UNIT OF STUDY: Life Science:   The Zoo

 
INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS/ CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:

 
GRADE LEVEL AND CONTEXT: Grade K -  Life Science.

 
STANDARDS TO BE ADDRESSED:

 
FOCUS QUESTIONS: 
What are the characteristics of an animal?
What do all animals need to live?
What can we learn by studying about animals?.

 
SUGGESTED LESSONS/ACTIVITIES FOR THIS UNIT:

Characteristics of Animals

1. V/S; V/L; Na: Inter; Intra - A, My Name is Alice - (re-writing activity).  Review the alphabet with A, My Name is Alice & an animal alphabet hall display or class book.   Create a "Kindergarten Zoo" to display in the hall, or turn into a class alphabet book!  After reading the book, let the children select pictures of animals for an assigned or chosen letter of the alphabet, glue them on their paper, and write the letter underneath. 

Children may also wish to write a sentence underneath their pictures, as well using some of the animal names and facts which can be acquired from a variety of resources.

After each child completes their page, have them tell about their creation and read their sentence.  Then, put them up in the hall under the caption "Kindergarten Zoo" 
     1a)  Option:  Create a Power Point version of this book

2.  V/S; Na - African Slides - After visiting the zoo, children will be shown a series of slides of African Animals.  They will be asked to recall information about each animal (where is lives, what it eats, its enemies, etc.) and tell that information to the classroom teacher.  All answers will be recorded for later use in building either a Power Point presentation of a class Web page.

3.  V/S; Na - Animal Feet - Matching footprints to the animals

4.  M/R; Na -  Animal Sounds - Children will listen to a series of animal sounds to try an distinguish what animal is making each sound.

5.  V/S; Na; Intra - Babies to Adults - Match the pictures of the animal babies to the photos of the adult.

6.  B/K; M/R; Na - Animal Quiz Song - Students act out the animal that is being described in the song.

7.  B/K - Na; Intra - Become and Elephant - Students will role-play what it would be like to be a particular animal.
     7a)  B/K - Na; Intra - Stretch like an animal  (Stretch like a cat; stretch like a snake, etc.)

8.  M/R; Na; Inter - Zoo B.I.N.G.O. - 

9. V/L; Na -  Old Macdonald - Writing Activity.  The students use their name as the name of the farm.  They choose an animal and write in the name of the sound that the animal makes.  Afterwards, they draw a picture of the animal in a barn.

10.  L/M; Na: Intra -  Graphing Animals - Students graph animals according to a variety of characteristics (ex: Venn Diagram)

11.  L/M; Na; Intra - Graphing the Daily Question. : (ex: Which of these animals is your favorite?";  Which of these animals is the tallest?", etc.   Students will select their name tag and place it up onto a velcro board to answer this question of the day.  Students answers will form a visual graph of their favorites.  Teachers will help the students interpret the data on the graph.

12.  L/M; Na; Intra -  What do you think You'll See? - Students are asked to predict what animals they think they will see at the zoo?
     12a). L/M; Na; Intra -  Zoo Questionnaire - While visiting the zoo, children will be asked a number of questions by their group leader.  (They have previewed the questions before taking this field trip)

13.  V/S: L/M; Na - Animal Cookie Cutter Matching: Collect a variety of animal cookie cutters.  Trace each onto a piece of oak tag and Laminate.  Set the tag boards and cookie cutters out for students to match. 
If time, make the animal shaped cookies first and then let the students sort/categorize them before eating them!

14.  L/M; Na; B/K ; Intra- Counting with Cages:  Use strawberry baskets to count animals.  They look like cages and the kids think it is cute.  Teacher can guide kids to count, "Put one lion in the cage...."Put two giraffes in the cage...add another giraffe...How many do you have now.

15.  L/M; Na; B/K;  Intra - Sorting with Animal Crackers:   Children are given a handful of animal crackers and must sort them into groups of matching animals.   After they have finished, they get to eat the assignment.
 

What Do All Animals Need to Live?

1.  V/L; Na; V/S - Animal Big Book - For each child, reproduce a Big Book page on construction paper.  Have each student cut out the text , then glue it to the bottom of a large sheet of construction paper.  Encourage each child to draw the animal of his choice in the space above the text.  Have each child write/dictate the animal's name in the first blank.  Complete the text by having the child write an action word in the last blank.  Bind all of the pages together.  Share the book and have each child read the text and act it out together. 

