habitat-dos-animais

by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne
N E W Y O R K s T O R O N T O s L O N D O N s A U C K L A N D s S Y D N E Y
M E X I C O C I T Y s N E W D E L H I s H O N G K O N G s B U E N O S A I R E S
Easy Make & Learn Projects: Animal Habitats © 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use. Purchase of this
book entitles use of reproducibles by one teacher for one classroom only. No other part of this publication may be reproduced in
whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to
Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
Editor: Maria L. Chang
Cover and interior design by Kathy Massaro
ISBN-13: 978-0-439-45337-0
ISBN-10: 0-439-45337-2
Copyright © 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne
All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 40 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10
For Carolyn Cathey, who loves to read
and care for animals
— D M S
T
o Phyllis Zara Young,
who loved discovering nature
— P J W

Introduction............................................................................................................... 4
Cave................................................................................................................... 5
City....................................................................................................................10
Coral Reef........................................................................................................15
Desert..............................................................................................................20
Grassland........................................................................................................ 25
Island...............................................................................................................30
Marsh.............................................................................................................. 35
Mountain .......................................................................................................40
Ocean .............................................................................................................. 45
Polar Regions ................................................................................................50
Pond.................................................................................................................56
River .................................................................................................................61
Seashore.........................................................................................................66
Tropical Rain Forest.....................................................................................71
Tundra ............................................................................................................76
Contents

A
nimals and plants live just about everywhere
on earth—at the North and South Poles, in
the hottest deserts, on the tallest trees, and in
the ocean’s depths. The place where a plant or animal
lives is called its habitat. The 15 easy-to-make and
easy-to-read mini-books and manipulatives featured
in this book provide students with a first look at
habitats around the world and the plants and animals
that live in each. The content in this book meets life
science curriculum standards, including:
plants and animals need certain resources for
energy and growth (e.g., food, water, light, air)
living things are found almost everywhere in the
world, and distinct environments support the life
of different types of plants and animals
organization of simple food chains and food webs
the transfer of energy (e.g., through the
consumption of food) is essential to all living
organisms
an organism’s patterns of behavior are related to
the nature of that organism’s environment
changes in the environment can have different
effects on different organisms
all organisms (including humans) cause changes
in their environments, and these changes can be
beneficial or detrimental
4
Introduction
What’s Inside
The mini-books and manipulatives are independent
and can be used in any order. Each chapter contains
the following features:
Habitat Hallmarks: Background information for
teaching the lesson
Making the Mini-Book or Manipulative:
Easy-to-follow instructions with diagrams for
assembling the mini-book or manipulative
Teaching With the Mini-Book or Manipulative:
Discussion questions for after reading
More to Do: Further activities to extend learning
Resources: Related books and Web sites
Reproducible Pages: Templates for each mini-
book or manipulative to be distributed to students
Helpful Hints
As with any new instructional material, it is always a
good idea to make the mini-books and manipulatives
yourself before introducing them to your class. This
way, you can anticipate any questions and be ready
to help students as needed. When students are ready
to assemble their own mini-books and manipulatives,
model the steps for them and invite them to follow
along. Or, present your finished mini-book or
manipulative as a guide.
Keep in mind:
The thickest black lines on the reproducible pages
are CUT lines. Dashed lines are FOLD lines.
Some mini-books and
manipulatives have interior
flaps that require cutting. An
easy way to cut them is to
use the “pinch method”: Use
your thumb and forefinger
to fold the paper near
one line and, taking your
scissors, snip an opening. Then insert the scissors
through the opening to easily cut out the flaps.
If possible, enlarge the pattern pages to make the
mini-books and manipulatives easier for students
to assemble.
If students plan to color the mini-books/
manipulatives and use tape, have them color first
so they won’t have to color over the tape.
Encourage students to bring their mini-books/
manipulatives home and share them with their
families. You may also want to put additional
copies and extra materials in a learning center so
students can make and read them on their own.
We hope that you and your students get as much
fun and excitement out of these mini-books and
manipulatives as we had in creating them. Enjoy!

5
5
Cave
Cave
Starting at the entrance, delve deeper into this
mini-book to see what lives inside the cave.
A
cave is a large, open space underground or inside a mountain. Most caves
were formed over thousands of years as underground water slowly dissolved
limestone to create the open spaces. Inside a cave, water containing
dissolved minerals may continue to seep through cracks in the rock. As the water
evaporates, the minerals it leaves behind crystallize and form stalactites (icicle-
shaped rocks that hang from the ceiling) and stalagmites (rounded rocks that rise
from the cave floor). Where stalactites and stalagmites meet, they form a column.
Some animals, such as deer, raccoons, and skunks, might sometimes wander in
and out of a cave. Daylight can penetrate only the opening part of the cave, where
ferns, mosses, and a few other plants can make food and grow. Swallows, barn owls,
and phoebes often build nests on the cave walls. Wood rats nest here, too. These
animals move in and out of the cave to hunt. In places with cold winters, snakes,
frogs, and bears might also seek shelter in a cave.
Deeper inside, very little to no light reaches the rest of the cave. No plants can
grow there. A few animals, however, have adapted to life in total darkness. Blind
cave beetles and daddy longlegs feel their way around using antennas or other body
parts. Blind cavefish find food by sensing movement in the water. Bats emit very
high-frequency sounds that echo back to their ears. From these echoes, bats are able
to fly in and out without hitting the cave walls or one another. Millions of bats live
in very large caves. They sleep by day hanging upside down from the cave ceiling
and fly out by night to feed on moths, mosquitoes, and other insects.
Reproducible pages
7–9
Scissors
Tape
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials
Making the Mini-book
1 Photocopy pages 7–9.
2 Cut out all the pieces along the thick, solid
lines. Fold pages 1 to 4 of the mini-book
along the dashed lines lengthwise. Then fold
again, as shown. Repeat for pages 5 to 8.
Habitat Hallmarks
5

6
3 Unfold the pages and cut out the center sections of pages 1 and 3 to 8
along the thick, solid lines. Fold the mini-book pages again.
4 Stack pages 1 to 4 on top of pages
5 to 8 and tape together at the left
along the folded spine. Tape page 9
to page 8 along the spine.
5 Insert one flying bat into the
opening on page 1 and tape in
place. Tape the barn owl to page
4; the cave swallow, phoebe nest,
and scorpion to page 5; and the
remaining bats around the opening
on pages 7 and 8.
6 Fold the stalactite and stalagmite
pieces along the dashed lines. Tape
the folded flap of the stalactite
to the back of page 9, as shown.
Repeat with the stalagmite at the
bottom of the page.
Teaching With the Mini-book
Invite students to color, assemble, and read the text on their mini-books.
Then check for understanding by asking them these questions:
1 What is a cave? (A large open space underground or inside a mountain)
2 Which part of a cave receives some light? (The part just inside the cave
entrance)
3 How can bats fly around without hitting cave walls or one another?
(They use echo sounds to tell them where to fly.)
4 Can all cave animals see? (Some, such as bats, can; others, such as
cavefish, are blind.)
More to Do
World of Caves
Carlsbad Caverns in New
Mexico and Mammoth
Cave in Kentucky are two
of the most famous caves
in the world. So are the
Lascaux Cave in France and
the Waitomo Caves in New
Zealand. Challenge students
to research one of these
caves and report on what
kinds of animals live there
or why the cave is famous.
Resources
Hello, Bumblebee Bat
by Darrin Lunde and Patricia
J. Wynne (Charlesbridge,
2007).
Readers follow an inch-long
bat as it flies in and out of a
cave, answering questions
about where it lives and what
it does.
http://www.mostateparks.
com/onondaga/animals.htm
This unusual site describes
the five main groups of cave
animals. Click on the link
“food chains and pyramids”
to learn about bats and a
cave food pyramid.
Cave
6
Cave

3
4
1
2
7
A
cave
is
a
large,
open
space
underground
or
inside
a
mountain.
Bats
and
birds
fly
in
and
out
of
a
cave’s
opening.
Bears
sometimes
enter,
too.
A
little
daylight
shines
just
inside
the
opening
of
a
cave.
Look!
A
barn
owl
flew
in
with
food
for
its
young.
Hungry
baby
phoebes
wait
for
their
parents
to
bring
them
food.
Eastern
phoebe
American
toad
Cave
swallows
Black
bear
Cricket
Snail
Red
cave
salamander
Orb
spider
Centipede
Barn
owlets
W
h
a
t
’
s
i
n
a
C
a
v
e
?
Cut
out.
Cut
out.
Cut
out.
Cave

7
8
6
5
Cave
8 Easy Make & Learn Projects: Animal Habitats © 2010 by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Deep
inside
the
cave,
there
is
no
light.
That’s
okay.
Bats
use
echo
sounds
to
tell
them
where
to
fly.
Blind
cavefish
swim
in
a
stream.
Blind
animals
feel
their
way
around.
Wood
rat
Daddy
longlegs
Bats
White
cave
cricket
Blind
cave
salamander
Blind
cavefish
Cave
swallow
nests
Cut
out.
Cut
out.
Cut
out.
Cut
out.

9
Cave
9
Barn
owl
Cave
swallow
Bat
Bat
Bats
Scorpion
Stalactite
Stalagmite
Phoebe nest

10
A
t first glance, a city may not seem to be a natural habitat for plants and
animals. But depending on where it’s located and how it developed, a city
can host a variety of habitats. A city in the temperate zone, for example, may
have a wooded park surrounding a small lake. One in the desert may have cactus
gardens with a nearby pond. The variety of plants that grow in an urban setting
will depend on what kind of soil is naturally found there or whether the soil for
parks, gardens, and backyards has been specially brought in from elsewhere.
A schoolyard, park, or backyard may be filled trees, flowers, grasses, weeds,
mosses, bushes, or other plants. Seeds may sprout in sidewalk cracks. Living among
the plants may be ladybugs, spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, snails, caterpillars,
squirrels, chipmunks, lizards, or birds. Ants, earthworms, centipedes, daddy
longlegs, moles, or shrews may burrow in the ground, while birds, bees, and
butterflies may take to the air. Hawks and eagles may build nests on top of tall
buildings. At night, skunks, raccoons, mice, bats, moths, owls, or fireflies may
come out in search of a meal. Ants, roaches, and other insects, as well as spiders
may find their way into houses and apartments.
City animals interact with people and their pets. Dogs chase after birds and
squirrels, cats attack mice invading homes, and food people drop or throw away
becomes a meal for birds, raccoons, and other animals. As long as they are able to
meet their basic needs of food, water, and shelter, animals and plants will survive
anywhere, including the city.
Reproducible pages
12–14
Scissors
Tape
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials Making the Manipulative
outer lines. Be sure to cut open the lines on
flaps A and B.
Habitat Hallmarks
10
City
City
Peek into this three-dimensional panorama
of a city filled with numerous plants and animals.

