This 6 min. short film covers a quick look at types of shelters built or adapted for use by various animals. (You may want to use it to start a discussion to see if students can think of other examples, including complex cases such as chimney swallows who use a big piece of human construction but also make their own attached nests, etc. This could lead to individual projects or reports.)
The second half explains an adventure outing with a group 8-9 year olds, ending with a short film of them building a "debris hut" of natural materials. Debris huts look like small tepees or open-ended tunnels made for people, using study branches for a frame under a layer of insulating leaves. Building the type shown does not involve any tools, just a gathering of sticks and should be a safe activity if explained well and supervised.
Two links may add to your information:
For survival: http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/shelter/debrishut/ds2004/index.html
See other films by DeepRiverVisions at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Deep-River-Visions