Third-Grade Animal Projects

Third-grade animal projects help pupils learn about animal habitats and traits.

When learning about animals, third-grade pupils benefit from projects that keep them engaged in learning rather than simply listening to lectures and reading textbooks. State science curriculum requirements for third grade often include animal topics such as animal ecosystems, adaptations and traits. Pupils can learn a great deal about these topics when creating engaging animal projects.

Class Animal Book

Have pupils create a class book with a chapter for each classification of vertebrate animal: amphibian, reptile, mammal, fish and bird. As pupils create the drawings, they learn about animal traits and habitats, and when reading the class book they make, they learn more about animals of each type. After you give instruction and provide resources about the types of animals, their characteristics and habitats, have each pupil choose one animal from each of the groups to draw. Instruct pupils to include and label the animals living in their natural habitats in the drawings. When pupils finish, bind the pages together in a class book with a chapter for each type of animal.

Board Displays

Have pupils work together in animal habitat groups such as desert, ocean or rain forest to research books, magazines and online resources and learn about the animals that live in the habitat, their needs, habits and homes. Make a space on the wall or bulletin board for each group to create a display that helps other pupils learn about the animals of the habitat. Have pupils work together to create an appropriate habitat background. Require that each pupil in the group create at least one drawing of an animal that lives in the habitat to display.

Camouflage and Mimicry

Use books, pictures and video to teach children about the way that some animals adapt and protect themselves through camouflage and mimicry. Pupils learn a great deal about camouflage while drawing an animal habitat, then drawing an animal camouflaged and hidden in the drawing. After they hide one or more animals camouflaged in the drawing, have pupils share the drawings to see if others can locate their animal. After teaching pupils the way that some animal mimic other animals to protect themselves, have pupils draw animals that mimic along with the animal they mimic. Afterward, have pupils share the drawings and try to guess how mimicry helps the animal survive.

Class Zoo

Have pupils create a class zoo containing three-dimensional animal models and informative animal signs such as you might see at the zoo. Pupils use papier mache over a balloon base or found object sculpture to create an animal. Have pupils place newspaper strips, soaked in liquid starch, over balloons to create an easy papier-mache shape; they can add appendages of paper towel roll and then paint. Pupils might also use found objects such as cardboard boxes, Styrofoam pieces and paper tubes to tape together in an animal shape and then paint. Instruct pupils to create an informative sign displaying details about their animal's habitat and traits. Place the animals and signs together in a classroom zoo display.

References

• University of Texas: Science TEKS
• Utah Education Network: Science -- Third Grade
• Boston University: Animal Classifications

Resources

• Nature Works: Camouflage and Mimicry