More About... Lesson:
More About... Lesson:
Students learn about habitats shaped by weather: the rainforest, the desert and the arctic.
Print out the Rainforest, Desert and Arctic patterns. Make enough photocopies for each student to use. Review the Puddler More About... story. Define and discuss drought. Ask students what they think it would be like to live during the Dust Bowl. Collect books with pictures depicting the Dust Bowl, and share them with the class.
Ask students to imagine living in a place where it is hot and dry all the time. Tell them such places do exist: deserts! Point out desert areas on a map, and share pictures of desert environments. Ask students to share any facts they know about deserts. Explain that deserts look the way they do because of the weather. All living things (plants, animals and people) must learn to live with lots of heat and little water. Give examples of desert plants and animals, as well as desert cultures, pointing out adaptations each has for desert living.
Explain that there are two more "wild weather" habitats, where weather shapes life: rainforests and the arctic. Again, point out these areas on a map and through pictures. Share facts about each. Hand out copies of each habitat pattern. Make sure students have four copies of each pattern.
Direct students to find pictures or make drawings that represent the plants, animals, people, and landscape for each habitat. They should begin by filling in the blank on each sheet with the word "people," "animals," "plants" or "landscape." Then, they should add matching drawings or pictures.
An alternative for younger students is to prepare a number of pictures in advance for student groups. Each picture depicts plants, animals and people from one of the three habitats; groups must sort the pictures and glue them to the correct habitat pattern. Direct older students to use resources such as books, magazines, the Internet and CD-ROMs.
Once students have completed their wild weather art, discuss it as a class. Display students' finished habitat sheets around the classroom, or turn them into mobiles.
Set up wild weather safaris. Have students imagine they are going to visit a desert, a rainforest and the arctic. Spend a few days on each habitat. For each safari, ask students to bring in items from home (such as clothing) they would pack for their trip.