Life ScienceHabitats Lesson One

STSE 108-3, 108-6- Identify their own and their families’ impact on habitats and describe how personal actions help conserve habitats

SCO’s 104-6, 204-1- identify questions to investigate the types of plants and / or animals at a local habitat using the terms habitat, population, and community

SCO’s 204-6,303-1 -examine and investigate, using various methods and questions, local habitats and their associated populations of plants and animals

Science Outcomes

SCO 1.1 –explore and discuss their thoughts, ideas, and experiences and consider those of their peers

SCO 5.1 –use a range of reference text and a data base or an electronic search to facilitate the selection process

SCO 8.1- use strategies in writing and other ways of representing to formulate questions and organize ideas

SCO 8.2- experiment with different ways of making notes (webbing)

English Language Arts Outcomes

SCO 4.3.1. - identify, locate, and map examples of physical features of the world

SCO 4.4.1 –identify and describe the physical regions of Canada

Social Studies Outcomes

Students will gain a working knowledge of the words Habitat, Population, and community and give an example of each. Students will prepare for their Field Study to the Tantramar Marsh. They will discuss the different plants, and animals located and develop a web to keep their ideas organized. Using the web for support the students will develop questions to be answered during their upcoming observation and investigation.

   

Content Summary

Students will develop a working definition and understanding of the terms habitat, population, and community and give examples of each.

Students work in groups of four with dictionaries, paper, pencils, and coloured pencils.

Students look up the definitions in a dictionary and discuss with their group. They then write a definition for each term in their own words down on paper. (Students may be read to, and scribed for, if necessary).

Activity One

Group discusses examples using their prior knowledge for each definition.

Each student is responsible to list examples or draw examples for each definition.

Whole class meets and shares what each group found.

Whole class uses Kidspiration to develop a web for each definition and its examples.

Activity One continued

Kidspiration Web

Using Google Earth the teacher shows the class the school’s location and the route they will travel to their Wetland Field Study of the Tantramar Marshes. Points of interest are drawn to the students’ attention such as the Isthmus of Chignecto, the Nova Scotia/ New Brunswick border, Fort Boujouisour, and the Tantramar Marsh.

Activity Two

Using Internet Explorer the teacher searches images of the Tantramar Marsh. Images of the plant life, wildlife, and landscape are shared and discussed with the children.

Activity Three

Images of Tantramar Marsh

Images of Tantramar Marsh

Activate prior and new knowledge of local wetlands.

Whole class is involved in using Kidspiration to develop a web of the Tantramar Marsh to note all their ideas they will explore under headings of animals, birds, plants, and other possibilities.

Activity Four

Kidspiration Marsh Web

Students go back to their groups of four, and using the web developed by class, think of questions they would like to find the answers for while on the field study. Each child is responsible for at least one question for the group.

Activity Five

Whole class shares questions, and if necessary, they are fine-tuned.

Conclusion of Lesson

Name of student

Able to define habitat, population, and community. Gave at least one example of each.

Participated in class discussions

Provided a question to be answered on field study

Comments

                                                                                          

Assessment

Dictionaries Google Earth Kidspiration Internet Explorer-Images Nova Scotia’s Grade Four Science Guide Project Webfoot, Ducks Unlimited Canada,

(2007). Wetland Habitats and Communities Teacher’s Guide.

Pan- Canadian Science Place Team, Healthy Habitats-Atlantic Edition. Scholastic Canada Limited, 2001.

Sources of Information

Life Science - Habitats

Lesson Two

Tantramar Marsh Field Study

STSE 105-1, 106-4, 108-1 – describe how scientists’ knowledge of plant growth has led to agricultural and technological innovations and the impact on local and regional habitat issues

SCO 104-6, 204-1- identify questions to investigate the types of plant and/or animals at a local habitat using the terms habitat, population, and community

SCO 204-3, 300-1, 300-2, 302-2- compare the external features, behavioural patterns, and structural and/or behavioural adaptations for an animal to survive a particular habitat, real or imagined

Science Outcomes

F1- recognize and use a variety of methods for the collection and organization of data

F4 - construct a bar graph F6 – interpret data from a display F8 –explore real- world issues of interest to

students and for which data collection is necessary to determine an answer

Mathematics Outcomes

SCO 9.1 –Create written and media texts, collaboratively and independently, in different modes and in a variety of forms

Language Arts Outcome

SCO 3.2, 3.3 -create, process, and represent their learning using language, convention, and procedures associated with information and communication technology, with teacher assistance

Information and Technology

This lesson plan looks at identifying questions to investigate the types of plant and/or animals at a local habitat using the terms habitat, population, and community.

