Animal Homes and Habitats. A Fall Activity Packet for Third Grade.

This instructional packet is one of 14 school environmental education programs developed for use in the classroom and at the Dahlem Environmental Education Center (DEEC) of the Jackson Community College (Michigan). Provided in the packet are pre-trip activities, field trip activities, and post-trip activities which focus on animal populations and their habitats. Strategies for using these activities with third grade students are also provided. The pre-trip activities introduce three major topics: (1) habitats and communities; (2) Michigan communities; and (3) food chains and webs. Six activity sheets and a letter to parents explaining the purpose of the program are included. The post-trip activities are designed to help students identify and think about their values and to lead them to develop responsible attitudes toward the environment. Topics explored in these activities include wildlife management, endangered species, and the question of hunting. A list of formal and non-formal objectives for both indoor and outdoor field trip activities at the DEEC are presented in a separate field trip guide. Most of the activities are interdisciplinary and can enhance student skills in mathematics, reading, and spelling as well as in science. (JN)