What Makes Something Alive - Virginia Department of Education

Topic 3: Session 3.8 – Square-Meter Habitats: Observation 1
Session Supplies:
• What is Area? sheet (pg. 98)
• one-inch by one-inch color tiles or squares of colored paper
• twelve twelve-inch strips of paper, with a line at each inch
• Meter sticks – enough for teams to mark off square meter areas in the schoolyard (each student
team will need four meter sticks)
• Enough string to be cut into 1 meter lengths –18 pieces of string for each team‟s square meter.
(Each string segment should be cut slightly longer than one meter. When taping the string to the
meter sticks, if you have cut it long enough, students should be able to wrap the end of the string
around the meter sticks and then tape it. The class will be divided into small groups of students.
Each group will need four meter sticks and 18 one-meter lengths of string.)
• Scissors, tape, pencils
• First Square-Meter Habitat Observation Record sheet (pg. 99)
• Square-Meter Habitat Group Record sheet (pg. 100)
• Thermometers for taking temperature outside
• Magnifying glasses
• Items to mark student square area site on schoolyard (e.g., colored toothpicks, Popsicle sticks,
chalk powder that is used by physical education teachers to mark activity areas)
Session Virginia SOL
Science English Mathematics History & Social Science
2.2 a, b, c, e
2.3 a, b, c, e
2.1 a, b, c, d, e, g, h, i, j,
k, l, m
2.1 a
2.4 a
2.11 a
2.12
2.16
Session 3.8 – Square-Meter Habitats: Observation 1
Teacher Questions & Notes
-Why do scientists study the area of a
habitat?
-What is area?
-What do you notice about each shape on
this sheet?
-How are they alike or different?
Procedures
1. Tell students that scientists study the area of a habitat so that
they know how much space an animal needs in its habitat to
survive.
2. Provide students with the What is Area? sheet (pg. 98). Tell
them that they are going to cover each shape with one-inch
squares.
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Virginia Animals and their Habitats
Topic 3