Zoo Animals

Thematic Unit
1st Grade
Maggie Cunningham and
Sarah Rhoades
Objectives
ELA: Students will be able to answer questions about key details from the book The View at
the Zoo with 80% accuracy.

- Students will be able to complete the graphic organizer opinion piece will be with 80%
accuracy.

Science: Students will be able to display their knowledge of the four needs of an animal
through a flip book with 80% accuracy.

Math: Students will be able to follow along with the class while we graph their data, and
interpret data on a graph with 80% accuracy.
Day 1-ELA
(whole group) Guided Reading Groups (small group):

Zoo Animals KWL Chart Group 1: A Trip to the Zoo by Karen Wallace (informational)

Read Aloud: The View at the Zoo by Kathleen Long Group 2: Eloise visits the Zoo by Kay Thompson and Lisa
Bostrom (fiction, rhyming) McClatchy (fiction)
Group 3: Life Size Zoo by by Teruyuki Komiya and Toyofumi
Fukuda (encyclopedia)

RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a RI.1.2 Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text
text RF.1.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support
RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe comprehension.
its characters, setting, or event
Day 1-ELA (Centers)
Center 1: Zoo Phonics video (watch
independently on computer)
RF.1.2 Demonstrate understanding of
spoken words, syllables, and sounds
(phonemes)
Center 2: The Zoo Crew! syllables game
(small group)
RF.1.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and
word analysis skills in decoding words.
b. Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words
e. Decode two-syllable words following basic
patterns by breaking the words into syllables
Day 1-ELA (Centers)
Center 3: Independent or Paired Reading Center 4: Zoo Animal I have...Who
★ Animal Faces by Penelope Arlon (informational) has..? Word Game with Digraphs
(partner)
★ Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell (fiction)
★ The One and Only Ivan by Katherine
Applegate (chapter book)
★ Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
by Eric Carle (fiction)

RF.1.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word

analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Know the spelling-sound correspondences for
common consonant digraphs.
 Day 1- Science (whole group)
Read Aloud: What’s Alive? by Graphic Organizer: The Needs of an Animal song:
Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

LS.1.1.1-- Living things require energy, water and a particular range of temperatures in their environments.
LS.1.1.3-- Living things acquire resources from the living and nonliving components of the environment.
Day 1- Science (partner or independently)
Flip Book

Students will…

● Label the four sections of the flip book

(air, water, food, shelter)
● Choose a zoo animal of their choice
(write the name of and/or draw a
picture of the animal on the back)
● Draw and label a picture illustrating
each category for that animal

LS.1.1.1-- Living things require energy, water and a particular range of temperatures in their environments.
LS.1.1.3-- Living things acquire resources from the living and nonliving components of the environment.
Day 2- Math
As a class, have each student put a post it note above the category of animal that
they like the best on the anchor chart, then have them copy the results at their desk.

Tiger, Zebra, Elephant,

Giraffe, Monkey and

Polar Bear

Ask students how many animals are in each category, then how many are there all together.

1.0A.C.6-- Add and subtract within 20.

2.MD.D.10-- Draw a picture graph and a bar graph to represent a data set with up to 4 categories.
Day 2- Math (centers)
Station 1:
Differentiation- Spin and graph
Almost Ready: work with a partner and take
turns
Ready: Individual work, and add up how many
markers are on each animal
More than ready: Add all the markers together
to see how many spins they had.
Station 2:
Differentiation- Matching cards
Almost Ready: Match only 2 cards per number.
Ready: Match the 3 components of the cards
together according to the number.
More than ready: turn the cards over, and pick 2
cards and add the numbers together and practice
addition.
 Day 2- Math (small groups)
Station 3:
Differentiation-

Almost Ready: roll the dice, and count out the

number on the gameboard.

Ready: Roll the dice and use the markers to mark

off the number rolled, add the numbers as the
student rolls more turns.

More than ready: Keep adding the numbers rolled

and keep a running total, and then practice
subtracting from each roll.
Standards:
1.0A.C.6-- Add and subtract within 20.

2.MD.D.10-- Draw a picture graph and a bar graph to represent a data set with up to 4 categories.
 Day 2: English Language Arts
What is your favorite Zoo animal?

- The teacher and students will make the

anchor chart together about what an
opinion is, and how to write about it.
-
- Then the students will use their favorite
animal that they picked to graph earlier, and
complete their graphic organizer explaining Differentiation:
Almost Ready: Provide
why they choose that animal. Sentence Starters
Ready: Opinion Writing
Assignment

Vocabulary word: Opinion is how you feel about something. More Ready: Add 1 more
reason and a conclusion.

W.1.1 Write opinion pieces that introduce the topic or name the book being written about, express an opinion, supply a reason for
the opinion, and provide some sense of closure
Assessment
ELA: Observation during whole group, small group, and independent work. The
graphic organizer opinion piece will be completed with 80% accuracy.

Science: Flip book completed with 80% accuracy

Math: Observation during graphing and centers. Copy the graph correctly on their
own paper with 80% accuracy.