Animals, A to Z
"Lions and tigers and bears" — oh yes! Animals are a great topic any time of the year. Most of my students have some interest in animals, and I can readily adapt this topic to the group's abilities, needs, and interests. It's also quite useful for getting to know my students more, assessing their learning strengths and weaknesses and planning for the next steps. In fact, I find myself returning to the theme of animals repeatedly throughout the year: I love it, and my students do, too! Also, during a unit on animals, I have found that I can incorporate a lot of listening, speaking, observation, comparison, and description — critical skills in language, science, and math.
There are lots of Internet resources that will help make animals more accessible to and multiply the fun for young students, from zoos online to Web sites focusing on specific breeds of dogs or other pets. Here are a few ideas to get you started!
Would you like to find excellent animal photos for your students? Explore Animal Photos at the National Zoo. Another rich site for kids to see large images of animals and even hear their sounds is the Sedgwick County Zoo of Kansas.
Check out Desert Animals, where your students can learn about creatures of the desert, from bats and barn owls to western coral snakes. This site has a higher reading level than some of the others.
- Scholastic Store
-
Little Scholastic: Peek-A-Zoo
The Scholastic Store 
Little Scholastic: Peek-A-Zoo
The oversized board book has everything it takes to mesmerize your baby or toddler-textures, mirrors, die-cuts, glitter, flaps, flocking, and more!
$10.99
Each spread has bold colors, rhymes, sized objects, shapes, and a smiling face hidden on every page. A multisensory feast!
Little Scholastic is a developmental publishing program of interactive books created exclusively to give babies and toddlers a head start in learning. Every book features interactive components, rhyming, repetitive or predictable text, familiar subjects and surroundings, as well as simple concepts and distinct leveling between the ages of 0-3 years.
books;board books;board books | Ages Birth-3
Ages Birth-3 $10.99
- Teacher Store
-
Zoo Animals Accent Punch-Outs
The Teacher Store 
Zoo Animals Accent Punch-Outs
Perfect accent for any bulletin board! Use the accents as name tags, notes, rewards and much more! These Accent Punch-Outs coordinate with many of our Charts, Banners, Borders with Corners, Name Plates, Bulletin Boards, and more! Plastic-coated for durability and color-fastness!
$4.99
Accents and Cut-Outs | Grades Pre-K-3
Grades Pre-K-3 $4.99
 |
|
Tour Itinerary
Animal Photos at the National Zoo
Sedgwick County Zoo of Kansas
Desert Animals |
 |
LESSON PLAN
UNIT PLAN
ONLINE ACTIVITY
