1. Big Idea 6: Earth’s Surface
Essential question: Where are living things found on Earth?
Standard:
S.C.1.E.6.1.
Recognize that water, rocks, soil, and living organisms are found on Earth’s surface
Materials & Resources:
Fly swatters for Habitat Slap game during engage
Poster board (two sheets per group plus one for engage)
Engage pictures (attached)
Powerpoint
Glog
Clipart for neighborhood animals
Clipart for habitat animals
Vocabulary:
Land
Water
Animals
Plants
Engage: Habitat Slap
Make poster board with various habits (see attached). Project powerpoint with animal
photographs. As each new animal comes up, two students compete to slap the correct
habitat that the animal may live in. (Do not give students the correct answers – this is
what we will be learning through the unit. Make sure you save all items as we will play
this at the end of the unit to compare what we have learned!)
Explore 1:
Walk around the school. Have students make a list of plants that they find.
Explain 1:
Visit the Plants in Florida Glog. Review with students the different kinds of plants found
in our state and how some plants live on land and others in water. See link on glog.
Explore 2:
Walk around the school again. Have students think about where animals can live…for
example: trees, underground, pond, grass, shrubs. Return the room, have kids
brainstorm where the animals could live and what animals might live there. Create a
class table (t-chart) which shows this information.
Give each group a poster board. Students will draw the different places animals could
live around our school and our neighborhoods as discussed previously. Model drawing
the main areas needed on the poster board: school, house, some tress, pond, holes in the
2. ground…Then give each group a sheet of clipart animals that they will glue on the poster
board in the correct areas.
Explain 2:
Place posters at various places around the room. Each group will visit each poster
making noticings and discussing with their partners. Then bring all students to the floor
and discuss each poster. Allow students to ask questions and clarify misconceptions
through the discussion.
Explore 3:
Model for students how they will create a web for a given habitat. The habitat will be
listed in the middle and they will branch information on plants / animals that are found in
that habitat.
Each group will be given a habitat to research. Students will work together to find plants/
animals that live in that habitat.
Explain 3:
Further explanations can be given though the Glog, videos, and books
Extend:
Groups research different habitats through teacher selected books. Habitats to use are:
beach/ocean; Arctic; Desert; Forest; Wetlands; Savannah
Choice 1:
Make a triorama. You will need one triorama for each student. (See pictures and sample
pattern). Students will choose 3 habitats they would like to discuss. On each side,
students will draw a picture of each of the habits including at least one plant. Students
will be given two note cards for each of the habitats. On each note card students will
draw, label, and write about an animal found within that habitat.(teacher has the choice to
make photocopies of black white clipart that students are welcome to cut out instead of
drawing). The picture will be on the front and the writing on the back. The note cards
3. will hang from the bottom of the habitat to which they belong with string, creating a
mobile triorama.
Choice 2:
Students make a list of the animals they have seen through the given materials that live in
their given habitat. Students give the teacher the list so that she can find clipart to go
with each animal. During this time, students will be working on drawing the land and
plants that are in their habitat. Once the teacher finishes each groups’ clipart, the students
will glue their animals in appropriate areas.
Evaluate:
Informal observations
Revisit Habitat Slap – compare how much they have learned about animals and where
they live.
**** Remember to give Earth Structure Assessment and performance task at this time.
