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How do animals make their homes in the forest?

How do animals make their homes in the forest?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
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# Optional Activity: Nature Explorers

Your students can take a nature walk, just like Desiree did.

  • Take some time to sit quietly outside—in a park, on the playground, or wherever you might be able to see the animals that live in your neighborhood.

  • Have students watch for insects in the grass, birds in the trees, squirrels scurrying across their path. Make a list of the animals everyone sees.

Slide Image
Slide Image

forest


1 of 2

a place with lots of trees
Slide Image

nest


2 of 2

a thing built by an animal where they raise their young

Featured Reviews

“I love the frequent opportunities to act out what the lessons are teaching! The kindergartners love it, and I can see that they are learning new info.”
· Sue · Teacher
“The best part is the student discovering why birds create the hole in the tree and live in it. They loved it!”
· Nou · Teacher
“We took the students outside for a nature walk. They were able to see birds, squirrels and even found a bird nest in the tree!”
· Kathy · Teacher
“My students loved acting out the role of living in a hole. This was a meaningful lesson that my students were genuinely engaged in. ”
· Kaitlynne · Teacher
“The prompts and information in the video were engaging and intriguing for my students. It got them thinking! ”
· Lorraine · Teacher
“They loved hearing the woodpecker drill and call out. They really got the part about being quiet and look and listen to observe animals. Later we went to a wet land and listened to red wing black birds...they were thrilled!”
· Sherrie · Teacher
“I extended the project with an engineering project. Using natural and recycled materials we all built nests. we were engineers inspired by woodpeckers”
· Lori · Teacher
“Great! We went for a nature walk around the school and then students listened and looked at all the trees. We then wrote in our Science Observation journals about everything they saw. They loved it!”
· Megi · Teacher
“These are such well-planned lessons. The stopping points for questioning and exploration, the use of phenomenon, and the interactive opportunities promote high student engagement.”
· Nancy · Teacher
“It is a great lesson, but it is very short. Also, it would be nice if you identify the type of bird we watch living in the woodpecker hole. My children were asking what kind of bird it is, and I didn't know the answer.”
· Courtney · Homeschooler
“All of it: I like that each lesson has a combination of activities: reading, viewing videos, turn-and-talks, acting like the animals... all of that together keeps the lessons engaging and fun.”
· Janet · Teacher
“I added an art project to the end where each student drew an animal inside of a hole in a tree paper that I made for them. (I used the first grade "why are polar bears white?" tree bark pattern, then cut out a white circle to lay on top before copying.) They then got to share their drawing with 3 friends telling them about the animal that lives in their tree.”
· Kirsten · Teacher
“Mystery Science provides standards based, hands- on, and engaging lessons for my kindergarteners. It is a great resource that allows for active participation in developing science skills, such as investigating, asking questions, and experimenting. My kinders enjoy the investigations about the world around them that Mystery Science provides.”
· Evelyn · Teacher
“My students LOVED the leaf sewing activity. They were so excited and the pipe cleaner was a perfect way to keep up with those leaves. They laughed and laughed when the woodpecker fed the babies! I was a little concerned how the books would go over but you creatively made a way for them to be very interesting and they really hold the attention of the students.”
· Belinda · Teacher
“Good literacy connection. My students enjoyed predicting what would be in each hole. Great exercise for thinking of a tree as a habitat.”
· Amanda · Teacher
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep

Switch to non-narrated version

In this Read-Along lesson, Desiree notices all the holes in the trees around her house—and sets out to discover how they got there, and why they matter. The lesson includes a short exercise where students listen for animal sounds and pretend to be woodpeckers. You can extend the lesson with the optional activity, Nature Explorers, where students go for a nature walk and look for animals in their homes.
Preview optional activity
Prep Instructions

This activity does not require supplies.

As an optional activity, we suggest you go on a nature walk. It doesn't have to be far from your classroom or home. You can find animal homes in a playground, a grassy lawn, a city park, or a small yard. Look for ant hills, spiderwebs, birds in the trees, and insects in the grass. We suggest bringing a notebook so that you can make a list of the animals that everyone sees.

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Student slideshow: English | Spanish

Teacher printout: English & Spanish

Activity

Activity

  • If you have open space available, take a walk and (carefully!) watch for places that animals might make their homes, from nests and tree holes to spaces under logs and rocks. Be sure to stay safe and make sure students look—but don’t touch!—as they take their nature walk.

  • If you want more ideas for nature-based learning, this site offers fun activities for students exploring the natural environment.

Transcripts

Credits
 
Animal Needs Tx Read-Along Lesson 4: How do animals make their homes in the forest?

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