the LessonHow well were students able to distinguish between living and nonliving parts of an environment?

This is a challenging topic, so students need only to have a basic understanding of what is nonliving and living in an environment. After students build their environ-ments, they should be able to identify that sand and gravel were nonliving parts of the environment. Students should now be familiar enough with the animals to match the appropriate animal card to the environment where it would live.




LESSON 7 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. What helps an animal to grow and survive?A. its predatorsB. its preyC. its environment

2. Which of the following is a natural event? A. tornadoB. fl oodC. Both A and B are natural events.

3. Draw a picture of a sea turtle in its habitat. On the lines below, identify the turtle’s habitat and describe some things that help and protect the turtle.



Lesson OverviewDiscuss the Big Idea: How do people change animals’ habitats? (People change habitats when they clear land; cut down trees for housing and farming; build houses close to freshwater or saltwater habitats; or introduce new substances, plants, or animals to the area.)

Recognize that people can affect and change habitats.

Explain what people do to affect or change habitats.


● affect – to infl uence somebody or something ● pollute – to add unwanted substances to natural environments


Extend understanding through the Learn More section in the Student Lab Manual. Students will learn how the land looked before there were humans living on it.



How Do People Change Animals’ Habitats?

LESSON 8

LESSON 8

How DoPeople

Change Animals’

Habitats?

What grew on the land before your school was built?

What animals might have lived in this habitat?

5352


● identify reasons why people affect habitats. ● describe how people affect or change habitats.

115Lesson 8 How Do People Change Animals’ Habitats?


Preparing for the Lesson Students will use the desert environment from the previous lesson.


Engage: Start the LessonDirect student attention to the image at the beginning of the lesson. Ask students what animal is in the image. (a moose) What is the moose doing? (drinking pond water) How would you describe the habitat you see? (pond, marsh, wetlands, for-est) Where do you think moose sleep at night? (in the forest, probably near the pond) What do moose eat? (leaves, grass, and berries) Guide students to under-stand that this habitat provides all the basic needs that moose need. Moose drink water from ponds and streams. They sleep in the forest where they are protected. They fi nd berries and other plants in the forests and marshes.

Tell students that people often affect or change environments. Direct their atten-tion to the image again and ask students how people could affect this environ-ment. Where would the moose go if people cut down all the trees? (They would have to fi nd a new place to fi nd food and to sleep.) What would happen if people built houses around the pond? (The moose would have to fi nd a new place to drink water.) What might happen if people introduced new substances, plants, or animals to the moose habitat? Lead students to understand that not all changes in the envi-ronment are caused by natural events.

Explain that people change the environment and it is usually not in the best interest of animals and plants. People dispose of trash and chemicals in fi elds and woods. This pollutes habitats. Factories and farms can introduce harmful mate-rial into the ground, rivers, and lakes. Pollution harms the environment and the animals, plants, and people living there. People build structures, like houses and barns, they plow fi elds, they add fertilizer and pesticides to soil, and they interfere with natural drainage. All of these actions can change a habitat.

5 Min

10 Min

Explore: Introduce the ConceptReview with students what animals need to survive. (food, water, oxygen, and shelter) Remind them that these basic needs must be available for animals to sur-vive. When one of these needs is taken away, the animals that live in a habitat are reduced in number, move, or die. Animals without adequate resources for life may become weak or sick. Then, they become easy prey for predators. Ask students what people do to affect or change an environment. (clear land, chop down trees, build houses near water, introduce chemicals and trash) How have you seen habi-tats in your community changed? Guide students to understand that people clear land or remove trees because they want to use land to build houses or plant crops. People build houses near water because they want to be close to it.

Guide students to understand that all birds and mammals need safe places to eat, drink water, breathe, and live. Birds and insects that migrate must have safe fl ight paths to travel. Sea mammals must have safe routes to migrate in the ocean. Land mammals must have safe routes to travel on land. Remind students that everything on our planet is interconnected. When trees are cut down or houses are built too close to lakes and oceans, animal and plant life is affected or even destroyed. If houses are built in the middle of routes where animals travel when they migrate, this changes their lives.


