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Our Animal Habitats

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Lesson Plan

Our Animal Habitats Lesson Plan

Students will identify different animal habitats, practice counting and sorting animal cards, learn new vocabulary related to habitats, and understand how people study animal environments.

Understanding animal habitats helps students appreciate the diversity of life on Earth and their role in protecting the environment. This lesson integrates multiple subjects, making learning holistic and engaging for young learners.

Audience

1st Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, hands-on sorting activity, and guided reflection.

Materials

Smartboard or projector, Our Animal Habitats Slide Deck, Habitat Picture Cards (e.g., forest, ocean, desert, arctic), Animal Picture Cards (e.g., bear, fish, camel, polar bear) - 5-7 animals per habitat, Habitat Match-Up Activity, and My Habitat Worksheet

Prep

Prepare Materials

15 minutes

  • Review the Our Animal Habitats Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content.
    * Print and cut out Habitat Picture Cards (e.g., large pictures of a forest, ocean, desert, arctic).
    * Print and cut out Animal Picture Cards (e.g., 5-7 animals that live in each of the chosen habitats).
    * Prepare enough copies of the My Habitat Worksheet for each student.
    * Set up your smartboard or projector to display the slide deck.
    * Organize the Habitat and Animal Picture Cards for easy distribution during the Habitat Match-Up Activity.

Step 1

Warm-Up: Where Do Animals Live?

5 minutes

  • Display the first slide of the Our Animal Habitats Slide Deck.
    * Engage students by asking: "Where do your pets live? Where do you think a lion lives?" (ELA/Science)
    * Briefly introduce the concept of
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Slide Deck

Our Amazing Animal Habitats!

Where do your pets live?
Where do lions live?

Animals live in special places called habitats!

Welcome students and get them thinking about where animals live. Ask guiding questions to activate prior knowledge.

What is a Habitat?

A habitat is a natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Think of it as an animal's house!

Introduce the definition of a habitat in simple terms. Provide clear examples.

Forest Friends

The forest is a home for many animals!

What animals do you think live in a forest?

Show a visual of a forest. Ask students to name animals they think live there.

Ocean Explorers

The ocean is a big, watery home!

What animals make the ocean their home?

Show a visual of an ocean. Ask students to name animals they think live there.

Desert Dwellers

The desert is a hot, dry home!

Which animals are tough enough for the desert?

Show a visual of a desert. Ask students to name animals they think live there.

Arctic Adventures

The arctic is a very cold, icy home!

What animals love the snow and ice?

Show a visual of the arctic. Ask students to name animals they think live there.

Scientists Study Habitats!

Scientists and explorers help us learn about animal habitats. They observe and discover amazing things!

Why do you think it's important to study where animals live?

Introduce the idea of studying habitats. Connect it to social studies (people's jobs).

Time for Habitat Match-Up!

Now it's YOUR turn to be habitat experts!

We're going to match animals to their correct homes.

Transition to the activity. Explain that they will be sorting animals into their homes.

You're Habitat Heroes!

Great job today, habitat heroes!

Keep an eye out for animal homes all around you!

Conclude the lesson, encouraging students to think about habitats in their own environment.

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Activity

Habitat Match-Up Activity

Objective: To correctly identify and sort animals into their respective habitats.

Materials:

  • Habitat Picture Cards (e.g., Forest, Ocean, Desert, Arctic)
  • Animal Picture Cards (e.g., bear, fish, camel, polar bear for respective habitats)

Instructions for Students:

  1. Look at the Habitat Cards: Your teacher will place big pictures of different animal homes, like a forest or an ocean, on the floor or a table.
  2. Get Your Animal Cards: Each of you will get some animal pictures. Look closely at your animals!
  3. Think and Sort: Think about where your animal lives. Does it live in the cold arctic? Or the hot desert? Walk over to the habitat card where your animal belongs and place your animal picture on it.
  4. Count Them Up (Math Time!): Once all animals are sorted, we will count how many animals are in each habitat together. We can also count how many animals each person sorted!
  5. Share Your Thinking: Be ready to tell us why you think your animal lives in that habitat!

Discussion Questions:

  • Which habitat has the most animals? Which has the fewest? (Math Integration)
  • Can an animal live in more than one type of habitat? Why or why not? (Science Integration)
  • What would happen if an animal moved to the wrong habitat? (Science Integration)
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Worksheet

My Habitat Worksheet

Name: _____________________________

1. My Favorite Habitat Scene!

Draw your favorite animal in its habitat. Don't forget to label the animal and its home!

















2. Counting Our Animal Friends!

How many animals did you sort during our activity today? Circle the correct number!

I sorted:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 More than 12!



3. Habitat Explorer Reflection

My favorite animal habitat is _________________________ because __________________________________________.




One new animal I learned about today is __________________________. It lives in the ________________________ habitat.

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Our Animal Habitats • Lenny Learning