OVERVIEW
Mammals are warm-blooded animals that have fur or hair. More than 4,000 different types of mammal species live on our planet. Mammals that live in the forest use the environment created by the trees for food and shelter.
LEVELS
Grades 4-5
SUBJECTS
Language Arts
Science
Social Studies
Visual Arts |
CONCEPTS
Forests contain numerous habitats
that support a wide range of plants and animals.
Organisms are inter-dependent. They depend on other organisms
and nonliving components of the earth. |
SKILLS
Analyzing
Categorizing
Classifying
Comparing
Contrasting
Data Gathering
Discussing
Identifying Relationships and Patterns
Interpreting
Observing
Organizing Information
Representing
Researching |
DISCUSSION AND STUDY TOPICS
The study of mammals can be used in the context of many
different areas of learning. Here are some suggestions:
| Science |
| |
Introduce
students to the wide range of natural habitats: deserts,
forests, prairies, marshes, ponds, etc. What is the relationship
between climate and habitat? Between habitat and the color
and texture of a mammal’s fur? Between habitat and
the types of mammals present? Have students prepare a
collage of a habitat that helps illustrate the climate,
the range of animals and the plants available in different
habitats. (class discussion, research project, art
project) |
|
|
Have each student select a plant or animal that is
part of the forest ecosystem. Students should research
their organism’s place in the food web and make
a cutout of all food web elements from construction paper
and colored markers. Students can construct a mobile that
represents their food web using a clothes hanger and thread
to hang cutouts in the proper arrangement. (research
topic, art project) |
| Social Studies
|
| |
Assign student teams different regions of the United States
or countries around the world. Have each team research
the types of mammals found in their region or country.
What type of mammals are there? What do they eat? What
is their habitat like? What types of plants and trees
are found in their habitat? Create a map of the region
or country that includes pictures of the mammals, plants
and natural habitats. (research project, essay topic,
class presentation, art project) |
|
|
When
the suburbs move into forest areas, conflicts can arise
between the animal and human community. What mammals are
well-adapted to city life and why? What relationship does
hunting have to mammals and the food chain? Invite a forester
or a wildlife biologist to visit the classroom to engage
in a class discussion about potential solutions to the
problems. (research project, class discussion) |
| Language Arts |
|
|
Assign a mammal to a student or team of students. Where
does the mammal live? How does it live? What type of plants
grow in its habitat? What does the mammal eat? Have students
use that information to write a letter to a pen pal from
the mammal’s point of view. (class activity,
research project, essay topic, class discussion) |
|
|
Have
students read Rudyard Kipling’s Just So stories.
Have students choose a mammal and ask them to write a
Just So story about their chosen animal (how the squirrel
learned to climb, how the mole learned to dig, etc.).
(short story, play) |
| |
Activity Sheet
Connect the dots and meet your forest friend. Then decode his message to you.
S neby iheq-jhugp dwh ept jfeoa kehaspim up kq deoy rner fuua fsay e kema.
Kq zeg zhsprm fuua fsay rspq nwkep neptzhsprm ept duurzhsprm.
S oep fsby sp kepq rqzym ud ehyem em gyff em sp osrsym.
S ek e heoouup!
Answers to Alphabet Code: I have gray-brown fur and black markings on my face that look like a mask. My paw prints look like tiny human handprints and footprints. I can live in many types of areas as well as in cities. I am a raccoon!
|
In addition to providing beauty and recreation, forests supply
raw materials to help meet society’s needs for housing,
paper, containers and thousands of other products used by consumers
every day. As one of the country’s leading forest products
providers, Georgia-Pacific
Corporation has a long-term
interest in and commitment to the health of our nation’s
forests. |
