"Wildlife Wonders: Nature's Artful Survival"

1st Grade

Project
11 weeks

"Wildlife Wonders: Nature's Artful Survival"

Jailyn Bridgeforth

LS.1.B

LS.2.A

Purpose

Students will explore how animals meet their needs for survival through hands-on activities and real-world investigations. They will engage in projects such as creating habitat dioramas, observing local wildlife, and participating in a class garden to understand interdependent relationships in ecosystems. By integrating arts, students will also create animal masks and perform a short play depicting the life of a local animal, enhancing their understanding through creative expression. By the end of the project, students will present their findings on how different animals grow, develop, and thrive in their environments, meeting the standards for understanding organism growth and ecosystem relationships.

Learning goals

Students will explore how animals meet their needs for survival by engaging in hands-on activities such as creating habitat dioramas and observing local wildlife. They will investigate the interdependent relationships between animals and their environments through guided nature walks and interactive storytelling sessions. Additionally, students will integrate arts by illustrating and writing about local animals in a class book, enhancing their understanding of conservation. By the end of the project, students will demonstrate an understanding of how different animals grow and develop in their ecosystems, meeting the standards LS.1.B and LS.2.A.

Standards

LS.1.B - Growth and Development of Organisms
LS.2.A - Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

Products

Students will create a "Habitat Survival Kit" for a chosen animal, including a model habitat and a guidebook detailing how the animal meets its needs for food, water, shelter, and space. They will document their learning journey through a digital photo journal, capturing observations and insights from field trips to local parks or nature reserves. Additionally, students will create animal-inspired art pieces, such as clay sculptures or watercolor paintings, to visually represent their understanding of the animal's habitat and needs. The project will culminate in a classroom presentation where students share their kits, guidebooks, and art pieces, explaining the interdependent relationships within their animal's ecosystem.

Launch

Kick off the project with a visit to a local zoo or wildlife sanctuary, where students can observe animals in habitats that mimic their natural environments. Encourage students to sketch the animals they see and note how each animal meets its needs for food, water, shelter, and space. Back in the classroom, students can use their sketches to create a collaborative mural that depicts the diverse ways animals survive in their habitats. This artistic activity will engage students and set the stage for deeper exploration and hands-on activities throughout the project.

Exhibition

Students will create a "Habitat Discovery Fair" where they present dioramas of different animal habitats, showcasing how each animal meets its needs for survival. Each student will explain their chosen animal's growth and development, as well as its role in the ecosystem. Families and community members will be invited to explore the displays and engage with students as they share their learning experiences and discoveries. Students can also perform short skits or songs that highlight the importance of conserving animal habitats, integrating arts to deepen their understanding and presentation.

Week 1	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Activities	Activity 1: Introduction to Animal Needs - Gather students for a storytelling session featuring an engaging tale about a day in the life of various animals. Discuss the basic needs of animals such as food, water, shelter, and space, encouraging students to ask questions and share what they know.	Activity 2: Zoo Visit - Organize a visit to a local zoo or wildlife sanctuary. Students will observe different animals and draw pictures or take notes on how these animals meet their needs in their habitats. Provide clipboards and pencils for ease of use.	Activity 3: Class Discussion and Brainstorming - Back in the classroom, facilitate a discussion where students share their observations from the zoo visit. Create a class chart categorizing animals based on their habitats and needs, and brainstorm ideas for a 'Classroom Conservation Project' to help a local animal species.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Animal Needs Observation Sheet - Students will complete an observation sheet with drawings and simple sentences about how animals meet their needs for survival based on their observations at the zoo.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Arrange transportation and permissions for the zoo visit, ensuring all necessary forms and communications with parents are completed. 2. Prep Task 2: Prepare storytelling materials, including a selection of age-appropriate animal stories that illustrate the needs of animals in their natural habitats. 3. Prep Task 3: Create an 'Animal Needs Observation Sheet' template with spaces for drawings and simple notes for students to use during the zoo visit. 4. Prep Task 4: Develop a class chart template for categorizing animals, habitats, and their needs to be used in the classroom discussion.

