Rosella Habitat Needs

Overview

In this second lesson of Eastern Rosella Explorers, students investigate what an Eastern Rosella needs to live. Building on their observations of the bird, they sort picture cards, explain their thinking and create a simple habitat collage showing food, water, air, shelter and space.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify things an Eastern Rosella needs to live
• sort observations and pictures into helpful and not helpful categories
• ask and answer questions about how habitat features help a rosella
• record observations through a labelled habitat collage

Success criteria

• I can identify at least three things a rosella needs.
• I can sort pictures into “helps a rosella live” and “does not help it live”.
• I can explain one reason why a rosella needs something.
• I can show rosella needs in a habitat collage.

Curriculum links

• Exploring how people use observations and questions to learn about the natural world.
• Comparing observations with predictions, with guidance.
• Making and recording observations using drawings, labels and simple tables or organisers.
• Posing questions and making predictions based on observations.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Hook and revisit. Display the opening rosella image and question and ask, “If a rosella came to our school, what would it need to stay alive?” Students quietly think, then share one idea with a partner. Record or sketch their suggestions without confirming every answer.

2. 4–8 min · Teacher modelling. Show the five habitat needs visuals and introduce the repeated language: “A rosella needs ___ because ___.” Model sorting a picture of water into “helps a rosella live” and a picture of a toy car into “does not help it live”. Briefly explain that air is around us even though we cannot see it, and that shelter can include trees, bushes or safe nesting places.

3. 8–17 min · Hands-on sorting. In five groups of four, provide mixed picture cards and two labelled sorting spaces: “helps a rosella live” and “does not help it live”. Students take turns choosing a card, placing it, and explaining their choice using the sentence frame. Use the sorting instructions and discussion prompts to remind students to look carefully, talk together and change a card if their thinking changes. Include cards showing food such as seeds, fruit or insects; water; air; trees or bushes for shelter; open space; and unrelated objects or unsuitable places.

4. 17–25 min · Habitat collage. Bring students back together and ask groups to name the needs they found. Distribute the rosella habitat collage page. Students draw or glue pictures to create a habitat for an Eastern Rosella, including at least three needs. They may label features such as “food”, “water”, “air”, “shelter” and “space”. Prompt individuals with, “Where could the rosella find food?” and “How does this help it live?” Refer to the collage example and labelled habitat features while students work.

5. 25–28 min · Share and compare. Invite three or four students to show one collage feature. Students complete the oral sentence, “My rosella needs ___ because ___.” Compare their original ideas with what they observed during sorting. Ask, “Did your prediction match what we found? What changed?”

6. 28–30 min · Exit check. Display the final review questions. Each student tells the teacher or a partner three things a rosella needs and one reason why, or points to picture choices and dictates the explanation. Students place their collage in the collection area for review.

Resources

• the Eastern Rosella habitat needs slide deck
• the rosella habitat collage page
• Teacher-made picture cards showing habitat needs and unrelated objects
• Two large sorting mats or hoops labelled “helps a rosella live” and “does not help it live”
• Glue sticks and child-safe scissors
• Drawing materials
• Coloured paper or recycled paper for collage backgrounds
• Real or model examples of a seed, leaf, small bowl of water and twig, where available

Assessment

• Listen during sorting for accurate identification of food, water, air, shelter and space, and note whether students can give a reason.
• Check collages for at least three appropriate needs and observe whether students can explain how one feature helps the rosella.
• Use the final oral check to identify students who can compare their first idea with their observations and those needing further support.

Differentiation

• Support students with concrete objects, clear visual choices, repeated vocabulary and teacher modelling before group work. Use a reduced card set with one clear example of food, water, shelter and an unrelated object.
• Provide sentence starters such as “A rosella needs ___” and “It helps because ___”. Accept pointing, drawing, gesture or dictated responses as well as spoken explanations.
• Pair students thoughtfully and assign roles such as card chooser, sorter, speaker and collage builder. Provide enlarged images, high-contrast labels and adult or peer scribing for students with additional needs.
• Challenge advanced learners to design a habitat that meets all five needs, then explain how each feature helps the rosella. Ask, “What might happen if one need was missing?” Encourage them to include a labelled key on their collage.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach and repeat the words “need”, “food”, “water”, “air”, “shelter” and “space”, using gestures, real objects and picture-word labels.