When the Environment Changes
Aligned to 3-LS4-4 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
When a habitat changes, some plants and animals struggle to live there. People can think of solutions to help living things when this happens.
Worked examples
Example 1
When a pond dries up, ducks lose their home, so a town might build a new pond to bring the animals back.
Example 2
When a forest is cut down, the animals that lived there must move, adapt to the new place, or die out.
Example 3
Not every change is bad for everyone. A fallen tree kills the plants it lands on but opens a sunny gap where new seedlings can grow.
Practice questions
- Name one change to a habitat, like less rain or a cut-down forest, and who it hurts.
- Think of one solution people could try to help the affected plants or animals.
- Decide if your solution is a good idea and explain one reason why.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Cuando el ambiente cambia
Cuando un hábitat cambia, algunas plantas y animales tienen dificultades para vivir ahí. Las personas pueden pensar en soluciones para ayudar a los seres vivos cuando esto pasa.
Ejemplo 1: Cuando un estanque se seca, los patos pierden su hogar, así que un pueblo podría construir un nuevo estanque para que los animales regresen.
Ejemplo 2: Cuando se tala un bosque, los animales que vivían ahí deben mudarse, adaptarse al nuevo lugar o desaparecer.
Ejemplo 3: No todo cambio es malo para todos. Un árbol caído mata las plantas donde cae pero abre un claro soleado donde pueden crecer nuevas plantitas.
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