animal research project kindergarten

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Animal Research Projects Step-by-Step

June 9, 2016

Inside: Discover the step-by-step process I use for animal research projects in kindergarten. 

Using a Roadmap for Your Animal Research Projects

Spring is an exciting time in kindergarten, because the children have now learned how to write and can create their own nonfiction informational books.  But in order to get the results we want, our animal research projects must begin several months before that, and include research and note taking steps, so children will already be animal experts before they begin write.

Here is the project path that we use to support us, as we move from animal researchers to nonfiction writers during the second half of the kindergarten year.

Animal Research Project Steps

Step 1: i wonder.

During this step, I plan an entry event, designed to spark curiosity and get children excited about the animal we’ll be studying.  This might be an animal webcam, live animal visit, or even an unexpected “visitor” that we discover in the classroom or on the playground.

As children observe the animal, I invite them to share, in words and/or writing, what they see, think, and wonder about the animal.

Step 2: I Plan

I then work together with children to create a list of resources that we might use to find the answers to our questions.  This includes books, videos, websites, webcams, mini field trips, and any ”experts” that we might interview.

We create a special research center in our classroom to store and display them all materials related to our animal research projects.

Step 3: I Investigate

I build “inquiry time” into your day to conduct whole class, shared research using the resources we’ve gathered.  I model note taking and let children take their own notes using a combination of pictures and words.

I also Incorporate what children are learning about the animal into their choice time discovery centers.  They might create models of the animal out of play dough or use animal figures and special props in the block center to create and build habitats.

Step 4: I Review

Once we’ve “digested” lots of information, I invite children to reflect and review our shared notes to see if we have collected enough information about our animal in each of these four areas: body features, habitat, diet, and life cycle.

We will us these 4 categories to help us organize our writing in the next step, so it’s important that we’ve focused our research on gathering information for each subtopic.

Step 5: I Create

Now it’s finally time to write! During this step, we will create a piece of informational writing to share what we’ve learned.  Depending on what form of writing we choose, the children’s age and their experience, they might work independently, with a partner, in a small group, or be guided by me, step-by-step.

When it’s our first animal research project, we usually do it together.  The children choose the facts they want to write, but I guide them page by page through each subtopic.

Once, we’ve done that one together, I then let children choose an animal and do the second one independently, in pairs, or with a small group.  This happens naturally, as some children will pick the same animal, and will need to share resources, so they end up working together, but each creating their own book.

Along with an informational text, children can also create additional visuals to use in their presentation. These might include:

These are great options for children who have finished their writing before others and need an additional challenge. Or children might choose to work on this extra project during choice time.

Step 6: I Share

I work together with children to choose an authentic audience to share our learning and we schedule a time to present.  The presentation can be as simple as reading to a book buddy from another class or as involved as creating a “museum” and hosting tours for families.

Before children present, I spend some time reviewing and rehearsing presentation habits.  I model and we role play each behavior so children know what it looks and sounds like to be an effective presenter.

Resources for Your Own Animal Research Projects

Are you ready to begin an animal research project with your kiddos? Use the above roadmap as your guide along with these additional resources that will be helpful to you on your journey.

Using Webcams for Animal Research in Kindergarten

Keeping it Real: Animals in the Classroom

Our Eagle Research Project Path

Ready, Set, Research: Animal Informational Writing Units

For more science and inquiry ideas, visit the Growing with STEAM page found inside the Roots & Wings Resource Library. 

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• Animal Research Project

107 comments:

Stop it right now!!!!!!!

OMGoodness! This is just precious! I am so doing this with my kiddos! Thanks for the great post, Caitlin! Ashley One Sharp Bunch

This is absolutely ADORABLE!! I would love to do this with my firsties!

This is amazing!! Can't wait to change up my informational writing unit to fit this into my plans!! :) Thanks for sharing, Caitlin!

Love this wonderful form of collaboration. The work is fantastic! You should be so proud of yourself and your students.

Wow!! Your kids (and you) are totally AWESOME. And so mature to work together and come up with a wonderful finished research project. What great work and team work!

This is amazing!!!

I love these pics! I am now so inspired to do this with my kiddos!! Thanks for the pics! They are precious! Linda Groce

These are incredible!! Absolutely fabulous!!! -Amanda Kindergarten Teacher at the Wheel

I love this idea! I found this awesome app: "30 Hands." It allows students to create digital stories using images, video, and their own handwriting. Then students can record their voices and tell a story. I think it would be really interesting to use that as another way for them to demonstrate what they have learned about their animals. You could use all the graphic organizers to set up their information before creating the digital story! Thank you for the awesome ideas :)

Where did you find their writing pages?

Danielle, the link is above (right at the beginning of the post)

This comment has been removed by the author.

This is an incredible idea! Modifying to use in one of my education classes, if that is okay?

