habitat dos animais

by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne

N E W Y O R K s T O R O N T O s L O N D O N s A U C K L A N D s S Y D N E YM E X I C O C I T Y s N E W D E L H I s H O N G K O N G s B U E N O S A I R E S

Easy Make & Learn Projects: Animal Habitats 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use. Purchase of this book entitles use of reproducibles by one teacher for one classroom only. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in

whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to

Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Editor: Maria L. Chang Cover and interior design by Kathy Massaro

ISBN-13: 978-0-439-45337-0ISBN-10: 0-439-45337-2

Copyright 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. WynneAll rights reserved.

Printed in the U.S.A.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10

For Carolyn Cathey, who loves to read

and care for animals

DMS

To Phyllis Zara Young,

who loved discovering nature

PJW


Introduction ............................................................................................................... 4

Cave................................................................................................................... 5

City ....................................................................................................................10

Coral Reef ........................................................................................................15

Desert ..............................................................................................................20

Grassland ........................................................................................................ 25

Island ...............................................................................................................30

Marsh .............................................................................................................. 35

Mountain .......................................................................................................40

Ocean .............................................................................................................. 45

Polar Regions ................................................................................................50

Pond ................................................................................................................. 56

River .................................................................................................................61

Seashore .........................................................................................................66

Tropical Rain Forest .....................................................................................71

Tundra ............................................................................................................76

Contents


A nimals and plants live just about everywhere on earthat the North and South Poles, in the hottest deserts, on the tallest trees, and in the oceans depths. The place where a plant or animal lives is called its habitat. The 15 easy-to-make and easy-to-read mini-books and manipulatives featured in this book provide students with a first look at habitats around the world and the plants and animals that live in each. The content in this book meets life science curriculum standards, including:

L plants and animals need certain resources for energy and growth (e.g., food, water, light, air)

L living things are found almost everywhere in the world, and distinct environments support the life of different types of plants and animals

L organization of simple food chains and food websL the transfer of energy (e.g., through the

consumption of food) is essential to all living organisms

L an organisms patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organisms environment

L changes in the environment can have different effects on different organisms

L all organisms (including humans) cause changes in their environments, and these changes can be beneficial or detrimental

4

Introduction

Whats Inside

The mini-books and manipulatives are independent and can be used in any order. Each chapter contains the following features:

L Habitat Hallmarks: Background information for teaching the lesson

L Making the Mini-Book or Manipulative: Easy-to-follow instructions with diagrams for assembling the mini-book or manipulative

L Teaching With the Mini-Book or Manipulative: Discussion questions for after reading

L More to Do: Further activities to extend learningL Resources: Related books and Web sitesL Reproducible Pages: Templates for each mini-

book or manipulative to be distributed to students

Helpful Hints

As with any new instructional material, it is always a good idea to make the mini-books and manipulatives yourself before introducing them to your class. This way, you can anticipate any questions and be ready to help students as needed. When students are ready to assemble their own mini-books and manipulatives, model the steps for them and invite them to follow along. Or, present your finished mini-book or manipulative as a guide.

Keep in mind:

L The thickest black lines on the reproducible pages are CUT lines. Dashed lines are FOLD lines.

L Some mini-books and manipulatives have interior flaps that require cutting. An easy way to cut them is to use the pinch method: Use your thumb and forefinger to fold the paper near one line and, taking your scissors, snip an opening. Then insert the scissors through the opening to easily cut out the flaps.

L If possible, enlarge the pattern pages to make the mini-books and manipulatives easier for students to assemble.

L If students plan to color the mini-books/manipulatives and use tape, have them color first so they wont have to color over the tape.

L Encourage students to bring their mini-books/manipulatives home and share them with their families. You may also want to put additional copies and extra materials in a learning center so students can make and read them on their own.

We hope that you and your students get as much fun and excitement out of these mini-books and manipulatives as we had in creating them. Enjoy!


55

CaveStarting at the entrance, delve deeper into this

mini-book to see what lives inside the cave.

A cave is a large, open space underground or inside a mountain. Most caves were formed over thousands of years as underground water slowly dissolved limestone to create the open spaces. Inside a cave, water containing dissolved minerals may continue to seep through cracks in the rock. As the water evaporates, the minerals it leaves behind crystallize and form stalactites (icicle-shaped rocks that hang from the ceiling) and stalagmites (rounded rocks that rise from the cave floor). Where stalactites and stalagmites meet, they form a column. Some animals, such as deer, raccoons, and skunks, might sometimes wander in and out of a cave. Daylight can penetrate only the opening part of the cave, where ferns, mosses, and a few other plants can make food and grow. Swallows, barn owls, and phoebes often build nests on the cave walls. Wood rats nest here, too. These animals move in and out of the cave to hunt. In places with cold winters, snakes, frogs, and bears might also seek shelter in a cave. Deeper inside, very little to no light reaches the rest of the cave. No plants can grow there. A few animals, however, have adapted to life in total darkness. Blind cave beetles and daddy longlegs feel their way around using antennas or other body parts. Blind cavefish find food by sensing movement in the water. Bats emit very high-frequency sounds that echo back to their ears. From these echoes, bats are able to fly in and out without hitting the cave walls or one another. Millions of bats live in very large caves. They sleep by day hanging upside down from the cave ceiling and fly out by night to feed on moths, mosquitoes, and other insects.

L Reproducible pages 7 9

L ScissorsL TapeL Crayons, colored

pencils, or markers (optional)

MaterialsMaking the Mini-book

1 Photocopy pages 79.

2 Cut out all the pieces along the thick, solid lines. Fold pages 1 to 4 of the mini-book along the dashed lines lengthwise. Then fold again, as shown. Repeat for pages 5 to 8.

Habitat Hallmarks

5Easy Make & Learn Projects: Animal Habitats 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources

63 Unfold the pages and cut out the center sections of pages 1 and 3 to 8 along the thick, solid lines. Fold the mini-book pages again.

4 Stack pages 1 to 4 on top of pages 5 to 8 and tape together at the left along the folded spine. Tape page 9 to page 8 along the spine.

5 Insert one flying bat into the opening on page 1 and tape in place. Tape the barn owl to page 4; the cave swallow, phoebe nest, and scorpion to page 5; and the remaining bats around the opening on pages 7 and 8.

6 Fold the stalactite and stalagmite pieces along the dashed lines. Tape the folded flap of the stalactite to the back of page 9, as shown. Repeat with the stalagmite at the bottom of the page.

Teaching With the Mini-book

Invite students to color, assemble, and read the text on their mini-books. Then check for understanding by asking them these questions:

1 What is a cave? (A large open space underground or inside a mountain)2 Which part of a cave receives some light? (The part just inside the cave

entrance)

3 How can bats fly around without hitting cave walls or one another? (They use echo sounds to tell them where to fly.)

4 Can all cave animals see? (Some, such as bats, can; others, such as cavefish, are blind.)

More to Do

World of CavesCarlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and Mammoth Cave in Kentucky are two of the most famous caves in the world. So are the Lascaux Cave in France and the Waitomo Caves in New Zealand. Challenge students to research one of these caves and report on what kinds of animals live there or why the cave is famous.

Resources

Hello, Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde and Patricia J. Wynne (Charlesbridge, 2007).

Readers follow an inch-long bat as it flies in and out of a cave, answering questions about where it lives and what it does.

http://www.mostateparks.com/onondaga/animals.htm

This unusual site describes the five main groups of cave animals. Click on the link food chains and pyramids to learn about bats and a cave food pyramid.

Cave

6

Cave


34

12


A cave is a large,

open space underground or inside a m

ountain. Bats and birds fly in and out of a caves opening. Bears som

etimes

enter, too.

A li

ttle

dayl

ight

sh

ines

just

insi

de

the

open

ing

of

a ca

ve. L

ook!

