1. Grade 4 Life Science: Habitats and Communities
Created by: Melissa Horvath

2. Units Components 13 Lessons Pre-Lesson videos
Gain an understanding of habitats and communities
Learn about the four components of habitats that are necessary for survival
Learning outside of the classroom

3. Unit Components Assessment – ongoing and includes a variety of tools
Safety – included in every lesson
Clean up – a bucket for all science journals, have a designated spot “science area” in classroom

4. Outcomes
HC4.1 Analyze the effects of human activities on habitats and communities. (Lessons 1 – 5, 13)
HC4.2 Investigate the interdependence of plants and animals within specific habitats and communities. (Lesson 6 – 9, 13)
HC4.3 Compare the structures and behaviours of animals and plants that allow them to exist in different habitats and communities. (Lessons 9 – 13)

5. Lesson 1: Habitat Lap Sit
Outcome: HC4.1, Indicator: f
Read The Magic School Bus Hops Home: A Book About Habitats
Students will be introduced to four main components of a habitat
Create a circle to represent the interdependence of components

6. Lesson 2: The Lorax Outcome: HC4.1, Indicators: c, f, h
Show video of The Lorax
Students complete and discuss guiding questions

7. Lesson 3: Awi Usdi, the Little Deer
Outcome: HC4.1, Indicators: a, b, c
Read Awi Usdi, the Little Deer as a class
Have a discussion about the connection that First Nations traditionally have to the land
Create own legends using guiding questions
Share legends with other students

8. Lesson 4: What Did Your Lunch Cost Wildlife? (Part 1)
Outcome: HC4.1, Indicator: c
Examine the foods that students brought for lunch
Create a chart or web that shows the process that the food went through to get to their lunches

9. Lesson 5: What Did Your Lunch Cost Wildlife? (Part 2)
Outcomes: HC4.1, Indicators: c, d
Examine food process charts that they created in previous lesson
Discuss ways to lessen the effect on wildlife and the environment
As a group, create a representation of how people can have less of an effect

10. Lesson 6: Connections Within the Environment
Outcome: HC4.2, Indicators: a, b, c
Walk around the playground or community and write about animals they see
Discuss relationships between animals and environment
Create a food web as a class

11. Lesson 7: Weird Friends Outcome: HC4.2, Indicator: f
Read book Weird Friends
Students follow along and fill in benefits of each relationship
Discussion of mutualism

12. Lesson 8: Creating Habitats (Part 1)
Outcome: HC4.2, Indicators: e, f, k
Create a habitat using a variety of materials
Write about their habitat using a guiding sheet
Write about relationships that are present in the habitat

13. Lesson 9: Creating Habitats (Part 2)
Outcomes: HC4.2, Indicators: f, l
Complete habitat and written components
Examine a classmate’s habitat
Answer questions about their classmate’s habitat

14. Lesson 10: Special Adaptations
Outcome: HC4.3, Indicators: a, b, c
Go outside to examine different types of organisms
Write and draw about components of habitat
Identify special adaptations of an organism

15. Lesson 11: Identifying Adaptations
Outcome: HC4.3, Indicators: d, g
View a variety of organisms
Attempt to identify their physical adaptations
Play an interactive game that focuses on animal adaptations

16. Lesson 12: Creating Animals
Outcome: HC4.1 Indicators: f
Students given a description of a habitat
Create a new type of animal that could survive in the habitat
Must identify the adaptations that allow them to survive

17. Lesson 13: Exam Outcomes: HC4.1, HC4.2, HC4.3
Exam that encompasses the entire unit
Allows students to apply what the know
Short answer questions
Similar questions to what students have answered in the unit

18. We made it! Enjoy your summer!!
Thank-you! 
Questions or comments?
We made it! Enjoy your summer!!