Babies Unit Week 2 - What can we learn about animal babies?
May 11th - 15th, 2020
This week we will be continuing our Baby Unit. We will explore what we can learn about animal babies. We suggest starting this week by asking your child what do you know about baby animals? What do we call different baby animals? Are all baby animals the same? What do baby animals need?
Prior to reading the foundation text, Stellaluna, brainstorm a list of things that you know about baby animals. Also, make a list of questions that you would like to know about animals, so that as your child explores this topic they can find out the answers to these questions. After reading and discussing some of the questions provided, please choose some of the related activities listed below. Incorporating writing and drawing whenever possible will help your child develop fine motor and literacy skills, as well as support your child’s ability to communicate his or her ideas and observations.
Enduring Understandings (what children should understand by the end of this unit) – Human babies need special food and care. Animal babies need special food and care. There are similarities and differences in the ways babies are cared for. All babies grow.
Key Vocabulary - calf, cow, duck, duckling, egg, chick, chicken, elephant, frog, habitat, hatch, tadpole, veterinarian, zoologist
*Many of these vocabulary words will be supplied so you can create your own “word wall” in your home! You can also use these baby animal words to play a matching game with the names of adult animals!*
Foundational Text- This week’s foundational text is Stellaluna by Janell Cannon (scan attached). This book is about how a baby fruit bat, Stellaluna, becomes separated from her mother and lands in a bird’s nest with baby birds inside of it. As the story moves along, Stellaluna learns how different she is from the baby birds (hangs upside down by her feet, doesn’t like to eat insects, and can see at night). Even with all the differences that they have, Stellaluna and the baby birds learn the most important lesson of all that we can have differences, but we all need the same thing - love, family, and friends!
Questions to ask your child after reading – (you do not have to ask all of them)
Why did Stellaluna live with the bird family?
What are some of the things Stellaluna learned to do when she lived with the bird family?
What do bats do during the day? What do they do at night?
Why did Stellaluna feel embarrassed when she tried to fly with the baby birds? Did Stellaluna think she was clumsy?
How do you think Stellaluna felt about being separated from her mother?
How do you think Stellaluna felt when mama bird told her she had to do the same things as the other birds?
How do you think Stellaluna felt when she found her own mother again?
At the end of the story, Flitter wondered how the baby birds and Stellaluna can be so different but feel so much alike. What do you think? How is that possible?
How are you different/similar to someone else?
Activities you can try together –
*We will be exploring baby animals for the next two weeks. In order to allow each family to explore this unit at their own pace, we will share many of the same activities into next week as well. This will also allow us to take our time and dive deeper into each activity!*
Log onto https://www.zooborns.com/ to find out about new baby animals around the world.
Your child can look at different baby animal books, do a search online and then create their own journal of baby animals by drawing and then writing the baby animal’s name. Find out what the baby is called, what does it eat?
A is for animal. What other objects can you find that start with the letter a. Draw pictures of what you find.
Your child can make a chart by brainstorming what animals they think can hatch from an egg. Then your child can use the attached document to predict which animal hatches from each kind of egg. Try to ask questions about why your child matched the pictures the way they did (for example, “Why do you think the snake hatches from that kind of egg?” “How can you tell that is a bird egg?”). Use the provided answer key to check your predictions and consider researching animals or eggs that are interesting to your child!
Play “Hatch Match!” Use the attached game to count the number of animals on one half of each egg and match them to the corresponding numeral printed on the other half!
Your child can sort their stuffed animals by size (biggest to smallest, longest to shortest).
Your child can pretend to be the parent of their baby animal and take care of it (feed it, bathe it, and so on).
Your child can build a habitat for their stuffed animals (zoo, farm, jungle, desert, and so on).
Your child can make a paper maché egg. See recipe attached on how to make paper maché.
Your child can pretend to be a veterinarian and help their sick animal baby feel better by checking their temperature and giving them a shot.
Additional Books:
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell https://youtu.be/SOEbU2IBnP4
What Will Hatch by Jennifer Ward https://youtu.be/p-WYG3dGRSk
From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer https://youtu.be/V-0vlaSbRQo
Please remember, reading is a daily activity! Choose additional books from your collection at home to practice important literacy skills. Choose books from different genres and about different subjects. Some books are even available on Youtube!
Music Connection:
Animal Freeze Dance https://youtu.be/jqz4z9aQRJY
The Animal Boogie https://youtu.be/25_u1GzruQM
Baby Shark https://youtu.be/XqZsoesa55w
The Animal Song https://youtu.be/wCfWmlnJl-A
Baby Beluga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yUdLV77zN0