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Animal Adults & Babies

Discover how animals care for their young and how they change as they grow.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Craft Sticks
  • Toothpick(s)

Steps

  • Step 1

    Display images of baby animals and their adult versions, such as goslings and geese, fawns and deer, tadpoles and frogs, etc. Talk about how the parents take care of the babies and prepare them for independence. For example, when a mother bird sees her baby flapping successfully she may give it a nudge out of the nest. Animals such as meerkats and whales intentionally "teach" their young survival strategies. Ask children to note some of the differences between the babies and their parents - stripes on the fawn, lack of feathers on birds, etc.

  • Step 2

    Have students craft an adult and baby animal of their choice out of air dry clay. They can use their fingers to gently pinch a head into place or roll a small ball of clay and attach it to the body. They can also do this for limbs, whiskers, a tail, quills, or other features if needed. Have them use a toothpick or craft stick to form facial and other features. When it's dry they can paint their animals.

  • Step 3

    Ask the children to present their creations to the class and describe some of the things they learned.

Standards

SCI: Ask questions about the features of phenomena observed and conclusions drawn from investigations or models.

SCI: Convey designs through sketches, detailed drawings, or physical models to communicate ideas and solutions.

SCI: Design pictorial or graphic representations/ models that are useful in communicating ideas.

Adaptations

Have students learn about the various animals and habitats indigenous to your region. Let them choose one of these to talk to the class about.

Challenge older students to write a story from the point of view of a baby animal learning how to adapt in the world. Ask younger students to describe to the class how it might feel to be a baby animal learning to do something for the first time, such as a bird learning to fly or a horse learning to run.