3 Fold in the sides and bottom half
of the city scene along the dashed
lines, as shown. Fold flaps A and
B and tape to the back of the
upright piece.
4 Fold up the flap on the inside of
the house. Tape the inside of the
house behind the outside of the
house, as shown. Cut open the
windows of the house. Tape the
house to the left side of the city
scene, as shown.
5 Tape the magnifying glass to
the lower left of the text box,
as shown.
6 Fold under all the flaps on the
remaining pieces. Tape each one to
its respective number on the city
scene. Slide the raccoon headpiece
into the slit at the top of the trash
can, as shown. Tape the other
raccoon to the front of the trash
can, and the bumblebee to the top
of the purple coneflower.
Teaching With the Manipulative
Invite students to color, assemble, and read the text on their manipulatives.
1 What lives in the park? (Squirrel, grasshopper, Canada geese, raccoon,
purple coneflower, bumblebee, rabbit, owl, ducks, songbirds, trees, etc.)
2 What lives inside the house? (Mouse, centipede, cockroach, fly, fleas,
aphids, spider, ladybird beetle, little black ant, cat, dog, people, etc.)
3 What lives underground? (Earthworm, snail, bacteria, fungus, springtail)
4 What is the raccoon doing on the trash can? Why? (It is climbing inside
to look for food.)
More to Do
What Lives Here?
Every day for a week or
two, have students make
note of animals they see
in their homes, backyard,
schoolyard, park, and so on.
Make a list of the animals
and where students saw
them. If students don’t know
an animal’s name, have
them describe the animal
or draw it. Do the same for
plants. Be sure students
do not disturb animals or
plants and do not try to
capture them or break off
flowers, stems, leaves, or
other plant parts. Where
were most animals spotted?
Which plants were most
common?
Resources
Take a City Nature Walk by
Jane Kirkland (Stillwater,
2005).
While taking a nature walk
in a city, readers identify
plants and animals as they
learn about urban ecology.
http://australianmuseum.
net.au/Wild-Kids-Animals-
of-urban-habitats
Journey to a city in Australia
and discover which plants
and animals live in houses,
high-rise buildings,
gardens, parks, and the
harbor.
11
City

Do you live in a city or a town? Plants and animals live there, too. Plants
grow in soil and need water to live. They make food using energy from
the sun. Some animals eat plants. Others eat the animals that eat plants.
Animals live in houses, in backyards, in parks, underground, and on top of
tall buildings. They eat what they can find—even food people throw away.
Which of these plants and animals live near you?
12
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
A
B
Park bench
19
17
16
15
24
25
27
28
26
29
14
13
11
10
Wildlife in the City:
House & Park
Tape
inside
of
house
here.
T
a
p
e
m
a
g
n
i
f
y
i
n
g
g
l
a
s
s
h
e
r
e
.
City

13
INSIDE OF HOUSE
OUTSIDE OF HOUSE
6
7
2
Centipede
1
Mouse
3
Cockroach
4
Fly
12
Rat
5
Fleas
6 Aphids
8 Ladybird
beetle
9
Little
black
ant
10
Purple
coneflower
BASEMENT
PARK BENCH
11
Trash can
3
1 2
9
4
5
8
12
11
11
10
7
Spider
Cut out.
Tape
outside
of
house
here.
Cut out.
Cut
out.
Cut
out.
11
Raccoon
10
Bumblebee
11 Raccoon
City

13
Grey squirrel
with acorn
14
Screech
owl
20 Snail
15 Rabbit
eating grass
21
Bacteria
16
Cat
17
Peregrine
falcon
23
Springtail
18 Earthworm
24
Songbirds
19 Ducks
25
Tick
26 Grasshopper
eating plants
27
Turtle
28
Toad
29 Canada geese
22
Fungus
MAGNIFYING
GLASS
DOG WALKER
18
23
22
21
20
UNDERGROUND
14
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
City

15
Coral Reef
Coral Reef
Discover the wonders of a coral reef
with this lift-and-look mini-book.
Reproducible pages
17–19
Scissors
Tape
Stapler
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials
2 Cut out the mini-book pages (pages 17–18)
along the thick, solid lines. Fold each in half
along the dashed lines so the text is visible on
both sides.
C
oral reefs can be found in clear, warm, shallow ocean water, usually around
50 feet (15 m) below the surface. Millions of tiny animals called coral polyps
build these reefs out of limestone. Each polyp builds a rock-hard cup around
its soft body using calcium carbonate dissolved in seawater. The polyp hides inside
its cup during the day, but at night reaches out its stinging tentacles to catch tiny
sea creatures to eat. When a polyp dies, its hard cup remains behind, and new coral
polyps build on top of it. Over time, all the new and empty cups create a coral reef.
Algae, small plantlike organisms, also help build coral reefs by providing polyps with
food and oxygen. Different types of coral polyps build different shapes of limestone
rock, such as fans, horns, brains, and more.
Coral reefs are home to thousands of species of sea animals, such as colorful fish,
sponges, jellyfish, eels, crustaceans, sea worms, mollusks, and so much more. Reefs
are often referred to as the “rain forests of the oceans” because of the huge diversity
of creatures that live here. (See Tropical Rain Forest, page 71.) Reefs provide a rich
source of food for people.
The largest reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia,
spans about 1,250 miles (2,000 km) in length. It took millions of years for the Great
Barrier Reef to reach this size. Other reefs are found in the Caribbean Sea, off the
coast of Florida, in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and in the Red Sea. These reefs
help protect coastlines from getting eroded by pounding ocean waves. And yet many
reefs are in danger of being destroyed by pollution, overfishing, and careless divers
and boats. Many organizations are now working to preserve reefs from these threats.
Habitat Hallmarks
15

3 Cut out the magnifying glass, the NEW CORALS piece, and the map
(page 19).
4 Place the magnifying glass over
the stony cup on page 2 of the
mini-book so the circles overlap.
Tape the handle to the mini-
book, as shown.
5 Tape the map to page 4 of the
mini-book.
6 Fold the flap on the NEW CORALS
piece and tape over the EMPTY
CUP area in the lower left of the
mini-book’s page 3. Place pages 1
and 2 on top of 3 and staple the
mini-book together along the left
spine, as shown.
7 Cut out the animals (page 19).
Tape them to pages 2, 3, and 4
of the book as desired.
Invite students to color, assemble, and read their mini-books. Then check
for understanding by asking them these questions:
1 How is a coral reef made? (A coral reef is created from the stony cups
built by tiny coral animals to protect themselves. New cups are built on
top of empty cups left behind by coral animals that have already died.)
2 Describe a coral animal. (A coral animal is a tiny creature that captures
food with its stinging tentacles, makes a stony cup to protect its soft body,
and builds reefs.)
3 Name some animals that live on coral reefs. (Brightly colored fish, giant
clams, purple sponges, eels, crabs, sea stars, shrimps, etc.)
4 What is the largest reef in the world and where is it found? (The Great
Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia)
More to Do
Go Fish
Living things depend on
one another to stay alive
and healthy. Challenge
students to research the
following coral reef fish and
report how they interact
with other reef life: cleaner
fish, damselfish, clown fish,
false cleaner fish, pearl fish,
parrot fish, flashlight fish.
Resources
One Small Square: Coral Reef
by Donald M. Silver and
Patricia J. Wynne (McGraw-
Hill, 1998).
Focusing on the Great Barrier
Reef, this book examines a
small patch of reef and all of
the creatures that live there.
http://www.seaworld.org/
animal-info/info-books/
coral/index.htm
This Web site is chock-full of
reef information, including
animals that live in a reef
and ways to conserve reefs.
16
Coral Reef

17
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Stony
cup
tentacles
Reef shark
Striped
damselfish
Star
coral
Crab
Basket
sponge
Butterfly
fish
Staghorn
coral
Moray
eel
Shrimp
Grouper
Brittle
star
Sea
star
1
2
A coral reef is home to brightly
colored fish, giant clams, and
purple sponges. Eels, crabs,
sea stars, and shrimps live
here, too. That’s why sharks
come to hunt for a tasty meal!
Lift
the
magnifying
glass.
See
the
tiny
coral
animal?
It
captures
food
with
its
stinging
tentacles.
Each
coral
makes
a
hard,
stony
cup
to
live
in.
The
stony
cup
is
part
of
a
reef.
Coral Reef
Ta
pe
m
ag
nif
yin
g
gla
ss
he
re
.
Leaf
coral
Coral Reef

18
3
4
A reef is an underwater
wonderland made from these
cups. Most cups are empty.
The animals inside have died
long ago. New corals build
their cups on top of empty
ones. What do these corals’
shapes remind you of?
The
Great
Barrier
Reef
off
the
coast
of
Australia
is
the
largest
reef
in
the
world.
It
is
in
danger
because
of
pollution
and
careless
divers
and
boats.
Brain coral
Parrot fish
Leaf
coral
Columnar
coral
Elkhorn coral
Empty cup
Fungus coral
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Tape
map
here.
Coral Reef

19
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Sea fan
Great
Barrier Reef
Australia
Pacific
octopus
Queen trigger
fish
Butterfly fish
Moon
jellyfish
Pacific
white-sided
dolphin
Goby
fish
Moorish idol
Giant green sea
anemone
Blue
sea star
Damselfish
New corals
MAGNIFYING
GLASS
Coral Reef

20
Desert
Desert
Compare day and night in the Sonoran and
Sahara deserts with this back-to-back mini-book.
2 Cut out the mini-book pages along the
thick, solid lines.
D
eserts cover about one-fifth of the earth’s land surface and can be found on all the
continents, except Europe. Deserts receive less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain each
year. The entire amount may fall over just a few days, a few weeks, or not at all.
Parts of the Sahara Desert in northern Africa have received no rain for 20 years.
Stretching from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, the Sahara is the largest desert in the
world. It covers more than 3.5 million square miles (9 million sq km). Much of the desert
consists of stony plains swept free of sand by desert winds, but large areas are also covered
by sand dunes. Summer temperatures typically reach up to 110°F (43°C). The highest
temperature on Earth—136°F (58°C)—was recorded in the Sahara in 1922. During winter
nights, however, temperatures can plunge to below freezing. With such intense conditions,
few kinds of animals can survive here—jackals, jerboas, lizards, cobras, oryx, aoudads, and
the world’s deadliest scorpion. About 3 million people also call the Sahara home, and many
still use camels to travel around the desert. Palms and a few plants grow at oases, nourished
by underground water.
The Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States, on the other hand, contains
the greatest diversity of desert plants found anywhere. This desert is only about 120,000
square miles (311,000 sq km), but it is home to saguaro cacti that grow up to 50 feet (15
m) tall; yuccas that store water in their stems; shrubs that grow leaves only when it rains;
and American mesquite trees with roots that reach deep underground for water. Daytime
temperatures can reach above 115°F (46°C), and so most animals here hide under rocks, in
plant holes, or in underground burrows. When the desert cools off at night, these animals
come out to hunt for food. But they would do well to watch out for other night predators,
such as tarantulas, rattlesnakes, and Gila monsters, which use poison to kill their prey.
Habitat Hallmarks
20
Reproducible pages
22–24
Scissors
Tape
Stapler
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials

