Lesson Summary Students consider physical factors as part of the microhabitat meeting the needs of organisms.  They complete the group-recording sheet for two locations with factors including: wetness, temperature, light, hardness, and protection of the area.  The activities are repeated on a different day and at a different time. Teacher Background Students will begin to understand how the physical factors of a site can impact the diversity and number or organisms found.  Students will reflect on lesson six and about the sites they explored with more/less organisms.  Today’s exploration will have students exploring and thinking about the physical factors that may influence which organisms are found in a particular site. Set-up/Management Tips This lesson takes 2 45-minute sessions. Be sure you review ground rules for the study areas.  (i.e. always walk, use inside voice, stay at your hoop site...) The recording sheets for this session can be confusing for students, be sure to model the recording in the classroom first.  Bring extra pencils in case students lose or break the ones they brought. Provide students with clipboards for their recording sheet. Hula-Hoops are great for marking study areas. You will need to copy the student-recording sheet found at the end of the lesson. Try to return to the study sites on a day where the weather conditions are different than those present on the first day.  This will enable students to see how weather can be a factor as well. Literacy Support Scientific Vocabulary The following words are key vocabulary words that will be introduced in this lesson and reinforced throughout the unit: Condition                        Factor                        Moisture                        Extreme