Habitats

Rijul and his family are taking a hike in the Georgia mountains.  He reaches a waterfall and spots a bear.  Rijul is curious to know where else bears could be found. What question and explanation would Rijul need to ask to figure out where bears live?

• Are bears found in areas where food can be easily accessible? If that is the case, then bears could live in the Piedmont region.

• Are bears found in areas where they need a lot of space? If that is the case, then they could only live in mountain areas.

• Do bears sleep during the winter? If that is the case, then bears could only live in mountain areas.

• Do bears need access to water? If that is the case, then bears could live in mountains and coastal plains.

Kevin was given the picture below and asked to determine what habitat this organism is most likely to survive in. 

From the list below, what is the best question that Kevin should ask about this organism to help him determine the habitat they are most likely to be found in?

• Does this organism have a long lifespan? 

• What does this organism eat in order to survive?

• What does this organism like to do during the day?

• How many teeth does this organism have in its mouth?

 You are working with your class to identify habitats within Georgia’s geographic regions. The table below represents data for one type of habitat in Georgia.

Characteristic

Data

Weather and Environment

Hot summers, cool winters, lots of red clay soil

Plants

Oak trees, kudzu, dogwood trees

Animals

Deer, squirrels, snakes 

What further question can you ask to further identify if the habitat is in the Piedmont region?

• Is this habitat located in the central region of Georgia?

• Are there farms and businesses located in this region?

• Is this habitat found in Georgia?

• Does it rain a lot in this region?

A heron is a bird that has a long, skinny beak that it uses to hunt fish, insects, and crustaceans while standing in shallow water. What question could a student ask to figure out where the heron would BEST survive in which habitat?

• Would herons best survive in the Atlantic Ocean since they eat crustaceans?

• Would herons best survive in the Piedmont region since it has a long, skinny beak?

• Would herons best survive in the mountains since they need to hunt fish and insects?

• Would herons best survive in the marsh since there is shallow water with plenty of food?

 Jaxson wants to figure out if a whitetail deer lives in the Piedmont or the Marsh and Swamp habitats.  Which question should he ask and why?

• Does it survive in wet, hot conditions where there is a lot of standing water?  Because the piedmont has a lot of standing water and the marsh and swamp do not.

• Does it survive in wet, hot conditions where there is a lot of standing water?  Because the marsh and swamp has a lot of standing water and the piedmont does not.

• Does it need water to survive?  Because the piedmont has water and the marsh and swamp do not.

• Does it need water to survive?  Because the marsh and swamp has water and the piedmont has no water.

The mountain laurel plant only grows in the mountain habitat of Georgia. This plant grows on rocky slopes in forested areas. A student wants to know if this plant could survive in the marsh and swamp habitat. What question should the student ask and why?

• Does the marsh and swamp habitat have a rainy climate? No, the mountain laurel could not survive since the marsh and swamp habitat never gets rain.

• Does the marsh and swamp habitat have hot temperatures?? Yes, it can survive in the marsh and swamp habitat since it is a very hot and humid climate.

• Does the marsh and swamp habitat have rocky soil? No, the mountain laurel could not survive since the marsh ground is very soft and does not contain the type of rocky soil that it needs to grow. 

• Does the marsh and swamp habitat have rocky soil?Yes, even though the ground is soft, the mountain laurel would still get the water it needs to survive.

 Pine trees are able to live in many habitats in Georgia, including the Piedmont habitat that has dense clay soil. What is the best question that scientists should ask to help them learn more about the other types of habitats that pine trees can live in?

• Why do pine trees have needles on their branches and not leaves?

• How much water and nutrients do pine trees need in order to live?

• Do pine trees provide shelter to other organisms?

•  What are other plants and trees that can live in clay soil? 

 Sally’s teacher divided the class into 5 groups. She had a picture of a Georgia plant that she wasn’t showing the class. She said that each group could ask two questions to help them identify the plant and the questions needed to prove that the students understand how the features help the plant survive. Which of the following TWO questions would best prove that Sally and her group understand how features of plants help them survive?

• Does the plant live in salt water and attach itself to rocks and shells?

• Does the plant have larger leaves to capture more sunlight because it is found in shaded areas?

• Does the plant have waxy leaves, bark on its trunk and live in soil with few nutrients?

• Does the plant have slippery walls to capture insects because it lives in soil with few nutrients?

Bob went on a trip with his family to learn more about plants in Georgia. He took a picture of an interesting plant that he found. He told his friends to ask questions about the plant’s features that would help them identify which plant it is and how its features help it survive. Which of the following TWO questions would be best to ask to prove they understand how a plant’s features help it survive?

• Does it have a way to capture insects because it lives in a place with few nutrients in the soil?

• Does it float freely in the water because it doesn’t have roots?

• Does it have waxy leaves to help it lose less water during times of drought?

• Does it have flowers that release a sugary scent?

You are playing a game with your classmates. In this game, someone chooses a Georgia plant and answers questions from others to help them figure out which plant has been chosen. You must ask questions about the features of the plant that help it survive. Which of the following questions could be asked?

• What is the color of the plant?

• What type of soil do the plants live in in order to survive?

• What is the most commonly found plant in Georgia?

• Does the plant grow over 10 feet tall?