I did this with my kindergarten class! They loved being independent with their learning! Tomorrow they are presenting their final projects to their parents! Thanks for the idea!! Mrs.T

I LOVE this!! I'm currently an elementary/collaborative major with hopes of landing a kindergarten classroom soon. One of my projects this semester is a teacher website. Do you mind if I link to this page for my fictional "class project update" on animals?

Not at all! Link away :)

Hi Caitlin, loved what you and your students did here! You've inspired me to purchase Tracey's pack. I'm curious, did you have the students in groups of 5? If so, when one student was scribing and perhaps one or 2 researching, what did you have the others doing? They all look totally engaged. :)

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Investigating Animals: Using Nonfiction for Inquiry-based Research

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

Young children are fascinated with the world around them, showing intense interest and curiosity about animals and their lives. Through the use of nonfiction, students can be encouraged and challenged to learn more about favorite animals and to document their findings with graphic organizers. Students begin their inquiry by comparing fiction and nonfiction books about animals, using a Venn diagram. They list things they want to know about animals on a chart. As a class, students vote on an animal to research. They revise their question list, and then research the animal using prompts from an online graphic organizer. After several sessions of research, students revisit their original questions and evaluate the information they have gathered. Finally, students revise and edit their work and prepare to present their findings to an authentic audience.

Featured Resources

Animal Inquiry Interactive: Students can use this online to tool to help them focus and organize their research about animals.

From Theory to Practice

This lesson focuses on teaching primary students doing research with nonfiction, informational material how to document their discoveries. In her Planning for Inquiry: It's Not an Oxymoron! , Diane Parker poses a series of questions that make inquiry-based learning seem essential for elementary grade students: "Do we want them simply to memorize facts and procedures in order to pass a test? Or do we want them to want to know, to seek to know, and ultimately, to understand themselves and their world more deeply as a result of their knowing?" (5). Certainly our youngest students deserve the kinds of richly engaging learning experiences that well-designed inquiry instruction can bring them. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

• Access to the Internet
• LCD Projector for full-class use of online Interactives
• Quality nonfiction, informational picture books and videos
• Chart tablets, journals, markers, and other writing materials

Preparation

• Bookmark the Websites about animals from the Resources section as well as any other sites of your choosing.
• Assemble supplies listed above. Ask your school librarian for help gathering books and videos. The Nature Series videos such as “A First Look” distributed by Diamond Entertainment Corporation and the National Geographic Kids videos series are good options.
• Prepare a chart with the heading: “What We Wonder about Animals.” Students will later add headings and supporting questions to define the scope of their research.
• Choose an audience so that the students have a clear idea of exactly who they will be sharing their findings with. Examples might include visitors to a science fair, family members at an open house, and another class of grade-level students. Good writing comes when children research and write on a topic they care about for an authentic and interested audience with whom they want to share their findings.
• Arrange for adult volunteers to serve as scribes or keyboardists as needed.
• Because the Animal Inquiry student interactive will not allow students to save work, for the research phase of the project, print out blank forms from the interactive. Click the Print tab on the opening page and choose the pages you want to print. You can also record these headings and supporting questions on your “What We Wonder about Animals” chart. This will be the basis for the graphic organizers students will create using the interactive to document the findings of their research.
• For a few days before beginning the inquiry lesson, give students an opportunity to experience a variety of informational texts through a genre study of nonfiction by exploring nonfiction, informational texts about animals during read alouds, shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading during reading workshop.
• Test the Animal Inquiry student interactive on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

Student Objectives

Students will

• identify the characteristics of nonfiction texts.
• pose questions.
• participate in research.
• document and record discoveries.
• share their findings.

Session 1: Introducing the Genre and Beginnings of Inquiry

• Share a fiction book about animals, such as The Three Bears or The Three Little Pigs , with the class .
• Ask students to compare and contrast this type of fictional book about animals with the nonfiction books from recent reading workshop sessions. Have some nonfiction books on hand for prompting or verifying student responses with concrete examples.
• True versus make-believe
• Facts versus fiction (stories)
• Photographs and sketches versus drawings, collage, and paintings
• Working as a whole group, decide on the questions students want to explore to learn more about real animals. At this point, the questions need to be general, not specific to any one animal.
• Record students’ questions on the chart, under the “What We Wonder about Animals” heading. Usually questions will include questions about what an animal looks like, how it moves and acts, what it eats, where it lives, what its babies are like, etc.

