Week 9 · Axis 2 The World Around Me (Taking Care of Our World) Chapter 1 When Habitats Change (A) · 3 lessons
3
Comparing two habitats
Discover P3 Term 1: Axis 2, Chapter 1
GoalCompare two habitats with a Venn diagram, write comparing sentences and match animals to habitats with evidence.
New words
wetland · a habitat where water and land meetcompare · to find what is the same and what is differentVenn diagram · two overlapping circles used to compare thingsevidence · a fact that supports your answer
Explanation
A wetland is a low, soggy habitat where land and water mix. The water may be salty or fresh. Many wetland plants grow under the water or float on top of it, and animals such as turtles and frogs depend on both water and land. To compare two habitats, we look for what is the same and what is different. A Venn diagram helps. It has two circles that overlap. What is true only for the first habitat goes in the left part. What is true only for the second habitat goes in the right part. What is true for both goes in the middle. Then we can write comparing sentences, such as “Both habitats have plants and animals, but a rainforest has rain almost every day and a desert has very little.” We can also match an animal to a habitat and give evidence. For example, a frog has wet skin, so it lives well in a wet place such as a wetland or a rainforest.
Worked examples
Youssef compares a desert and a wetland. Only the desert: very dry, sand, camels. Only the wetland: water and land meet, reeds, turtles. Both: plants and animals that meet their needs. His sentence: “Both have living things, but a wetland has much more water than a desert.”
Animal
Habitat
Evidence
penguin
polar
thick feathers, swims for fish
camel
desert
walks on sand, eats desert plants
frog
wetland
wet skin, needs water
Matching with evidence. Penguin – polar: thick feathers, swims for fish. Camel – desert: walks on sand and eats desert plants. Frog – wetland: wet skin, needs water.
24 children each chose one habitat for a poster: polar 6, rainforest 8, grassland 5, wetland 5. The rainforest was chosen most (8). It has 8 − 5 = 3 more children than the wetland. Check the total: 6 + 8 + 5 + 5 = 24.
Class activity
Choose two habitats and find facts about each with a grown-up, in a book, a poster or a video. Fill in a Venn diagram with at least two facts in each part. Then write 4 sentences that compare them, for example “Both …”, “Only … has …”, “… is warmer than …” and “So an animal that … would live in …”. Last, play “Where do I live?”: a partner reads a clue about an animal and you name its habitat and give the evidence.
Practice
1
In a Venn diagram, where do we write what is the same for both habitats?
In the middle, where the two circles overlap.
2
Which habitat has sand, very little rain and camels?
A desert.
3
Which habitat did the most children choose? How many more chose it than the wetland?
The desert (9). 9 − 3 = 6 more children.
4
A bird has long legs, walks in shallow water and eats small fish. Which habitat suits it? Give evidence.
A wetland. Shallow water has small fish to eat, and long legs help the bird walk in it.
