Objective: 

The students will learn about the different types of habitats in the Everglades. They will be able to describe and give examples of them. Students will build a water habitat for a snail and observe

• Construction paper
• Glue
• Crayons
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Everglades Journal
• Water Habitat- large clear jar, water, clean gravel, water plants, snails from pet store, magnifying glass

1. Discuss vocabulary: Hammock, Mangrove, Pineland, Sawgrass, Salt Marsh and Slough.
2. View pictures and details about the habitats at  the following sites:
   • Florida Everglades click on birds and habitats
   • Everglades- Alligator Farm click on Snake Shows and Alligator shows
3. Have students make Everglades Journal entries that detail all of the habitats in the Everglades.
4. Have the students choose one habitat. They will make a diorama that shows the plant life and animal life that lives in that habitat.
5. Students will share their completed diorama with the class. They will be able to explain what habitat it is and why.
6. Visit Everglades National Park- Snails 
7. Collect information on the apple snail- where it lives, what it eats, how it eats, what its the apple snail and how it has adapted to living in the swampy water
8. Build a water habitat
9. Directions for Water Habitat
   Fill jar with water
   Let water stand over night
   Add clean gravel and plants to jar
   Put snail in habitat
   Keep jar in well-light place
10. Observe the snails everyday
11. Write questions and answers in Water Habitat Observation Sheet. What do they do? How do they change? How do they move? 
    Use the magnifying glass.
    Tell about the snail habitat. What other animals could live in this habitat?

Evaluation: 

Students will be evaluated on their Water Habitat Observations Sheets based on accuracy and content.

Extension: Salt Marsh Post Card

• Students define a salt marsh- a habitat found near an ocean, bay or sound where the ocean tide comes in and floods part or all of it.
• Visit Salt Marshes and Mud Flats to collect information on their value and what they do
• 1. Salt marshes store water during heavy rain, thereby prevent flooding, 2. Salt marshes are home to many birds, fish and animals and 3. Salt marshes help filter water to prevent pollution
• Visit World Book- Wetlands and Cyber Zoo. List names of animals that live in salt marshes and describe how they have adapted to marsh life. Example: the mussel, a shellfish, closes its shell when the tide goes out. It opens its shell again when the tide returns with food and oxygen
• Using desktop publishing, create a large table with two columns and one row for post card back
• Create one large table, same size, use ruler, with one column and one row for post card front
• On front of post card draw or insert the picture of a marsh animal
• On the back of the post card, left side, give facts about the animals and how it has adapted to the marsh land
• On the back of the post card, right side, address post card to a friend or class mate
• See Post Card Template

Homework: Practice addressing post cards:

Name of person post card is sent to
House number with street name or number
(apartment number if applicable)
City, state, zip code