--- title: Exploring Biodiversity in Different Habitats | KnowAtom description: Explore Earth's diverse habitats, their living and nonliving components, and the interdependence of species through hands-on activities and essential science concepts for Grade 2 students. --- More Lessons for Your State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington DC West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Other NGSS # Habitats In the last unit, students explored patterns in land and water on Earth. They build on that knowledge in this unit with a focus on how living things are found in different habitats around the planet, and how living things depend on both living and nonliving components of their environment for survival. This page is a high-level extract from the first lesson in which students are introduced to biodiversity on Earth by modeling three different habitats and comparing the diversity of life among these habitats. See KnowAtom For Your State - [Alabama](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-alabama) - [Alaska](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-alaska) - [Arizona](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-arizona) - [Arkansas](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-arkansas) - [California](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-california) - [Colorado](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-colorado) - [Connecticut](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-connecticut) - [Delaware](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-delaware) - [District of Columbia](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-district-of-columbia) - [Florida](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-florida) - [Georgia](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-georgia) - [Hawaii](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-hawaii) - [Idaho](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-idaho) - [Illinois](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-illinois) - [Indiana](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-indiana) - [Iowa](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-iowa) - [Kansas](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-kansas) - [Kentucky](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-kentucky) - [Louisiana](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-louisiana) - [Maine](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-maine) - [Maryland](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-maryland) - [Massachusetts](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-massachusetts) - [Michigan](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-michigan) - [Minnesota](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-minnesota) - [Mississippi](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-mississippi) - [Missouri](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-missouri) - [Montana](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-montana) - [Nebraska](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-nebraska) - [Nevada](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-nevada) - [New Hampshire](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-new-hampshire) - [New Jersey](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-new-jersey) - [New Mexico](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-new-mexico) - [New York](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-new-york) - [North Carolina](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-north-carolina) - [North Dakota](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-north-dakota) - [Ohio](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-ohio) - [Oklahoma](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-oklahoma) - [Oregon](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-oregon) - [Pennsylvania](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-pennsylvania) - [Rhode Island](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-rhode-island) - [South Carolina](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-south-carolina) - [South Dakota](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-south-dakota) - [Tennessee](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-tennessee) - [Texas](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-texas) - [Utah](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-utah) - [Vermont](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-vermont) - [Virginia](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-virginia) - [Washington](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-washington) - [West Virginia](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-west-virginia) - [Wisconsin](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-wisconsin) - [Wyoming](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-wyoming) - [Other NGSS](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum-ngss) ## Science Background for Teachers: This science information