New
New
Year 2

Protecting microhabitats

I can find ways to encourage plants and animals to live safely in microhabitats.

New
New
Year 2

Protecting microhabitats

I can find ways to encourage plants and animals to live safely in microhabitats.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A microhabitat is a smaller area where a plant or animal lives.
  2. Some microhabitats are under threat because people are not looking after planet Earth.
  3. A wildlife-friendly garden can encourage plants and animals to live safely in microhabitats.

Common misconception

Children may think that all minibeasts are insects. Children may think that all minibeasts like the same conditions (e.g. damp and dark).

Provide examples of different microhabitats with differing conditions, e.g. light, dark, wet etc.

Keywords

  • Microhabitat - A microhabitat is a very small habitat. It might be just under one tree or log, or a single rock pool.

  • Minibeast - You can call very small creatures, such as insects or spiders, minibeasts.

  • Threat - A threat is the possibility that something unwanted or dangerous will happen.

  • Protect - To protect something is to keep it safe from harm.

  • Wildlife-friendly garden - A wildlife-friendly garden is a garden that attracts wildlife such as butterflies, birds and minibeasts.

There are many organisations that provide advice and resources online for primary-aged children to promote sustainability and biodiversity in school grounds or gardens.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Pencils, pens, paper, resources for making microhabitats if required.

Content guidance

  • Contains subject matter which individuals may find upsetting.
  • Exploration of objects encouraged.

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these is a habitat?
Correct answer: a woodland
a frog
a plate
Q2.
Which of these is a camel's habitat?
An image in a quiz
an ocean
the Arctic
Correct answer: a desert
Q3.
Which of these is a snowdrop's habitat?
a desert
Correct answer: a woodland
a coral reef
Q4.
A smaller area where plants and animals live is called ...
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: a microhabitat.
a woodland.
a minibeast.
Q5.
Which of these are microhabitats?
a field
Correct answer: a log pile
Correct answer: a rock pool
a rainforest
Q6.
Why couldn't a lion live in a microhabitat?
An image in a quiz
A lion is too scary to live in a microhabitat.
Correct answer: A lion is too big to live in a microhabitat.
A lion is too hairy to live in a microhabitat.
Q2 image 3 Dmitry Rukhlenko, Shutterstock.com Q3 image 3 Sync Rapeephat/Shutterstock.com Q5 image 1 By cattan2011. CC-BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

6 Questions

Q1.
A microhabitat is a ...
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: small area where plants and animals live.
large area where plants and animals live.
damp area where plants and animals live.
rainy area where plants and animals live.
Q2.
Which of these is a microhabitat?
a rainforest
Correct answer: a dead tree
a woodland
Q3.
Some microhabitats are under threat. Why is this?
An image in a quiz
they have grown too big
there are too many minibeasts
Correct answer: some people are not looking after planet Earth
Q4.
Which of these are threats to microhabitats?
Correct answer: floods
worms
Correct answer: litter
moss
Q5.
A wildlife-friendly garden is a garden that...
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: has lots of microhabitats to encourage wildlife to live safely.
has a shed.
is in the countryside.
has lots of animals like foxes and squirrels.
Q6.
Which of these can you find in a wildlife-friendly garden?
Correct answer: a bug hotel
a wheelbarrow
a washing line
Correct answer: a bird box
Q5 By woodleywonderworks. CC-BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en Q6 image 2 The Old Red Wheelbarrow" by Calaveras KT is licensed under CC BY 2.0." https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en