Who Lives Here?

Activity 1: 

We Live Here 

Main Objective:

Students will identify the animals and plants living in the environment surrounding their school. 

1. Explain to students that they are going to create a list of animals and plants in the environment surrounding their school.
2. Break students into groups.
3. Hand out a clipboard, paper, and a paper bag to each group.
4. Bring students outside and have them record the animals and plants they found surrounding the school.  If possible have them collect a few samples of what they found and bring the samples back to class.
5. Return to class and create a class list of the animals and plants found.
6. Use reference books to identify the species of animal or plants on the list.  For example, instead of listing a tree, your list would include Oak trees.
7. Have students explain why the plants and animals they found in the school environment are well suited to the environment.
8. Create a class power point of the animals and plants on your list and the students explanations of why they are well suited to the environment.  Use a digital camera or images from the Internet to include pictures of each of your animals and plants.
9. E-mail your power point presentation to mrstravis@live.com. Your presentation will be posted on your school page on the Who Lives Here? project web site.

Activity 2:

What is Here

Called?

Main Objective:

Students will conduct research to determine which habitat the environment surrounding their school is a part of.

1. Explain to students that they will conduct research to determine which habitat the environment surrounding their school is a part of.
2. Provide students with reference books and/or Internet resources about habitats.
3. Students determine the correct habitat.
4. Sign up for a free account with Voice Thread or sign in to your existing account if you have one.  The link to Voice Thread is http://voicethread.com/.
5. Upload a picture of the habitat the students identified and have each student add a comment explaining why the environment surrounding the school is a part of this habitat.
6. Send the link for your Voice Thread to mrstravis@live.com.  The Voice Thread will be added to your school page on the project web site.

Activity 3:

Who Eats Who?

Main Objective:

Students will create a food chain using the animals and plants found surrounding their school.  Additional research may be done to determine additional plants and animals that could be found in the environment that were not present during Activity 1.

1. Review or teach the concepts related to food chains.
2. Have students use the class list created in Activity 1 to create a food chain.  If additional animals are needed to complete the food chain have students conduct research on what other animals could be found in the environment surrounding the school.
3. Presentation of results is teachers choice.  If results are created on paper please send work to Tanya Travis at Choptank Elementary so they can be scanned onto your page on the web site.  Check the Tech Tools page for technology tools you could choose to share your results.