How do pets or wildlife care for their young? Discover how young animals change as they grow!

• 1.

  What animals fascinate you? Or what creatures are you studying in science? Find out how animal parents take care of their babies. Show what you’re learning about animal life cycles and their growth from birth to adulthood by creating miniature versions. You may want to use pictures as a reference—head, body, and leg proportions usually change from babyhood to grown-up!

• 2.

  Decide which body parts you need for the mama or dad and baby. Almost all animals have a body, head, legs, and many have tails. Work on two paper plates, one for the adult and one for your baby animal. Follow these directions for each creature. Make them as realistic as possible!

• 3.

  Roll Crayola Air-Dry Clay in your hand to form a body. With your fingers, pinch the top of the clay to form a head or roll a ball and attach it to the body. Form facial features using a toothpick or craft stick. Make ears, eyes, nose, and mouth.

• 4.

  Roll out a snake-like piece of clay to form legs. Will your animal be standing or seated? Make sure the legs are large enough to support it! Attach legs by scratching the spot on body and leg with a toothpick. Wet it with a drop of water and press the pieces together.

• 5.

  What is missing on your animal? Does it need a tail, mane, whiskers, trunk, or paws? With Air-Dry Clay, it’s easy to make even very fine details.

• 6.

  Repeat this process for your other animal. Air-dry your figures for several days.

• 7.

  Cover your painting area with newspaper. Choose realistic colors of Crayola Tempera Paint for your creatures. If you use several colors, let each one dry before adding the next. Remember to rinse your brush when you change colors. Air-dry the paint.

• 8.

  Explain to your classmates why you chose these animals. Describe how the babies look and the changes and amount of time it takes before they are adults.

Standards

• LA: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
• LA: Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
• LA: Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
• LA: Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade level topic or subject area.
• LA: Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
• LA: Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text.
• LA: With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade level.
• SCI: Ask questions about the natural and human-built worlds.
• SS: Use appropriate resources, data sources, and geographic tools to generate, manipulate, and interpret information.
• VA: Use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner.
• VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

Adaptations

• Using a map of your state, country, or the world, students identify where in the world their animals may live in their natural habitats. Students can mark these locations with a colorful tack or a small ball of Crayola Model Magic. Animals can be color-coded and a written key can be added to the map.
• Students can discuss what the difference is between a wild and a domesticated animal. These terms should be defined using an online dictionary or a classroom copy. Students may re-write the definitions in their own terms. Have students sort their animals into the two groups: wild and domesticated. This display can be created into a bulletin board for the classroom.
• Students can group animals by the habitat where they would be found, such as a farm or rainforest.
• Students take a look at their local habitats. What animals do they find near and around their homes? What are the characteristics of these habitats that allow the identified animals to live and thrive? Students can create a list of these characteristics for display.