Unit Plan 29 (PreK Science): Needs in Different Habitats
PreK science unit where children match plants and animals to habitats that meet their needs—food, water, air, light, shelter—using models, pictures, and play.
Focus: Match plants and animals to habitats that meet their needs (food, water, air, light, shelter, space) and explain simple reasons using pictures, models, and play-based investigations.
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: Science (Life Science • Earth & Space/Environments • Inquiry/Models)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session (use two short blocks if needed)
I. Introduction
This week, children explore the big idea that living things have needs, and different places (called habitats) help meet those needs in different ways. Using photos, animal figures, habitat mats, and simple “Can it live here?” games, students notice that water animals need water, desert animals need shade and little water, and forest animals may need trees for shelter and food. Children build and talk about simple models (drawings, dioramas, and sorting mats) that show the relationship between an organism’s needs and the place it lives. The week ends with a class “Habitat Museum” where children explain one organism’s needs and why a specific habitat fits.
Essential Questions
- What do plants and animals need to live and grow?
- What is a habitat, and how does it help living things meet their needs?
- Why don’t all animals and plants live in the same place?
- How can we use a model (picture, map, diorama) to show where living things live and why?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify basic needs of living things (food, water, air, light, shelter, space) using pictures and real-life examples.
- Sort or match plants and animals into habitats (land/water and common habitats like forest/desert/ocean/arctic) based on what they need.
- Use a simple model (habitat mat, drawing, or small diorama) to show the relationship between an organism’s needs and where it lives.
- Describe (with words, gestures, or sentence frames) one reason an organism fits a habitat (e.g., “Fish live in water because they need water to swim and breathe.”).
- Communicate a simple “habitat claim” using evidence from observations (photos, classroom investigations, sorting results).
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-ESS3-1 — Identify where plants and animals live (land, water).
- Example: Saying, “Fish live in water,” or “Birds live in trees.”
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can name things living things need (like water and food).
- I can tell what a habitat is (a place where living things live).
- I can match an animal or plant to where it lives (like fish → water).
- I can make a model (picture or habitat mat) that shows an animal and what it needs.
- I can tell why an animal or plant fits that habitat (“because it needs…”).