K-2: HABITATS
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Pre-Visit Activities : Helping Habitats
Procedures

MAIN | OBJECTIVES | STANDARDS | BACKGROUND | PROCEDURES | ASSESSMENT | RESOURCES

Materials
To be determined by the students and the teacher

Procedure

  1. Take the students outside to walk around the school grounds. Have the students look at the buildings, the pavement, the cars, the mowed grass, the fences, the amount of trash in the trash cans, the amount of food being thrown out by the cafeteria and think about how these may have affected and changed the habitat that was there. Have them consider these questions: What do you think this area looked like before there was a school here? What habitat and what animals and plants may have been here? How have people changed the natural habitat? Are there still some animals and plants that use this habitat? Can we help make the schoolyard habitat better for wildlife? Students will brainstorm how they can make the area better. The teacher can help them by suggesting some of the ideas below.
  2. Have students choose one or two project ideas and work together to form a plan to develop their chosen project(s). Students should consider what they will need to do, what materials they will need, whose help they may need to get and how much time it might take.
  3. Students will follow the procedures of their plan to conduct their project. Take pictures during any work that is done to document the project. The students will create a poster to hang in the hall for their projects. Posters should include photographs, text and illustrations to show what the class did as part of conducting the project.

Outdoor projects ideas

  • Do a litter pick-up somewhere in the community
  • Plant native plants (wildflowers, trees, etc.) on the schoolyard to create habitat such as a butterfly garden
  • Set up birdfeeders, birdhouses or bathouses on the schoolyard to create habitat
  • Create a compost center for placing leftover cafeteria food

Indoor project ideas

  • Start education campaign in school to educate other students about habitat conservation issues (create posters, presentations or educational skits for other classes, etc.)
  • Start recycling program in the school
  • Participate in a national conservation agencies student involvement programs such as the National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitats Program: http://www.nwf.org/habitats/schoolyard/program.cfm
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