Instant Habitat Dioramas 12 Super-Cool, Easy 3-D Paper Models With Companion Observation Sheets That Teach About Polar Regions, Rain Forests, Oceans & More by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne NEW YORK TORONTO LONDON AUCKLAND SYDNEY MEXICO CITY NEW DELHI HONG KONG BUENOS AIRES Instant Habitat Dioramas Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Table of Contents Introduction.......................................... 4 How to Make the Dioramas........................... 4 Habitat Dioramas Backyard: Above and Below........................ 5 Park: Day and Night.............................. 10 Pond: Summer and Winter........................ 15 Forest: Spring and Autumn......................... 20 Cave: Front and Back............................... 25 Mountain: High and Low.......................... 30 African Savanna: Big and Little..................... 35 Ocean: Top and Bottom........................... 40 Desert and Tundra: Hot and Cold................... 45 Rain Forest and Desert: Wet and Dry................ 50 Polar Regions: Far North and Far South............. 55 Dinosaur National Park: Then and Now............. 60 Instant Habitat Dioramas Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Introduction One of the basic science concepts taught in primary grades is that a habitat is the place where a group of plants and animals naturally live together. The dioramas in this book will introduce your students to various habitats from their very own backyard to distant polar regions and the living things that thrive in them. As an added bonus, each back-to-back diorama will teach your students about opposites in the natural world. For example, they will see what animals in a park do in the day and at night, how living conditions differ in the front of a cave from its back, and how a forest changes in the spring and autumn. The dioramas are easy to assemble and come with cut-out illustrations for students to enhance the habitats. (See right.) The worksheet for each diorama indicates where each cut-out piece belongs. In addition, the dioramas make attractive, 3-D classroom displays a nice alternative to standard bulletin boards or wall hangings. For each diorama, you will find: science background information a mini-lesson to help you teach with the diorama an extension activity book links a worksheet with comprehension questions for students to answer with the help of their dioramas. How to Make the Dioramas 1. Each diorama comes with three reproducible sheets: a background showing the habitat, the foregrounds and cut-out illustrations, and a worksheet. Photocopy the three sheets for each student or small group. 2. Hold up a worksheet and show students how the border identifies each living thing in the diorama. Children can refer to the border to figure out in which side of the diorama the foregrounds and cut-out pieces belong. 3. Provide crayons and markers for students to color the illustrations. 4. Have students cut off the white border on the background page and fold the sheet in half along the dashed line. Have them cut out the two foreground pieces as well. 5. On one side of the diorama, have students tape the left side of the matching foreground piece to the diorama, as shown. Then tape the right side of the foreground to the diorama. 6. Turn the diorama around and repeat step 5 with the other foreground. The completed back-to-back diorama will stand as shown.* 7. Help children cut out the animal and/or plant pieces. Have them decide where in the diorama each piece belongs and glue or tape it in place. Tell students that they can attach the cutouts to the background or foreground. They can also have some animals extend off the edges to give the diorama a 3-D effect. *To make some dioramas stand up better, you may want to add one piece of tape to the center of each foreground, sticking it to the background as shown. Then pinch or fold the foreground on both sides of the tape so the foreground sticks out more. 4 Instant Habitat Dioramas Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Grass Blue butterf ly Cocoon Above Walkingstick Garden spider Cicada Clover Chipmunk Violet Bumble bee Robin Snail Box turtle Name: Date: 1. Where does the grasshopper live? 2. Where does the shrew live? 3. What is the robin pulling on? 4. What do you think the robin will do with it? 5. How many violet f lowers can you count? Ladybug Grasshopper Dandelion Earthworm Woolly bear caterpillar Antlion in its trap Roundworms Box turtle Grub Tiny soil animals Shrew Earthworm 6. Where do plant roots grow? _ 7. Where do plant leaves grow? 8. Which plant root grows deepest in the soil? 9. What created the tunnels below ground? 10. What might it be like to live underground? On the back of this page, write what you think. Explain how you will find supplies of air, water, and food. Cicada Grass roots Below Acorn sprouting Dead leaves Earwig and eggs Ants and eggs Chipmunk Ground beetle Dandelion root Bumblebee and eggs Instant Habitat Dioramas Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources 7
Below Above 8 Instant Habitat Dioramas Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Instant Habitat Dioramas Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne, Scholastic Teaching Resources 9