Purpose: Students will learn about the three essential elements that all living things need to survive. 

Standards: K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1

Time needed: 20-30 mins

Materials: drawing paper and colored pencils, crayons, and/or markers, cards with the words food, water, and shelter with images that represent them. Optional: additional animal habitat pictures for key species in your neighborhood.

ENGAGE: Ask students to imagine they are going to get a pet or class pet (be sure they know this is just an imaginary pet!). Then prompt them to consider what their new pet will need. Have students pair up and share their ideas with a partner for 1-2 minutes. Ask for some volunteers to share what they discussed. As the students respond, highlight responses that relate to food, water and shelter by connecting it to the right card and placing the card where everyone can see. Once all three terms have been introduced, wrap up your discussion by confirming they understand what each word means. If needed, define the word shelter as a safe place to live, or something that provides protection. Help students make the connection that these are things that all living beings need to survive, including you and me. 

EXPLORE: Ask students to draw a picture of their house, and label where they would find these three things there (i.e. they might find food in the kitchen, water in the sink, shelter in their bedroom, etc.). 

After these first drawings are completed, provide another piece of paper and ask students to each think of an animal that they like that lives in the wild. This is a great opportunity to connect the outdoor exploration event and any ideas that came up. (Try to keep choices to animals that live nearby unless a student is pretty knowledgeable about their favorite animal and you think they could complete the assignment.) Instruct them to draw a picture of their animal in a place where it lives. As they did with their house picture, students should label where their animal would find food, water, and shelter. 

EXPLAIN:  Explain that both of these pictures show two different kinds of habitats, which every living thing needs! All plants and animals have habitats that may look very different, but each provides the essential 3 "ingredients" for survival: food, water, and shelter. Have each student share their animal habitat picture with a partner and explain where their animal finds food, water, and shelter.

EXPAND: As time allows, have students do a gallery walk to view each other's animal habitat pictures. As they examine an image, prompt them to find where the animal finds its food, water, and shelter. Optional, include other premade animal habitat pictures for key animals in your area that students may not have chosen.

EVALUATE: Can students name the 3 essential elements for survival, and describe where they might find those things? Can they use their picture to explain what makes a good habitat?

Purpose: Students will learn why plants and animals tend to be found in certain places, and some species common in their schoolyard/backyard.

Standards: K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1

Time needed: 30-40 mins

Materials: copies of your schoolyard map (see Prep section below), clipboards, markers/ pencils, pictures of common yard animals (for ENGAGE activity), safe outdoor space in the schoolyard to explore

Prep: First create a simple map of the schoolyard - whichever area you plan to use with your students for this activity. Draw an outline of the approximate shape of the area using a whole sheet of paper. Then, draw any landmarks you think might help students use the map - for example, benches, trees, fences, large rocks, etc. Clearly label each of these items. Keep this as simple as possible! 

ENGAGE: Give each student a copy of your schoolyard map on a clipboard with a marker or pencil attached. Explain what the map shows, and ask students: what animals and plants might live here? Take a couple responses (as time allows), then share 3-4 common living things you can see in your schoolyard or surrounding areas (for example: robins, flies, oak trees, etc. NOTE: plants will be easier than animals since they don't move!). With very young learners, it may be easier to simply use animal groups, such as "birds", "bugs", "furry things" (like squirrels and chipmunks), etc. Show pictures of your chosen species to ensure that students can recognize and identify them. 

EXPLORE: Assign each student one of these creatures that they will be tracking. Explain that students should mark their location on the map with an "X" every time they see their designated plant or animal. If using an animal, tell students they can also mark signs of that animal (like chewed acorns, spider webs, etc). Using your own copy of the map, walk through an example to show your students how this works. Provide a designated time and space (setting clear boundaries for safety) then allow them to freely explore, looking for their designated species.

EXPLAIN: After students have completed their maps, return to the classroom. Instruct students to think about any patterns in where their species was most commonly found, using their maps and their memories. Help students to uncover these patterns by providing examples, such as: we always saw the robins in trees or that plant was usually in sunny spots. 

