Match the Habitat Cards

Grade Level: upper elementary/ ■ A copy of the Habitat Readings Activity Preparation middle school for each student or student team 1. Photocopy and cut out the Duration: one 40-minute class found in the Types of Habitats Match the Habitat Terms and period. activity Definitions Cards included at Skills: vocabulary, critical thinking, the end of this activity. Add and team building Introduction your own terms and definitions Subjects: science and language arts, Bog, mudflat, tundra, swamp, to the blank cards provided. fine arts (with additional activity) marsh, prairie pothole, playa lake, Vary the definitions according and beach are some of the many to the reading level of your Concepts areas that people recognize as students. Focus on the habitats ■ Habitat is the place where an wetlands. Although these wetlands and definitions most appropriate organism lives because it is may have very different climates, for your area, and combine this adapted to find food, water, plant communities, and food webs, activity with information your shelter, and space there. Habitat they all have one thing in common- class studied in other shorebird is located within ecosystems. -they are wet at least part of the activities. ■ Shorebirds are one part of a year. healthy functioning ecosystem. Note: Twenty to 40 possible ■ Wetland and grassland Most shorebirds depend on many matches (40 to 80 cards) are a ecosystems provide extremely different wetlands to nest, migrate, good level for seventh and eighth important habitats for shorebirds. and rest during the winter season. grade students. For younger ■ Your local environment may In fact, shorebirds are especially students, use 15 matches (30 provide important habitat for adapted for life in the wetlands cards). You may choose to shorebirds. they inhabit. Shorebirds with long increase the number slightly legs easily keep their bodies dry for small classes (five to ten Vocabulary as they wade into water in search students). See the Match the Habitat Terms of invertebrates. The long toes and Definitions Cards for 35 words. of mudflat shorebirds help them 2. Read through the Habitat balance on the slippery, wet mud Readings and complete the Overview or sand. Those with long, sensitive, column “Source Clue” for each By playing a card-matching game, pointed bills can easily probe term on your master Match the students learn that shorebirds use the mud for small crustaceans. Habitat Cards Clue Sheet by diverse habitats to find food and a Shorebirds of rocky-intertidal indicating what page and habitat place to breed or to rest. Students wetlands have strong, chisel-like reading the term came from. will discover that shorebirds use beaks designed for cracking open these habitats to meet their own the mussels they find clinging to the 3. Write your students’ names specific needs. rocky shores. in alphabetical order on the chalkboard or flipchart. Objectives Some shorebird species live in dry After this activity, students will be upland grasslands. Their bills are Procedure able to: adapted for gleaning insects from 1. Have students take out one or ■ Name seven different habitat the surface instead of probing in two blank sheets of notebook types used by shorebirds. the mud. paper to write their sentences ■ Describe the three reasons many on (explained below.) A set of shorebirds use more than one For more information about the Habitat Readings should be habitat type throughout the year. unique adaptations of shorebirds, available as resource material. ■ Correctly match habitat terms read Shorebirds Have Special with their definitions. Adaptations in the Shorebird 2. Mix the term and definition Primer. For more information cards together. Deal the cards to Materials about shorebird habitats read the students. It is not necessary ■ Set of 30–60 game cards Shorebirds Depend on a Chain of that all students initially receive (included here) Healthy Habitats, also found in the the same number of cards. ■ A completed Match the Habitat Shorebird Primer.

