Dear Teacher,

Welcome to this Classroom Investigation Series 

unit on habitats and wildlife on public lands. 

From its four activities, students will learn about 

the importance of habitat conservation, how 

changes to habitat health affect wildlife, and 

how the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 

monitors and promotes healthy habitats.

The unit is designed for middle school 

students, but it can be adapted for the high 

school and upper elementary levels. The 

activities offer students speaking, research, and 

teaching roles as they progress through the unit.

The activities engage students in using diverse 

cognitive skills such as interpreting written 

material, designing an experiment, and 

creating slideshows to teach one another about 

the diverse habitats and wildlife of the Western 

United States.

The unit supports innovative strategies in 

education, such as:

Inquiry-based instruction: Students develop 

and address questions about habitats based 

on general facts about an animal, and they 

design an experiment that would help land 

managers assess the relative effectiveness 

of strategies to promote healthy habitats.

Social and emotional learning: Students 

participate in small groups in which they 

need to work together, develop slideshows 

to present content to other students, listen 

and speak to one another, and collaborate.

Interdisciplinary instruction: While the unit 

focuses on facts about habitats and wildlife, 

it also addresses key concepts in social 

studies and English language arts. For social 

studies, students examine how a federal 

agency works with other agencies and the 

public to monitor habitats; for English 

language arts, they use evidence to interpret 

documents about wildlife and synthesize 

facts into a slideshow about habitats.

Each activity in the unit takes one or two 

45-minute class periods; the entire unit takes 

six 45-minute periods. The activities work 

best as a collective unit that progresses from 

designing habitats and describing habitat 

monitoring to assessing habitat change and 

designing an experiment on methods of 

promoting healthy habitats.

Curriculum 

Connections

In its entirety, the unit aligns with Next 

Generation Science Standard MS-LS2-1: “Analyze 

and interpret data to provide evidence for the 

effects of resource availability on organisms and 

populations of organisms in an ecosystem.”

The activities address the following essential 

understandings:

•	 A healthy habitat is an area that has enough

food, water, shelter, and living space for an 

animal to survive and reproduce. An area 

that meets the food, water, shelter, and 

space needs for a wildlife species defines

the habitat of that species.

•	 Habitat changes can threaten or benefit

species, causing them to move, adapt, or 

perish or to flourish and thrive.

•	 The BLM’s roles on public lands include

monitoring, preserving, and enhancing, 

where needed, the health of habitats 

to protect and enhance fish and wildlife

populations.

Front Cover: Alaska wildlife. Photo by Bob Wick
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Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

About the Bureau of 

Land Management

The BLM cares for about 245 million acres of 

federally owned public lands, mainly in the 

Western United States and Alaska. These lands, 

representing about one-eighth of our nation’s

land area, belong to all Americans. In addition, 

the BLM administers 700 million acres of 

mineral estate across the entire country.

Public lands are used for many purposes. They 

support local economies, providing Americans 

with coal, oil and gas, forest products, livestock 

forage, and other commodities. As a haven 

for fish and wildlife, they play a critical role in

habitat and resource conservation efforts. They 

embrace some of our country’s most important

historical, archaeological, and paleontological 

sites. Open spaces on public lands offer places 

for people to play, learn, and explore. In recent 

years, some BLM lands have been designated 

as part of the National Conservation Lands, a 

network of lands afforded special status and 

managed almost exclusively to conserve their 

scientific, cultural, educational, ecological, and

other values.

The BLM is responsible for managing public 

lands under the principles of multiple use and 

sustained yield in a manner that best meets the 

current and future needs of the public. With 

so many resources and uses, the BLM’s job is

challenging. Thankfully, countless partners, 

volunteers, and communities provide invaluable 

support, helping the agency carry out its 

stewardship mission. To learn more about your 

public lands and how you can get involved, visit 

http://www.blm.gov.

Landscapes, 

Habitats, and Wildlife

All living things depend on healthy 

habitats for food, water, shelter, and space. 

Imperiled habitat—its loss, degradation, or 

fragmentation—is the main cause of decline 

among wildlife populations in the Western 

United States and across the globe. Some 

wildlife species rely on vast expanses of land 

to accommodate migration, so human activity 

that fragments habitat affects these animals in 

particular. Other creatures require just a few

acres of space, so degradation may be the main 

concern. And when habitats are destroyed, 

wildlife species adapt, move, or perish.

Habitats come in a wide variety of sizes and

scales, from a few acres to thousands of square 

miles. Efforts to protect habitats are usually 

most effective when undertaken at a landscape 

level. Landscapes are large, connected 

geographical regions that have similar 

environmental characteristics. Managing at the 

landscape level provides more of a panoramic 

view as opposed to a snapshot.

A mix of nearby and distant events can 

affect local wildlife habitat conditions. A 

local approach to habitat conservation might 

address nearby challenges and overlook more 

distant occurrences, such as when reduced 

snowpack hundreds of miles upstream impairs 

water quality and ecosystem health near a 

delta. The landscape approach offers land 

managers enhanced information as they make 

decisions about appropriate uses of the land, 

from recreation and cultural preservation 

to oil drilling and solar energy permitting. 

