Habitats and Homes -> 8: Animal Designs Getting Started? Big Ideas Lesson 8: Animal Designs Why do living things need a healthy environment? How can living things be changed by their environment? & Facts and Definitions 8 Skills " Materials Introduction The structure of an animal's body helps it to move. Observe how animals interact with their surroundings (S) Describe animals' basic needs (S) Observe animals' movements and changes (S) Begin to write words (LA) Write beginning consonants of words (LA) "Animals on the Move (Option 1)" "Animals on the Move (Option 2)" "You Can't Live There (Option 1)" "You Can't Live There (Option 2)" 10-20 stuffed animals or animal toys crayons or colored pencils* (Activity 1 - Option 2) notecards scissors and glue* (Activity 1 - Option 2) yarn Ask your child what animals need to live and grow (food, water, and shelter). Discuss that most animals can live in only one or two different habitats, although there are a small number of animals found in many different habitats. The lizard can live in many different types of habitats, while a shark can only live in one aquatic. An animal's body parts and design can also help it live in its habitat. Activities Activity 1: Animals on the Move Explain to your child that all animals have different types of bodies and that they move in many different ways. The body parts of animals allow them to move in their habitats. Choose one of the following options for your child to complete. Option 1 Give your child the sheet called "Animals on the Move" (Option 1). Ask your child to name the animal and the habitat in each picture. Next, read the caption in each box to your child and let her analyze each animal in its habitat. Explain to your child how each animal moves. Then she can circle the body part(s) that help the animals move. Next, ask her to imitate the movements of each animal and explain the body parts she is using to help the animal move. Option 2 (Advanced) age 1
Habitats and Homes -> 8: Animal Designs Give your child the sheet called "Animals on the Move" (Option 2). Ask her to name the habitat shown in each box. Encourage her to write the name of each habitat. Next, read the movement word for each habitat and see if she can think of an animal that moves in that way and lives in that habitat. Ask her to act out each movement. Once she has thought of an animal and acted out its movement, she can print a small picture of the animal from the Internet and paste it in the habitat or draw her own picture of the animal. Discuss the different body parts that help the animals move. Encourage her to circle the body parts that help the animals make the movements described. Activity 2: You Can't Live There Review the idea that each animal needs a habitat where it can live and grow. Remind your child that all living things need the right food, shelter, and water to live and grow. Discuss the idea that most animals can only be found in only one or two environments because any other environments would not provide them with what they need. For example, a polar bear could not live in the desert. Give your child the sheet, "You Can't Live There" (Option 1 or 2). On this page are drawings of four different habitats with animals and plants. Your child should analyze each picture, decide which animals do not belong, and draw a circle around them. As your child finds the living things that do not belong, ask her to explain why each animal would not live in the habitat. If she isn't sure why, you and your child can research the animal on the Internet or in an encyclopedia. Record her reasons on a separate sheet of paper. The sheet for Option 2 is more challenging. Activity 3: Stuffed Animal Sort Gather 10-20 of your child's stuffed animals or animal toys. Then encourage your child to sort them into habitats. Label each habitat with a notecard. You can use yarn circles to make boundaries for the habitats. Next, blindfold your child and put an animal in the wrong habitat. Remove the blindfold and see if she can identify the misplaced animal. When she identifies the out-of-place animal, encourage her to say, "A can't live in the. A lives in the " Example: "A zebra can't live in the arctic. A zebra lives in the grasslands." Repeat with four or five different animals. To make this game more challenging, put three or four different animals in the wrong habitats and see if she can identify all the misplaced animals. Activity 4: The Wrong Habitat Ask your child to tell a creative story about an animal that somehow ends up in the wrong habitat. Ask her to describe how the animal gets there, what happens to it, and finally how it gets back home. Record her story on a separate sheet of paper. Read the story aloud and ask her if there is anything she wants to add or change. Then ask her to draw a picture of the animal first in its correct habitat and then in the wrong habitat it visited in the story. Wrapping Up Review the idea that animals must live in the right habitat to live and grow. An animal's body parts help it to live and move in its habitat. Ask your child to demonstrate the different ways she can move (jump, slide, skip). Then talk about what body parts she is using to aid her movement. Life Application The next time you see an animal or insect, observe its body parts and how they help the creature move. age 2
Habitats and Homes -> 8: Animal Designs Activity 1 - Option 1 age 3
Habitats and Homes -> 8: Animal Designs Activity 1 - Option 1 age 4
Habitats and Homes -> 8: Animal Designs Activity 1 - Option 2 age 5
Habitats and Homes -> 8: Animal Designs Activity 1 - Option 2 age 6
Habitats and Homes -> 8: Animal Designs Activity 2 - Option 1 age 7
Habitats and Homes -> 8: Animal Designs Activity 2 - Option 1 age 8
Habitats and Homes -> 8: Animal Designs Activity 2 - Option 2 age 9
Habitats and Homes -> 8: Animal Designs Activity 2 - Option 2 age 10