provides teachers with more in-depth background information on the science phenomena being studied in this unit - habitats. The rainforests in Tanzania that are home to the chimpanzees studied by Jane Goodall are one kind of habitat. A habitat is a place where life grows. It provides living things, including plants and animals, with water, air, food, and shelter. Rainforests are particularly rich in biodiversity, which refers to the variety of living things in the world or in a particular habitat. For example, Gombe National Park, where Goodall did her research, is home to a diverse set of plants, including grasslands, alpine bamboo, and the lush vegetation of a tropical rainforest. All plants are living things that make food from sunlight through the process of photosynthesis. They also “breathe” by exchanging gasses with the environment, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Finally, they grow and reproduce. Gombe is also home to a diverse range of animals in addition to chimpanzees, including baboons and multiple species of monkeys. There are also more than 200 bird species, 11 species of snakes, and an occasional hippopotamus or leopard. An animal is a living thing that needs to eat other living things for energy, breathes in oxygen, and undergoes growth and reproduction. Both plants and animals are living things because they breathe, need energy, food and water, grow, move, and reproduce. The water, air, and sunlight are nonliving components of all habitats. Nonliving things are things that don’t meet all of the needs for life, and have never met those needs. All living things depend on other living things, as well as their environment, for survival. #### Supports Grade 2 ![Sneak Peek Seal with Arrow](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Sneak%20Peek%20Seal%20with%20Arrow.svg) ## Science Lesson: Discovering Habitats Students connect their exploration of Earth’s land and water with a study of living things in this lesson. They begin by modeling different habitats on Earth to compare the living and nonliving parts of each habitat.  [Download a Sample Unit ](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum#state) ## Science Big Ideas - Earth’s landforms and bodies of water are also habitats for various living things. Habitats are places where life grows that provide plants and animals with water, air, food, and shelter.   - There are many different habitats on Earth, made up of different living and nonliving things. - Some habitats have more biodiversity than others because they are more diverse, which means they have more kinds of plants and animals than other habitats. ![sample unit-k8 science curriculum-knowatom](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Sample%20Unit%20CTA-2.png?width=327&height=264&name=Sample%20Unit%20CTA-2.png) ###### Discover Complete Hands-on Screens-off Core Science Curriculum for K-8 Classrooms Prepared hands-on materials, full year grade-specific curriculum, and personalized live professional development designed to support mastery of current state science standards. [Click Here to Learn More](https://www.knowatom.com/talk-to-knowatom-sales) ## Science Essential Questions - What are examples of different habitats? How are all of these habitats similar? - Why is a lake both a body of water and a habitat? - Why are the kinds of living things found in lakes similar or different to those found in the ocean? - Why is a rainforest a habitat? - How are the living things in a rainforest habitat different from the living things in the ocean habitat? - Why do living things depend on nonliving parts of their habitat?   - How would you compare the biodiversity of living things in the Arctic with the diversity of the rainforest habitat? - Why might there be greater biodiversity in the rainforest than in the Arctic?   ## Common Science Misconceptions ![close-circle-red](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Icon%20ionic-ios-close-circle-red-1.svg) **Misconception:** Anything that moves is alive. ![checkmark-circle-green](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Icon%20ionic-ios-checkmark-circle-green.svg) **Fact:** All living things share certain characteristics, including the need to exchange gasses with the environment (breathe) and the need for water. ![close-circle-red](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Icon%20ionic-ios-close-circle-red-1.svg) **Misconception****:** Animals do not need plants. ![checkmark-circle-green](https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Icon%20ionic-ios-checkmark-circle-green.svg) **Fact:** Animals and plants need each other. Animals need food, which they get either from plants or other animals. ## Science Vocabulary **Animal:** a living thing that needs to eat other living things for energy, breathes in oxygen, and undergoes growth and reproduction **Biodiversity: ** the different kinds of living things in the world or in a particular habitat **Habitat: **a place where life grows; provides plants and animals with clean water, air, food, and shelter **Living : **anything that breathes, needs energy, food and water, grows, moves, and reproduces **Nonliving:** anything that does not meet, and has never met, all of the requirements of life **Plant:** a living thing that makes food from sunlight **Predator:** a living thing that eats other living things **Prey:** a living thing that gets eaten by another living thing ## Lexile(R) Certified Non-Fiction Science Reading (Excerpt) **Scientist Jane Goodall** Jane Goodall is a scientist. She lived in Africa for many years. She studied a kind of animal called a chimpanzee (chimp for short). Jane observed the chimps. She took notes on what they ate and when they slept. She also took notes on how they behaved with each other. ** Studying Habitats ** Jane studied the chimps in their natural habitat. A habitat is a place where life grows. It provides plants and animals with water, air, food, and shelter. There are many different kinds of habitats on Earth. Forests, lakes, oceans, deserts, gardens, and rivers are all habitats. Each habitat has different kinds of living and nonliving things in it. A living thing breathes, grows, and moves. It reproduces. It needs energy, food and water. Food is important because it helps living things grow. As they grow, living things get bigger and more complex. Food gives living things energy. This energy allows living things to move. Some living things move in ways we can’t see. It happens in their bodies. Animals can also move from place to place. ![habitats](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/habitats.jpg?width=260&height=340&name=habitats.jpg) ![habitats1](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/habitats1.jpg?width=255&height=340&name=habitats1.jpg) ![habitats2](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/habitats2.jpg?width=263&height=340&name=habitats2.jpg) ## Hands-on Science Activity For the hands-on activity of this lesson, students work in teams to create models of three different habitats: an ocean habitat, a lake habitat, and a forest habitat. They organize the living things within each habitat, and use their model to identify patterns in biodiversity. Students construct an explanation based on their observational data about the different types of living things in each habitat, describing how these types of living things compare to living things in other habitats. [ Learn More About KnowAtom ](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum) ## Science Assessments KnowAtom incorporates formative and summative assessments designed to make students thinking visible for deeper student-centered learning. - Vocabulary Check - Lab Checkpoints - Concept Check Assessment  - Concept Map Assessment  - And More... [Download a Sample Unit ](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum#state) ![Habitats2](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Habitats2.jpg?width=479&height=587&name=Habitats2.jpg) ![alabama state standard](https://www.knowatom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Alabama-State-Standards-Alignment-1.png?width=540&height=402&name=Alabama-State-Standards-Alignment-1.png) ###### See How KnowAtom Aligns to NGSS Science Standards Discover hands-on screens-off core science curriculum for student centered K-8 classrooms. KnowAtom supports classrooms with all hands-on materials, curriculum, and professional development to support mastery of the standards. [Download the Alignment to NGSS](https://www.knowatom.com/stem-curriculum) ** Standards Tags: ** [2-LS4-1](https://www.knowatom.com/2-ls4-1) , [2.2.1](https://www.knowatom.com/2.2.1) , [2.2.2](https://www.knowatom.com/2.2.2) , [K.LS1.1](https://www.knowatom.com/k.ls1.1) , [K.ESS3.1](https://www.knowatom.com/k.ess3.1) , [K.ESS3.3](https://www.knowatom.com/k.ess3.3) , [2.LS2.1](https://www.knowatom.com/2.ls2.1) , [2.LS2.2](https://www.knowatom.com/2.ls2.2) , [2.ESS2.2](https://www.knowatom.com/2.ess2.2) , [SKL2](https://www.knowatom.com/skl2) , [SKL1](https://www.knowatom.com/skl1) , [1.L1U1.7](https://www.knowatom.com/1.l1u1.7) , [1.L1U1.8](https://www.knowatom.com/1.l1u1.8) , [2.L2U1.9](https://www.knowatom.com/2.l2u1.9) , [2L.4.1.1.1](https://www.knowatom.com/2l.4.1.1.1) , [3.1.K.A](https://www.knowatom.com/3.1.k.a) , [3.3.K.C](https://www.knowatom.com/3.3.k.c) , [3.1.2.C](https://www.knowatom.com/3.1.2.c) , [3.4.K-2.C](https://www.knowatom.com/3.4.k-2.c) , [K.LS.1](https://www.knowatom.com/k.ls.1) , [1.LS.1](https://www.knowatom.com/1.ls.1) , [1.LS.2](https://www.knowatom.com/1.ls.2) , [2.LS.1](https://www.knowatom.com/2.ls.1) , [Asking questions and defining problems](https://www.knowatom.com/asking-questions-and-defining-problems) , [Developing and using models](https://www.knowatom.com/developing-and-using-models) , [Analyzing and interpreting data](https://www.knowatom.com/analyzing-and-interpreting-data) , [Constructing explanations and designing solutions](https://www.knowatom.com/constructing-explanations-and-designing-solutions) , [Engaging in argument from evidence](https://www.knowatom.com/engaging-in-argument-from-evidence) , [Obtaining