SCIENCE:

ANIMAL LIFE
T.E.K.S. 112.2 (K.6) The student knows that systems have parts and are composed
of organisms and objects.

Area: Animal Life

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OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
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1. Student will recognize and/or 1. Collect pictures from magazines of different

identify farm animals. kinds of farm animals. Use magazines with
large colored pictures (i.e., Ranger Rick,
National Geographic, etc.). Put a selection
of pictures in front of students on the floor.
Have them select pictures to go on the
bulletin board. Ask each to say a sentence
about the picture he/she chooses. It may be
necessary to provide a model of an
appropriate sentence (e.g., “I see a brown
cow.”, “The boy is riding a black horse.”)
2. Use pictures on the bulletin board to
provide
daily review about farm animals. As
students transition from one activity to
another, ask them to choose a picture on the
bulletin board and say “This is a _______.”
When that is completed, they may get in
line, begin workshop, etc.
3. Teach the song, “Old MacDonald Had a
Farm”. When students are comfortable with
the words, have them act out the song by
assigning several students to be the
characters of the farmer and the animals.
4. Teach the song, “The Farmer in the Dell”.
Have students dramatize the song by
portraying the characters.
5. On the toy shelf provide toy farm animals
and a barn with fences, etc. During play
time, sit down with students and guide their
play to use toys appropriately.
----------------------------------------------------------- 6. Develop various art projects which tie into
RESOURCES/MATERIALS theme of farm animals.
----------------------------------------------------------- 7. As a culminating activity, visit a farm with
Magazines: the students.
Your Big Backyard; Ranger Rick; 8. Another alternative for Community Based
Baby Animals; World Instruction is a visit to the animal barns at
the South Plains Fair or a county livestock
Samuell Farm show.
I-10 and Beltline
Dallas, Texas
9214) 670-8262
Admission is charged
 E-1

T.E.K.S. 112.2 (K.6) The student knows that systems have parts and are composed
of organisms and objects.

Area: Animal Life

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OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
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2. Student will recognize and/or 1. Collect pictures from various magazines of

identify zoo animals. different kinds of zoo animals. Use
magazines with large colored pictures. Put a
selection of pictures in front of the students
on the floor. Have students select pictures
to put on the bulletin board. Ask each
student to say a sentence about the picture
he/she has chosen, (e.g., “The elephant is
big.”, “The lion is sleeping in the grass.”).
Provide a model for students, if necessary.
2. Use the pictures on the bulletin board to
provide daily review of zoo animals. As
students transition from one activity to
another, ask each one to tell a sentence
about the picture he/she chooses. (See
above.)
3. On the toy shelf, provide toy zoo animals
(e.g., Fisher-Price Zoo). Sit down with
students during play time and direct them
through appropriate play.
4. Provide various art projects which tie into
the theme of zoo animals.

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RESOURCES/MATERIALS
-----------------------------------------------------------
Magazines
Zoo books:
Baby Animals
Ranger Rick
Your Big Backyard
 E-2

T.E.K.S. 112.2 (K.9) The student knows that living organisms have basic needs.

Area: Animal Life

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OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
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3. Student will demonstrate awareness
of different kinds of pets and their
care.
4 4.
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RESOURCES/MATERIALS
-----------------------------------------------------------
Items as specified by activities
1. Make a pet shop equipped with stuffed
toy animals.
2. Ask students to bring pictures of their pets
from home. Make a bulletin board.
3. Invite a veterinarian to visit the classroom.
Discuss how to care for and handle pets.
Invite someone’s pet to visit the classroom.
5. Take the class to visit a pet shop during
4 Community Based Instruction.
Ask the owner/manager for a tour and a talk
on the care each animal requires.
6. Make a booklet about pets and how to care
for them. Ask students to draw pictures of
his/her pet or one he/she would like to have.
Draw several things that would be needed to
take care of the animal.
7. Show students pictures of common pets.
Begin a general discussion of pet care.
Stress the following concepts:
a. Pets need adequate space.
b. Pets need surroundings that are similar
to the animal’s natural environment.
c. Pets need food, water, air, shelter and
exercise.
d. Pets need regular medical attention.
8. Ask students: “What makes a pet a living
thing?” (It can move and grow.) Ask:
“What things does a pet need to grow?”
(Food, water)
 E-3

T.E.K.S. 112.2 (K.9) The student knows that living organisms have basic needs..

Area: Animal Life

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OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
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4. Student will feed and care for 1. Provide appropriate classroom pets
classroom pets. (i.e., rabbit, gerbil, fish, bird, etc.).
2. Discuss with the class basic pet facts. Talk
about how often pets eat. Talk about how
much food each pet needs. Remind students
that pets need water.
3. Model for students appropriate behavior
around the pets. Encourage students to talk
quietly and move slowly.
4. Give students the opportunity to be the “pet
helper” for the day or week. Stress the
importance of responsibility. The “helper”
should:
a. Locate pet food.
b. Determine appropriate amount to give
pet(s).
c. Give the pet(s) water.
d. Clean the cage, if necessary.
e. Pick up materials, etc.

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RESOURCES/MATERIALS
-----------------------------------------------------------
Pets
Food
Water
Cages
 E-4

T.E.K.S. 112.2 (K.6) The student knows that systems have parts and are composed
organisms and objects.