A

bar

n ow

l fle

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in w

ith fo

od fo

r its

you

ng. H

ungr

y ba

by p

hoeb

es

wai

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thei

r pa

rent

s to

brin

g th

em fo

od.

Eastern phoebe

Am

eric

an to

ad

Cave

swallow

s

Black bear

Cricket

Snai

l

Red cave salam

ander

Orb spider

Cen

tiped

e

Barn

ow

lets

What

s in

a C

ave?

Cut

out

.C

ut o

ut.C

ut out.

Cave

7 86

5

Cave

8 Easy Make & Learn Projects: Animal Habitats 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Deep inside

the cave, there is no light. Thats okay. Bats use echo sounds to tell them

where

to fly. Blind cavefish sw

im

in a stream.

Blind animals

feel their way

around.

Woo

d ra

t

Dad

dy

long

legs

Bats

White cave cricket

Blind cave salam

ander

Blind cavefish

Cav

e sw

allo

w

nest

s

Cut

out

.Cut out.C

ut o

ut.

Cut out.

9Cave

Easy Make & Learn Projects: Animal Habitats 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources9

Barn owl

Cave swallow

Bat

Bat

Bats

Scorpion

Stalactite

Stalagmite

Phoebe nest

10

A t first glance, a city may not seem to be a natural habitat for plants and animals. But depending on where its located and how it developed, a city can host a variety of habitats. A city in the temperate zone, for example, may have a wooded park surrounding a small lake. One in the desert may have cactus gardens with a nearby pond. The variety of plants that grow in an urban setting will depend on what kind of soil is naturally found there or whether the soil for parks, gardens, and backyards has been specially brought in from elsewhere. A schoolyard, park, or backyard may be filled trees, flowers, grasses, weeds, mosses, bushes, or other plants. Seeds may sprout in sidewalk cracks. Living among the plants may be ladybugs, spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, snails, caterpillars, squirrels, chipmunks, lizards, or birds. Ants, earthworms, centipedes, daddy longlegs, moles, or shrews may burrow in the ground, while birds, bees, and butterflies may take to the air. Hawks and eagles may build nests on top of tall buildings. At night, skunks, raccoons, mice, bats, moths, owls, or fireflies may come out in search of a meal. Ants, roaches, and other insects, as well as spiders may find their way into houses and apartments. City animals interact with people and their pets. Dogs chase after birds and squirrels, cats attack mice invading homes, and food people drop or throw away becomes a meal for birds, raccoons, and other animals. As long as they are able to meet their basic needs of food, water, and shelter, animals and plants will survive anywhere, including the city.

L Reproducible pages 1214



Materials Making the Manipulative


2 Cut out all the pieces along the thick, solid outer lines. Be sure to cut open the lines on flaps A and B.

Habitat Hallmarks

10

CityPeek into this three-dimensional panorama

of a city filled with numerous plants and animals.


3 Fold in the sides and bottom half of the city scene along the dashed lines, as shown. Fold flaps A and B and tape to the back of the upright piece.

4 Fold up the flap on the inside of the house. Tape the inside of the house behind the outside of the house, as shown. Cut open the windows of the house. Tape the house to the left side of the city scene, as shown.

5 Tape the magnifying glass to the lower left of the text box, as shown.

6 Fold under all the flaps on the remaining pieces. Tape each one to its respective number on the city scene. Slide the raccoon headpiece into the slit at the top of the trash can, as shown. Tape the other raccoon to the front of the trash can, and the bumblebee to the top of the purple coneflower.

Teaching With the Manipulative

Invite students to color, assemble, and read the text on their manipulatives. Then check for understanding by asking them these questions:

1 What lives in the park? (Squirrel, grasshopper, Canada geese, raccoon, purple coneflower, bumblebee, rabbit, owl, ducks, songbirds, trees, etc.)

2 What lives inside the house? (Mouse, centipede, cockroach, fly, fleas, aphids, spider, ladybird beetle, little black ant, cat, dog, people, etc.)

3 What lives underground? (Earthworm, snail, bacteria, fungus, springtail)4 What is the raccoon doing on the trash can? Why? (It is climbing inside

to look for food.)

More to Do

What Lives Here?Every day for a week or two, have students make note of animals they see in their homes, backyard, schoolyard, park, and so on. Make a list of the animals and where students saw them. If students dont know an animals name, have them describe the animal or draw it. Do the same for plants. Be sure students do not disturb animals or plants and do not try to capture them or break off flowers, stems, leaves, or other plant parts. Where were most animals spotted? Which plants were most common?

Resources

Take a City Nature Walk by Jane Kirkland (Stillwater, 2005).

While taking a nature walk in a city, readers identify plants and animals as they learn about urban ecology.

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Wild-Kids-Animals-of-urban-habitats

Journey to a city in Australia and discover which plants and animals live in houses, high-rise buildings, gardens, parks, and the harbor.

11

C i ty


Do you live in a city or a town? Plants and animals live there, too. Plants grow in soil and need water to live. They make food using energy from

the sun. Some animals eat plants. Others eat the animals that eat plants. Animals live in houses, in backyards, in parks, underground, and on top of tall buildings. They eat what they can find even food people throw away.

Which of these plants and animals live near you?

12

Easy Make &

Learn Projects: Animal H

abitats 2010 by D

onald M. Silver

and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching R

esources

A B

Park bench

19

17

16

15

24

25

27

28

26

29

14

13

11

10

Wildlife in the City: House & Park

Tape

insi

de o

f hou

se h

ere.

Tape magnifying

glass here.

City


INSIDE OF HOUSEOUTSIDE OF HOUSE

67

2 Centipede

1 Mouse

3 Cockroach

4 Fly

12 Rat

5 Fleas

6 Aphids

8 Ladybird beetle

9 Little black ant

10 Purple

coneflower

BASEMENT

PARK BENCH

11 Trash can

31 2

9

45

8

12

11

11

10

7 Spider

Cut out.Ta

pe o

utsi

de o

f hou

se h

ere.

Cut out.

Cut out.

Cut out.

11 Raccoon

10 Bumblebee

11 Raccoon

City

13 Grey squirrel

with acorn

14 Screech

owl

20 Snail15 Rabbit

eating grass

21 Bacteria

16 Cat

17 Peregrine

falcon

23 Springtail

18 Earthworm

24 Songbirds

19 Ducks

25 Tick

26 Grasshopper eating plants

27 Turtle

28Toad

29 Canada geese

22 Fungus

MAGNIFYING GLASS

DOG WALKER

18

23

2221

20

UNDER

GROU

ND

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Easy Make &


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City

15

Coral ReefDiscover the wonders of a coral reef

with this lift-and-look mini-book.


L ScissorsL TapeL StaplerL Crayons, colored




2 Cut out the mini-book pages (pages 1718) along the thick, solid lines. Fold each in half along the dashed lines so the text is visible on both sides.

C oral reefs can be found in clear, warm, shallow ocean water, usually around 50 feet (15 m) below the surface. Millions of tiny animals called coral polyps build these reefs out of limestone. Each polyp builds a rock-hard cup around its soft body using calcium carbonate dissolved in seawater. The polyp hides inside its cup during the day, but at night reaches out its stinging tentacles to catch tiny sea creatures to eat. When a polyp dies, its hard cup remains behind, and new coral polyps build on top of it. Over time, all the new and empty cups create a coral reef. Algae, small plantlike organisms, also help build coral reefs by providing polyps with food and oxygen. Different types of coral polyps build different shapes of limestone rock, such as fans, horns, brains, and more. Coral reefs are home to thousands of species of sea animals, such as colorful fish, sponges, jellyfish, eels, crustaceans, sea worms, mollusks, and so much more. Reefs are often referred to as the rain forests of the oceans because of the huge diversity of creatures that live here. (See Tropical Rain Forest, page 71.) Reefs provide a rich source of food for people. The largest reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia, spans about 1,250 miles (2,000 km) in length. It took millions of years for the Great Barrier Reef to reach this size. Other reefs are found in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Florida, in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and in the Red Sea. These reefs help protect coastlines from getting eroded by pounding ocean waves. And yet many reefs are in danger of being destroyed by pollution, overfishing, and careless divers and boats. Many organizations are now working to preserve reefs from these threats.

