A guide for using our resources

Children will identify ways that different animals take care of their babies.

Vocabulary: cub, fledgling, foal, kitten, joey

Science Focus: animal babies

  1. Watch a Video:

    Taking Care of Baby

     

  2. Read the Issue:

    Find Baby Bird’s Mother!

     

  3. Review Vocabulary Words:

    cub, fledgling, foal, kitten, joey

     

  4. Play a Game:

    Who Is My Baby?

    Skill: vocabulary, science knowledge

     

  5. Complete Skill Sheets

    Show What You Know

    Skill: comprehension

    Baby Animals Trace and Match

    Skill: reading and writing
     

    Z Is for Zebra

    Skill: alphabet knowledge

     

  6. Lesson Boosters

  • Paired Text: Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

     

  • Class Brainstorm:

    What Do Parents Do?

     

  • Scavenger Hunt: Pages 2-3

     

  • Hands-on Activity:

    Animal Matching Game

     

CCSS (and states that have similar standards): RI.K.1 key details, RI.K.4 vocabulary, RF.K.3.A letters and sounds, RL.K.1 key details (literature)

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

Paired Text: Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

  • Read the book this issue is based on and compare the texts. What happens in the story? How are the story and the issue similar? What facts did kids learn about animals from the issue that were not in the story?

Class Brainstorm: What Do Parents Do?

  • Create an experience chart with this question: What is one thing your parent does to take care of you? Write children’s answers as they dictate.
  • When you have a list, go through it together. Which things do animals also do for their babies? For example, animals can feed their babies, help them get clean, and teach them skills.

Scavenger Hunt: Pages 2-3

  • Use pages 2-3 of the issue to do this scavenger hunt as a group.

1. Find the heading. Underline it.

2. Find the picture where the bear is teaching its cub to swim. Put a ✔ on it.

3. Find the label in the yellow box. Circle it.

4. Find the word that means "a baby bird." Underline it.

Hands-on Activity: Animal Matching Game

Skill: vocabulary, science knowledge

Materials: Baby and Adult Animal Cards skill sheets, crayons, scissors

  • Give each pair of children a set of the Baby and Adult Animal Cards skill sheets.
  • Let kids work together to color in the animals and cut out the cards.
  • Kids can take turns matching each animal with its baby. For an extra challenge, have them flip the cards over to play concentration.