BACKGROUND:
Animals are living organisms that grow,
reproduce, respire, and give off wastes. Unlike plants, they cannot make their
own food from simple molecules, they can move on their own from place to
place, and they show quicker responses to environmental change. In this
activity, kindergartners will learn about animal movement. Animals live
everywhere.
PROCEDURE:
- Take a critter walk. Give each child a
small jar or baggy. Let them collect small animals (bugs, spiders, worms,
snails) being careful to treat each organism gently. Warn them to stay away
from stinging insects like bees.
- If possible, divide the class into small
groups and let the children describe their organisms. How many legs do they
have? How do they move? Do they have shells? What do their skins feel like?
Discuss why animals move at different speeds. Do they normally wait for prey
to come to them? Do they move fast to catch food or escape danger? Do they
roll up or pull into a shell when danger is around? A good motor activity for
the students can be conducted by having the children duplicate their
organisms' movement.
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