Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

ACTIVITY: “Animal Habitats”

Students research an animal’s habitat and adaptations, then note any parallels to characters in the novel.

• Choose an animal in which you have an interest.
• Through an investigation of scholarly sources, research and discover where the animal lives, how it establishes its habitat, and how it adapts to its environment. Create a two-page infographic on the information you gather, including illustrations or photographs.
• Consider the theme Adaptation in the Face of Forces More Powerful than Oneself. Note 2-3 ways in which your chosen animal displays this idea.
• Draw connections between your animal’s behaviors and any pertinent behaviors, actions, or motivations in the animal characters in the novel. Be prepared to share your information and conclusions with the class.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity can help students understand the urgency of both Mrs. Frisby’s and the rats’ situation and their general living requirements. Students may benefit from sharing brief presentations of their infographics in front of the group.   

• “Habitat and Adaptation” is a brief article from the World Wide Fund for Nature explaining how some specific animals adapt to their environments to survive.