Animals Are Everywhere!

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Through these center-based activities, children will explore the animals that inhabit the earth.

OBJECTIVE
The students will:

1. Describe similarities and differences in the appearance of animals (e.g., size, shape, body coverings)
2. Distinguish similarities and differences in how animals grow and behave
3. Identify major structures of animals (e.g. arms, wings, legs, beaks, claws)
4. Compare various habitats of animals

LESSONS FOR THIS UNIT
Lesson 1: A Planet Full of Animals
Lesson 2: Magnificent Mammals
Lesson 3: Something's Fishy!
Lesson 4: Beautiful Birds

REPRODUCIBLES
Animal Safari Observation (PDF) (PDF)

CULMINATING ACTIVITY

If possible, teach this unit using live animals as examples, either in the classroom or on a field trip. After building plenty of background knowledge about animals, we visit The Natural History Museum and the zoo. Students bring clipboards with a recording sheet for the different kinds of animals they see. They record one animal for each category (see printable). We make "binoculars" out of empty toilet paper rolls that we use to "spot" the animals on our Animal Safari.

SUPPORTING BOOKS

Books for Teaching About Animals

ARTICLE	Eye-to-Eye with a Wolf She has gotten lost on a mountain, camped out during a blizzard, and even faced down a polar bear, all in the name of research. When author Michelle Paver decided to write her series "Chronicles of Ancient Darkness," she wanted every detail to be true to her story.