WebQuest Template

Noah's Ark

A WebQuest for 1st Grade: Animals and Their Habitats

Introduction

Poor Noah! He has animals left on his ark after a big flood. Noah can't rest until all the animals are back in their homes, but he's lost all his notes that tell him where each animal lives. What can he do? Can you help Noah find a good home for each of the animals left on his ark?

TheTask

An animal lives in a habitat that meets its needs. What does an animal need? All animals need food, shelter, air, water, and space. Your job will be to find out what habitat will best suit the animals left on the ark. You will need to research each animal's needs to find the best habitat. .

The Process

You will be assigned to a group of three people to accomplish the following:

Print a copy of the data collection form for animals. Use this form for each animal about which you read.

Choose an animal from the Noah's Animals webpage. Click on the animal's name to read about that animal and record the information you learn on the data collection form for animals. Use a new form for each animal.

Print a copy of the data collection form for habitats. Use this form for each habitat about which you read.

Read about each habitat on the Animal Habitats webpage. Click on the habitat's name to read about that habitat and record the information you learn on the data collection form for habitats. Use a new form for each habitat.

Print a copy of the animal/habitat match form. Decide which habitat best fits your animal. Use a new form for each animal/habitat match you do.

E-mail Noah and tell him which habitat you have chosen for each of the animals you chose and why that habitat will fit the animal. Click on the e-mail link below to write your email. Be sure to print a copy of your e-mail for your teacher to read.

Print a copy of the self-assessment form. Complete the form with your partners. If you answered "no" for any part of the form, discuss with your group ways that you can improve your project.

Evaluation

You and your partners will be evaluated using the following criteria:

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Teamwork	Does not participate in project. Does not use resource webpages.	Works with partners and uses most of the time appropriately. Uses few resource webpages.	Works with partners and stays on task with few reminders. Uses most resource webpages.	Works with partner staying consistently on task. Uses all resource webpages.
Data Collection Forms for Animals	Completed few sections. Pictures not included or not clear.	Completed most sections. Pictures included but not clear.	Completed all sections with few errors. Clear pictures included.	Completed all sections with no errors. Clear pictures included.
Data Collection Forms for Animal Habitats	Completed few sections. Pictures not included or not clear.	Completed most sections. Pictures included but not clear.	Completed all sections with few errors. Clear pictures included.	Completed all sections with no errors. Clear pictures included.
Animal/Habitat Match Forms	Completed few sections.	Completed most sections.	Completed all sections with few errors.	Completed all sections with no errors. Student matched animals to appropriate habitats. Student explained reasons for animal and habitat match.
Email To Noah	Student did not tell about animals or habitats.	Student able to give some information about animals and habitats.	Student able to tell in detail about each animal and its habitat. Student gave reasons for selecting chosen habitat for each animal.	Student able to tell in detail bout each animal and its habitat. Student addressed animals' needs and habitats' features. Student matched animals to appropriate habitat. Student explained reasons for animal and habitat match.

Note to teachers: Animals often live in multiple habitats. You may click here to find suggested answers for the animal/habitat matches. If the student gives reasonable supporting evidence, the matches should be accepted.

Conclusion

Great job! You have matched each animal to its best habitat.

It's important that each of these habitats is protected for these animals. You can learn more about helping to protect these habitats by clicking on the links provided below. And I've added a few more fun links for you to visit!

The Kid's Adopt a Habitat program allows children to sponsor a habitat, learning more about both that habitat and the wildlife that lives in it.

Things You Can Do to Help Save Animals and their Habitats

Kids4Earth

Take a walk in the Fantastic Forest. This virtual forest is brought to you by National Geographic. Follow the forest path and you'll find lots of habitats. Click on the different parts of the forest to find your way.

Take a trip to the Interactive Swamp!

Play the game Really Wild Things from National Geographic where you track misplaced animals and learn about their habitats.

Credits & References

Most of the animal photographs are from Justin Moore's collection. You can see these beautiful photographs and many others at http://www.outdoorphoto.com.

Special thanks also to Dr. Adam Britton for the great photograph of the Florida Everglades. Visit his site to see many more photographs of alligators. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/brittoncrocs/!amis0.htm

The beautiful photograph of the tiger swallowtail butterfly is the work of Jay Cossey. You can see dozens of other equally beautiful butterfly photographs at his website: http://www.images.on.ca/JayC/jc_g1index.htm

The forest picture is by Kerry Richardson. Visit her website at http://www.sonic.net/~kerry/forest.html.

The pond habitat photograph is from Cathy Reaves at http://www.quarterman.org/pictures/catreaves/Mvc-002s.html.

The green tree frog picture and some animal sound wavs are from Jason Penney's website. Visit it to see and hear other animals at http://www.kingsnake.com/hudspeth/.

Other animal sounds are used with permission by Gordon Riall of Texas A & M University.

Graphics are from:

Wab's Noah Ark

Country Angel Graphics

Graphic Garden

I am thrilled with the generosity of all these people in allowing us to enjoy their artistic creations through this webquest.

Based on a template from The WebQuest Page