The Topic: Animal Homes Easier - Animal homes are specific places within their habitat where an animal lives such as a den, nest, or burrow.   Harder - Animal habitats are the landforms in which a specific animal prefers to live. Some animals prefer woodland, others prairies, and many can live only in ponds, rivers, lakes, or streams. Many animals live underground or in crevices or caverns.   Animal homes vary from dens, burrows, hollow logs, galls on plants and trees, and numerous types of nests. Look for signs of animal homes by listening for animal sounds such as birds singing , the rustling of animal movement, and the sounding of alarms. Observe tracks and trails found in mud, sand, or snow. Notice feeding signs such as chew marks on plants, animal remains, and droppings or scat. Look for traces of feathers, fur, antlers, shells, and skins. By learning about the habits and characteristics of animals, you will be able to locate and identify many of their homes.   Animal Homes http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?activity_id=3804 Beaver lodges. Prairie dog burrows. Rabbit warrens. Bee hives. These are all homes that animals build to protect themselves and their young from predators and the weather. Related Website: 2) Animal Homes http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?activity_id=3804   Animal Homes from Kidport Reference Library http://www.kidport.com/RefLib/Science/AnimalHomes/AnimalHomes.htm Animals live in different kinds of homes from holes in the ground, to caves, to nests and trees. Come explore where some animals live. Related Websites: 2) Animal Contents http://www.cap.nsw.edu.au/bb_site_intro/stage1_Modules/shelter/animalcontents.html 3) Animal Homes http://www.kidport.com/Grade1/Science/AnimalHomes.htm 4) More animals http://perrynet.stark.k12.oh.us/webunits/Gifted/Animals/page2.html    Underground and Burrowing Animal Printouts from Enchanted Learning http://www.enchantedlearning.com/coloring/Underground.shtml Here is a large collection of printouts of animals that live underground for all or much of the time.   Houses from Dragonfly http://www.muohio.edu/dragonfly/houses/ Whether you live in an old abandoned shell, use nature's Velcro to make your home, or hang upside down in a barn, everyone needs a home.    After visiting several of the websites for this 'Animal Homes' theme, complete one or more of these related activities.   Learn with the Habitats Game. Different animals including humans like to live in locations that suit their needs. Learn as you complete each of the different Habitats Games from Active Science. Explore them all.   Complete An Animal Home WebQuest. Follow or adapt the procedures found at the following webQuest sites; Where Do Animals Live? (Grade K) by K. Borgmeyer http://www.community.k12.mo.us/webquest/borgmeyer/quest.htm   Match Animals with Their Home. Follow the instructions that you find for (1) Animal Homes, (2) Jungle Habitats, (3) Habitats, (4) Mix and Match and (5) Animal Homes. You also might want to take the online quiz at Animal Lairs or Homes - Where Do They live? and Animal Homes Quiz.   List the Names of Animal Homes. Animals have different homes with different names. See how many different names for animal homes you can list. See if you can identify more than you find at Animal Homes.   Create Wildlife Habitats in Your Backyard. Take a walk in your own backyard, garden, or a nearby park. Can you find any evidence of animal homes? Find out about improving animal habitats at Backyard Wildlife Habitat from the National Wildlife Federation.   Construct an Animal Home Model. Using clay, sticks, rocks, and other natural materials, create a a model of one of the animal homes you learned about.   Write A Classified Ad for an Animal Home. Read some classified ads for homes in a newspaper. Then pick an animal and write a classified ad that describes an animal's home.   Observe Animal Homes. Hike outdoors in your backyard, neighborhood parks, wherever possible. Keep a nature journal in which you 'collect' animal homes. Include a sketch, brief description, and try to identify the animal resident. If you have access to a camera, you might include photographs - - but continue to include your own sketch.   Websites By Kids For Kids Animal Homes http://www.tvdsb.on.ca/tecumseh/student/2/animal.htm This site showcases a number of student reports on animal homes.   Animal Homes (Grade 1) from Roye-Williams Elementary School http://www.roye-williams.org/Student_Websites/Jessy_Trevor/animalhomes.htm This interactive site tests your knowledge about animal homes.   We are Researching Animals and Animal Homes http://www.riverdale.k12.or.us/~ktonning/99_00/research/animals.htm Find out about some animals and where they live.   Where Do Animals Live? from Elanora Heights Primary School http://www.schools.ash.org.au/elanorah/anhomes.htm#top Visit this research page from an Australian school and learn where some of their animals live.   More Animal Homes Websites Habitats from Sir Robert Hitcham's Primary School http://www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk/habitats/index.htm Click on a habitat to learn what kinds of animals live there. Related Website: 2) Exploring Pond Habitats http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/pondexplorer/pond-cross.html   Websites For Teachers Animals -- Habitations http://einsys.einpgh.org:8888/MARION/@ANIMALS%20HABITATIONS/11b50000b 000/0 Here is a bibliographic list of titles available from one library system.   Animal Homes from School Express http://www.schoolexpress.com/fws/listfiles.asp?cat=Science&sub_cat1=Animals&sub_cat 2=anhome Here you find a number of worksheets on badgers, beaver, rabbits, squirrels, and gorillas for a unit about animal homes. Other Worksheet Printouts: 2) Animal Homes http://www.geocities.com/elementaryworksheets/science/anhoms.html 3) Animal Homes2 http://www.parkseducation.org/park_natives/ad5-btm.htm   Animal Mobile Homes from Houghton Mifflin http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/hmr/1/5/act1.html In this activity, children will create mobiles with facts about animal homes.   Can an Animal be Homeless? (Grade K) http://www.people.memphis.edu/~jsiegel/courses/BLOCK/www/homes3.html It is important for students to know that animals have homes and families just as they do and it is also important for students to know that they can help contribute to or help prevent homelessness for animals.   'Everybody Needs a Home' - Project Wild (Grade1) from AskERIC Lesson Plans http://www.askeric.org/Virtual/Lessons/Interdisciplinary/INT0111.html Animals need a place in which to find food and water. They also need enough space in which to live and find the food, water and shelter they need. The major purpose of this activity is for students to realize that animals need a home.   Hole Homes (Grades 1-3) http://www.sd5.k12.mt.us/glaciereft/wildk5.htm Through observation, comparison, and evaluation of a habitat, students make predictions regarding appearances of animal homes.   House Plans (Grades 3-8) http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/pub/virtualbird/teacher/lespl5.html Students identify the various kinds of natural materials used in making a nest and evaluate the amount of effort expended.   animal home burrow water nest thicket rock crevice hole in ground cave hollow log track tidepool predator pond wetland lair mountain meadow swamp hiding place den builder architecture homeless colony nesting material warren stream camouflage tunnel soil tree & forest sleeping chamber prairie thicket lodge shelter        Created by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson, 5/02.