Kelly Rose

Grade: Kindergarten
Animals and habitats
1. Science Content
We will be focusing our lesson on living things- more specifically animals; We will
be taking a short walk outside and looking for things like bugs, butterflies, birds,
squirrels, etc. We will discuss where the animals live and what other animals live
outside. Then we will discuss what an animal needs to live. We will introduce the
word habitats. Lastly we will have the students create their own habitats for a
certain animal. After they create the habitats for the animals, they will share what
is in their habitat and what their animal needs to live there.
2. The Instructional Objectives - Process Skills and Attitudes

Process Skills

Students will be able to name the animals/insects they see in the yard.

Students will identify where the animals/insects are located when they find
them.
Students will be able to differentiate between two types of animals/insects
Students will be able to create an animals habitat.
Developing Attitudes

Students will appreciate the animals/insects they see and identify.

3. Correlation of the Objectives with the Indiana Science Academic Standards
K.3.1 Observe and draw physical features of common plants and animals
K.1.2 Identify and explain possible uses for an object based on its properties and
compare these uses with other students ideas.
4. Materials List
boxes, sticks, grass, leaves, straw, tape, crayons, paper, markers, play animals
(to be returned to the teacher) etc.
5. Safety Precautions
1. Wash hands before and after science activity.
2. Listen closely and follow all directions.
3. Only use your eyes and hands to observe.
4. Keep everything out of your mouth.

5. Walk so we do not trip on anything outside.

6. The 5-E model (refer to handout)
ENGAGEMENT
We will take a nature walk, and identify different animals/insects we see. We will
have a few ideas on a sheet such as an ant, a beetle, a butterfly, a squirrel, etc.
As we find the animals we will check them off of the list. We will talk about what
we see and where the animals live and what kind of materials are nearby where
the animal lives.
Questions we will ask:
What kinds of animals have you seen here before?
What other kinds of animals have you seen before?
What kinds of animals do you know?
EXPLORATION
After talking about where animals live and what kind of materials are nearby, we
will introduce the word habitat and explain that it is a place where an animal lives.
Then we will provide the students with various materials (listed in the material
section) to create their own habitat for an animal of their choice. They can create
their own habitat for any animal of their choice using any of the materials. We will
also discuss what the materials are used for (food, water, shelter).
What materials are you using?
Why are you using these materials?
How do the animals use these habitats? (for food, water, shelter?)

EXPLANATION

For the explanation we will talk about each childs newly created habitat. We will
have them say what their animal will eat in the habitat, and how it will get shelter.
Then we will discuss what other animals can live in their habitat.
Can other animals live here?
What kinds of animals can live here?

ELABORATION

For the Elaboration we will look at pictures of other habitats and the students will
be asked to sort the animals into the habitats they could live in (examplefish:pond, bird: tree, tiger-grasslands, etc)
What do you notice that is the same about your habitat and other habitats
around?

EVALUATION

Ask the students which habitat they made for their animal. Where is this habitat
at?

Ask the students to identify where certain animals live (based on animals we
talked about/have models of).
Observation of the students work and discussion throughout the lesson.
Observation of the students work and discussion throughout the lesson.
8. Explain how you would encourage children to investigate on their own.
We will encourage students to investigate outside of class. We will encourage
them to go home and take a nature walk in their backyards, reminding them not
to eat anything they see, but to use their other senses, seeing and finding
animals/insects. They will be told to look at the animals/insects they see at their
house and see what they notice about those them/where they live. What do their
habitats look like?
We will be sending an observation sheet home with each student. It will have a
brief summary of our lesson that day and then also have a box for illustration and
a few lines for text. The directions will ask the child and their parents/guardians to
observe an animal/insect in their backyard, at the park, or nearby and to write
what it looks like and what it feels like along with where the animal lives. At the
bottom of the sheet we will include the safety precautions that we mentioned
before the lesson so that the students and their parents can explore safely at
home as well. This take home activity should help spark some discussion at home
and get the students parents/guardians involved in their education.
9. Record/observation sheet
Provide a worksheet, data record sheet, or checklist for each lesson. Also submit
a rubric Lesson checklist.
____ Students observe animals/insects on nature walk
____ Students follow safety rules and instructions
____ Students do all parts of lesson
____ Student does his/her own work on their individual assignment
____ Student answers questions when directed to
____ Students can identify the animal/insect and the habitat their specific
animal/insect lives inshowing how you would assess the activity.

Rubric
Criteria

Yes!

Student creates a habitat for an insect animal which was either seen
or talked about throughout the lesson.
Student identifies which animal lives in the habit he/she made.
Student can verbally explain the materials they used in their animals
habitat.

Lesson Plan Assessment: (see rubric)

30 x 3 = 90

No

Animal Checklist