Landscape-level analysis can help managers 

weigh tradeoffs and broad consequences as 

they work with communities; local, state, federal, 

and tribal government agencies; interest groups; 

and businesses to make land use decisions.
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Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Table of Contents

Activity 1: Illustrate Habitat Essentials . . . . . . . 1

Activity 2: Monitor Habitat Health . . . . . . . . . 11

Activity 3: Initiate a Habitat Internet

Investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Activity 4: Design a Habitat Experiment . . . . . 23
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Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Activity 1: Illustrate 

Habitat Essentials

For the Teacher

This activity addresses the following essential 

understanding:

•	 A healthy habitat is an area that has enough

food, water, shelter, and living space for an 

animal to survive and reproduce. An area 

that meets the food, water, shelter, and 

space needs for a wildlife species defines

the habitat of that species.

Overview

In this activity, students define “habitats”

by examining the needs of an animal and 

designing a habitat that satisfies those needs.

This is the first of four activities that introduce

students to habitats and wildlife on public lands.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to (1) define “habitats,”

(2) list the four main benefits provided by

habitats, and (3) describe the various types of 

habitats in the Western United States and their 

diverse scales.

Teacher Preparation

1. Read the “Background Information.”

2. Make enough copies of the animal 

factsheets so that each student in each of 

the five groups has a factsheet about his or

her group’s animal.

3. Make as many copies of the “Note-Taking 

Guide” as needed for all students.

4.	 Provide enough flipchart paper and markers

for five student groups.

Time Estimate

45 minutes
2

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Background Information

fires, hurricanes, mudslides, volcanoes, and

earthquakes can cause abrupt changes. Other 

natural changes may be less drastic, such 

as slight increases or decreases in seasonal 

temperature or precipitation and the natural 

succession of plant communities. Many plants 

and animals can adapt to or evolve with habitat 

changes that occur slowly over hundreds, 

thousands, or millions of years.

Procedure

1. Introduce habitat elements: Discuss how 

habitats provide food, water, shelter, and 

space for wildlife.

2. Form groups: Divide the class into five

groups, in which students will design and 

illustrate a habitat for an animal. Assign 

each group to one of the animals featured 

on the factsheets (one to the pronghorn, 

one to the desert tortoise, and so forth). 

Distribute the animal factsheets, flipchart

paper, and markers to the appropriate groups 

and review the directions on the factsheets.

3. Design habitats: Let students know they 

will have 15 minutes to design and illustrate 

a habitat for their animal and to select one 

or more group members to explain the 

habitat to the rest of the class.

4. Present habitat illustrations and share 

suggestions: Ask the presenters from 

each group to describe the group’s habitat

and display their habitat illustration. 

Encourage everyone else in the class to 

write down questions and suggestions for 

the presenters, using the “Note-Taking 

Guide” as needed. After each presentation, 

invite students to ask their questions or 

share their suggestions. Record suggestions 

on the board and encourage students to 

consider incorporating those that are useful 

and relevant.

5. Summarize the habitat discussion:

Conclude the class by asking students how 

the groups’ habitats illustrate:

•	 what habitat means

•	 the features provided by habitats that

allow wildlife to survive 

•	 the similarities and differences among

the habitats, including the diverse types 

and scales

Note: Save the habitat illustrations created by the 

students for use in activities later in the unit.

The term “habitat” refers to the place where an 

organism lives. For an animal, this place must 

contain resources necessary to sustain a viable 

self-reproducing population: food, water, space, 

and shelter. There are many different types of 

habitats, from forests to grasslands to oceans 

and even cities. Different habitats support 

different communities of plants and animals.

Habitats are constantly changing. Sometimes

natural occurrences such as droughts, diseases, 
3

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Assessment

The students’ illustrations should

indicate how well they understand habitat 

based on a general description of an animal. 

Their questions and suggestions should 

illustrate how well they understand habitat 

features.

Adaptations to Consider

Substitute local wildlife for any of the five

animals provided.

Give students a writing assignment that asks 

them to describe their own habitat, addressing 

In the Field

Have students select a plot of land, either on

school grounds or nearby, and identify and 

illustrate the wildlife and habitats found there. 

They may observe the land over a number of 

months to illustrate continuity and change.

their space, shelter, food, and water needs. If 

students struggle with the concept of habitat 

scales, ask them to nest their habitat features in 

terms of home, neighborhood, city or county, 

state, and region.
4

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Factsheets

Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

Directions: Read the information below about the desert tortoise. Work with the other students 

in your group to design a habitat for the animal, and draw the habitat on flipchart paper. Choose

one or more presenters to share information on your habitat with everyone else in the class. Be 

prepared to answer questions and listen to suggestions from other students after your presentation.

The desert tortoise spends up to 95 percent of 

its life underground. It lives in sandy flats, rocky

foothills, and canyons where it can find the

right kind of soils to construct a den.

Tortoises depend on bushes for shade and 

protection from predators such as ravens and 

coyotes. During spring and summer, tortoise 

burrows vary from 18 inches to 5 feet long but 

may only be a few inches below the surface. 

Winter burrows tend to be about 8 feet long 

and may be 2 to 3 feet below the surface. A 

young desert tortoise will usually stay within 

150 feet of its burrow. As it gets older, it may 

go as far as 3/4 mile in a day using a network 

of burrows.

The tortoises’ diet consists primarily of

wildflowers, grasses, and cacti. During periods

of sufficient rainfall, tortoises drink from

temporary rain pools. In years with low rainfall, 

females may lay few or no eggs. 

This information is from http://www.fws.

gov/nevada/desert_tortoise/dt/dt_life.html. 

