Honing in on Homes
FallWinterSpring
Students in lifesize squirrel homeThat might look like a plain hole in a tree to you, but to a black capped chickadee or to a red squirrel, it is an important refuge from danger and cold. And a home is every bit as important to them, as yours is to you. In this program, students become familiar with what characteristics make for an effective shelter. They also learn about the critical components of habitat, recognizing that habitat depletion is the single most important reason for loss of wildlife in Canada. Investigating tree cavities, exploring galls, hiding under thickets, students come to experience first hand, the importance of shelter, food and space in a well-structured ecosystem.
Grade 4 (This program can be modified to suit any grade)

Curriculum Links:

Grade 4 : Science and Technology

Life Systems - Habitats and Communities
4s1 demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of habitat and community, and identify the factors that could affect habitats and communities of plants and animals;
4s2 investigate the dependency of plants and animals on their habitat and the interrelationships of the plants and animals living in a specific habitat;
4s3 describe ways in which humans can change habitats and the effects of these changes on the plants and animals within the habitats.
4s4 identify, through observation, various factors that affect plants and animals in a specific habitat (e.g., availability of water, food sources, light; ground features; weather conditions);
4s8 recognize that animals and plants live in specific habitats because they are dependent on those habitats and have adapted to them (e.g., ducks live in marshes because they need marsh plants for food and shelter and water for movement);
4s9 classify plants and animals that they have observed in local habitats according to similarities and differences (e.g., in shape, location).
4s10 formulate questions about and identify the needs of animals and plants in a particular habitat, and explore possible answers to these questions and ways of meeting these needs (e.g., predict the structural adaptations, such as webbed feet, that help aquatic animals live in water);
4s12 use appropriate vocabulary, including correct science and technology terminology, in describing their investigations, explorations, and observations (e.g., habitat, population, ecological niche, community, food chain);
4s16 describe ways in which humans can affect the natural world (e.g., urban development forces some species to go elsewhere and enables other species to multiply too rapidly; conservation areas can be established to protect specific habitats);
4s18 show the effects on plants and animals of the loss of their natural habitat (e.g., nesting sites of ducks may be destroyed when a dam is built);

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