Clues Sheet

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S M 206 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P 3. Explain the rules of this card ■ The original owner of the term ■ Keep your private “clue” sheet game: card then passes his or her of sources you prepared earlier. card to the classmate whose If you notice that a student is ■ The object of the game is to name comes alphabetically really stumped on a card, use make as many matches as after his or hers. The owner your “clue” sheet to refer him or possible in the given amount of of the matching definition her to “page so-and-so in such- time (30 minutes is suggested). card does the same. If the and-such reading” for help with Tell the students the number of holder of one of the matches a definition. Knowing a basic matches possible (example: 60 happens to be the person who definition should help them cards, 30 matches). is next alphabetically, pass recognize the matching card. the card anyway after both ■ Point out that more than one students have written down ■ The game ends when the time definition may match a term, the sentence. The match-holder limit has run out. Students but they should be looking for should immediately pass the turn in their papers. The the best match. card to the next person in student(s) with the most order. correct matches are the ■ To make matches they will winners. have to move around the room, Example: Wesley has the card find the students with their “wetland” and recognizes that ■ Follow up the game with a matching cards, and write Franny’s card that reads “Land discussion to ensure that the down on their paper exactly that is covered or saturated students know all the terms. what is written on the cards. with water at least part of the Go around the room, asking This is a critical part of the time” is the match. Wesley each student to read one game because this way you can and Franny each write “A sentence from his or her paper tell that they actually found the wetland is land that is covered and see if the rest of the class match and did not just make or saturated with water at agrees that he or she has made up a definition or copy one least part of the time” on their the best match. What other from a book glossary. Once a own papers. Then Wesley matches might work? student finds the person with passes the “wetland” term a matching card, both write card to William (or Archie, Keep in Mind…. down the sentence. Do not if Wesley is the last student, ■ Let students discover their own actually exchange cards. alphabetically, in the class), and efficient ways to find matches Franny passes the definition (like spreading out their cards on Note: Alternatively, students card to Grace (because “Grace” the desk in front of them). must form sentences using is the first name in the class, the pair of cards and the word alphabetically, after “Franny”). “shorebird(s)” or you may choose to have them write the terms and definitions as a complete sentence (“A wetland Term Cards Definition Cards is land that is covered or saturated with water at least part of the time.”). Another Surfbird Nests in alpine tundra option is to have students Wintering habitat of American write the terms and definitions Pampas separated by a period or Golden-Plover “equals” sign. Write an example of what you want them Habitat type where migrating to do on the chalkboard. Mudflats Dunlin and Western Sandpipers are

found

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S M 207 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P ■ Some students will accumulate Habitat Card Bingo a large pile of cards. Others will Create a batch of bingo cards with quickly go through their own habitat terms in place of numbers. cards. Either way, you may have Remember to vary the order of to facilitate reluctant students to the terms. Print the title “Habitat get up, move around the room, Bingo” across the top of each card and communicate with each other and a small shorebird illustration in to find matches. the center as the free space. Pass ■ You may choose to accept some out one card and bingo markers matches that work even if they (pinto beans, marshmallows, etc.) to are not “the best.” each student. Read the definition of ■ To make the game more difficult, the term. Students who can match alter the definitions so they reflect the definition with the correct term the habits of specific shorebirds on their cards cover the spaces of your area. See the example with a marker. The first student alternatives below. who completes a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins. Additional Activities Match More Habitats Say It with a Picture Hand out four index cards to each Have each student draw a picture student (more for smaller classes), that represents one of the matches. and instruct the students to choose Hang up or presented the pictures two of their own shorebird habitat to the class. Ask students to try to terms and compose definitions guess what each picture represents. for them. Gather all of the cards, If you prefer, create a larger shuffle, and play the game with the wetland mural as a class. Start by student-made cards. brainstorming a list of wetland habitat elements so students have Habitat Card Rummy specific ideas about what to draw. Create a batch of cards with the Unroll a long sheet of paper on the habitat terms on them. Write down floor and provide colored pencils, the list of corresponding definitions crayons, markers, or paints. on a sheet of paper for yourself. Deal out the cards, at least three each, to the students (duplicates are okay). Read the first definition out loud to the class. Ask the students who think they have the matching term card to raise their hands. If they have the correct match they turn in their cards to the teacher. The first student to give up all of his

or her cards is the winner.

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S M 208 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P

Match the Habitat Terms and Definitions Cards

(Make one photocopy.)

Term Card Definition Card

A place where organisms are adapted to live Habitat and find food and shelter

Term Card Definition Card

Land that is covered or saturated (soaked) Wetlands with water at least part of the time

Term Card Definition Card

Open, wet, grassy areas that can be inland or Marsh coastal

Term Card Definition Card

Sandy habitat affected by the tides; home of

Ocean Beach oystercatchers and migrating Sanderlings

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S M 210 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Terms and Definitions Cards

(Make one photocopy.)

