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HOORAY FOR HABITATS!
Presented by Barbara Cargill, Director of Wonders of the Woodlands Science Camp
Wetlands Habitats
Wetlands are Wonderful:
It is wise to take good care of wetlands because they help protect rivers, lakes, and oceans. And they provide us and animals with many useful things.
Place several items on a table. These can be actual items or pictures of the items. Instruct the children to match the wetlands item with what it is used for or how it helps in nature.
ItemUsed for:
Cranberries or blueberriesjar of cranberry jelly (or blueberry)
Clam shellscan of clam chowder plus
a small kitchen strainer – Clams help filter out the water in the wetlands. They help keep it clean.
Toy turtlecan of turtle soup
Cattail slice of bread – Indians used cattail flowers to make soup, bread and pudding. They also ate the seeds roasted. Animals eat cattail seeds, too.
Mint plantmint teabag – Many mint plants grow in wetlands. Indians used some mint leaves to make medicine. They gave a special mint tea to children to get rid of worms!
Grasses woven basket – There are many grasses and other plants in the wetlands that are used to make baskets. The leaves or stalks are hung up to dry. Then they can be woven into a basket.
Duck feathersdown pillow
Fishpicture of a fish dinner
Need: cranberries, jar of cranberry jelly, clam shells, can of clam chowder, toy turtle, can of turtle soup, cattail, slice of bread, grass, woven basket, feathers, down pillow, fish toy or puppet, fish dinner (these may be pictures instead of the real item)
Wetlands Water Table:
Fill a water table less than half full with water. Place sticks, rocks, clam shells, and water plants (or just grass and leaves) in the water. Provide toy ducks, frogs, fish, and insects, etc. to play with. Also, a few small goldfish and water snails may be placed in the water if dechlorinated water is used. Encourage the children to explore the “pond.”
Extension: Add sand to the water. Bury clam shells or other seashells, rubber worms, and rubber crayfish in the sand. They may wash what they find in another tub of water.
Need: water table, pond items such as sticks, rocks, shells, leaves, other plants (optional: goldfish, snails, sand, shells, rubber worms or crayfish from sporting goods store)
How Do Bugs Walk on Water?
The reason that many insects can live on a pond’s surface is because water is sticky and has what is called a “skin”. Their little feet hold them on the water’s skin.
Film canisters work well to see the curve of water. Do this outside or over a water table. Instruct the students to fill a film canister with water. Then, start adding pennies. How many pennies can they add without the water overflowing? Do they see a bubble of water above their film canister? Water is sticky and holds together!
Need: film canister, medicine dropper or pipette, several pennies, bowl of water
Alligator Egg Hunt game:
Do this outside on a playground or lawn. Hide plastic eggs in the area, at least 2 per child.
To make the nest: Make a big pile of leaves, sticks, and grasses into a nest shape inside a large cardboard box or on the ground.
Alligator Facts to teach:
The mother alligator builds a nest out of grass, sticks, and leaves.
She lays about 30 eggs in the nest.
Babies hatch and make a grunting noise.
The baby alligators scramble to the water where it is safe.
Where, oh where are those alligator eggs? Tell the children that the mommy alligator is looking for her eggs. Use a toy alligator to be the mommy by the nest. Some crafty animal like a fox took the eggs and hid them! The mommy alligator wants them back in her nest. Ask the children to find the eggs one at a time and put them back in her nest.
Make a fox ears headband by taping brown construction paper ears to a headband. Or use a fox toy or puppet. Assign a child to be the crafty fox. While the children are returning the eggs to the nest, the child with fox ears on will “steal” eggs and hide them again. Let everyone be the fox!
Need: plastic eggs, leaves, sticks, grasses in a large cardboard box, toy alligator, fox headband or toy
I’m a Hungry Frog activity:
Xerox copies of the frog pattern on white or green card stock. Cut them out. Cut slits at the “X”. Tape a craft stick to the frog back to make a handle. You may want to add a staple.
Instruct the children to color their frog. Help them glue googly eyes (optional) to the front.
Show the students how to use a party blower. Then insert the mouthpiece of a party blower into each slit.
Teacher dialogue:“Frogs search for insects and shoot out their long tongues to catch them. Can you show me how this is done with your tongue? A frog’s tongue is different than your tongue! We cannot catch flies with our tongue can we? Hold your frog mask up to your face. I am going to read a poem. When you see a fly buzzing by, blow your frog tongue out to try to catch it!”
As an assistant reads the poem, the teacher walks slowly by with a toy insect. Let each child “catch” the fly with the tongue. Other ideas include using insect puppets or stuffed animals.
“Frogs on a Log”
There were some little frogs
Who were sitting on a log,
Waiting for a fly
To pass on by.