Week 2	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Activities	Activity 1: Habitat Exploration - Begin the week with an outdoor classroom activity where students explore a local park or schoolyard to observe different habitats and the animals that might live there. Provide magnifying glasses and binoculars for closer observation.	Activity 2: Habitat Diorama Planning - In the classroom, students will choose an animal from their zoo visit or outdoor exploration to focus on. They will begin planning a diorama of their chosen animal's habitat by sketching ideas and listing materials they might need.	Activity 3: Interactive Storytelling - Host a storytelling session where students listen to a story about the life of their chosen animal. Afterward, students will draw a scene from the story that shows how their animal meets its needs for survival.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Create a 'Habitat Exploration Journal' entry where students document their observations from the outdoor exploration with drawings and simple sentences. 2. Deliverable 2: Complete a 'Habitat Diorama Plan' that includes a sketch and list of materials needed for their project.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Arrange a safe outdoor exploration space and gather tools like magnifying glasses and binoculars for student use. 2. Prep Task 2: Prepare materials for habitat diorama planning, including paper, pencils, and examples of dioramas for inspiration. 3. Prep Task 3: Select an interactive story about various animals that can be used to inspire students in their storytelling and drawing activities.

Week 3	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Activities	Activity 1: Habitat Diorama Construction - Students will start constructing their dioramas using materials such as shoeboxes, clay, paper, and natural elements. They will focus on accurately representing the habitat of their chosen animal.	Activity 2: Animal Needs Research - Students will research how their chosen animal meets its needs for food, water, shelter, and space. They will use age-appropriate books and teacher resources to gather information and take notes.	Activity 3: Guided Nature Walk - Conduct a guided nature walk around the schoolyard or local park. Students will observe signs of animal life and note how those animals might be meeting their needs in their habitat.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Basic Habitat Diorama - Students will complete the basic structure of their diorama, including background elements and initial habitat features. 2. Deliverable 2: Animal Needs Report - Students will create a simple report with drawings and sentences detailing how their chosen animal meets its needs in its habitat.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Gather materials for diorama construction, such as shoeboxes, clay, paper, and natural materials. 2. Prep Task 2: Provide age-appropriate books and resources on different animals and their habitats for student research. 3. Prep Task 3: Plan the route and safety measures for the guided nature walk, ensuring all necessary permissions and equipment like magnifying glasses are prepared.

Week 4	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Activities	Activity 1: Animal Needs Role-Play - Students will engage in a role-play activity where they act out the daily routine of their chosen animal, focusing on how it meets its needs for food, water, shelter, and space. Simple costumes and props can be used to enhance the experience.	Activity 2: Habitat Diorama Enhancement - Students will continue working on their dioramas by adding detailed elements such as specific plants, water sources, and shelters crucial for their animal's survival. They will integrate arts by adding colorful backdrops and creating miniature art elements.	Activity 3: Interactive Story Mapping - As a class, create a large story map. Each student will contribute a segment showing a day in the life of their animal, focusing on how it meets its needs. Use drawings, symbols, and simple sentences to illustrate the map. This map will serve as a visual timeline of the animals' daily activities.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Completed Role-Play Script - Each student will write and present a short script or series of actions demonstrating their animal's daily survival activities. 2. Deliverable 2: Enhanced Habitat Diorama - Students will complete the detailed features of their diorama, ensuring it accurately represents the needs of their chosen animal.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Gather materials for role-play, including simple costumes and props that represent different animals. 2. Prep Task 2: Provide additional materials for enhancing dioramas, such as colored paper, craft materials, and natural items like twigs and leaves. 3. Prep Task 3: Prepare a large piece of paper or a board for the class story map and gather drawing supplies such as markers and crayons.

Week 5	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Activities	Activity 1: Animal Needs Exploration Stations - Set up multiple hands-on stations around the classroom, each focusing on a different need of animals (food, water, shelter, space). Students rotate through the stations to engage with interactive activities such as sorting food items, building miniature shelters, and simulating animal movements.	Activity 2: Class Garden Planting - As a class, start a small garden to explore the interdependent relationships in ecosystems. Students plant seeds and discuss how plants meet their needs for survival and their role in providing food and shelter for animals.	Activity 3: Digital Photo Journal Update - Students use tablets or cameras to capture images of their dioramas and the class garden. They write simple captions and sentences detailing their observations and what they've learned about animal needs and ecosystems.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Completed Station Reflection Sheets - Students will complete simple reflection sheets at each station, documenting their learning with drawings and sentences. 2. Deliverable 2: Digital Photo Journal Entry - A new entry in their digital photo journal including photos and descriptions from the diorama and garden activities.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Prepare materials and instructions for each exploration station, ensuring a variety of interactive and tactile activities are included. 2. Prep Task 2: Obtain seeds, soil, and containers for the class garden project, and plan a simple layout for planting. 3. Prep Task 3: Ensure tablets or cameras are available and charged for students to use during the digital photo journal activity, and provide guidance on capturing and uploading images.

