1. A Third Grade STEM Project
Hermit Habitats
A Third Grade STEM Project

2. Habitats A habitat is the home of a living thing.
Read
A Home for Hermit Crab
by Eric Carl
A habitat is the home of a living thing.
A living thing depends on its habitat for its food, water, and shelter.
What is a bear’s habitat? How does it get food, water, and shelter?

3. Your Challenge Each group will design a home for our hermit crabs.
We will test and see which habitat the crabs prefer by allowing the crabs to choose the habitat that best meets their needs.
We will chart the number of crabs that choose each habitat every day.

4. By the end of this project, you will be able to say…
I can identify the elements a living thing gets from its habitat. T
I can use a digital camera to document the hermit crabs’ daily activity. E
I can use the Engineering Design Process build a hermit crab habitat. M
I can use a tally chart, a bar graph, and a pictograph to record data.

5. What is the Engineering Design Process?
Ask
Imagine
Plan
Create
Improve

6. What materials can we use?
Each class will have a plastic habitat to fill with the materials they feel will best attract hermit crabs. The materials you may choose to use are:
-Grass -Moss
-Sticks -Sponges
-Drink Options -Food options
-Cardboard -Small cups
-Construction Paper -Craft Sticks
You may also bring in additional items from home. (You might want to do a little research at home about what they like.)

7. Groups Each group will be responsible for one habitat box.
Every day, we will check to see where the crabs are living and then make adjustments to try to attract more crabs.

8. Things to Consider Are crabs carnivores, omnivores, or herbivores?
How do crabs drink?
What kind of bedding do crabs prefer?
Are crabs nocturnal or diurnal?