2. V/S; Na; Intra - Make a T-shirt -  Students draw a favorite animal using fabric crayons onto a piece of paper.  Afterwards, they are ironed onto a T-shirt and worn on their field trip to the zoo.

3.  L/M; Na; Intra - Sorting By Habitat - Teacher labels four large paper bags or envelopes with the following habitats: (Farm, Zoo, Ocean, Pond).  Students select photos of animals and place them into the appropriate bag.

4.  V/L; L/M - What do I Need to Live? -   After a class discussion about what all people need to live, the teacher will read "A House is a House for Me."  Students will then talk about what animals need to make a home.
    4a).  B/K; L/M; Na; Intra - Centers:  Children will work at the sensory table to use materials they can find to create an environment for a particular animal (ex. hay, water, sand, grass, etc for horses)

Why Do We Need to Learn About Animals?

1.  V/L; Na; Intra - KWHL Chart - Why is it important to care for animals? 
2.  V/L; Na; Inter - "Will We Miss Them?"  Teacher reads this book then leads a class discussion on the question:  How would our world be different if these animals no longer lived here?
 

Listed individually for the above activities:

V/L= Verbal / Linguistic L/M = Logical / Mathematical M/R = Musical / Rhythmic V/S = Visual  / Spatial B/K = Bodily / Kinesthetic Inter = Interpersonal Intra = Intrapersonal Na = Naturalist

TIME NEEDED: These activities will generally take 20-30 minutes each for approximately three weeks..

 
METHOD(S) OF ASSESSMENT:  "Science Journal"...Students tell/draw what they have learned about a topic. (Kid Writing)

 
EXTENDED PIECE:

 
CULMINATING ACTIVITY: Create a Web page about animals seen at the zoo.  Write or draw about how they affect our lives

 
CAREER CONNECTIONS:  Zoo Keeper, Veterinarian, Biologist, Forest Ranger, 

 
RESOURCES / MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Books

Adams, Pam.  (1975).  Old Macdonald had a Farm.  Child's Play.  (HV; K-K)
Andreae, Giles (1999).  Cock-a-doodle-doo!  Barnyard Hullabaloo.  Scholastic  (HV, K-G)
Aliki.  (1997).  My Visit to the Zoo. Scholastic (HV, K-G; K-K)
Berger, Melvin.   (1998).  Growl!  Scholastic  (HV, K-G)
Bonners, Susan.  (1978).  Panda. Scholastic  (HV, K-G)
Brett, Jan  "The Mitten" 
Brown, MArgaret Wise.  (1989).  Big Red Barn.  Scholastic  (HV, K-G)
Caizares, Susan. (1998) Monkeys.  Scholastic  (HV, K-G)
Calmenson, Stephanie.  (1991).  Finger Plays and Action Rhymes.  (HV; K-K)
Curan, Eileen.  (1985).  Hello Farm Animals.  Scholastic (HV; K-K; K-G)
Curan, Eileen.  (1985).  Life in the Forest.  Scholastic  (HV; K-G)
Dabcovich, Lydia. (1982). Sleepy Bear.  Scholastic  (HV, K-G)
Darling, Kathy.  (1996).  Arctic Babies. Scholastic  (HV, K-G; K-K)
Darling, Kathy.  (1996).  Rain forest Babies. Scholastic  (HV; K-K)
Darling, Kathy.  (1997).  Seashore Babies. Scholastic  (HV, K-G; K-K)
Darling, Kathy.  (1997). Desert Babies. Scholastic (HV, K-G; K-K)
Einsel, Walter.  (1962).  Did You Ever See?  Scholastic  (HV-KG)
Emberley, Ed.  (1977).  Great Thumbprint Drawing Book.  Little Brown & Co.  (HV; K-K)
Firth, Barbara.  (1988).   Can't You Sleep Little Bear? Scholastic (HV; K-G)
Fleming, Denise.  (1994).  Barnyard Banter  Scholastic (HV; K-G)
Fox, Mem.  (1996).  Zoo-Looking.  Scholastic  (HV-KG)
Kakas, Sybille & Klaus  (1987).  The Beaver Family Book. Picture Book Studio (HV, K-G; K-K)
Lyne, Alice.  (1997).  A, My Name is Alice.  Scholastic  (HV, K-G; K-K)
McGrath, Susan.  How Animals Talk.  National Geographic.  (HV; K-K)
McMillan, Bruce.  (1992). The Baby Zoo.  Scholastic  (HV-KG)
Paxton, Tom.  (1996). Going to the Zoo. Scholastic  (HV-KG)
Pfloog, Jan.  (1967).  The Zoo Book.  Golden Book. Western Publishing Co. (HV; K-K)
Pfloog, Jan.  (1964).  The Farm Book.  Golden Book.  Western Publishing Co. (HV; K-G)
Riley, Linda Capus. (1995).  Elephants Swim.  Scholastic  (HV, K-G; K-K)
Romay, Saturnino.  (1994).  Birds on Stage.  Scholastic  (HV-KG)
Steig, William.  (1992).  Doctor DeSoto Goes to Africa. Trumpet Club  (HV-KG)
Wood, Audrey.  (1982). Quick as a Cricket.  Child's Play
Wood, Jakki.  (1991).  Moo Moo, Brown Cow.   Gulliver Books  (HV; K-K)
Wright, Alexandra.  (1992).  Will We Miss Them?  Troll  (HV; K-K)
A House is a House for Me

