Forest and Meadow Habitats

Transcription

1 Forest and Meadow Habitats This thematic unit presents two habitats which are often found close together --- forest and meadow - and the animals found in each. There are opportunities for students to investigate, think, discuss and learn. Background information for teachers to share with their students is presented. Questions to focus attention are included. Starting with habitat awareness, activities and projects branch across the curriculum. Pages in this unit provide material for: Language Activities Literature Extenders Science Connections Math Concepts Bulletin Boards How to use this unit: The information pages are identified by a tree symbol in the upper right-hand corner. Information for the teacher is presented in a box on each page. Simplified student information is presented under the illustration. You may wish to reproduce these pages for students to compile into a habitats booklet. Preparation for your unit: 1. Prepare the information center described on page Check your audiovisual catalog to see what films or videos are available for you to share with your class. 3. Explore community resources for possible speakers and plan field trip experiences. Groups such as the Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, and your local chapter of the S.P.C.A. or Humane Society frequently have members available to share information with classes. 4. Gather books from your school and public library to place in the information center. The bibliography on the inside back cover contains some suggested resources, but is by no means a complete listing of what is available by Evan-Moor Corp. 1 Forest and Meadow

2 Forest and Meadow Information Center Place a table in front of a bulletin board. Cover the board with butcher paper. Place a title on the board: Learning about Forests and Meadows. Use either side of the poster from this book as the focal point of the bulletin board. Leave space around the poster to display samples of student work from the unit. Place books about forest and meadow habitats and animals on the table. This is also a good place to put collections gathered during the unit - leaves, tree bark, a jar containing a snail, etc. If you have room on the board, put up pockets to hold activity sheets, writing paper, picture cards, etc., that the children can explore in their free time. Learning about forests & 1995 by Evan-Moor Corp. 2 Forest and Meadow

3 Introduction What is a habitat? A habitat is a place where plants and animals naturally live. It is a place where there is air to breathe, food to eat, water to drink and shelter for protection. The plants and animals in a given habitat have developed adaptations to enable them to survive in that habitat. For example, the shape of coniferous trees allows them to withstand the weight of snow; deciduous trees, on the other hand, must shed their leaves to survive cold winters. The coloration of rabbits helps them to blend into the ground and escape the sharp night vision of owls. About the habitats in this book Forests and meadows are habitats often found in close proximity to each other. The animals mentioned in this unit often spend time in both habitats. There are a number of types of forests. The one portrayed here is a Mixed Forest, made up of both evergreen and deciduous trees. While not all the animals discussed could be found in every forest or meadow, they represent a composite of forest and meadow animal life. It was not possible to include all the plants and animals that live in forest and meadow habitats. Should you wish to extend your study beyond what is covered in this unit, perhaps to include those common to your locality, here are some suggestions: Forest Habitat: fox, bear, opossum, raccoon, bat, skunk, woodpecker, bobcat, wild turkey, porcupine Meadow Habitat: meadowlark, lizard, field mouse, hawk, butterfly, snake, ladybug Getting Started 1. An introductory discussion: What is a habitat? How many habitats can the class name? Who or what lives there? What do we need in our habitat to live and grow? What makes a good habitat? Do people live in only one kind of habitat? A Habitat is a Home A habitat gives plants and animals a safe place to live and grow. A good habitat has four things: to breathe to eat to drink for protection Draw a picture of you in your habitat. Show how it is a good habitat. 2. Do the activity on page by Evan-Moor Corp. 4 Habitats-Forest & Meadow 1995 by Evan-Moor Corp. 3 Forest and Meadow

4 A Habitat is a Home A habitat gives plants and animals a safe place to live and grow. A good habitat has four things: 1. to breathe 2. to eat 3. to drink 4. for protection Draw a picture of you in your habitat. Show how it is a good habitat by Evan-Moor Corp. 4 Forest and Meadow

5 A Forest Habitat What is a forest? What plants and animals live there? A stream winds slowly through the woods. There are many trees stretching their limbs toward the sun and reaching their roots to the underground water. It is day and an owl sleeps unnoticed on a branch. A woodpecker hammers on the bark searching for insects. Squirrels scamper up and down the trunk and along the limbs and leap from tree to tree. Below, the forest floor is covered with a carpet of fallen leaves. In the leaf litter, insects creep and crawl, snails glide and salamanders keep out of sight. At night the forest is alive with animals that come out to hunt and eat after the sun goes down. The owl listens to the rustling in the leaves below, investigates and then glides over the meadow in search of a meal by Evan-Moor Corp. 5 Forest and Meadow