Session 2: Defining the Scope of the Investigation

• Workings as a whole-class, choose an animal to study. Encourage the students to think of animals that they would really like to know more about and have them discuss various animals they might choose.
• Record the list as students brainstorm animals which they have a sincere interest in investigating.
• Give students small pieces of paper and have them sketch or write about the animal they would choose to investigate.
• Make a graph of the votes, and select the animal with the most votes as that which the class will investigate together.
• Review the “What We Wonder about Animals” questions generated during the previous session.
• Ask students if there are any questions they want to add now that they have selected a specific animal, or any questions that they want to eliminate or change. Revise the list according to their responses.
• On an Internet-connected computer with an LCD projector, lead students through a demonstration of the Animal Inquiry student interactive .
• Use the prompts built into the interactive to organize and refine the questions from the “What We Wonder about Animals” chart.
• Be sure students understand how the interactive works since they will be using it during a future session.

Sessions 3–5: Participating in Research

• With students, begin to sort through the books, Websites, and other materials you have collected, and choose those that contain information about your chosen animal.
• If desired, take a trip to the library to collect more information about the animal, introducing students to the process of collecting quality sources. Consult ReadWriteThink Lesson Research Building Blocks: Hints about Print for support in working with students on issues such as these.
• From the very beginning of the research process, emphasize the importance of audience so students have a clear picture of who their audience will be. If several classes are doing animal investigations, it is fun to share the results and be one another’s audiences.
• Help your students understand the needs and interests of their audience, thinking of ways they can choose to present their findings effectively. See ReadWriteThink lesson Teaching Audience Through Interactive Writing for support in teaching students about audience.
• Different groups of readers can explore various texts in guided reading or during paired or individual reading time.
• Help students record information that they find in the appropriate boxes on previously printed-out blank sheets from the Animal Inquiry student interactive. An adult volunteer can help with this process as well.
• As you share the nonfiction, informational texts you have collected, have students record their discoveries. Record from these readings and from students’ other research on their sheets.
• Explore appropriate videos and Websites and record this information as well.
• During the fourth session, have students look at what they have recorded and assess their progress so far.
• What information still needs to be collected?
• Are any boxes still empty?
• Is this information you want to keep hunting for or is this something you are no longer interested in or want to include on your chart?
• What information is interesting, but doesn’t really fit in any boxes?
• Did you find any information that contradicted information you had already recorded?
• How could you find out which is correct?
• The focus of an investigation can change during the course of research. You may find out things that you didn’t even know about and decide to add new questions that you want to explore.
• You can eliminate questions that aren’t interesting or challenging.
• Sometimes you can’t find the information you are looking for with the sources that you have. You might leave those questions for a later time or you might have to find other sources.
• Sources are not equally reliable. Some may give less than accurate information. You need to see what several good sources say and record details that most sources agree upon as the answer to a question.
• Using their observations to shape the direction of their research, have students decide what still needs to be done, and allow time and support to complete their interactives.
• Use adult volunteers to help students type in their findings using the Animal Inquiry student interactive.
• Encourage students to discuss their findings and report what they have learned through their research.

Session 6: Sharing the Findings

• Ask students how they want their information to look in its final form. Since students will be sharing what they learned with their chosen audience, they need to decide how to revise and edit so that the information can be shared effectively with their audience.
• Display large sheets of chart paper with labeled headings and captions reflecting the graphic organizers filled in with the results of the research. Individual students can use their smaller copies from the interactive for their personal journals and then can illustrate and write about a favorite fact that they learned about their animal. Other options might include art created by the students about the animal that would also be displayed. Adult volunteers can help students copy their writing to the larger charts.
• Have students divide up the information to present orally to their audience, present in small groups, or come up with other ways to share the results of their research.
• Once students have experienced a whole-group investigation of a favorite animal, match each student to a fourth or fifth grade buddy and let each pair research an animal of their choice using the same process. Ensure that the older buddies understand the process your class has used in the whole-group investigation. Provide each pair with the graphic organizers complete with headings and captions that your kindergarten students developed, so everyone understands what is to be researched and how the information will be recorded. Make sure that the pairs have a clear sense of the audience with whom they will be sharing their findings. Older students will be able to identify the steps of the writing process being used and may compare this with their own research writing. Book Buddy Biographies is a similar lesson, pairing students to investigate each other’s backgrounds.
• Three other examples of writing reports can be found in the ReadWriteThink lesson Writing Reports in Kindergarten? Yes!
• Older students can extend the animal study to mathematics with the ReadWriteThink lesson plan Bridging Literature and Mathematics by Visualizing Mathematical Concepts , which uses picture books to talk about size and ratio.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Encourage students to assess their the processes and evaluate their work on an ongoing basis. Urge them to decide what is going well and what needs further attention.
• At the end of each day, encourage students to reflect on what they learned and accomplished, and to share those thoughts either orally or in their reflection journals.
• Use mini-conferences as you move around the room during independent reading to talk with individuals or pairs as they explore nonfiction texts. Encourage them to share what they found exciting or interesting.
• posing questions
• participating in research
• documenting and recording discoveries
• sharing their findings
• the animal inquiry graphic organizer
• the journals
• the writing
• identifying nonfiction by its characteristics
• using nonfiction to learn about a topic
• using graphic organizers to record and share their findings
• effectively sharing their findings with an audience

This reflection can easily be done as a celebration as students and teacher share what they noticed, felt, discovered, and learned during this lesson, reflecting on what they accomplished and shared. This is a time to CELEBRATE the learning!

