Animal Habitats

Summary

This project was part of a quarter long interdisciplinary unit on plants, animals and habitats. With the end goal of creating a museum to teach others about animals and habitats in mind, students embarked on a journey of questioning, researching, and creating. There was great enthusiasm in the process because they were going to be the animals in the exhibit! Using the knowledge that students learned through their research, they collaboratively worked in small groups to create artifacts of a specific habitat. Students planned, designed, and constructed a habitat that included an expository piece, food web, scientific illustration, realistic mask, and artifacts that met the needs of their animals. Multiple community members and resources were used to complete this project including online databases, internet sources, applications, and print materials. In conclusion, students reflected as a class on what worked and why, as well as areas that needed improvement for the next project-based study.

TIPC Ratings

Ideal/Target

Students were able to perform at the Ideal/Target level because of their prior experience with researching in a highly structured setting. Therefore, they were able to transfer their skills to this independent research project. Students were given a variety of databases to procure information. They were also provided with a teacher-created Symbaloo to find additional information where there were gaps in the databases. Students used Pixie to create their animal’s food webs.

Ideal/Target

Students collaborated in small groups to create products that represent their animals’ habitats.  Students performed as an interactive museum exhibit for the K-5 classes at Sandston, as well as the greater Sandston community after school. In addition, students recorded their reports and products to be uploaded on ThingLink. As a whole group, students reflected on their collaborative work.

Ideal/Target

Students were presented with the challenge of designing a museum exhibit to teach guests about animal habitats. Students generated open-ended questions that were purposeful to the creation of the end product. These questions could, in turn, lead guests’ learning by providing them with questioning sheets to use during their visit. Students reflected on their questioning and thinking to generate further questions to elaborate on their projects.

Ideal/Target

Using raw materials and art supplies, students collaboratively created habitats and masks based on their research. Students also took on the roles of their animals to teach guests about their behaviors.

Student Artifact

Link to Student Artifacts

Download Files

AnimalHabitats
Contents:

  • Lesson Plan

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