Georgia State Animals & Plants: Habitats and Adaptations

A GC&B Puppet Show Script

Description: These scripts discuss the habitats and adaptations of six animals and one plant found in Georgia. A full-length script is included that requires 45-60 minutes for the production, as well as a condensed script which requires approximately 20-30 minutes. Characters in the script are Georgia State Symbols, plus a penguin as Master of Ceremonies:
State Marine Mammal: Right Whale State Butterfly: Tiger Swallowtail State Reptile: Gopher Tortoise State Wildflower: Azalea State Amphibian: Green Tree Frog State Fish: Largemouth Bass State Possum: Pogo (We have met the enemy, and he is us comic)

Materials: The following puppets are needed for this production:

Penguin Right Whale Gopher Tortoise Green Tree Frog Opossum Swallowtail Butterfly Azalea Bush (Use as a stick puppet; artificial flowers purchased at a craft store) Largemouth Bass

A toolkit that contains puppets and scripts may be borrowed from Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. To schedule a loan of these kits, contact Brenda McDaniel, Education Manager, at bmcdaniel@gwinnettcb.org or 770-8225187. Additionally, puppets may be purchased commercially or be made by students. Hand puppets may be used as well as stick puppets, sock or paper bag puppets, marionettes, etc. A puppet theater could be used if desired; a refrigerator box may be cut out and decorated; or students may use a desk or table that has a skirt or front to conceal puppeteers. Backgrounds of the habitats may be drawn and taped to a wall behind the stage area. Soft music may be added if desired; nature sounds are especially appropriate. The Teacher Resources page includes links for coloring pages, background information, puppet templates, etc. Essential Questions: 1. What animals and plants are Georgia State Symbols? 2. For each plant and animal in the play, what is their natural habitat? 3. For each plant and animal in the play, what adaptations to their environment help them survive? AKS: (3SC_D2006-12) Investigate the habitats of different organisms & the dependence of organisms on their habitat. 12a - differentiate among the habitats of Georgia (mountains, marsh/swamp, coast, piedmont, Atlantic Ocean) and the organisms that live there 12b - identify features of green plants that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia 12c - identify features of animals that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia 12d - explain what will happen to an organism if the habitat is manipulated/changed (3SC_D2006-13) Explain the effects of pollution and humans on the environment 13a - explain the effects of pollution (littering) to the habitats of plants and animals 13b - identify ways to protect the environment such as conservation of resources and recycling of materials (3LA_A2005-6) Listen to and view a variety of media to acquire information (3LA_B2005-8) Listen to, read, comprehend and identify a variety of literary and informational texts (3LA_B2005-12) Integrate language structure, meaning clues, phonetic strategies and sight vocabulary when reading text orally and silently (3LA_B2005-18) Summarize important ideas in informational text
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Georgia State Animals & Plants: Habitats and Adaptations

A GC&B Puppet Show Script

(4SC_D2006-16) Explain various factors (adaptation, variation, behavior, external features) that affect the survival or extinction of organisms (4LA_A2005-3) Demonstrate listening comprehension through restating main ideas and details, inferring, summarizing, offering opinions and drawing conclusions (5LA_A2005-1) Demonstrate listening comprehension through restating main ideas and details, inferring, summarizing and making generalizations

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Georgia State Animals & Plants: Habitats and Adaptations

A GC&B Puppet Show Script

Teacher Resources for background information and extensions

Georgia State Symbols: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/house/kids/elemsymbols.htm Georgia Wildlife Resources: http://www.georgiawildlife.org/educatorresources_education.aspx Georgia regions: http://www.promotega.org/uga07010/ (page by a 3rd grade class) Map links: http://www.netstate.com/states/maps/ga_maps.htm Okefenokee Map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Okefenokeelocatormap.png Urban habitats (Atlanta): http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/atlanta_urban_wildlife/backyard_herps/index.html Right whale- Getting Whale Conservation Right: http://www.wildlifetrust.org/enter.cgi?p=news/2007/0201_2_whales.shtml Right whale lesson plans and stick puppet pattern: http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/profbooks/whales.htm Gopher Tortoise: http://www.uga.edu/srel/edpubs/gopher.htm Gopher tortoise pictures and information: http://www.nbbd.com/godo/ef/gtortoise/ Green Tree Frog :USGS Page- sound, movie: http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/education/Herpetology/herpetology.html http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/herps/Frogs_and_Toads/H_cinerea/h_cinerea.html Green tree frog adaptations: http://www.stuartholme.com/eureka/frogs/web%20page%20frog/adaptatins.htm Opossum coloring page and word find: http://www.opossumsocietyus.org/fun_for_the_joeys.htm GA DNR Fact Sheet: http://www.goboatgeorgia.com/content/displaycontent.asp?txtDocument=451 Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly: Great close-up photos, including feeding with proboscis: http://www.cirrusimage.com/butterfly_etigerswallow.htm Kids butterfly activities: http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/kids.htm Enchanted Learnings butterfly pages: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/ Swallowtail Butterfly black-line drawing to color: Scroll down to Coloring page: Tiger Swallowtail butterfly: http://www.abcteach.com/directory/basics/science/animals/bugs/ Butterfly puppet bags: http://www.crayola.com/crafts/detail/butterfly-puppet-party-bags-craft/ Native Azaleas: http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/flint_river/wildnotes/index.html See Photo Album for pictures of natives: http://www.mindspring.com/~earlsommerville/home.htm Largemouth bass: Description- http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Micropterus_salmoides/ Kids page: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/fish/largemouthbass.htm Coloring page: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/kids/fun_stuff/color/color_largemouth_bass.phtml
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