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This interactive tool allows students to create Venn diagrams that contain two or three overlapping circles, enabling them to organize their information logically.

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Sunday, May 12, 2013

• Animal Research Project

19 comments:

I love this! Thanks for sharing! ~ Diving Into Learning

Your projects are great! We are getting ready to learn about zoo animals and this might be fun to try! Thanks for sharing! Michelle

I would love these as a freebie! This would fit right into our zoo unit! The kids already do research and this would be a great way to showcase the information! Thanks. [email protected]

I love that website of Pebbles Go. I have ordered a lot of books from Pebbles this year. I am going to have to see if my principal will get that for us next year. LOOKS AWESOME!! Thanks for sharing! Robynn BusyBees

This would really fit well with the zoo unit we do. I would love to have this as a freebie.

Awesome teaching! Love the rubrics on the boxes. Yep, kinders can research! Jayne smartkidsgammons.blogspot.com

We just finished our animal research, but I would love to have it for next year.. Love the table of contents.. [email protected]

i would love this for next year!!!! :)

I love how you incorporated the research with writing a nonfiction book, complete with table of contents. I'd love to see more in a freebie. :) Thanks for the ideas.

Please do post your organizers and rubrics!

What a great way to bring content and writing together! I would love to try this. Could you please post organizers. I am trying to use technology to share the work we do in class with at home. Have you ever tried podcasting for your students work? or little Bird tales?

Love your animal research projects! So glad I found your blog, I'm your newest follower! ✿Sue✿ ✿ Science for Kids Blog ✿

I really love these - they look so enjoyable for the kids, not the same old same old! Thanks for sharing your ideas - and like the comments before me, I'd love a freebie! Following along now in Michigan, Lynn

....and I just found it - thanks! :) I have a new colleague coming down from 3rd grade - she thanks you too!!

Would love this as a freebie. [email protected]. Thanks!

I would love this also as a freebie! [email protected]

i would love this freebie. Thanks

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Education Standards

Ohio standards for english language arts.

Learning Domain: Speaking and Listening

Standard: Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

Learning Domain: Writing

Standard: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts that name what is being written about and supply some information about the topic.

Standard: With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

Standard: Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).

Ohio Standards for Science

Learning Domain: Life Science

Standard: Living things grow and reproduce. Living things are found worldwide.

Standard: Living things are made up of a variety of structures. Some traits can be observable structures. Some of these structures and behaviors influence their survival.

Animal Anchor Chart

Animal research project google slide, animal research project teacher lesson plan, google kids, kid info-bits, national geographic kids, speaking rubric, lions and tigers and bears oh-my animal research project and google slide presentation for primary students.

Lions and Tigers and Bears OH-my! Help young students practice their research and presentation skills with this fun, hands-on animal research and presentation project. 

Choose Animal

1) Prior to starting this project, you may want partner with your school librarian and/or STEAM teacher. Gather books and other resources to help peak your students interest and help them with their animal research. 

1) Choose an animal that you would like to learn more about. To help you choose:

• Check out the books in our class library.

National Geographic Kids:  https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/

• Kids Info-bits: https://infohio.org/document-library/item/kids-infobits?passthru=Y

Research Animal

** Before students begin researching it would be beneficial to make sure students have previous knowledge and practice with search techniques. For more information on how to teach this check out INFOhio's research module for teachers:  https://success.infohio.org/module/search-effectively/get-ready

1) In a large group create an anchor chart for students to reference back to during their researching. You could create your own on chart paper or use this digital version: 

Animal Research Anchor Chart

2) Use the following links to research your animal:

Kids InfoBits  https://infohio.org/document-library/item/kids-infobits?passthru=Y

Google Kids https://www.safesearchkids.com/google-kids/#.XQ18qFNKhE5

3) Find the answers to the following questions:

• My animal's name is and an interesting fact.
• My animal lives?
• My animal can?
• My animal has?
• Why I chose this animal?

Create Animal Presentation

4) Complete the Google Slide presentation and make it your own.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Q1eT5C01MFq8EDgUb034cS79H-tRl_qhYVJEuM_MnzQ/edit?usp=sharing

• Change the title to represent your animal.
• Change the image.
• Add your name.
• Complete the sentence.
• Add a sentence or two of your own.
• Change the image. 
• Challenge yourself by adding additional slides that tell interesting facts about your animal.

Present Animal to Classmates

Help students practice speaking skills. You may find this free rubric TPT download made by Apples and Bananas Education helpful. 

