GRADE: Third

CONTENT STANDARD: Environmental Science

CONTENT TOPIC: Habitats/Ecosystems/Biomes

CONCEPT: The habitat is the environment in which particular organisms live.

CONTENT OBJECTIVE: 3H1.00 To understand the basic concept of habitat and how habitats can be preserved

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: The learner will:

1.01 define habitat.
1.02 name and describe some ways that habitats can be preserved.

I. Define habitat
II. Food Chain
III. Preserving habitats

TN COMPONENT OF SCIENCE: Unifying Concepts of Science

TN GOAL:

To enable students to acquire scientific knowledge by applying concepts, theories, principles and laws from life/environmental, physical, and earth/space science.

2.2 FORM AND FUNCTION - Form may determine the function of a material or a system, and function may alter form.

2.2a How an object functions is related to its form.

BENCHMARK: The form of a structure implies its function. The function of a structure tends to dictate its form.

TIME REQUIRED:

One instructional period

Pictures, speaker (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officer), magazines, scissors, plastic gallon jug, appropriate film, projector, screen

Boys and girls, tell your neighbor where fish live (in water, ponds). Where do deer live? (forest). Why do deer not live in the water? (They would drown - they need to live in the forest). Each living thing has its own place to live This place is called its habitat.

Let's talk about some different living things and their homes. (Make a chart, for example)

Habitat desert pond ocean forest

Plant cactus lily pad sea weed oak tree

Animal gila monster fish jelly fish rabbit

All living things get their energy from food. A food chain is formed as one living thing eats another. Food chains begin with plants. A pond food chain could begin with lily pads. Dragon flies eat lily pads. Fish eat dragon flies. Men eat fish.

There are two kinds of things that make up a food chain. A producer is a living thing that makes its own food. A consumer is a living thing whose food comes from other living things. Food chains vary due to the environment within the habitat. Sometimes changes occur to disturb the natural habitat of animals. Habitat is a special place where a particular population lives. Sometimes an animal's natural habitat can be destroyed by man's poor planning or carelessness. Often man can help nature by building new habitats for animals or protecting the existing ones. This can be done by building parks, wildlife preserves, and zoning land as wilderness areas. Why would we want to protect these habitats? (so they do not become endangered) Endangered animals and plants are scarce. That means there are not many of them.

Living things can become endangered when many of one kind die. There may be a shortage of food. A certain disease may cause plants or animals to die.

People can cause living things to become endangered. They can destroy plant and animal habitats.

1. Use a plastic gallon jug to make a bird's nest. Hang under a tree and observe. Record findings over a period of time.

2. Discuss where state or national parks are located and why. How do they protect the environment?

3. Write a report on "Why the natural habitats should be preserved." (Display or read to the class).

4. Conduct a field trip in a nearby open field to locate habitats. Identify life forms in that habitat. Do not bother the animals or the habitat.

Work in small groups. Look for pictures in magazines of animals in their natural habitat. Classify the types of habitats. Make collages of each.

1. Have a game warden come and give a presentation on wildlife and habitat.

2. Examine the zoning regulations of the community.

This is the time this file has been accessed since 05/18/97.

The University of Tennessee at Martin is not responsible for the information or views expressed here.

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