Habitat Hallmarks


3 Cut out the magnifying glass, the NEW CORALS piece, and the map (page 19).

4 Place the magnifying glass over the stony cup on page 2 of the mini-book so the circles overlap. Tape the handle to the mini-book, as shown.

5 Tape the map to page 4 of the mini-book.

6 Fold the flap on the NEW CORALS piece and tape over the EMPTY CUP area in the lower left of the mini-books page 3. Place pages 1 and 2 on top of 3 and staple the mini-book together along the left spine, as shown.

7 Cut out the animals (page 19). Tape them to pages 2, 3, and 4 of the book as desired.


Invite students to color, assemble, and read their mini-books. Then check for understanding by asking them these questions:

1 How is a coral reef made? (A coral reef is created from the stony cups built by tiny coral animals to protect themselves. New cups are built on top of empty cups left behind by coral animals that have already died.)

2 Describe a coral animal. (A coral animal is a tiny creature that captures food with its stinging tentacles, makes a stony cup to protect its soft body, and builds reefs.)

3 Name some animals that live on coral reefs. (Brightly colored fish, giant clams, purple sponges, eels, crabs, sea stars, shrimps, etc.)

4 What is the largest reef in the world and where is it found? (The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia)

More to Do

Go FishLiving things depend on one another to stay alive and healthy. Challenge students to research the following coral reef fish and report how they interact with other reef life: cleaner fish, damselfish, clown fish, false cleaner fish, pearl fish, parrot fish, flashlight fish.

Resources

One Small Square: Coral Reef by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne (McGraw-Hill, 1998).

Focusing on the Great Barrier Reef, this book examines a small patch of reef and all of the creatures that live there.

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/coral/index.htm

This Web site is chock-full of reef information, including animals that live in a reef and ways to conserve reefs.

16

Coral Reef


17

Easy Make &


abitats 2010 by D



Stony cup

tentacles

Reef shark

Striped damselfish

Star coral

Crab

Basket sponge

Butterfly fish

Staghorn

coral

Moray eel

Shrimp

Grouper

Brittle star

Sea star

12

A coral reef is home to brightly colored fish, giant clams, and purple sponges. Eels, crabs, sea stars, and shrimps live here, too. Thats why sharks come to hunt for a tasty meal!

Lift the magnifying glass.

See the tiny coral animal? It

captures food with its stinging

tentacles. Each coral makes a

hard, stony cup to live in.

The stony cup is part of a reef.

Coral Reef

Tape magnifying

glass here.

Leaf

coral

Coral Reef

18

34

A reef is an underwater wonderland made from these cups. Most cups are empty. The animals inside have died long ago. New corals build their cups on top of empty ones. What do these corals shapes remind you of?

The Great Barrier Reef off

the coast of Australia is the

largest reef in the world.

It is in danger because

of pollution and careless

divers and boats.

Brain coral

Parrot fish

Leaf coral

Columnar coral

Elkhorn coral

Empty cup

Fungus coral

Easy Make &


abitats

2010 by D


ynne,

Scholastic Teaching Resources

Tape map here.

Coral Reef

19

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Sea fan

Great Barrier Reef

Australia

Pacific octopus

Queen trigger fish

Butterfly fish

Moon jellyfish

Pacific white-sided

dolphin

Goby fish

Moorish idol

Giant green sea anemone

Blue sea star

Damselfish

New corals

MAGNIFYING GLASS

Coral Reef

20

DesertCompare day and night in the Sonoran and

Sahara deserts with this back-to-back mini-book.

Making the Mini-book

1 Photocopy pages 2224.2 Cut out the mini-book pages along the

thick, solid lines.

D eserts cover about one-fifth of the earths land surface and can be found on all the continents, except Europe. Deserts receive less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain each year. The entire amount may fall over just a few days, a few weeks, or not at all. Parts of the Sahara Desert in northern Africa have received no rain for 20 years. Stretching from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, the Sahara is the largest desert in the world. It covers more than 3.5 million square miles (9 million sq km). Much of the desert consists of stony plains swept free of sand by desert winds, but large areas are also covered by sand dunes. Summer temperatures typically reach up to 110F (43C). The highest temperature on Earth136F (58C)was recorded in the Sahara in 1922. During winter nights, however, temperatures can plunge to below freezing. With such intense conditions, few kinds of animals can survive herejackals, jerboas, lizards, cobras, oryx, aoudads, and the worlds deadliest scorpion. About 3 million people also call the Sahara home, and many still use camels to travel around the desert. Palms and a few plants grow at oases, nourished by underground water. The Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States, on the other hand, contains the greatest diversity of desert plants found anywhere. This desert is only about 120,000 square miles (311,000 sq km), but it is home to saguaro cacti that grow up to 50 feet (15 m) tall; yuccas that store water in their stems; shrubs that grow leaves only when it rains; and American mesquite trees with roots that reach deep underground for water. Daytime temperatures can reach above 115F (46C), and so most animals here hide under rocks, in plant holes, or in underground burrows. When the desert cools off at night, these animals come out to hunt for food. But they would do well to watch out for other night predators, such as tarantulas, rattlesnakes, and Gila monsters, which use poison to kill their prey.

Habitat Hallmarks

20


L ScissorsL TapeL StaplerL Crayons, colored


Materials


3 Cut out the center of each cover along the thick, solid lines. Then cut out the text block from the center of each piece. Tape each text block to the back of its respective cover, as shown.

4 Cut the windows on the interior page so they fold open, as shown.

5 Place the page with spot art behind the interior page so that the illustrations match behind their respective windows.

6 Fold the pages in half along the dashed lines. Place the Sonoran Desert cover on top of the cactus illustration.

7 Turn the mini-book over and place the Sahara Desert cover on top of the sand dune illustration. Staple the mini-book at left, as shown.


Invite students to color, assemble, and read their mini-books. Have them read the Sonoran Desert side first, then turn over the book to read about the Sahara Desert. Check students understanding by asking them these questions:

1 How are the Sonoran and Sahara deserts alike? (Both are very hot and dry, but cool down at night.)

2 How are the two deserts different? (Different plants and animals live in each desert. The Sahara has sand dunes and oases, and the Sonoran Desert doesnt.)

3 Where do cactuses get water? (They store water when it rains.)4 When do animals come out in the desert? (Most come out in the

morning before it gets too hot and at night when the desert cools.)

More to Do

Desert WorldInvite students to research other deserts, such as the Gobi in east-central Asia, Death Valley in the United States, the Kalahari in southern Africa, the Arabian on the Arabian Peninsula, and the Atacama in Chile and Peru. Describe the plants and animals in each desert and how they are adapted to survive. You may also want to encourage students to find out about the dinosaur fossils discovered in the Gobi Desert.

Resources

One Small Square: Cactus Desert by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne (McGraw-Hill, 1998).

Students explore the wonders of the Sonoran Desert by day, by night, and after it rains.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.php

Photographs and simple text offer a glimpse of different types of deserts around the world.

21

Desert


22

Easy Make &


abitats 2010 by D



Sonoran Desert

Sahara Desert

The Sonoran desert is very hot and dry. It does not rain here very often. When it rains,

cactuses store water inside them. Without water, they cannot stay alive.

Cut out.

Cut out.

The Sahara Desert is very hot and dry. Palms and other plants grow in the deserts oases.

Water comes from deep underground.

