TEACHING
GUIDE
TEACHING
Habitats
1st Grade Reading Level
ISBN 978-0-8225-5396-0
2
TEACHING
HABITATS
Standards
Language Arts— • Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process.
Reading
• Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of
informational texts.
• Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media.
Language Arts— • Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process.
Writing
• Gathers and uses information for research purposes.
• Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing.
• Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions.
Language Arts— • Uses listening and speaking strategies for a variety of purposes.
Listening and
Speaking
Science
• Understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
• Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment.
• Understands biological evolution and the diversity of life.
Life Skills
• Displays effective interpersonal communication skills.
Multiple Intelligences Utilized
• Linguistic, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal,
intrapersonal, and naturalistic
Copyright © 2005 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Student pages may be
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resale. No other part of this teaching guide may be reproduced, stored in a
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mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written
permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief
quotations in an acknowledged review.
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Manufactured in the United States of America
2 3 4 5 6 7 – IG – 13 12 11 10 09 08
Books in the Habitats series
include:
Desert
Forest
Ocean
Wetland
TEACHING
Lesson 1
Who Lives There?
Purpose: Students will identify animals and match
them to their natural habitats.
Materials
• Habitats books
• Animals p. 9
• Desert p. 10
• Wetland p. 11
• Ocean p. 12
• Forest p. 13
• pencils
• crayons
• scissors
• glue
Objectives
• Define the terms desert, forest, ocean, and wetland.
• Classify animals by their natural habitats.
• Determine which habitat is the natural habitat of
various animals.
• Contrast various habitats.
• Construct pictures by correctly placing animal figures
on backgrounds depicting four distinct habitats.
• Explain why animals live in specific habitats.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Copy Animals p. 9, Desert p. 10, Wetland p. 11,
Ocean p. 12, and Forest p. 13 for each student.
Pretest
(students)
• What is a habitat? Why do different animals live in
different habitats?
HABITATS
Read
(individual students or pairs)
• Read each of the Habitats books. (This may be done
over several class periods.)
Discuss
(teacher, students)
• Review the four habitats.
• What is a desert like? What animals live in a desert?
Could a whale live in a desert? Why or why not?
(Repeat with each of the four habitats, using various
animal examples.)
Model
(teacher)
• Demonstrate how to color and cut out the animal
figures from Animals p. 9.
• Show students how to glue the animal figures onto
the appropriate habitat background using Desert
p. 10, Wetland p. 11, Ocean p. 12, and Forest p. 13.
Practice
(students)
• Color each of the habitat backgrounds.
• Color and cut out the animal figures from
Animals p. 9.
• Glue each animal figure onto the background that
shows its natural habitat. (This can be done one
habitat at a time, during the class period in which
students read each Habitats book.)
• Students may use the Habitats books to help
determine which animals live in each habitat,
if needed.
Evaluate
(class)
• Which animals belong on the Desert background?
What about the Wetland background? Ocean? Forest?
• Why is each habitat best for the animals that live there?
3
4
TEACHING
HABITATS
Lesson 2
Habitat Mural
Purpose: Students will create murals depicting various
habitats.
Materials
• Habitats books
• butcher paper
• colored construction
paper (large)
• crayons or markers
• scissors
• glue
• magazines or photos
of various habitats
• colored tissue paper,
yarn, etc. (optional)
Objectives
• Describe specific habitats.
• Classify plants by their natural habitats.
• Determine which living organisms belong in a specific
habitat.
• Differentiate between habitats.
• Construct a mural of a habitat.
• Evaluate a class mural.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Cut four pieces of butcher paper to mural size (6
feet, or desired length).
• Label each mural with one of the following headings:
Desert, Forest, Ocean, and Wetland.
• Seperate magazines and photos into forest, desert,
ocean, and wetland groupings.
Pretest
(students)
• What does a forest look like? What kinds of plants
live there?
Read
(class, small groups)
• Read Habitats books. Pay close attention to the
plants that live in each habitat.
Discuss
(class)
• What kinds of plants grow in a forest? What about a
desert? An ocean? A wetland?
Model
(teacher)
• Demonstrate how to scan books and magazines to
help you remember the plants that live in a specific
habitat.
• Using construction paper and markers (or other craft
materials), create a large replica of a plant.
• Glue the plant onto the mural that depicts the
plant’s natural habitat.
Practice
(small groups)
• Each small group will be assigned one habitat.
Group members will review their specific Habitats
book. Then they will scan magazines or photos,
looking for examples of plants. The teacher should
circulate and help, as needed.
• With construction paper and other craft materials
(optional), students will create plants that live in
their specified habitat.
• Students will glue plants to butcher paper to create a
habitat mural.