1 Describe as many details as you can of what you see in the image at the beginning of the lesson. (A moose is drinking water in a stream in the forest.)

2 Think-Pair-Share something that you know people do that might change the habitat for the moose in the image. (Answers might include: Someone could start a fi re that would destroy the forest and kill the moose; people could pollute the water that could poison the moose; people might build houses that will take the land away from the moose.)

3 The moose in the image has big antlers. How would antlers help it survive in the forest? (The antlers help to fi ght enemies and to challenge other moose.)

10 Min



Lab ActivityBuild Houses in the Desert Environment

Divide the class evenly into teams. You may wish to use the same teams as from Lesson 7.

Distribute materials to each team. Instruct students to observe their desert environment in detail. Give them time to look at examples of animals and plants that might grow in the desert. Use any available resources that include images of plants and animals in their desert habitats. Ask students to compare their simulated desert with the images and to write about these comparisons in their Science Notebooks.

Ask students to place their houses on their desert habitat wherever they want to have them. They may want to build houses only in one part, or they may want to cover the whole desert. Perhaps they only want to build one or two houses. As they build their houses, ask students to think about what goes with a house, such as driveways, streets, lawns, and playgrounds. Then, ask students to con-sider the animals that live there before the houses are built. Encourage students to think about the following.

Lab ActivityBuild Houses on the Desert

Environment

8

Houses in a Desert Community

Observe the desert environment that you created. Now, look at some images of desert habitats. Describe all of the animals and plants that you see living in the desert. Compare your habitat with the images. Write about your comparisons in your Science Notebook.

Talk with your teammates. Discuss how many houses you want to build on your desert land. Place model houses in the environment in ways that might be like a housing development. Then, think about animals that live in the desert. Discuss the following with your teammates.

If cacti, trees, and shrubs are cut down, where will animals fi nd shelter, water, and food?

If water is added to grow grass around the houses, how might this affect the environment?

In addition to building houses, how do people change habitats when they build communities?

Think about what the desert environment would be like if the air, water, or soil got polluted. Make notes in your Science Notebook.

55Lesson 8 How Do People Change Animals’ Habitats?54 Animals

MATERIALS

For the Class

● nature magazines and books about desert habitats*

Per Team

● (10) small plastic houses

● (1) desert environment from Lesson 7*


20 Min

● Where will these animals fi nd shelter if there are many houses? ● Where will they fi nd food and water? ● If cacti, trees, and shrubs are cut down, where will animals fi nd shelter,

water, and food? ● If water is added to grow grass around the houses, how might this affect

the environment? ● What happens to water that runs off from the streets and driveways?

Challenge students to think about how people change habitats when they build new communities.

Ask students to think about what the desert environment would look like if the air, water, or soil becomes polluted. Have them make notes in their Science Notebooks.


1 Determine which of these three statements is correct and explain your choice: Houses cannot be built in a desert. Human communities built in areas where there is a lot of rain will not do well.

Building a new community of people affects the life in a habitat. (The third or last statement is correct because we can build anywhere and water is not a problem.)

2 Determine which of these three statements is correct and explain your choice: All animals and plants must be removed when you build a new community. People can pollute an environment. Building

houses in a desert has no affect on the environment. (The second statement is correct because it is possible to build around plants and building houses always affects the environment.)




Direct student attention to the leaf and animal fossil images. Lead a discussion about the importance of fossils to scientists because they help them learn more about what lived on Earth long ago.

10 Min

Learn More

Animal Fossil

Leaf Fossil

8Changing EarthEvery place on Earth changes. Some changes are quick, like after a hurricane or a forest fi re. Some changes take a very long time. Some changes are good.

Some changes hurt the environment. Animals and plants have been on Earth a very long time. Scientists learn about some of them from fossils. Fossils are remains of animals and plants that you can see in

rocks. Have you ever seen a fossil? They are found all over the world. Fossils give scientists ideas of what Earth was like millions of years ago.