Most of the Sahara is stony and flat. In some parts, winds blow sand into hills, called dunes. Some sand dunes are more than a hundred feet high.

Some animals hunt for food in the morning. To escape the afternoon

heat, they hide in holes, under rocks, or underground.

Desert tortoise

Sandgrouse and chicksHedgehog

Horned lizard

Gambels quail

Cactus wren

Desert 5 Cover

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Lift the flaps. These animals come out at night when it is cool. Watch out! Both rattlesnakes

and Gila monsters are poisonous.

These animals come out in the morning before the Sahara heats up. Open the flaps to see creatures

that come out in the cool Sahara night.

Dromedary camels

Saguaro cactus

Gila woodpecker

Pronghorn

Roadrunner

Turkey vultureHarriss

hawk

Hummingbird

Scimitar-horned oryx

Spiny-tailed lizard

Desert wheatear

JackrabbitWhiptail lizard

Antelope squirrel

Vermillion flycatcher

Horned viper

Spiny mouse Aoudad

Lanner falcon

Desert 5 Interior pages

24

Easy Make &


abitats 2010 by D



Scorpion

Jerboa

Fennec fox

Bat

Elf owl

Sphinx moth

Gila monster

Javelina

Bobcat

Diamondback rattlesnake

Desert 5 Insert

25




MaterialsMaking the Manipulative

1 Photocopy pages 2729.2 Cut out all the pieces along the thick, solid

lines. Cut open the centers on pages 28 and 29. Be careful not to cut the dashed lines.

3 Fold page 27 in half along the dashed line so the illustrated backgrounds are facing out.

G rasslands are mostly flat or gently sloping regions where, as the name implies, grasses grow predominantly. These include the prairies in North America, the African savanna, the pampas in South America, the South African veldt, and the steppes in Central Asia. The North American prairies extend south from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in Canada, across the Great Plains in the United States, and down to southern Texas and nearby Mexico; and from the Rocky Mountains about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) east to Indiana. Seasonal rains deliver 10 to 30 inches (25 to 75 cm) of precipitation each year. Grasses grow tallest in those parts where it rains the most. Grass roots hold the soil in place while underground grass stems keep growing even after herds of bison, cattle, and other grass-eaters feed on leaves and stems that grow aboveground. Prairie dogs and gophers dig underground tunnels to escape eagles, hawks, and other predators. However, ferrets and snakes often slip inside these same tunnels, waiting to prey on these underground dwellers. Much larger animals live in the African savanna, which stretches across more than 25 countries. During its short rainy season, 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm) of rain may fall, spurring the growth of acacia trees, baobabs, and other non-grass plants scattered across the savanna. The animals that live here include the largest (elephant), the fastest (cheetah), and the tallest (giraffe) land animals in the world. Large herds of zebras and wildebeests, as well as other herbivores, graze on savanna grasses. They are preyed upon by fast, powerful lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hunting dogs. Vultures, jackals, and hyenas scavenge for dead animals to eat. As dry season approaches, plant-eaters migrate in search of water and food, but return again with the rain.

Habitat Hallmarks

25

GrasslandCompare the American prairie to

the African savanna with this double-sided diorama.


4 Tape the ostrich and lion to the background with the elephants.

5 Tape the giraffe and fishing eagle to the African Savanna front piece, as shown.

6 Tape both sides of the front piece to the illustrated background, as shown.

7 Tape the African savanna text to the bottom front, as shown.

8 Turn the diorama over. Fold back the sides of the underground piece along the dashed lines. Tape the ferret inside the tunnel, as shown. Then tape the entire underground piece to the bottom of the prairie background, as shown.

9 Tape the gopher, owls, and prairie dog to the illustrated background.

10 Tape the coyote and the hawk to the prairie front piece, as shown.

11 Repeat steps 6 and 7 on the prairie side to complete the diorama.



1 Why are the American prairie and the African savanna considered grasslands? (Because mostly grasses grow in both places)

2 How are the prairie and savanna alike? How are they different? (Both are mostly flat grasslands. Very few trees grow on the prairie, but trees are scattered about on the savanna.)

3 What do prairie animals eat? (Cattle eat grass, while other animals hunt prairie dogs and gophers.)

4 What are the largest, fastest, and tallest savanna animals? (The elephant is the largest, the cheetah is the fastest, and the giraffe is the tallest.)

More to Do

Keep on GrowingEven though animals keep eating grass, grasslands dont run out of it. Challenge students to find out why. Give students a hint by asking how many of them have lawns that are mowed. What happens to the lawn after it is mowed? (Grass-eaters help grass plants keep growing for the same reason.)

Resources

Prairie Food Chains by Kelley MacAulay and Bobbie Kalman (Crabtree, 2005).

Explore the North American prairie with this book that includes information about prairie habitats, food chains, and ways animals survive.

http://www.blueplanet biomes.org/savanna.htm

For advanced readers, this site is full of facts about savannas, including the African and Australian tropical savanna.

26

Grassland


27

Easy

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e & L

earn

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ject

s: An

imal

Hab

itats

2

010

by D

onal

d M

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er a

nd P

atric

ia J

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ne, S

chol

astic

Tea

chin

g R

esou

rces

Baby prairie dogs

UNDERGROUND

Zebras

Cattle

Rattlesnake

Prairie

dog

Pronghorn

Green monkey

Rock hyrax

African elephantsCheetah

Termite mound

Hippopotamus

Burrowing owl

Tape

her

e. Tape here.

AMERICAN PRAIRIE

AFRICAN SAVANNA

Grassland

28

Easy Make &


abitats 2010 by D



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ds o

f cat

tle c

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p on

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tall

gras

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Prairie dog

Swainsons hawk

Coyote

Pain

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bu

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m

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w

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Grassland

29

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Hab

itats

2

010

by D

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Giraffe

Fishing

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Grassland

30

IslandLearn what animals live on the Galpagos Islands and

how they arrived there with this map-like manipulative.

Resources

Galpagos Means Tortoises by Ruth Heller (Gibbs Smith, 2003).

With rhyming text and detailed illustrations, this book reveals how giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, and other creatures survive on the Galpagos Islands.

http://www.wildmadagascar.org/kids/

Learn about Madagascar, another island nation, at this site. Students can tour Madagascar and learn about its unique animals and plants, as well as about its environmental problems.

30

A n island is land completely surrounded by water, whether by an ocean, lake, or river. The largest island in the world is the nation of Greenland. (Australia, which is three times bigger than Greenland, is considered a continent.) Depending on its size and location, an island may contain several habitats. All islands have shorelines; some might also have mountains, rivers, lakes, ponds, deserts, wetlands, grasslands, tundra, or forests. Some land animals might swim to and from islands if they are near the mainland or the shore of a river or lake. Others might be transported to an island on a floating tree branch or tree trunk. Some of the animals that live on the Galpagos Islands may have first arrived there in this manner. The 13 large and six smaller volcanic islands of the Galpagos lie about 600 miles (965 km) off the west coast of South America. They are so isolated that many of the plants and animals on these islands live nowhere else in the world. Because the islands (and more than a hundred islets) are home to giant tortoises that can weigh up to 600 pounds (272 kg), the islands were named Galpagos after the Spanish word for tortoise. Just as impressive as the tortoises are its yard-long (1-m) marine iguanas and 5-foot-long (1.5-m) land iguanas, as well as sea lions, red crabs, foot-long centipedes, frigate birds, boobies, even penguins! Cacti, which grow in the hot, dry desert-like parts of the Galpagos Islands, provide food for the giant tortoise. Tall trees rise in the islands rainy, mountainous regions. Some of the islands, however, are desolate with just a few hardy plants. Land iguanas may feed on plant leaves and berries, while marine iguanas fill their stomachs with abundant seaweeds. Because of its natural wonders, the Galpagos Islands get more and more visitors every year. Unfortunately this onslaught of tourists may be harming the islands and the animals that live there. Some people bring new animals that compete with the native animals for food and may even eat them. In recent years, Ecuador, which owns the Galpagos Islands, has introduced laws to protect this important habitat.

