In The Mysterious Abductions, animals are disappearing without a trace, and it’s up to the Nocturnals—Dawn the fox, Tobin the pangolin, and Bismark the sugar glider—to find them! The characters in The Nocturnals are just three of millions of animals living on this planet. They live in the same forest habitat; however, in real life, these animals live in forests in different parts of the world. All creatures need a natural habitat that provides the resources they need to survive.

Activity: Can you build an animal its very own mini habitat that meets all its needs? 

Make a mini habitat for nocturnal animals like a pangolin, sugar glider, or fox using the information in The Nocturnals nonfiction books, or choose your own animal to research.
This activity is great for animal adaptations units and supporting environmental literacy!

STEP 1. INTRODUCTION

Ask kids: What is a habitat? A habitat is the environment in which a plant or animal lives and grows. Animals need five things: air, food, water, shelter, and space. All creatures need a natural home, or habitat, that provides the resources they need to survive. 

STEP 2. HABITAT RESEARCH

Use The Nocturnals Graphic Organizer Printable to guide students through researching the different components of a habitat, like food sources, plants, ground, shelter, and surroundings. Students can then record their findings and draw pictures. The printable even includes word banks to help them get started.


Students can use The Nocturnals nonfiction books to jump-start their research.
Learn more about our nonfiction companion books. 




STEP 3. MY HABITAT PLAN

Next, help students translate their findings into a list of supplies and form a plan for their habitat using the graphic organizer. What colors will they incorporate?
What materials will they use?








STEP 4. GATHER SUPPLIES

Required Materials: Students will need these, or similar, materials to create their habitat.

• Your habitat plan
• Shoebox or other container
• Scissors
• Glue
• Tape

Example Supplies: Customize to your classroom or library’s needs. These are just suggestions. What else can you think of? Get creative!

• From nature: leaves, twigs, rocks, moss
• Craft materials: crayons, markers, paint, paper, cotton balls, etc.
• Recycled goods: toilet paper rolls, found objects, product packaging
• For an added eco-friendly challenge, ask students to make their habitats entirely out of recycled items!

STEP 5. BUILD

After students have planned their mini habitats, it’s time for them to get building. Have them start with the shoebox or container of their choice to make sure what they will create will fit inside.

Keep design thinking in mind! Remind students that prototyping and testing is part of the creative process and that it’s ok if their plans change. When they’re done, encourage students to show off their habitat to friends and family and share what type they decided to make, why they chose it, and what animal(s) they built their habitat for. Remind students to show them how they met the basic needs of their animal(s).