Monday, April 15, 2013

ENDANGERED ANIMALS FROM A TO Z

Endangered Species A-Z  (Echo chant)
Endangered animals
are going extinct.
It’s time to protect them
Don’t you think?
I say antelope, you say /a/.   (Children stand and step from side to side to the beat.)
Antelope - /a/                     (Cup hands around your mouth as you make the sound.)
Antelope - /a/
I say bison, you say /b/  (Step to the beat and cup hands around mouth on the sound.)
Bison - /b/
Bison - /b/

C – condor             D- dolphin
E – elephant          F – falcon
G – gorilla              H – hippo
I – iguana              J – jaguar
K – koala                L – leopard
M – manatee          N – numbat
O – otter               P – panda
Q – quoll                R – rhinoceros
S – sea turtle        T – tiger
U – umbrella bird   V – vulture
W – whale              X – ox
Y – yak                   Z - zebra

Activities:
*Make an ABC book to go along with the chant.  Each child chooses a letter and illustrates her animal with crayons or markers.  Put the pictures together to make a book.  Make a front and back cover from a paper grocery sack.  Bind with book rings.  Have children write their names on the cover of the book because they are the “Illustrators.”  On the inside cover write the copyright date (day you make the book) and publisher (your school).  Make sure to write “The End” on the back of the book.  You might also want to add an ISBN number and bar code.

*What are some factors that contribute to animals becoming endangered or extinct?  What can YOU do to help protect animals?

*Brainstorm how you could learn more about endangered species (plants and animals).  For example, you could go to the library, look on the internet, ask a friend, etc. 

*What’s the difference between “endangered animals” and “extinct animals”?  Assign each child a letter of the alphabet and ask him to do “research” and find an extinct animal that begins with his sound.

*Make a peek-a-boo book of extinct animals.  Each child chooses an endangered or extinct animal.  She writes or dictates a riddle or clue about the animal at the top of a sheet of paper.  Then tape the top of a 4” square to the middle of the page.  Children can lift the square and draw the animal underneath.