Habitat Hallmarks





Materials


Invite students to color, assemble, and read the text on their manipulatives. Explain that only 12 of the islands are shown with their Spanish and English names. Check students understanding by asking them these questions:

1 What is an island? (Land completely surrounded by water)2 Why do you think the islands are named Galpagos? (They are named

for the giant tortoises that live there. The Spanish word for tortoise is galpago.)

3 Describe the Galpagos Islands. (They are located off the coast of South America; some islands have volcanoes that no longer erupt; some have deserts; some have mountains.)

4 How do animals get to the Galpagos Islands? (Birds fly there, sea animals swim, an animal might drift there on a tree branch.)

More to Do

Grow Me an IslandThe Hawaiian Islands stretch across more than 1,500 miles (2,400 km) in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Challenge students to find out how these islands formed and why there will be more islands in the future.

31

Making the Manipulative

1 Photocopy pages 3234.2 Cut out the pages with the islands along the thick, solid lines.

Tape the two pages together.

3 Cut out each animal, one at a time. Read the animals name and the island on which it belongs. Find the island and tape the animal on it. Tape the rafting lizard in the lower left corner of the model to show that it is drifting toward the islands.

Island



Island

Isab

ela

(Alb

emar

le)

Fern

andi

na(N

arbo

roug

h)

Pint

a (A

bing

don)

Mar

chen

a (B

indl

oe)

Sant

iago

(J

ames

)

Sant

a C

ruz

(Inde

fatig

able

)

Flor

eana

(C

harle

s)

The

Gal

apag

os Is

land

s

`

Rabi

da

(Jer

vis)

Pinz

on

(Dun

can)

32

Sea lion

Galpagos hawk

Santiago

Marine iguana

Everywhere

Land iguana

FernandinaSharp-beaked ground finch

Santiago

Abingdon tortoise

Pinta

Sharp-beaked ground finch

Land

igua

na

Abingdon tortoise

Galp

agos

hawk

Marine iguanaO

ff th

e co

ast o

f Sou

th A

mer

ica

lie th

e G

alp

agos

Isla

nds.

Eac

h is

land

is c

ompl

etel

y su

rrou

nded

by

wat

er. S

ome

isla

nds

have

vol

cano

es

that

no

long

er e

rupt

. Som

e ha

ve

dese

rts,

whi

le o

ther

s ha

ve m

ount

ains

. Th

ese

isla

nds

are

hom

e to

gia

nt

tort

oise

s ( g

alp

agos

in S

pani

sh),

mar

ine

igua

nas,

and

land

igua

nas.

Th

ere

are

even

Gal

pag

os p

engu

ins!

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rds

fly to

thes

e is

land

s, a

nd s

ea

anim

als

swim

ther

e. S

ee th

e lit

tle li

zard

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iftin

g on

a tr

ee b

ranc

h? O

n w

hich

is

land

do

you

thin

k it

will

land

?

Gen

oves

a (T

ower

)

Tape here.


Island

San

Cri

stob

al(C

hath

am)

Sea lion

San Cristobal

Espa

nola

(H

ood)

Woodpecker finch

Red-footed booby

Warbler finch

Cactus finch

Flamingo

Fligh

tless

corm

oran

t

Galpagos penguin

Fur seal

Tree finch

Galpagos penguin

Isabela

Lizard on branch

Flamingo

Santa Cruz

Warbler finch

Marchena

Narborough tortoise

Fernandina

Flightless cormorant

Fernandina

Red-footed booby

Genovesa

Long-billed mockingbird

Floreana

Na

rboroug

h tortoise

Brown pelican

Duncan tortoise

Long-billed mockingbird Tree finch

Marchena

Woodpecker finch

Isabela


Island

Brown pelican

San Cristobal

Duncan tortoise

Pinzon

Fur seal

Rabida

Blue-footed booby

Espanola

Cactus finch

Espanola

Blue-footed booby

35

MarshDiscover some of the secrets of life in a marsh

with this lift-and-look mini-book.


L ScissorsL StaplerL Crayons, colored




2 Cut out all three pages along the thick, solid outer lines. Cut open the windows along the thick, solid lines.

M arshes are a type of wetlandland that stays wet all the time or for most of the year. Wetlands are found worldwide in lowland areas. Marshes can contain freshwater or salt water, depending on where they are located. The water can be as deep as 6.6 feet (2 m). Marshes are typically treelessunlike bogs and swamps, which are other types of wetlands. Grasses, sedges, cattails and other plants grow in and around marshes. Sedges look like grasses but have solid, triangular stems. Grass stems are hollow and round. Water lily flowers and leaves float on the water and are connected by a leafstalk to their stems buried in the mud below. Sago pondweed grows below the water surface. Pitcher plants and bladderworts trap flies and other insects, then digest their bodies to absorb nitrogen and minerals the plants need to grow. Marsh plants provide ducks, bitterns, herons, and other birds with places to nest, rest, and hide from predators. Theres also plenty of food to eat. Mosquitoes, flies, dragonflies, and mayflies are common in marshes, as are frogs, turtles, and water snakes. Large fishing spiders capture fish and other prey with their front legs, then bite and inject venom into their victims. Green water snakes are not poisonous, but can swim easily as they hunt for fish to eat. Wetlands are important because by holding water, they help prevent flooding, especially when rivers rise during and after powerful storms. When wetlands slowly return water to rivers, they release it through the soil. The soil filters out harmful materials in the water, such as chemicals that come from factories and homes.

Habitat Hallmarks


3 Fold each page along the horizontal dashed line with the illustrations facing out. Then fold again along the center dashed lines.

4 Open the pages with the windows and the spot illustrations. Place the page with the spot illustrations behind the other page so that an illustration is centered behind each window. Refold the pages.

5 Place the refolded pages inside the folded cover pages, as shown.

6 Open the mini-book to the center page and staple together.


Invite students to color, assemble, and read their mini-books, opening each window as they read. Then check for understanding by asking them these questions:

1 What is a marsh? (A marsh is a wetland, which means its stays wet all or most of the year.)

2 What plants grow in marshes? (Grasses, sedges, cattails, water lilies, pondweed)

3 Why do some marsh plants trap insects? (For food)4 Why are marshes not wastelands? (They are home to lots of plants and

animals.)

More to Do

Where Do They Come From?Where do marshes and bogs come from? Challenge students to find out how a pond turns into a marsh and how a lake turns into a bog. How long can it take for this to happen?

Resources

About Habitats: Wetlands by Cathryn Sill (Peachtree, 2008).

In this beautifully illustrated and simply written book, students are introduced to wetlands, including the variety of life in them and their importance to people and nature.

http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/wetlands/index.htm

Click on the links to find out what freshwater wetlands are, what lives in them, why they are important, and why they are in danger.

36

Marsh


182

7

Life in a Marsh

A saltwater marsh near the ocean also has many plants and animals. Remember, wetlands are not wastelands. They are home to lots of living things.

No trees grow in marshes.

But lots of other plants do.

Grasses, sedges, and cattails

grow here. Water lily flowers

and leaves float on the water.

Water lily

Fishing

spider

Great blue

heron

Green

water snake

Gull

Egret

Fiddler crabKillifish

Periwinkle snail

Cordgrass

EelgrassMussel

Oyster

Shrimp

Snapping

turtle

Mallard duck

Mallard

duck


Welcome to this freshwater marsh. It is a wetland. The land stays wet all or most of the year. This marsh is under six feet of water.

