Save the Animals — Habitat Navigator
Source: Stemoto Original
Transform shoe boxes into different habitats (jungle, desert, river). Scatter small toy animals around the floor. Students must remote-control or code a bot to 'rescue' specific animals and push them back into their correct cardboard biomes.
Categorisation
Props & Materials Required
- •mBot or Cutebot
- •3-4 old shoe boxes
- •Construction paper and paint for decorating habitats
- •Small toy animals or paper cutouts
- •Remote control or coding interface
Step-by-Step Instructions
Build the Habitats
Decorate shoe boxes as different biomes: paint one green with paper trees (jungle), one yellow with sand (desert), one blue with paper waves (river), one white with cotton (arctic).
Scatter the Animals
Place toy animals randomly on the floor between the habitat boxes: elephant near the arctic, penguin near the desert, fish near the jungle — all in the WRONG places!
Plan the Rescue
Discuss: Which animal goes where? The elephant needs the jungle, the penguin needs the arctic, the fish needs the river. Plan the rescue route.
Drive the Rescue Bot
Using the remote control or coding the bot, navigate to each misplaced animal. Push or guide the animal toward its correct habitat box.
Mission Debrief
Once all animals are rescued, review: Why does a penguin need cold water? Why can't a fish live in the desert? Award 'Rescue Ranger' certificates for successful missions!
Why It Works & Notes
Active classification of EVS concepts combined with developing fine motor control and coding skills. The rescue narrative creates emotional investment — children CARE about getting the animals to the right habitat — which drives deeper engagement than a worksheet ever could.
NEP Alignment: Active classification of EVS concepts and developing fine motor control. Curriculum Mapping: EVS (Wild Animals, Habitats). Target Level: Class 1 to 3.