Periodicals

Kind News  (home connection)
Let's Find Out - Caring for Animals

Field Trips

Ninigret Wildlife Refuge - Frosty Drew Nature Center - Charlestown, RI
Roger Williams Park Zoo - Providence, RI

CD ROM's

Materials

One large sheet of construction paper for each child. 
markers
crayons 
glue
magazines
scissors 

Music

Ba, Ba, Black Sheep
50 All Time Children's Favorites:  The Farmer in the Dell  (CD) (HV; K-K)
50 All Time Children's Favorites:  Old MacDonald Had a Farm  (CD) (HV; K-K)
B.I.N.G.O. (was his Name)
Did You Ever See a...?
Disney:  Animal Songs Sing Along: Wild Safari. (cassette)  (HV; K-G)
Going to the Zoo (found in the Book, "Going to the Zoo")
GTAudio Corporation:  Rockin' Round the Zoo (cassette) 
Let's Go on a Lion Hunt
Palmer, Hap - Can a Cherry Pie Wave Good-bye?  Songs for Learning Through Music & Movement (HV; K-K)  "Animal Quiz"  (HV; K-K)
Phonemic Awareness Songs and Poems - Down By the Station; The Farmer in the Dell; The Bear Went Over the Mountain, etc. Creative Teaching Press. (HV, K-G; K-K)
Raffi - Down on Grampa's Farm (HV; K-K)

Videos

Uncle Larry's Farm

Web sites

Animal Pictures
http://www.mindspring.com/~zoonet/www_virtual_lib/zoos.html#pictures

Denver Zoo
http://www.denverzoo.org/vr/
    Video Clips of Animals   ***
    http://www.denverzoo.org/vr/maps/flash.html

The Electronic Zoo
http://netvet.wustl.edu/e-zoo.htm

exZOOberance:  Virtual Zoo
http://www.exzooberance.com/

Farm Animal Sounds
http://www.ics.uci.edu/~pazzani/4H/Sounds.html

Learningpage.com – Zoo Animals
http://www.learningpage.com/free_pages/menu_wkshts/fact_zoo.html

Roger Williams Park Zoo - Providence, RI
http://www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org

San Diego Zoo
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/

Smithsonian National Zoological Park
http://natzoo.sci.edu/

The Virtual Zoo ***
http://library.thinkquest.org/11922/

The Virtual San Diego Zoo
http://www.zoobooks.com/newFrontPage/animals/virtualZoo/petme.html
    Animal Snapshots
    http://www.sandiegozoo.org/virtualzoo/animals/index.html
    Animal Babies
    http://www.sandiegozoo.org/virtualzoo/animals/as_babies.html

Zoo Books:  Virtual Petting Zoo  ***
http://www.zoobooks.com/newFrontPage/animals/virtualZoo/petme.html

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Words to Some of the Poems and Songs

An Elephant Goes  Submitted by: Kathy 

An elephant goes like this and that (walk feet in front of you)
He's terribly wide (Use arms out at side)
And terribly fat (same)
He has two fingers (wiggle indexes)
He had two toes (wiggle feet)
BUT, goodness gracious WHAT A NOSE!!!! (pull on your pretend trunk)

---

Eletelephony  Written By: Laura E. Richards 

                      Once there was an elephant,
                      Who tried to use the telephant
                      No, no! I mean an elephone
                      Who tried to use the telephone
                      (Dear me! I am not certain quite
                      That even now I've got it right.)
                      Howe'er it was, he got his trunk
                      Entangled in the telephunk;
                      The more he tried to get it free,
                      The louder buzzed the telephee
                      (I fear I'd better drop the song
                      Of elephop and telephong!) 

