Create a stunning animal triorama with me that highlights the habitat and food chain of the wolf. Also, look at my page Trioramas: How To Create Engaging Visual Narratives For Kids for more ideas.
The food chain is pretty simple.
Plants, shrubs, and trees are the main producers in a forest food web.
They use photosynthesis to create their own food.
When they are eaten by primary consumers (herbivores like deer and elk) the energy and nutrients move from plants to the herbivores consuming them.
And then to the carnivores or omnivores preying upon the herbivores.
Wolves are tertiary consumers/top carnivores in the chain because they are at the top of the food chain.
They prefer to eat large hoofed mammals such as deer, elk, bison, and moose.
But they will also hunt smaller mammals such as beavers, rodents, and hares.
Besides ruling at the top of the food chain, wolves live and thrive in diverse habitats from the tundra to woodlands, forests, grasslands and deserts.
We will recreate one of those habitats in our triorama as well as learning fascinating facts about these apex predators.
And even choose another hands-on activity or two to round out a study.
BOOKS ABOUT WOLVES FOR KIDS
First, look at some of these books about wolves.
Reading and learning about wolves through living books is our preferred way to learn.
10 Books About Wolves
Add some of these fun books about wolves to your home library. Use them for a fun wolf unit study or just reading for the day.
Newbery Medalist Jean Craighead George lovingly tells the story of three wolf pups--from the moment they open their eyes to the time they lead the hunt. Lyrical passages in her wolf pup diary describe how the pups tumble and play and when they first learn to howl and talk wolf talk. Readers are reminded of the changes in nature that are happening in the lower 48 states as they "look to the north" to watch the wolf pups grow. Jean George's words and Lucia Washburn's breathtaking paintings give the reader a rare glimpse of one of nature's noblest creatures: the wolf.
To her small village, she is known as Miyax; to her friend in San Francisco, she is Julie. When her life in the village becomes dangerous, Miyax runs away, only to find herself lost in the Alaskan wilderness.
Miyax tries to survive by copying the ways of a pack of wolves and soon grows to love her new wolf family. Life in the wilderness is a struggle, but when she finds her way back to civilization, Miyax is torn between her old and new lives. Is she the Miyax of her human village—or Julie of the wolves?
Discovered in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children. Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. A recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must eliminate their canine tendencies.
From Jack London, one of the greatest American writers of all time, comes this masterpiece in adventure story telling: WHITE FANG!!!
Can White Fang the timber wolf pup ever be tamed? WHITE FANG (PART 1 of 2) examines the violent world of wild animals and the equally violent world of humans. WHITE FANG! A tale of animal heroism, survival and adventure like never before seen in American literature.
Introduces young readers to the beauty and majesty of these creatures of the wild, the areas in which they live and breed today, and the way they almost came to extinction at the hands of man through intentional acts of persecution during the past one hundred years.
This gripping novel about survival and family is based on the real story of one wolf’s incredible journey to find a safe place to call
home. Illustrated throughout, this irresistible tale by award-winning author Rosanne Parry is for fans of Sara Pennypacker’s Pax and Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan.
Swift, a young wolf cub, lives with his pack in the mountains learning to hunt, competing with his brothers and sisters for hierarchy, and watching over a new litter of cubs. Then a rival pack attacks, and Swift and his family scatter.
Alone and scared, Swift must flee and find a new home. His journey takes him a remarkable one thousand miles across the Pacific Northwest. The trip is full of peril, and Swift encounters forest fires, hunters, highways, and hunger before he finds his new home.
Describes the experiences of a wolf pack in the Toklat Pass of Alaska during the November moon.
When Andy Evans stumbles upon the snow-covered wreckage of a small plane, he’s shocked to find a survivor. Should he put the gravely injured dog out of his misery? The look in the animal’s eyes says he’s not ready to die. It turns out that Kävik’s a champion sled dog, and soon he makes a full recovery. When his rightful owner finds out Kävikvis alive, he wants the dog back. But Kävik has other ideas.
Yellowstone National Park's majestic geologic wonders and remarkable wildlife draw millions of visitors each year. But there was a time when these natural treasures were in great danger, all because after years of unrestricted hunting, one key piece of the puzzle had been eliminated-the wolf. Now, more than a decade after scientists realized the wolves' essential role and returned them to Yellowstone, the park's natural balance is gradually being restored. The informative dual-level text and spectacular full-color photographs show the wolves in the natural habitat that was almost lost without them. Readers of all ages will be inspired by the delicate natural system that is Yellowstone.
