Surprise Terrarium

Create a “surprise terrarium” for your classroom with an animal that is hard to spot because of its camouflage. Have students observe the terrarium and describe what they see. Then take a walk on the wild side and go on a nature hike to look for camouflaged animals. Keep a nature journal of what you observe. Choose an animal that uses camouflage (preferably one that you saw one your hike) and do a class study of it. For more great ideas and info on how to create a surprise terrarium use Project WILD’s “Surprise Terrarium”.

Young Child Extension
Create a surprise terrarium for your classroom. Then take young children on a nature hike to look for camouflaged animals. Play a game of animal hide and seek with toy animals, have children hide animals by placing them where they are camouflaged, take turns being the “predator” and finding them! Read books about animal camouflage, try “Where in the Wild? Camouflaged Creatures Concealed…and Revealed” by David Schwartz, Yael Schy, and Dwight Kuhn.

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Arnosky, J. 1995. I See Animals Hiding. Scholastic.
Dewey, J. 1994. Can You Find Me? A Book About Animal Camouflage. Scholastic Trade.
Donati, A. 1995. Animal Camouflage: Fun Facts for Curious Kids. Random House Children’s Books.
Donati, A. 2001. I Wonder Why Crocodiles Float Like Logs and Other Neat Facts About Animal Camouflage. Graymont.
Gilpin, D. 2010. 3-D Close Up: Animal Camouflage. Silver Dolphin Books.
Foley, C. 2000. Find the Wild Animal. Children’s Press (CT).
Heller, R. 1994. How to Hide a Crocodile and Other Reptiles. Penguin Group (USA).
Heller, R. 1995. How to Hide a Meadow Frog and Other Amphibians. Penguin Group (USA).
Heller, R. 1992. How to Hide a Butterfly and Other Insects. Penguin Group (USA).
Jenkins, S. 2001. What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
McDonnell, J. 1997. Animal Camouflage. Child’s World, Inc.
O’Mara, K. 2009. Camouflage: Survival in the Wild. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Otto, C. B. 1996. What Color is Camouflage? HarperCollins Publishers.
Peterson, M. C. 2010. Camouflage Clues: A Photo Riddle Book. A+ Books.
Schwartz, D. M., Y. Schy, and D. Kuhn. 2011. Where in the Wild? Camouflaged Creatures Concealed…and Revealed. Random House Children’s Books.
Smith, P. 2006. Animal Hide and Seek. DK Children.
Tildes, P. L. 2000. Animals in Camouflage. Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.
Weber, B. 2004. Animal Disguises. Kingfisher.
Wood, A. J., and N. Palin. 1996. Hidden Pictures: Find a Feast of Camouflaged Creatures. Lerner Publishing Group.

Grades 3-5
Arnosky, J. 1995. I See Animals Hiding. Scholastic.
Dewey, J. 1994. Can You Find Me? A Book About Animal Camouflage. Scholastic Trade.
Donati, A. 1995. Animal Camouflage: Fun Facts for Curious Kids. Random House Children’s Books.
Donati, A. 2001. I Wonder Why Crocodiles Float Like Logs and Other Neat Facts About Animal Camouflage. Graymont.
Gilpin, D. 2010. 3-D Close Up: Animal Camouflage. Silver Dolphin Books.
Foley, C. 2000. Find the Wild Animal. Children’s Press (CT).
Heller, R. 1994. How to Hide a Crocodile and Other Reptiles. Penguin Group (USA).
Heller, R. 1995. How to Hide a Meadow Frog and Other Amphibians. Penguin Group (USA).
Heller, R. 1992. How to Hide a Butterfly and Other Insects. Penguin Group (USA).
Jenkins, S. 2001. What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Kalman, B. 2005. Camouflage: Changing to Hide. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Mettler, R. 2008. Animal Camouflage. Moonlight Publishing.
McDonnell, J. 1997. Animal Camouflage. Child’s World, Inc.
O’Mara, K. 2009. Camouflage: Survival in the Wild. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Otto, C. B. 1996. What Color is Camouflage? HarperCollins Publishers.
Peterson, M. C. 2010. Camouflage Clues: A Photo Riddle Book. A+ Books.
Powzyk, J. 1990. Animal Camouflage. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.
Schwartz, D. M., Y. Schy, and D. Kuhn. 2011. Where in the Wild? Camouflaged Creatures Concealed…and Revealed. Random House Children’s Books.
Smith, P. 2006. Animal Hide and Seek. DK Children.
Tildes, P. L. 2000. Animals in Camouflage. Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.
Weber, B. 2004. Animal Disguises. Kingfisher.
Wood, A. J., and N. Palin. 1996. Hidden Pictures: Find a Feast of Camouflaged Creatures. Lerner Publishing Group.

Grades 6-8
Harland, J. 1993. Invisible Animals: A Close-Up Look at Animals and Their Camouflage. Running Press Book Publishers.
Mitchell, S. K. 2008. Animals with Crafty Camouflage: Hiding in Plain Sight. Enslow Publishers, Inc.
Petty, K. 2005. Animal Camouflage and Defense. Chelsea House Publishers.
Woodward, J. 2005. Clever Camouflage. Heinemann Library Paperbacks.

Grades 9-12
Owen, D. 1982. Camouflage and Mimicry. University of Chicago Press.
Stevens, M., and S. Merilaita. 2011. Animal Camouflage: Mechanisms and Function. Cambridge University Press.