Marsh


Cattail

Bulrush

Pondweed

Duckweed

American

bittern

Mallard duck

Sedge

Sedge

Yellow-throated warbler

Bullfrog

Tadpole

Pussy willow

Pitcher plant

Bladderwort

Tiny

marsh

life

4 56

3

The marsh buzzes with flies and other insects. Watch out! Pitcher plants and bladderworts trap insects for food. Lift the flap to see what the bladderwort caught.

Splash! What

bird just dived

underwater to

find food?

Theres food for everyone in

the marsh. Some animals feed

on plants. Birds, turtles, and

snakes feed on fish. Even a

spider fishes for food.

Pondweed grows

underwater. What

eats pondweed?

Lift the flap to see.

Fish, frogs, turtles, ducks, and water snakes swim among the water plants.

What bird hides in plants that match its colors? Lift the flap to see.

Red-eared slider

Marsh


Mallard duck

Pied-billed grebe

Woodcock

Young

insect

Bladders catch larva

Marsh 5 Insert

40




Materials Making the Manipulative

1 Photocopy pages 4244.2 Cut out the background page along the thick,

solid lines. Fold the sheet in half along the dashed line and tape the halves together, as shown.

3 Cut out the two foreground pieces along the thick, solid lines.

40

MountainExplore a mountains dierent zones in this

back-to-back diorama that features its forests and meadow.

A mountain is any elevated area that has two or more climate zones that change as the altitude increases. In general, the higher the altitude, the cooler and wetter the climate. Each zone supports a different type of habitat. At the bottom of a mountain, a broadleaf (deciduous) forest might grow. This type of forest is filled with flowering trees, such as maples, oaks, elms, beeches, and hickory trees, whose broad leaves change color and fall off in autumn. The fallen leaves decay and return nutrients to the soil, feeding other trees and forest plants, such as bushes, shrubs, mosses, and other ground plants. Higher up the mountain, the broadleaf forest might give way to cone-bearing (coniferous) trees, such as firs, spruces, and hemlocks. They grow waxy, needlelike leaves that do not fall in autumn. Such leaves can survive long, cold winters as well as months when little rain falls. The soil, however, is often thin and poor in nutrients. Both forests are home to many animals. Some birds live in the woods all year long, while others fly to warmer places for the winter. Squirrels scurry along branches to search for food and escape danger. Engraver beetles tunnel beneath tree bark. Forest deer and rabbits feed on plants and in turn are preyed upon by foxes, bears, and wolves. Under fallen leaves, the soil crawls with insects, spiders, worms, and snails. Wildlife is not as varied higher up in the alpine zone, where few, if any, trees can grow. Winters are bitterly cold in this zone. But in the warm summer months, its mountain pastures come alive with plants and animals. Depending on the height of the mountain, its top may be covered in ice and snow year-round. The area near the top of a mountain where trees can no longer grow is called the tree line.

Habitat Hallmarks


4 Turn the diorama so the MOUNTAIN FOREST side faces you. Take the foreground piece with the beaver and tape the left edge to the diorama, as shown. Then tape the right edge to the diorama.

5 Turn the diorama around so the MOUNTAIN MEADOW faces you. Repeat step 4 with the other foreground. The completed back-to-back diorama should stand.

6 Cut out the animals. Tape the wolf, fox, moose, pine marten, lynx, and puma to the MOUNTAIN FOREST foreground and background.

7 Tape the rest of the animals to the MOUNTAIN MEADOW side of the diorama, both on the lower half of the background and to the foreground. Tape the eagle near the top of the background.

8 Tape the corresponding text boxes to the bottom of the foregrounds, as shown.


Invite students to color, assemble, and read their manipulatives. Then check for understanding by asking them these questions:

1 What is a mountain? (A landform that rises a thousand feet or more above the land around it.)

2 What is the deciduous forest at the bottom of the mountain like? (Maples, oaks, and elms grow here. Their broad leaves change color and fall off in autumn.)

3 Describe the coniferous forest that grows higher up on the mountain. (The trees stay green all year.)

4 Describe the meadow above the coniferous forest. (Trees dont grow there. It is bitterly cold in winter, but in summer it is alive with plants and animals.)

More to Do

Mountain ZonesNot all mountains are like the one described in this chapter. Challenge students to find out how plant and animal life changes on a mountain in Arizona where cactuses grow. If there are mountains in your state, have students do the same for one of those mountains.

Resources

About Habitats: Mountains by Cathryn Sill and John Sill (Peachtree, 2009).

Simple text and beautiful illustrations feature mountains around the world and animals and plants that live there.

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/about/habitat_types/habitats/mountains/

This easy-to-navigate Web site gives a quick description of the mountain habitats and the animals that live there.

41

Mounta in



Swans

Porcupine

Elk

Grizzly bear

MOUNTAIN

MEADOW

MOUNTAIN FOREST

Marmot

NuthatchWarbler

Mountain

MOUNTAIN FOREST

A mountain rises a thousand feet or more above the land around it. At the bottom of this mountain grows

a deciduous forest with maples, oaks, and elms. Their broad leaves change color and fall in autumn. Higher up the mountain, a coniferous forest grows.

Firs, spruces, and hemlocks stay green all year. What animals live in this forest?

Wolf

Fox

Lynx

Moose

Puma

Squirrel

Pine marten

Beaver

Tape here.Tap

e

here.

MO

UN

TAIN

FOREST FO

REGRO

UN

D

MOUNTAINFOREST

ANIMALS


Mountain

Mar

mot

Mountain goats

Bighorn sheep

Bald eag

le

Grizzly bear

MOUNTAIN MEADOW

The mountain gets colder the higher up it goes. Above the tree line, where the coniferous forest ends, trees dont grow. Winters are bitterly cold

this high up on a mountain. But in the warm summer months, the mountain meadow comes alive with

plants and animals. In higher mountains, snow and ice cover the top all year long.

MO

UN

TAIN

MEA

DO

W FO

REGRO

UN

D

Pine marten

Ptarmigan

Tape here.Tap

e

here.


Pica

Mountain

MOUNTAINMEADOW ANIMALS

45

OceanFlip open the pages of this mini-book

to shed light on the layers of the ocean.


L ScissorsL TapeL Blue construction

paper or white paper to be colored

L Crayons, colored pencils, or markers (optional)

Materials

Making the Mini-book

1 Photocopy pages 4749. Cut out all the pieces along the thick, solid outer lines.

2 Fold down THE OCEAN piece along the dashed line, as shown. Fold down the blank part of the ZONE OF DARKNESS piece along the dashed line.

45

T he ocean covers about 71 percent of the earth. The shallow part of the ocean lies above the continental shelf, which extends from the shoreline to the edge of each continent. Beyond that, the ocean can be more than six miles deep. Sunlight reaches to about 492 feet (150 m) beneath the waters surface. Within this sunlit zone live one-celled algae that make up the plant plankton. Like plants, algae make food using energy from the sun. One-celled animals, copepods, shrimp-like krill, and baby fish make up the animal plankton, which feed on algae. Plankton serves as food for small fish, basking sharks, and toothless whales. Killer whales, meat-eating sharks, and other large fish swim in to feast on the millions of small fish attracted to plankton-rich waters. Beneath the sunlit zone is the twilight zone, where light is very dim. During the day, shrimps, small fish, and even some animal plankton might dive there to hide from predators. As darkness falls, these hiders rise to feed. Somewhere in the twilight zone a sperm whale might hunt for a giant squid to eat. Below the twilight zone are the cold waters of the zone of darkness. There, the only light comes from special body parts on some fish. By flashing light, these fish can attract a mate or a meal, or scare away a predator. Very few animals live in the near total darkness, and no plants grow there. Food particles that sink from the upper zones provide food for these deep-sea dwellers. Still farther down, chemicals seep out of openings in parts of the deep-sea floor. Bacteria use these chemicals to make food. The bacteria live inside some deep-sea creatures, such as tube worms, and share food with them.