Additional information is available on the website. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
5

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus)

Directions: Read the information below about the marbled murrelet. Work with the other students 

in your group to design a habitat for the animal, and draw the habitat on flipchart paper. Choose

one or more presenters to share information on your habitat with everyone else in the class. Be 

prepared to answer questions and listen to suggestions from other students after your presentation.

When they are on the ocean, marbled murrelets 

usually stay within 5 miles of shore and in 

water less than 200 feet deep. Their main 

prey includes small schooling fish such as the

northern anchovy, immature Pacific herring, and

Pacific sardine.

This information is from http://www.nps.gov/

redw/naturescience/marbled-murrelet.htm and 

http://www.fws.gov/wafwo/species/Fact%20

sheets/Factsheet%20MAMU.pdf. Additional 

details are available on these websites. 

The marbled murrelet is a small, diving sea bird 

that spends almost all of its time on the ocean 

resting and feeding. It flies inland to nest.

Marbled murrelets nest in forests where 

there are large trees with large branches or 

deformities that they can use as nest platforms. 

These forests range in size from several 

acres to thousands of acres. Nesting forests 

primarily consist of mixed conifer trees in 

Oregon and Washington and old-growth 

redwoods in California. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
6

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)

Directions: Read the information below about the pronghorn. Work with the other students in 

your group to design a habitat for the animal, and draw the habitat on flipchart paper. Choose

one or more presenters to share information on your habitat with everyone else in the class. Be 

prepared to answer questions and listen to suggestions from other students after your presentation.

Pronghorns are wild grazing animals unique to 

North America. Though people sometimes call 

them pronghorn antelope, they are not related 

to the antelopes of Africa and Asia. Pronghorns 

live across the West in open plains, grasslands, 

and deserts. They eat prairie plants such as 

sagebrush, grasses, and forbs (green, leafy 

plants that are not grasses). The plants provide 

nearly all the water the pronghorns need.

The pronghorn is a plains animal that favors 

wide-open spaces. As winter approaches, 

pronghorn populations in the coldest areas 

travel 150 miles south to get away from deep 

snow, which buries the prairie plants they eat. 

Once spring arrives, these pronghorn make the 

150-mile return trip north.

With an ability to run nearly 60 miles per hour, 

pronghorns may be the fastest land mammal 

in North America, but they will not jump over

anything more than 3 feet high.

This information is from http://www.nwf.org/

wildlife/wildlife-library/mammals/pronghorn.aspx.

Additional details are available on the website. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
7

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

Directions: Read the information below about the greater sage-grouse. Work with the other students 

in your group to design a habitat for the animal, and draw the habitat on flipchart paper. Choose

one or more presenters to share information on your habitat with everyone else in the class. Be 

prepared to answer questions and listen to suggestions from other students after your presentation.

They gradually move to moist areas such as 

streambanks and wet meadows during the 

brood-rearing phase to feed on the forbs and 

insects needed to ensure chick survival. When 

greater sage-grouse return to find that a lek

or nesting area has been disturbed, they have 

difficulty adapting to the changes or finding

substitute habitat.

This information is from http://www.blm.gov/

wo/st/en/prog/more/sagegrouse/conservation.

html. Additional details are available on 

the website.

Greater sage-grouse stand up to 2 feet tall 

and weigh between 2 and 7 pounds. As their 

name suggests, greater sage-grouse live in 

sagebrush steppe habitats that include grasses, 

forbs (other green leafy plants), and shrubs. In 

cold months, the birds shelter under mature 

sagebrush. In spring, males and females 

congregate on leks—large, open flat areas

surrounded by sagebrush—to breed. Individual 

birds often use the same lek year after year.

After mating, hens fly 4-15 miles from the

lek to nest and rear their broods. Hens nest

within the same 2 or 3 square yards every year. 
8

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi)

Directions: Read the information below about the vernal pool fairy shrimp. Work with the other 

students in your group to design a habitat for the animal, and draw the habitat on flipchart paper.

Choose one or more presenters to share information on your habitat with everyone else in the 

class. Be prepared to answer questions and listen to suggestions from other students after 

your presentation.

Vernal pools are wetlands that fill with water

during fall and winter rains and dry up during 

spring and summer. They can be as small as a 

puddle or as large as a lake.

Vernal pool fairy shrimp are translucent, slender 

crustaceans (relatives of lobsters, crabs, 

saltwater shrimp, and barnacles) that live 

only in parts of California and Oregon. They 

are generally less than 1 inch in length, and 

they swim on their backs by slowly moving 

their 11 pairs of swimming legs. They are 

unusual in that they use these same legs for 

breathing and feeding. They eat algae and 

plankton by scraping and straining them from 

surfaces within the vernal pool. Fairy shrimp are 

defenseless and therefore occupy temporary 

ponds where aquatic predators cannot survive.

Vernal pool fairy shrimp hatch when the first

rains of the year fill vernal pools. Adult fairy

shrimp live only for a single season, while there 

is water in the pools. Toward the end of their 

brief lifetime, females produce thick-shelled 

“resting eggs” also known as cysts. During 

the summer, these cysts embed in the dried 

bottom mud, and during the winter, they freeze 

for varying periods. These cysts hatch when the 

rains come again.

This information is from http://www.fws.gov/

oregonfwo/species/data/vernalpoolfairyshrimp/.

