Lesson Idea | Make a Miniature Habitat

Summary

Grade Range: Kindergarten-2nd
Group Size: 3 students
Active Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Area of Science: Mammalian Biology, Zoology
Key Concepts: Habitats, adaptation
Credits: Svenja Lohner, PhD, Science Buddies

Overview

Get creative with your students in this hands-on lesson plan! Students will use mostly natural materials to build a shoebox habitat that mimics a real-life habitat for an animal of their choice. As they present their miniature habitats to each other, students realize that not all habitats are suitable for all animals. Each animal species needs the resources of a specific habitat to survive.

Learning Objectives

Define habitat and be able to use the vocabulary in a sentence.
• Describe at least two different habitats.
• Explain how a habitat supports the survival of an animal.

NGSS Alignment

This lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations:
• K-ESS-3-1. Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live.
• 2-LS4-1. Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

Materials

• Shoe boxes or plastic containers (1 per group)
• Access to outdoors, or alternatively, natural materials, such as rocks, grass, leaves, twigs, etc.
• Other crafts materials such as Styrofoam, colored paper, paint, clay, play dough, paper, coloring pens, etc.
• Tape
• Scissors
• Glue

For further information about the lesson idea, please visit Science Buddies website.