Food Source Habitat

What We're Doing

In this activity, you will research the main food sources for four soil critters and match each critter to the soil habitat type best suited to its food source needs.

Why We're Doing It

Like all organisms, soil critters must have food to survive. Some soil habitats are better than others for finding certain kinds of foods. Therefore, the kind of soil habitat in which different soil critters can live will depend in part on the kind of food they can find there. Because the actions humans take can affect the soil environment, it is important to understand how the soil environment, food sources and soil critters are related.

Making the connection:

  • Doing this activity along with Looking for Life and Rock Flip can help you make connections between the critters you observe and the soil habitat in which they are found.
  • By doing this activity along with Ground Cover, you can apply the information you gather to your own backyard.

Getting Our Hands Dirty

Hypothesize

Which soil habitats are best for earthworms, wolf spiders, and cicadas?

Plan it!

Do it!

  1. Use the What Do Your Backyard Critters Eat? information sheet, the Underground Adventure Field Guide , other field guides, or the Internet to research earthworms, cicadas, wolf spiders, and the fourth critter you chose. Look for information about what each of these critters eats. As you read, put a checkmark on the Critter Food Source worksheet beside the types of food each critter eats.
  2. Check your work by comparing it with that of another student or a teacher. If your information is different, do more research to find out why.
  3. Read the Habitats in Your Backyard information sheet to learn about several different types of soil habitats.

Record it!

  • When you have finished reading the information sheet, draw or cut and paste a picture of each type of soil habitat onto the Food Source Habitat worksheet .
  • Look back at the Critter Food Source worksheet . Think about the main food source for each critter and the descriptions you read of the different soil habitats. On the Food Source Habitat worksheet , put a checkmark to show the soil habitat or habitats in which each critter would live.
  • Add the worksheet to your field journal.

Remember, be sci-wise!

  • Know why. For each checkmark you place on the chart, be able to explain why that critter would do well in that soil habitat.
  • Think it through. If you are unsure which critters might live in the different soil habitats, try to figure it out step by step. First look at what the critter eats. Then, determine if that critter's food source can be found in each soil habitat.

Thinking About It

  • Based on your research, do you think that your hypothesis was correct or incorrect? Why?
  • Thinking about what you learned, what soil critters would you expect to find at your field site? Why?
  • Do you think your field site is a good soil habitat for the critters you researched? Why or why not?
  • Describe how you could use similar information to match larger animals with their habitats.
  • How might human action affect a soil critter's habitat?
  • Complete this section on the Factors That Affect the Soil Overview worksheet .
  • Looking at the bigger picture, how might the information you gathered help you to answer your research question?

Still Interested?

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