Endangered Species Habitat

The purpose of this lesson is for the student to identify that all living creatures have basic needs. The student will become familiar with the term habitat and basic needs. The students will discover what a habitat is and why it is important to all living creatures. The student will be able to select an endangered species and create a habitat based on its geographical location. 

The Habitat: In this lesson students will describe some of the ways that rain forest destruction affects animals that live there. Each student will get a handout of endangered species and handout of what habitat entails. We will then look at the habitat of endangered species; what is habitat? I will introduce a slide show on habitat, why all living creatures need a habitat to live, and what happens when there is no place to go and the species are restricted? Loss of habitat is the primary reason why species are endangered. Since there is an enormous amount of species living in the tropical rainforest, it makes it home to most animals than any other environment in the world.  Therefore this becomes a threat to the endangered species, because the rainforest are being cleared and soon it will disappear and tropical species will become extinct. Using the handout given of the pictures of endangered species, students will also get a world map. Each one will choose their own endangered species. Using the computer and books in the classroom (getting turns to use the computer) they will do some research on the animal they choose, cut out the picture and paste on the correct geographic location in the world map. They will include the habitat of the species, and why they are endangered. They will also have to create their own habitat for the species they have chosen respectively. They will then draw a picture of their own habitat and their surroundings and compare it to the habitat of the endangered species.

Materials: boxes, construction paper, glue, makers, erasers, milk cartons, sand, grass, leaves, postictal sticks, tape, scissors, thin cardboard.

We will then do an activity based on ‘’what is happening in Brazil, article from Ranger Rick’s Nature Scope, Endangered Species: Wild & Rare”. Students will complete the activity for sheet 1 and 2 and complete the questions. We will then discuss the questions as a group.

http://www.mnn.com/family/family-activities/blogs/5-ways-to-stop-deforestation

http://library.thinkquest.org/26993/consequences.htm