3 Cut out the center of each cover
along the thick, solid lines. Then
cut out the text block from the
center of each piece. Tape each
text block to the back of its
respective cover, as shown.
4 Cut the windows on the interior
page so they fold open, as shown.
5 Place the page with spot art
behind the interior page so that
the illustrations match behind
their respective windows.
6 Fold the pages in half along the
dashed lines. Place the Sonoran
Desert cover on top of the cactus
illustration.
7 Turn the mini-book over and
place the Sahara Desert cover on
top of the sand dune illustration.
Staple the mini-book at left, as
shown.
Invite students to color, assemble, and read their mini-books. Have them
read the Sonoran Desert side first, then turn over the book to read about
the Sahara Desert. Check students’ understanding by asking them these
questions:
1 How are the Sonoran and Sahara deserts alike? (Both are very hot
and dry, but cool down at night.)
2 How are the two deserts different? (Different plants and animals live
in each desert. The Sahara has sand dunes and oases, and the Sonoran
Desert doesn’t.)
3 Where do cactuses get water? (They store water when it rains.)
4 When do animals come out in the desert? (Most come out in the
morning before it gets too hot and at night when the desert cools.)
More to Do
Desert World
Invite students to research
other deserts, such as the
Gobi in east-central Asia,
Death Valley in the United
States, the Kalahari in
southern Africa, the Arabian
on the Arabian Peninsula,
and the Atacama in Chile
and Peru. Describe the
plants and animals in each
desert and how they are
adapted to survive. You
may also want to encourage
students to find out
about the dinosaur fossils
discovered in the Gobi
Desert.
Resources
One Small Square: Cactus
Desert by Donald M. Silver
and Patricia J. Wynne
(McGraw-Hill, 1998).
Students explore the
wonders of the Sonoran
Desert by day, by night, and
after it rains.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.
edu/exhibits/biomes/
deserts.php
Photographs and simple text
offer a glimpse of different
types of deserts around the
world.
21
Desert

22
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Sonoran Desert
Sahara Desert
The Sonoran desert is very hot and dry.
It does not rain here very often. When it rains,
cactuses store water inside them. Without
water, they cannot stay alive.
Cut out.
Cut out.
The Sahara Desert is very hot and dry.
Palms and other plants grow in the desert’s oases.
Water comes from deep underground.
Most of the Sahara is stony and flat.
In some parts, winds blow sand into
hills, called dunes. Some sand dunes
are more than a hundred feet high.
Some animals hunt for food in the
morning. To escape the afternoon
heat, they hide in holes, under
rocks, or underground.
Desert tortoise
Sandgrouse and chicks
Hedgehog
Horned
lizard
Gambel’s quail
Cactus
wren
Desert 5 Cover

23
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Lift the flaps. These animals come out at night
when it is cool. Watch out! Both rattlesnakes
and Gila monsters are poisonous.
These animals come out in the morning before the
Sahara heats up. Open the flaps to see creatures
that come out in the cool Sahara night.
Dromedary camels
Saguaro
cactus
Gila
woodpecker
Pronghorn
Roadrunner
Turkey vulture
Harris’s
hawk
Hummingbird
Scimitar-horned
oryx
Spiny-tailed
lizard
Desert
wheatear
Jackrabbit
Whiptail
lizard
Antelope
squirrel
Vermillion
flycatcher
Horned
viper
Spiny
mouse Aoudad
Lanner falcon
Desert 5 Interior pages

24
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Scorpion
Jerboa
Fennec
fox
Bat
Elf
owl
Sphinx
moth
Gila monster
Javelina
Bobcat
Diamondback
rattlesnake
Desert 5 Insert

25
Reproducible pages
27–29
Scissors
Tape
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials
Making the Manipulative
lines. Cut open the centers on pages 28 and 29.
Be careful not to cut the dashed lines.
3 Fold page 27 in half along the dashed line so
the illustrated backgrounds are facing out.
G
rasslands are mostly flat or gently sloping regions where, as the name implies,
grasses grow predominantly. These include the prairies in North America, the
African savanna, the pampas in South America, the South African veldt, and the
steppes in Central Asia.
The North American prairies extend south from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta
in Canada, across the Great Plains in the United States, and down to southern Texas and
nearby Mexico; and from the Rocky Mountains about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) east to
Indiana. Seasonal rains deliver 10 to 30 inches (25 to 75 cm) of precipitation each year.
Grasses grow tallest in those parts where it rains the most. Grass roots hold the soil in place
while underground grass stems keep growing even after herds of bison, cattle, and other
grass-eaters feed on leaves and stems that grow aboveground. Prairie dogs and gophers dig
underground tunnels to escape eagles, hawks, and other predators. However, ferrets and
snakes often slip inside these same tunnels, waiting to prey on these underground dwellers.
Much larger animals live in the African savanna, which stretches across more than 25
countries. During its short rainy season, 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm) of rain may fall,
spurring the growth of acacia trees, baobabs, and other non-grass plants scattered across
the savanna. The animals that live here include the largest (elephant), the fastest (cheetah),
and the tallest (giraffe) land animals in the world. Large herds of zebras and wildebeests, as
well as other herbivores, graze on savanna grasses. They are preyed upon by fast, powerful
lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hunting dogs. Vultures, jackals, and hyenas scavenge for dead
animals to eat. As dry season approaches, plant-eaters migrate in search of water and food,
but return again with the rain.
Habitat Hallmarks
25
Grassland
Grassland
Compare the American prairie to
the African savanna with this double-sided diorama.

4 Tape the ostrich and lion to the background with the elephants.
5 Tape the giraffe and fishing eagle to the
African Savanna front piece, as shown.
6 Tape both sides of the front piece to the
illustrated background, as shown.
7 Tape the African savanna text to the
bottom front, as shown.
8 Turn the diorama over. Fold back the
sides of the underground piece along
the dashed lines. Tape the ferret inside
the tunnel, as shown. Then tape the
entire underground piece to the bottom
of the prairie background, as shown.
9 Tape the gopher, owls, and prairie dog
to the illustrated background.
10Tape the coyote and the hawk to the
prairie front piece, as shown.
11 Repeat steps 6 and 7 on the prairie side
to complete the diorama.
1 Why are the American prairie and the African savanna considered
grasslands? (Because mostly grasses grow in both places)
2 How are the prairie and savanna alike? How are they different? (Both
are mostly flat grasslands. Very few trees grow on the prairie, but trees are
scattered about on the savanna.)
3 What do prairie animals eat? (Cattle eat grass, while other animals hunt
prairie dogs and gophers.)
4 What are the largest, fastest, and tallest savanna animals? (The elephant
is the largest, the cheetah is the fastest, and the giraffe is the tallest.)
More to Do
Keep on Growing
Even though animals keep
eating grass, grasslands
don’t run out of it.
Challenge students to find
out why. Give students a
hint by asking how many
of them have lawns that are
mowed. What happens to
the lawn after it is mowed?
(Grass-eaters help grass
plants keep growing for the
same reason.)
Resources
Prairie Food Chains by
Kelley MacAulay and Bobbie
Kalman (Crabtree, 2005).
Explore the North American
prairie with this book
that includes information
about prairie habitats, food
chains, and ways animals
survive.
http://www.blueplanet
biomes.org/savanna.htm
For advanced readers, this
site is full of facts about
savannas, including the
African and Australian
tropical savanna.
26
Grassland

27
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Baby
prairie dogs
UNDERGROUND
Zebras
Cattle
Rattlesnake
Prairie
dog
Pronghorn
Green
monkey
Rock
hyrax
African elephants
Cheetah
Termite
mound
Hippopotamus
Burrowing ow
l
Tape
here.
Tape
here.
AMERICAN
PRAIRIE
AFRICAN SAVANNA
Grassland

28
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Herds
of
cattle
chomp
on
the
tall
grasses
that
grow
on
the
prairie.
Very
few
trees
can
be
found
on
this
vast,
flat
land.
Near
the
cattle,
prairie
dogs
and
gophers
pop
out
of
tunnels
they
dug
underground.
If
they
sense
danger,
they
quickly
run
back
in.
Sometimes
hawks
grab
them
before
they
reach
safety.
Sometimes
snakes
and
ferrets
sneak
into
the
tunnels
to
catch
their
meal.
Cut
out.
Black-footed ferret
Prairie
dog
Swainson’s
hawk
Coyote
Painted
lady
butterfly
Harvest
mouse
Yellow
sulfur
butterfly
Grass
spider
Cricket
Gopher
The
American
Prairie
B
u
r
r
o
w
ing owls
T
a
p
e
h
e
r
e
.
T
a
p
e
h
e
r
e
.
AMERICAN
PRAIRIE
FRONT
PIECE
Grassland

29
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
The
mostly
flat
African
savanna
has
plenty
of
grass
for
zebras
and
other
animals
to
nibble
on.
As
they
feed,
zebras
watch
out
for
hungry
lions
that
may
attack
them.
The
largest
savanna
animal
is
the
African
elephant.
It
can
weigh
7
tons!
The
fastest
is
the
cheetah.
It
can
run
70
miles
per
hour!
The
tallest
animal,
the
giraffe,
can
nibble
on
leaves
growing
on
tall
trees.
Cut
out.
Lion
Giraffe
Fishing
eagle
Ostrich
Agama
lizard
Dwarf
mongoose
Octavia
butterfly
Dung
beetle
Tortoise
The
African
Savanna
T
a
p
e
h
e
r
e
.
T
a
p
e
h
e
r
e
.
AFRICAN
SAVANNA
FRONT
PIECE
Grassland

30
Island
Island
Learn what animals live on the Galápagos Islands and
how they arrived there with this map-like manipulative.
Resources
“Galápagos” Means
“Tortoises” by Ruth Heller
(Gibbs Smith, 2003).
With rhyming text and
detailed illustrations, this
book reveals how giant
tortoises, blue-footed
boobies, marine iguanas,
and other creatures survive
on the Galápagos Islands.
http://www.
wildmadagascar.org/kids/
Learn about Madagascar,
another island nation, at
this site. Students can tour
Madagascar and learn about
its unique animals and
plants, as well as about its
environmental problems.
30
A
n island is land completely surrounded by water, whether by an
ocean, lake, or river. The largest island in the world is the nation of
Greenland. (Australia, which is three times bigger than Greenland,
is considered a continent.) Depending on its size and location, an island
may contain several habitats. All islands have shorelines; some might
also have mountains, rivers, lakes, ponds, deserts, wetlands, grasslands,
tundra, or forests. Some land animals might swim to and from islands if
they are near the mainland or the shore of a river or lake. Others might be
transported to an island on a floating tree branch or tree trunk.
Some of the animals that live on the Galápagos Islands may have first
arrived there in this manner. The 13 large and six smaller volcanic islands
of the Galápagos lie about 600 miles (965 km) off the west coast of
South America. They are so isolated that many of the plants and animals
on these islands live nowhere else in the world. Because the islands (and
more than a hundred islets) are home to giant tortoises that can weigh
up to 600 pounds (272 kg), the islands were named Galápagos after the
Spanish word for “tortoise.” Just as impressive as the tortoises are its yard-
long (1-m) marine iguanas and 5-foot-long (1.5-m) land iguanas, as well
as sea lions, red crabs, foot-long centipedes, frigate birds, boobies, even
penguins!
Cacti, which grow in the hot, dry desert-like parts of the Galápagos
Islands, provide food for the giant tortoise. Tall trees rise in the islands’
rainy, mountainous regions. Some of the islands, however, are desolate
with just a few hardy plants. Land iguanas may feed on plant leaves and
berries, while marine iguanas fill their stomachs with abundant seaweeds.
Because of its natural wonders, the Galápagos Islands get more and
more visitors every year. Unfortunately this onslaught of tourists may be
harming the islands and the animals that live there. Some people bring
new animals that compete with the native animals for food and may even
eat them. In recent years, Ecuador, which owns the Galápagos Islands, has
introduced laws to protect this important habitat.
Habitat Hallmarks

