Grade 4 Life Science: Habitats and Communities

1. Grade 4 Life Science:Habitats and Communities Created by: Melissa Horvath

2. Units Components • 13 Lessons • Pre-Lesson videos • Gain an understanding of habitats and communities • Learn about the four components of habitats that are necessary for survival • Learning outside of the classroom

3. Unit Components • Assessment – ongoing and includes a variety of tools • Safety – included in every lesson • Clean up – a bucket for all science journals, have a designated spot “science area” in classroom

4. Outcomes • HC4.1 Analyze the effects of human activities on habitats and communities. (Lessons 1 – 5, 13) • HC4.2 Investigate the interdependence of plants and animals within specific habitats and communities. (Lesson 6 – 9, 13) • HC4.3 Compare the structures and behaviours of animals and plants that allow them to exist in different habitats and communities. (Lessons 9 – 13)

5. Lesson 1: Habitat Lap Sit • Outcome: HC4.1, Indicator: f • Read The Magic School Bus Hops Home: A Book About Habitats • Students will be introduced to four main components of a habitat • Create a circle to represent the interdependence of components

6. Lesson 2: The Lorax • Outcome: HC4.1, Indicators: c, f, h • Show video of The Lorax • Students complete and discuss guiding questions

7. Lesson 3: Awi Usdi, the Little Deer • Outcome: HC4.1, Indicators: a, b, c • Read Awi Usdi, the Little Deer as a class • Have a discussion about the connection that First Nations traditionally have to the land • Create own legends using guiding questions • Share legends with other students

8. Lesson 4: What Did Your Lunch Cost Wildlife? (Part 1) • Outcome: HC4.1, Indicator: c • Examine the foods that students brought for lunch • Create a chart or web that shows the process that the food went through to get to their lunches

9. Lesson 5: What Did Your Lunch Cost Wildlife? (Part 2) • Outcomes: HC4.1, Indicators: c, d • Examine food process charts that they created in previous lesson • Discuss ways to lessen the effect on wildlife and the environment • As a group, create a representation of how people can have less of an effect

10. Lesson 6: Connections Within the Environment • Outcome: HC4.2, Indicators: a, b, c • Walk around the playground or community and write about animals they see • Discuss relationships between animals and environment • Create a food web as a class

11. Lesson 7: Weird Friends • Outcome: HC4.2, Indicator: f • Read book Weird Friends • Students follow along and fill in benefits of each relationship • Discussion of mutualism

12. Lesson 8: Creating Habitats (Part 1) • Outcome: HC4.2, Indicators: e, f, k • Create a habitat using a variety of materials • Write about their habitat using a guiding sheet • Write about relationships that are present in the habitat

13. Lesson 9: Creating Habitats (Part 2) • Outcomes: HC4.2, Indicators: f, l • Complete habitat and written components • Examine a classmate’s habitat • Answer questions about their classmate’s habitat

14. Lesson 10: Special Adaptations • Outcome: HC4.3, Indicators: a, b, c • Go outside to examine different types of organisms • Write and draw about components of habitat • Identify special adaptations of an organism

15. Lesson 11: Identifying Adaptations • Outcome: HC4.3, Indicators: d, g • View a variety of organisms • Attempt to identify their physical adaptations • Play an interactive game that focuses on animal adaptations

16. Lesson 12: Creating Animals • Outcome: HC4.1 Indicators: f • Students given a description of a habitat • Create a new type of animal that could survive in the habitat • Must identify the adaptations that allow them to survive

17. Lesson 13: Exam • Outcomes: HC4.1, HC4.2, HC4.3 • Exam that encompasses the entire unit • Allows students to apply what the know • Short answer questions • Similar questions to what students have answered in the unit

18. Thank-you!  Questions or comments? We made it! Enjoy your summer!!