Evaluate
(class, small groups, teacher)
• Each group will share the title of their mural and
describe the plants found there.
• Teacher evaluates murals for accuracy.
Extension Activity
(small groups)
• Students can add appropriate animals to their habitat
murals.
TEACHING
Lesson 3
Puppet Show
Purpose: Students will create animal puppets and
prepare dramatic presentations involving habitat
themes.
Materials
• Habitats books
• paper lunch bags
• colored construction
paper (8x11)
• crayons or markers
• scissors
• glue
• completed habitat
murals from Lesson 2
• masking tape
Objectives
• Identify animals that live in a specific habitat.
• Visualize an animal.
• Create an animal puppet.
• Classify animals by their natural habitats.
• Prepare a dramatic presentation.
• Evaluate a dramatic performance.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Complete a model of an animal puppet.
• Tape each mural to the side of a table or in the
background of a puppet theater.
• Decide whether students will write their own scripts
or use pre-existing scripts for their performances.
• Copy scripts for each group (optional).
HABITATS
Pretest
(students, teacher)
• What animals live in a wetland? A forest? An ocean?
A desert?
• List these on the board.
Read
(student, small group)
• Read Habitats books.
Discuss
(class, small group)
• What animals live in the habitat about which you
read?
• Add any additional animals to the list on the board.
Model
(teacher)
• Explain that students will be creating animal puppets
and performing puppet shows related to the habitats
they are studying.
• Show students your sample puppet.
• Give a sample monologue using an animal puppet.
Practice
(students, small groups)
• Look at the lists of animals on the board. Choose
one animal from your specified habitat.
• Create a paper bag animal puppet.
• In your small group, (write and) practice your puppet
show.
Evaluate
(students, teacher)
• Small groups will present puppet shows to the class.
• What did you learn about the habitat you studied?
• What did you learn about the other habitats by
watching the puppet shows?
5
6
TEACHING
HABITATS
Lesson 4
Our Local Habitat
Purpose: Students will identify a habitat near their
school and create a mini-book describing its features.
Materials
• Habitats books
• pencils
• lined paper
• clipboards or sturdy
folders
• crayons or colored
•
pencils
mini-book template
pp. 14–15
Objectives
• Describe a local habitat.
• Classify a local habitat.
• Examine the living organisms in a local habitat.
• Inventory the living organisms in a specific habitat.
• Construct a book about a local habitat.
• Summarize some of the characteristics of a habitat.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Copy mini-book template pp. 14-15 for each student.
• Prepare a sample mini-book.
• Arrange to take students for a walk outside the school.
Pretest
(students)
• What kind of habitat do we live in? What habitat is
located near our school?
Read
(student, class)
• Read Habitats books.
Discuss
(teacher, class)
• Is our school located near any of the habitats we
read about? Which one(s)? How do you know?
• Explain that the class is going to take a walk outside
the school to observe the plants and animals nearby.
• Students will take notes (written or drawn) about the
plants and animals they see on their walk. They will
also need to pay attention to the weather.
• After the walk, list the plants and animals observed
on the board.
Model
(teacher, class)
• Show students your completed mini-book.
• Demonstrate how to fold the mini-book template
pp. 14–15.
• Show students how they can transfer the information
they gathered on their walk to the pages of the
mini-book.
• As a class, determine which kind of habitat you
observed.
Practice
(students)
• Each student will use mini-book template pp. 14–15
to create their own mini-book.
• Students may refer to the Habitats books, their
notes, and the list of plants and animals on the board
to help them complete their mini-books.
Evaluate
(teacher, student)
• Teacher evaluates each mini-book for completeness.
• Students should take mini-books home to share with
their families.
TEACHING
Lesson 5
Habitat Poem
Purpose: Students will create diamante poems to
describe a plant or animal.
Materials
• Habitats books
• Diamante Poem p. 16
• lined paper
• pencils
• drawing paper
• crayons or colored
pencils
• poetry books or
websites with
examples of diamante
poems
Objectives
• Describe a habitat and its inhabitants.
• Elaborate on the characteristics of a plant or animal.
• Produce a list of words to describe a plant or animal.
• Identify descriptive words.
• Compose a simplified diamante poem.
• Assess the value of the words in a poem.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Locate poetry books and websites.
• Copy Diamante Poem p. 16 for each student.
Pretest
(students)
• What is a poem?
• What are some of your favorite poems?
HABITATS
Read
(students)
• Read a Habitats book.
Model
(teacher, students)
• What plants and animals live in the habitat you read
about? List these on the board.
• What words can you use to describe one of those
plants or animals? What does it look like? What
would it feel like if you touched it? Does it make
any sounds? What does it do?
