Activities

1. Define habitat.
   
   
2. Name three things a habitat provides for an animal.
   
   
3. List two natural ways that a habitat can be changed.
   
   
4. List two ways that people can change a habitat.
   
   
5. What are two ways your habitat has changed in the past few years?

6. Predict what you think happens to a deer when people destroy the forest.  Explain your thinking.
   
   
7. How might a tree be affected by air pollution?  Explain why you think this might happen.

8. Which do you think would cause the most problems for a bird:  a forest fire, a flood, or destroying a cornfield to build houses?  Why do you think this?

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Habitat is the environment where an organism lives.
   
   
2. Habitat provides food, water, space, and air.
   
   
3. Examples include, but are not limited to: fire, flood, drought
   
   
4. Examples include, but are not limited to: deforestation, construction, pollution
   
   
5. Examples include, but are not limited to: construction, flooding, pollution, fires

6. Acceptable responses might include, but are not limited to:

• If a forest is destroyed, a deer’s habitat is destroyed
• Deer must find new shelter
• Deer will struggle to find food
• If the habitat is completely destroyed, it may occupy a residential area
• With less shelter and less food, the chance of the deer dying increases

7. Acceptable responses might include, but are not limited to:

• A tree will be hurt by air pollution
• A tree relies on clean air to survive
• A tree uses the carbon dioxide in the air to make its food
• If there is too much air pollution, the tree cannot get the carbon dioxide it needs, and it will die.

8. Student responses will vary. Use the following rubric to grade student response.