April

THEME: BABY ANIMALS COLOR: PINK SHAPE:
OVAL


OBJECTIVE:
1. To experience different baby animals, real, pretend, and
extinct; the whole aspect, i.e., how
they move, how they eat, how they start and develop, sounds
they make, where they live
and how they help us.

Blocks: Display different types of baby animals
Homes for animals:
Caves (in the ground, hollow logs, trees, snow).
Nests (build a people nest).
Man- made caves - dog houses ( what's different about a person's
house and a dog house?).
Shell houses - crabs, snails, clams, oysters, etc. (humans have
trailers and campers).
Zoo cages - difference between what we use to see and the way zoos
are set up now.
Different shapes for different animals, too.
People houses - and where are the animals hiding in our houses
(bugs) as well as where our
pets live when they're in our houses
(aquariums, cages, etc.).
Tunnels - for ants, moles, mice, groundhogs, etc.
Water - fish, whales, alligators, etc.

Art: offer easel art daily.
Animal collages by groups.
Make bird feeders and nest.
Painting with feathers / drawing with quill feathers.
Make egg carton animals.
Paper bag animal costumes.
Circus tents.
Imprints in playdough.

Science: See block area above for extension of ideas - open ended
questions.
Bugs from outside and magnifying glass.
Bird nests from outside.
Teeth, claws, shells, fur, scales, fins, feathers to compare, touch
and talk about.
Foods that animals eat.
Tracks that animals make.
Picture cards to match something real in your science area.
Tape recording of animal noises.

 Science: (cont'd.)
Things we get from animals - food, (carefully) fun, protection,
clothing and work.
Some animals protect us from others (bats eat mosquitos, ants clean
up after us).
Food chain that makes small or weird bugs become important.
Importance of returning bugs and animals to their homes after we
look at them.
Grasses vs. clovers.

Literary: Display lots of books with animal pictures in them.
Stick animal puppets for zoo story; for circus, farm, etc.
Experiences - trip to the pet store, (or have animals to visit the
classroom), circus and the
Calvary corral, etc.
Sticker stories with animals.
Bring in a stuffed animal and write your own made up story.
Allow children to dramatize some to the stories such as the "ANGUS"
OR "MOUSEKIN"
stories.
Vocabulary words - how animals move: crawl, slither, swing, burrow,
tunnel, fly, float, swim,
trot, prance, warm-blooded,
invertebrate, metamorphosis, etc.
Books: The Best Nest, Are You My Mother?, We Went Looking, Big
Track, Little Track,
etc.


Dramatic Play: Set up dramatic play to represent any of the block
area ideas and /or
House with pets or a Farm (with clothes and equipment).
Animal Hospital (with clothes and equipment).
Zoo kitchen
People cave (what would you need if you lived in a cave?).
Circus itself (and /or pretending to go to the circus . . .which
could then be block area).
Pet store (differences between people stores and pet stores?).
Outdoor dramatic play, Zoo - Horse corral - Farm - Circus/


Music: Songs, Poems, and Fingerplays theme related.
Record different animal sounds.
"Old MacDonald Had a Farm.
Eight Baby Pigs (Creative Resources).
Did you hear ? (Open the Door, Let's Explore).
One little Ant (Same book above).
I'd like to be, etc. (Same book above).

 Playground: Centers indoors can be extended outdoors:
Outdoor dramatic play, Zoo - Horse Corral - Farm - Circus - Animal
Fair, etc.
Looking for animals footprints.
Duck, Duck, Goose.
Walk like animals.
Zookeeper, May I? ( Like Simon says).

Rainy day activities:
Bell cat, or any animal (Rainy Day Activities).
Animal Day (Special Day Celebrations).
Animal face sandwiches.
Animal Puppets.
Farmer in the Dell.

Holidays:
MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD
APRIL FOOL'S DAY - 1 APRIL
CHILDREN'S DAY - 4 APRIL
EASTER - 7 APRIL
JAPANESE AMERICAN FESTIVAL - 9 APRIL