This book is another great one by Dawn Publications. This is an attractive and informative addition for the well-stocked science classroom library. Activities and additional information are provided at the back of the book. I learned something about sea otters that I never knew–they secure their offspring with kelp so the babies won’t escape while heading off to hunt for food. I liked how the main story line appears on one page with interesting snippets on the facing page.

Thus, she highlights species who carry their young in a pouch, in their mouth, on their backs, on their chest, or even sitting on their feet before being hatches. By first introducing the topic through something with which young readers will be familiar–how humans carry their young in slings, carriers, and backpacks–the author insures that they will be able to make connections to how other animals carry their young. Rhyming text and stunningly-detailed illustrations of animals in their natural habitats combine to provide information about how animals carry their young. A comforting, informative read even if the rhyme gets a bit carried away. Backmatter includes a matching game, further information about the animals, curricular connections, and print and internet resources. The animal spreads are framed with opening and closing pages of text and art depicting racially diverse human parents carrying and caring for their little ones. The realistic art style better suits the expository text and is at turns compelling (the penguin scene is a high point) and overworked (the alligator spread leaves little rest for the eye). Accompanying expository text on facing pages provides factual information that serves the book well, though its staid presence underscores the bouncy, rhyming text’s flaws. YES! I use my last 30 minutes of the day (for social studies or science) to sneak in a little more intervention time.2017 Creative Child Magazine (Book of the Year)Ī rhyming description of many ways that animals, and people, carry and protect their young.The text distinguishes itself by including references to a broad diversity of animals ranging from those the theme demands-a kangaroo with a joey in her pouch, for instance-to some less-expected ones, such as a manatee whose baby swims close beside her, nuzzling below her fin to nurse. You can still complete these together as a class, OR you can have students complete the activities independent FOR… wait for….ĮXTRA INTERVENTION time for math and reading!! This is also a great time to do a life cycle cut and paste, my favorite for this unit is the Polar Bear Life cycle! For students who need a more challenge, they must write complete sentences. For struggling students, they simply draw and label. I like to have students compare a mother animal and a baby animal using an interactive journal (seen on the left).

These are PERFECT for when students are ready to become a little more independent. Interactive Animal Mothers and Babies Journals You can easily differentiate this activity by having students draw, label or even write complete sentences. I love the freedom that it gives me as a teacher to lead the discussion where I need it to go, but I also love that it gives students an opportunity to get really creative. I love using prompts like the one you see on the left on the “Mothers and Babies” worksheet. This is a great opportunity to informally start comparing how young animals look like their parents (coloration, number of limbs and body structure). The best way to start this unit on Animal Mothers and Babies is to do a simple matching activity where you match a picture of the young animal with the mother animal. These activities are completed at the beginning of the unit when students are just starting to build their knowledge base, so these activities might seem easy, but remember, they are BUILDING their knowledge on the subject. We are then recording that new information on a simple recording sheet. This is where I introduce new vocabulary and I am “guiding” students through books or videos to find new information. Okay, “Guided Research” sounds like a super formal term… but what it really means is that these are the activities that we do together as a class and there is typically a right or wrong answer. Learning the Facts about Animal Mothers and Babies

Animal moms and babies matching game