Philippine Animal Habitats: A Fun Science & Art Lesson Plan for Kids

Engage your elementary students with this hands-on science and art lesson plan about Philippine animal habitats. Students will discover the difference between terrestrial (land), aquatic (water), and aerial (sky) environments. This complete guide includes learning objectives, a materials list, step-by-step instructions, and differentiation tips. The core activity involves creating a beautiful habitat diagram, helping students classify iconic Philippine wildlife like the Tarsier, Pawikan (sea turtle), and the majestic Philippine Eagle. Perfect for science class, homeschooling, or a cultural studies unit.

Create Your Own Custom Lesson Plan
PDF
```html

Philippine Habitat Adventure: Land, Water, and Sky!

Materials Needed:

  • Large sheet of drawing paper or poster board
  • Pencil and eraser
  • Crayons, colored pencils, or markers
  • Pictures or flashcards of Philippine animals and plants (printed from the internet or from books). Good examples include:
    • Land (Terrestrial): Carabao, Tarsier, Tamaraw, Narra Tree, Sampaguita Flower
    • Water (Aquatic): Butanding (Whale Shark), Pawikan (Sea Turtle), Bangus (Milkfish), Seaweed
    • Air (Aerial): Philippine Eagle, Maya Bird, Fruit Bat
  • Optional: Scissors and glue/tape if you prefer to cut and paste pictures instead of drawing.
  • Optional: A tablet or computer for looking up more cool animals!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Define and give examples of three types of habitats: terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial.
  • Identify the correct habitat for several Philippine animals and plants.
  • Create a beautiful diagram that correctly organizes Philippine organisms by where they live.

Lesson Procedure

Part 1: The Hook - Where Do They Live? (5 minutes)

Let's start our adventure with a fun thinking game! Imagine you are a tiny Tarsier with big eyes. Where would your home be? Up in the trees on land? Swimming in the ocean? Flying high in the clouds?

Now, imagine you are a giant Butanding (Whale Shark). Where would you live? Let's talk about why different living things have different homes. Today, we're going to become habitat experts for the amazing plants and animals of the Philippines!

Part 2: Explorer's Briefing - The Three Habitats (10 minutes)

A habitat is just a fancy word for a home. We are going to explore three main types of habitats today. Let's learn the secret code words for them!

  1. Terrestrial (Lives on LAND):
    • This is for all the creatures and plants that live on the ground. They walk, crawl, slither, or grow from the soil.
    • Example: The strong Carabao walks on land, and the beautiful Narra Tree grows its roots deep in the earth. Can you stomp your feet like a land animal?
  2. Aquatic (Lives in WATER):
    • This is for all the creatures and plants that live in water, like rivers, lakes, and the big blue ocean. They are excellent swimmers!
    • Example: A Pawikan (Sea Turtle) gracefully swims in the sea. Can you make a swimming motion with your arms?
  3. Aerial (Travels in the AIR):
    • This word is for animals that spend a lot of their time flying in the sky. They have wings to soar through the air! They still need land or water to rest, nest, and find food.
    • Example: The magnificent Philippine Eagle soars high above the mountains. Can you stretch your arms out and pretend to fly?

Part 3: Guided Practice - Habitat Sort! (5-10 minutes)

Now it's time to test your new expert knowledge! Let's use our picture cards.

I will show you a picture of a Philippine animal or plant, and you will tell me its habitat. Is it terrestrial, aquatic, or aerial? Why do you think so?

  • Show the Tarsier card. "Where does this little guy belong?" (Terrestrial, because it lives in trees on land).
  • Show the Bangus (Milkfish) card. "What about this fish?" (Aquatic, because it has fins and swims in water).
  • Show the Philippine Eagle card. "And this powerful bird?" (Aerial, because it flies).

Continue this with a few more cards until you feel confident.

Part 4: Main Activity - My Philippine Habitat Diagram (20-30 minutes)

This is where you get to be the artist and the scientist! We are going to create a big, beautiful drawing showing all three habitats.

  1. Take your large sheet of paper and turn it sideways (landscape).
  2. With your pencil, divide your paper into three big sections. You can draw a picture to show each one! For example:
    • Draw some green land with trees and mountains on the left side for Terrestrial.
    • Draw a blue ocean or river in the middle for Aquatic.
    • Leave the top part of the page as the big, open sky for Aerial.
  3. Now, start drawing the Philippine animals and plants in their correct homes! Or, if you prefer, you can cut out the pictures and glue them into the right sections.
  4. Try to include at least three organisms in each habitat section. Remember to add plants, too, like a tree on land or seaweed in the water.
  5. Be creative! Show the Carabao eating grass, the Pawikan swimming near coral, and the eagle soaring near a cloud. Don't forget to label your sections: Land (Terrestrial), Water (Aquatic), and Sky (Aerial).

Part 5: Show and Tell - Habitat Tour (5 minutes)

Your diagram is finished and looks amazing! Now, let's pretend it's a window into the Philippines. Give me a tour of your artwork.

  • Point to one animal and tell me its name and habitat. Why did you place it there?
  • Which organism was your favorite to draw?
  • Did you find any animals tricky to place? Why?

Differentiation (Ways to Adapt the Lesson)

  • For Extra Support: Use pre-drawn outlines of the animals to color in. Focus on just one or two animals for each habitat. You can help guide the drawing process for each animal.
  • For an Extra Challenge: Research an animal that can live in two habitats, like a frog (aquatic as a tadpole, terrestrial as an adult) or a crocodile (aquatic and terrestrial). Add a special "Both" section to your diagram for it and write a sentence explaining why it belongs there.

Assessment

I will know you've learned a lot when you can:

  • Talk about your finished diagram and correctly name the habitat for most of the organisms you drew.
  • Your final diagram shows a clear understanding of where different animals and plants live, with most of them sorted into the correct category.
```