Grade by Grade
B. Life Systems · Growth and Changes in Animals

Protecting Animals and Their Habitats

B1.2 A1.3 A3.1 A2.2About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can describe ways people's actions harm animals and their habitats.
  • I can describe things people do to protect animals, like wildlife crossings and planting milkweed.
  • I can use the engineering design process to design something that helps animals.
  • I can tell how technology and code help scientists protect animals.

Words to know

habitat
The natural home of an animal, where it finds food, water, shelter and space.
pollution
Harmful things, like garbage, oil or chemicals, that get into the air, water or land.
species at risk
A kind of animal or plant that is in danger of disappearing from the wild.
wildlife crossing
A bridge or tunnel that helps animals cross a road safely.
engineering design process
Steps engineers use to solve a problem: ask, imagine, plan, build, test, improve.
technology
Tools and machines people make to solve problems, like cameras, computers and tracking collars.

Why did the turtle cross the road?

In June, a mother painted turtle leaves her pond to find sandy ground to lay her eggs. But there is a busy road in the way! Every year, many turtles are hit by cars while crossing roads.

In Ontario there are 8 kinds of turtles, and all of them are species at risk. People's actions can hurt animals, but people can also help them.

A painted turtle with red and yellow markings resting on a log in a pond.
A painted turtle, one of Ontario's turtles. Protecting ponds and helping turtles cross roads safely keeps them alive. AI-generated image

How people's actions can harm animals

  • Cutting down forests and draining wetlands to build houses, roads and farms takes away animals' habitats.
  • Roads cut habitats in two. Animals get hit when they cross.
  • Pollution and litter get into water and land. Fishing line and plastic can tangle birds like loons.
  • Windows on houses and buildings: birds see the sky or trees reflected in the glass and fly into it. Millions of birds hit windows in Canada every year.
  • Pet cats that go outside catch many birds.
  • Bright lights at night can confuse birds that migrate in the dark.
ProblemWhat people can do
roads in animal habitatswildlife crossings: bridges and tunnels for animals; fences that lead animals to them; "turtle crossing" signs
birds hitting windowsput stickers, dots or tape on the outside of windows so birds see them
losing habitatprotect parks and wetlands; plant trees
fewer monarchs and beesplant milkweed and native flowers; use fewer bug-killing sprays
litterpick up litter; cut up plastic rings; never leave fishing line behind
cats catching birdskeep cats indoors or in a closed outdoor area
lights confusing birdsturn off lights at night that are not needed
Problems for animals, and practices that help

Real solutions in Canada

  • In Banff National Park in Alberta, there are more than 40 wildlife crossings over and under the Trans-Canada Highway. Bears, elk, wolves and many other animals use them.
  • In Ontario, some roads have tunnels with fences that guide turtles and snakes safely under the road.
  • Many schools and families plant pollinator gardens with milkweed for monarchs.
pondroadtunnel under the roadfencefencesandy ground (where turtles lay eggs)seen from above
Fences stop turtles from walking onto the road and guide them to a tunnel, so they can travel safely between the pond and the sandy ground.

Technology and code help protect animals

Scientists use technology to learn where animals go, so they know where to build crossings or protect habitat.

  • Trail cameras turn on by themselves when an animal walks by. Computer code can help sort thousands of photos to find which animals were there.
  • Tracking collars on animals like caribou send their location to a computer, so scientists can see their paths on a map.
  • Families can take photos of animals with a phone app and share them with scientists. You can be a helper too!
Worked example

Let's solve the turtle problem (engineering design)

Turtles keep getting hit on a road between a pond and a sandy beach where they lay eggs. Use the engineering design process.

  1. Ask: What is the problem? Turtles cross the road to lay eggs and get hit by cars.
  2. Imagine: Ideas: a "turtle crossing" sign, a lower speed limit, a tunnel under the road, a fence that leads turtles to the tunnel.
  3. Plan: Choose a tunnel plus fences. The fence stops turtles from walking onto the road and guides them to the tunnel.
  4. Build: Make a model with a cardboard tube (tunnel) and craft sticks (fence) beside a paper road.
  5. Test: Push a toy turtle along the fence. Does it reach the tunnel? Does it fit through?
  6. Improve: The toy got stuck at a gap in the fence, so we close the gap. Test again.

A tunnel with fences gets turtles safely under the road. Adding a sign helps drivers too. Engineers test and improve until it works.

