In the Small, Small, Pond Lesson Plan

• PRINT
• EMAIL

Using In the Small, Small Pond is a simple way to introduce the environment and habitat to young children. Students love learning about the various animals.

OBJECTIVE
Students will "recognize that animals (including humans) and plants are living things that grow, reproduce, and need food, air, and water." --Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework

MATERIALS

• In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Flemming
• Books on, or pictures of: tadpoles, geese, dragonflies, turtles, herons, frogs, minnows, water bugs, swallows, crayfish, ducks, raccoons, beavers, muskrats
• colored markers
• large sheet of butcher paper 

SET UP AND PREPARE
I find assigning teams of students to draw particular animals or plants helps to create a more cohesive mural. You may contact a local science museum or library to see if they would like to display your mural. It's a wonderful way for students to share their learning with the community.

DIRECTIONS
Explain that students will be creating a summertime mural depicting animals and plants. Discuss where the different features might best be drawn on the paper. Assign teams of students to specific animals or plants. Give them time to look through books and pictures before using the markers to create the mural.

LESSON EXTENSION

Have students create a mural of a local habitat. Have students label the various creatures. They could even write information about them on index cards that could then be posted on the drawing.

Related Resources
www.denisefleming.com
http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/wildlife/kids/kphab.htm
www.fws.gov/refuges

Jeremy Brunaccioni is a kindergarten teacher in Massachusetts.

The Worm Family Lesson Plan
The Worm Family is a peppy way to kick off a worm-based composting program. Students enjoy seeing their food scraps disappear as the worms convert...

And Tango Makes Three Lesson Plan
And Tango Makes Three is a great title to use when teaching about families. Students find a sense of accomplishment in arranging the eggs in...

ARTICLE	Homework Help: Expert Homework Advice for Children in Grade School Homework Help: Expert Homework Advice for Children in Grade School
ONLINE ACTIVITY	Grade 2 - Where Are Bears? Go from the rainforest to the mountains and visit bears in their natural habitats — and find out how they survive the winter — in...