Core Skills Analysis
Science
Lily built a mini diorama of coyote habitat using household items, arranging a watering spot, rocks for cover, a paper‑towel‑roll den, and purple play‑dough berries for food. She read books about different habitats and coyotes, linking what she saw in the books to the coyotes she hears howling in her neighbourhood. During a field trip to Boundary Bay Park, Lily and Kristin followed coyote trails, located den entrances, and collected evidence such as bird feathers and scat containing bunny fur. Through these hands‑on investigations, Lily learned how coyotes create dens, what they eat, and how they fit into the local ecosystem.
Tips
To deepen Lily's understanding, try creating a simple food‑web poster that shows the coyote’s predators, prey, and competitors in the Tsawwassen area. Set up a weekly nature journal where Lily sketches and records any new animal signs she finds in the backyard or park, encouraging observation and scientific note‑taking. Organize a “coyote‑call” listening session using recorded howls and discuss why coyotes howl and what information they convey. Finally, conduct a small experiment comparing how different materials (soil, sand, rocks) affect the temperature inside a model den to explore how coyotes might choose den sites.
Book Recommendations
- National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Animals by Catherine D. Hughes: A colorful introduction to many animals, including coyotes, with facts about habitats, diet, and adaptations.
- The Animal Book: A Visual Encyclopedia of Life on Earth by DK: A richly illustrated encyclopedia that covers a wide range of animals and their environments, perfect for curious young learners.
Learning Standards
- Ontario Science Curriculum, Grade 1 – Understanding Life Systems: B1.1 Identify basic needs of living things and describe habitats.
- Ontario Science Curriculum, Grade 1 – Understanding Life Systems: B1.2 Explain how animals obtain food and water.
- British Columbia Curriculum, Grade 1 – Science: Understanding life cycles and habitats (Science 1‑1, 1‑2).
- Canadian Education Association – Early Learning Outcomes: Develop observation skills and scientific inquiry.
Try This Next
- Worksheet: Match the coyote diet items (berries, small mammals, birds) to pictures and label each.
- Quiz question set: Identify three signs of coyote presence (tracks, scat, den) and explain what each tells us.
- Drawing task: Sketch a cross‑section of Lily’s diorama showing where water, rocks, and the den are placed.
- Writing prompt: “If I were a coyote, how would I use the den and what would I look for to find food?”