Don’t close this browser tab!

This Mystery is being downloaded to your device so you can play it at home without an Internet connection.

Keep this tab open once it's downloaded in order to play the Mystery.

If you experience problems, please talk to your teacher.

0% Cancel
How do animals take care of their babies?

How do animals take care of their babies?
Scroll for prep
Slide Image
In this unit, we learned that animals do many different things that help them survive. Let’s look back at two of those things.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Discuss. What is this squirrel doing? How does this help it survive?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Discuss. What are these squirrels doing? How does this help the baby squirrel survive?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Animals do many different things to help them survive. Watch, then discuss. This animal is not eating. What do you think it is doing? Why do you think it might be doing this?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
These animals are all carrying things but not eating them. Discuss. What are these animals carrying? What do you think they are going to do with the things they are carrying?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Read the labels to see if you figured out what each animal was carrying.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Sometimes those same animals carry different things. Discuss. What is each animal carrying now?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Each of these animals carries things, but they don’t eat those things. They must have another reason for carrying leaves, grass, and sticks.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Look at the names of these three kinds of animals. Let’s see where these three kinds of animals go. Let’s see what they do with the things they are carrying.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
One kind of animal went up in these trees. There is a big pile of sticks, leaves, and grass up there. Let’s look closely.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
One of these kinds of animals put those sticks, leaves, and grass up there. Discuss. Which kind of animal do you think is up there? Why do you think that?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
If we are very quiet, the animal will come out. Click play when you are ready!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
It was gray squirrels! Discuss. Why do you think the squirrels put all of those sticks, leaves, and grass in the tree?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Let’s go back up in the trees. We will look inside the pile of sticks, leaves, and grass. We have to be very, very quiet. Something special is in there.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
The squirrels made a nest for their sleepy babies. The nest is made of sticks, leaves, and grass. Discuss. How does the nest help the baby squirrels survive?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
The nest keeps the babies warm. The nest also keeps the babies hidden so other animals won’t find them. The parents can also feed their babies here. All of these things help the babies survive.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
You might have noticed trash in the nest. The parent squirrels put the trash there. They don’t know that people’s trash can be bad for their babies. This is one of many reasons to always clean up our trash!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Let’s keep track of where we find animal homes. Get an Animal Homes worksheet. Write your name at the top.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
In the tree, write, “G.S.” for “Gray Squirrel.” This will help us remember where the gray squirrel lives.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Now, let’s go to a new place. We will find another animal there.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
There is a hole in the ground. One of the three kinds of animals lives there. Discuss. Which kind of animal do you think lives in this hole? Why do you think that?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
If you are very, very quiet, one of the animals will come out of its home!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
It was burrowing owls living in these holes in the ground! Discuss. What did you see the parent owl doing for the baby owl? How does this help the baby survive?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Most owls build nests in trees.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
But burrowing owls live in holes called burrows. That’s why they are called burrowing owls. Watch these parent owls dig a burrow and put dry grass into it.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
These are very young baby burrowing owls. They are down in the burrow. They have white feathers that will turn brown when they get older. They are sleeping on a bed of sticks, leaves, and grass that their parents made.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Burrowing owls keep their young warm and safe in their burrows. They also bring food back to the burrow. All of these things help their young survive.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
In the burrow on this side of your worksheet, write, “B.O.” for “Burrowing Owl.”
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
We have one last animal home to visit. You might be able to guess which kind of animal lives in this hole! If you are very quiet, the animal will come out.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Chipmunks dig burrows underground. Watch this chipmunk carry leaves back into its burrow. The chipmunk and its babies can sleep underground on the leaves.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
Chipmunks can also feed their babies in the burrow. These babies are waiting for their parent to bring food to them! A burrow is a safe place to hide, eat, and sleep. All of these things help the babies survive.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
In the burrow on this side of your worksheet, write, “C” for “Chipmunk.”
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Discuss. What did these animals do with the things that they were carrying?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
We visited different animal homes today. Discuss. What did we see animals do to help their babies survive?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image
Now you can improve your worksheet. You can draw each type of animal near their home or in their home. You can also color it and add more detail. Be creative!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Other
Adult and young burrowing owls by neil fisher
Baby chipmunks together in burrow by Margaret M Stewart
Baby squirrels in nest by beckybellew
Burrowing owl emerging from nest by Pronghorn Productions
Burrowing owl flying with mouth wide open by Chase D'animulls
Burrowing owls with nesting material by RobAmyVideo
Chipmunk Stuffing Dried Leaves In Its Mouth Making Cheeks Larger by MicroStockTube
Chipmunk hiding in burrow with leaves in mouth by ER CREATIVE SERVICES LTD
Chipmunk jumping out of burrow by ER CREATIVE SERVICES LTD
Chipmunk with grass in mouth by Nick's Nature Pics
Eastern Gray Squirrels building a leaf nest by Linzy's Vids
Grey squirrel climbing tree with nesting material looking at camera by Clare Lusher
Inside burrowing owl nest by UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Owl nest in tree by Jiri Fejkl
Owl nest in tree by Vishnevskiy Vasily
Owl nest in tree by Anita Braconnier
Squirrel with stick in mouth by LinaOli
Credits

Activity Prep

Print Prep

In this performance task, students will observe and interpret the behavior of different animals to see how they care for their offspring.

After a review of the unit, students will visit the homes of three different animals and see what they do to take care of themselves and their offspring. They will see that some animals can make their homes in very different and surprising places, but they share some behaviors in common with one another.

Preview activity
Number of students:
Animal Homes printout 1 per student
Prep Instructions

Before starting this lesson, review the unit Teacher Guide for an overview of the Animal Superpowers Anchor Layer.

Students can work individually, in pairs, or you may choose to work with small groups. Print as many copies of the Animal Homes worksheet as you will need for your students. One copy will be needed for each individual, each pair, or each small group.

With your students, begin the lesson. It begins with a brief unit review. Then, move through the activity. The activity includes a step-by-step guide and discussion questions throughout.

Unit Review

10 mins

Hands-On Activity

35 mins