Design a Polar Park

Students design enclosures for animals that live in the Arctic or Antarctic regions, reflecting the animal’s natural habitat, as well as its air, water, food, shelter, and activity needs.

Engage

Read a book such as Polar Bears or Penguins by Gail Gibbons. Then, discuss the unique adaptations and characteristics of polar animals and how the environment in which these animals live compares to the environment in which your students live.

Next, ask students if they have ever visited a zoo or an aquarium.

• What was their favorite exhibit? Why?
• What specific features made it memorable?
• What do they think the animals in the enclosure felt about the exhibits?

Let the students know that your class will be designing a Polar Park. As a class, decide if you will focus on Arctic or Antarctic animals or if you will mix animals from both regions.

Have students begin by researching their animal. They should be encouraged to become an expert on this animal, its unique characteristics, and needs. Provide them with graphic organizers,to keep notes on plants and physical features that are found in this animal’s natural habitat.

Cluster Organizer

Create

Let the students know that they will be responsible for sharing their design through informational text and pictures, as well as formal presentation.

You can provide structure by establishing requirements like:

• A map of the entire enclosure.
• Textual information about what the enclosure includes.
• A detailed visual example of one part of the enclosure.
• Important things to know about the species in enclosure.
• Ways the enclosure meets these needs.
• Details about the daily routine of the animals in the enclosure.

Have students use the Paint tools to create a map, marketing important features in the animal enclosure, as well a locations where visitors can view the animal. They should clearly mark areas that will be hidden from the guests for the caretakers to prep food, care for sick animals, and store equipment.

Students should also include a more detailed example visualizing what one area of the enclosure will look like, haring special features of that space, as well as how the animal (or animals) appear in that space.

The presentation should demonstrate their expertise about the animal itself. They should share facts about the animal as well as showcase their knowledge of its unique characteristics and adaptations that help it survive in their natural environment.

Students should also include text and pictures that describe how the enclosure reflects the animals original habitat and is uniquely suited to helping the specific animal thrive.

• What is available for the animals to stay active?
• How will they obtain their food?
• Will they have enough space to build nests or swim?
• How will visitors learn about the animal from the enclosure?

Students can use the Zoo Design activity to help structure their work.

Zoo Design Activity

Share

As a class, work together to develop a map, or design, for the entire park, showing the location of each enclosure, and discussing and describing the visitor experience.

Have your entire class showcase their work at a Polar Park Faire. Invite parents, as well as community members, interested in polar animals to talk with your student experts and tour the proposed design.

Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

2-LS4-1 Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

3-LS4-3 Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.