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Plant and Animal Needs


Outcome: 3-1-12: Identify needs common to plants and animals, and contrast how they meet those needs. Materials:
! post-it notes (one package per group) ! copies of page 2 and 3 ! colour copies of pages 6 to 9 [Note: you may wish to laminate these pages to increase their durability.]

Teachers Instructions:
1) Read through this package. 2) Group students cooperatively (2-4 students per group). 3) Hand out page 2 to each group and ask them to answer each question with words and/or pictures. Discuss the answers as a class. Then, hand out page 3 and read it as a class. 4) Provide each group with one of the pictures (A, B, C, or D) of Manitoba plants and animals (see pages 6 to 9). 5) Each group will select one plant and two animals (one must be a fish) from the picture they received. The group will list the needs of the plant and animals they selected and predict how these needs are met on post-it notes. Students may refer to the background information provided on page 3. A list of all Manitoba organisms found on each picture is provided on pages 4 and 5. 6) Display the pictures with their related post-it notes in the classroom. Discuss them as a class. Have students complete the compare and contrast frame provided on page 11 individually or in pairs. 7) As a group or individually, students will select different Manitoba fish and plant species (not necessarily from the pictures). Students will research these species to determine their specific needs and how they meet these needs. Students may use concept maps (see page 10 for an example) or compare and contrast frames similar to the one on page 11 to record how each organism meets its needs. 8) Create a classroom Venn Diagram or chart that contrasts how plants and animals meet their needs. (eg. Plants must wait for rain but animals may move to find water.) 9) As an assessment activity, students may complete a RAFT. The RAFT strategy may be defined as writing from a viewpoint other than that of the student, to an audience other than the teacher, in a form other than a standard theme or written answers to questions (Buehl, 1995, 87). (Manitoba Education, Success for all Learners, 1996). For this activity, the components of the RAFT are as follows: Role of the writer - pretend to be a Manitoba fish species Audience for the writer - the components of the environment that help you, as a fish, meet your needs Format of the writing - thank you letter Topic - thank you for helping me meet all of my needs (and explain how you use the component to meet your needs). Students will choose a Manitoba fish and compose an illustrated letter to the environment, thanking the environment for helping them meet their needs. A sample letter has been provided on page 13.

Plant and Animal Needs


What do you need to live?

What do fish need to live?

Plant and Animal Needs


Background Information
Every living thing has basic needs. Humans need food, water, shelter, oxygen, space and appropriate temperatures to live. Other organisms may have the same needs.

Depending on the organism, these needs may include: air, water, nutrients, food, light, shelter, space, certain temperatures, etc. Plants need soil, nutrients, sunlight, water, space, air and appropriate temperatures to survive. Animals need food, water, shelter, oxygen, space and appropriate temperatures.

MANITOBA FISH Fish need many of the same components as other animals. Fish need food, space, oxygen and shelter. The difference is that they need a lot more water - not to drink but to live in. More importantly, fish need good water quality. This means that the water has to contain enough oxygen, the right amount of nutrients and few pollutants. Most fish also need plants. Plants provide fish with shelter, spawning habitat and oxygen.

Plant and Animal Needs

A
pelican loon waterlily Canada goose snapping turtle northern pike goldeye water milfoil water arum carp herring gull great blue heron cattails wood duck marsh marigold green frog waterweed channel catfish water plantain pocket gopher

B
American crow maple tree moose bur oak water parsnip elk mink dogwood sucker walleye white spruce coyote balsam fir ruffed grouse mallard beaver freshwater drum weasel pussy willow raccoon

Plant and Animal Needs

trembling aspen white elm balsam poplar eastern cottonwood wild turkey woodpecker squirrel porcupine foxtail iris

C
fox skunk white-tailed deer shrike hawthorn rabbit yellow perch lake whitefish lake sturgeon mouse

D
larch lynx cranberry prickly saxifrage snowshoe hare starflower brook trout lake trout river otter arctic char grey wolf caribou Labrador tea dandelion wild strawberry cloudberry mountain avens polar bear harbour seal arctic grayling

Plant and Animal Needs

Plant and Animal Needs

Plant and Animal Needs

Plant and Animal Needs

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Plant and Animal Needs


Concept Map
organisms

needs

how these needs are met

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Plant and Animal Needs


Compare and Contrast Frame
ALL THREE ORGANISMS IN THIS PICTURE
NEED HOW DO THEY MEET THIS NEED?

EACH ORGANISM IN THIS PICTURE


NEEDS: NEEDS: NEEDS:

HOW THEY MEET THEIR NEEDS:

HOW THEY MEET THEIR NEEDS:

HOW THEY MEET THEIR NEEDS:

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Plant and Animal Needs


ORGANISM 1 NEEDS AND HOW THEY ARE MET ORGANISM 2 NEEDS AND HOW THEY ARE MET

ALL THREE NEEDS AND HOW THEY ARE MET

ORGANISM 3 NEEDS AND HOW THEY ARE MET

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Plant and Animal Needs


Your name (i.e. Wally the Walleye) Address line 1 (Street and number) City, Province Postal Code

Components of the Environment Province of Manitoba Canada, World H2O 1W2 Date: Dear ____________________, Thank you for helping me, a (type of fish) , meet my needs. My needs include: _______________, ______________, ______________, and _______________. Youve helped me meet these needs by _________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________. I just wanted you to know that without you, I could not survive. Thanks again, ___________________ signature ____________________________ Your Name (e.g. Wally the Walleye)

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