Ask the students to separate their squares of paper into piles according to the letter on each. Using a chalkboard or large pad for a visual reference, ask the students to guesss what the letters on the green cards represent - giving them the clue that each is an element of cover or shelter for a black bear. Record how many bears got at least one of each kind of shelter. For the purposes of this activity, only those bears with at least one of each kind of necessary shelter can survive through one year. Suggesting that the students need one of each kind of shelter represents the importance of appropriate shelter as a necessary component of an animal's habitat.
Shelter is a very important part of a bear's habitat.
A bear needs shelter in which to search for food and water. Ask the students to summarize what they have learned about the importance of suitable habitat for bears' survival. Describe some of the factors which may limit the survival of an animal that lives in your area. Invent a board game to demonstrate some of the limiting factors associated with wildlife. III.A.1, III.B., III.B.1.