Habitat Hallmarks


3 Lift THE OCEAN flap and tape the SUNLIT ZONE on the underside.

4 Insert the folded ZONE OF DARKNESS piece into THE OCEAN piece. Matching up their folds, tape the two pieces together, as shown.

5 On the blank page under the SUNLIT ZONE, tape the TWILIGHT ZONE text box and the animal piece for page 2, as shown.

6 Lift page 3. Tape the DEEP SEA FLOOR text box on the blank page. Tape the animal piece for page 4 at the bottom of the page, as shown.

7 Tape the cutout piece with five fish above the whale on page 2. Tape the jellyfish to the left of the SUNLIT ZONE, as shown.

8 Tape the nautilus with its tentacles sticking out anywhere on page 3.

9 Tape the remaining pieces around THE OCEAN at the top of the book.

More to Do

Deep Sea DiveThe Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean is the deepest part of the sea. Challenge students to find out about the trench: where it is, how people reach it, and what lives there. Encourage students to draw maps and pictures about this mysterious part of the planet.

Resources

I Wonder Why the Sea Is Salty and Other Questions About the Oceans by Anita Ganeri (Kingfisher, 2003).

Theres more to learn about the ocean than the animals that live in it. This book answers basic questions most students have about the ocean.

http://www.cybrary.org/ocean.htm

Theres an oceanful of information on this site, ranging from sea life to waves and tides to the sea floor to the deep ocean trenches.

46


Invite students to color, assemble, and read the text on their mini-books. Then check for understanding by asking them these questions:

1 What are the four zones in the ocean where creatures live? (Sunlit zone, twilight zone, zone of darkness, deep-sea floor)

2 What makes up plankton? What eats it? (Algae that make food and one-celled animals make up plankton. It is food for small fish and some sharks and whales.)

3 Describe the twilight zone. (This part of the ocean is dim because little sunlight reaches the twilight zone. Some fish hide there. Whales hunt squids to eat.)

4 Where does light come from in the zone of darkness? (Certain fish give off light to attract animals to eat.)

Ocean


47Eas

y M

ake &

Lea

rn P

roje

cts:

Anim

al H

abita

ts

201

0 by

Don

ald

M. S

ilver

and

Pat

ricia

J. W

ynne

, Sch

olas

tic T

each

ing

Res

ourc

esOcean 5 tk

Sperm

whale

Giant squid

Swordfish

Tiger shark

TWILIG

HT ZO

NE

Very little sunlight reaches down to the tw

ilight zone. Som

e small fish dive here to hide during

the day. In the cover of night, they swim

up to eat plankton. In these depths, a hungry sperm

whale

might battle w

ith a giant squid in order to eat.

1

2

The Ocean

Ocean

Easy Make &


abitats 2010 by D



Tube worm

sTripod fish

Sea pen

ZONE OF DARKNESS

No sunlight ever reaches the zone of darkness. But flashes of light might blink from fish, such as anglerfish and eels. These fish give off light to attract animals into

their large, open jaws. The water temperature stays very cold this far down in the ocean.

DEEP-SEA

FLOO

R

The deep-sea floor is miles below

the surface of the w

ater. Bits of food slowly sink from

above. A tripod

fish inches along on its three very long fins. Giant tube

worm

s sway back and forth. Every year, new

kinds of life are found at the bottom

of the ocean.

3

Lanternfish

Anglerfish

Snipe eel

Stomach eel

4

48

Ocean

Sea turtle

Gull

Dolphin

Nautilus

Plan

kton

PlanktonMackerels

Jelly

fish

49

Easy

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e & L

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ject

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imal

Hab

itats

2

010

by D

onal

d M

. Silv

er a

nd P

atric

ia J

. Wyn

ne, S

chol

astic

Tea

chin

g R

esou

rces

SUNLIT ZONE

In sunlit parts of the ocean, tiny algae use the suns energy to make food. Algae, along with equally tiny animals, make up plankton. Plankton serves as food for small fish. In turn, bigger fish prey on the small

fish. The sunlit zone teems with life.

Ocean

50

Resources

Here Is Antarctica by Madeleine Dunphy (Web of Life, 2008).

This book of verse relates how penguins, seals, fish, and other animals form the food web that keeps the Antarctic alive.

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/penguin/index.htm

This excellent site provides a wealth of information about penguins, including physical characteristics, diet, and hatching of young. There are even penguin calls to listen to.

50

Polar RegionsTurn the double-sided wheel to learn

about the Arctic and Antarctic regions and their food chains.

N orth of the tundra lies the Arctic Ocean, which until recently was almost completely covered by floating ice. This ocean, along with land at the tips of North America, Greenland, and Eurasia, make up the Arctic. On the opposite side of the world lies the Antarctic, comprised of the continent of Antarctica and the ocean waters that surround it. Glaciers more than half a mile (l km) thick cover Antarctica. Because the North Pole is in the Arctic and the South Pole is in the Antarctic, these areas are referred to as the polar regions. The Arctic and the Antarctic are the two coldest places on earth. Winters last six to nine months. In summer, the Antarctic temperature rarely rises above freezing, though it may reach 50F (10C) in the Arctic. Around the North and South Poles, summer brings 24 hours of daylight, while winter months are spent in complete darkness. Despite its extreme conditions, the Arctic is home to polar bears, Arctic foxes, seals, walruses, and whales. Polar bears grow thick fur to stay warm throughout the frigid winter. Seals and walruses rely on a layer of fat, called blubber, to insulate them from the cold. Walruses use their tusks to dig for food and to pull themselves out of the water. Seals swim underwater to hunt for fish, squids, and krill. The cold waters around Antarctica also teem with millions of creatures, including one-celled algae and animals that make up plankton, which forms the base of the Antarctic food web. They are eaten by shrimplike krill, which in turn are food for fish, great blue whales, and penguins. Killer whales hunt fish, seals, and penguins. Millions of penguins live on the Antarctic continent, where they form colonies and huddle together to keep warm. To protect themselves from the cold, penguins have a thick layer of blubber under their skin and have waterproof feathers. Though penguins cant fly, they are excellent swimmers, skillfully darting in and out of the water to hunt fish and escape predators.

Habitat Hallmarks



L ScissorsL TapeL Brass fastenerL Crayons, colored




2 Cut out the four pieces along the thick, solid lines.

3 Cut open the windows on the circles.

4 Place the ARCTIC circle with the open windows on top of the ARCTIC piece with the animals. Repeat with the ANTARCTIC pieces.

5 Insert the brass fastener through the black dots at the center of the ARCTIC pieces. Turn the pieces over. Insert the fastener through the black dots on the ANTARCTIC animal and circle pieces, as shown. Secure the fastener.


Invite students to color, assemble, and read the text on their manipulatives. To reveal the animals in the food chains, have them turn each circle so that the arrow above TOP PREDATOR is aligned to the triangle on the text box. Check for students understanding by asking them these questions:

1 How are the Arctic and Antarctic alike and different? (The Arctic and Antarctic are both covered in ice and are cold. The Arctic is mostly ocean and some land; the Antarctic is mostly land surrounded by ocean.)

2 Where do polar bears live, and what do they eat? (Polar bears live in the Arctic, where they eat ringed seals and fish.)

3 Where do leopard seals live, and what do they eat? (Leopard seals live in the Antarctic, where they eat penguins, krill, and squids.)

4 Why is plankton so important? (Plankton is food for squids and krill, which in turn are food for seals, penguins, and fish, which are hunted by polar bears and killer whales.)

More to Do

Arctic MeltRecently, Arctic sea ice had started to melt. Challenge students to find out why, and what scientists fear may happen to the Arctic if the ice disappears.