Week 6	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Activities	Activity 1: Build a Mini Ecosystem - Students create a small, self-contained ecosystem in a jar using soil, small plants, and water. They observe and discuss interactions among elements, relating these to larger ecosystems.	Activity 2: Animal Needs Art Creation - Students use mixed media to create an art piece illustrating how a chosen animal meets its needs in its habitat. Encourage the use of various materials to represent different aspects of the animal's life.	Activity 3: Comparative Habitats Discussion - Facilitate a class discussion comparing and contrasting different animal habitats studied, focusing on how each habitat meets the needs of its resident animals.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Mini Ecosystem Observation Log - Students maintain a simple log documenting changes in their mini ecosystem with drawings and sentences. 2. Deliverable 2: Animal Needs Art Piece - Each student submits an art piece depicting their chosen animal and its habitat, illustrating how it meets its needs.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Gather materials for the mini ecosystem project, including jars, soil, small plants, and water, ensuring enough for each student. 2. Prep Task 2: Provide diverse art supplies for the Animal Needs Art Creation activity, such as paper, paints, fabric, and natural materials. 3. Prep Task 3: Prepare a comparison chart template for the class discussion, highlighting key habitat features like climate, food, and shelter.

Week 7	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Activities	Activity 1: Nature Reserve Virtual Tour - Connect with a local nature reserve for a virtual tour. Students will observe various animals in their natural habitats and take notes on how these animals meet their needs. Discuss observations and learnings via a video call with a park ranger.	Activity 2: Animal Mask Creation - Students will use craft materials to create masks of their chosen animals. The masks will illustrate unique features that help the animals meet their survival needs. Encourage creativity by integrating arts into the design process.	Activity 3: Interactive Animal Play - Facilitate a short play where students wear their animal masks and act out a scene depicting their animal's daily life, focusing on how it finds food, water, shelter, and space. This activity integrates drama and reinforces understanding of animal needs.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Virtual Tour Observation Sheet - Students will complete a sheet with drawings and sentences about how animals meet their needs, based on the virtual tour. 2. Deliverable 2: Completed Animal Mask - Each student will submit their animal mask, showcasing understanding of the animal's features and needs. 3. Deliverable 3: Animal Play Script - Students will write a short script or series of actions for their animal role in the play, highlighting key survival behaviors.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Coordinate with a local nature reserve to arrange a virtual tour, ensuring technology setup and student access are prepared. 2. Prep Task 2: Gather craft materials for animal mask creation, including paper plates, paints, markers, feathers, and other decorative items. 3. Prep Task 3: Develop a simple script template and guidelines for the animal play, providing examples of how animals meet their survival needs.

Week 8	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Activities	Activity 1: Animal Needs Craft Project - Students will create a craft project representing the specific needs of their chosen animal. Using materials such as construction paper, yarn, and other craft items, they will craft items like food, water sources, and shelters essential for their animal's survival.	Activity 2: Storytelling with Puppets - Students will use puppets to tell a story about a day in the life of their chosen animal, focusing on how it meets its needs in its habitat. Encourage imaginative storytelling that incorporates what they have learned about their animal's ecosystem.	Activity 3: Class Garden Observation and Care - Students will spend time in the class garden observing the growth and development of plants. They will water the plants and discuss how plants meet their own needs and contribute to the ecosystem, reinforcing the interdependent relationships they have studied.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Completed Animal Needs Craft - Each student will submit their craft project, demonstrating their understanding of how their chosen animal meets its needs. 2. Deliverable 2: Puppet Story Presentation - Students will perform a short puppet show for the class, illustrating their animal's daily survival activities and its ecosystem interactions.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Gather materials for the animal needs craft, including construction paper, yarn, markers, and any additional craft supplies. 2. Prep Task 2: Provide a variety of puppets or materials for students to create their own, ensuring each student can represent their chosen animal. 3. Prep Task 3: Prepare the class garden area for student observation and care, ensuring tools and materials for plant maintenance are available.