Reproducible pages
32–34
Scissors
Tape
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials
Invite students to color, assemble, and read the text on their
manipulatives. Explain that only 12 of the islands are shown with their
Spanish and English names. Check students’ understanding by asking
them these questions:
1 What is an island? (Land completely surrounded by water)
2 Why do you think the islands are named Galápagos? (They are named
for the giant tortoises that live there. The Spanish word for “tortoise” is
galápago.)
3 Describe the Galápagos Islands. (They are located off the coast of South
America; some islands have volcanoes that no longer erupt; some have
deserts; some have mountains.)
4 How do animals get to the Galápagos Islands? (Birds fly there, sea
animals swim, an animal might drift there on a tree branch.)
More to Do
Grow Me an Island
The Hawaiian Islands stretch
across more than 1,500 miles
(2,400 km) in the middle of
the Pacific Ocean. Challenge
students to find out how
these islands formed and
why there will be more
islands in the future.
31
2 Cut out the pages with the islands along the thick, solid lines.
Tape the two pages together.
3 Cut out each animal, one at a time. Read the animal’s name and the
island on which it belongs. Find the island and tape the animal on it.
Tape the rafting lizard in the lower left corner of the model to show
that it is drifting toward the islands.
Island

Island
Isabela
(Albemarle)
Fernandina
(Narborough)
Pinta
(Abingdon)
Marchena
(Bindloe)
Santiago
(James)
Santa
Cruz
(Indefatigable)
Floreana
(Charles)
T
h
e
G
a
l
a
p
a
g
o
s
I
s
l
a
n
d
s
`
Rabida
(Jervis)
Pinzon
(Duncan)
32

Sea
lion
Galápagos hawk
Santiago
Marine iguana
Everywhere
Land iguana
Fernandina
Sharp-beaked ground finch
Santiago
Abingdon tortoise
Pinta
Sharp-beaked
ground finch
L
a
n
d
iguana
Abingdon tortoise
G
a
l
á
pagos hawk
Marine iguana
O
ff
the
coast
of
South
America
lie
the
Galápagos
Islands.
Each
island
is
completely
surrounded
by
water.
Some
islands
have
volcanoes
that
no
longer
erupt.
Some
have
deserts,
while
others
have
mountains.
These
islands
are
home
to
giant
tortoises
(
galápagos
in
Spanish),
marine
iguanas,
and
land
iguanas.
There
are
even
Galápagos
penguins!
Birds
fly
to
these
islands,
and
sea
animals
swim
there.
See
the
little
lizard
drifting
on
a
tree
branch?
On
which
island
do
you
think
it
will
land?
Genovesa
(Tower)
Tape here.
33
Island
San
Cristobal
(Chatham)
Sea lion
San Cristobal
Espanola
(Hood)

Woodpecker
finch
Red-
footed
booby
Warbler
finch
Cactus finch
Flamingo
F
l
i
g
h
t
l
e
s
s
c
o
r
m
o
r
a
n
t
Galápagos
penguin
Fur
seal
Tree finch
Galápagos penguin
Isabela
Lizard on branch
Flamingo
Santa Cruz
Warbler finch
Marchena
Narborough
tortoise
Fernandina
Flightless
cormorant
Fernandina
Red-footed
booby
Genovesa
Long-billed
mockingbird
Floreana
N
a
rborough tortoise
B
r
o
w
n
p
e
l
i
c
a
n
Duncan
t
o
r
t
o
i
s
e
L
o
n
g
-
b
i
l
l
e
d
m
o
c
k
i
n
g
b
ird Tree finch
Marchena
Woodpecker finch
Isabela
Island
Brown pelican
San Cristobal
Duncan tortoise
Pinzon
Fur seal
Rabida
Blue-footed booby
Espanola
Cactus finch
Espanola
Blue-footed booby

35
Marsh
Marsh
Discover some of the secrets of life in a marsh
with this lift-and-look mini-book.
Reproducible pages
37–39
Scissors
Stapler
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials
2 Cut out all three pages along the thick,
solid outer lines. Cut open the windows
along the thick, solid lines.
M
arshes are a type of wetland—land that stays wet all the time or for most
of the year. Wetlands are found worldwide in lowland areas. Marshes can
contain freshwater or salt water, depending on where they are located. The
water can be as deep as 6.6 feet (2 m).
Marshes are typically treeless—unlike bogs and swamps, which are other types
of wetlands. Grasses, sedges, cattails and other plants grow in and around marshes.
Sedges look like grasses but have solid, triangular stems. Grass stems are hollow
and round. Water lily flowers and leaves float on the water and are connected by a
leafstalk to their stems buried in the mud below. Sago pondweed grows below the
water surface. Pitcher plants and bladderworts trap flies and other insects, then
digest their bodies to absorb nitrogen and minerals the plants need to grow.
Marsh plants provide ducks, bitterns, herons, and other birds with places to nest,
rest, and hide from predators. There’s also plenty of food to eat. Mosquitoes, flies,
dragonflies, and mayflies are common in marshes, as are frogs, turtles, and water
snakes. Large fishing spiders capture fish and other prey with their front legs, then
bite and inject venom into their victims. Green water snakes are not poisonous, but
can swim easily as they hunt for fish to eat.
Wetlands are important because by holding water, they help prevent flooding,
especially when rivers rise during and after powerful storms. When wetlands slowly
return water to rivers, they release it through the soil. The soil filters out harmful
materials in the water, such as chemicals that come from factories and homes.
Habitat Hallmarks
35

3 Fold each page along the horizontal dashed line with the illustrations
facing out. Then fold again along the center dashed lines.
4 Open the pages with the
windows and the spot
illustrations. Place the page
with the spot illustrations
behind the other page so that
an illustration is centered
behind each window. Refold
the pages.
5 Place the refolded pages inside
the folded cover pages, as
shown.
6 Open the mini-book to
the center page and staple
together.
Invite students to color, assemble, and read their mini-books, opening
each window as they read. Then check for understanding by asking them
these questions:
1 What is a marsh? (A marsh is a wetland, which means its stays wet all or
most of the year.)
2 What plants grow in marshes? (Grasses, sedges, cattails, water lilies,
pondweed)
3 Why do some marsh plants trap insects? (For food)
4 Why are marshes not wastelands? (They are home to lots of plants and
animals.)
More to Do
Where Do They Come
From?
Where do marshes and
bogs come from? Challenge
students to find out how a
pond turns into a marsh and
how a lake turns into a bog.
How long can it take for this
to happen?
Resources
About Habitats: Wetlands
by Cathryn Sill (Peachtree,
2008).
In this beautifully illustrated
and simply written book,
students are introduced
to wetlands, including the
variety of life in them and
their importance to people
and nature.
http://www.mbgnet.net/
fresh/wetlands/index.htm
Click on the links to find out
what freshwater wetlands
are, what lives in them, why
they are important, and why
they are in danger.
36
Marsh

1
8
2
7
Life in
a Marsh
A saltwater marsh near the
ocean also has many plants and
animals. Remember, wetlands
are not wastelands. They are
home to lots of living things.
No
trees
grow
in
marshes.
But
lots
of
other
plants
do.
Grasses,
sedges,
and
cattails
grow
here.
Water
lily
flowers
and
leaves
float
on
the
water.
Water
lily
Fishing
spider
Great
blue
heron
Green
water
snake
Gull
Egret
Fiddler
crab
Killifish
Periwinkle
snail
Cordgrass
Eelgrass
Mussel
Oyster
Shrimp
Snapping
turtle
Mallard
duck
Mallard
duck
37
Welcome to this freshwater
marsh. It is a wetland. The land
stays wet all or most of the year. This
marsh is under six feet of water.
Marsh

Cattail
Bulrush
Pondweed
Duckweed
American
bittern
Mallard
duck
Sedge
Sedge
Yellow-throated
warbler
Bullfrog
Tadpole
Pussy
willow
Pitcher
plant
Bladderwort
Tiny
marsh
life
4 5
6
3
The marsh buzzes with flies
and other insects. Watch
out! Pitcher plants and
bladderworts trap insects for
food. Lift the flap to see what
the bladderwort caught.
Splash!
What
bird
just
dived
underwater
to
find
food?
There’s
food
for
everyone
in
the
marsh.
Some
animals
feed
on
plants.
Birds,
turtles,
and
snakes
feed
on
fish.
Even
a
spider
fishes
for
food.
Pondweed
grows
underwater.
What
eats
pondweed?
Lift
the
flap
to
see.
Fish, frogs, turtles, ducks, and water
snakes swim among the water plants.
What bird hides in
plants that match
its colors? Lift the
flap to see.
Red-eared
slider
Marsh

39
Mallard
duck
Pied-billed
grebe
Woodcock
Young
insect
Bladders
catch
larva
Marsh 5 Insert

40
Reproducible pages
42–44
Scissors
Tape
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
2 Cut out the background page along the thick,
solid lines. Fold the sheet in half along the dashed
line and tape the halves together, as shown.
3 Cut out the two foreground pieces along the
thick, solid lines.
40
Mountain
Mountain
Explore a mountain’s diﬀerent zones in this
back-to-back diorama that features its forests and meadow.
A
mountain is any elevated area that has two or more climate zones that change
as the altitude increases. In general, the higher the altitude, the cooler and
wetter the climate. Each zone supports a different type of habitat.
At the bottom of a mountain, a broadleaf (deciduous) forest might grow. This
type of forest is filled with flowering trees, such as maples, oaks, elms, beeches, and
hickory trees, whose broad leaves change color and fall off in autumn. The fallen
leaves decay and return nutrients to the soil, feeding other trees and forest plants,
such as bushes, shrubs, mosses, and other ground plants.
Higher up the mountain, the broadleaf forest might give way to cone-bearing
(coniferous) trees, such as firs, spruces, and hemlocks. They grow waxy, needlelike
leaves that do not fall in autumn. Such leaves can survive long, cold winters as well as
months when little rain falls. The soil, however, is often thin and poor in nutrients.
Both forests are home to many animals. Some birds live in the woods all year long,
while others fly to warmer places for the winter. Squirrels scurry along branches to
search for food and escape danger. Engraver beetles tunnel beneath tree bark. Forest
deer and rabbits feed on plants and in turn are preyed upon by foxes, bears, and
wolves. Under fallen leaves, the soil crawls with insects, spiders, worms, and snails.
Wildlife is not as varied higher up in the alpine zone, where few, if any, trees can
grow. Winters are bitterly cold in this zone. But in the warm summer months, its
mountain pastures come alive with plants and animals. Depending on the height of
the mountain, its top may be covered in ice and snow year-round. The area near the
top of a mountain where trees can no longer grow is called the tree line.
Habitat Hallmarks

