Katlyn McGary's Wild Animals Thematic Unit

1. What Make's Wild Animals Different? Make a chart as a group and talk about differences between wild animals that live in Africa in the Safari, wild animals that live in forests, and wild animals that live in the cold in Anartica.

2. Wild Animal Puppet Theatre Find different wild animal puppets to place behind a puppet theatre for children to put on a play or tell a story with.

3. Creative Arts

3.1. Wild Animal Masks Use different tactile materials to create a wild animal mask.

3.2. Wild Animal Foot Print Tracks Use an ink pad and wild animal foot print stamps, or try to have the children make wild animal foot prints with their hands or fingers if stamps are not available.

3.3. Wild Animal Name Tags Let Children make their own Wild Animal Name up, and have them try to write their wild animal name, or a draw a picture of their wild animal. Attach string and let children wear them around for the day.

4. Literacy

4.1. Wild Animal Books on Tape Find Books on Tape at your local library, and find some to go with the wild animal theme. Have audio players with headphones set out on a table.

4.2. Wild Animal Names Have children look at the letters in wild animal names, and have them practice writing the words on a piece of paper.

4.3. Alphabet Letter Match Place Alphabet Letter Cards and Wild animal pictures on a table. Have the children try to match the wild animal picture with the letter that each wild animal starts with.

5. Math

5.1. Wild Animal Memory Match Make post-it size pictures of wild animals. Place all the cards face down, and have the children take turns flippiing cards over to find wild animal matches.

5.2. Wild Animal Sort Place wild animal manipulatives on a table. Have children match and sort the wild animals by size. Then they count to see how many wild animals in each size they have.

5.3. Create a Wild Animal Shape Using pattern shape blocks, have the children match the pattern shape blocks to the corresponding wild animal, or they could create their own Wild Animal Shape.

6. Gross Motor Development/ Physical Education

6.1. Wild Animal Movement Activity Have children in an open area. Hold up pictures of wild animals, and have them move like the animal in the picture.

6.2. Wild Animal Hopscotch Print out pictures of wild animals, and either laminate or cover them with clear contact paper. Have the children hopscotch on the pictures.

6.3. Wild Animal Scavenger Hunt Place clues around the classroom that describe wild animals. Have the children try to guess which animal is being described based on the clues they find.

7. Social Studies

7.1. Wild Animal Geography Have a children's World Atlas out on a table. Then place the wild animal manipulatives out as well. Instruct children to try to find the places and climates that particular wild animals live in.

8. Science

8.1. Build a Wild Animal Habitat Using buidling blocks, fake grass, and rocks have the children create and build the different habitats that wild animals live in.

8.2. Artic Animal Exploration Place bins on a table. Put water, ice, and plastic sea creature figurines in the bins. Talk to children about how sea creatures that live in colder climates stay warm, and how they live.