Third Grade Science Lesson on Animal Habitats Using a SMART Board

Third Grade Science Lesson on Animal Habitats Using a SMART Board
Page content

Discover Animal Habitats

Here’s a lesson plan on teaching Animal Habitats to your third grade students.

Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

  1. Define the word habitat.
  2. Describe the different animal habitats.
  3. Enumerate the animals that settle in each type of habitat.
  4. State ways that students can help take care of an animal habitat.
  5. Make a clay model of an animal habitat.

The Lesson Plan

Begin by showing a video about an animal’s habitat like one of these from National Geographic. Afterwards, ask the following questions: What animal was featured in the video? Where does it live? What are the dangers that it faces? What values did you learn after watching the video clip? What can be done to protect the places where animals live?

Then, use the SMART board to present pictures of different animals. Let the students identify the homes of each animal shown by using the writing tools (they may rely on stored knowledge gained from reading books or watching films). Afterwards, write the word ‘habitat’, and let them define it by relating it to the ‘animal homes’ written on the SMART board.

Using the SMART board, present pictures of different habitats and ask the students to describe each. Show pictures of animals that live in each habitat. Explain the special needs of each animal that is supported by the habitat.

Fun Activities

Provide more opportunities for students to interact with each other by letting them do the following activities:

1. Research and Share

Divide the class into four groups - tundra, forest, grassland, desert. Each group must be made up of four members. Their task is to research about the habitat assigned to them by looking up the following pieces of information:

  1. description of the habitat
  2. location of the habitat
  3. animals found in the particular habitat
  4. issues or concerns faced by the habitat.

After researching those items, instruct the students to share with the class, what they have learned. Let them use the SMART board to present relevant pictures of the habitat on which they are reporting.

2. Models in Clay

After listening to the report of each group, assign a different habitat to each group (to check how much they have comprehended from the report). Let them make a model of the habitat by using clay. The model must include the animals found in the habitat. Discuss the rubrics that will be used in grading their work, including attention to detail, research, and presentation. Present this information by using a SMART board.

Assessment and Evaluation

Distribute this downloadable worksheet on animal habitats from Bright Hub Education to check the students’ comprehension of the lesson. As for the clay model of the habitat, a rubric will be used in grading it.

References

  • Palecek, Mike, Simple SMART (Lulu.com, July 14, 2008)
  • Photo Credit: WikiCommons.