4 Turn the diorama so the MOUNTAIN
FOREST side faces you. Take the
foreground piece with the beaver
and tape the left edge to the
diorama, as shown. Then tape the
right edge to the diorama.
5 Turn the diorama around so the MOUNTAIN MEADOW faces
you. Repeat step 4 with the other foreground. The completed
back-to-back diorama should stand.
6 Cut out the animals. Tape the wolf, fox, moose, pine marten,
lynx, and puma to the MOUNTAIN FOREST foreground and
background.
7 Tape the rest of the animals to
the MOUNTAIN MEADOW side of
the diorama, both on the lower
half of the background and to the
foreground. Tape the eagle near the
top of the background.
8 Tape the corresponding text boxes
to the bottom of the foregrounds,
as shown.
Invite students to color, assemble, and read their manipulatives. Then
check for understanding by asking them these questions:
1 What is a mountain? (A landform that rises a thousand feet or more
above the land around it.)
2 What is the deciduous forest at the bottom of the mountain like?
(Maples, oaks, and elms grow here. Their broad leaves change color and
fall off in autumn.)
3 Describe the coniferous forest that grows higher up on the mountain.
(The trees stay green all year.)
4 Describe the meadow above the coniferous forest. (Trees don’t grow
there. It is bitterly cold in winter, but in summer it is alive with plants
and animals.)
More to Do
Mountain Zones
Not all mountains are like
the one described in this
chapter. Challenge students
to find out how plant and
animal life changes on a
mountain in Arizona where
cactuses grow. If there are
mountains in your state,
have students do the same
for one of those mountains.
Resources
About Habitats: Mountains
by Cathryn Sill and John Sill
(Peachtree, 2009).
Simple text and beautiful
illustrations feature
mountains around the world
and animals and plants that
live there.
http://wwf.panda.
org/about_our_earth/
ecoregions/about/habitat_
types/habitats/mountains/
This easy-to-navigate
Web site gives a quick
description of the mountain
habitats and the animals
that live there.
41
Mountain

42
Swans
Porcupine
Elk
Grizzly
bear
MOUNTAIN
MEADOW
MOUNTAIN
FOREST
Marmot
Nuthatch
Warbler
Mountain

MOUNTAIN FOREST
A mountain rises a thousand feet or more above the
land around it. At the bottom of this mountain grows
a deciduous forest with maples, oaks, and elms.
Their broad leaves change color and fall in autumn.
Higher up the mountain, a coniferous forest grows.
Firs, spruces, and hemlocks stay green all year.
What animals live in this forest?
Wolf
Fox
Lynx
Moose
Puma
Squirrel
Pine
marten
Beaver
Tape
here.
Tape
here.
MOUNTAIN
FOREST
FOREGROUND
MOUNTAIN
FOREST
ANIMALS
43
Mountain

M
a
rm
o
t
Mountain
goats
Bighorn sheep
Bald eagle
Grizzly bear
MOUNTAIN MEADOW
The mountain gets colder the higher up it goes.
Above the tree line, where the coniferous forest
ends, trees don’t grow. Winters are bitterly cold
this high up on a mountain. But in the warm summer
months, the mountain meadow comes alive with
plants and animals. In higher mountains, snow and
ice cover the top all year long.
MOUNTAIN
MEADOW
FOREGROUND
Pine
marten
Ptarmigan
Tape
here.
Tape
here.
Pica
Mountain
MOUNTAIN
MEADOW
ANIMALS

45
Ocean
Ocean
Flip open the pages of this mini-book
to shed light on the layers of the ocean.
Reproducible pages
47–49
Scissors
Tape
Blue construction
paper or white paper
to be colored
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials
1 Photocopy pages 47–49. Cut out all the pieces
along the thick, solid outer lines.
2 Fold down THE OCEAN piece along the dashed
line, as shown. Fold down the blank part of the
ZONE OF DARKNESS piece along the dashed line.
45
T
he ocean covers about 71 percent of the earth. The shallow part of the ocean
lies above the continental shelf, which extends from the shoreline to the edge
of each continent. Beyond that, the ocean can be more than six miles deep.
Sunlight reaches to about 492 feet (150 m) beneath the water’s surface. Within
this sunlit zone live one-celled algae that make up the plant plankton. Like plants,
algae make food using energy from the sun. One-celled animals, copepods,
shrimp-like krill, and baby fish make up the animal plankton, which feed on algae.
Plankton serves as food for small fish, basking sharks, and toothless whales. Killer
whales, meat-eating sharks, and other large fish swim in to feast on the millions of
small fish attracted to plankton-rich waters.
Beneath the sunlit zone is the twilight zone, where light is very dim. During
the day, shrimps, small fish, and even some animal plankton might dive there to
hide from predators. As darkness falls, these hiders rise to feed. Somewhere in the
twilight zone a sperm whale might hunt for a giant squid to eat.
Below the twilight zone are the cold waters of the zone of darkness. There, the
only light comes from special body parts on some fish. By flashing light, these fish
can attract a mate or a meal, or scare away a predator. Very few animals live in the
near total darkness, and no plants grow there. Food particles that sink from the
upper zones provide food for these deep-sea dwellers.
Still farther down, chemicals seep out of openings in parts of the deep-sea floor.
Bacteria use these chemicals to make food. The bacteria live inside some deep-sea
creatures, such as tube worms, and share food with them.
Habitat Hallmarks

3 Lift THE OCEAN flap and tape the SUNLIT
ZONE on the underside.
4 Insert the folded ZONE OF DARKNESS
piece into THE OCEAN piece. Matching
up their folds, tape the two pieces
together, as shown.
5 On the blank page under the SUNLIT
ZONE, tape the TWILIGHT ZONE text box
and the animal piece for page 2, as
shown.
6 Lift page 3. Tape the DEEP SEA FLOOR
text box on the blank page. Tape the
animal piece for page 4 at the bottom
of the page, as shown.
7 Tape the cutout piece with five fish
above the whale on page 2. Tape the
jellyfish to the left of the SUNLIT ZONE,
as shown.
8 Tape the nautilus with its tentacles
sticking out anywhere on page 3.
9 Tape the remaining pieces around THE
OCEAN at the top of the book.
More to Do
Deep Sea Dive
The Mariana Trench in the
Pacific Ocean is the deepest
part of the sea. Challenge
students to find out about
the trench: where it is,
how people reach it, and
what lives there. Encourage
students to draw maps
and pictures about this
mysterious part of the
planet.
Resources
I Wonder Why the Sea Is
Salty and Other Questions
About the Oceans by Anita
Ganeri (Kingfisher, 2003).
There’s more to learn about
the ocean than the animals
that live in it. This book
answers basic questions
most students have about
the ocean.
http://www.cybrary.org/
ocean.htm
There’s an oceanful of
information on this site,
ranging from sea life to
waves and tides to the sea
floor to the deep ocean
trenches.
46
1 What are the four zones in the ocean where creatures live? (Sunlit
zone, twilight zone, zone of darkness, deep-sea floor)
2 What makes up plankton? What eats it? (Algae that make food and
one-celled animals make up plankton. It is food for small fish and some
sharks and whales.)
3 Describe the twilight zone. (This part of the ocean is dim because little
sunlight reaches the twilight zone. Some fish hide there. Whales hunt
squids to eat.)
4 Where does light come from in the zone of darkness? (Certain fish
give off light to attract animals to eat.)
Ocean

47
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources Ocean 5 tk
Sperm
whale
Giant
squid
Swordfish
Tiger
shark
TWILIGHT
ZONE
Very
little
sunlight
reaches
down
to
the
twilight
zone.
Some
small
fish
dive
here
to
hide
during
the
day.
In
the
cover
of
night,
they
swim
up
to
eat
plankton.
In
these
depths,
a
hungry
sperm
whale
might
battle
with
a
giant
squid
in
order
to
eat.
1
2
The Ocean
Ocean

Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Tube
worms
Tripod
fish
Sea
pen
ZONE OF DARKNESS
No sunlight ever reaches the zone of darkness. But
flashes of light might blink from fish, such as anglerfish
and eels. These fish give off light to attract animals into
their large, open jaws. The water temperature stays
very cold this far down in the ocean.
DEEP-SEA
FLOOR
The
deep-sea
floor
is
miles
below
the
surface
of
the
water.
Bits
of
food
slowly
sink
from
above.
A
tripod
fish
inches
along
on
its
three
very
long
fins.
Giant
tube
worms
sway
back
and
forth.
Every
year,
new
kinds
of
life
are
found
at
the
bottom
of
the
ocean.
3
Lanternfish
Anglerfish
Snipe eel
Stomach
eel
4
48
Ocean

Sea
turtle
Gull
Dolphin
Nautilus
P
l
a
n
k
t
o
n
Plankton
Mackerels
J
e
l
l
y
f
i
s
h
49
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
SUNLIT ZONE
In sunlit parts of the ocean, tiny algae use the sun’s
energy to make food. Algae, along with equally tiny
animals, make up plankton. Plankton serves as food
for small fish. In turn, bigger fish prey on the small
fish. The sunlit zone teems with life.
Ocean