Term Card Definition Card

Mud habitat that is exposed at low tide and is Mudflat home to many invertebrate animals

Term Card Definition Card

Inland habitat where the roots of grasses, Freshwater Marsh sedges, and rushes are always under water

Term Card Definition Card

Coastal or inland habitat made of ocean water Saltwater Marsh and plants adapted to salt water

Term Card Definition Card

Northern Arctic wetland habitat with

Tundra permafrost and no trees

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S M 211 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Terms and Definitions Cards

(Make one photocopy.)

Term Card Definition Card

Nutrient-rich, rocky beach habitat between Intertidal Zone the high and low tide mark

Term Card Definition Card

Nutrient-rich places where freshwater and Estuaries saltwater meet

Term Card Definition Card

Flock of resting shorebirds or the place where Roost they rest together on migration or in winter

Term Card Definition Card

Daily movement of ocean water as it is

Tide affected by the moon’s gravity

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S M 212 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Terms and Definitions Cards

(Make one photocopy.)

Term Card Definition Card

Shallow, temporary wetlands found within Prairie Potholes grasslands

Term Card Definition Card

Permafrost Permanently frozen subsoil of the tundra

Term Card Definition Card

Shallow temporary wetlands in grasslands that are lined with a water-tight layer of Playa Lakes bedrock

Term Card Definition Card

The regular movement of shorebirds every

Migration spring and fall

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S M 213 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Terms and Definitions Cards

(Make one photocopy.)

Term Card Definition Card

Important habitats where shorebirds stop Stopover Sites every year on migration

Term Card Definition Card

The portion of the year when shorebirds are Nonbreeding Season not breeding

Term Card Definition Card

The portion of the year when shorebirds are Breeding Season nesting

Term Card Definition Card

A place in the habitat where an animal can

Shelter escape from wind, weather, and predators

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S M 214 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Terms and Definitions Cards

(Make one photocopy.)

Term Card Definition Card

tiny clams and worms in the winter, and Food insects in the summer eaten by shorebirds

Term Card Definition Card

Small animals without a spine or backbone Invertebrates that shorebirds eat

Term Card Definition Card

Group of animals that includes small shrimp and crabs which shorebirds, especially Crustaceans phalaropes, feed on

Term Card Definition Card

Upland dry habitat that some shorebirds are

Grasslands adapted to use instead of wetlands

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S M 215 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Terms and Definitions Cards

(Make one photocopy.)

Term Card Definition Card

Mudflats, Estuaries, and Places where organisms adapted to changes Sandy Beaches in wetness and salinity live

Term Card Definition Card

A group of shorebirds specially adapted to Black Oystercatchers nest and feed in rocky coastal habitat

Term Card Definition Card

Low areas along the banks of rivers and Stream and River streams that flood in the spring as snow and Corridors ice melt in the mountains

Term Card Definition Card

Prairie habitats found in the Central United States and Canada that are breeding grounds

Grasslands for six species of shorebirds

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S M 216 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Terms and Definitions Cards

(Make one photocopy.)

Term Card Definition Card

Halophytes Plants adapted to high levels of salt

Term Card Definition Card

Water that carries nutrients from land into Runoff freshwater wetlands and streams

Term Card Definition Card

Upland Sandpipers Shorebirds that live in tallgrass prairies

Term Card Definition Card

Vital habitat for many migrating birds, such as Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers, found

Riparian Habitat along the banks of rivers and streams

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S M 217 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Terms and Definitions Cards

(Make one photocopy.)

Term Card Definition Card

A habitat made up of mounds of grasses and sedges with low areas in between that are Tundra filled with water

Term Card Definition Card

A collection of habitats that include all the living and nonliving parts interacting and Ecosystems linked by nutrient and energy flow

Term Card Definition Card

A shorebird adapted to live in freshwater Common Snipe marshes

Term Card Definition Card

Streams and river corridors, freshwater and saltwater marshes, grasslands, tundra, Shorebird Habitats mudflats and sandy beaches, rocky intertidal

areas, playa lakes and prairie potholes

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S M 218 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Terms and Definitions Cards

(Make one photocopy.)