Additional details are available on the website. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Dwight Harvey
9

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Note-Taking Guide

Animal: Brief description of habitat:

Food source(s):

Questions or comments about food:

Water source(s):

Questions or comments about water:

Space:

Questions or comments about space:

Shelter:

Questions or comments about shelter:

11

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Activity 2: Monitor 

Habitat Health

For the Teacher

This activity addresses the following essential 

understanding:

•	 The BLM’s roles on public lands include

monitoring, preserving, and enhancing, 

where needed, the health of habitats 

to protect and enhance fish and wildlife

populations.

Overview

In this activity, students explore how the BLM 

and other land management agencies monitor 

the health of habitats.

This is the second of four activities that 

introduce students to habitats and wildlife on 

public lands.

Time Estimate

45 minutes

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to (1) describe a strategy 

for monitoring habitat health, and (2) explain 

the relationship between monitoring and 

improving habitat health.

Teacher Preparation

1. Read the “Background Information.”

2.	 Provide the habitat flipchart papers that

students created in activity 1.
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Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Background Information

surface water. They can also show the different 

plants and shrubs that grow in a given place. 

Some satellites can zoom in on areas as small as 

3 square yards, so scientists can actually pick 

out individual shrubs and identify them.

Satellite imagery can only reveal so much. It 

cannot always help identify all species of plants 

or determine the species of wildlife that inhabit 

an area. For that, a closer look is required. 

Scientists use a variety of tools for on-theground monitoring. Here are descriptions of

some of them:

Transects and plots: It might be impossible 

to count all of the plants, insects, or other 

wildlife in a study area because of the 

immense number of species or the large 

size of the area; therefore, scientists use 

transects and plots.

Scientists use a variety of tools and methods 

to understand habitat health and change. 

They rely on both simple tools and advanced 

technology. The tools vary based on the size 

of the habitat, the purpose for monitoring, and 

other factors.

Studying large, landscape-scale habitats 

involves collecting data at different scales. 

Scientists often use images of the land taken 

by satellites hundreds of miles above the Earth, 

sometimes over an extended period. This 

satellite imagery, together with on-the-ground 

assessments, provides an accurate picture of 

what’s happening and how conditions may have

changed over time.

Satellite images reveal important characteristics 

of the land, such as the location, degree of 

slope, precipitation, elevation, and amount of 
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Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

A transect is a line along which certain 

measurements are taken. A plot is an area 

marked by a tape, line, or fence. After using 

a global positioning system (GPS) to identify 

an exact location, scientists can count 

and study the plants and animals along a 

transect or within a plot. These plants and 

animals represent a sample of what is living 

in the larger area. Using transects and plots, 

scientists can count animals and measure 

vegetation canopy (the layer formed by the 

leafy crowns of plants aboveground), ground 

cover (low-growing plants or shrubs), and 

other habitat details, noting changes over time.

Radio telemetry: Scientists use radio 

telemetry to help track and find a wide variety

of animals—from wolves to ducks to fish—in

the wild. They must first catch the animals to

be tracked. They then either attach a radio 

transmitter to a collar placed around the 

animal’s neck or implant a small transmitter in

or on the animal.

The transmitter emits a beeping signal. A 

receiver and directional antenna pick up the 

signal, providing location data. Scientists 

then plot this data on a map to illustrate an 

animal’s range and learn about its movements

and behaviors.

Densiometer: This device measures canopy 

cover, or density, of vegetation. By looking 

up through a densiometer, researchers can 

determine the approximate percentage of 

sky blocked by vegetation. Canopy cover 

frequently is measured in association with a 

survey (examination and documentation) of 

ground cover.

Bionic ear: This device magnifies sounds and

is useful for observing and studying wildlife. 

The “ear” can be pointed in certain directions 

to pick up animal sounds that otherwise 

would be too faint to hear. The bionic ear 

is especially useful in helping scientists 

determine all the species living in a habitat, 

including those that are active only at night.

Monitoring data can prompt land managers to 

change habitat management practices over time. 

For example, the data may show that always 

putting out wildfires is not the best practice for

habitat health. Wildfire may reduce or eliminate

weeds and invasive species and allow native plants 

that the wildlife depend upon to reestablish.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
14

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Procedure

1. Introduce habitat health: Have students

brainstorm answers to the question, “What 

are the characteristics of a healthy habitat 

for your animal from activity 1?” Write their 

responses on the board.

2. Form groups: Assign students to the same 

animal groups as in activity 1, and ask them 

to describe how they would monitor the 

health of their group’s habitat:

•	 What would they monitor?

•	 What tools/technologies would they use?

•	 How often would they collect data?

•	 How would they present the data?

3. Develop monitoring plans: Give students 

10 minutes to add a monitoring plan to 

their habitat illustrations from activity 1. 

(Provide each group an additional sheet of 

flipchart paper if needed.) Have students

select one or more presenters to share their 

monitoring ideas with the rest of the class.

4. Present monitoring plans and share 

suggestions: Ask the presenters from each 

group to describe their monitoring plans. 

Encourage everyone else in the class to write 

down questions and suggestions for the 

presenters. After each presentation, invite 

students to ask their questions or share 

their suggestions. Record suggestions on the 

board and encourage students to consider 

incorporating those that are useful and 

relevant.

5. Summarize the monitoring discussion:

Conclude the class with a discussion of how:

•	 monitoring plans are alike and different

based on habitat size, setting, and animal

•	 the data they need to collect and the

technology they would use are related

•	 suggestions from other students affected

their ideas about what to monitor

•	 scientists’ views on monitoring and

habitat health have changed over time 

based on results, new technologies, 

and observations over longer periods 

(for example, changing views about 

suppressing wildfires)

Assessment

The students’ monitoring plans

should indicate how well they understand 

the purposes of and methods associated 

with monitoring. Their questions and 

suggestions should illustrate how well they 

understand monitoring.