50
Resources
Here Is Antarctica by
Madeleine Dunphy
(Web of Life, 2008).
This book of verse relates
how penguins, seals, fish,
and other animals form the
food web that keeps the
Antarctic alive.
http://www.seaworld.org/
animal-info/info-books/
penguin/index.htm
This excellent site provides
a wealth of information
about penguins, including
physical characteristics,
diet, and hatching of young.
There are even penguin calls
to listen to.
50
Polar Regions
Polar Regions
Turn the double-sided wheel to learn
about the Arctic and Antarctic regions
and their food chains.
N
orth of the tundra lies the Arctic Ocean, which until recently
was almost completely covered by floating ice. This ocean, along
with land at the tips of North America, Greenland, and Eurasia,
make up the Arctic. On the opposite side of the world lies the Antarctic,
comprised of the continent of Antarctica and the ocean waters that
surround it. Glaciers more than half a mile (l km) thick cover Antarctica.
Because the North Pole is in the Arctic and the South Pole is in the
Antarctic, these areas are referred to as the polar regions.
The Arctic and the Antarctic are the two coldest places on earth.
Winters last six to nine months. In summer, the Antarctic temperature
rarely rises above freezing, though it may reach 50°F (10°C) in the
Arctic. Around the North and South Poles, summer brings 24 hours of
daylight, while winter months are spent in complete darkness.
Despite its extreme conditions, the Arctic is home to polar bears,
Arctic foxes, seals, walruses, and whales. Polar bears grow thick fur to
stay warm throughout the frigid winter. Seals and walruses rely on a layer
of fat, called blubber, to insulate them from the cold. Walruses use their
tusks to dig for food and to pull themselves out of the water. Seals swim
underwater to hunt for fish, squids, and krill.
The cold waters around Antarctica also teem with millions of
creatures, including one-celled algae and animals that make up plankton,
which forms the base of the Antarctic food web. They are eaten by
shrimplike krill, which in turn are food for fish, great blue whales,
and penguins. Killer whales hunt fish, seals, and penguins. Millions
of penguins live on the Antarctic continent, where they form colonies
and huddle together to keep warm. To protect themselves from the
cold, penguins have a thick layer of blubber under their skin and have
waterproof feathers. Though penguins can’t fly, they are excellent
swimmers, skillfully darting in and out of the water to hunt fish and
escape predators.
Habitat Hallmarks

Reproducible pages
52–55
Scissors
Tape
Brass fastener
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials
2 Cut out the four pieces along the thick, solid lines.
3 Cut open the windows on the circles.
4 Place the ARCTIC circle with
the open windows on top
of the ARCTIC piece with the
animals. Repeat with the
ANTARCTIC pieces.
5 Insert the brass fastener
through the black dots at the
center of the ARCTIC pieces.
Turn the pieces over. Insert
the fastener through the black
dots on the ANTARCTIC animal
and circle pieces, as shown.
Secure the fastener.
To reveal the animals in the food chains, have them turn each circle so that
the arrow above TOP PREDATOR is aligned to the triangle on the text
box. Check for students’ understanding by asking them these questions:
1 How are the Arctic and Antarctic alike and different? (The Arctic and
Antarctic are both covered in ice and are cold. The Arctic is mostly ocean
and some land; the Antarctic is mostly land surrounded by ocean.)
2 Where do polar bears live, and what do they eat? (Polar bears live in the
Arctic, where they eat ringed seals and fish.)
3 Where do leopard seals live, and what do they eat? (Leopard seals live in
the Antarctic, where they eat penguins, krill, and squids.)
4 Why is plankton so important? (Plankton is food for squids and krill,
which in turn are food for seals, penguins, and fish, which are hunted by
polar bears and killer whales.)
More to Do
Arctic Melt
Recently, Arctic sea ice had
started to melt. Challenge
students to find out why,
and what scientists fear may
happen to the Arctic if the
ice disappears.
51
Polar Regions

Ringed seal
Polar bear
Fish
Krill
Squid
THE ARCTIC
Brrr. . . it’s cold at the top of the world. The Arctic is made
up of the ice-covered Arctic Ocean and land around it. In
the chilly water, squids and shrimp-like krill feed on tiny
algae and animals called plankton. Larger polar animals
eat the squids and fish. To keep warm, polar bears, seals,
and walruses have a layer of fatty blubber.
52
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Polar Regions

Squid
Krill
Killer
whale
Leopard
seal
Penguin
THE ANTARCTIC
Brrr. . . it’s even colder at the bottom of the world.
Thick ice covers the continent of Antarctica. This
large landmass and the waters around it make up the
Antarctic. Millions of penguins nest on the thick ice each
year. They feed in the water along with killer whales,
seals, fish, squids, krill, and plankton.
53
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Polar Regions

ARCTIC TOP PREDATOR
EATS PLANKTON
Cut out.
Cut out.
Cut out.
Cut out.
E
A
T
S
EA
T
S
E
A
TS EA
T
S
EATS
Arctic
The
54
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Polar Regions

ANTARCTIC TOP PREDATOR
EATS PLANKTON
Cut out.
Cut out.
Cut out.
Cut out.
E
A
T
S
EA
T
S
E
A
TS EA
T
S
EATS
Antarctic
The
55
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Polar Regions

56
Pond
Pond
Turn this model to witness how pond life
changes with the seasons.
A
pond is a small body of freshwater surrounded by land. It is
smaller and shallower than a lake. Water lilies, water hyacinths,
cattails, and other similar plants grow in ponds. The stem of a
water lily grows underwater while its leaves and flowers float on the
surface. Cattails and reeds grow along the water’s edge. One-celled,
plant-like algae drift in the water with microscopic animals. Together,
these tiny organisms form freshwater plankton that serves as food for
small fish, water insects, and other larger animals.
In summer, animal life flourishes at every level of a pond. On
the water’s surface, ducks paddle, water striders skate, and whirligig
beetles turn round and round. Fish, water bugs, and snails glide
below the surface. Tadpoles swim underwater, breathing through
gills. As they grow, they develop lungs that will help them breathe
air above water. The muddy pond bottom is crawling with hungry
crayfish and turtles in search of worms or dead creatures that sink
from above.
As autumn approaches, most pond birds fly off to warmer weather.
Lily flowers fall apart and their pads sink. Most insects die after laying
eggs. As the water chills, there’s less food to eat, and fish, frogs, and
turtles move at a slower pace.
In the winter, a thin layer of ice might form over the pond surface.
This ice protects the cold water below from freezing solid as the
temperature continues to drop. Most fish can survive the cold water
under the ice. Frogs and turtles sleep through winter buried in the
mud.
With the arrival of spring, frogs and turtles awaken from their
winter sleep. As the days get warmer, plants such as pondweed start
growing, fish and frogs lay eggs, dragonflies and other insects hatch,
and algae start to multiply. Birds and other animals return to the
pond to hunt or nest. The pond comes back to life.
Habitat Hallmarks
Resources
Butternut Hollow Pond by
Brian J. Heinz (First Avenue
Editions, 2005).
Detailed illustrations and
informative text describe life
at a pond from sunrise to
sunset.
http://www.microscopy-uk.
org.uk/ponddip/index.html
Students dip into a jar of pond
water to learn about different
kinds of microscopic life that
live there.

Reproducible pages
58–60
Scissors
Tape
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials
2 Cut out all the pieces along the thick, solid lines.
3 Tape the right edge of WINTER to the left edge of SPRING; the right
of SPRING to the left of SUMMER; the right of SUMMER to the left of
AUTUMN; and the right of AUTUMN to the left of WINTER.
4 Pinch one of the taped edges and tape
together along the top and bottom,
as shown. Repeat with the other three
taped edges.
5 Position the seasons on the circle base,
matching each season to its text. Tape
the bottom four corners to the dashed
lines on the base, as shown.
1 In which season is the pond most active? (Summer)
2 What happens to the pond in autumn? (The lily flowers and insects are
gone. Pond life slows down, and there is less food to eat.)
3 Why is a layer of ice good for the pond in winter? (It protects pond
animals from cold winter weather.)
4 What happens to frogs in spring? (They awaken from their winter sleep
at the bottom of the pond and lay eggs.)
More to Do
Food Chains and Webs
Invite the class to make
a pond food-web poster.
Challenge each student to
select a pond animal and find
out what it eats and what
eats it. Have students draw
and label their food chains
on the poster and figure out
how they are interconnected
to form a food web.
57
Pond

58
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Cattail
Tadpole
Water lily
Dragonfly
larva
Dragonfly
hatching
Wood duck
Algae
Bluegill
Frog
eggs
Dace
Eggs
Giant
water
bug
Red-winged
blackbird
Great blue
heron
Ducklings
Swallow
Swallow
Insects
Mosquito
Green
dragonfly
Whirligig
beetles
Water
boatman
Diving
beetle
Snail
Bullfrog
Spring
Summer
Caddis
fly
Spotted salamander
Pond

59
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Raccoon
Cattail
Crow
Plankton
Largemouth
bass
Green sunfish
Painted
turtle
Ice
Owl
Bluegill
Canada
geese
Deer
Mallard
ducks
Monarch butterfly
Water
strider
Bullfrog
Autumn
Winter
Water lily tuber
Pond
Leopard frog

60
W
i
n
t
e
r
i
s
o
v
e
r
,
a
n
d
t
h
e
p
o
n
d
s
t
i
r
s
w
i
t
h
l
i
f
e
.
D
a
y
s
g
e
t
l
o
n
g
e
r
a
n
d
w
a
r
m
e
r
.
P
l
a
n
t
s
s
t
a
r
t
t
o
g
r
o
w
i
n
a
n
d
a
r
o
u
n
d
t
h
e
p
o
n
d
.
F
r
o
g
s
a
n
d
f
i
s
h
l
a
y
t
h
e
i
r
e
g
g
s
.
I
n
s
e
c
t
s
h
a
t
c
h
.
S
o
o
n
,
t
h
e
r
e
i
s
p
l
e
n
t
y
o
f
f
o
o
d
f
o
r
p
o
n
d
a
n
i
m
a
l
s
t
o
e
a
t
.
A
t
h
i
n
l
a
y
e
r
o
f
i
c
e
f
o
r
m
s
o
v
e
r
t
h
e
p
o
n
d
w
a
t
e
r
.
T
h
i
s
p
r
o
t
e
c
t
s
t
h
e
f
i
s
h
a
n
d
o
t
h
e
r
c
r
e
a
t
u
r
e
s
b
e
l
o
w
f
r
o
m
t
h
e
c
o
l
d
w
i
n
t
e
r
.
F
r
o
g
s
a
n
d
t
u
r
t
l
e
s
b
u
r
r
o
w
i
n
t
h
e
m
u
d
a
t
t
h
e
b
o
t
t
o
m
o
f
t
h
e
p
o
n
d
t
o
s
l
e
e
p
t
h
r
o
u
g
h
w
i
n
t
e
r
.
E
v
e
r
y
o
n
e
i
s
s
a
f
e
f
r
o
m
t
h
e
h
u
n
g
r
y
r
a
c
c
o
o
n
w
a
l
k
i
n
g
a
c
r
o
s
s
t
h
e
i
c
e
.
D
a
y
s
a
r
e
s
h
o
r
t
e
r
,
a
n
d
n
i
g
h
t
s
a
r
e
c
o
o
l
e
r
.
T
h
e
l
i
l
y
f
l
o
w
e
r
s
a
r
e
g
o
n
e
,
a
s
a
r
e
m
o
s
t
i
n
s
e
c
t
s
.
F
a
l
l
i
n
g
l
e
a
v
e
s
b
l
o
w
o
n
t
o
t
h
e
w
a
t
e
r
.
I
t
i
s
a
u
t
u
m
n
,
a
n
d
w
i
n
t
e
r
i
s
n
o
t
f
a
r
b
e
h
i
n
d
.
T
h
e
r
e
i
s
l
e
s
s
f
o
o
d
f
o
r
t
h
e
a
n
i
m
a
l
s
.
P
o
n
d
l
i
f
e
i
s
s
l
o
w
i
n
g
d
o
w
n
.
T
h
e
p
o
n
d
i
s
f
u
l
l
o
f
l
i
f
e
.
W
h
i
r
l
i
g
i
g
b
e
e
t
l
e
s
t
u
r
n
r
o
u
n
d
a
n
d
r
o
u
n
d
o
n
t
h
e
w
a
t
e
r
.
D
u
c
k
l
i
n
g
s
p
a
d
d
l
e
n
e
a
r
a
h
e
r
o
n
w
a
i
t
i
n
g
t
o
c
a
t
c
h
a
f
i
s
h
.
T
i
n
y
t
a
d
p
o
l
e
s
s
w
i
m
i
n
t
h
e
w
a
t
e
r
.
A
d
i
v
i
n
g
b
e
e
t
l
e
c
a
r
r
i
e
s
a
n
a
i
r
b
u
b
b
l
e
s
o
i
t
c
a
n
b
r
e
a
t
h
e
u
n
d
e
r
w
a
t
e
r
a
s
i
t
c
a
t
c
h
e
s
a
s
n
a
i
l
.
S
p
r
i
n
g
W
i
n
t
e
r
A
u
t
u
m
n
S
u
m
m
e
r
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Pond