5) Practice reading and presenting your presentation. Remember to look at presentation rubric to help you prepare. 

Extension Activity

1) To extend this lesson further partner with your schools Librarian, art teaher and/or STEAM teacher and have students create a model of their animal to use with their presentation. Provide a variety of materials for students to use. A quick google search will provide examples to help get your students creative juices flowing. 

1) Use resources provided to create a model of your animal.

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Animal Habitats

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Our students are fascinated by animals. They love exploring everything about them and are excited when they learn all about their differences and similarities.

As we explore animals around us, we also dive into the various animals around the world. We can’t help but want to learn more about these creatures that roam the earth with us.

We begin talking about animals as we learn our letters with these Animal Alphabet Letter Crafts . We learn a little more about animals with our Habitats Puzzles . And to make our field trip to the zoo an enjoyable learning experience, we turn it into a fun game with a Zoo Scavenger Hunt .

We get our creative juices flowing with adorable animal art projects to decorate our room like this Penguin Puffy Paint Craft and Polar Bear Craft .

Studying and finding out interesting facts about animals gets students learning without even realizing they’re learning .

So that we can learn more about all the amazing animals in the world and the way they live, I’ve created this Animal Habitats Science Unit . Our students can learn and research about 9 different animal habitats in a hands-on way.

Be sure to take a look at our Animal Studies Holiday Bundle to bring the holidays, animals, and science together.

*Please look at the product images and preview  HERE to see the MOST UPDATED version of this science unit.

Your class will be engaged as we dig into learning all about 9 animal habitats: Antarctic, Arctic, Desert, Forest, Freshwater, Mountain, Ocean, Savanna, and Rainforest habitats.

This Animal Habitats Science Unit is perfect for science in Preschool, Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade classrooms and is packed full of intriguing science activities.

This habitats study is great for your unit studies, kids craft activities, and homeschoolers!

Inside You Will Find:

* Please check the  current product description  for the most up-to-date list of included items.

– Science Lesson Plans – Habitat Vocabulary Posters – Habitat Introduction PowerPoint – Habitat Introduction Posters (exact same as PowerPoint above) – Interactive Habitat Book – Book of Habitats – Book of Habitats (2 versions and 2 per page) – Habitat Research Project – Animal Research Project – Large Picture Animal Habitat Sort (with real pictures) Each habitat has the following: – PowerPoint – Posters (exact same as PowerPoint above) -Triorama – Habitat Vocabulary Posters – In the _____ I See Emergent Reader – Describe the Animal Bubble Map – Animal Sort Worksheet

Getting the Animal Habitats Science Unit Ready 

• paper  or cardstock
• laminating pouches
• double-sided tape , adhesive magnetic strips, or stapler
• vis-a-vis markers

After you purchase this activity and download it , I recommend printing as much as you can on cardstock and laminating so it can be used year after year.

This science resource is full of an assortment of activities and centers. Therefore, preparation will vary. Below is a brief rundown of each component in the Animal Habitats Science Unit .

Science Lesson Plans for the Week

Throughout the unit, students will complete different science activities covering 9 animal habitats.

Students will learn about the Antarctic, Arctic, Desert, Forest, Freshwater, Mountain, Ocean, Savanna, and Rainforest habitats.

Students will  compare and contrast the differences and similarities in the 9 different habitats and the animals that live in these habitats.

When students are done with this science unit, they will show what they know by writing expository text in their interactive Habitats Book, Habitat Research Project, and Animal Research Project.

Habitat PowerPoint and Posters

There is a PowerPoint that introduces students to animal habitats using scientific photographs.

Vocabulary Posters

There are different words with definitions on posters to help students better understand key vocabulary words about habitats.

Interactive Habitat book

This unit also includes an interactive book to help students learn different facts about each of the habitats. They are able to put this book together themselves along with coloring and drawing on the pages to make it their very own.

Book of Animal Habitats 

Students will put together a book about animal habitats. In this book, they will complete 4 different sentences for each habitat to describe their characteristics. There is a smaller half-page version of the book if you’d like to make it smaller or save your ink. You can print the large size for a completed display for your students and give them each the smaller version to create their own.

Large picture Animal Sort

Your little scientists will be given a large picture with each habitat and colorful pictures of the different animals. They will place each animal on the picture of the habitat they belong to.

This sort is a fun way for students to show their mastery of animal habitats .

Each animal habitat comes with a template so kids can make a triorama of the habitat you are working on. This craftivity is the perfect visual for students to learn more about these habitats with manipulatives.

I See Emergent Reader 

Each habitat has an “In the _____ I See” Emergent Reader for your little learners to put together. The book has real pictures of different animals belonging to each habitat.

Describe the Animal Bubble Map 

Inside you’ll find animal bubble maps for each habitat. There are different animals and one blank one for students to draw their own animal matching each particular animal habitat.

