Elementary Department

Topic 6: Habitats
Lesson 1: identifying habitats
Scientific Terminology:
Habitat: A place where animals
and plants live and get their needs.

Diversity: How many different plants

and animals live in a place.

Adaptation: characteristics of living things

that help them survive in their habitat.

Living things are found all over Earth. They live in different habitats. A habitat is a
place where a plant or animal lives. Habitats give living things their basic needs.
Habitats can be on land or in water. Some habitats are large. Others are small. The
ocean, a forest, and a prairie are large habitats. The soil below a rock is a small
habitat.
Land and water habitats support living things in different ways. Diversity is how
many different plants and animals live in a place.

Adaptations are characteristics of a living thing that help it survive in its habitat.
For example, fish have gills. Gills help fish breathe underwater. A fish lives in a
coral reef. The fish are colorful. Color is an adaptation. It helps the fish survive.
 Elementary Department
Topic 6: habitats
Lesson 2: living things in land habitats
Scientific Terminology:
Desert: Hot and dry habitat.

Forest: A land with many trees and animals

Tundra: A very cold, flat habitat near the North Pole.

Prairies / Grassland: Homes to different grasses

and animals where they live in groups.

1.Forests
Different types of forests grow all over the world. Tropical rain forests grow in
warm, sunny areas. It rains often. They are the most diverse land habitat. Other
forests have trees with leaves that turn colors in the fall. The leaves fall off the
trees in the winter. The leaves grow back in spring. Temperatures change from
season to season.
In forests:
 The weather is: Warm, sunny and rainy.
 Leaves turn yellow in Fall
 Leaves fall off in winter
 Leaves grow back in spring
2.Deserts
Deserts are dry. They get very little rain. Few plants and animals grow in deserts.
Desert plants like cacti have adaptations. For example, they have waxy coverings.
These waxy coverings help water stay in the plant.

Animals and plants adaptations in the desert:

Cacti:
✓ They have waxy coverings that help water stay in the plant.
✓ Large stems to store water.
✓ Spikes to protect animals wishing to use stored water.
Camels:
✓ long eyelashes to keep sands out.
✓ Thick eyebrows to shade the eyes from the sun.
✓ wide feet to walk in sands.
✓ humps to store food.

3.Tundra
Arctic tundras are very cold, flat habitats. They are found near the North Pole. They
have frozen soil. They get very little rain. They have little diversity

DIVERSITY:
Limited diversity due to harsh conditions.
Animals: Examples include polar bears, arctic foxes, caribou, and arctic hare.
Plants: Mostly consists of mosses, lichens, and small shrubs.
ADAPTATIONS:
Animals and plants have special features to survive the cold.
Animals: like polar bears, they have thick fur or feathers, fat storage, and migratory
patterns.
Plants: Grow close to the ground, short growing season.
4.Grasslands
In the United States, grasslands are often called prairies. They are home to
different types of grasses and bushes. Not many trees can grow. Grasslands can be
cold or warm. Plants and animals that live in grasslands often have adaptations.
For example, bison have woolly fur that help them stay warm.

Inquiry Lab
Grade 2 students investigated water plants and how they can live and survive in water.

They used lab materials to make a model of a water plant called” Lily Flower”.

Learning intention: To investigate how water plants, like Lily Flower, have special features that help them
survive and adapt to water habitats.

1. Write an appropriate inquiry question.

……………………………………………………………………………………
2. Write a proper hypothesis that you can form to answer the question of inquiry:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. List the materials that can be used.
1-……………………………
2-…………………………….
3-…………………………….
4. Write what you conclude from this experiment.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
5. Does your conclusion support the hypothesis?
…………………………………………………………………………………..
Task & Questions practice
Q1-A) Match the animals to their correct habitats.

B) True or False:

1. The tundra is a warm habitat with lots of trees. -------------

2. Grasslands can be found on every continent except Antarctica. ------------

3. Grasslands receive moderate rainfall, but not as much as forests. -------------

C) Challenge Which habitats are likely to support a larger variety of plants and animals?

Tundra Animals Grassland Animals

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Q2.Analyze the table below then answer the questions related:

Tundra Grassland

Temperature Warm Cold Warm Cold

Diversity Less More Less More

Rainfall Less More Less More

A) Complete the following sentences by using the words

“Tundra” or “Grassland”.

a) The __________is very cold and has frozen soil.

b) In the _________, you can find lots of grass but not many tall trees.

c) Animals in the __________-have thick fur to keep them warm.

 B) How can Polar bears survive in the Tundra?

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Q3.

A- Which animal is mentioned in the passage as having thick fur to keep warm in chilly winds?

a) Gazelle

b) Lion

c) Polar bear

d) Elephant

B- Sort the characteristics of each habitat.

Lots of rain – more plants – dry – hot – warm – less rain – more animals - less
animals – less plants

Desert Forest

1- 1-

2- 2-

3- 3-

4- 4-

5-

C) Which habitat has less diversity? why?

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 Inquiry Lab Answer Key

Practices Answer Key

Q1. A) Match the animals to their correct habitats.

B) True or False:

1. The tundra is a warm habitat with lots of trees. False

2. Grasslands can be found on every continent except Antarctica. True

3. Grasslands receive moderate rainfall, but not as much as forests. True

C) Challenge Which habitats are likely to support a larger variety of plants and animals?

Tundra Animals Grassland Animals

15 8

In grassland, I will explore more animals as it has more diversity than tundra. Because the weather is good,
not cold like the tundra is very cold so less animals can live there.
Q2.

A) Circle the correct option to complete the table about the two habitats.

Tundra Grassland

Temperature Warm Cold Warm Cold

Diversity Less More Less More

Rainfall Less More Less More

B) Complete the following sentences by using the words

“Tundra” or “Grassland”.

a. The tundra is very cold and has frozen soil.

b. In the grassland, you can find lots of grass but not many tall trees.

c. Animals in the tundra have thick fur to keep them warm.

C) How can Polar bears survive in the Tundra?

They have thick fur to stay warm.

Q3.

A) Which animal is mentioned in the passage as having thick fur to keep warm in chilly winds?

e) Gazelle

f) Lion

g) Polar bear

h) Elephant
 B) Sort the characteristics of each habitat.

Lots of rain – more plants – dry – hot – warm – less rain – more animals - less
animals – less plants
Desert Forest

Dry Lots of rain

Hot
Warm
Less rain
Fewer animals More animals

Fewer plants More plants

C) Which habitat has less diversity? Why?

The desert, because of the small amount of rain.

Lab Answer Key

1- What do plants need to survive in water?

2- Plants need certain adaptations to live in water

3- water, lily flower, tray

4-Leaves float at the surface of the water.

5- roots dangle in the water and are anchored at the bottom.

6- yes