Vanishing Homes 1

Children learn about natural habitats and human influence
Recommended Period for this Activity: All year round

1. Explore and learn more about Maltese habitats 

Use the "Habitat videos" (in Downloadable Materials) to create lessons in your preferred way. The habitats are: 

  • cliffs (rdum, sies); 
  • fields (għelieqi); 
  • woodland (bosk); 
  • rocky land (xagħri); 
  • gardens (ġonna); 
  • valleys (widien). 

 

2. Let’s talk about the homes inside a habitat 

Make sure your delivery includes student interactions with the subject and sharing of experiences. The key takeaways are: 

  • The word HABITAT and a discussion about places they know and what habitat/s they contain; 
  • How each habitat is home to many plants and animals. 

 

3. Vanishing Homes Game  

Play the "Vanishing Homes Game" from the Downloadable Materials. The game is based on a class of 25 students. Adapt the numbers to your class. Though fun, the game deals with habitat destruction, one of the biggest threats to wildlife in the Maltese Islands (and the rest of the world too). It is important that the children understand the message in the game. 


Resources & Equipment Needed

  • 25 cards;
  • 12 hoops;

You can download these instructions in PDF by clicking here: Generate PDF

Downloadable Material

Activity Sheet_Vanishing homes 1

PDF Document

Vanishing homes game

PDF Document

Resource files - woodland

YouTube Video

Resource Files - Valleys

YouTube Video

Resource files - Farmland

YouTube Video

Resource files - Gardens

YouTube Video

Make sure to take photos of:
1. Your habitats lesson/s with the videos
2. The game in progress
Activity Photos for Inspiration

Learning Outcomes & Curriculum Integration

Subjects

  • - Science
  • - English

Learning Outcomes

Science

5.7.4 I can find out about the effects of human intervention can have on nautral habitats and the organisms that live there including over-development, deforestation, trespassing and pollution (air, water, light and noise).

5.7.2 I can understand the importance of soil to support life.

English

LV6.1 I can listen attentively to text read aloud (audio/audio-visual) and demonstrate understanding by making inferences as well as justifying and explaining statements.

Integration with Curriculum

Suggestions for teachers: 

1. Before the activity the teacher can create a brainstorming activity for students to discuss what they recall about habitats, to state what they know about local habitats and share their experiences. The teacher can write a list on the board of the local habitats mentioned by the students. After watching the video the students can compare the list on the board to the videos they watched.

2. An English listening lesson can be integrated with this lesson. The teacher can ask questions about the videos to check for understanding. Students can particpate in a class discussion.