Animal Sort Worksheets

Students will be able to color, cut, and glue animals onto each of the corresponding habitats. This is an enjoyable way for your class to show what they know while working on fine motor skills .

Animal Research Project 

This research project is perfect for studying about an animal your students found interesting or an animal that fits in with different units you may be studying.

Students will research the chosen animal’s appearance, habitat, behaviors, diet, predators, and adaptations. There is also a source page so students can gain the experience of citing where they found their information.

Habitat Research Project 

At the end of your Animal Habitat Science Unit, your students will be ready for the challenge of completing an Animal Habitat  research project by doing some simple expository writing .

This book will allow students to apply all they have learned during the week as their culminating project .

Students will research a habitat’s location, weather, plants, animals, adaptations, and some WOW facts. Like the animal research project, there is also a source page so students can gain even more experience citing where their information was found.

Download this Animal Habitats Science Unit

Are you ready to implement this into your classroom or home?

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Your kids can learn about animals all year long with our Animal Studies Endless Growing Bundle.  It has 15+ complete animal studies, and it’s still growing! Plus, when you purchase them together, you’ll save yourself some money!

You and your students will become enthralled with this in-depth science unit study of Animal Habitats.

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April 19, 2022 at 4:56 am

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[…] explore where and how they live and the similarities and differences in their habitats. And we bring animals and literacy together with our Animal Alphabet Letter Crafts. This is a […]

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Ocean Animal Research Project with These Engaging Printables

June 8, 2023 by Mary Amoson Leave a Comment

Ocean Animal Research Project Printables: Are you looking for an exciting and educational activity to teach your kindergarten students about ocean animals? This is an ideal way to end the school year as a culminating activity! We have a fantastic set of ocean animal printables and research materials that will make learning about these fascinating creatures that are perfect for little learners. This comprehensive resource includes everything you need to get started, from word walls to fact sheets and writing materials. Get ready to explore the depths of the ocean with your young learners and even ocean animals research posters.

Types of Ocean Animals – Word Wall Exploration

To kick off your ocean animal research project, we’ve included a set of six real images featuring specific types of ocean animals. These vibrant visuals can be used to create an engaging word wall display in your classroom. As your students encounter new ocean creatures throughout their research, they can add relevant vocabulary to the word wall, expanding their understanding of these amazing animals.

Comparing and Contrasting with Fact Sheets

Our Ocean Animals fact sheet is a valuable tool for comparing and contrasting different species. Students can use this resource to explore key details and characteristics of the specific animals showcased on the word wall. Encourage your kindergarteners to share their findings with their peers, fostering collaboration and discussion within the classroom. This activity not only enhances their understanding of individual species but also promotes critical thinking skills.

Understanding Anatomy with Labeled Images

Learning about the different parts of an ocean animal is an essential aspect of this research project. We’ve provided images of ocean animals with labels, allowing students to identify and understand various body parts. This visual aid helps them grasp the unique features and adaptations that enable these creatures to thrive in their aquatic habitats. Encourage discussions and ask questions to deepen their understanding of the different roles each body part plays in an animal’s life.

Interactive Learning with Student Versions

To encourage active participation, we’ve included a student-friendly version of the labeled ocean animal images. These printables provide space for students to write in the parts of the ocean animal, reinforcing their understanding of the creature’s anatomy. This hands-on activity not only enhances their cognitive skills but also nurtures their creativity as they actively engage in the learning process.

Creating and Labeling Custom Ocean Animals

Let your students’ imaginations run wild by giving them the opportunity to create their own Ocean Animal Research Project. We’ve provided parts of the ocean animal label pieces that students can use to label their unique creations. This activity sparks creativity and allows students to apply their knowledge about different body parts while inventing their very own marine species. Encourage them to share their creations with the class and explain the functions of the labeled body parts.

Research Made Fun with Printable Books

Our Ocean Animal Research Project printable book is an excellent resource for organizing students’ findings during their research project. They can document interesting facts, draw pictures, and even write short narratives about the ocean animals they explore. This printable book is a fantastic way to track progress, showcase individual learning, and compile a comprehensive collection of students’ research efforts.

Developing Writing Skills with Engaging Printables

To further strengthen writing skills, we’ve included four additional writing printables in this resource. These worksheets encourage students to express their knowledge and creativity through descriptive writing, storytelling, and informative pieces about ocean animals. These writing activities help refine language skills while fostering a deeper connection with the subject matter.

Ten Types of Ocean Animals

Our set of TEN types of ocean animals printables and research materials is a time-saving and engaging way to introduce your kindergarten students to the wonders of ocean life. With its real images, word walls, labeled diagrams, student versions, research books, and writing printables, this resource provides a comprehensive and hands-on learning experience. Dive into the world of ocean animals and ignite your students’ curiosity about the vast and captivating depths of our oceans.