---

 

                      5 little monkeys high up in the tree.
                      Teasing Mr. Alligator,
                      "You can't catch me, can't catch me, can't catch me!"
                      Along comes Mr. Alligator quiet as can be…
                      SNAP! that monkey right 
                      out of that tree!
                      Continue song counting down till…
                      0 little monkeys…Along comes Mr. Alligator fat as can be!
                      Why is he so fat? 

                    Sung to: "The Mulberry Bush

The elephant goes like this and that, 
this and that, this and that. 
(Walk heavily and stomp feet) 
The elephant goes like this and that, 
cause he's so big and he's so fat! 
(Puff up cheeks and stretch out arms)

He has no fingers and has no toes, 
He has no fingers and has no toes. 
(Wiggle fingers; wiggle toes) 
He has no fingers and has no toes, 
But goodness, gracious, what a nose! 
(Pull hands out from face to suggest a long trunk.)

---

                    Sung to: "The Muffin Man"

Come and play a while with me, 
Underneath the monkey tree. 
Monkey See and Monkey  Do, 
Just like monkeys in the zoo.

Swing your tail, one, two, three, 
Underneath the monkey tree. 
Monkey See and Monkey Do 
Just like monkeys in the zoo.

Jump around and smile like me, 
Underneath the monkey tree. 
Monkey See and Monkey Do, 
Just like monkeys in the zoo.

---

                    Sung to: "London Bridge"

                      We are going to zoo,
                      To the zoo, to the zoo. 
                      We are going to the zoo,
                      Won't you join us too?

                      We'll see lions, tigers too,
                      Tigers too, tigers too.
                      We'll see lions, tigers too,
                      All at the zoo.

                      We will find some chimpanzees,
                      Chimpanzees, chimpanzees.
                      we will find some chimpanzees,
                      Swinging from the trees.

                      We will look for kangaroos,
                      Kangaroos, kangaroos.
                      We will look for kangaroos,
                      Hopping at the zoo. 

                    Sung to: "Take Me Out the Ballgame"

                      Take me out for some good fun,
                      Take me out to the zoo.
                      Let me visit the tall giraffe,
                      I want to hear the hyenas laugh.
                      Now I love to visit the zoo,
                      I could stay there all day,
                      And watch birds, seals, rhinos, and hippos
                      As they play.

                    Sung to: " The Mulberry Bush"

                      Oh, if I were a tiny snake,
                      A tiny snake, a tiny snake.
                      Oh, if I were a tiny snake,
                      I'd slither around the zoo.

                      Oh, if I were an elephant,
                      an elephant, an elephant.
                      Oh, if I were an elephant,
                      I'd march around the zoo.

                      Oh, if I were a kangaroo,
                      A kangaroo, a kangaroo.
                      Oh, if I were a kangaroo,
                      I'd hop around the zoo.

                   What Can a Monkey See?  Original Author Unknown

                    Sung to: "Skip to My Lou"

                      What can a monkey see from a tree?
                      What can a monkey see from a tree?
                      What can a monkey see from a tree?
                      It can see ---------- from a tree.

Note: Pause after "see " and child can name something a monkey can see from a tree.   Continue until each child has had a turn. 

---

                    Swing, Swing  Original Author Unknown

Have the children stand in a circle and hold hands.  While you recite the following poem, have them swing their arms up and down.

                    Sung to: "I'm a Little Teapot"

                      I'm a little monkey in the tree
                      Swinging by my tail so merrily
                      I can leap and fly from tree to tree.
                      I have lots of fun you see. 
                      I'm a little monkey, watch me play
                      Munching on bananas every day
                      Lots of monkey friends to play with me.
                      We have fun up the tree. 

                   Itsy Bitsy Monkey  Original Author Unknown 

                    Sung to: "Itsy Bitsy Spider"

The itsy bitsy monkey climbed up the coconut tree
Down came a coconut and hit him on his knee - OWWWWW
Out came a lion a hanging his mighty mane - ANNNNND -
The itsy bitsy monkey climbed up the tree again. 