Students will become familiar with the behavioural patterns, and structural and/or behavioural adaptations for an animal to survive in this local habitat.

Content Summary

Students will make observations and collect information related to this local wetland habitat and its associated populations of plants and animals.

Students will learn about comparing the external and behavioural patterns of various animals and relate these features to their ability to meet their basic needs in their natural habitat.

Students will use technology to prepare a presentation on the information they have learned through their observations and investigations of the local wetland habitat.

Content Summary continued

Throughout this study children were given digital cameras to take pictures of their activities so that a report can be completed about their findings and knowledge they gained throughout the field study.

Note

Students’ viewed a power point presentation on Tracks and Scat of different animals native to the local area. The students were informed of the three types of tracks, examples of animals for each type, and some visual features to aid in identifying some specific animals. The following information was presented to the students in the power point.

 

Activity One

Walkers-Skunk, moose, deer, fox, coyote, bobcat, and cougar, pheasant and crow. They lift their feet when they walk. The cat family tracks leave more of a ball shape with no claw marks. The fox has four toes. The dog family tracks also leave a ball shaped track but there is evidence of claws sticking out from the ball. The moose has more of a large hove which helps it walk in the marsh and snow.

Content Information Gained During Presentation

Waddlers- Raccoon, porcupine, and black bear. The racoon’s track is shaped like a human hand. The porcupine’s track has only four fingers and it peals the bark off of trees for food. The black bear hibernates in the winter which is a physical adaptation to its environment.

Presentation Info 2

Hoppers-Shrew, snowshoe hear, and squirrel. A snowshoe hare’s back feet are larger and appear first in their track, with the back feet appearing next with one directly behind the other. The snowshoe hare changes from brown to white which is a physical adaptation to be less visible to its predators. This change comes about due to the change in the amount of day light not the cold temperatures, so in a mild winter they are at greater risk because of the lack of snow to blend in with. The scat of a hare is in the form of individual small balls, like chocolate covered raisins.

Presentation Info 3

Bounders- are also Hoppers but larger. The weasel, mink, and otter are bounders and they are all carnivores. The weasel eats mice and birds. It also changes colour from brown to white so that it’s pray cannot see it sneaking up on it. Mink eat muskrats and otters eat fish.

Presentation Info 4

Twenty different examples of animals tracks paired with its scat were displayed for the students. Working in groups of four, students were to attempt to identify as many animals they could on a recording sheet. When students ran into difficulty there was a volunteer who guided the students through questioning to come to a conclusion if possible. For example; “This track is like a ball and there are no claw marks, can you remember what family of animal that might be?” Student says, “Cougar?” “No it is smaller than that and you would see them in some people’s homes?” Student says, “CAT?” “Yes!”

Tracks and Scats Identification Activity

Tracks and Scat

Students took part in a nature walk through the trees and marsh on snowshoes. The students saw tracks of pheasants, squirrels, snowshoe hares as well as crows and were able to answer questions on how they identified the tracks.

Questions What type of track is this, a walker, hopper or

waddler? Is there a drag mark in the snow from one track

to the next? Would a squirrel have three long toes? Where did the tracks come from and where did

they go?

Snowshoe Hike

Finding Tracks

Otter Home

Students then came to a small bump on the frozen water of the marsh. It was made of sticks, mud and grass.

Questions What do you think the bump is? It is too small for a beaver but you are on the

right path? Correct answer- Otter How many otters do you think live in there?

Correct answer- 2-5 Otters still go into the water under the ice to fish

and then back into their dry homes. 

