Habitat Helper

GOAL:

Your goal is to explain what type of home each animal will need and decide 
which home would be the EASIEST to put together and clean.  This is 
very important so that we can prepare a happy home for our new pet!


MISSION PROCEDURES:

1.  RESEARCH - Use the Internet links below as well as classroom books to 
    identify what type of home each pet will need. Try to answer as many of 
    the questions below for each animal as possible:
             
             What type of home does this animal need? (aquarium? wire cage?)
             How big or small should its home be?
             What things should go inside the animal home?  (water? bed? 
                pine chips?)

2.  WRITE - On the Record Sheet record your findings for each animal in the 
    correct box.  (If you have not printed a Record Sheet, go to the 
    Internet link below.)

3.  THINK - Think about which of these animal homes would be the best for 
    the classroom.  Here are some questions to think about:

           Which home will be easiest to keep in the classroom?
           Which home will be the easiest to put together?
           Which home will be the easiest to clean?

4.  WRITE - Based on your research and thoughts, complete the sentence at 
    the bottom of the Record Sheet stating which animal you feel would be 
    the best class pet.


REMEMBER:  You are going to use the information you find to persuade your 
group members and class that this pet home is the easiest to care for so 
work carefully.

RECORD SHEET - Print this sheet to record your findings.
http://www.teacherweb.com/IN/PNC/Cassady/htmlpage2.stm

PAINTED TURTLES
http://www.nikki.bz/!turtletank/care.html

http://www.petturtle.com/care.htm

GERBILS
http://www.agsgerbils.org/Gerbil_Care_Handbook/care.html#care

TROPICAL FISH
http://www.americanhumane.org/kids/aquarium.htm

http://www.hartz.com/Fish/ArticlePreview.asp?Animal=6&Article=73&Topic=29

FIREBELLY TOADS
http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/housing/halftank.html

http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/mypets/firebellies.html

Classroom Books

PAINTED TURTLES:
   1 - Turtles by Trudi Strain Trueit
   2 - Turtles and Tortoises: Caring for Them, Feeding Them, Understanding 
        Them  by Hartmut Wilke
   3 - The Turtle: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet by Lenny Flank
   4 - Turtles by Ann Larkin Hansen
   5 - The Proper Care of Turtles by John Coborn
   6 - Turtles: Everything About Purchase, Care, Nutrition, and Diseases by 
         Hartmut Wilke

GERBILS:
   1 - Your Pet Gerbil by Elaine Landau
   2 - Taking Care of Your Gerbils by Joyce Pope
   3 - Gerbils by Fiona Henrie
   4 - Gerbils by Arnold Dobrin
   5 - Hamsters and Gerbils by Honor Head
   6 - Gerbils, All About Them by Alvin Silverstein

FISH:
   1 - Freshwater Fishes by Judith Jango-Cohen
   2 - Your Pet Tropical Fish by Elaine Landau
   3 - A Great Aquarium Book: Guide for Beginners by Jane Sarnoff
   4 - Tropical Fish by Pam Jameson
   5 - A Step By Step Book About Tropical Fish by Cliff Emmens
   6 - Tropical Fish by Robert Hirshfeld

FIREBELLY TOADS:
   1 - Frogs and Toads by Bobbie Kalman 
   2 - Frogs, Toads, and Turtles by Diane Burns
   3 - Toads by Amanda Harman
   4 - Frogs by Gail Gibbons
   5 - Awesome Amphibians by Steve Parker
   6 - Amphibians as Pets by George & Lisbeth Zappler