Term Card Definition Card

Spotted Sandpiper A shorebird that uses riparian habitat

Term Card Definition Card

Small shorebirds adapted to running along Sanderlings the shoreline and probing for food

Term Card Definition Card

A group of shorebirds adapted to live in Greater Yellowlegs freshwater marsh habitat

Term Card Definition Card

A group of shorebirds adapted to live in

Black-necked Stilts saltwater marsh habitat

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S M 219 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Terms and Definitions Cards

(Make as many copies as necessary for your own terms and matching definitions.) Term Card Definition Card

Term Card Definition Card

Term Card Definition Card

Term Card Definition Card

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S M 220 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Clues Chart

Term Card Definition Card Source Clue

Habitat A place where organisms are adapted to live and find food and shelter

Wetlands land that is covered or saturated (soaked) with water at least part o f the time

Marsh Open, wet, grassy areas that can be inland or coastal

Ocean beach Sandy habitat affected by the tides; home of Oystercatchers and migrating Sanderlings

Mudflat mud habitat that is exposed at low tide and is a home to many invertebrate animals

Freshwater Marsh Inland habitat where the roots of grasses, sedges, and rushes are always under water

Saltwater Marsh Coastal or inland habitat made of ocean water and plants adapted to salt water

Tundra Northern Arctic wetland habitat with permafrost and no trees

Intertidal Zone Nutrient-rich, rocky beach habitat between the high and low tide mark

Estuaries Nutrient rich places where freshwater and saltwater meet

Roost Flock of resting shorebirds, or the place where they rest together on migration or in winter

Tide Daily movement of ocean water as it is affected by the moon’s gravity

Prairie Potholes Shallow, temporary wetlands found within grasslands

Permafrost Permanently frozen subsoil of the tundra

Playa Lakes Temporary wetlands in grassland or desert areas that are lined with a water-tight layer of bedrock

Migration Regular movement of shorebirds every spring and fall

Nonbreeding season The portion of the year when shorebirds are not nesting

Stopover sites Important habitats where shorebirds stop every year

on migration

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S M 221 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Clues Chart

Term Card Definition Card Source Clue

Breeding Season The portion of the year when shorebirds are nesting.

Shelter a place in the habitat where an animal can escape from wind, weather, and predators

Food tiny clams and worms in the winter and insects in the summer eaten by shorebirds

Invertebrates Small animals without a spine or backbone that shorebirds eat

Crustacean The group of animals that includes small shrimp and crabs which shorebirds, especially phalaropes, feed on

Grasslands Upland dry habitat that some shorebirds are adapted to use instead of wetlands

Mudflats, Estuaries, Places where organisms adapted to changes in wetness and Sandy Beaches and salinity live

Black Oystercatcher A group of shorebirds specially adapted to nest and feed in rocky coastal habitat

Stream and River Low areas along the banks of rivers and streams that Corridors flood in the spring as snow and ice melt in the mountains

Grasslands Prairie habitats found in the Central United States and Canada that are breeding grounds for six species of shorebirds

Halophytes Plants adapted to high levels of salt

Runoff Water that carries nutrients from land into freshwater wetlands and streams

Upland Sandpipers A group of shorebirds that live in tallgrass prairie

Riparian Habitat Vital habitat for many migrating birds, such as spotted and solitary sandpipers, found along the banks of rivers and streams

Common Snipe A shorebird adapted to live in freshwater marshes

Shorebird Habitats Stream/river corridors, freshwater/saltwater marshes, grasslands, tundra, mudflats/sandy beaches, rocky-

intertidal areas, playa lakes, or prairie pothole

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S M 222 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Match the Habitat Clues Chart

Term Card Definition Card Source Clue

tundra A habitat made up of mounds of grasses and sedges with low areas in between that are filled with water

ecosystem A collection of habitat that include all the living and nonliving parts interacting and linked by nutrient and energy flow

Spotted Sandpiper A shorebird that uses riparian habitat

Sanderlings Small shorebirds adapted to running along the shoreline probing for food

Greater Yellowlegs A group of shorebirds adapted to live in freshwater marsh habitat

Black-necked Stilts A group of shorebirds adapted to live in saltwater marsh habitat

Add Your Own Terms and Definitions

Term Card Definition Card Source Clue

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S M 223 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P