evaluating and communicating information](https://www.knowatom.com/obtaining-evaluating-and-communicating-information) , [Biodiversity and Humans](https://www.knowatom.com/biodiversity-and-humans) , [Patterns](https://www.knowatom.com/patterns) , [Ecosystems: Interactions Energy and Dynamics 7](https://www.knowatom.com/ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics-7) , ### Supports Grade 2 #### Science Standards - [2-LS4-1](https://www.knowatom.com/2-ls4-1) - [2.2.1](https://www.knowatom.com/2.2.1) - [2.2.2](https://www.knowatom.com/2.2.2) - [K.LS1.1](https://www.knowatom.com/k.ls1.1) - [K.ESS3.1](https://www.knowatom.com/k.ess3.1) - [K.ESS3.3](https://www.knowatom.com/k.ess3.3) - [2.LS2.1](https://www.knowatom.com/2.ls2.1) - [2.LS2.2](https://www.knowatom.com/2.ls2.2) - [2.ESS2.2](https://www.knowatom.com/2.ess2.2) - [SKL2](https://www.knowatom.com/skl2) - [SKL1](https://www.knowatom.com/skl1) - [1.L1U1.7](https://www.knowatom.com/1.l1u1.7) - [1.L1U1.8](https://www.knowatom.com/1.l1u1.8) - [2.L2U1.9](https://www.knowatom.com/2.l2u1.9) - [2L.4.1.1.1](https://www.knowatom.com/2l.4.1.1.1) - [3.1.K.A](https://www.knowatom.com/3.1.k.a) - [3.3.K.C](https://www.knowatom.com/3.3.k.c) - [3.1.2.C](https://www.knowatom.com/3.1.2.c) - [3.4.K-2.C](https://www.knowatom.com/3.4.k-2.c) - [K.LS.1](https://www.knowatom.com/k.ls.1) - [1.LS.1](https://www.knowatom.com/1.ls.1) - [1.LS.2](https://www.knowatom.com/1.ls.2) - [2.LS.1](https://www.knowatom.com/2.ls.1) - [Asking questions and defining problems](https://www.knowatom.com/asking-questions-and-defining-problems) - [Developing and using models](https://www.knowatom.com/developing-and-using-models) - [Analyzing and interpreting data](https://www.knowatom.com/analyzing-and-interpreting-data) - [Constructing explanations and designing solutions](https://www.knowatom.com/constructing-explanations-and-designing-solutions) - [Engaging in argument from evidence](https://www.knowatom.com/engaging-in-argument-from-evidence) - [Obtaining evaluating and communicating information](https://www.knowatom.com/obtaining-evaluating-and-communicating-information) - [Biodiversity and Humans](https://www.knowatom.com/biodiversity-and-humans) - [Patterns](https://www.knowatom.com/patterns) - [Ecosystems: Interactions Energy and Dynamics 7](https://www.knowatom.com/ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics-7) [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/347944/b5a1446e-d782-4a5f-a019-0b3b98c8304f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/347944/b5a1446e-d782-4a5f-a019-0b3b98c8304f) Standards citation: NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it. ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "Organization", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "USA", "addressLocality" : "Salem", "addressRegion" : "MA", "postalCode" : "01970", "streetAddress" : "27 Congress Suite 410" }, "alternateName" : "KA", "areaServed" : { "@type" : "GeoCircle", "geoMidpoint" : { "@type" : "GeoCoordinates", "latitude" : "+42.5182274", "longitude" : "-70.8877569" }, "geoRadius" : "150 km" }, "description" : "Next Generation Science STEM Curriculum", "email" : "fvigeant@knowatom.com", "image" : "https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/KA-GSD.png", "logo" : "https://www.knowatom.com/hubfs/Knowatom-2017/Image/logo-1.png", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/habitats", "@type" : "WebPage", "description" : "Explore Earth's diverse habitats, their living and nonliving components, and the interdependence of species through hands-on activities and essential science concepts for Grade 2 students." }, "name" : "KnowAtom", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.facebook.com/KnowAtom", "https://twitter.com/KnowAtom", "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS0rbN0RfqaU1xaISrdVpTA", "https://plus.google.com/110709105138117096940" ], "telephone" : "(617) 475-3475", "url" : "https://www.knowatom.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.knowatom.com", "name" : "Home", "position" : 1 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos", "name" : "Science Phenomena Videos", "position" : 2 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science", "name" : "2Nd Grade Science", "position" : 3 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/habitats", "name" : "Habitats", "position" : 4 } ] } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : [ "WebPage", "LearningResource" ], "description" : "Explore Earth's diverse habitats, their living and nonliving components, and the interdependence of species through hands-on activities and essential science concepts for Grade 2 students.", "educationalLevel" : "Elementary School", "learningResourceType" : [ "lesson plan", "hands-on activity", "phenomena video" ], "name" : "G2U4L1 Habitats", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "KnowAtom", "url" : "https://www.knowatom.com" }, "teaches" : [ "life cycle", "metamorphosis", "pollination" ], "url" : "https://www.knowatom.com/science-phenomena-videos/2nd-grade-science/habitats" } ```