EXPAND: Redefine the term habitat and explain that these observed patterns help to show where these species' habitats are. Then, discuss why they think their plants or animals were found in those places, reminding students that all living things need food, water, and shelter.

EVALUATE: Using their maps, can students explain what a habitat is and why some plants and animals may be found where they are?

Purpose: Students will learn that natural resources are limited and think about ways that we can help plants and animals by taking care of our shared resources.

Standards: K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS2-2*, K-ESS3-3* 

(*Standard concepts introduced but not fully assessed.)

Time needed: 20-30 mins

Materials: one paper plate per student, and at least 30-40 small objects that will represent living things' needs: food, water, and shelter. Each of these three categories should be designated by a different item/shape/color. Some items you may want to use could be different-colored index cards; blocks; crayons; sticky notes; etc. It doesn't matter what these things are as long as they are easy to pick up and can represent the three different life needs. It may also be helpful to provide each student with their own small basket or box in which to deposit their resources as they gather them. You will also need a picture of a tree in a rural setting and a picture of a tree in an urban setting.

ENGAGE: 

Tell students that they are each going to pretend to be a tree. They should spread out around the classroom or outside, picking a place to stand, and then stand on their paper plate. Their paper plate represents their roots, so they cannot move off this spot! Then, ask students to recall what every living thing needs to survive: food, water, and shelter. 

EXPLORE: 

Scatter your food, water, and shelter tokens evenly across the classroom and explain what they are and each color/shape/etc. represent. Be sure that some tokens are out of reach between students. Tell students that as trees, they need all of these things to live, and that they need to reach out and gather as many as they can in the time given. Remind them to keep their feet planted because they are roots, and trees can't walk! Start the timer for 30 seconds and monitor as students reach for their resources. When time runs out, ask: Do you think you got enough food, water, and shelter to survive? Most kids should have at least a few of each, and feel that they survived. For those that didn't, ask: why do you think you couldn't get enough food, water, or shelter? Possible responses may include, competition with another "tree" or lack of a certain resource nearby. Then, tell them that they're going to do the same thing for another 30 seconds, and start the timer. After this round, ask again: do you think you got enough food, water, and shelter to survive?  This time, they should notice that the resources were more scarce and it was harder for them to find food, water and/or shelter. There may have been increased competition, or one resource may have run out. Students may point out that the resources were out of reach.

EXPLAIN: 

Explain that if a tree doesn't have enough resources right around it, it can actually grow its roots to reach farther and get more food, water, and space underneath the ground. Tree roots can grow through almost anything, including right through concrete sidewalks! Have students identify 2-3 resources that are currently out of reach and explain to a partner how they will reach them. Optional, as you listen to their explanations, you can prompt them to consider harder to reach resources: What if there is a big rock between you and the water? What if there was a building that blocked your sunlight? What if a new tree starts to grow between you and your resource? What if your water was dirty? After the partner discussion, regroup together. Show the students your rural tree and urban tree pictures. Ask students: which tree can get food, water and shelter more easily? Why? What might make it harder for the urban tree to get the resources it needs (shade from buildings, concrete blocks water from reaching the roots, trash makes the water dirty, etc.)

EXPAND: 

Remind students that the more animals or plants live in a certain place together, the harder it is for them to find the resources they need to survive. It's the same for people! Have a pair-share discussion about how humans meet their needs and what might make it harder to get those resources. (Ex. build more houses/ no more space, take more water/not enough water). Since we all live on the planet together, it's important to share our resources and keep them clean. People can help make sure that plants and animals have enough resources by conserving (not using too much/wasting) water, and keeping the environment (their resources) clean by not littering. 

EVALUATE: 

Students are able to explain what resources a tree needs and that they get those resources from their habitat. Students can identify some places where trees might live and connect it to the available resources. Students are able to begin identifying factors that may affect the availability of resources.

Purpose: Students will learn how the actions taken by organisms to create their homes or access resources like food or water, change their environment and impact other plants and animals who share their ecosystem.

Standards: K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-3* 

(*Standard concepts introduced but not fully assessed.)

Time needed: 20-30 mins

Materials: Voting stickers/ post-it notes (three colors), printed pictures.