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8 Genius Research Projects for K–2 Students You Will Definitely Want to Try

Turn your K–2 students into researchers and detectives with these fun classroom projects.

PebbleGo  is the award-winning database for reading and research for K-2. It makes learning fun while improving reading and research skills. Learn more about the six different databases—Animals, Science, Biographies, Dinosaurs, Social Studies  and the Spanish-language Animals. 

Research-based learning is often reserved for students in upper elementary or middle school, but this is a skill that kids can and do learn at an early age. Yes, you can teach kindergarteners how to do proper research (i.e. be awesome detectives and readers) . 

Here are eight inspiring research projects on subjects common for the K–2 age group. For each one, we give tips for LEARNING about the specific subject first with key research questions and tasks. Then, we offer a creative project idea, inspired by teachers and educators around the country, for DOING with your students.

1. The World of Bugs

SOURCE: Plain Vanilla Mom

It’s a big, enormous world out there—and there are   lots of bugs in it. This is a good one to start with if you’re teaching young elementary students how to research. Spiders, insects, and bugs will forever be fascinating subjects for kids. So this project should generate a lot of excitement.

LEARNING: Assign each of your students a different bug and have them answer very simple questions like: How many legs do they have? Where can you find them? How big are they?

DOING: This bug fossil activity is fantastic! All you need is modeling clay, plastic insects (which you can get at the dollar store), a magnifying glass, and tweezers or tongs. Your students will love making the little molds, and it will really encourage them to pay attention to detail!

2. Money, Money, Money

Source: 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Understanding the value of a dollar, counting, and even doing small math problems with money are all skills that your students will be doing for years to come. Here’s how you can get them going on concepts now.

LEARNING: Start with the basics and make sure your students know the value of each bill and coin. Once they understand this, talk to them about earning money, saving, and even the purpose of banks.

DOING: Get inspired by this money minibook. Either download a free one (see link above) or create your own version to meet your classroom needs. Create several books for your class or one for each student as a quick reference to help them really understand the value of money.

3. History and Fame

Source: Let’s Explore

Every grade level has history and biographies as part of its curriculum. It’s essential for students to learn about historymakers, inventors, artists, and other important people of the past, and there are lots of fun ways to do this.

LEARNING: The research comes first, so it’s a good idea to assign a famous person to each of your students. Have them do a little biography, answering questions like: When were they born? Why are they famous? Where did they live?

DOING: Now it’s time for the fun part, where students get to be creative in reporting their results. Some teachers have the students get up in front of the class to present on their specific person, while others make it an art project. We love biography poster collages, like the one pictured above, because they really encourage students to focus on the most essential biographical facts.

4. Learning Plant Life Cycle

Source: The Imagination Tree

Learning about plant life is always a popular classroom activity. It’s such a great opportunity to show students how things grow, and help them understand where their food comes from. 

LEARNING: Students can research farming and agriculture, and learn about where food comes from, both locally and around the world. Discover where tropical fruits like bananas and pineapple come from compared to crops in the United States like corn, potatoes, and beans. Help students understand that all plants have a similar start like the beans you will grow in class. 

DOING:  Plant your bean plants in a clear container like a jar. You can use paper towel or cotton balls for the planting so students will be able to see the roots grow and develop. Have students track the plant’s progress. They can measure it, take photos, or draw pictures every few days. Your students will love seeing how it changes so quickly. 

5. Animal Tracks

Source: Green Kids Crafts

Animals are such a big interest area for younger elementary students, and they make lessons instantly more popular. This really useful lesson covers animals, human anatomy, and animal habitats.

LEARNING: When your class studies animal tracks, students can learn a lot about animals. For instance, they can learn about an animal’s size. They can also compare the size of the animal track to their own handprints or footprints for an anatomy lesson. And students can learn about animal habitats, too! We can help our students understand how all of these items are connected.

DOING: Now that your students have learned about animal tracks, have them recreate the tracks using cardboard scraps and sponges. This will give them a real idea of the actual size and shape of different tracks in the wild.

6. Digging into Dinosaurs

Source: Inquiring Minds

Even though they’re now extinct, dinosaurs remain some of the most popular animals with kids. Once you get your students researching, they can learn so much about these magnificent animals that came before us.

LEARNING: Help your students define the words “paleontology” and “paleontologist.” Next, encourage your kids to research different types of dinosaurs. Have them answer questions like: What were some of the big ones? Which ones could fly? What did different types of dinosaurs eat? These will all be important questions to answer before you dive into a project.

DOING: You can steal the sponge idea mentioned above to also create dinosaur tracks. Or for the ambitious teacher, create your very own giant dinosaur skeleton. This teacher outlined the shape for her students and then let them use packing peanuts and empty cardboard tubes to fill the inside.

