Joyce Altman

I would use this book as a read aloud for a first grade class because it will be a great book to introduce them to new vocabulary. I would read the story aloud the first time to show all the students what types of food the animals at zoos would eat. Then I would read the story again and have the students answer questions related to what they see in the image. They will then have a worksheet that lists five animals we read about in the story and on the other side there will be a list of foods. The students will match the correct food to the correct animal. I would also use this book as a read aloud for a third grade class because it will lead to the topic of omnivores, carnivores, and herbivores. As I read through the book, I will have the students identify which type of animal they are and why they believe they fit in that category. Then as an extension, I would have the students take a trip to the Louisville Zoo where they will write down observations they have seen the animals eat. I believe this is a great book that can teach students about food webs and how animal diets are very different.… (mehr)

In younger grades, such as second grade and below, students could be given a list of the animals and foods mentioned in the book. They could be assessed for reading comprehension by matching which animals eat what foods as told in the book. Students in all grades could take a field trip to the nearest zoo and record observations at each animal area seen. If possible, the students could recieve an informational talk about the animal(s) from a zookeeper. In fourth and fifth grade, students could pick an animal from the book or an animal found at a zoo and reserach it further, such as where they are found in the wild, how long they live in captivity and in the wild, how much they weigh, etc. The students could then dress up as their animal and present their information to the class. Students could also calculate how much an animal from the book or in a zoo eats each day, and then convert that amount into how much is eaten in one week, a month, a year etc. Ex. Elephants in a zoo eat 150 pounds in one day. 150 x 7= 1,050 pounds in a week, 1,050 x 4= 4,200 pounds in a month, etc.… (mehr)