3rd Grade Life Science Unit Habitats/Ecosystems and Conservation of Ecosystems

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Introduction: A Natural
Habitat

Whats That, Habitat?

Schoolyard Safari

What Bear Goes Where?

Polar Bears in Phoenix

Content: Science,
Expressive Arts
Learning Outcomes:
exploring the meaning of a
natural habitat
First introduce students to
the novel Violet Mackerels
Natural Habitat.
What does the phrase
natural habitat mean? How
is the phrase normally used?
Where have you heard it?
Students will be asked to
explore the idea of a natural
habitat and what that would
look like for them. In this
introductory activity,
students will create their
own cover page of the novel
by inserting their own name
instead of Violets. The cover
page should have
illustrations of what the
students natural habitats
might look like. Read the first
chapter and open the
discussion about natural
habitats again.

Content: Science,
Expressive Arts,
Environmental Education
Learning Outcomes:
knowing what makes
natural habitats
sustainable
Continue reading Violet
Mackerel up to CH 4. Revisit
student-made cover pages. Ask
students if they have included
their own basic needs. What are
basic needs?
All living things need food,
water, shelter, and space to
make a suitable habitat. Have a
discussion on why these four
basic needs are important for
both humans and animals.
Have students to draw a new
picture of where they live,
including where they find food,
water, shelter, and space. Ask
them to label these parts.
Provide an example for students.
Students will then draw a
picture of their favorite animal
or pet in their natural habitat. It
must also include their basic
needs.

Content: Science, Visual

Arts
Learning Outcomes:
familiarize with the rural
ecosystem and learn how
local animals and plants
sustain in their natural
habitats
Continue reading Violet
Mackerel up to CH 8. (as part
of a Teacher Read time)
Students will explore the
habitats of animals and
insects in the school garden.
Using the Schoolyard Safari
Survey sheet, students will
identify these animals living
in the school yard. They will
also describe ways the school
environment provides a
suitable habitat for the
animals living there.
The schools garden will also
be introduced as a rural
ecosystem. We will then
discuss ways on how we can
describe a rural ecosystem.

Content: Science,
Environmental Education,
Expressive Arts
Learning Outcomes: identify
three species of bears and
their habitats; and generalize
that animals have to adapt in
order to live where they do
Finish reading Violet Mackerel.
Discussion question: Why might it be
important that animals should be
left in their natural habitats?
Introduce three different species of
bears the polar bear, grizzly bear,
and the black bear. Students will be
introduced to the tundra and
forest/mountain ecosystems and
identify which species of bears live in
which ecosystems or habitats. They
will also generalize that animals
must adapt in order to live where
they do after discussing each of
these bears and their habitats.
Students will move into a group
activity and create posters of an
assigned bear. They will draw the
bears in their habitats. (or cut and
paste pictures) Students must label
the habitats major basic needs such
as food, water, shelter, and space.

Content: Science,
Environmental Education,
Expressive Arts

Learning Outcomes:
identify problems for an
animal that has been
moved from its natural
environment to captivity
Students will identify problems
for an animal that has been
moved from its natural
environment to captivity. In this
lesson, students design and
draw a zoo enclosure
appropriate for the survival of a
polar bear in a hot, arid climate.
This activity can be done in pairs
or in small groups. Using their
background knowledge from the
previous lesson, students must
consider making the enclosure
less like a cage and will need to
keep in mind the essentials for
the polar bears habitat food,
water, shelter, and space.
Students may also consider
temperature, color, plant life,
maintenance, floor covering, and
many more.

3rd Grade Life Science Unit Habitats/Ecosystems and Conservation of Ecosystems

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Ecosystem Experts Part

I

Ecosystem Experts Part

II

Ecosystem Experts Part

III

Shoebox Ecosystem
Part I

Shoebox Ecosystem Part

II

Content: Science and

Visual Arts
Learning Outcomes:
become familiar with the
planets variety of
ecosystems and habitats

Content: Science and

Visual Arts
Learning Outcomes:
become familiar with the
planets variety of
ecosystems and habitats

Content: Science and

Visual Arts
Learning Outcomes:
become familiar with the
planets variety of
ecosystems and habitats

Content: Science and

Visual Arts
Learning Outcomes:
become familiar with the
planets variety of
ecosystems and habitats

Students will be grouped for a jigsaw

research project. Each group of
students will become an expert on
an ecosystem that will be assigned
to them.