61
River
River
Unfold this mini-book to learn about plants
and animals that live in and around a river.
Reproducible pages
63–65
Scissors
Tape
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials
2 Cut out the mini-book pages (pages 63–64)
along the thick, solid lines. Be sure to
cut apart the pages along the thick, solid
centerline as well.
A
river is a long body of water that constantly flows across the land to a sea or a lake.
The place where a river begins is called its source and where it flows into a sea or lake
is its mouth. Often, one river joins another as they make their way to the sea. Most
rivers are freshwater, though some may be salt water.
Near a river’s source, shallow water flows rapidly downhill, tumbling down waterfalls
and rushing over rocks. Algae that grow directly on rocks provide food for insects, such as
mayfly nymphs, that cling to the rocks using hooks or suckers. Under the rocks, crayfish
stay safe from the water’s strong current. Strong swimmers, such as trout, sculpins, and
salmon, can swim upstream against the current.
Further downstream, the river becomes wider and deeper. The current slows, allowing
plants to grow underwater and along the riverbanks. These plants provide food and shelter
for river animals. As small fish search for insects, snails, worms, and freshwater shrimps and
limpets, they may fall prey to larger fish, turtles, alligators, and birds, such as kingfishers
and great blue herons. In some rivers, bears snatch salmon in midair as they leap out of the
water. At night, raccoons and opossums may visit the river to drink or search for insects,
crayfish, and fish to eat. Rivers are also home to river otters, water voles, and muskrats that
build their dens along riverbanks, where the water moves slowly.
At the mouth of a river the current can slow so much that mud and sand carried by the
river are left behind as the water enters the ocean. Over time the mud and sand can build
up land called a delta. During and after powerful storms, rivers can overflow their banks
and flood the land that makes up their flood plain. People build dams and reservoirs to
control how much water flows into a river and to help prevent flooding. To enable fish to
safely swim past dams, they also build fish ladders. When rivers flow past cities and farms,
they are in danger of being polluted by chemicals and wastes dumped into the water.
Habitat Hallmarks
61

3 Tape the right side of section 1 to the left side of section 2, tape the
right side of section 2 to the left side of section 3, and tape the right
side of section 3 to the left side of section 4.
4 Starting with section 1,
accordion-fold the pages along
the dashed lines so that the first
page is on top of the accordion.
Stop folding at the page without
a dashed centerline.
5 Starting from the back of the
book, accordion-fold the pages
until you reach the page without
a centerline. The full title of the
mini-book should be on top of
the two sections, as shown.
6 Tape each title page to the page
below it so the book opens, as
shown.
7 Cut out the animals and tape them to the different parts of the river.
1 What is a river? (A long body of water that flows across the land to an
ocean or lake)
2 Why do you think water insects cling to rocks near the river’s source?
(To keep rushing river waters from carrying them away)
3 How does a river change downstream? (It becomes wider and deeper;
the water slows; plants grow underwater; fish feed on river animals or
each other, etc.)
4 When are rivers in danger? (When people in cities and towns dump
chemicals and wastes into the water)
More to Do
Rivers of the World
Divide the class into small
groups. Assign each group
one of the following rivers:
Mississippi, Amazon, Nile,
Yukon, Hudson, and Yangtze.
Have each group research
what plants and animals live
in each river. Where is the
source of each river? Where
does each river end?
Resources
A Journey Into a River
by Rebecca L. Johnson
(Carolrhoda, 2004).
This photographic journey
into a river introduces
students to river plants
and animals and how they
depend on one another
to stay alive. Includes
definitions of current,
riverbank, rapids, and
flooding.
fresh/rivers/index.htm
This Web site features a
slideshow of river creatures
and information about river
life. Students can also learn
how a stream becomes a
river and what happens
when rivers meet the sea.
62
River

63
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Source
Dipper
Sculpin
Brown
bear
Salmon
A
mayfly
nymph
clings
to
rocks.
Life
in
A
river
is
a
long
body
of
water
that
flows
across
the
land
to
an
ocean
or
a
lake.
The
source
of
a
river
is
the
place
where
it
begins.
Near
its
source,
a
river
rushes
over
rocks
and
tumbles
down
waterfalls.
Water
insects
cling
tight
to
the
rocks.
A
salmon
leaps
out
of
the
river
and
almost
gets
caught
by
a
bear.
Kayak
Dam
Fish
ladder
Moose
Snail
Trout
City
People
build
dams
to
control
the
river’s
flow
and
to
prevent
flooding.
Fish
ladders
help
fish
swim
safely
past
dams.
A
moose
cools
off
in
the
water.
Crayfish
Algae
grow
on
rocks.
Waterfall
1
2
River

64
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
a
River
The
end
of
a
river
is
called
its
mouth
.
Unfold
the
book
and
find
out
what
moves
up
and
down
the
river.
The
river
flows
through
cities
and
towns.
Sometimes
people
dump
chemicals
and
wastes
into
the
water,
putting
the
river
in
danger.
Downstream,
the
river
becomes
wider,
deeper,
and
slower.
Plants
grow
underwater
and
along
the
banks.
Little
fish
search
for
insects,
snails,
and
worms
to
eat.
Big
fish
gobble
up
little
ones.
Barge
Farm
Great
blue
heron
Heron
nest
Muskrat
den
Wood
ducks
Paddlefish
Bowfin
in
eelgrass
Alligator
Adult
mayflies
Gar
3
4
River

Mayflies
River otter
Minnow and
mosquito larva
Frog
Dragonfly
Bass
Freshwater
clam
Caddis
fly
Muskrat
Snapping turtle
White-tailed deer
65
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
River

66
Seashore
Seashore
Open the double pages of this mini-book to reveal
what the ocean leaves behind on a rocky shore
when the tide pulls out.
S
eashores are found at the edge of the sea where land meets
water. Some seashores are sandy, while others are rocky. Since
the sea covers about 71 percent of the earth’s surface, thousands
of miles of shoreline can be found on every continent. Every day the
tide comes in and goes out at the shore. When the tide comes in, the
water level rises, and seawater covers the shore and the animals that
live there. When the tide goes out, the water level falls, exposing shore
animals to the air. For this reason, shore life must be able to survive
both in and out of water.
Snails use their muscular foot to cling tightly to rocks to prevent
pounding waves from pulling them into the sea. Barnacles cement
themselves to rocks by a long stalk, while mussels produce tough,
ropelike byssal threads to fasten and secure themselves to rocks.
Seaweeds also anchor themselves to rocks. When the tide goes out,
snails, worms, and other animals hide under wet seaweed to protect
them from drying winds and the hot sun. Mussels, snails, and
barnacles pull into their shells, trapping water inside. These animals
breathe through gills that absorb oxygen in the water.
As the tide moves out, seawater can get trapped in shallow, open
spaces in the rocks, forming tide pools. Left behind in these little
pools may be fish, sea slugs, even a small octopus. Snails, barnacles,
sea stars, sea anemones, worms, and other tide pool animals feed on
smaller creatures likewise caught within the pool. From above, birds
hunt for tide pool animals to eat. If too much water evaporates from
a tide pool under the hot sun, the animals may become sluggish or
die before the tide returns with fresh oxygen. When the tide pulls in
again, fish that spent a few hours trapped on shore are finally free to
swim out to sea again.
Habitat Hallmarks
Resources
Life in a Tidal Pool
by Alvin and Virginia
Silverstein (Dover, 2005).
The variety of creatures
trapped in a tide pool
provides the focus of this
fact-filled book about a
rocky shore.
http://www.montereybay
aquarium.org/efc/rocky.
aspx
This site features the
Rocky Shore exhibit at the
Monterey Bay Aquarium,
complete with interactive
activities for kids.

Reproducible pages
68–70
Scissors
Tape
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials
2 Cut out the pages along the outer thick, black lines.
3 Place the TIDE IS OUT
page on top of the IN A
TIDE POOL page. Tape the
pages together at each
side. Cut the TIDE IS OUT
page along the thick,
solid centerline.
4 Place SEASHORE on top
of the TIDE IS OUT page
and tape together at each
side. Cut the SEASHORE
page along the thick,
solid centerline to open
the mini-book.
1 Where is the seashore found? (At the edge of the ocean, where land
meets water)
2 What happens when the tide comes in and goes out? (When the tide
comes in, it covers most of the shore with water. When the tide goes out,
the shore is no longer underwater.)
3 What do some shore animals do when the tide goes out? (Some trap
water inside their shells and seal up tight so they can breathe; others hide
under damp seaweed.)
4 What is a tide pool? (A place where water gets trapped in spaces between
rocks when the tide goes out on a rocky shore)
More to Do
By the Sea
Many students have visited
a sandy shore, or as they
call it, the beach. Ask them
to describe their visits. Were
they there when the tide
came in? went out? Did they
see any shore animals or
signs of animal life, such as
empty seashells? Challenge
the class to research life on
a sandy shore. Have them
make a chart of sandy shore
animals. How is a sandy
shore alike and different
from a rocky shore?
67
Seashore

68
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Mussels
Orange
lichen
Black
lichen
Barnacles
Periwinkle
Rock
kelp
Rock
kelp
Every
day,
the
tide
goes
in
and
out
at
the
seashore.
When
the
tide
comes
in,
seawater
covers
part
of
the
shore
and
the
animals
that
live
there.
When
the
tide
goes
out,
water
pulls
back
into
the
ocean.
A
t
the
edge
of
the
ocean,
where
land
meets
water,
lies
the
seashore.
Some
seashores
are
sandy,
while
others
are
rocky.
Waves
come
crashing
on
these
shores.
Seashore

69
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Barnacles
Rock
kelp
Mussels
Limpet
TIDE
POOL
TIDE
IS
OUT
The
tide
is
out
on
this
rocky
shore.
Barnacles,
mussels,
and
sea
anemones
trapped
water
inside
their
shells
and
sealed
up
tight.
They
can
breathe
only
in
water.
Some
animals
hid
under
damp
seaweeds.
Water
got
trapped
between
the
rocks,
forming
a
tide
pool.
What
do
you
think
is
in
it?
Seashore