1. Ask2. Imagine3. Plan4. Build5. Test6. ImproveThen tryagain!
The engineering design process is a loop. After you test, you improve the design and test again, like closing the gap in the turtle fence.
Worked example

Let's think about the impacts of a new building

A town plans to build a new store with big glass windows next to a forest. How might it affect birds? What can the builders do?

  1. Impact on habitat: Some trees will be cut down, so birds lose places to nest and find food.
  2. Impact of windows: Birds might see trees reflected in the glass and fly into it.
  3. Fixes: Keep as many trees as possible. Plant new native trees. Use window glass with dots or patterns birds can see. Turn off lights at night.

The building has negative impacts, but good planning makes them smaller.

Imagine this

If turtle tunnels had a sign, it might say: "Turtles only. Speed limit: very, very slow."

Hands-on activity

Design a backyard helper for animals

You need: recycled materials (a clean juice or milk carton, cardboard, string, tape, sticks), scissors (with a grown-up), and bird seed or water.

Choose a problem: Birds need food in winter, or birds need water in summer.

  1. Ask: What do the birds need?
  2. Imagine: Draw 2 ideas for a bird feeder (or a water dish holder).
  3. Plan: Choose one. List your materials.
  4. Build it with a grown-up. Make a perch and a hole for birds to reach the seeds. Hang it with string.
  5. Test: Hang it near a window or tree. Count the birds that visit in 15 minutes, twice a day, for a few days.
  6. Improve: Did seeds spill? Was the perch too small? Change one thing and test again.

Safety: A grown-up handles the scissors or any sharp edges. Hang feeders closer than 1 metre to a window, or more than 10 metres away, so birds do not crash into the glass.

What to look for: using all the design steps, a working feeder, and one improvement after testing.

Your turn

1

Name 2 ways people's actions can harm animals' habitats.

2

What is a wildlife crossing?

3

How can you help stop birds from hitting windows?

4

Why should you plant milkweed?

5

Name the 6 steps of the engineering design process.

6

How do trail cameras help scientists?

7

How many kinds of turtles in Ontario are species at risk?

More practice: warm-up

1

What is a habitat?

2

Is picking up litter helpful or harmful to animals?

3

Where can you find more than 40 wildlife crossings?

4

What should you do with fishing line when you are done fishing?

5

Name one thing that can help cats stop catching birds.

More practice: on your own

1

Why do turtles cross roads in June?

2

Why are fences needed with a turtle tunnel?

3

How do tracking collars help protect caribou?

4

Why can bright lights at night be a problem for birds?

5

A school wants to help bees and monarchs. Give 2 ideas.

Challenge

1

Your bird feeder spilled seeds everywhere when you tested it. Which design step are you on now, and what could you do?

2

A new road will go through a forest where deer and foxes live. Describe one negative impact and two ways to make it smaller.

3

How can computer code help scientists who have 10,000 trail-camera photos?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which human action harms animal habitats?

2.

What is a wildlife crossing?

3.

What helps birds not fly into windows?

4.

What comes right after build in the engineering design process?

5.

How does a tracking collar help scientists?

6.

What can families plant to help monarchs?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Human activities (building, roads, pollution, windows, outdoor cats, light at night) affect animals and habitats, and people can use practices that reduce harm (B1.2). Real Canadian solutions include the Banff wildlife crossings and turtle eco-passages in Ontario (A3.1).

Engineering design (A1.3): Ask, imagine, plan, build, test, improve. The goal is the process, especially improving after a test, not a perfect product.

Technology (A2.2): Trail cameras, tracking collars and photo-sharing apps show how coded technology affects how we learn about and protect wildlife. Community science apps (for example iNaturalist) let families contribute sightings with a grown-up's account.

Accuracy and safety notes: All eight Ontario turtle species are listed as species at risk. If you help a turtle cross a road, only do it when it is safe, move it in the direction it was going, and let an adult handle snapping turtles (they bite). Feeder placement within 1 metre of a window or farther than 10 metres reduces collisions.

Common difficulties:

  • Feeling worried or sad about harm to animals. Keep the focus on the many things people, including kids, do to help.
  • Skipping the test-and-improve steps. Ask, "How do you know it works? What would make it better?"

How to help: Put decals on a window that birds hit, plant a pot of native flowers, or take part in a local litter clean-up.