Big Idea: Organization and Development of Living Organisms
Essential Question: Where do plants and animals live?
Focus: -Animals and Plants live on and in water. -Animals and plants that live on land are different from animals and plants that live in water.
Standards: *SC.K.L.14.3 Observe plants and animals, describe how they are alike and how they are different in the way they look and in the things they do.
SC.K.N.1.1 Collaborate with a partner to collect information. SC.K.N.1.2 Make observations of the natural world and know that they are collecting using the five senses. SC.K.N.1.3 Keep records as appropriate- such as pictoral records- of investigations conducted. SC.K.N.1.4 Observe and create a visual representation of an object which includes its major features. SC.K.N.1.5 Recognize that learning can come from careful observation.
Materials:
Resources: Print: Scott Foresman Science Leveled Books: Plants and Animals All Around My 2 in 1 Animal Picture Dictionary: A to Z and Habitat Pages Sarah Phillips I See a Kookaburra!: Discovering Animal Habitats Around the World Robin Page and Steve Jenkins Water Habitats, Molly Aloian and Bobbie Kalman Land Habitats, Bobbie Kalman and John Crossingham
Audio Visual Resources: Science Songs Grade K CD Track 5: “Living on Land and Living in Water”
Websites: Vocabulary: land field water river ocean lake pond
ENGAGE: Create a venn diagram discussing what they know about land and water animals. The center circle will contain information about animals that live on land and water.
EXPLORE: Day 1: Pass out a piece of paper (about 1/4 the size of a piece of regular paper) to each child. Tell them to think of an animal in their head (it can be any animal except for a pet that would live in a house). Tell them that they need to draw a picture of their animal on the square piece of paper. They aren't allowed to discuss it with their friends. When everyone is done, bring them to the floor. Tell them that they are going to sort themselves into two groups. Land animals will be on the left and Water animals will be on the right. Mark each area with a green sheet of construction paper or a blue sheet of construction paper. Give them 5 minutes to get in their spots. Then collect all the papers for each group. As a class, call out the animals in the group and paste them onto the construction paper. If one is incorrect, use this time to get feedback from the rest of the group.
Day 2: Give the kids magazines. Have them find and cut out different animals they find. Give them poster boards and have them glue them into one of three circles (one for land, one for water, and one for both). Allow them to share with the class.
Day 3: Have each group look at the posters from the day prior. Have them write a T chart about what they notice. Land animals / Water animals
When they are done, have them share their findings with the class. Write their noticings on a class poster for each type of animal. Day 4: Give kids the printed pictures along with cut pieces of construction paper in green and blue. Have each group work together to glue them onto the correct color for their habitat. Green - land blue - water. While they are gluing them on, they must discuss how they know it lives on land or water and be able to share that when completed. Have each group share their cards when the class is done.
Day 5: Tell kids that today they can either make a land animal or a water animal. Knowing what they have learned about different animals, they must make their new animal fit into the environment. For example - if the animal lives in the water - it must have a body part to help it swim (or crawl on the floor). They can name their imaginary animal whatever they want. Then they have to write about their animal and discuss what body parts help it to live on land or water. (see attached sheet). I would model with an animal of my own and . write how my animal is adapted to its environment – how it’s body moves, what type of fur/hair/skin it has. et
EXPLAIN: Explain can take place after each day of explore. Depending on the conversation in your class you can decide how much to explain on that day. Land Animals versus Water Animals
Land animals must have specific structures to help them live there. Most land animals can walk and run so they must have legs to help them move. Water animals must swim and move through the water. Therefore, most water animals have fins of some sort to help them. Other animals that live in the water may have claws that help them travel on the bottom of the water.
Land animals have four limbs.
Fore limbs--the two limbs in front are called fore limbs. Hind limbs--the two at the back are known as hind limbs. Some use all four limbs to walk, run or jump while some use only hind limbs, e.g. kangaroo. Snakes, lizards, crocodile move by crawling, but they do have limbs. Snakes do not have legs.
Water Animals They have fins, webbed feet and paddle-like limbs.
Fins--fishes swim with the help of fins. Webbed toes-- frogs swim with webbed toes, when on land they use hind legs to jump. Paddle-like limbs--tortoise use four paddle-like limbs to push water. Flippers--penguins use two fore limbs as flippers to push water forwards.
Land animals breathe through lungs just like we do. They are able to breathe in and out of their mouth and nose. We are land animals. Water animals must get oxygen through their bodies in different ways. Most water animals have gills that allow them to breathe under water and get the oxygen from the water.
Land and water animals both have skin/hair that helps them adjust to their environment. Ex. A whale doesn’t have fur because it would be hard for him to swim well in the ocean. A bear has fur to help keep him warm during the long winter months.
EXTEND: Animal Jeopardy: Land, water or both? Divide the class into two teams. Each team will have two people complete against each other to determine if the animal card you hold is a land or water animal. If it is a land animal, they must hold up the L card and if it is a water animal they must hold up the W card. If the animal can live in both habitats, they must hold up both cards. The team with the most points wins the game. *** The W and L cards must be made in advance but can be done however you like.
EVALUATE: Three-way-sort *Pictures for the evaluation included *********** see sheet for animal pictures for unit
Animals for Three Way Sort Assessment
Name: ______
Animal Sort
Land Both Water Name: ______
The name of my animal is ______
My animal lives ______
Here is what my animal looks like:
My animal has:
______
______
______
Extra pics if needed for something