INDEPENDENT FIELD TRIP TASK SHEET

A habitat can be very small, very large, or anywhere in between. It might be a single tree or a bush, a flower bed or stretch of lawn, a small section of soil, the underside of a rock or board, a stone wall, a field, the area surrounding a pond or a sandy beach – any place that is a home to an animal or plant. Choose one habitat near your school or home and explore it by yourself or with a partner.

Guidelines for your field trip:

· Be quiet

· Be patient and try to remain as still as you can

· When making notes, use lots of details in your descriptions

· Leave no sign of your visit

Materials you might use:

· magnifying glass

· Popsicle sticks (for gently digging into the ground)

· Paper and pencils

Things to do:

· draw a simple map of the area under study, and record the locations of the habitats you observe

· take notes and record descriptions of the habitats

· draw sketches of the community of plants and animals found in each habitat

· Use a chart like the one below help you organize your data

Habitat

Description of Habitat

Living Things

Special Features of Living Things

-ground

-around the tree trunk

-shade, water on the ground, hard packed soil

Earthworms

Ants

Dandelions

Ants live as a group

Caution

Don’t get too close to a pond or other body of water unless your teacher or another adult is with you!!!!

MOBILE CHECKLIST

When you are finished one part of your mobile, mark it off with a check in one of the circles on the left. If you went back to change anything, mark it off with a check in the other circle.

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1. Make a list of the types of things that form your chosen habitat. Think about the

community of living things, as well as the non-living things such as water, rocks, soil, and so on.

2. Collect pictures and information about the habitat and animals in it; research some animals, both large and small, that live in the habitat. Draw pictures of these animals or cut out photographs from magazines and glue them onto index cards. On the back, describe the animals and include any information you have found out about them.

3. Research the plants that live in your chosen habitat. Draw the plants or cut out pictures from magazines and glue them onto large index cards. On the back of the cards, record information about the plants. Record any information you find about plants, such as: type of plant, height of plant, type of soil plant prefers.

4. Look at the plants and animal cards that you have made. On each card, identify the living things as a producer or a consumer. Note whether the consumers are herbivores, omnivores, or carnivores.

5. Sort your habitat cards to group the living things that are part of a food chain. You might add more plant or animal cards to fully develop the possible food chains. Begin creating your mobile by punching holes near the top and bottom of the cards. Cut lengths of string and tie the cards together with the producers on the bottom of the chain and the consumers above.

6. Add information to your cards about how the animals or plants have adapted to their habitat. Are these structural or behavioural adaptations? Need more room on the card for information? Just tie on another card.

7. Create the long card that forms the top of your mobile. Cut a piece of cardboard at least 60cm long. Punch a hole in the center of the card, near the top. Then punch holes along the bottom of the card to attach all of your food chains. Write the type of habitat on one side of the card and decorate it. On the other side, show how the habitat changes throughout the year by drawing several pictures.

8. Cut another long card the same size as the card that hangs at the top of the mobile. This new card will hang at the bottom. Punch enough holes across the top of this card to attach all of your food chains. On this card explain how human actions affect the habitat and its community of living things.

9. Color any of your cards that show a plant or animal that is threatened or endangered.

10. Cut another long card that same size as the card that hangs at the top of the mobile. This card will attach to the card you did in #8. On this card, write down some suggestions for what people could do to help your chosen habitat.