What pets do you feed, walk, or groom? Izak, who lives in Lapland, takes care of a reindeer! Match animals with owners and their responsibilities while you make and play this game!

• 1.

  Who cares for pets or raises animals? Read books such as Izak of Lapland by Maya Angelou to learn more about people who care for animals. Imagine you are interviewing the characters in each book, or conduct interviews with people you know. Use Crayola® Colored Pencils to record information about animals and their caregivers: where they live, what they do all day, how much space and time the animal needs and the caregiver has. If you make a mistake, just erase!

• 2.

  Create matchmaker cards and envelopes. With Crayola Scissors, cut a card for each animal. Fold the paper into a card. Use Crayola Colored Pencils and Multicultural Colored Pencils to draw the animal on the front. Write a colorful list of responsibilities for caring for this animal on the inside.

• 3.

  Design an envelope for each caregiver. Draw the character on the back of the envelope. On the front write information about a caregiver that could help match an animal with that person.

• 4.

  Build a colored-pencil easel. Gather six same-length colored pencils (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet) and four rubber bands. Ask a partner to help. Hold the red, orange, and yellow pencils together with the erasers lined up. Wrap a rubber band around them near the eraser. Hold the green, blue, and yellow pencils so the tips line up. Wrap a rubber band near the tips. Hold the violet pencil with the blue pencil. Pull the red pencil tip down to meet the violet and blue pencil erasers. Wrap a rubber band around these three pencils. Pull the orange, green, and violet pencils together. Wrap a rubber band around them to complete your pyramid pencil easel.

• 5.

  Display the cards on easels. Shuffle all of the envelopes. Each classmate takes one envelope. Match the caregivers on the envelopes with the animals profiled on the cards. If you wish, join together as a team to make the best matches.

• 6.

  Take the game home to play with your family. Talk about responsibility and the benefits of sharing tasks with others. Discuss pet adoption and why it's important to match animals with suitable owners.

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.
• VA: Use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner.
• VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

Adaptations

• Students, working in pairs or small groups, design a how-to book for animal care giving. Students can prepare this by first choosing a specific animal, then determining what needs that animal has and how these needs can be met by a care-giver. The how-to book can be completed as a paper version and/or an electronic version. Students should be prepared to present their books to the call or small group.
• Students can research pet adoption and the role their community plays in caring for these animals. Invite a representative from a local animal shelter, zoo, animal hospital, or agricultural service to visit the classroom. Prepare for this visit by composing questions that you would ask such an expert. After the expert's presentation, students can discuss their new knowledge and/or write responses to the questions they prepared. The written document can become part of a display in the classroom.
• Students can create a visual to accompany each page of their how-to books using Crayola Colored Pencils or Crayola Crayons. If the student book is electronic, these visuals can be scanned and imported into the electronic presentation.