In the Field

Have students select a nearby plot of land

where they can set up a transect to identify the 

plants and other habitat features there.
15

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Time Estimate

90 minutes

Activity 3: Initiate 

a Habitat Internet 

Investigation

For the Teacher

This activity addresses the following essential 

understandings:

•	 Habitat changes can threaten or benefit

species, causing them to move, adapt, or 

perish or to flourish and thrive.

•	 The BLM’s roles on public lands include

monitoring, preserving, and enhancing, 

where needed, the health of habitats 

to protect and enhance fish and wildlife

populations.

Overview

In this activity, students examine in detail 

how habitat changes affect their animal. They 

develop a slide show, using PowerPoint or 

similar software, with information about the 

animal, habitat changes, and population trends. 

This is the third of four activities that introduce 

students to habitats and wildlife on public lands.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to (1) describe how their 

animal’s habitat is threatened, and (2) explain

the relationship between the health of their 

animal’s habitat and its population.

Teacher Preparation

1. Read the “Background Information.”

2. Make enough copies of the “Internet 

Investigation Worksheet” for each student; 

there is a unique version of the worksheet 

for each animal.

3. Provide at least one computer or tablet with 

Internet access and PowerPoint (or similar) 

software to each of the five groups.
16

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Background Information

and power lines can provide perch sites for 

predators such as common ravens or raptors.

As human populations have grown and expanded 

into lands that once were wild, there has been 

an increased demand for resources from these 

lands. Changes associated with urban expansion 

and development of rural areas directly influence

the number and kinds of plants and animals that 

remain. Scientists study natural and humancaused habitat changes over time to understand 

the associated effects on plants and animals. Once 

scientists understand these effects, they can 

recommend actions to prevent or minimize them.

Procedure

1. Introduce habitat research: Explain that 

students will be consulting some websites 

to learn more about their animal and its 

habitat, after which they will create and 

present a slide show.

2. Form groups: Assign students to the same 

animal groups as in the previous activities. 

Distribute the appropriate “Internet 

Investigation Worksheet” to each group. 

Review the directions and have all groups 

select one or more presenters.

3. Create slide shows: Circulate among the 

groups and provide assistance as necessary. 

Students should complete at least a draft 

of their slide show by the end of the first

45-minute period.

4. Present slide shows: During the second 

45-minute period, have students share 

their slide shows. Ask the presenters 

from each group to describe their animal 

and its habitat. Encourage everyone 

else in the class to write down questions 

and suggestions for the presenters. 

After each presentation, invite students 

to ask their questions or share their 

suggestions. Record suggestions on the 

board and encourage students to consider 

incorporating those that are useful and 

relevant.

5. Summarize the habitat change discussion:

Conclude the class by asking students about:

•	 the animal’s population trend and how it

relates to habitat health

•	 the threats facing each animal and what

threats the animals have in common

People initiate a variety of activities, including 

urbanization, agricultural development, 

manufacturing, recreation, and transportation, 

that can result in habitat changes. Some 

activities, such as building a new shopping 

center in a forested area or building a road 

through a meadow, result in obvious changes 

to habitat. Other activities, such as moving a 

herd of cattle to a new area on the rangeland 

or inadvertently introducing invasive plant 

seeds, result in more subtle changes to habitat. 

The effects on the land from such changes 

develop over many years. Road corridors can 

provide access for invasive plants, for instance, 
17

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Assessment

The slide shows should include 

information addressing items 1-8 on the 

worksheet. When describing their animal’s

population trend, the students should use the 

available information to speculate about why 

the population has changed.

Adaptations to Consider

Add time before step 4 to allow students to 

practice their presentations within their groups 

before they present to the entire class.

Use local wildlife and habitats as substitutes for 

any of the animals in this activity, and provide 

links to websites for the substituted animals 

that address items 1-8 on the worksheet.
18

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Internet Investigation Worksheet for 

Desert Tortoise

Directions: Use the websites below to find and record answers to questions 1-8. Then create a

PowerPoint slide show about your animal and its habitat.

1.	 Where is your animal’s habitat (what states or areas within a state)?

2. What are the space needs of your animal (include migration if your animal migrates)?

3.	 How would you describe the size and scale of its habitat, and why?

4. What type of habitat does it live in? Check all types of habitat used by your animal:

____desert ____coastal

____sagebrush steppe	 ____riparian (adjacent to rivers or streams)

____forest ____grassland

____ocean ____vernal pool

5. What does the habitat provide for your animal in terms of:

Food – where and how does your animal get food?

Water – where and how does your animal get water?

Shelter – what does your animal use for shelter?

Space – how much habitat area does your animal need to get food, water, and shelter?

6. What are your population numbers over time? Use a graph to show this, with time in years on 

the X axis and population numbers on the Y axis. What do you think caused the changes in 

population numbers, and what evidence is there to support your idea?

7.	 What are the 2-3 greatest threats to your animal’s habitat today?

8. Which of these threats have had the greatest effect on your animal? 

Websites:

http://www.fws.gov/nevada/desert_tortoise/dt/dt_life.html

http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe (enter “desert tortoise” in the search box 

and look under “conservation status”)
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Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Internet Investigation Worksheet for 

Marbled Murrelet

Directions: Use the websites below to find and record answers to questions 1-8. Then create a

PowerPoint slide show about your animal and its habitat.

