Allow students to play games that relate to habitat and adaptation. Multiple online resources offer educational games that students may play for free. For example, the BBC’s School Science Clips section has a game in which fifth and sixth grade students can identify living things within a specific habitat and then organize them into a food chain. Harcourt, an educational publisher, hosts an online game that provides students with an overview of types of adaptations and how they relate to specific creatures. You may also have students create flash cards of animals and ask them to group the cards by types of adaptation or by habitat.
Picture books provide students with a break from textbook material about habitats and adaptation. Use picture books on these topics to appeal to visual learners or provide a different level of material for students who are remedial readers. The “Pebbles Plus: Habitats Around the World” series by Craig Hammersmith consists of multiple books that focus on specific habitats and are designed for readers age four and older. Students may also enjoy books such as “How Do Animals Adapt” by Bobbie Kalman and “Mysteries and Marvels of Nature” by Elizabeth Dalby.
Instead of lecturing or having students read about habitats, allow them to rotate among stations that focus on certain habitats. At one station, have students watch a short video about a specific habitat, and at other stations, include activities such as making a small brochure about the habitat or completing a word-search puzzle with key vocabulary words related to a habitat.
Allow students to explore habitats firsthand with field trips. Take students to a local park or nature center where they will be guided through activities related to common habitats in the city or state. A visit to a zoo will introduce students to different types of animals and their habitats. Tour guides and informational plaques at the zoo will explain how animals interact with and adapt to their environment. If you do not live near such a resource, create a virtual field trip in which you introduce students to new habitats and animal adaptations through videos and pictures.