Thank you to Cheryl for sharing this unit with me. Please sign my guestbook.
dlayton@mo-net.com

Subject: Animals


Animals

Play "who am I" Give the children clues about an animal and let them guess
which animal you are describing.

Eat animal crackers - have the children identify the animal as they eat

Take a field trip to the zoo, a farm, the pet store, etc... One day before
the trip, ask the children to predict which animals they might see. Write
each animal they name on a chart of paper. When you return from the trip,
help the children make another list of the animals they actually saw -
comparethe lists.

Animals
Mount pictures of animals on tagboard. Encourage children to sort the
pictures into farm, pet and zoo categories. Encourage discussion!


Not A Single Word

We'll hop hop hop like a bunny
(make hopping motions with hands
We'll run run run like a dog
(make running motion with fingers)
We'll walk walk walk like an elephant
(make walking motions with arms)
And jump jump jump like a frog
(make jumping motions with arms)
We'll swim swim swim like a goldfish
(make swimming motions with hand)
And fly fly fly like a bird
(make flying motions with arms)
We'll sit right down and fold our arms
(fold hands in lap)
And not say a word.

sensory.. items that feel like fur, skin, scales, etc.

Here's what you need:
poster paint
paintbrush
container of water
smooth flat rocks
newspaper

Here's what you do:

Cover table with newspaper
Use poster paint to paint things such as faces, animals, flowers, and
designs onto the rocks. Allow to dry completely. Brush clear nail polish
on painted rocks to make them shine. Glue things such as yarn, pipe
cleaners, and dried beans onto painted rocks for hair, whiskers, and eyes
of faces an animals, Spiders look awsome. Anna tapettit@ansi.net

paper animals
We enjoy construction paper, glue, tape and crayons. We make paper animals
(fold the paper in half and cut out the body so it will stand up, or wrap
paper around a pencil for a really strong leg, then tape it together.) We make
Noah's ark, or a zoo, or farm with fences, or whatever. Then leave them to it
and they will do alot on their own.

About this project -
Have fun making a stuffed paper toy.
Supplies -2 sheets of computer paper, newspaper, markers, stapler
Project how to -Take the two papers. Put them together and cut them into any
shape you like. It is best to make a shape about as big as the paper. Flip one
cut-out over so the back is facing up and color the back. Color the fron tof the
other one.Put them together with the colored sides facing out. Staple them
together around the edges,except leave a hole in the top to stuff newspaper
in. Stuff with newspaper. Staple the hole up and you have a toy!

***Crazy Crabs***

Crazy crabs walk sideways,

Whar a giddy way to go !

Snails slip slide forwards

And that is very slow !

Ducks waddle, waddle,

And that is funny too,

And what about the hopping

Of the big red kangaroo ?

Actions-

Translate words into actions

ANIMALS UNDERGROUND

here is the mole that lives underground
close eyes and put hands under chin
here are the ants in their underground town
use fingers to show ants scurrying
here is the mouse in her warm little den
wrap arms around torso
here are the worms and there are ten
hold up hands and wiggle fingers
here is the turtle where he likes to hide
make a fist and wiggle thumb
here are the toads sitting side by side
place two fists side by side
all of these creatures live underground
point to ground
look very closely or they'll never be found!!
make binoculars with hands and place in front of eyes!!

THEME: BABY ANIMALS COLOR: PINK SHAPE: OVAL


OBJECTIVE:
1. To experience different baby animals, real, pretend, and
extinct; the whole aspect, i.e., how
they move, how they eat, how they start and develop, sounds
they make, where they live
and how they help us.

Blocks: Display different types of baby animals
Homes for animals:
Caves (in the ground, hollow logs, trees, snow).
Nests (build a people nest).
Man- made caves - dog houses ( what's different about a person's house and a dog house?).
Shell houses - crabs, snails, clams, oysters, etc. (humans have trailers and campers).
Zoo cages - difference between what we use to see and the way zoos are set up now.
Different shapes for different animals, too.
People houses - and where are the animals hiding in our houses (bugs) as well as where our
pets live when they're in our houses
(aquariums, cages, etc.).
Tunnels - for ants, moles, mice, groundhogs, etc.
Water - fish, whales, alligators, etc.

Art: offer easel art daily.
Animal collages by groups.
Make bird feeders and nest.
Painting with feathers / drawing with quill feathers.
Make egg carton animals.
Paper bag animal costumes.
Circus tents.
Imprints in playdough.

Science: See block area above for extension of ideas - open ended
questions.
Bugs from outside and magnifying glass.
Bird nests from outside.
Teeth, claws, shells, fur, scales, fins, feathers to compare, touch
and talk about.
Foods that animals eat.
Tracks that animals make.
Picture cards to match something real in your science area.
Tape recording of animal noises.

Science: (cont'd.)
Things we get from animals - food, (carefully) fun, protection,
clothing and work.
Some animals protect us from others (bats eat mosquitos, ants clean
up after us).
Food chain that makes small or weird bugs become important.
Importance of returning bugs and animals to their homes after we
look at them.
Grasses vs. clovers.

Literary: Display lots of books with animal pictures in them.
Stick animal puppets for zoo story; for circus, farm, etc.
Experiences - trip to the pet store, (or have animals to visit the
classroom), circus and the
Calvary corral, etc.
Sticker stories with animals.
Bring in a stuffed animal and write your own made up story.
Allow children to dramatize some to the stories such as the "ANGUS"
OR "MOUSEKIN" stories.
Vocabulary words - how animals move: crawl, slither, swing, burrow,
tunnel, fly, float, swim,
trot, prance, warm-blooded,
invertebrate, metamorphosis, etc.
Books: The Best Nest, Are You My Mother?, We Went Looking, Big
Track, Little Track, etc.

Dramatic Play: Set up dramatic play to represent any of the block
area ideas and /or
House with pets or a Farm (with clothes and equipment).
Animal Hospital (with clothes and equipment).
Zoo kitchen
People cave (what would you need if you lived in a cave?).
Circus itself (and /or pretending to go to the circus . . .which
could then be block area).
Pet store (differences between people stores and pet stores?).
Outdoor dramatic play, Zoo - Horse corral - Farm - Circus/

Music: Songs, Poems, and Fingerplays theme related.
Record different animal sounds.
"Old MacDonald Had a Farm.
Eight Baby Pigs (Creative Resources).
Did you hear ? (Open the Door, Let's Explore).
One little Ant (Same book above).
I'd like to be, etc. (Same book above).

Playground: Centers indoors can be extended outdoors:
Outdoor dramatic play, Zoo - Horse Corral - Farm - Circus - Animal
Fair, etc.
Looking for animals footprints.
Duck, Duck, Goose.
Walk like animals.
Zookeeper, May I? ( Like Simon says).

Rainy day activities:
Bell cat, or any animal (Rainy Day Activities).
Animal Day (Special Day Celebrations).
Animal face sandwiches.
Animal Puppets.
Farmer in the Dell.

Back