57Lesson 8 How Do People Change Animals’ Habitats?56 Animals


1 What makes fossils important for scientists to study? (The study of fossils helps scientists learn about animals, plants, and life that lived years ago. It helps them study changes on Earth and the envi-

ronment and gives them facts to help in the future.)

2 Where have you seen a fossil and what did you learn from it? (Fossils can be found all over Earth. Students may have seen them in museums or images of them in books. Fossils tell people a lot about life in the past.)

3 Share with a partner one or two things you learned about how people change Earth’s habitat. (Answers might include that people affect habitats by clearing the land to build communities, and

that people can destroy habitats by causing pollution.)




DeforestationOne of the greatest impacts on animals and plant habitats is deforestation. As for-ests are cut down and cleared for highways, agriculture, and housing, animals and plants must fi nd new habitats and food sources or die. At one time, about half of the United States was forested. Most of the land was cleared of old-growth, origi-nal forests by 1920. Today, deforestation continues at a much slower pace, and, in fact, has stabilized in most parts of the United States, except for small areas of the West and Alaska. Where large areas of forests were cut down years ago, there are now second-growth forests. Many new forests have been planted. Unfortunately, second-growth and planted forests do not provide the same richness and variety of habitat as did the original forests that had grown for thousands of years.

Another place where deforestation has expanded is in rain forests throughout the developing world. These forests are either cut down to use for other purposes or they are cleared for crops and grazing. Some parts of the rain forest are left wild, while other parts are developed. Rain forests do not have very rich soil. After clearing for crops and animals, in a few years the thin soil is no longer suitable for agriculture, and more forests are cleared and planted.

Brazilian rain forests are of particular concern because some scientists believe they could be gone by the end of the century. The world’s rainforests contain the widest variety of life on Earth. There are kinds of insects that have not been discovered yet. There are plants that may provide cures for a variety of diseases. Many important

cures have already been discovered, and there could be many more if rain forests are not destroyed before scientists have opportunities to talk with local people about local plants.

Evaluate: Refl ect on the LessonWere students able to understand how people affect and change natural habitats and environments?

Students at this age should have a basic understanding that human interference affects nature and that people change natural habitats for different reasons, such as to make products or to build houses. They should understand that these changes could be harmful to the plants and animals that live there, causing them to move to new places or die.

Did you help students decide what evidence is needed to answer a (Big Idea) scientifi c question?

When students conduct the lesson activity, provide the opportunity for them to decide what evidence is needed to answer the Big Idea. Help students discuss what evidence is needed so they stop thinking about all science having right or wrong answers, but focus more on gathering a range of evidence.




LESSON 8 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. Pollute meansA. to clean or to add good things to the natural environments.B. to make dirty or add unwanted materials to the environment.C. to plant new fl owers and trees and make a new environment.

2. Name two things that cause pollution.

P oll ution P oll utionPollution Pollution

3. Think of one way people cause pollution. Draw a picture of it, and explain your drawing.



What Is an Animal?LESSON 1 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. Circle the features insects have.exoskeletons produces milk three pairs of legs antennae

2. Which is a feature of a reptile?A. They are cold-blooded.B. They have scaly skin.C. Both A and B are reptile features.

3. Draw a picture of a mammal, making sure to include some of its features. On the line below it, label what your mammal is.Students should include such features as hair, eyes, ears, and so on.

127Assessment Keys


LESSON 2 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. For which of the following are antennae used?A. touchingB. smellingC. Both A and B

2. Name two features of the Great Gray Owl.

3. Draw a picture of one thing you learned about an animal’s features that helps it meet a basic need. Under your drawing, label that feature.Students should draw such things as antennae, ears, eyes, and so on.

G rea t Gr a y Owl

Big eyes Ears under feathers

Great Gray Owl



LESSON 3 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. The place where an animal lives is called itsA. dwellingB. spaceC. habitat

2. Many animals make trees their homes. In the box under each part of the tree below, list an animal that might live there.

