Unit Plan 14 (PreK Science): Animal Needs & Behaviors
PreK life science unit where children observe how animals move, eat, and use shelters to meet needs and survive through hands-on inquiry and modeling.
Focus: Observe how animals move, eat, and find shelter to meet their needs and survive.
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: Science (Life Science • Observation/Inquiry)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 25–35 minutes per session (use two short blocks if needed)
I. Introduction
This week, children become “animal detectives” as they explore how animals meet their basic needs. Through photos, short videos, play-based investigations, and hands-on building, students look closely at how animals move to get where they need to go, how they find and eat food, and how they use shelters like nests, dens, and burrows to stay safe. Children practice making careful observations, using simple models, and explaining their thinking with sentence frames and drawings.
Essential Questions
- What do animals need to live and stay healthy?
- How do animals move to get what they need?
- How do animals get food and water?
- What kinds of shelters do animals use, and why?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify basic needs of animals (food, water, air, light, space/shelter) using classroom examples (PK-LS1-1).
- Observe and describe at least two animal behaviors that help them survive (moving, finding food, building shelter) (PK-LS1-3).
- Sort pictures of animals by how they move (walk, hop, swim, fly, slither) and explain choices using simple language.
- Use drawings and/or simple classroom materials to create a model of an animal shelter (nest, den, burrow) and describe what it helps the animal do.
- Share an observation-based explanation using “I noticed…” and “That helps the animal…” sentence frames.
Standards Alignment — PreK (NGSS-based custom)
- PK-LS1-1 — Observe basic needs of living things (food, water, air, light).
- Example: Watering a classroom plant and noticing wilting when it’s dry.
- PK-LS1-3 — Observe simple behaviors that help animals survive.
- Example: Birds building nests, animals searching for food.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can tell what animals need (food, water, air, light, shelter/space).
- I can say how an animal moves (walks, hops, swims, flies, slithers).
- I can explain one behavior that helps an animal survive (find food, stay safe, keep warm).
- I can make a simple shelter model and tell what it is for.
- I can share what I observed using “I noticed…” and “This helps because…”