Feo’s life is extraordinary. Her mother trains domesticated wolves to be able to fend for themselves in the snowy wilderness of Russia, and Feo is following in her footsteps to become a wolf wilder. She loves taking care of the wolves, especially the three who stay at the house because they refuse to leave Feo, even though they’ve already been wilded. But not everyone is enamored with the wolves, or with the fact that Feo and her mother are turning them wild. And when her mother is taken captive, Feo must travel through the cold, harsh woods to save her—and learn from her wolves how to survive.
There are three widely recognized species of wolves in the world, the red, the gray, and the Ethiopian wolf.
However, there is debate over how many there actually are with various subspecies and whether some should be considered their own species.
WOLF FACTS
Our project focused on the timber wolf, the largest and most commonly known but you can choose any one you like and create a habitat and food cycle to match it.
Too, look at these facts about wolves.
- Wolves live in family groups called packs, which typically consist of a breeding pair (the alpha male and alpha female), their offspring, and other nonbreeding adults.
- Howling is one of the most iconic wolf behaviors. Wolves howl for various reasons, including communicating with other pack members, marking territory, and attracting mates.
- Their thick fur protects them from harsh weather and comes in various colors, including gray, white, black, and brown. The color often helps them blend in with their surroundings.
- Wolves are carnivores and primarily feed on meat, they are very skilled hunters and work together to take down large prey such as deer, elk, moose, and caribou.
- They need a lot of space to supply them with enough prey. The territories of Gray wolves range from 50 to 1,000 square miles and they will travel up to 30 miles a day when hunting.
Then look at these other themed ideas.
MORE TRIORAMA IDEAS
- How to Make an Easy Rainforest Triorama With Kids
- How to Make a Water, Land, and Sky Animal Habitat Triorama
- How to Make an Amazing Shakespeare Triorama Book Report
- How to Make a Cool Greek Mythology Triorama With Kids
- How to Make a Giant Triorama Project About Cherokee Culture
- How to Make A Desert Triorama About the Gobi, Sahara, & Antarctica
- Amazing Geography Landforms: An Engaging Triorama Tutorial for Kids
- How to Make a Triorama Teaching the Primary Colors with Dollar Tree Supplies
- How To Build A Water Habitat Triorama With Kids
- How to Craft a Stunning Wolf Animal Triorama
- How to Make a Biome Triorama That Explores Alaska’s Amazing Features
- How to Make a Native American Triorama Highlighting Tribes in 3 Regions
- How to Make A Pyramid Diorama For States Of Matter
- The Wonders of the Great Barrier Reef: An Ecosystem Triorama
Then, look at these hands-on activities to learn about wolves.
HANDS-ON WOLF CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES
Create a simple Paper Plate Wolf Craft using one of the most inexpensive and versatile craft supplies around.
Julie of the Wolves Free Hands-on Arctic Unit Study
This Felt Covered Wolf Notebook Tutorial is perfect for middle and highschoolers, they can even use it as a special project to hold their research while studying wolves.
Look at wolf scat here at my post 10 Gross Scat Facts and How to Make Edible Scat.
If you are looking for a beautifully aesthetic sensory play activity this Midnight Moon Play Box is gorgeous.
Learn How to Make the Cutest Yarn Pom Pom Wolves here.
Watch Wolves for Kids and learn more about these beautiful but dangerous creatures.
Finally, look at how to make this wolf animal triorama.
HOW TO CRAFT A STUNNING WOLF ANIMAL TRIORAMA
You will need:
- Any size square of cardstock
- Plastic wolf
- Plastic prey animals-elk, deer,etc…
- Markers,crayons
- Scissors
First, to quickly create an 8×8 square from a standard sized cardstock sheet ( 8.5×11) you just need to fold one corner down like this until it is lined up with the bottom.
Usually, we would cut this part off to make a perfect square, but for this triorama we are just going to fold it back out of the way and use it later.
Fold the opposite corner in the same way, as you make each fold press in the crease well to give it sharp folds.
Open the square and cut from one outer corner to the center, mark one triangle on either side of the cut to be the base that will be tucked under and not seen.
You want this to be on a corner opposite the excess flap of paper.
On the remaining corners we are going to highlight one of 3 different parts of the food chain, the wolf, a prey animal, and the last for the vegetation that the prey animal eats.
Use crayons, markers, or colored pencils to color in the background for each scene. You can also use real grass or moss to create more dimension.
Have your child label each of the triangles with the animal or food represented.
Now on the remaining flap your child can write a paragraph about the food chain they have created to finish it off.
Fold the cut piece one side behind the other and glue into place to form your triorama.
Use double sided tape or a bit of glue to put your animal figurines in place.
