الأسبوع 9 · المحور 2 «العالم من حولي»، الباب 1 «التغيرات البيئية» (أ): الموطن الطبيعي وأنواعه · 3 دروس
2
A day at the zoo: habitats of the world
Discover P3 Term 1: Axis 2, Chapter 1
GoalDescribe a zookeeper’s job and name the main features of polar, rainforest, grassland and wetland habitats.
New words
zookeeper · a person who looks after the animals in a zoopolar habitat · a very cold place with ice and snow near the North or South Polerainforest · a warm, wet forest with tall trees and rain almost every daygrassland · flat land with grass, bushes and only a few trees
Explanation
A zookeeper looks after the animals in a zoo. The job is more than giving food. A zookeeper must also prepare a habitat with the right shelter, space and water, so each animal’s needs are met. Habitats around the world are very different. A polar habitat is near the North Pole or the South Pole. It is cold and windy, with ice and snow. Polar bears live near the North Pole and penguins live near the South Pole. A rainforest is warm and wet, with tall trees and rain almost every day. Monkeys, parrots and frogs live there. There are rainforests in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. A grassland is flat land with grass and a few trees. Lions and zebras live in the grasslands of Africa. A wetland is where water and land meet, such as the marshes of the Nile Delta. Turtles and many water birds live there. Egypt also has a desert habitat, where camels live. A zoo shows animals from far away, so the zookeeper makes their home as close as possible to their own habitat.
Worked examples
Nour says a zookeeper only feeds the animals. Omar says a zookeeper only builds the animals’ homes. Who is right? Both are partly right. A zookeeper must give the right food and also prepare the right habitat with shelter, space and water. All of an animal’s needs matter.
Animal
Its habitat
camel
desert (Egypt)
crocodile
the Nile (Egypt)
penguin
polar
monkey
rainforest
lion
grassland
zebra
grassland
On the zoo map, Mariam’s family sees six animals. Which live in a habitat in Egypt? The camel lives in the desert and the crocodile lives in the Nile and Lake Nasser. The other four come from far away, so 6 − 2 = 4 animals live far from Egypt.
Why can a penguin not live in a rainforest? The evidence: a penguin has thick feathers and swims in cold seas to catch fish. A rainforest is warm and wet and has no icy sea. A polar habitat meets the penguin’s needs.
Class activity
Make a zoo map for our class. Draw four areas: polar, rainforest, grassland and wetland. Choose eight animals, draw each one on a small card and put it in the right area. For three of them, write the food, water and shelter their zoo habitat needs. Then count how many of your animals could live in a habitat in Egypt.
Practice
1
Who looks after zoo animals and makes sure they have food and a suitable home?
A zookeeper.
2
Which habitat is cold and windy and covered with ice and snow?
A polar habitat.
3
Which animal lives in a rainforest? Say the letter.
C. The monkey lives in the trees of the rainforest. The penguin lives in polar places and the zebra lives in grasslands.
4
A zoo has 9 animals: 3 from polar habitats, 4 from rainforests and the rest from grasslands. How many are from grasslands?
