Zootopia
In science, Kindergarten students have been learning about ecosystems and habitats. They explored the unique properties of rainforests, the Arctic, the ocean, and the animals that call those environments home. On their field trip to Franklin Park Zoo earlier this month, kindergarten students saw various animals and learned how the zoo tries to replicate essential elements of each animal's natural habitat. Back in the classroom, the students embarked on an exciting project: to design and build a zoo habitat for a particular animal. After researching a chosen animal, students worked in pairs to sculpt their animal from modeling clay and create a detailed habitat with adequate space, food, water, and shelter tailored to their animal's unique needs. Students could choose various materials to craft their habitat, including cardboard rolls, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, muffin tins, modeling clay, sand, and rocks. Students produced a wide variety of habitats, including a eucalyptus forest for a koala, complete with eucalyptus leaves, a penguin habitat with pools of water where they can dive for fish, and a jaguar habitat with trees where the big cats can rest on branches in the shade.
The culmination of the Kindergartener's hard work was presenting their completed habitats to their third-grade reading buddies. Each team enthusiastically explained what they had discovered about their animals and the thoughtful elements they incorporated into each habitat.
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