Here comes a fly
Just passing by,
Quick! Stick your tongue
Out real long….(children blow their party blower)
And catch that fly
As it goes by!
And catch that fly
As it goes by!
YUM YUM!
Extension: For older children, cut out the entire frog mouth, not just the slits. Glue or tape a toy insect (or a picture of one) to the end of a short piece of yarn. Staple or tape the yarn to the frog’s mouth. Now the frog becomes a hungry predator! Show the children how to flip the insect and try to get it into the frog’s mouth. This is really fun!
Need: Xeroxed copies of frog pattern, scissors, craft sticks, crayons, glue, googly eyes, party blowers, (optional: yarn, picture of insect or small toy insect, tape or staple)
Molt like a Crayfish activity:
Crayfish Facts to teach:
1. A crayfish has a hard outer shell.
2. When a crayfish grows, it loses its shell.
3. A crayfish likes to eat tadpoles, snails, and fish.
4. Some people eat cooked crayfish!
Wrap 2-3 sheets of newspaper around each child‘s torso, including their arms. (They need to hold their arms straight down by their side.) The newspaper is their shell. Hold the paper together with 2-3 clothespins.Tell your little crayfish that when they hear their friends say POP, they need to spread their arms and pop open out of their shell.Take turns being a crayfish.
“Crayfish, crayfish, it’s time to grow! (Start out kneeling on the floor and slowly grow.)
You eat a lot, so didn’t you know? (Act like you are eating with pinching fingers.)
That the day would come when you’d go POP! (Throw hands above your head.)
And that old shell would crack and drop!” (Hands twist in cracking motion, then quickly point to floor.)
Need: large pieces of newspaper, clothespins, pictures of crayfish
Let’s Chow Down!
- Eat Like a Whale: Add ground pepper (to be “plankton”) to bowls of water. (Do not add the pepper until the children are ready to scoop; it sinks after a few seconds. Add new pepper for each group of children or let them add it!) Challenge the children to try to scoop it out with their hand, a comb, and with a toothbrush. Which is easiest?
Your hand cannot get very much pepper. The comb works a little better. But the toothbrush works great! The mouth of a whale works in much the same way. They have mouths (baleen) that can strain out the water to catch tiny pieces of food. (plankton) Show whale pictures. Remember they are NOT fish--they are mammals!
Need: bowl, pepper, comb, toothbrush, pictures of whales (especially ones that show baleen)
- Eat like a Water Bird: Many birds live in the cold waters of oceans. Most of them eat fish. They have mouths that are shaped like big spoons to help them scoop up the fish! Partially fill an aquarium or rubber tub with water. Add little beads to be the fish. The tools for the students are plastic knives, chopsticks, and spoons. Which tool works best? (spoon) That is why birds like pelicans and spoonbills have mouths shaped like a spoon!
Need: aquarium or rubber tub, pony beads, plastic knife, chopsticks, spoon, pictures of water birds showing their beaks
- Eat Like a Shark: Cut up little pieces of sponge in fish shapes (shapeis optional).Add these to the aquarium or tub of water. Carnivores like killer whales and sharks use their powerful jaws to grab their prey. The campers will use the toy grabbers to hunt and catch the sponge fish like sharks and killer whales do.
Need: aquarium or rubber tub, small pieces of sponge, scissors, toy grabbers, pictures of killer whales and sharks showing their mouths
Desert Habitats
Sand Play Station: Fill a water table partially with sand. Add combs, funnels, spoons, kitchen strainers, shells, empty salt and pepper shakers, etc. to encourage play and discovery. Add treasures to the sand and ask the children if they can determine what they are touching based on what their fingers are feeling.
Need: water table or rubber tub, comb, funnel, spoon, shells, empty salt and pepper shakers, kitchen strainer
Sand Search Bottles: Use empty bottles (Gatorade works well) for this activity. Put several items in the bottle. Use things like toothpicks, coins, crayons, marbles, Legos, small toys, shells, acorns, small sticks, and more. Put them in the bottle and fill it about 3/4s full with sand. Seal it with duct tape. The children turn and shake the bottle to see what they can find in the sand. This is great for observation skills.
**Extension: For older children, challenge them to find specific items. Ask detailed questions like: “Can you find the brown spotted shell? Can you find the nickel? Can you find the blue Lego?”
Need: empty plastic bottle, sand, duct tape, items like: toothpicks, coins, crayons, marbles, Legos, small toys, acorns, sticks, etc.
Sand Art: On dark construction paper, show the children how to make designs with glue. Sprinkle sand on top. Allow it to dry. Simple and fun!
Another option is to moisten sand a little bit. Use a spatula to spread it on a cookie sheet. The children can make designs using craft sticks.