70
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
IN
A
TIDE
POOL
Look
what
the
ocean
left
behind:
a
baby
octopus,
a
sea
slug,
an
abalone,
a
sea
star,
a
purple
sea
urchin,
and
a
fish!
They
are
trapped
in
the
tide
pool
until
the
tide
returns.
Why
do
the
barnacles,
snails,
and
sea
anemones
stay
open
in
the
tide
pool?
Abalone
Limpet
Nudibranch
(sea
slug)
Sculpin
Baby
octopus
Dogwinkle
Purple
sea
urchin
Whelk
Sea
star
Barnacles
Rock
kelp
Periwinkle
Rock
kelp
Green
sea
anemone
Seashore

71
Tropical
Rain Forest
Tropical
Rain Forest
Unfold the layers of a tropical rain forest
to discover the animals and plants that live there.
T
ropical rain forests flourish in the tropics—the region around
the equator between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Here
the sun shines 12 hours a day, daytime forest temperature hovers
around 81°F (27°C), and between 100 and 150 inches (250 to 375 cm)
of rain falls each year. More than a million kinds of plants and animals
live and grow in the world’s tropical rain forests. No other biome boasts
such variety.
A rain forest is divided into four layers: the forest floor, the
understory, the canopy, and the emergent layer. Very few plants grow
on the forest floor, where hardly any sunlight reaches the ground.
Termites and ants crawl along the floor—a feast for hungry anteaters.
In the understory, shade-loving trees and other plants grow large leaves
to capture as much sunlight as possible. A jaguar might rest hidden on
an understory tree branch, where geckos search for insects to eat. The
canopy, or roof, formed by the dense layer of green leaves at the top
of very tall trees is bathed in sunlight. Orchids and air plants grow on
canopy branches. Vines that climb trees into the canopy hang down to
the understory, while colorful parrots, hummingbirds, and toucans flit
from branch to branch. Above the canopy rise the tallest trees, which
can reach up to 200 feet (60 m) high, forming the emergent layer.
Here, harpy eagles nest, ready to pounce on a monkey or sloth in the
canopy below to feed itself and its young.
More than just a home to so many plants and animals, rain forests
play an essential role in the earth’s ecosystem. Rain forest trees absorb
carbon dioxide from the air. Too much carbon dioxide in the air leads
to global warming, which can endanger life on earth. But rain forests
themselves are in danger because people cut down trees to clear the
land for timber and for farms. We need to work together to stop this
destruction and save this vital habitat, with all its plants and animals,
from disappearing.
Habitat Hallmarks
71
Resources
Explore the Tropical Rain
Forest by Linda Tagliaferro
(Capstone, 2007).
As students explore a
tropical rain forest, they
collect facts, learn about
climate, and discover why
rain forests are so important
and need to be conserved.
https://www.msu.edu/
user/urquhart/tour/
Tour a tropical rain forest
by clicking on hidden plants
and animals, discovering
facts about each, then
returning to the forest to
find out more.

Invite students to color, assemble, and read the text on their
manipulatives. They can start at the top with the emergent layer or
unfold from the bottom and read the forest floor first. Check for students’
understanding by asking them these questions:
1 What is the lowest layer of the forest? Describe it. (The forest floor;
little light reaches the ground because the trees above block it.)
2 What makes up the understory? (Shorter trees that grow slowly)
3 Describe the rain forest canopy. (Tree branches open like umbrellas to
form the forest canopy. Colorful plants and animals live there.)
4 What forms the emergent layer? (The tops of the tallest trees, which
poke above the rest of the rain forest.)
More to Do
Saving the Rain Forests
Why are tropical rain forests
so special to life on earth?
Invite students to find out
by researching the answers
to the following questions:
How do rain forests help
prevent global warming?
How do they recycle water?
What kinds of foods and
medicines come from rain
forests? Which people live
in rain forests? What might
happen if people continue
to destroy rain forests?
72
2 Cut out the three pages along the thick, solid lines.
3 Hold the pages horizontally so
that the text is right side up. Tape
the bottom of the EMERGENT layer
to the top of the CANOPY layer.
Then tape the bottom of the
CANOPY layer to the top of the
UNDERSTORY layer.
4 With the title TROPICAL RAIN
FOREST facing outward at
the top, accordion-fold the
assembled page along the
dashed lines, as shown.
Reproducible pages
73–75
Scissors
Tape
Crayons, colored
pencils, or markers
(optional)
Materials
Tropical Rain Forest

73
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Vine
snake
Tropical
Rain
Forest
The
tops
of
the
tallest
trees
poke
above
the
tropical
rain
forest
to
form
the
emergent
layer.
Harpy
eagles
build
their
nests
up
here
and
hunt
monkeys
below.
Rain
forests
help
protect
the
earth
from
global
warming.
But
they
are
in
danger
because
people
keep
cutting
down
trees.
Blue
morpho
butterfly
Scarlet
macaw
Eagle
chick
Harpy
eagle
Emergent
Layer

74
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Sunlight
bathes
the
rain
forest
canopy.
Tree
branches
open
up
like
umbrellas.
Beautiful
orchids
and
other
plants
grow
on
these
branches.
Colorful
parrots,
hummingbirds,
and
toucans
fly
from
tree
to
tree.
Monkeys
play
tag
nearby.
Canopy
Crested
owl
Jaguar
White
tent
bat
Red-eyed
Frog
Tanager
Kinkajou
Quetzal
Mouse
opossum
Black-crested
hummingbird
Geoffroy’s
tamarin
Toucan
Three-toed
sloth

75
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Tall
trees
block
most
sunlight
from
reaching
the
forest
floor.
Millions
of
ants
crawl
along
the
ground.
Some
carry
pieces
of
leaves
to
their
colonies.
Others
attack
beetles,
spiders,
and
other
small
animals
to
feast
on
later.
Shorter
trees
that
grow
slowly
make
up
the
understory.
This
layer
is
shaded
from
sunlight.
Long
vines
climb
trees
and
hang
from
above.
While
a
jaguar
rests
on
a
branch,
other
animals
search
for
food.
At
night,
the
jaguar
will
join
bats
and
owls
on
the
hunt.
Forest
Floor
Understory
Leafcutter
ants
Hercules
beetle
Ant
wren
Millipede
Tinamou
Baby
tapir
Tayra
Curassow
Baby
white
tent
bats
Poison
dart
frog

76
Reproducible pages
78–80
Scissors
Tape
Crayons, colored pencils,
or markers (optional)
2 Cut out all the pieces along the thick, solid lines.
T
he tundra is a mostly flat, frozen land that lies south of the Arctic Ocean. It
includes parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. The tundra ends where the
vast forests of the taiga begin (see More to Do, next page). Only about 10 inches
(25 cm) of precipitation—mostly snow—fall on the tundra each year. Tundra winters
are long and bitterly cold, with icy winds and temperatures dropping to –50°F (–45°C).
Even the short summer is cool, with temperatures rarely rising above 50°F (10°C).
During summer, only the top 1 to 3 feet (1 m) of soil thaws. The rest of the soil, called
permafrost, remains frozen all year long. The permafrost prevents melted snow from
being absorbed into the ground. However, the melt water fills the tundra’s ponds, lakes,
and bogs.
Although the word tundra means “treeless,” dwarf trees do grow there. At about 3 to
4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) tall, dwarf trees and other short tundra plants—grasses, mosses,
poppies, and some flowering plants—can withstand the strong, cold summer winds and
are protected from frigid winter temperatures by the blanket of snow.
Few animals can survive the tundra winter. Herds of plant-eating musk oxen, as
well as predatory wolves and foxes, grow thick fur that keeps in body heat. Smaller
mammals, such as lemmings and voles, dig tunnels in the snow to keep warm. Around
mid-May, with snow still covering the ground, the first flocks of migrating birds arrive
at the tundra to build nests, lay eggs, and raise their young. Herds of large deer (caribou
in North America, reindeer in Europe and Asia) also arrive from the south to raise their
families. When summer ends, migrating animals return to their warmer winter homes,
leaving behind those creatures adapted to the bitter tundra conditions.
Habitat Hallmarks
76
Tundra
Tundra
Locate the tundra and the plants and animals
that live there on this hemisphere-shaped manipulative.

3 Place the piece labeled NORTH
AMERICA/GREENLAND on the left.
Position the piece labeled EUROPE/
ASIA on top, as shown. Tape
together to form a circle.
4 Tape each of the four open slits
together, as shown, to form a
hemisphere.
5 Position text pieces A, B, and C
in their respective places next
to the hemisphere. Fold up the
three flaps on each piece along
the dashed lines. Then tape the
flaps to the underside of the
hemisphere, as shown.
6 Fold up the name flaps on each animal piece along the dashed lines
and tape as many as desired to the hemisphere. (NOTE: All the
animals/plants on page 78 belong to North America; all the animals
on page 79 belong to Europe/Asia.)
Check students’ understanding by asking them these questions:
1 Where can we find the tundra? (North America, Greenland, Europe,
Asia)
2 Describe the tundra. (The tundra has long, bitterly cold winters and
short, cool summers; the ground is frozen; very small trees grow here.)
3 How do tundra animals stay warm in winter? (Some grow thick fur,
while others hide in tunnels under the snow.)
4 What animals come to the tundra in summer? Why do they come?
(Birds come to nest, lay eggs, raise their young; large deer raise families.)
More to Do
What’s the Taiga?
South of the tundra in
North America, Europe,
and Asia is the taiga—a
broad belt of mostly
coniferous forest that is the
largest biome in the world.
(Conifers, such as pines
and firs, are trees that bear
cones.) Like the tundra,
the taiga experiences short
summers and long, cold
winters. Invite students to
label the taiga around the
world on their hemisphere
models. Challenge students
to research how far the
taiga extends in different
parts of the world and
what kinds of plants and
animals live there.
Resources
Explore the Tundra
by Linda Tagliaferro
(Capstone, 2008).
Part of the Explore the
Biomes series, this volume
offers a basic overview
of the tundra’s plant and
animal communities.
sets/tundra/
This simple, easy-to-
maneuver site introduces
students to life in the
tundra and offers links to
other interesting tundra-
related sites.
77
Tundra

Snowshoe
hare
Siberian
salamander
Willow
ptarmigan
Siberian
crane
Red-breasted
goose
Greenland
sulfur
Dwarf
willow
A
Tape
edge
of
other
piece
here.
78
Easy
Make
&
Learn
Projects:
Animal
Habitats
©
2010
by
Donald
M.
Silver
and
Patricia
J.
Wynne,
Scholastic
Teaching
Resources
Tundra

habitat-dos-animais

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to habitat-dos-animais

Similar to habitat-dos-animais (20)

More from MariGiopato

More from MariGiopato (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

habitat-dos-animais