Creatures of the Forest
Teacher Page

Project Description

The children will be learning what different types of creatures live in the forest, specifically, what part of the forest they live in.  Do they live in the trees? Do they live on the ground? Do they live under the ground? Do they live in the water?  They will be exploring why they live in this particular part of the forest, what they eat, and where they sleep.

The children will make four booklets.  In each booklet, they will draw a different part of the forest.  They will then draw/find a picture and label three different creatures that live in that particular part of the forest. They will also tell what kind of food the animal eats.

 

Project Goals

Essential Question:  Why do different creatures live in different parts of the forest and what makes them different from the creatures in the other parts of the forest?

Specific Questions:

What creatures live in the trees?

Why do they live in the trees?

What types of food do they eat?

What makes them different from the other creatures that live in the other parts of the forest?

 

What creatures live on the ground?

Why do they live on the ground?

What types of food do they eat?

What makes them different from the other creatures that live in the other parts of the forest?

 

What creatures live under the ground?

Why do they live under the ground?

What types of food do they eat?

What makes them different from the other creatures that live in the other parts of the forest?

 

What creature live in the water?

Why do they live in the water?

What types of food do they eat?

What makes them different from the other creatures that live in the other parts of the forest?

 

Illinois and CPS Learning Standards

State Goals	CAS	CFS
12	A	3
12	B	5

 

STATE GOAL 12:

First Grade - Science

HAVE A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE LIFE, THE PHYSICAL, AND THE EARTH/SPACE SCIENCES AND THEIR CONNECTIONS.

CAS A.  Compare and describe life cycles, basic needs, characteristics, and component parts of organisms.

CFS 3.  Describe basic needs characteristics of living things (e.g., food, water, air, shelter, space).

CAS B.  Understand the effects of organisms on the environment and some features that help them survive and reproduce after a change in their environment.

CFS 5.  Describe relationships among various organisms in their environment (e.g., predator/prey, parasite/host, food chains and webs).

 

Unit Prerequisites

 

Students must know what a forest is.

Students must know what animals are.

Students must be familiar with the program KidPix.

 

Performance Tasks

Access:
Observe the different parts of the forest as you go on a nature walk in the woods.
Make a list all of the animals sighted on the nature walk.
Explore the Internet or other resources to develop a list of animals living in the forest that you may not have seen.

Interpret:
Describe the different parts of the forest and make a list of the similarities and differences.
Make a list of all the animals you have observed or read about.
Organize the animals according to which part or parts of the forest they live.
Contrast and compare the differences and similarities in the animals of each part of the forest.
Compare the types of food that animals eat in the different parts of the forest.

Produce:
Draw or find a picture and label each different part of the forest.
For each different part of the forest, draw or find and label a picture of three different animals.

Communicate:
Share your book with the class.  
Read the names of the animals you have chosen and tell a little about their lives in the forest.

Performance Assessment Plan

Performance Indicators	Assessment Tool
Science	Project Rubric
State Goal, CAS, CFS	Student Evaluation Charts
12A3, & 12B5	Teacher Observation

Teacher Resources

WEB SITES

The Temperate Forest – Animal and Trees

National Wildlife Federation – Kids Pages

Forest Animals

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Project Learning Tree

Biodiversity in Illinois CD

Michigan Department of Natural Resources-Kids Stuff

 

BOOKS

Forest Animals: Questions and Answers About:  by Michael Chinery  (Describes animals and their natural habitats, colorful illustrations)     

A Log's Life by Wendy Pfeffer (Story of organisms living near a tree)                  
Grades K-3  

The Magic School Bus: Hops Home by Joanna Cole  (Wetland habitats)          
Grades K-4  

On the River ABC by Caroline Stutson (ABC's of plant and animal life along a river)
Grades Pre-3  

Tree Life:  A close up look at the natural world of a tree by Theresa Greenaway (colorful photos and information on bugs, frogs, lizards, etc.)     
Grades K-6    

VIDEOS

Caterpillar and the Polliwog by Jack Kent. (Book and video that describe the metamorphosis of caterpillars and frogs) Grades K-3

See How They Grow: Forest Animals (1995)

See How They Grow: Tree Animals (1996)