Need: black construction paper, Elmer’s glue, sand, cookie sheet, water, Spatula, craft stick
Shakey Shake Jars: Collect small to medium plastic jars. Add sand, smooth rocks (polished rocks work), shells, and ½ cup of water. Screw the lids on tightly.
Ask the children thought questions like this, “What is sand? What is it made of? What does it feel like? How does it become sand?”Brainstorm about how rocks break down to make sand. This is because of “weathering” which includes heat, pressure, cooling, and wind, etc. “Deserts have a lot of sand in them. Sand is made of broken-up pieces of rocks and shells. Let’s make some sand together in your jar!”
Pass out the Shakey Shake jars. Demonstrate how to vigorously shake them so that the water moves the rocks and shells around. Explain that waves and currents in oceans, rivers, or lakes do the same thing to break up rocks. Over time, little tiny pieces of rock break off to form sand.
Need: smallplastic jar, sand, smooth rocks, shells, water
Sing to the tune of “Jingle Bells.” Shake the jars as you sing!
Shake our rocks,
Shake our shells,
This is how it sounds!
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake (7X to the beat) while teacher hums the tune.
That’s how sand is made, HEY!
Deserts are Hot in the Sun!
Start with a discussion about what it means to be hot. “What do you feel like in the sun? Does it make you feel hot or cold? Sand in the desert can get very hot. What makes the sand hot? (the sun) Yes the sun heats the ground and makes the sand hot. What else is warm or hot? (fire, hot water, oven, iron, etc. Yikes, don’t touch those!)
Let’s see what happens when we put things in the sun. (This is best done outside.)
- Water in the Sun:Show the children some ice cubes. It helps if the ice cubes are colored. Let them touch the cubes. Predict what will happen to them in the sun. Listen for understanding. Place the cubes in the sun. Check them after 5-10 minutes.
**Extension: Place a light-colored piece of fabric over a pan of ice. Place a dark (black is best) piece of fabric over another pan of ice. Predict what will happen to the ice in each pan. The ice under the black fabric melts more quickly and the water is hotter. Dark colors absorb more heat than light colors. Most people who live in the desert wear white or light-colored clothes!
Need: food coloring, ice cubes, pie pan (optional: extra pie pan, black fabric, white fabric)
What else can happen to water in the sun?
Give each child a square of toilet paper. Show them how to use a medicine dropper to add 2-3 drops of colored water to the paper. Spread out the drops. Set the paper in the sun while you lead the next part of the lesson. Due to the hot sun, desert plants must save water. Their leaves are covered with wax that keeps water from being lost. (Use the word “evaporation” with older students.)
Need: toilet paper square, medicine dropper, food coloring, container for water
- Sand in the Sun:What do you think will happen to sand that is in the sun? Show a container of sand. Let the children touch it. “We are going to put the sand in the sun now. We will feel it later to see if the sun has changed anything about the sand. What do you predict will happen?”
**Extension: As with the ice, place a light-colored piece of fabric over a pan of sand. Place a dark piece of fabric over another pan of sand. Make predictions.
Need: pie pan, sand (optional: extra pie pan, black fabric, white fabric)
- Desert Plants in the Sun: Desert plants must have enough water to live.
Pass around a wax candle. What does it feel like? Show the children a piece of Prickly Pear cactus. Point out the sharp spines. Ouch! “This cactus is called a Prickly Pear. Its leaves are covered in wax like the candle. The spines protect the cactus and help it keep more water inside. (FYI: The spines break up the wind so there is less evaporation.) Did you know people make jelly out of this cactus? Would you eat it?”
Now allow each child to gently touch an Aloe Vera plant. Break off one of the leaves. What does it look like inside? Allow the children to touch the end to feel the liquid inside. That is mostly water but it also helps your skin if you get a burn!Show them a regular house plant. Let them touch it. How is it different? How is it similar? How does God provide for plants in the desert?
**Extension: Let older children dissect an Aloe Vera spear using a plastic knife. Feel the waxy skin. Cut the spear open and feel the gel that is mostly water. Examine slices with a magnifying glass. How does God protect these plants from the desert sun?
Need: candle, piece of Prickly Pear cactus from grocery, Aloe Vera plant, small house plant (optional: plastic knife, magnifying glass)
Thirsty Cactus – After discussing that desert plants must store water to live, give each child a Dixie cup filled with a little water. Instruct them to slowly pour water on to the top of their table. Do not touch the water! Encourage students to observe their puddle. (This is similar to observing shapes in clouds.) Then pass out a small piece of sponge to each student. The sponge will act as a dry, thirsty cactus in the desert sun. The puddle of water is the rain water on the desert ground. Each cactus must soak up water from the rain. Show students how to gently place their sponge on their puddle. Some of the “cacti” will actually dance on the water!