Introduce ThingLink.

An extra day for students to

finish their research and
ThingLink interactive images.

Each group will be assigned to a

new ecosystem. For this
ecosystem, they will create a
shoebox model of it and a lap
book that provides information
about the habitat/ecosystem.
The information will come from
what the students have learned
from the expert groups as well
as referring back to ThingLink
images or other resources such
as books or the Internet. (if time
permits)

They will be provided with some

guiding questions to help them with
what information they need to
research. I will also model to them
by explaining my expert ecosystem
the urban habitat.
Students will be provided with
books, computers, and iPads. They
will also be taught on how to find
information using these mediums. (A
specific website can be provided
too.)
The following ecosystems will be
explored: Forest, Tundra, Wetlands,
Coral Reef/Ocean, and Grasslands
*Final product will be a ThingLink
interactive image.

Students continue
researching. Some groups
will need guidance. Some
groups may also be ready to
begin working on their
ThingLink interactive images
on the iPads. Information
from their research will be
recorded in their science
journals and will be reviewed
by the teacher.
Students are not required to
answer all of the guiding
questions that are provided
for them, but they must
provide adequate
information that they can use
to become experts in their
assigned ecosystems.

Each group of students will

then present their ThingLink
interactive images to the
class and share their new
knowledge on the ecosystem
they have become experts in.
Students must listen intently
to the presentations as they
will later be creating shoebox
models of a different
ecosystem they have learned
about from the other expert
groups. They may also write
notes or sketches in their
science journals as the
groups are presenting and
refer back to the ThingLink
images.

Students are expected to explain

the habitats major basic needs
such as food, water, shelter, and
space. They will also be
expected to share information
about adaptations to the
ecosystem and how the living
things that inhabit them would
respond to them.
*Have students complete lap
book first and then move onto
shoebox models.

Content: Science and

Visual Arts
Learning Outcomes:
become familiar with the
planets variety of
ecosystems and habitats

Students are expected to

finish lap books by this
day. They will then
continue working with
their small groups on the
shoebox model.
Students will be provided
with materials and time to
complete the shoebox
models.
*Some groups may need
another day to complete
the shoebox model. Allow
for the extra time.

3rd Grade Life Science Unit Habitats/Ecosystems and Conservation of Ecosystems

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Shoebox Ecosystem
(Cont.)/Pollution Search
Introduction

Pollution Search Air

Pollution

Pollution Search Water

and Land Pollution

Michael Recycle

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The Three Rs

Content: Science, Social

Studies, Environmental
Education
Learning Outcomes: learn
about pollution and how
they affect ecosystems

Content: Science, Social

Studies, Environmental
Education
Learning Outcomes: learn
about pollution and how
they affect ecosystems

Prepare a slideshow of images

that show examples of air
pollution. Students will create a
bubble map about air pollution
and will create satellite bubbles
describing what they see from
the images.

Repeat the same process as the air

pollution lesson.

Content: Science, Social

Studies, Environmental
Education
Learning Outcomes: learn
about pollution and how
they affect ecosystems
If some groups need extra time
to finish their shoebox models of
their ecosystems, they can finish
them today.
Students will be introduced to
what pollution is. The discussion
will begin by asking what
students already know about
pollution. Their ideas can be
jotted down in a circle map. In
the circle maps, students will
write down all the ideas and/or
words that come to mind when
they hear the word pollution.
Explain what pollution is. They
will then watch a short video clip
that shows examples of what
pollution is. As they are
watching the video, they will
begin a new circle map where
they will record all of their new
learnings of what pollution is
from the examples provided in
the video.

Air pollution will also be

discussed. Students will then put
a circle around their bubble
maps, creating a circle map
around their bubble map.
Students will then fill the outside
of the bubble maps with ideas
on how air pollution is caused.
Students will then collaborate
with their table groups to think
of solutions to the causes. Each
table group will share their ideas
to the whole class after
discussing.

