INSPIRE
2nd Grade Life Science Program
Classroom and Gallery Lessons
TEACHER GUIDE
Inspire: Reach Every Child
Description
Students will explore, participate in, and
identify the interactions between living
organisms and their habitats. Ohio’s habitats
and wildlife will be the focus as students
meet some of the Museum’s live animals and
work with hands-on activities in the
classroom and tour Museum galleries. In
addition, students will learn about
prehistoric organisms that lived long ago, but
are now extinct because their habitat needs
were no longer met.
Objectives
 Learn the basic needs of all living
organisms
 Observe that plants and animals live in
certain areas
 Explore several habitats, modern and
prehistoric
 Investigate adaptations of modern and
prehistoric animals
 Classify animals based upon what they eat:
plants, animals or both
 Identify fossil fish, dinosaurs, and
mammals that are extinct and discuss
how their needs were no longer met
Ohio’s Learning Standards
Grade 2: Interactions within Habitats
This topic focuses on how ecosystems work by observations of simple interactions between
the biotic/living and abiotic/nonliving parts of an ecosystem. Just as living things impact the
environment in which they live, the environment impacts living things
 Some kinds of individuals that once lived on Earth have completely disappeared, although
they were something like others that are alive today.
 Living things function and interact with their physical environment, both living and nonliving.
 Living things cause changes in the environments where they live; the changes can be very
noticeable or slightly noticeable, fast or slow
Produced and published by the Education Division
1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106 8/23/16
Before Your Museum Visit
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For many students, this will be their first trip to the Museum. Please share the online
student video with your class
https://ww.cmnh.org/learn/inspire/for-the-teacher
After the video, you may want to discuss the following:
o What is a Museum?
o What is our purpose for visiting The Cleveland Museum of Natural History?
o How should we handle objects at the Museum?
Complete the pre-visit activity with your class (teacher instructions are included online)
https://ww.cmnh.org/learn/inspire/for-the-teacher
Introduce the vocabulary provided below.
Vocabulary
adaptation – things an organism has to help it survive
bird – an animal with feathers, lungs and lays eggs
carnivore – a meat-eating animal
Dunkleosteus- (Dunk-ul-ah-stee-us) a Devonian period armored fish
extinct – an organism that is no longer alive anywhere on Earth
fish – an animal that lives in the water, has gills, fins and scales
fossil – the traces or remains of a once living organism from prehistoric times
habitat – the place where organisms find the food, water, and shelter they need in order to live
and reproduce
herbivore – a plant-eating animal
living – organisms that are composed of cells, that grow, reproduce, use air and energy and can
change or react to their environment
mammal – an animal that has hair or fur, feeds its young milk, and gives live birth
modern – something that exists now
non-living – not having the characteristics of a living organism; either a dead organism or an
object that was never alive
omnivore – an animal that eats both meat and plants
prehistoric – from the time before recorded history; approximately 5000 yrs ago
reptile – an animal that has scales, has lungs for breathing and lays eggs
Produced and published by the Education Division
1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106 8/23/16
Post-visit Activities
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Have fun completing the post visit, “Be the Creature” game with your class
https://ww.cmnh.org/learn/inspire/for-the-teacher
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Pass out permission slips for the student evaluation activity
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Please complete the online teacher survey (You will receive a gift card to thank you for your time)
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Mail back your student evaluation activity sheets (Your class will receive a thank you gift)
Extension Activities
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Draw pictures of animals before your Museum visit and afterward
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Read stories of animals that include descriptions of behavior and habitat
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Discuss the similarities and differences between humans and other animals
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Create a play, "The Life of a(n) _________". Students can choose the animal and feature its
behavior, habitat, and interactions with other animals and plants.
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Set up a bird feeder outside and observe the different birds or other animals that use it. Over
a period of weeks, try changing the foods in the feeder (sunflower seeds, millet or suet are
examples).Predict whether or not the same animals will appear, or if they will be replaced by
different ones. Observe and list any changes.
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Investigate how plants and animals differ in their basic needs, yet can share the same habitat
and often need each other to survive. Try this for a variety of habitats including forest,
meadow, lawn and pond.
Online Resources for Teachers and Students
Click the link below to find additional online resources for teachers and students. These websites
are recommended by our Museum Educators and provide additional content information and
some fun, interactive activities to share with your class.
CMNH Educators regularly review these links for quality. Web addresses often change so please
notify us if any links have issues.
Cleveland Museum of Natural History https://cmnh.org/edlinks
Produced and published by the Education Division
1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106 8/23/16
Educator Resource Center (ERC)
Materials for Loan
The Educator Resource Center offers
educator workshops, thematic teaching
kits, animal dioramas, and more for loan to
area teachers.
Contact the ERC at 216-231-2075 for
information on individual or school
membership.
Visit the Museum’s ERC website for more
information on workshops
https://www.cmnh.org/ERC
Hours
o Monday through Friday, 1 to 5 PM
o Wednesday, 1 to 6 PM
o Saturday, 9 AM to 2 PM
If you’re interested in additional resources be
sure to check out the following ERC materials or
browse ERC materials online at
http://cmnh.hosting.l4u.com
Related ERC kits for this topic include:
Wetlands Habitat: Investigate wetland habitats
using simple collecting equipment, field guides,
and animal track molds.
Native Ohio Plants: Explore Ohio's native plants
with specimens and field guides. Students will
learn how to identify trees through leaves, seeds,
and twigs that they encounter every day.
Ohio Animals: Toys, rubbing plates, crafts,
posters, big books, identification cards, and over
a dozen puppets introduce students to local Ohio
wildlife.
Ohio Birds: Thirty taxidermied Ohio birds in clear
plastic tubes for study, plus and audio CD
birdsong guidebook set.
Produced and published by the Education Division
1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle, Cleveland, OH 44106 8/23/16