Area: Animal Life

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OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Student will compare animals 1. Write the words “alike” and “different”
according to their similarities on the board. Discuss the meaning of each.
and differences. Show pictures of animals, such as elephants
grasshoppers, birds, etc. Ask students to
name the animals. Ask if animals are alike
in some ways (i.e., they all move, they all
need food and water, etc.). Ask how the
animals are different, (i.e., they are different
sizes and shapes, they have a different
number of legs, they move in different ways,
they are different colors, they live in
different places, and they have different
body coverings).
2. Explain that animals move in different ways.
A rabbit hops, a fish swims, some animals
move fast, some animals move slowly.
3. Explain that animals look different in many
ways. In addition to being different sizes
and shapes, some animals have different
body covering, such as fur, feathers, or
shells.
4

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RESOURCES/MATERIALS
-----------------------------------------------------------
Animal pictures
 E-5

T.E.K.S. 112.2 (K.6) The student knows that systems have parts and are composed
organisms and objects.

Area: Animal Life

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OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Student will identify and compare
ways in which animals move.
1. Have students cut pictures of animals from
magazines. Discuss how each animal
moves. Some animal movements include
walking, swimming, floating, slithering,
sliding, creeping, jumping, leaping, hopping,
climbing, swinging, and burrowing.

Have student demonstrate different

movements with their bodies. The students
can play, “What animal am I?” by
pantomiming how the animal moves.

2. Have student choose an animal. Ask them

to find out how fast the animal moves. Help
them put animals in order from slowest to
fastest. Discuss why some animals need to
be faster than others and what their body
structure might have to do with this

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RESOURCES/MATERIALS
-----------------------------------------------------------
Magazine pictures
 E-6

T.E.K.S. 112.2 (K.6) The student knows that systems have parts and are composed
organisms and objects.

Area: Animal Life

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OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. Student will describe animals 1. Have an empty flannel board with all
with respect to size, shape, chosen animals in front of it. Say a riddle
color, and body parts. about one of the animals. Let students
guess which animal is being described.
Instead of telling students that they guessed
right, put the animal on the board and
students can see if their answer matches the
animal.
2. Have students use modeling clay, tooth-
picks, small buttons, and pipe cleaners to
make models of animals.
3. Have students find pictures of animals to cut
out and paste on poster board. Use posters
to make a class mural of animals.
4. Ask students to draw pictures showing
mother animals and their young. Talk about
how mother animals care for their babies.
4

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RESOURCES/MATERIALS
-----------------------------------------------------------
Flannel board
Clay
Toothpicks
Buttons

E-7

T.E.K.S. 112.2 (K.9) The student knows that living organisms have basic needs.

Area: Animal Life

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OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. Student will identify and 1. Present concept to students that animals

compare animal homes. live in different places. Some live in trees,
some live in the ground, and some live in
water. Provide worksheets for students to
match animals with their homes.
2. Have students draw pictures of animals that
live on land and animals that live in water.

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RESOURCES/MATERIALS
-----------------------------------------------------------
 E-8

SCIENCE:

ANIMAL LIFE
T.E.K.S. 112.2 (K.8) The student knows the difference between living organisms and
non-living objects.

Area: Animal Life

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OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Student will distinguish between 1. Show pictures containing examples of

living and non-living things. living and non-living things. Ask students
to identify things in the pictures. Explain
that we use certain features (characteristics)
of things to determine if they are living or
non-living.
a. Living things grow and change. (Ex:
adult animals and baby animals, small
plants and large plants.)
b. Many living things can move on their
own. (Ex: birds, dogs, insects, people.)
c. In order to stay alive, living things need
food, water, air and a place to live.
d. Living things produce other living
things. (Ex: dog/puppy, egg/chicken,
seed/plant.)
2. Provide butcher paper with the headings,
“Living Things” and “Non-Living Things”.
Have students use magazines to find
examples of each. Discuss choices with
class.
 3. Have students make posters of living versus
non-living items. List characteristics of
living and non-living things.

-----------------------------------------------------------
RESOURCES/MATERIALS
-----------------------------------------------------------
Pictures
Butcher paper

M-1

T.E.K.S. 112.2 (K.6) The student knows that systems have parts and are composed
of organisms and objects.

Area: Animal Life

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OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Student will identify the basic 1. Explain to students that living things are
categories for classifying all around us. Write “plants” on the board
living organisms. and ask students to name some plants they
know, (e.g., trees, flowers, grass). Write
“animals” on the board and ask students to
name some animals they know, (e.g., dogs,
cats, cows, horses).
2. Show pictures of various kinds and sizes of
plants and animals. Ask students to identify
which ones are plants and which ones are
animals.
3. Use butcher paper to make a chart divided
into two columns labeled “Animals” and
“Plants”. Have students cut pictures from
magazines to glue into the proper columns.
Put the chart on the bulletin board.
4. Make a chart and list what animals need to
live.
 5. Make a chart and list what plants need to
live.

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RESOURCES/MATERIALS
-----------------------------------------------------------
Pictures of various kinds and sizes of
plants and animals
Butcher paper
Magazines
Glue
Scissors

M-2

T.E.K.S. 112.2 (K.6) The student knows that systems have parts and are composed of
organisms and objects.

Area: Animal Life

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OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Student will distinguish between 1. Present students with a picture of a lion

domestic and wild animals. and a cat. Ask, “Which animal would
make the best pet?”, (the cat). “Why?”,
(because it would not bite.)
Write the word “pet” on the chalkboard and
under it, write the word “cat”. Then write
“wild” on the board and under it, write
“lion”. Explain that a tame animal can be
kept as a pet for fun. A wild animal does
not make a good pet.
2. Invite a state wildlife officer or
4 representative from the Humane Society
to
visit the classroom.
3. Make a poster of “wild” animals and one of
 “tame” animals.

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RESOURCES/MATERIALS
-----------------------------------------------------------
State Wildlife Officer
Representative from the Humane Society

M-3