3. If a tree were cut down, what would happen to the many animals that live there?A. They would have to adapt. B. They could die. C. Both A and B are correct.

insects squirrels chipmunks

129Assessment Keys


LESSON 4 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. What is the forest fl oor?A. under the ground, below the tree rootsB. the ground under the trees, including the shrubs and bushesC. in the fi rst high part of the tree

2. Identify four animals that survive well in forests.

3. Draw the forest fl oor. Be sure to include some animals that live there and the food they eat from the forest fl oor.Students may draw deer, moose, raccoons, fox, rabbits, and other animals eating leaves, pinecones, acorns, and so on.

rab bitbear dear fox

A ni m al s th a t li v e i n th e fo re s tAnimals that live in the forest

bear dear fox rabbit



LESSON 5 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. What is a large, sandy, dry area where there is little rain?A. rigidB. tautC. desert

2. Which is a plant that adapts to sandy, dry areas?A. palm treeB. cactusC. fi cus

3. What are some animals that can live in dry, sandy habitats? Search across and down, and circle the words when you fi nd the right answers.

l p s n a k e p t z

i f e a u s g q o m

z u s n a k e s r f

a c x t r a k f t t

r a b b i t z z o o

d d e s e r t v i r

j l a s t i g b s x

r o a d r u n n e r

131Assessment Keys


LESSON 6 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. What is a large body of freshwater that is surrounded by land? A. ocean B. river C. lake

2. What is freshwater that fl ows into a lake, an ocean, or another river? A. lakeB. riverC. ocean

3. Draw a picture of an animal that lives in a freshwater habitat. Draw its habitat, too. Label your animal.Students may draw pictures of deer, beaver, duck, bird, turtle, fi sh, frog, and so on.



LESSON 7 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. What helps an animal to grow and survive?A. its predatorsB. its preyC. its environment

2. Which of the following is a natural event? A. tornadoB. fl oodC. Both A and B are natural events.

3. Draw a picture of a sea turtle in its habitat. On the lines below, identify the turtle’s habitat and describe some things that help and protect the turtle.Student drawings will vary. They should draw a sandy shoreline or ocean and say the turtle’s feet help it to swim, its shell protects it from its predators, and its habitat helps it to survive.

133Assessment Keys


LESSON 8 LCU

Scientist’s Name


1. Pollute meansA. to clean or to add good things to the natural environments.B. to make dirty or add unwanted materials to the environment.C. to plant new fl owers and trees and make a new environment.

2. Name two things that cause pollution.Possible answers are gasoline and chemicals.

3. Think of one way people cause pollution. Draw a picture of it, and explain your drawing.Answers will vary. Possible answers are throwing garbage in rivers and oceans.

P oll ution P oll utionPollution Pollution


Note details that you discover during the science lesson by using your senses.

Scientist Name Date

Observe science concepts using your senses.

Science Topic

Sight Sound Touch Taste Smell

You may know about the Big Idea or science topic from reading or real life activities. Fill in what you know and what you want to know before beginning the Lab Activity. After complet-ing the activity, fi ll in what you learned.

Scientist Name Date

What I Know / What I Want to Know / What I Learned

Science Topic or Big Idea

What I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned

135Graphic Organizers


Describe how two subjects are different in the outer circles. Write details about how the two subjects are alike in the inner (overlapping) circles.

Scientist Name Date

Venn Diagram

To

pic

:To

pic

:

Write your hypothesis in fi rst box. List reasons that describe your thinking in the next set of boxes (middle). As you work on the Lab Activity, list the details that support the hypothesis in the last column of boxes labeled support.

Scientist Name Date

Create Your Hypothesis


My Thinking

My Thinking

My Thinking

Hypothesis

Support

Support

Support

Support

Support

Support

Support

Support

Support


Organize your Science Lab Activity by listing the materials you will use and the steps needed for success (you may not have this many steps). Note the details to remember what happens in each step of the Science Lab Activity.

