Hermit Habitats

1
Hermit Habitats

• A Third Grade STEM Project

2
Habitats
Read A Home for Hermit Crab by Eric Carl

• A habitat is the home of a living thing.
• A living thing depends on its habitat for its
  food, water, and shelter.
• What is a bears habitat? How does it get food,
  water, and shelter?

3
Your Challenge

• Each group will design a home for our hermit
  crabs.
• We will test and see which habitat the crabs
  prefer by allowing the crabs to choose the
  habitat that best meets their needs.
• We will chart the number of crabs that choose
  each habitat every day.

4
By the end of this project, you will be able to
say
S I can identify the elements a living thing gets from its habitat.
T I can use a digital camera to document the hermit crabs daily activity.
E I can use the Engineering Design Process build a hermit crab habitat.
M I can use a tally chart, a bar graph, and a pictograph to record data.
5
What is the Engineering Design Process?
Ask
Imagine
Plan
Create
Improve
6
What materials can we use?

• Each class will have a plastic habitat to fill
  with the materials they feel will best attract
  hermit crabs. The materials you may choose to
  use are
• -Grass -Moss
• -Sticks -Sponges
• -Drink Options -Food options
• -Cardboard -Small cups
• -Construction Paper -Craft Sticks
• You may also bring in additional items from home.
  (You might want to do a little research at home
  about what they like.)

7
Groups

• Each group will be responsible for one habitat
  box.
• Every day, we will check to see where the crabs
  are living and then make adjustments to try to
  attract more crabs.

8
Things to Consider

• Are crabs carnivores, omnivores, or herbivores?
• How do crabs drink?
• What kind of bedding do crabs prefer?
• Are crabs nocturnal or diurnal?