animal habitats

1. Animal Habitats By Lisa Asmussen, Lori Castor, and Kathryn Senft There are lots of different animals. Some animals can live with us, some animals live outside, and some even live in the zoo where we can go visit. Lets make a list of animals that live with us. Now what are some that are wild? What animals would we see at the zoo? Today we will look at three animals. We want to also think about where the animals might live. Do they live in the forest with lots of trees, or maybe in the desert, how about the mountains? Let’s look at three animals. There are lots of different animals. Some animals can live with us, some animals live outside, and some even live in the zoo where we can go visit. Lets make a list of animals that live with us. Now what are some that are wild? What animals would we see at the zoo? Today we will look at three animals. We want to also think about where the animals might live. Do they live in the forest with lots of trees, or maybe in the desert, how about the mountains? Let’s look at three animals.

2. Who knows what this animal is? Yes, it is a Big Horn sheep. Let’s look at the picture. Would this animal live in the desert with cactus around it? No, where is it? The mountains. That is where the Big Horn sheeps’ natural habitat is at. (if needed we will briefly go over that habitat means place to live) Who has been to the mountains? What was is like? What do you think Big Horn sheep would need to live in the mountains? (Try to discuss that it has fur to stay warm, and good feet to climb, etc.) Big Horn sheep also live at our zoo. How can the zoo make the Big Horn sheep feel like they are in the mountains. Who’s is ready for the next slide? Who knows what this animal is? Yes, it is a Big Horn sheep. Let’s look at the picture. Would this animal live in the desert with cactus around it? No, where is it? The mountains. That is where the Big Horn sheeps’ natural habitat is at. (if needed we will briefly go over that habitat means place to live) Who has been to the mountains? What was is like? What do you think Big Horn sheep would need to live in the mountains? (Try to discuss that it has fur to stay warm, and good feet to climb, etc.) Big Horn sheep also live at our zoo. How can the zoo make the Big Horn sheep feel like they are in the mountains. Who’s is ready for the next slide?

3. Bear Wow! Look we have bears on the next page. What sounds do bears make? What do these bears look like? There are different kinds of bears just like there are different kinds of dogs. Who can name a type of bear? Good, in this picture we see a Grizzly bear. What is the Grizzly doing in its natural habitat? Why do you think it is up there? What might it be looking at? Let’s look at the bear from the zoo. How many bears do you see? What are they doing? Thumbs up if you think that they are playing, thumbs down if you think that they are mad. Why do you think they are mad _____________? __________ why do you think they are playing? Wow! Look we have bears on the next page. What sounds do bears make? What do these bears look like? There are different kinds of bears just like there are different kinds of dogs. Who can name a type of bear? Good, in this picture we see a Grizzly bear. What is the Grizzly doing in its natural habitat? Why do you think it is up there? What might it be looking at? Let’s look at the bear from the zoo. How many bears do you see? What are they doing? Thumbs up if you think that they are playing, thumbs down if you think that they are mad. Why do you think they are mad _____________? __________ why do you think they are playing?

4. Bear Video On this slide we are going to look at a silly video. This video is a little hard to see, so get your looking eyes out. We will watch this video then I will ask you, do you think this bear is in the wild or not. Hmmm, let’s see. What do you think? If you think it is in the wild, come stand on this side of the room. If you think it is not in its natural habitat, come over here. (Discuss why we think so, help children see that there are people and they are wearing clothes, so it can not be in the wild). Now we have a new animal. I will give you a clue about what this animal is. It starts with an “s” and it makes lots of noise with its tail because it likes to shake it when people are too close to it. Does anyone have a guess? Let’s see if __________ is right. On this slide we are going to look at a silly video. This video is a little hard to see, so get your looking eyes out. We will watch this video then I will ask you, do you think this bear is in the wild or not. Hmmm, let’s see. What do you think? If you think it is in the wild, come stand on this side of the room. If you think it is not in its natural habitat, come over here. (Discuss why we think so, help children see that there are people and they are wearing clothes, so it can not be in the wild). Now we have a new animal. I will give you a clue about what this animal is. It starts with an “s” and it makes lots of noise with its tail because it likes to shake it when people are too close to it. Does anyone have a guess? Let’s see if __________ is right.

5. Rattlesnake Oh, it is a Rattlesnake! Who can act like a rattlesnake for the class. ________ and ________, can you come up for the class. Good, does a rattle snake have feet? No? How does it move around? What kinds of things do you think it might eat? Where do rattle snake live? Do they live in the cold mountains with the Big Horn sheep? Where do they live? Snakes like to live where it is hot. We could go all over Colorado to find them. We could go to Red Rocks even! Who knows where Red Rocks is? Let’s look for it on the map. (we will use a class map of Colorado to show different places) Now lets look at a picture of what the desert might look like. Oh, it is a Rattlesnake! Who can act like a rattlesnake for the class. ________ and ________, can you come up for the class. Good, does a rattle snake have feet? No? How does it move around? What kinds of things do you think it might eat? Where do rattle snake live? Do they live in the cold mountains with the Big Horn sheep? Where do they live? Snakes like to live where it is hot. We could go all over Colorado to find them. We could go to Red Rocks even! Who knows where Red Rocks is? Let’s look for it on the map. (we will use a class map of Colorado to show different places) Now lets look at a picture of what the desert might look like.

6. Desert Here is a picture of the desert. Do you see any water? What do you see? Where do you think the Rattlesnake might live in this picture? Why do you think that ___________? Here is a picture of the desert. Do you see any water? What do you see? Where do you think the Rattlesnake might live in this picture? Why do you think that ___________?

7. Zoo - Then & Now We are almost done. Let’s look at the zoo. This is where we keep some of our animals to look at. What is different about the zoo in these two pictures? What is the same? What are some things that we have learned today? We are almost done. Let’s look at the zoo. This is where we keep some of our animals to look at. What is different about the zoo in these two pictures? What is the same? What are some things that we have learned today?

8. What have we learned? Big Horn sheep live in the mountains A bear lives in forest/ woods Rattlesnakes live in the desert Animals can live in the wild (their natural habitat) or in the zoo Each of these animals look different and have different needs to live.