Science lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 30 minutes
Match animals to their habitats
Animals and habitats
CCSS NGSS.2-LS4-1CCSS NGSS.3-LS4-3England: KS1 Y2 Living things and their habitats
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Match animals to their habitats.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Habitats and microhabitats
Leads to: Compare how many kinds of living things live in different places
Materials: Animal picture cards, Habitat maps, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Habitats and microhabitats). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which habitat is the deer best suited to? (the rainforest / woodland / the ocean / the Arctic (polar)) → woodlandPrompt: Think about where it could find food and stay at a good temperature.
- Which animal would you most likely find in a pond? (a frog / a polar bear / a camel / a lion) → a frogPrompt: Which animal needs water to lay its eggs?
- Which animal lives in the rainforest? (starfish / jaguar / Arctic fox / polar bear) → jaguarPrompt: Think about whether each animal suits cold, heat, water or trees.
Hook · 3 min
- Show a picture of an unusual animal and ask where it might live and how it survives there.
- Share the objective: Match animals to their habitats. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Which habitat suits this animal best: mountain goat?
- Step 1: Grippy hooves help mountain goats climb steep rocks.
- Step 2: So the answer is: mountains
- Answer: mountains
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Which habitat suits this animal best: polar bear? (Arctic ice / pond / mountains / coral reef) → Arctic icePrompt: Think about what the animal needs: warmth or cold, water, trees or open space?
- Which animal is best suited to this habitat: rainforest? (frog / toucan / camel / badger) → toucanPrompt: Which animal's body would help it survive there?
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Why do rainforests have so many different animals? (They have no trees. / Animals there never eat. / They are warm and wet all year, with lots of plants for food and shelter. / They are very cold and dry.) → They are warm and wet all year, with lots of plants for food and shelter.Prompt: Plants grow fast in warm, wet places.
- Which animal is best suited to this habitat: coral reef? (clownfish / mountain goat / badger / frog) → clownfishPrompt: Which animal's body would help it survive there?
Watch out for
- Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
- Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Habitats and microhabitats.
- Use concrete materials: animal picture cards.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Compare how many kinds of living things live in different places.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-2.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder