Lower and Upper Grades Animals and Habitats Research Unit (Digital Version)

Description

Students will first learn how to use the text features in an informational text including the table of contents and index. They will also learn how to find credible sources on the internet. Then, students will be assigned a habitat (and optionally, a partner or group to work with). Students will have a Animals and Habitats Explorer Research Journal that they will use as a guide as they research about their assigned habitat. Then, they will choose an animal from their habitat to research.

Once students have completed their research, they will use it to complete two culminating activities: a terrarium of their habitat in a shoebox and a written habitat and animal report. Finally, other classes and parents will be invited to the “Habitat Fair” where your students can show off their terrariums.

Contents:

• Teacher Info Pages: This includes a sample unit outline, grading rubric, and lesson plans for internet research, intro lesson, research journals, and final projects.
• Book research/ text features worksheets: Students will review other text features including: glossary, titles, headings, photos, captions, graphs/charts, and special print. They will also compare and contrast the table of contents and index.
• Internet research worksheets: These worksheets will familiarize your students with how to find credible sources on the internet for research. THESE CAN BE COMPLETED DIGITALLY!
• Habitat Cards Cards with the name and clip art of each habitat. You can use these to assign students a habitat to research. They will also choose an animal from the habitat. The habitat cards included are
  • Grassland
  • Desert
  • Wetland
  • Ocean
  • Tundra
  • Forest
  • Rainforest
• Research Journals: The research journals will guide the students throughout their research. There is one question on each page for the students to find the answer to. 19 pre-written pages are included, plus 2 blank ones to add your own questions. Since this is the Google Slides version, students can type right into the pages! Full page and half page versions are BOTH included in this resource. Choose which version is best for your students.
• Habitat Terrarium & Written Report Instructions Lesson plan for the student’s final project
• Terrarium Example A photo example of the final project
• Parent Letter & Habitat Fair Invitation: Keep the parents in the loop! Let them know what is going on with the unit and invite them to the fair, if you decide to host one.
• Final Report Pages and info: A final report page is included as well as examples and lessons to have students create a habitat terrarium.

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