51

Polar Reg ions


Ringed seal

Polar bear

Fish

Krill

Squid

THE ARCTIC

Brrr. . . its cold at the top of the world. The Arctic is made up of the ice-covered Arctic Ocean and land around it. In the chilly water, squids and shrimp-like krill feed on tiny algae and animals called plankton. Larger polar animals

eat the squids and fish. To keep warm, polar bears, seals, and walruses have a layer of fatty blubber.

52

Easy Make &


abitats

2010 by Donald M

. Silver and Patricia J. W

ynne, Scholastic Teaching R

esources

Polar Regions

Squid

Krill

Killer whale

Leopard seal

Penguin

THE ANTARCTIC

Brrr. . . its even colder at the bottom of the world. Thick ice covers the continent of Antarctica. This

large landmass and the waters around it make up the Antarctic. Millions of penguins nest on the thick ice each

year. They feed in the water along with killer whales, seals, fish, squids, krill, and plankton.

53

Easy

Mak

e & L

earn

Pro

ject

s: An

imal

Hab

itats

2

010

by D

onal

d M

. Silv

er a

nd

Patr

icia

J. W

ynne

, Sch

olas

tic

Teac

hing

Res

ourc

es

Polar Regions

ARCT

IC TOP PREDATOR

EATS PLANKTON

Cut out.Cut out.

Cut out.

Cut out.

EATS

EATS

EATS

E

ATS

EATS

Arctic

The

54

Easy Make &


abitats

2010 by D


ynne,


Polar Regions

ANT

ARCTIC T

OP PREDATOR

EATS PLANKTON

Cut out.Cut out.

Cut out.

Cut out.

EATS

EATS

EATS

E

ATS

EATS

Antarctic

The

55

Easy

Mak

e & L

earn

Pro

ject

s: An

imal

Hab

itats

2

010

by D

onal

d M

. Silv

er a

nd P

atric

ia J

. Wyn

ne,

Scho

last

ic T

each

ing

Res

ourc

es

Polar Regions

56

PondTurn this model to witness how pond life

changes with the seasons.

A pond is a small body of freshwater surrounded by land. It is smaller and shallower than a lake. Water lilies, water hyacinths, cattails, and other similar plants grow in ponds. The stem of a water lily grows underwater while its leaves and flowers float on the surface. Cattails and reeds grow along the waters edge. One-celled, plant-like algae drift in the water with microscopic animals. Together, these tiny organisms form freshwater plankton that serves as food for small fish, water insects, and other larger animals. In summer, animal life flourishes at every level of a pond. On the waters surface, ducks paddle, water striders skate, and whirligig beetles turn round and round. Fish, water bugs, and snails glide below the surface. Tadpoles swim underwater, breathing through gills. As they grow, they develop lungs that will help them breathe air above water. The muddy pond bottom is crawling with hungry crayfish and turtles in search of worms or dead creatures that sink from above. As autumn approaches, most pond birds fly off to warmer weather. Lily flowers fall apart and their pads sink. Most insects die after laying eggs. As the water chills, theres less food to eat, and fish, frogs, and turtles move at a slower pace. In the winter, a thin layer of ice might form over the pond surface. This ice protects the cold water below from freezing solid as the temperature continues to drop. Most fish can survive the cold water under the ice. Frogs and turtles sleep through winter buried in the mud. With the arrival of spring, frogs and turtles awaken from their winter sleep. As the days get warmer, plants such as pondweed start growing, fish and frogs lay eggs, dragonflies and other insects hatch, and algae start to multiply. Birds and other animals return to the pond to hunt or nest. The pond comes back to life.

Habitat Hallmarks

Resources

Butternut Hollow Pond by Brian J. Heinz (First Avenue Editions, 2005).

Detailed illustrations and informative text describe life at a pond from sunrise to sunset.

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/ponddip/index.html

Students dip into a jar of pond water to learn about different kinds of microscopic life that live there.






1 Photocopy pages 5860.2 Cut out all the pieces along the thick, solid lines. 3 Tape the right edge of WINTER to the left edge of SPRING; the right

of SPRING to the left of SUMMER; the right of SUMMER to the left of AUTUMN; and the right of AUTUMN to the left of WINTER.

4 Pinch one of the taped edges and tape together along the top and bottom, as shown. Repeat with the other three taped edges.

5 Position the seasons on the circle base, matching each season to its text. Tape the bottom four corners to the dashed lines on the base, as shown.



1 In which season is the pond most active? (Summer)2 What happens to the pond in autumn? (The lily flowers and insects are

gone. Pond life slows down, and there is less food to eat.)

3 Why is a layer of ice good for the pond in winter? (It protects pond animals from cold winter weather.)

4 What happens to frogs in spring? (They awaken from their winter sleep at the bottom of the pond and lay eggs.)

More to Do

Food Chains and WebsInvite the class to make a pond food-web poster. Challenge each student to select a pond animal and find out what it eats and what eats it. Have students draw and label their food chains on the poster and figure out how they are interconnected to form a food web.

57

Pond


58

Easy Make &


abitats 2010 by D



Cattail

Tadpole

Water lily

Dragonfly larva

Dragonfly hatching

Wood duckAlgae

Bluegill

Frog eggs

Dace

Eggs

Giant water

bug

Red-winged blackbird

Great blue heron

DucklingsSwallow

SwallowInsects

Mosquito

Green dragonfly

Whirligig beetles

Water boatman

Diving beetle

Snail

Bullfrog

Spring

Summer

Caddis fly

Spott

ed salamander

Pond

59Eas

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Anim

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abita

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Don

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M. S

ilver

and

Pat

ricia

J. W

ynne

, Sch

olas

tic T

each

ing

Res

ourc

es

Raccoon

Cattail

Crow

PlanktonLargemouth

bass

Green sunfish

Painted turtle

Ice

Owl

Bluegill

Canada geese

DeerMallard ducks

Monarch butterfly

Water strider

Bullfrog

Autumn

Winter

Water lily tuber

Pond

Leopard frog

60

Winter is over, and the pond

stirs with life. Days get longer and

warmer. Plants start to grow in and

around the pond. Frogs and fish lay their

eggs. Insects hatch. Soon, there is plenty

of food for pond animals to eat.

A thi

n lay

er of

ice f

orms

over

the p

ond w

ater. T

his pr

otects

the f

ish

and o

ther c

reatu

res b

elow

from

the co

ld

winte

r. Fro

gs an

d turt

les bu

rrow

in the

mud

at

the bo

ttom

of th

e pon

d to s

leep t

hrou

gh w

inter

.

Ever

yone

is sa

fe fr

om th

e hun

gry r

acco

on

walki

ng ac

ross

the i

ce.

Days

are s

horte

r, and

nigh

ts

are c

ooler

. The

lily flo

wers

are g

one,

as ar

e mos

t inse

cts. F

alling

leav

es bl

ow

onto

the w

ater. I

t is au

tumn,

and w

inter

is

not fa

r beh

ind. T

here

is le

ss fo

od fo

r the

anim

als. P

ond l

ife is

slow

ing do

wn.

The pond is full of life.

Whirligig beetles turn round and round

on the water. Ducklings paddle near a heron

waiting to catch a fish. Tiny tadpoles swim in

the water. A diving beetle carries an air bubble

so it can breathe underwater as it catches a snail.

Spring Wint

er

Autu

mnSummer Easy M

ake & Learn Projects: Anim

al Habitats

2010 by D


ynne,


Pond

61

RiverUnfold this mini-book to learn about plants and animals that live in and around a river.





1 Photocopy pages 6365.2 Cut out the mini-book pages (pages 6364)

along the thick, solid lines. Be sure to cut apart the pages along the thick, solid centerline as well.

A river is a long body of water that constantly flows across the land to a sea or a lake. The place where a river begins is called its source and where it flows into a sea or lake is its mouth. Often, one river joins another as they make their way to the sea. Most rivers are freshw

habitat dos animais

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