"Incredible Shrinking Habitat" Environment: 4-6 Grade
- Grade Level:
- Fourth Grade-Sixth Grade
- Biology: Animals, Conservation, Environment, Planning/Development
- 45 mins
- Group Size:
- Up to 36
- National/State Standards:
- Next Generation FLORIDA SUNSHINE STATE STANDARDS
OverviewThe Florida panther has succumbed to numerous pressures, including loss of habitat, to become a highly endangered species. Access into wilderness areas by road building for drainage canals, and increased development for ranching, lumber, agriculture, mining, oil and gas drilling, housing and recreation all impact the panther habitat. Students will become panthers, deer and vehicles in an active tag-like game to learn about the impact of development.
Our "What's Happening to our Environment" unit is broken into six lesson plans, each taking from 20 minutes to several class periods to complete, and targeted mainly at fourth through sixth grade students. A class needn't complete every lesson in the unit, though some lessons do refer to one another and are better done in sequence. However, each lesson comes with its own set of objectives and resources.