Week 9	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Activities	Activity 1: Habitat Survival Kit Creation - Students assemble their 'Habitat Survival Kit.' They create a model habitat with materials like cardboard, clay, and natural elements, ensuring it includes food, water, shelter, and space representations.	Activity 2: Guidebook Writing - Students draft a guidebook explaining how their chosen animal meets its needs. They use simple sentences and drawings to describe the animal's food sources, shelter, and ecosystem role.	Activity 3: Peer Review and Feedback - Students pair up to present their Habitat Survival Kit and guidebook draft. They give and receive feedback, focusing on clarity and completeness of information about the animal's needs and habitat.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Initial Habitat Survival Kit - Students submit the initial version of their Habitat Survival Kit, including basic habitat elements and representations of the animal's needs. 2. Deliverable 2: Guidebook Draft - Students submit a draft of their guidebook for peer review, detailing how their chosen animal meets its needs in its ecosystem.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Gather materials for the Habitat Survival Kit, such as cardboard, clay, natural elements, and craft supplies. 2. Prep Task 2: Provide templates for the guidebook draft, with sections for drawings and descriptions of food, water, shelter, and space. 3. Prep Task 3: Organize a peer review session by preparing guidelines and feedback forms to help students provide constructive feedback to each other.

Week 10	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Activities	Activity 1: Habitat Survival Kit Finalization - Students will finalize their Habitat Survival Kit, ensuring all elements are complete and detailed. They will incorporate feedback from peers to enhance the accuracy and presentation of their kits.	Activity 2: Guidebook Editing and Illustrations - Students will edit their guidebooks for clarity and detail. They will add illustrations to enhance their descriptions, ensuring the guidebook is engaging and informative.	Activity 3: Presentation Practice and Rehearsal - Students will practice presenting their Habitat Survival Kit and guidebook, focusing on speaking clearly and confidently about their animal's needs and ecosystem role.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Completed Habitat Survival Kit - Students will submit their finalized Habitat Survival Kit, showcasing detailed models and representations of their animal's needs. 2. Deliverable 2: Edited and Illustrated Guidebook - Students will submit the final version of their guidebook, fully edited and illustrated, ready for the classroom presentation.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Provide additional materials for final touches on the Habitat Survival Kits, such as paint, markers, and other craft supplies. 2. Prep Task 2: Offer guidance and support for guidebook editing, including checking for completeness and coherence of information. 3. Prep Task 3: Arrange a schedule for presentation practice, ensuring each student has the opportunity to rehearse in front of the class or small groups.

Week 11	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Activities	Activity 1: Final Presentation Preparation - Students will spend time organizing their Habitat Survival Kit and guidebook for the upcoming 'Habitat Discovery Fair.' They will rehearse their presentations, focusing on clearly explaining their animal's needs and role in the ecosystem, and practicing answering potential questions from their audience.	Activity 2: Habitat Discovery Fair Setup - Transform the classroom into a fair-like setting. Students will set up their displays, which include the Habitat Survival Kit and guidebook. Ensure each student has a designated space with labels indicating their chosen animal and habitat.	Activity 3: Habitat Discovery Fair - Host the fair where students present their projects to classmates, teachers, and invited family members. Encourage students to engage with visitors by answering questions and sharing their learning experiences about how their chosen animal meets its needs and contributes to its ecosystem.
Deliverables	1. Deliverable 1: Final Presentation - Students will deliver a presentation during the Habitat Discovery Fair, demonstrating their understanding of their chosen animal's needs and ecosystem. 2. Deliverable 2: Completed Habitat Survival Kit and Guidebook - Students will submit their finalized projects for display and assessment during the fair.
Preparation	1. Prep Task 1: Coordinate with families and community members to attend the Habitat Discovery Fair, ensuring clear communication about the event details and expectations. 2. Prep Task 2: Arrange the classroom for the fair, including setting up tables and spaces for student displays. Provide any necessary materials for setting up the presentations, such as display boards and signage. 3. Prep Task 3: Prepare a schedule for student presentations and ensure all technology and materials needed for the fair are ready and accessible, including any audio-visual equipment if required.