Otter Information

Students then watched a demonstration of cutting a whole in the ice so that mud samples could be taken from the marsh. Later they will investigate it for invertebrates which are still alive and well it the marsh mud. The mud as well as their findings will be returned to the marsh when we are finished.

Alive Under The Ice

Alive Under the Ice

Information provided to Students Invertebrates are living things without

backbones. They are an important food source for

fish and ducks and other birds. Some do not stay in this state in the spring and summer, they mature into insects.

A Marsh Monster reference sheet was provided at each station.

Alive Under the Ice

Students returned inside and formed their same groups of four. Each group was provided with a sample tray containing marsh mud. They also had droppers, tweezers, and a petri dish. They were told to gently pull the mud apart and to see if they could find any living creatures emerge. Students were provided with a reference sheet which consisted of coloured pictures of the Marsh Monsters, a size reference scale, and a brief description of the creature and what it does and feeds on.

Marsh Monster Identification Activity

Marsh Monsters

Marsh Monsters Investigation

Student then were given a bar graph template in which they had to name and label the creatures they found and keep data on the number of each creature found. Students with adaptations could choose to draw the sample or to orally refer to the provided reference sheet and a volunteer would aid in the paper pencil component.

Bar Graph to Show Data

Example of Bar Graph

Students were given the opportunity to show their findings to a different group member and compare their findings.

 

Compare Findings

Back at school the pictures were downloaded into the classes shared file. Using the program, Comic Life and pictures from the shared file, students are to select at least four pictures and corresponding information as to what they learned on their field study of the wetlands.

Report

Example of Report

1. Completion of Track and Scat recording sheet marked on Anecdotal Checklist.

2. Completion of Bar graph of student’s findings marked on Anecdotal Checklist.

3. The finished nonfiction report will then be presented to the class.

Assessment

Project Wetlands, Ducks Unlimited Canada Organizational sponsored Program

for Grade Four Students Nova Scotia’s Grade Four Science Guide Project Webfoot, Ducks Unlimited Canada,

(2007). Wetland Habitats and Communities Teacher’s Guide.

Pan- Canadian Science Place Team, Healthy Habitats-Atlantic Edition. Scholastic Canada Limited, 2001.

Sources for Information

Lesson Three

Life Science – Habitats

STES 108-3, 108-6- identify their own and their families’ impact on habitats and describe how personal actions help conserve habitats

105-1, 106-4, 108-1-describe how scientist’ knowledge of plant growth has to agriculture and technological innovations and the impact on local and regional habitat issues

Science Outcomes

SCO 1.1 –explore and discuss their thoughts, ideas, and experiences and consider those of their peers

SCO 8.1- use strategies in writing and other ways of representing to formulate questions and organize ideas

Language Arts Outcomes

Students will take part in a whole class discussion on the value of wetlands, wetland threats, and the positive impact wetlands have on our local environment.

Students will then take part in the activity, Good Habits for Habitat.

Concluding lesson with discussion questions lead by teacher.

Content Summary

Class will begin with a discussion on the value of wetlands, wetland threats, and the positive impact wetlands have on the environment. This will be done through activating the students’ prior knowledge on the topic.

Class Discussion

Students will also share in a read aloud by teacher from the Wetland Habitats and Communities Teacher’s Guide, pp. 24-27, which will include more detailed information on the topic which will broaden the students’ views.

Read Aloud

After the class discussion the students will work in partners and take part in a Good Habits for Habitat Activity which involves students reading through a variety of short statements and then deciding which statement fits under one of three categories: importance of wetlands, negative factors, and positive actions on a chart at front of room.

Good Habits for Habitat

After the chart has been completed the class will then take part in a summary discussion with probing questions being asked by teacher for them to apply what they have just learned.

Summary Discussion

Nova Scotia’s Grade Four Science Guide Project Webfoot, Ducks Unlimited Canada,

(2007). Wetland Habitats and Communities Teacher’s Guide, 24-27.

Pan- Canadian Science Place Team, Healthy Habitats-Atlantic Edition. Scholastic Canada Limited, 2001.

Sources of Information