Living things change their surroundings (kindergarten) · lesson

Homes that meet needs

💡 Animals live in places that have the food and water they need.

A fish needs water. So it lives in a pond or the sea.

A deer eats plants and hides by trees. So it lives in a forest.

A bird puts its nest up in a tree to be safe.

🧠 How to think about it

What does the animal need? Now look for a place that has it. A frog needs water and bugs. A pond has both.

🏡 Try it at home

Go outside. Look for an animal home, like a nest, a web, or an ant hill. Do not touch it. Just look!

💡 Plants and animals change the land around them. Roots can crack a sidewalk.

A squirrel digs a hole to hide nuts.

Ants dig tunnels. They pile the dirt in a small hill.

Tree roots grow big. They can push up and crack a sidewalk.

🧠 How to think about it

Look for a change. Then ask, what living thing did that? A hole by a tree? Maybe a squirrel dug it.

🏡 Try it at home

Walk on a sidewalk. Look for cracks by a tree. Do you think roots pushed it?

💡 When people build, they change the land. They can help plants grow back.

People build roads and homes. That takes space from plants and animals.

People can help. They can plant new trees.

🧠 How to think about it

A road goes in a field. What was there first? Grass and bugs. Now they have less room.

🏡 Try it at home

Plant a seed in a cup of dirt. Give it water and sun. You are helping a plant grow!

💡 We help Earth when we use less, use things again, and recycle.

Turn off the water while you brush.

Use the back of paper to draw again.

Put a clean jug in the recycling bin. It gets made into new things.

🧠 How to think about it

Before I toss it, I ask: can I use it again? Can it be recycled? If not, then it goes in the trash.

🏡 Try it at home

Look in your recycling bin with a grown-up. Name 3 things in it. Rinse one more jug or can to add.