• Make a word web connecting these descriptive words
to the plant or animal they describe.
• Explain that a diamante poem is diamond-shaped.
The formula for a simplified diamante is
Line 1: one noun
Line 2: two adjectives (words that describe the
noun)
Line 3: three -ing verbs (action words)
Line 4: two adjectives
Line 5: one noun
• Show students how to fill in the blanks on the
Diamante Poem p. 16, using the words from the
word web.
Practice
(students, pairs)
• Individually or in pairs, students will create word
webs to describe the plant or animal they chose to
write about.
• Students will create their own poems on Diamante
Poem p. 16.
Evaluate
(teacher, class)
• Students will read their diamante poems to the class.
• What kinds of words are in a good poem? Why are
some word choices better than others?
Extension Activity
• Students may make a drawing of the plants or
animals they wrote about to accompany their poems.
• Display drawings and poems in the classroom.
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8
TEACHING
HABITATS
Additional Resources
BOOKS
Arnosky, Jim. Crinkleroots Guide to Knowing Animal
Habitats. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997.
Crinkleroot takes readers on a journey through a
variety of habitats, discovering the multitude of
animals that make each their home.
Bash, Barbara. Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro
Cactus. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs-Smith, 2002.
This illustrated book explores the life-cycle of
the saguaro cactus and details the animals
(including humans) that use the cactus.
Berger, Melvin, and Gilda Berger. What Makes an
Ocean Wave? Questions and Answers about Oceans
and Ocean Life. New York: Scholastic, 2001.
This colorfully illustrated book answers kids’
questions about oceans and the creatures that live
in them.
Bishop, Nic. Forest Explorer: A Life-Size Field Guide.
New York: Scholastic, 2004.
Life-sized photographs and activities help readers
explore the life-cycles and eating habits of
forest-dwelling plants and animals.
Fowler, Allan. Life in a Wetland. New York:
Scholastic, 1999.
This book describes a wetland and the living
organisms found there.
Gray, Samantha. Ocean. New York: DK Publishing,
2001.
Dynamic color photographs and facts about
undersea life introduce oceans to young readers.
Johnson, Rebecca L. A Walk in the Rain Forest.
Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group, 2001.
Readers learn about plant and animal
relationships in a tropical rainforest.
Kalman, Bobbie, and Amanda Bishop. What Are
Wetlands? New York: Crabtree Publishing
Company, 2002.
Illustrations, photos, and informative text teach
students all about wetlands.
Sayre, April Pulley. Dig, Wait, Listen: A Desert Toad’s
Tale. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2001.
The life-cycle of the spadefoot toad is
introduced in this illustrated book.
WEBSITES
Biomes/Habitats
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/
The Enchanted Learning site features lots of
information about the world’s biomes and
habitats, including printable world outline maps
to help students identify the world’s biomes.
Habitats
http://www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk/habitats/
index.htm
Students can click on a habitat and learn about
the animals that live there, with full color photos
and simple descriptions.
Kids’ Corner: LaCoast
http://lacoast.gov/education/kids/index.htm
Visitors learn about wetlands through coloring
pages, wetland photos, and online games.
Kratts’ Creatures: Creature World
http://www.pbs.org/kratts/world/index.html
This interactive map allows students to click on a
continent or ocean and discover the animals that
live there.
Label the Earth’s Oceans
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geography/
This Enchanted Learning printable world map
allows students to label the world’s oceans.
Taiga Animal Printouts
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/
taiga/taiga.shtml
This page explains features of the taiga, or boreal
forest, and offers printouts of animals found in this
type of forest, complete with animal descriptions.
Tropical Rainforests of the World
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/
rainforest/Mapbw.shtml
Tropical rainforests are indicated on this printable
world map.
WorldBiomes.com
http://www.worldbiomes.com/
This informative site describes a variety of world
biomes. Photographs of each biome
demonstrate the complexity of nature.
What’s Wrong with This Picture?
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/kids/
whatwrng.htm
Students identify ways in which people are
damaging the environment in an online
interactive activity.
9
Animals
penguin
shark
deer
spider
bat
alligator
frog
fox
turtle
owl
bear
camel
bir d
fish
snake
star f i s h
Teaching Habitats
10
Desert
Teaching Habitats
11
Wetland
Teaching Habitats
12
Ocean
Teaching Habitats
13
Forest
Teaching Habitats
__________________.
4
__________________.
Another plant here is
One plant I see is
One animal I see is
In ____________ the weather
month
__________________.
6
is __________________.
3
5
habitat
__________________.
2
__________________.
My school is near a
Another animal here is
_____________
(habitat)
by__________
A ______________________ is
habitat
__________________.
8
7
Teaching Habitats
Name
Diamante Poem
16