Kindergarten and Preschool Farm Theme Lesson Plans and Activities

The popular book "Good Night Gorilla" by Peggy Rathmann can be used as the base to introduce this theme. The ideas below are all teaching and learning opportunities to extend this book further.

Follow-up Emergent Reader

Using this predictable and repetitive reader that relates to the book is an excellent resource to use for teaching beginning reading skills (look under the heading Reading Strategies on the website for more information). The larger pictures could be used to make it into a big book as displayed in the photograph, or the pictures placed in a pocket chart with the words written beside them or the book could be placed on an overhead or smartboard for all the children in a classroom to view as you model the reading process.

Color Sample Page of the Reader

Does A Kangaroo Have A Mother, Too?

Zoo Literature Connection - Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? by Eric Carle

The emergent reader "Zoo Animal Babies" would be used as a follow-up to reading the book "Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?

Introduces Letters "k" for kangaroo and "l" for lion

Sight Words: "of" and review "is

Sample Page from the Emergent Reader

Bonus Emergent Readers - Total of Six Emergent Readers

"Zoo Escape" and "Zoo Animal Babies" are the focus emergent readers used in the lesson plans as they are used in the alphabet program to introduce new letters and sight words, however, you can also use the readers below as well.

"Dear Zoo" by Rod Campbell is another favorite to use for the Zoo Theme. Below is a link to a retelling of the story.

Dear Zoo Reader Sample Page

More Bonus Emergent Readers

Below you will find a sample page for the interactive reader where the children must find matching shapes. It can be used in conjunction with the craft activities.

Zoo Animal Shapes Reader Sample Page

In the links below you will find two reproducible book sample pages from the books Zoo Animal Match where the zoo animal is either hiding or the facial features are only showing. The children are to find the match, cut and paste this match on the correct page. The book Special Zoo Animals is an informational book about zoo animals and their special features and what they are used for.

Zoo Animal Match Reader Sample Page

Special Zoo Animals

Introduction to Letters "Gg" and "Zz'

Letters "g" and "z" and their corresponding sounds would be taught in context of introducing the book "Good Night Gorilla" and the emergent reader retelling.

Letters "Gg" and "Zz" Recognition - Picture Mnemonics

Letter Gg

Research has shown that children have a better recollection of letter-sound associations when it is taught in conjunction with picture mnemonics. This craft activity involves children being actively involved in associating the picture to letter and more effectively making this more meaningful to them. The purpose is to have them associate the letter "Gg" to the initial sound in "gorilla" and letter "Zz' to the initial sound in "zebra" and "zoo". You will find the templates to complete these projects in the theme book or in the member's area.

Letter "Kk" "Ll" Recognition - Picture Mnemonics

Letter Ll

The letters "Kk" and "Ll" would be introduced in conjunction with reading the book "Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?" by Eric Carle and the emergent reader "Zoo Animal Babies." The lion's head would be painted and strips of the letter "l" would be used to complete the mane of the lion. The strips could be rolled with a pencil to curl them. The photograph is displayed below in the craft section.

Letter Kk

For the letter "Kk" the children would paint the kangaroo template and letter "k". The templates would be cut and the letter "k" placed in the kangaroo's pouch.

Writing Center

The writing templates found in the theme unit or member's area make a wonderful bulletin board display. This integrates a craft project with a writing activity.

Lion and Hippopotamus Writing Templates

Paint or color and assemble the lion or hippopotamus writing templates as shown in the photographs. Younger children would dictate what they want written. What is written will depend on the student's ability. The children could print a sentence or word in a prepared template telling about what they have learned. They could also write about an exciting experience they had on the field trip to the zoo.

Learning Games

Game for the Younger Children - The children would roll the die and move the chosen game player accordingly. They would color in or use a bingo marker to mark off the animal they landed on using the game board chart. The first person to complete the game board chart would be the winner. This game is great for counting and identifying zoo animals.

Letter and Sound Recognition Variation - Use the game board as above but use the letter chart instead. For example, if the child lands on the gorilla picture they must color in the letter "g" and so on. Whoever has all their letters marked off first is the winner.

Variation for Older Children for Sight Word Recognition - The teacher prints the focus sight words in the blank squares on the game board. She/he also prints these words on the corresponding blank chart. Each child shakes the die, if they land on a sight word they must say the word and mark it off on their chart. The first person to complete the chart is the winner. It is possible for the children to play the game over several times before completing the chart.

Literacy Center Activities

1. Visual Discrimination - The zoo pictures or the photographs can be used as a visual discrimination activity. The children can match the words to the pictures. The children can also print or stamp the words.

2. Word Family Activity 1 - Print a word family on the kangaroo provided. Insert the letters in the pocket of the kangaroo. Children take one of the letters and place it beside the word family. What word is now created?

The kangaroo template could be enlarged and placed on a bulletin board and used for other word family groups. The black and white version associated with the letter "k" activity could be used or the color one.

3. Word Family Activity 2 - Print the focus word family on the line. Cut slits along the black bold lines. The teacher places the strip so that the ends go under each slit. The children will pull the strip that has letters printed on it to form a new word.

Follow-up Math/Craft Suggestions - Focus on Introducing Shapes

Zoo Craft Shapes

Children will enjoy completing the crafts shown, with the focus on the shapes used to complete these zoo animals. These animals are all mentioned in the book "Good Night Gorilla".

Elephant with a Rectangle Trunk

Children can paint, cut and assemble the elephant template. The rectangle trunk would be cut and glued on. Note: In the photograph the trunk was painted on both sides and then rolled up to give it more of a trunk-like appearance.

Circle-Faced Lion and Letter "l" Picture Mnemonic Activity

The children would paint the lion templates. The templates would be cut, assembled and glued accordingly. Strips of brown construction paper would be glued to the mane to represent the letter "l". Brown paper shred could also be added.

Square-Faced Gorilla

The children would paint and cut the square-faced gorilla template. After,square pieces of black tissue paper would be scrunched and added around the face to represent the gorilla's fur.

Monkey With an Oval-Shaped Body

The children would paint, cut and assemble the monkey body parts. This project could be completed after reading the emergent reader "Five Little Monkeys" found in the link below.

Picture Version of Reading Selection

Triangle-Shaped Armadillo Face