Read-Aloud:

• At Home with the Beaver: A Story of a Keystone Species by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

• At Home with the Prairie Dog: The Story of a Keystone Species by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

• At Home with the Gopher Tortoise: The Story of a Keystone Species by Madeleine Dunphy

ENGAGE: 

Display a variety of images showing the evidence of Beaver's impact on their environment around the room (Alternative: expand to various ecosystem engineers). Invite students to walk around and view the gallery of images. As they view each image, ask them to consider if the image represents something helpful, harmful, or both. Use stickers or post-its to let students vote. (Activity adapted from Busy Beaver Lesson Plan) 

EXPLORE: 

EXPLAIN: 

EXPAND: 

EVALUATE: 

Purpose: Students will engage all five of their senses to connect with nature.

Standards: Activity does not address a particular standard, but builds observational skills for later use (Science and Engineering Practices and Skills: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations and Connections to the Nature of Science: Scientific Investigations Use a Variety of Methods). This activity also provides background and foundational knowledge for 4-LS1-2.

Time needed: 10-15 mins

Materials: safe outdoor space to explore, optional: picnic blankets or mats to sit on

ENGAGE: With students, identify the five senses: taste, smell, sight, sound, and touch. Tell them they are going to use four of these senses to explore nature - everything except taste, because it isn't safe to taste things outside! (Alternatively, if you have a space with known edible plants, such as blackberries, you may choose to engage this sense as well. Just be very careful that you've identified the berries correctly, and that students ONLY taste the items you provide.) 

EXPLORE: Ask students to spread out and sit on the ground, with some space between them, but all within your sight. Tell them you're going to give them 30 seconds to notice every smell they can. Encourage them to breath deep! After this time, ask them to share what they smelled. Repeat for all of the other senses.

EXPLAIN: Ask students, how do you know if someone in your house is making popcorn (or other favorite food)? Student responses may mention the smell of popcorn (or burnt popcorn), the sound of the popcorn popping or the microwave beeping. Just like us, animals can use their senses to find food, water, and shelter.

EXPAND: Ask students how they think animals might use all of these senses to survive in their habitats. Some possible examples: Animals can smell when berries are ripe and ready to eat or if a predator is nearby. Just like you they can hear water running.

EVALUATE: Can students explain how animal might use one or more of its senses to help them find food, water, or shelter?

Standards: Activity does not address a particular standard, but builds observational skills for later use (Science and Engineering Practices and Skills: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations) and provides background and personal experience for the 1st grade standard (1-PS4-1). This activity may also be connected to the National Standards for Music Education.

Materials: safe outdoor space to explore, optional: picnic blankets or mats to sit on

Activity: Tell students that as a class, they are going to create a song together using only what they can find in nature! Provide your students some time to collect natural items, encouraging them to find things that might be used to make noise. (Remind them what is safe and what is not safe to collect.) These items could include sticks, rocks, leaves, pinecones, etc. Then, gather students into a seated circle. Have each student share what they found and demonstrate what noises their item(s) can make. Then, set a beat by clapping your hands and invite students to join in with their instruments. If possible, you could even record this as your class song and use it later to welcome or say goodbye to your class each day!

Standards: Activity does not address a particular standard, but builds observational skills for later use in understanding K-LS1-1. (Science and Engineering Practices and Skills: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations and Connections to the Nature of Science: Scientific Investigations Use a Variety of Methods)

Materials: safe outdoor space to explore; hand lenses; one embroidery hoop per student (for example, these inexpensive wooden ones). If you're unable to purchase embroidery hoops, you can use any round objects such as toss rings, hula hoops, etc. 

After practicing using their senses to observe the natural world on a large scale, students will use their senses to observe the natural world on a very small scale. Give each student one hoop and instruct them to choose a place to lay it on the ground. Distribute hand lenses. Ask the students to explore the area inside their hoop as if they were ants. Have them get down on their bellies and use the hand lenses to look closely between every blade of grass, beneath every rock, etc. Encourage them to use their senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch to report how the area would look, sound, smell and feel to an ant. Then, after returning to the classroom, ask them to draw a picture of everything they saw.