1.	 Where is your animal’s habitat (what states or areas within a state)?

2. What are the space needs of your animal (include migration if your animal migrates)?

3.	 How would you describe the size and scale of its habitat, and why?

4. What type of habitat does it live in? Check all types of habitat used by your animal:

____desert ____coastal

____sagebrush steppe	 ____riparian (adjacent to rivers or streams)

____forest ____grassland

____ocean ____vernal pool

5. What does the habitat provide for your animal in terms of:

Food – where and how does your animal get food?

Water – where and how does your animal get water?

Shelter – what does your animal use for shelter?

Space – how much habitat area does your animal need to get food, water, and shelter?

6. What are your population numbers over time? Use a graph to show this, with time in years on 

the X axis and population numbers on the Y axis. What do you think caused the changes in 

population numbers, and what evidence is there to support your idea?

7.	 What are the 2-3 greatest threats to your animal’s habitat today?

8. Which of these threats have had the greatest effect on your animal?

Websites:

http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/Species/Data/MarbledMurrelet/default.asp

http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe (enter “marbled murrelet” in the search 

box and look under “conservation status”)
20

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Internet Investigation Worksheet for 

Pronghorn

Directions: Use the websites below to find and record answers to questions 1-8. Then create a

PowerPoint slide show about your animal and its habitat. 

1.	 Where is your animal’s habitat (what states or areas within a state)?

2. What are the space needs of your animal (include migration if your animal migrates)?

3.	 How would you describe the size and scale of its habitat, and why?

4. What type of habitat does it live in? Check all types of habitat used by your animal:

____desert ____coastal

____sagebrush steppe	 ____riparian (adjacent to rivers or streams)

____forest ____grassland

____ocean ____vernal pool

5. What does the habitat provide for your animal in terms of:

Food – where and how does your animal get food?

Water – where and how does your animal get water?

Shelter – what does your animal use for shelter?

Space – how much habitat area does your animal need to get food, water, and shelter?

6. What are your population numbers over time? Use a graph to show this, with time in years on 

the X axis and population numbers on the Y axis. What do you think caused the changes in 

population numbers, and what evidence is there to support your idea?

7.	 What are the 2-3 greatest threats to your animal’s habitat today?

8. Which of these threats have had the greatest effect on your animal?

Websites:

http://www.greateryellowstonescience.org/download_product/573/0

http://www.wcsnorthamerica.org/tabid/4368/default.aspx#.VEZC-_kRDuS
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Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Internet Investigation Worksheet for 

Greater Sage-Grouse

Directions: Use the websites below to find and record answers to questions 1-8. Then create a

PowerPoint slide show about your animal and its habitat. 

1.	 Where is your animal’s habitat (what states or areas within a state)?

2. What are the space needs of your animal (include migration if your animal migrates)?

3.	 How would you describe the size and scale of its habitat, and why?

4. What type of habitat does it live in? Check all types of habitat used by your animal:

____desert ____coastal

____sagebrush steppe	 ____riparian (adjacent to rivers or streams)

____forest ____grassland

____ocean ____vernal pool

5. What does the habitat provide for the wildlife in terms of:

Food – where and how does your animal get food?

Water – where and how does your animal get water?

Shelter – what does your animal use for shelter?

Space – how much habitat area does your animal need to get food, water, and shelter?

6. What are your population numbers over time? Use a graph to show this, with time in years on 

the X axis and population numbers on the Y axis. What do you think caused the changes in 

population numbers, and what evidence is there to support your idea?

7.	 What are the 2-3 greatest threats to your animal’s habitat today?

8. Which of these threats have had the greatest effect on your animal?

Websites:

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/sagegrouse/conservation.html

http://www.sagegrouseinitiative.com/sagebrush-community/the-habitat/
22

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Internet Investigation Worksheet for 

Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp

Directions: Use the websites below to find and record answers to questions 1-8. Then create a

PowerPoint slide show about your animal and its habitat. 

1.	 Where is your animal’s habitat (what states or areas within a state)?

2. What are the space needs of your animal (include migration if your animal migrates)?

3.	 How would you describe the size and scale of its habitat, and why?

4. What type of habitat does it live in? Check all types of habitat used by your animal:

____desert ____coastal

____sagebrush steppe	 ____riparian (adjacent to rivers or streams)

____forest ____grassland

____ocean ____vernal pool

5. What does the habitat provide for your animal in terms of:

Food – where and how does your animal get food?

Water – where and how does your animal get water?

Shelter – what does your animal use for shelter?

Space – how much habitat area does your animal need to get food, water, and shelter?

6. What are your population numbers over time? Use a graph to show this, with time in years on 

the X axis and population numbers on the Y axis. What do you think caused the changes in 

population numbers, and what evidence is there to support your idea?

7.	 What are the 2-3 greatest threats to your animal’s habitat today?

8. What effect are these threats having on your animal?

Websites:

https://courses.cit.cornell.edu/icb344/abstracts/vernal-pool-fairy-shrimp.htm

http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe (enter “vernal pool fairy shrimp” in the search 

box, and look under “conservation status”)
23

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Activity 4: Design a 

Habitat Experiment

For the Teacher

This activity addresses the following essential 

understandings:

•	 Habitat changes can threaten or benefit

species, causing them to move, adapt, or 

perish or to flourish and thrive.

•	 The BLM’s roles on public lands include

monitoring, preserving, and enhancing, 

where needed, the health of habitats 

to protect and enhance fish and wildlife

populations.