Students will instead be creating

double bubble maps to compare and
contrast water and land pollution.
They will create satellites for
characteristics of both forms of
pollution and how they are similar.
They will also turn their double
bubble maps into circle maps (like in
the previous lesson) and jot ideas on
how water and land pollution is
caused. Students will again
collaborate with their table groups
to come up with solutions to these
causes then share to the whole class.
*Have students consider the
ecosystems they have learned
about. How would they be affected
by air, water, and land pollution?

Content: Science,
Environmental Education
Learning Outcomes: learn
ways to recycle, as well as
reduce and reuse
Introduce the book Michael
Recycle by Ellie Bethel. What
does it mean to recycle?
What do you think are
Michael Recycles powers
in this story?
Read the story out loud to
students. Also read the tips
at the end of the story on
ways we can reduce, reuse,
and recycle as well as tips on
how to be more conscious
about our environment.
Students will then create a
tree map. They will map out
ideas on how they can
reduce, reuse, and recycle at
home, at school, and at the
playground (or another place
of significance to the
students).

Content: Science,
Environmental Education
Learning Outcomes: learn
ways to recycle, as well as
reduce and reuse
Remind students at the
beginning of the school day to
hold onto garbage or scraps they
may have. This can be from their
lunch or from the classroom.
Provide large zip-lock plastic
bags for them to keep their
garbage in for this lesson.
In their table groups, students
will share what they have
collected in their plastic bags.
We will discuss what items can
be reused, recycled, or thrown
away in the garbage. Recycle! A
Handbook for Kids by Gail
Gibbons can be used as a guide
and reference when talking
about the Three Rs.
Students will then sort their
garbage collection to items that
can be reused, recycled, and
thrown in the garbage.

3rd Grade Life Science Unit Habitats/Ecosystems and Conservation of Ecosystems

Day 16

Day 17

Recycle City +Maryland Recycling Center Virtual Tour

Taking Action Using the Three Rs

Content: Science, Environmental Education

Learning Outcomes: explore further on ways we can reduce, reuse,
and recycle, learn about a Recycling Center and what happens to the
items that we recycle
The whole class will take a virtual field trip to the Maryland Recycling Center. The
website will be displayed on the projector, and students can rearrange seating to come
closer to the board and see. In this tour, students will learn about the following:
*Tipping Floor - See how recycling trucks unload their cargo of bottles, cans, plastic
containers, cardboard and paper.
*Pre-Sort Station - Check out the tools used to sort trash and recyclable items
including electromagnets, vibrating screens, air classifiers and more!
*Light Item Sorting - Learn how plastic and aluminum are flattened for sorting and
storage.
*The Blower System - Discover how air pressure is used to move plastic into storage
chutes.
and more!
In small groups, students can do another virtual field trip to Recycle City. These can be
done on both computers and iPads, or during the class time in the computer lab.
Students can also play Recycle Citys Dumptown game where they take on the role of
recycling advocates by starting programs that encourage Dumptown's citizens and
businesses to recycle and reduce waste.
While exploring Recycle City, students will learn about the various ways that the citys
citizens and businesses reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Montgomery Recycling Center http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/SWS/facilities/rc/how.html#tipping-floor
Recycle City - http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/
*Virtual field trips may take two days. Allow for extra time.

Content: Science, Environmental Education, Visual and Expressive Arts

Learning Outcomes: demonstrate ways that we can reduce, reuse, and
recycle by creating posers
Students will synthesize their knowledge of ecosystems and how to
protect them. They will first start by creating a tree map with three
categories: Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling. In these categories,
students will list strategies on how they can reduce, reuse, and recycle.
They can synthesize ideas from how they can do all of this at home, at
school, and any other places of significance to them.
Once students have completed their tree maps with ideas, they can
collaborate with their table groups and share what they have listed
down. These collected ideas will be used to make a poster on The
Three Rs. Posters will be done in table groups. Students will be
required to be as creative as possible with the posters and will be
asked to include illustrations along with writing.
*Allow an extra day or two in case small groups do not finish their
posters.