Use a model to show where the plant or animal lives. |...

SECTION 1

Why Do We Learn About Where Things Live?

People have always been curious. Where does a fish live? Where does a cactus grow?

Long ago, people looked carefully at nature. They drew pictures of animals and plants in their homes.

A model is something we make to show an idea. That means a drawing or a clay scene can be a model!

Long Ago

Cave Paintings

People drew animals on cave walls. They showed deer, horses, and fish in nature.

Many Years Ago

Nature Drawings

Scientists drew plants and animals in books. They showed where each one lived.

Today

Models Everywhere!

Kids like you make models! You can draw, build, or act out where a living thing lives.

Here is a big question: How can we show where a plant or animal lives so others can understand it too?

SECTION 2

Big Ideas About Where Things Live

Every plant and animal lives in a special place. Let's learn some big ideas!

Habitat

A habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives. That means it is like its home!

What They Need

Living things need food, water, and shelter. Their habitat gives them what they need.

Models Help Us Share

A model helps us show ideas. We can draw, build, or use toys to make one.

Patterns in Nature

We can spot patterns. That means we notice that fish live in water and birds live in trees.

🏡 KEY TAKEAWAY

Think about your own home. You have a bed, food, and water. Animals and plants need a home that gives them what they need too. A habitat is like a cozy home for a living thing!

SECTION 3

See It: A Pond Habitat Model

Let's look at a model of a pond habitat. A pond is a small body of water where many things live.

This model shows a pond. The fish live in the water. Lily pads float on top. Grass grows near the edge. The sun shines down to help plants grow.

Do you see the fish in the water? That is where they live. The lily pads float on the pond. The grass grows on the land near the water.

This picture is a model. It helps us share what we know about the pond.

SECTION 4

How Do We Make a Model?

Making a model is fun! Here are the steps we follow.

Step 1: Pick a Plant or Animal

First, choose a living thing. Maybe you pick a frog, a sunflower, or a squirrel!

Step 2: Ask — Where Does It Live?

Think about its habitat. Does it live in water, on land, or in a tree?

Step 3: Build or Draw Your Model

You can draw a picture. You can use clay. You can use blocks and toy animals. Show the place and the living thing in it!

Step 4: Share and Explain

Tell a friend what your model shows. Say what the animal or plant needs from its home.

🔬 Science Practice!

When you make a model and share it, you are doing what real scientists do! Scientists develop and use models to explain the world.

SECTION 5

Different Habitats for Different Friends

There are many kinds of habitats. Let's see some and learn which plants and animals live there.

This model shows four habitats: the ocean, the forest, the desert, and the arctic. Each one has different plants and animals.

Notice a pattern. That means something we see again and again. Animals live in places that give them what they need!

A fish needs water, so it lives in a pond or ocean. A cactus needs lots of sun and not much water, so it grows in the desert.

SECTION 6

Let's Make a Model Together!

Let's make a model for a frog. We will draw where it lives!

Making a Frog Habitat Model

Step 1 — Pick Our AnimalWe pick a frog. Frogs are green and they jump!

Animal: Frog 🐸

Step 2 — Ask Where It LivesWhere does a frog live? A frog lives near a pond. It needs water to keep its skin wet. It eats bugs near the water.

Habitat: Pond 💧

Step 3 — Draw the HabitatWe draw blue water for the pond. We draw green grass on the land. We add a rock for the frog to sit on. We draw little bugs for food.

Model parts: water, grass, rock, bugs

Step 4 — Add the FrogNow we draw the frog sitting on the rock near the water. The frog is in its home!

Frog on a rock by the pond ✅

Step 5 — Share and ExplainWe tell our friend: This is a frog. It lives by a pond. The pond gives it water and bugs to eat. The rock is where it rests.

Our model is done! 🎉

Great job! You just learned how to use a model to show where an animal lives. You are thinking like a scientist!

SECTION 7

Different Ways to Make a Model

There are many ways to make a model. Some are easy. Some are harder. All of them help us learn!

Three ways to make a habitat model

Type of Model	What You Use	Good For...
Drawing	Crayons and paper	Quick and easy to share
Diorama	A box, clay, and toy animals	You can look at it from all sides
Act It Out	Your body and imagination	Fun and helps you feel what it is like

🎨 KEY TAKEAWAY

There is no wrong way to make a model! A drawing on paper is just as good as a box diorama. The important thing is that your model shows where the living thing lives and what it needs.

SECTION 8

Looking Ahead: What Else Can Models Show?

Right now we use models to show where a plant or animal lives. When you get older, you will use models for even bigger ideas!

Now and later

What We Do Now	What We Will Do Later
Show where an animal lives	Show how animals in one place need each other
Draw a habitat with a plant	Show how plants get water and sunlight to grow
Name what a living thing needs	Explain what happens when a habitat changes

Models are a tool you will use in science for a long time. Each year, your models will get even better!

SECTION 9

Practice: Show What You Know!

Let's try some questions! Think about a rabbit that lives in a meadow. A meadow is a big open field with grass and flowers.

PROBLEM 1 — CONCEPTUAL

What is a habitat? Choose the best answer. A) A toy you play with B) The place where a plant or animal lives C) A kind of food

PROBLEM 2 — BASIC

If you make a model of the rabbit's meadow, what should you include? A) Only the rabbit B) The rabbit, grass, and flowers C) A car and a road

PROBLEM 3 — INTERMEDIATE

A rabbit needs food, water, and a safe place to hide. Which part of the meadow helps it hide? A) The tall grass B) The sky C) A cloud

PROBLEM 4 — APPLIED

Think and Share: Imagine you want to make a model of the rabbit's meadow using a shoebox. What things would you put inside the box? Tell a friend or grown-up your ideas.

PROBLEM 5 — CRITICAL THINKING

A friend says: I put a fish in my meadow model. Does that make sense? Why or why not? Choose the best answer. A) Yes, fish can live anywhere. B) No, fish need water, and a meadow is mostly grass. C) Yes, a meadow is the same as a pond.

SUMMARY

Let's Remember What We Learned!

Every plant and animal has a habitat, which is the place where it lives. A habitat gives living things what they need: food, water, and shelter. We can spot patterns in nature, like fish living in water and birds living in trees.

We use a model to show where a plant or animal lives. A model can be a drawing, a diorama, or acting it out. When we make and share a model, we are thinking and working like real scientists. Keep exploring the world around you!