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“If We Ran the Zoo” Animal Train Bulletin Board
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Encourage students to explore their imaginations with this creative literature-to-art connection!
This activity is appropriate for:
kindergarten – 3rd grade / 5 – 8 years
You will need:
- If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss
- Construction Paper - 9" x 12" (black)
- Animal cage train car template
- Favorite Zoo Animal sheet
- Train engine template
- “My Zoo Animal” reproducible book page
- Best-Buy Crayons
- Lakeshore Glue Sticks
- Markers
- Stapler
- Lakeshore Scissors Set - Pointed-Tip
- Pipe Stems
Before you begin:
- Download and print out the train engine template; color it with markers as desired.
- Download and print out the animal cage train car template. Trace it onto black construction paper and cut out a copy for each student. (You may want a parent volunteer to assist you with this step.)
- Cut the pipe stems into thirds so each student gets four 4" pieces.
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Directions
- Read aloud If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss.
- After you read the book, ask students to think about the different wild or wacky animals that the author came up with for the story.
- Ask students to think about their favorite zoo animal and then consider how to add or change something to make the animal slightly different or more interesting.
- Give each student a copy of the Favorite Zoo Animal sheet and some crayons.
- Invite students to draw their imaginary animal and cut it out.
- Give each student an animal cage train car to glue behind the animal drawing.
- Invite students to glue four pipe-stem pieces over their drawing, like cage bars!
- Display the train engine along with the train cars on a bulletin board titled “If We Ran the Zoo…”
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Learning Extension
Provide students with a copy of the “My Zoo Animal” reproducible book page and encourage them to draw a second picture of their animal in the box. Then ask students to describe their animal and give it a unique name. Collect the students’ pages and staple them into a class book titled If We Ran the Zoo. Place the class book in a literacy center along with a copy of Dr. Seuss’s If I Ran the Zoo for all students to read and enjoy!
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