---

                      Sung to: "On Top of Old Smokey"

                      I know a giraffe.
                      With a neck that's real high
                      She stretches and stretches
                      till it reaches the sky
                      She lives on the plains
                      With the elephants too
                      You might also see her when you go to the zoo 

                    Sung to: "Did You Ever See a Lassie"

                      Did you ever hear a lion,
                      a lion, a lion?
                      She roars so loud
                      She roars and grrs
                      and grrs and roars
                      Did you ever hear a lion?
                      She roars so loud. 

                    Sung to: "Skip to My Lou"

                      Come along children, we're going to the zoo,
                      Come along children, we're going to the zoo,
                      Come along children, we're going to the zoo,
                      Going to the zoo today.

                      See the animals living in the zoo,
                      See the animals living in the zoo,
                      See the animals living in the zoo,
                      Living in the zoo today.

                      I see a monkey sitting in a tree,
                      I see a monkey sitting in a tree,
                      I see a monkey sitting in a tree
                      I see a monkey and it sees me.

                      I see an elephant, big and gray,
                      I see an elephant, big and gray,
                      I see an elephant, big and gray.
                      Big gray elephant is eating hay.

                      I see a lion in a cage,
                      I see a lion in a cage,
                      I see a lion in a cage.
                      I see a lion that roars with rage.

                      I see a camel with a great big hump,
                      I see a camel with a great big hump,
                      I see a camel with a great big hump.
                      When he walks he goes "bump, bump."

                      I see a zebra, black and white,
                      I see a zebra, black and white,
                      I see a zebra, black and white.
                      Seeing the zebra is a sight.

                      I see a giraffe, big and tall,
                      I see a giraffe, big and tall,
                      I see a giraffe, big and tall.
                      He's not hard to see at all.

                      We saw the animals living in the zoo,
                      We saw the animals living in the zoo,
                      We saw the animals living in the zoo.
                      Living in the zoo today. 

                   One, One, the Zoo is Lots of Fun

Original Author Unknown (chant)

                      I went to the zoo
                      And what did I see?
                      100 animals
                      Looking at me.
                      There were,
                      10 tall giraffes, eating from the trees.
                      10 silly monkeys, scratching on their knees.
                      10 sleeping snakes, lying in the sun.
                      10 munching elephants, eating peanuts one by one.
                      10 leaping tigers, performing in the shows,
                      10 pink flamingos, standing on their toes.
                      10 grouchy bears, trying to get some sleep.
                      10 happy hippos, in the water deep.
                      10 roaring lions, walking two by two.
                      10 galloping zebras, all living in the zoo

                   The Yellow Giraffe   Original Author Unknown

 
The yellow giraffe is tall as can be. (Put hand up high)
His lunch is a bunch of leaves off a tree. (Put arm up for tree branches)
He has a very long neck and his legs are long too. (Point to neck and legs)
And he can run faster than his friends in the zoo.  (Run in place) 

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                      Sung to: "The Wheels on the Bus"

                      The lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar,
                      Roar, roar, roar,
                      Roar, roar, roar,
                      The lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar,
                      All day long!

                      The snakes at the zoo go hiss, hiss, hiss,
                      Hiss, hiss, hiss,
                      Hiss, hiss, hiss,
                      The snakes at the zoo go hiss, hiss, hiss,
                      All day long!

                      The hyenas at the zoo go ha, ha, ha,
                      Ha, ha, ha,
                      Ha, ha, ha,
                      The hyenas at the zoo go ha, ha, ha,
                      All day long!

                      The monkeys at the zoo go oooh, oooh, oooh,
                      Oooh, oooh, oooh,
                      Oooh, oooh, oooh,
                      The monkeys at the zoo go oooh, oooh, oooh,
                      All day long!

                   Underneath The Monkey Tree 

                    Sung to: "The Muffin Man"

                      Come and play a while with me,
                      Underneath the monkey tree. 
                      Monkey See and Monkey Do,
                      Just like monkeys in the zoo.

                      Swing your tail, one, two, three,
                      Underneath the monkey tree. 
                      Monkey See and Monkey Do,
                      Just like monkeys in the zoo.

                      Jump around and smile like me
                      Underneath the monkey tree. 
                      Monkey See and Monkey Do,
                      Just like monkeys in the zoo.