Zoo Zoo Where Going to the Zoo

All children love the zoo and all the animals in it.

The zoo units is our classroom favorite every year hands down.  We stared our unit with the book I Went to the Zoo.

The great thing about this book is that it is designed for beginning reading.  It has strong picture support with repetitive text so that the children can help read along with you. 

Other books included

Pocket Chart Story Telling

Children always enjoy reading with a pocket chart using their names.  

Children are able to move the names and animals around to created a new story for themselves as well as for their friends.

Small Group Activities

Children always love learning with hands on activities and what better way to get them counting then with small animals and game dice.

Say It, Count It, Write It

Children roll game dice and identify the number and then count out that amount of animals for their zoo mat.  Once they have counted out the animals they write the amount on the mat.

Need to differentiate the instruction

Children can also use the dice to add and subtract animals on their mat.

 

Measuring zoo animals

Children used 1" tiles for measuring the animals.  After they figured out how tall or long the animal was they wrote their finds on the data sheet.

Small Group Reading

We made copies of the book I Went to the Zoo in booklet form so that the children could color and read as a small group activity.  Books then went home so that they could read it to their family.

 

Roll It, Say It, Write It

Children rolled letter dice in uppercase and lowercase letters after rolling dice they then identified the letter and wrote it on the mat.

Need to differentiate the instruction

Have children tell you the letter sound as they roll and write.

Creative Art

lions

tigers

paper plate elephants

To get small group activities go to Teachers Pay Teachers or Teachers Notebook.