Habitats Along the River

Overview

In this third lesson of Collie River Animal Guardians, students investigate how the Collie River environment provides different habitats for living things. They build on prior learning about local environments by comparing river, bank, wetland, woodland and rocky habitats, then justify where animals are best suited to live.

Learning intentions

• WALT describe different habitats found along the Collie River.
• WALT identify living and non-living features of habitats.
• WALT explain how an animal’s needs influence where it lives.
• WALT communicate findings using habitat vocabulary and evidence.

Success criteria

• I can describe at least three habitats.
• I can identify living and non-living features.
• I can justify why an animal belongs in a particular habitat.
• I can use words such as shelter, food, water, breeding place, vegetation and habitat.

Curriculum links

• HASS: the importance of environments, including natural vegetation and water sources, to people and animals in Australia.
• Science: communicating findings and ideas for an identified audience using scientific vocabulary and digital tools where appropriate.
• English: planning and delivering a structured oral or multimodal presentation using relevant facts, visual features and suitable vocabulary.
• Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages: locating and responding to key information about Country/Place from spoken, written and multimodal texts.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and prior knowledge. Teacher opens with the hook image and question showing a river scene and asks, “If you were an animal, which part of this place would help you survive, and why?” Students think-pair-share, then identify features they can see, hear or infer.

2. 7–17 min · Explicit teaching: habitat features. Teacher uses the habitat teaching slides to introduce habitat as a place where a living thing gets what it needs, distinguishing living features—plants, animals and fungi—from non-living features—water, rocks, soil, sunlight and air. Students help classify features and record one example of each on the habitat investigation sheet.

3. 17–32 min · Habitat investigation. Teacher presents photographs or diorama images of five Collie River habitats: river, river bank, wetland, woodland and rocky areas. Students work in five groups, rotating or examining assigned images, and complete a habitat table describing visible vegetation, water, shelter, food, breeding places and other living or non-living features. Students may use the vocabulary mat on the worksheet and discuss observations orally before writing.

4. 32–45 min · Animal sorting and justification. Teacher distributes the animal adaptations sorting cards and models one example, such as explaining why a frog may need wetland water, plants and shelter. Pairs sort animals into the habitat where they are most likely to meet their needs. Students choose two cards and complete the sentence frame: “The ___ belongs in the ___ habitat because it needs ___ for ___.” They may place an animal between habitats if they can justify movement or shared needs.

5. 45–54 min · Share and refine explanations. Teacher returns to the discussion and justification slides and invites pairs to present one classification. Classmates listen for a habitat, an animal need and supporting evidence, then suggest whether the explanation is clear. Students improve one written or oral explanation using precise vocabulary.

6. 54–60 min · Plenary and exit check. Teacher displays the plenary prompts: “Name three habitats”; “What is one living and one non-living feature?”; “Why does one animal suit a particular habitat?” Students complete the final section of the exit reflection independently, drawing or writing one justified animal–habitat match before handing it in.

Resources

• the Collie River habitats slide deck
• the habitat investigation and exit reflection sheet
• the animal adaptations sorting cards
• Collie River habitat photographs or habitat dioramas
• Large habitat labels
• Feature word cards or vocabulary mats
• Highlighters, pencils and clipboards
• Optional tactile items: smooth rocks, leaves, bark, soil and water containers
• Board or interactive display

Assessment

• Listen during group investigation for accurate use of living, non-living, habitat, shelter, food and breeding place.
• Check group tables and sorting discussions for accurate observations and evidence-based reasoning.
• Use the exit reflection to identify whether each student can describe habitats, distinguish living and non-living features, and justify an animal’s habitat.

Differentiation

• Support learners with photographs or dioramas, uncluttered worksheet sections, habitat symbols, highlighted key words, word banks and oral explanations before writing.
• Provide guided sorting with fewer animal cards, pre-read instructions, tactile resources and sentence starters. Allow students to dictate responses, use a scribe or record an oral explanation.
• For dyslexic learners, use a clear sans-serif font, generous spacing, short instructions, high-contrast visuals and optional coloured overlays. Avoid requiring copying from the board.
• Pair students strategically and accept drawing, labelling, speaking or supported writing as ways to demonstrate understanding. EAL/D learners can rehearse explanations with a peer and use labelled visual vocabulary.

Extension

• Students design a habitat map of one Collie River area, labelling shelter, food, water and breeding places for at least two animals.
• Students add arrows and a short explanation showing how a change, such as pollution or removal of vegetation, could affect the animals’ habitat needs.