A close up of a grey spider flower in the Field of Mars Reserve.

Lesson 2 | Improving habitats | Field of Mars EEC

Lesson overview

Students assess the quality of a garden or local park as habitat for wildlife using a habitat score-card. Then, working with teacher/parents, they plan and carry out simple habitat improvements like adding logs, leaf litter, plants or water sources to make the space more wildlife-friendly and support biodiversity.

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Learning intention

  • We are learning about improving an environment.

Success criteria

  • We can improve an environment.
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Activity 1 - Is your garden or local park a healthy habitat?

Some gardens are great at providing homes for animals. The best habitat gardens have leaf litter, lots of plants, rocks, logs and water.

Tasks

  • Go outside to a garden or a local park.
  • Download and use the Habitat score card to rate the area.
  • What did you find lots of?
  • What do you think the environment needs more of?
  • What kind of animals might live here?

A backyard garden with ground cover plants and some shrubs with toy animals placed throughout

A bush garden with lots of habitats.

Activity 2 - How can I improve an environment for small animals?

It's easy to make a garden better for animals. You just need to create more habitats.

Tasks

With the help of your parents or teacher choose a small garden you would like to improve.

  • Plant some plants.
  • Add rocks, leaf litter and logs.
  • Add water – make a birdbath out of an old bowl.
  • View the habitat fact sheets for more ideas.

A student planting a young shrub in the soil

Planting a shrub for habitat.

Vocabulary
Habitat, healthy, environment, leaf litter, ground cover, shrubs, trees, rocks and logs, water source.

Learn with us

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K-6 excursions and incursions

Explore our Science, Geography, HSIE, History, PDHPE, Creative Arts and English curriculum-aligned primary excursions and incursions.

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Learning resources

Find more primary learning resources from Field of Mars EEC.

Illustration representing native plants and animals used for Field of Mars flora and fauna fact sheets to support K-6 learning.

Flora and fauna fact sheets

Discover over 100 curriculum-aligned fact sheets about Australian animals plants habitats ecosystems and environments perfect for NSW primary students.