Grade One - Plants Lesson Four: Plant Habitats Summary In a variety of indoor and outdoor activities children will learn to look at the world they live in. They will be introduced to the words species, ecosystems and endangered as they investigate the playground or nearby prairie grasslands. Objectives Students will be able to: 2.3 Observe and describe some plant habitats. Background Many factors contribute to the disappearance of wildlife (e.g. disruption in the food chain and human development) but habitat destruction is a major force. As our native prairie disappears, what remains of it becomes ever more critical to the survival of our prairie wildlife. Native prairie grassland, previously abundant and rich in biodiversity, is now one of the world s most endangered ecosystems. Duration Four 30 minute classes. Outdoor activities may take a little longer. Materials Project WILD Activity Guide Plant Cards: Large Pictures of Prairie grasses, woody plants and flowering plants: Needle and Thread grass, Blue Grama grass, Yarrow, Prickly Rose, Prairie Coneflower, Goldenbean, Willow, Aspen, Saskatoon, Chokecherry. Mammal and Bird Cards: Large pictures of animals and birds: Richardson s Ground Squirrel, Pronghorn, Coyote, Meadowlark, Swainson s Hawk. String Grassland Three-in-a-Row Game Stepping Stones activity Grasslands poster Vocabulary Species Ecosystem Endangered Wildlife Cards Activities Introduction to students: Plants create homes for birds and animals. In southern Saskatchewan we live in a part of the world called the Prairies. Native prairie grasslands are home to many species of plants and animals. Long ago there was native prairie grassland everywhere. Now grasslands are endangered ecosystems. We have endangered animals. We also have endangered grasslands. Use the large pictures to review plants and animals. Activity 1 (Outdoors) Use the Activity Learning to Look, Looking to See in Project WILD, p.280. In this activity students learn that looking and seeing can be entirely different things. They begin by looking at items on a table or a bulletin board before it is covered up. They train themselves to really see before they go outdoors to a special spot and practice seeing in a new way. Outside, they can go together or in a large group, stopping every few steps to see what they see. The teacher can model by really looking at something and then saying, I see your cracks, Tree! or I see your torn leaf, Grass! Each student could be given a toilet paper roll. They look through it to see, focusing the looking. As an extension of this activity, lay a circle of string in the longest grass available and ask children to see what they can find that lives in their circle. Count species. Introduce the vocabulary words species and ecosystem. Activity 2 (Outdoors) Compare pictures of a manicured park (or look at the front lawn of the school) with the Grassland poster. Ask the students, Which one has the most wildlife? Go outside and compare the front of the school to the playground in an asphalt or crusher dust area. Which area has more signs of wildlife? Review food, water, shelter, space, (sunlight). Which area has more plants? (Review from Lesson 1) Prairie grasses are important to many birds and animals. Lie in the grass and guess who lives there with you. How about under you? Saskatchewan Watershed Authority - 30 -
Grade One - Plants Lesson Four: Plant Habitats (cont.) Activity 3 (Outdoors and Indoors) Do the activity Environmental Barometer in Project WILD, p. 98. Activity 4 Grasslands Three-in-a-Row Game Procedure 1. Prepare the Grasslands Three-in-a-Row Game cards by cutting them out and laminating them. You will need two sets for most classes. 2. Give each student one card and nine markers. Buttons, little stones or dried lima beans work well. 3. The teacher or leader will make a container and put all the matching plant cards in it. 4. Pull out one card and show the picture to the students and name the plant. Students place a marker on that plant if it appears in their Grasslands Three-in-a-Row card. For readers, call the name of the plant only without showing the picture. 5. Students win when they have three markers in a row, either horizontal, vertical or diagonal. Activity Procedure 1. Print out each of the following plant pictures and laminate. Print out the Invasive Species Marker Cards and laminate them. 4. Have the first student toss her/his marker onto the first stepping stone. The student then hops over the invasive species to the second stepping stone. This represents a native species not being able to use the habitat that has been destroyed by the invasive species. 5. The student hops down the rest of the stepping stones and back, picking up her/his markers. 6. If the first student misses a jump, then the second student starts and must jump over his/her own invasive species marker as well as that of the first student. 7. As necessary, alter the distances and/or rules to suit the abilities of the students. Note: This game could lead into the activity Shrinking Habitat in Project WILD, p. 289. Assessment Children will be able to name five native plant species that live on the Prairies. Resources A Landowners Guide to Grassland Birds Grasslands poster Selected Resources 2. Explain to students that sometimes unwanted plants spread to an area and invade the native grassland. For example, many homeowners do not want dandelions in their lawn. In the native prairie, some of the invasive species are Purple Loostrife, Canada Thistle, Leafy Spurge and Scentless Chamomile. 3. This activity is based on the game Hopscotch. Lay out the pictures of the native prairie plants in a line so that the jump from one stepping stone to the next is not difficult. Perhaps use masking tape to hold them in place on the floor. Saskatchewan Watershed Authority - 31 -
Saskatoon Grade One - Plants Lesson 4 Activity 5 Stepping Stones Game Sheets Saskatchewan Watershed Authority - 40 -
Chokecherry Grade One - Plants Lesson 4 Activity 5 Stepping Stones Game Sheets Saskatchewan Watershed Authority - 41 -
Trembling Aspen Grade One - Plants Lesson 4 Activity 5 Stepping Stones Game Sheets Saskatchewan Watershed Authority - 45 -
Prairie Coneflower Grade One - Plants Lesson 4 Activity 5 Stepping Stones Game Sheets Saskatchewan Watershed Authority - 46 -
Markers: Invasive Species Purple Loosestrife Canada Thistle Leafy Spurge Scentless Chamomile Grade One - Plants Lesson 4 Activity 5 Stepping Stones Game Markers Saskatchewan Watershed Authority - 48 -