Check it! - Habitats - Year 2

In a Year 2 educational resource, students are encouraged to explore the reasons behind animals choosing their specific habitats. The material prompts children to think critically about the natural world and the various factors influencing where different creatures live. To reinforce their understanding and retention of information, the resource suggests incorporating regular review opportunities into the learning process. Techniques such as 'Brain dump', 'Give me FIVE!', 'Add to my mind map', 'Expand and Elaborate', and 'Retrieval Pyramids' are recommended to help students consolidate their knowledge in a dynamic and engaging way.

The resource includes a variety of activities designed to check students' comprehension. For instance, children might be asked to list as many UK creatures as they can, or to name five animals that lay eggs and five facts about dangerous river creatures. To deepen their understanding, they are encouraged to 'Expand and Elaborate' on statements about animal habitats, such as discussing why food availability is a crucial factor for a creature's habitat choice. Additionally, the 'Pyramid Check' activity is structured to ensure all pupils can answer the simpler questions at the base, while the more challenging ones are placed higher up, providing differentiated levels of difficulty to accommodate varying abilities within the classroom.