7. Environment and Pollution

Source: The Owl Teacher

Whether you’re looking for a good Earth Day activity or you just want to teach your students more about environmental issues we are facing around the world, you can bring home the message by studying water pollution. This is a topic that affects millions every single day.

LEARNING: First, learn about the different types of pollution with your students. Air and water pollution are two big ones to start with. Help your kids learn the difference between these two and what they look like. Then ask them a question like, how could pollution affect animals, humans, and the future? Questions like this might seem too big for little minds, but they can handle it!

DOING: It really helps to see this lesson firsthand, and this Freddie the Fish activity is perfect. You’ll definitely want to see this teacher’s step-by-step instructions  describing how she did it, but the basics involve a fish-shaped sponge, plastic containers, and adding different toxins to the water. Your students will really start to see how a little bit of water pollution can really get out of hand quickly.

8. Color Mixing 

Source: Preschool Inspirations  

Color mixing is always a popular activity, and it’s great for hands-on research. Your students will love being in charge of the colors and watching them change before their eyes. 

LEARNING: Talk to your students about primary colors and go over the basics of what happens when you blend colors together. Depending on age, talk to them about why this happens and/or what they are seeing. Work with them to come up with a list or anchor chart about the most common color combinations. 

DOING: There are so many great color-mixing activities out there, including mixing colorful ice cubes or having a color mixing station in the classroom. We also love this project from Preschool Inspirations,  where they make sensory bottles with color mixing. 

Make research for your K–2 students easier by using PebbleGo , a reading and research database specifically targeting younger elementary students.

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Kindergarten Writing Lessons: Animals

• Greg Smedley-Warren
• April 21, 2024
• No Comments

Writing and research are among the most intimidating things to do in kindergarten, so hopefully, these kindergarten writing lessons will make things easier!   Research involves a great deal of reading, comprehension, and vocabulary.  And then you have to be able to translate that into writing.  That is a daunting task for kindergartners and all early childhood classrooms. Daunting is not impossible, though. Our zoo Animals Research Project makes kindergarten writing lessons fun and engaging! And it’s aligned with the science of reading!

Kindergarten Writing Lessons: Zoo Animals Research Project

We use read-alouds and videos for our research.  We use graphic organizers to record our research and learning.  Then, we used the organizers to complete our research journal.  And finally, we use all of those resources to write!  Not only are we learning to research and write, but we’re also meeting science standards as we learn about animals, habitats, and adaptations!

Kindergarten Writing Lessons: Animals: Research Project

For each animal, we do a read aloud and for some animals, we watch a video. This is how we conduct our research. As we read, we record our learning and information on our graphic organizer. We complete the graphic organizer during the read-aloud. This allows us to focus on the learning. If we wait until after the read-aloud, it becomes an assessment, and we don’t want that. We’re also building language and do explicit vocabulary instruction, which is a cornerstone of our TKS research projects.

The students then use the graphic organizers to help with their writing. This is also when we work on writing instruction. We model conventions of writing, punctuation, etc. We encourage students to write on their own if they’re ready, but they’re also encouraged to use the graphic organizers. Some students might write on their own or some might copy from the graphic organizer. Those are both ok! Meet students where they are!

Kindergarten Writing Lessons: Animals: Labeling

To bring in explicit phonics instruction and learning about adaptations, we label the parts of the animals. We define each part of the animal, and the kids explain how the parts help the animals and how they are adapted to their habitats.

Kindergarten Writing Lessons: Animals Culminating Task

Students complete a culminating task at the end of our Zoo Animals Research Project. This allows students to apply what they’ve learned in a fun way. The task is to choose an animal for our zoo (an animal not already at the zoo) and design an exhibit for the animal. The exhibit must have the correct habitat and be designed for animal adaptations. They also create a sign for the exhibit with information about the animal.

Our Zoo Animals Research Project has everything you need to learn about animals:

Included activities:

• Schema maps
• Suggested read alouds
• Graphic organizers for 22 different animals
• Labeling activities
• Habitat sort
• Zoo exhibit design task
• Writing activities and rubrics
• Math and literacy centers

Zoo Animals Art Projects

Art projects are a must in any classroom, so we do fun art projects for each animal. This might a directed drawing, a handprint painting project or another type of art project. I model each step and the students complete their own project. No templates or patterns are used.

Animals Snacks

We also make fun, simple animal snacks to celebrate our learning!

The lion snack is two graham crackers with peanut butter in between the two crackers. Students insert pretzel sticks for the mane and add chocolate chips for the eyes and nose and a pretzel for the muzzle. The second snack is animal parfait: yogurt, granola, and animal crackers.

Animals Green Screen Pictures

My class loves using our green screen so students get to choose their favorite animal and pose for a picture!

For more resources, check out these creations:

For more resources and ideas, check out these blog posts:

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