Natural and man made structures and shelters for animals - Science Gr 3-4

Different animals live in different shelters/houses in different places/habitats. 

Some animals build their own houses and others use man-made structures to live in.  Some animals like snails even carry their houses with them.

                           

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Living things like animals, need shelters to protect them from harsh conditions (like when it rains or is very cold).

Animals can live in different types of homes like nests, trees, holes in the ground, shells, caves and man made structures.

Try and give an example of an animal that lives in the places mentioned above and find a picture of each.

A lot of animals built their own shelters to live in.  Lets look at a few

• Nests are built by birds.  They can build it in trees, in a building or even on the ground.  They use it to live in and to lay their eggs in and raise their babies.  The birds use twigs and sometimes mud to built the nest and make it nice and warm inside by using some of their feathers.  Watch the video to see how a Weaver Bird builds its nest

• Bees live in hives.  Bees are very important in nature and help to pollinate flowers.  Do you remember what pollinate means?  The hive is made up of six sided cells and the queen bee lies eggs inside the hive and the eggs are put inside these cells.  Other cells are used to store the honey which the bees make from the pollen of flowers.

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• Some rodents like mice and meerkats and squirrels will dig burrows (holes and tunnels) under tree trunks and rocks.  Ants and earthworms also live in the ground and can build a whole network of tunnels under the ground.  Watch the video to learn more about ants

• Spiders spin webs from special silk that they make inside their bodies.  They use these webs to catch insects which they then eat.  They also use the web as their home.

You are going to have some fun and create your own spiderweb with a spider on it.  You can use yarn or pipe cleaners or which ever material you prefer.  The spider you can make from using cardboard or an egg box.  Use your imagination or do some research to find ideas.  You can even use these ideas for your next Halloween decorations.

               

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Man made structures

Our pets and animals on the farm will live in man made structures.

Name any five animals that will live in man made structures and find a picture of each.

What is a structure? A structure is something that is made by putting different parts together.  A house is a structure.  Bricks and cement and all different kinds of things were put together to form the structure - the house.

Structures has 4 main jobs/functions.  

• It is to protect like the shell of an egg, 
• contain like a water tank that can keep the water inside or a bird cage that keeps the bird inside, 
• support like the beams that supports a house on the beach to lift it up in the air and support it and 
• span a gap like a bridge built over a river or dam

Find your own pictures that demonstrates the 4 main functions of structures - protect, contain, support and span a gap.

For extra information on structures you can watch the video

Fun Project - design and build your own bridge - what it looks like and the material you use is up to you.  You must design and built it yourself.  Your parents can help you a bit BUT THIS IS NOT YOUR PARENT'S PROJECT, IT IS YOURS.

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