Creating a Habitat

Introduction

Have you ever had a pet that you dearly loved and cared for? If so, chances are the pet was neve considered as a wild animal. Wild animals need special habitats to survive and often they have trouble surviving when they are taken away out of their natural habitats. There are hundreds of thousands of wild animals in this world and they all have special habitats.

How does this concern you, you ask? Soon you will find that you and your team are the most important factors in a young wild animal's life and are responsible for its survival. Does this sound like a lot of responsibility? Can you really help wild animal survive?

Task

Wake County Schools has received a generous grant from the National Wildlife Federation to study the different animals and the ways they live in their habitats. 

Your group needs to study a particular animal and found out as much information as possible on the animal's habitat. Your group will use this gathered information to create a habitat, as similar as possible to the animal's natural habitat. Your group will then present your habitat in the form of a multimedia presentation. A world of information is literally in your fingertips, so find out as much information as possible on your animal's habitat.

Process

Step 1: In groups of three to four , choose an animal from the following list to research.

  • Bald eagle
  • African lion
  • Anaconda
  • Mako Shark
  • Desert scorpion
  • Polar bear



Step 2: Research the animal using the links provided on the Resources/Credits page for your animal and create a web using Inspiration with the following  categories:

  1. The animal's predator and prey
  2. What the animal eats
  3. The animal's natural habitat
  4. The animal's lifespan
  5. The animal's physical and behavioral adaptations
  6. How humans may be harmful to the particular animal's habitat

Click the links https://www.edrawsoft.com/template-food-web-diagram.html , https://www.generationgenius.com/activities/habitats-activity-for-kids/ to see an example of an Inspiration web on an animal.

 

Step 3: Use the information web to design a habitat that would best be suited for your animal with the art materials provided. You will be given traditional art materials such as construction paper, glue, markers, etc. to create a model habitat with your group.

Step 4: You and your group will create a multimedia presentation with Microsoft Power Point to present your habitat with the same categories included in your Inspiration web. You and your group will take a picture of your habitat using a digital camera or phone camera, and include the pictures in your multimedia presentation. 

You will also need to use your voice recording to explain the main points on each slide as well as include your Inspiration web. Click the video below for the sample habitat multimedia presentation. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsoUZzGtoOs

 

Evaluation

Your work will be based on several factors. You need to work as a team to successfully complete every aspect of this WebQuest activity. The categories you will be evaluated on are as follows:

  • Task
  • Research & Gathering Information
  • Teamwork
  • Originality of Multimedia Presentation
  • Group Multimedia Presentation

 

Conclusion

Congratulations! The grant that was provided to Wake County Schools can now be used to recreate a habitat for the animal that your team researched! Your team has done well in researching information on you animal and  your knowledge will now be used to create a habitat that will be best suited for your specific animal.

 

Remember to use the web your team created to understand what your animal's habitat should have in order for your animal to live long, healthy life. Now, go create!

Credits

Resources for Bald eagle

http://www2.biology.ualberta.ca./uamz.hp/eagle.html

http://www.mnh.si.edu./arctic/html/eagle.html

http://www.marcoisland.org/bioeagl.html

http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/bleagle.html

Resources for African lion

http://www.sazoo-aq.org/02meet/02sublinks/lion.html

http://www.oaklandzoo.org/atoz/azlion.html

http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/aflion.htm

http:/www.awf.org/wildlives/148

Resources for Anaconda

http:/www.nashvillezoo.org/anaconda.htm

http:/www.unmuseum.mus.pa.us/bigsnake.htm

http:/www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/.anaconda.htm

Resources for Mako Shark

http:/www.postmodern.com/~fi/sharkpics/ellis/mako.htm

http:/www.sdnhm.org/kids/sharks/shore-to-sea/mako.html

Resources for Desert Scorpion

http:/www.desertusa.com/oct96/du_scorpion.html

http:/www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/animals/scorpion.html

Resources for Polar Bear

http:/www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/polbear.htm

http:/www.nps.gov/bela/html/polar.htm

 

Teacher Page

Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.