Overview

In this activity, students design an experiment 

based on what they learned in activities 

1-3 about habitats and wildlife. Experiment 

designs will include a hypothesis (a proposed 

explanation of what threatens a habitat), a 

suggested action to address that threat, a 

prediction of the results, independent and 

dependent variables, a control, and a plan for 

data collection. 

This is the fourth of four activities that 

introduce students to habitats and wildlife on 

public lands.

Time Estimate

90 minutes

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to (1) identify the 

components of a proposed experiment 

about habitat, (2) develop hypotheses and 

predictions concerning habitat conservation 

efforts and the health of wildlife, and 

(3) explain how to monitor habitat health to 

test hypotheses.

Teacher Preparation

1. Read the “Background Information.”

2. Make enough copies of the “Experiment 

Design Worksheet” for each student.
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Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Background Information

Land use managers often have a variety of 

actions they can take to try to reverse declines 

in wildlife populations. It can be challenging for 

them to conduct a real-world test to determine 

which action might be most effective, 

Procedure

1. Introduce habitat experiments: Explain 

that students will be designing (but not 

conducting) an experiment based on the 

information they have gathered from 

activities 1-3.

2. Form groups: Divide students into the 

same five animal groups as in the previous

activities. Distribute the “Experiment 

Design Worksheet,” and ask the students 

to complete the worksheet after explaining 

these steps. Students should:

•	 Select a hypothesized threat to their

animal’s habitat (example: the invasive

plant tamarisk is crowding out the native 

plants that the animal eats).

•	 Propose an action that land managers

could take to stabilize their animal’s

population (example: remove tamarisk 

from the habitat).

•	 Identify the independent variable

(their action) that may cause a change 

in a dependent variable, namely, the 

condition of their animal’s habitat

(example: once we have removed 

tamarisk, there will be enough native 

plants for the animals to eat).

•	 Predict the quantifiable effect they

expect their action to have based on a 

specific amount of the action (example:

physically uproot and remove 50 percent 

of the tamarisk in our plot to increase 

the food supply of native plants by 

25 percent).

•	 Describe a control condition to let them

compare the effect of their action to the 

effect of taking no action. (Define the

term “experimental condition” as the 

environment where the action is taken 

and the term “control condition” as an 

environment that is as similar as possible 

but where no action is taken.)

•	 Describe a data-gathering plan that

would give them the data needed to 

judge the effectiveness of their action

(example: monitor the amount of 

tamarisk, the amount of native plants, 

and the population of their animal).

Ask each of the five groups to select one or

more presenters.

3. Develop experiment designs: Circulate 

among the groups and provide assistance 

as necessary. Students should complete at 

least a draft of their experiment design by 

the end of the first 45-minute period.

4. Present experiment designs: Ask the 

presenters from each group to describe 

particularly if time is limited. Land managers 

often use a scientific approach to choose

among possible actions and monitor habitat 

conditions to gather data about effectiveness 

of those actions.
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Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

the group’s experiment design. After

each presentation, invite students to ask 

questions or share suggestions. Record 

suggestions on the board and encourage 

students to consider incorporating those 

that are useful and relevant.

5. Summarize the experiment design 

discussion: Ask students to describe what 

was challenging about designing the 

experiment, what they would change if they 

were going to design the experiment again, 

and what they and land managers would 

learn if they had the following results: 

•	 Result 1: the population stabilized in

the experimental condition, and the 

population continued to decline as 

before in the control condition.

•	 Result 2: the population continued to

decline as before in the experimental 

condition, while the population 

stabilized in the control condition.

•	 Result 3: the population continued to

decline as before in both the experimental

condition and the control condition.

•	 Result 4: the population stabilized in both 

the experimental and control conditions.

Point out that outside or “confounding” 

variables might produce evidence that 

makes a hypothesis appear invalid. One 

example of a confounding variable is 

an unusual weather event at both the 

control and experimental sites, such as a 

severe drought. Another is an unintended 

consequence of an action, such as when 

increased food supplies attract so many 

predators that the animal that land 

managers want to protect continues to 

be threatened. Ask students why these 

confounding variables do not make an 

experiment a failure.

Assessment

The students’ experiments

should demonstrate their understanding of 

elements such as hypothesis, independent 

and dependent variables, control condition, 

and measurement.

Ask students to design an experiment for a 

habitat in the schoolyard or a nearby area, 

including observation, hypothesis development, 

variable identification, data collection,

and conclusion.

Adaptations to Consider

Give a writing assignment in which students 

reframe a decision they need to make as an 

experiment. For example, have them describe 

how they would develop an experiment if they 

wanted to convince their parents to allow them 

to join a sports team or other activity despite

concerns that their grades would suffer.

Instead of having groups present their 

designs to the entire class, ask two or three 

students from each group to join two or three

students from another group to critique each 

other’s designs.
26

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Show the video from the Sage-Grouse 

Initiative (https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=zNP8jl2nvrg), and ask students to 

(1) identify which monitoring techniques are 

shown, (2) describe the conservation strategies, 

and (3) explain the extent to which efforts in the 

video are supported by experimental evidence 

(i.e., are there hypotheses, independent 

and dependent variables, controls, and data 

collection and analysis?).