Materials

Steps Details

Step:

Step:

Step:

Step:

Step:

Scientist Name Date

Science Lab Activity Steps

Use the web to organize what you already know and what you learn about the Big Idea or science topic. Place it in the center oval. Write things you know in the large ovals and details learned from the Lab Activity in the small ovals.

Scientist Name Date

Big Idea Web


Big Idea


Write the science vocabulary word in the center circle. List words, phrases, and draw pictures that will help you remember the meaning of the science vocabulary word in the small circles.

Scientist Name Date

Science Vocabulary Web I

Vocabulary Word

Write the science vocabulary word in the center box. List words, phrases, and draw pictures that will help you remember the meaning of the science vocabulary word in the small circles.

Scientist Name Date

Science Vocabulary Web II


VocabularyWord


Name the Big Idea or science topic in the center circle. Write the ideas discussed in class on the slanted lines. Record science details learned from the Lab Activity on the branching lines.

Scientist Name Date

Big Idea Map

Big Idea/Science Topic

Organize your Lab Activity by fi rst placing the science topic on chart. List the order the activity will be conducted for success (you may not have this many steps).

Science Topic

First

Next

Next

Next

Next

Next

Next

Last

Scientist Name Date

Science Lab Activity Steps



Write the science topic or Big Idea on the trunk. Use the branches to organize the details from information gathered during the Lab Activity and your reading.

Scientist Name Date

Up in the Trees with Science

Big Idea/

Science Topic

Write the science topic or Big Idea in the top box. List steps needed for the Lab Activity, or the science events for the topic that fl ow from one to another.

Scientist Name Date

Science Flow Chart

Science Topic or Big Idea:



Place the science topic or Big Idea in the top box. Use the chart to organize information or the Lab Activity on this topic. You may not need every box.

Scientist Name Date

Science Big Idea Open Chart

Science Topic or Big Idea

Place the science topic or Big Idea in the center and put words, ideas, or notes about your topic around the wheel.

Scientist Name Date

Science Topic Wheel

Big Idea



Topic: Topic:

The T-chart is used to compare details on two related science topics . Write each topic in the space below. The record details in each column that describe each topic.

Scientist Name Date

Scientist T-Chart


Appendix B: Glossary adapt – to change with new conditions; those that adapt are more likely to survive

affect – to infl uence somebody or something

antennae – a pair of feelers on the head of an insect used for touching, smelling, and sometimes detecting sounds

bird – an animal with a body covered in feathers, two wings, a backbone, and a beak

cactus – a spiny plant that grows in hot, dry areas

cold-blooded – an animal whose body temperature changes with the temperature of its surroundings

community – a group of organisms within a habitat

conserve – to use something sparingly and not exhaust supplies

desert – a large, sandy, dry area where there is little rain

diurnal – active during the day

environment – conditions that surround people, animals, and plants and affect their growth

forest – a large area of land where many trees and plants grow

forest fl oor – the ground under forest trees, including the shrubs and bushes grow-ing there

freshwater – inland bodies of water that have little salt

habitat – a place where an organism lives, like its address in nature

hibernate – to spend time in a deep, sleep-like state

151Glossary

insect – a small animal; most have three pairs of legs, one or two pairs of wings, and a hard outer skeleton

lake – a large body of freshwater that is surrounded by land

mammal – an animal that is covered with hair or fur and produces milk

migrate – to move from one place to another

natural event – something caused by nature

nocturnal – active at night

nutrient – food; something that provides nourishment

ocean – large body of salt water

pitch – highness or lowness of a sound

pollute – to add unwanted substances to natural environments

pond – a small body of freshwater that is surrounded by land

predator – an animal that hunts other animals for food

prey – an animal that is hunted by other animals for food

reptile – an animal that is covered in scales or scutes

river – freshwater that fl ows into or out of a lake, or into another river, or an ocean

salt water – water that contains a noticeable amount of salt

warm-blooded – an animal that maintains a constant body temperature

Animals

Animals-Teacher Edition V2

Documents

Transcript of Animals-Teacher Edition V2