Creating a wildlife garden is a fun way for elementary school students to get hands-on experience with creating a habitat for wildlife. All you need to create a wildlife garden is a variety of plants, good planting soil and a plot of land. Teach students about wild animals that are in your area and the types of habitats they live in. Involve the students in preparing, planting and maintaining the garden. Take the students out to the garden every once in a while to watch for wildlife --- like birds, squirrels and insects --- as well as to look for evidence of animals through tracks and droppings. In addition to having students help create and monitor the garden, you can have them write reports about, and do research projects in, the garden.
Owl pellets are regurgitated clumps from predatory birds that contain the bones, feathers and fur of the animals they have eaten. This material is regurgitated because it cannot be digested by the birds. These pellets can be obtained from bird sanctuaries. They also can be found or bought from private companies. Dissection of these pellets is very easy and safe for elementary students because the pellets can be taken apart with toothpicks and their fingers. This dissection can help teach students about the predator/prey relationship.
Having students create dioramas with one of their favorite animals can help them learn about the habitats of wildlife. Have the students pick wild a animal that they particularly like and research it. Have them create a diorama in a shoe box based on what they learned. The diorama should include the type of shelter the animal has, the food it eats and other things that are in the animal's habitat. Students can use construction paper, crayons or even natural objects, like rocks, sticks or grass, in their dioramas.
Birds are literally in every region of the U.S. Building a bird house or feeder gives students the opportunity to build something that will attract wildlife to their own houses. It is important to have the pieces for this project pre-cut and sanded so that students are not faced with potentially dangerous saws and sharp edges. While this project is based on wildlife, it can also teach students about measurements and shapes, as well as the mathematics that create the shapes, like triangles and squares.