In the Field

Ask students to conduct the kind of experiment 

outlined in the activity based on a habitat and 

an animal in the area near your school.
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Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Experiment Design Worksheet

Background

You have learned through the Internet investigation and other activities that the survival of your 

animal is threatened as its population declines. In every case, threats to the habitat are the key 

reason the animal is at risk. Land management agencies such as the BLM have a number of 

options when trying to improve habitat and stabilize the population of threatened animals.

How should land managers choose one action over the others? One of the best ways for them

to choose an action is to conduct a scientific experiment. In this activity, you and your group will

design an experiment that might help land managers choose among options to stabilize the 

animal’s population.

Task

The BLM and its partners want you to advise them about how they should conduct an experiment 

to test the effectiveness of an action that will improve habitat, with a goal of reversing the decline 

of your animal’s population. Refer to your Internet investigation slide show for ideas about the

choices. Here are the steps to follow to design the experiment:

Step 1: Develop a hypothesis that land use managers may test with an experiment. Start by 

identifying an action you think would improve your animal’s habitat.

Step 2: Identify the independent and dependent variables and use them to title your 

experiment. Titles often follow this phrasing: “The Effect of [one thing] on [another thing].”

The “one thing” is an independent variable. It is the habitat-improving action that you think 

the land managers should test.

The “another thing” is a dependent variable. It is the effect you think (but do not know) 

will result from your action. In this case, your dependent variable is the condition of your 

animal’s habitat.

Title: “The Effect of _______________________ on _______________________.”
28

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Step 3: Make a prediction. Use an “if-then” statement to express the result you think your 

independent variable (action) will have on your dependent variable (habitat). Your prediction 

should be specific and measurable; for example, “if 50 percent of the invasive tamarisk plants

are physically removed from the animal’s habitat, then the bulrush plants the animal eats will

increase by 25 percent.”

Prediction

If _______________________________ (precise independent variable),

then ____________________________ (predicted amount of change in dependent variable).

Step 4: Define a control condition. It makes sense to call your experiment “the experimental 

condition.” But you need something to compare that to, such as a condition in which you 

take no action. In this case, you can assume that “the control condition” is that land managers 

would take no action instead of the action you proposed. You will want to gather data from an 

area or plot that is in the control condition—meaning that it is as similar to the experimental 

plot as possible, with the only difference being that you took no action—so you can compare 

that data with data gathered from a plot in experimental condition.
29

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Step 5: Determine the data needed and collect the data. How will you and the land managers

be able to tell whether your action is even beginning to have a positive effect on your animal’s

habitat? List some things that would indicate habitat improvements (under “indicators”). 

Then for each item, describe the data you would collect to give you evidence for how well 

your action worked. Finally, set a timeframe. You may want to base this on the lifespan or 

breeding cycle of your animal. Your slides from the Internet investigation activity may help you 

determine some of the data you need to collect.

Indicators Data Collection Timeframe

31

Classroom Investigation Series, HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

Acknowledgments

Author

Scott Richardson, BLM Education Specialist, 

Division of Education, Interpretation, and 

Partnerships, Washington, DC

Reviewers

Bibi Booth, BLM Deputy Division Chief, 

Division of Education, Interpretation, and 

Partnerships, Washington, DC

Sandra K. Brewer, BLM Acting Program Lead 

for Wildlife, Division of Fish and Wildlife 

Conservation, Washington, DC

McKinney Briske, BLM New Mexico Youth 

Program Lead, Las Cruces, NM

Sally Butts, BLM Deputy Division Chief, 

National Conservation Lands, Washington, DC

Elizabeth Castillo, Sixth Grade Science 

Teacher, Kenmore Middle School, Arlington, 

VA

Joseph Davidson, Fellow, Great Outdoors 

Colorado, Denver, CO

Eileen Davis, BLM VISTA, Las Cruces District 

Office, Las Cruces, NM

Kevin Flynn, BLM Technical Information 

Specialist, Division of Education, 

Interpretation, and Partnerships, 

Washington, DC

Megg Heath, BLM National Education Lead,

Division of Education, Interpretation, and 

Partnerships, Dolores, CO

Janet Lacey, BLM Education Specialist, 

Division of Education, Interpretation, and 

Partnerships, Washington, DC

Jennifer McDonnell, Stormwater Outreach 

Specialist, Office of Sustainability and

Environmental Services, Arlington, VA

Patricia Rizzo, ESOL Instructional Aide, Fairfax 

County Public Schools, Annandale, VA

Matthew Preston, BLM Science Coordinator, 

National Conservation Lands, Washington, DC

Catherine Roberts, Middle School Science 

Teacher and Recipient of the Presidential 

Award for Excellence in Mathematics and 

Science Teaching, Chesapeake, VA

Mary Tisdale, BLM Division Chief, Division of 

Education, Interpretation, and Partnerships, 

Washington, DC

Geoff Walsh, BLM Wildlife Biologist, 

Division of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, 

Washington, DC

Betsy Wooster, BLM National Lead for Youth, 

Division of Education, Interpretation, and 

Partnerships, Washington, DC

Production

Linda Hill, BLM Writer/Editor, National

Operations Center, Denver, CO

Janine Koselak, BLM Visual Information 

Specialist, National Operations Center, 

Denver, CO

Notes:

BLM/WO/GI-15/010+1115

EE2042b

The Division of Education, Interpretation, and Partnerships at the 

Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, produced

this publication. The BLM’s National Operations Center, Information

and Publishing Services Section, provided production services.

Visit www.blm.gov/teachers to explore the BLM’s resources

for educators.

The mention of company names, trade names, or commercial 

products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for 

use by the federal government.

July 2015