Habitat Design Project

Reprinted from The Wild Times Teacher Connection v2n2, Winter 1997.

by Edward Poccia
Rye Neck Union Free School District
This project was designed for my fifth grade students to help them explore the needs of animals and some of the issues of captive breeding programs. The project was designed for collaborative small group work and alternative assessment. Rather than students preparing research reports on their animals, they designed and modeled the habitats and presented them to the class. Ed can be contacted by e-mail at eapoccia@cyburban.com.

Student Directions

Design a habitat for a wild animal that will enable it to remain healthy and reproduce.Divide the research among the members of your group.

1. Make a detailed, well-labeled diagram OR diorama of the research subject's habitat enclosure. Your enclosure must have features that:

allow the animal to find food
allow the animal to reach water
allow the animal to conduct itself in ways that it might in the wild (hunt prey, avoid predators)
gives the animal enough space and simulates its natural range
allow for temperature and climate controls necessary for the animal's health
allow the animal to care for young
allow the animal to deal with its young the way it does in the wild (teach them to hunt, teach them to fly)
allow the animal to interact naturally with other animals it needs in order to survive and reproduce

2. Prepare a placard for the zoo exhibit with interpretive information. The placard should include:

facts about the animal's habitat
facts about the animal's physical adaptations
facts about the animal's behaviors
facts about the animal's food source(s)
world map showing the animals natural habitat and range

3. Each member of the group must prepare an oral presentation for the material they researched.

Divide the presentation between the members of the group. Each member of the group must be able to answer questions about the design.

Each presentation must include:

describe the animal's physical and behavioral characteristics.
describe each feature of the enclosure, detailing how it will enable the animal to survive and reproduce

Things To Do:

Select a wild animal about which you can find information. Keep in mind, some animals are easier to find information about than others.
Divide up the tasks that need to be done between group members and record who is responsible for each research task.
Collect resources: encyclopedia entries, books, CD-ROMs (Encarta, National Geographic Mammals, etc.), magazine articles, Internet resources.
Visit zoos around the world by taking virtual tours on the Internet.
If possible make real visits to area zoos. Even if the zoos do not have your animal, look at similar animal's habitats to see how they address different problems.
Send e-mail to experts in the field and ask for suggestions.

When sending e-mail:

clearly describe the problem
state who you are, your grade, and what school you are from
ask a specific question
include your teacher's e-mail address for reply

Organize Your Work

As you find information about your animal, put it on index cards or separate pages of a notebook.

Put a title at the top of each card or page so you will know what topic is addressed.
Make a notation on the card or page so you will remember where the information came from. If it was a web site, be sure to include the URL so you can get back to the site.

Internet Sites for Animal Research

You can conduct research for your project on the Internet. Here are some suggested sites to get started.

The Wild Ones

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cerc/WildOnes This site includes information about a variety of endangered animals, photographs, and drawings. Scientists, zoo and conservation professionals can also be e-mailed through this site.

Ask a Zoologist

http://medinfo.wustl.edu/~ysp/MSN You can e-mail a scientist using the "Mad Scientist Network" from Washington University on the Internet. Be sure to follow the e-mail guidelines when using this site.

Zoos of the World

http://www.now2000.com/bigkidnetwork/zoos.html "KidsWorld 2000" lists major zoos, aquariums, and wildlife centers around the world that have web sites. By clicking on any name on the list, it will take you to the web site of that particular zoo. Many of the sites have virtual tours.

Pictures of Animals

http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Multimedia/Pictures/Animals This "Yahoo!"contains a long list of images of animals from around the world.

Index of Internet Sites Pertaining to Animals

http://www.yahoo.com/Science/Zoology/Animals_Insects_and_Pets/ You can reach many different kinds of sites about animals from this "Yahoo!" directory.

Pet Station for Kids

http://petstation.com/kids.html This is a safe place for kids to talk about their pets and meet other kids around the world who also love pets.

Animal Guessing Game

http://www.bushnet.qld.edu.au/animal/ This is a way for you to play a game with the computer. At this site, you are asked to think of an animal and the computer will ask a series of yes/no questions. Then the computer will try to guess your animal. The more you know about the animal, the more fun the game becomes.

Submit your own curriculum plans or resource suggestions to The Wild Ones for publication.

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