Habitat

Objectives:

To encourage children to observe and explore their surrounding and find some species in their habitat

To enable children to identify the patterns, differences and similarities that exists among various animals and their habitat using stories.

To encourage children to identify various types of Habitat and thus develop their own definition about Habitat

To provide an opportunity for children to relate the structural modification of animals with their food, habitat and other environmental factors through technology.

To encourage children to examine the structural adaptations possessed by the animal in adapting itself to a habitat

Pre- requisites:

An initial understanding about some animals and their place of living.

Materials required:

Hand-lens, Paper, Pencil

Process:

1. Observation Activity:

Take children to a nearby park or a place where there are trees and plants. Let children select one of the tree and ask each child to observe and record the details like different parts of plant, their color, size, texture, structure, bark pattern, insects that live on trees and birds, shape of leaves, pattern, flowers or fruits on the tree. Let children also observe those things that fell on the ground and listen to the sound they could hear near the tree, smell they could sense near the tree. Let children record these details and allow them to describe anything they wish to. (Give clear instruction to children to not pluck anything from the tree).

Encourage children to make a detailed observation using all senses wherever possible and necessary.

Let each child share about their observation in the classroom. Highlight the differences, similarities and variations that exists among leaves, bark, flower,fruit, etc.,For example, try comparing the color, pattern, texture, smell, shape and other features of the leaf and discuss how it is different from each other.

List animals, insects or birds that children share about along with their place of living, food and other details.

2. Story Reading and discussion:

Let children read, A Pratam Story titled ' we love our home’. Ask children how the animals in the story are associates with its habitat. Discuss the various types of habitats that children are familiar with.

3. Solving and creating Riddles

Let children solve the riddles about types of habitats using the riddle worksheet. After children get familiar and comfortable in solving the riddle, let them try constructing their own riddle related to habitats.

Ask children to refer to books and consult adults to find about the animals that live in habitats like desert, mountain, forest, sea habitat, grasslands etc.

Discuss with students why few animals live only in a particular habitat? And why it is not possible for all animals to live in all habitats?. Let children develop their own definition about habitat and share with others why they feel that their definition is correct.

3. Streaming a video :

Let children watch a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq63QW8g7jI&t=281s) on the adaptation of animals and observe the details closely.

Ask children to select one or two animals (which they can find easily in their surrounding) and carefully examine the structural adaptations that it possess in adapting itself to its environment/habitat.