Preschool – Animals on the Move

Activity Synopsis
Students learn how different animals move. They will use their bodies to act out certain animals.

 

Time Frame
20-30 minutes

 

Objectives
The learner will be able to:

• Recognize how animals move (slither, crawl, fly, etc.).
• Recognize animals from pictures.
• Use their bodies to act out animals.

APL-1, APL-2, APL-3, APL-4, APL-8
HPD-2, HPD-4
LDC-1, LDC-2, LDC-3, LDC-4, LDC-10
CD-1, CD-2, CD-3, CD-4, CD-5, CD-8, CD-10

During this activity, students will learn how animals move by matching the animal to its proper mode of motion. The animals and the type of movement they make are the focus in the activity.

Modes of Motion with Matching Animal:

• Flying – Bald Eagle
• Slithering – Snake
• Crawling – Blue Crab
• Walking – Skunk
• Jumping – Frog
• Swimming – Fish

Here is some background information on the animals and how they move.

Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey that is found throughout South Carolina. It has a white head, a large yellow bill, and a wingspan of 6.5 feet. Their 2 large wings allow them to fly around 30mph and even around 75mph when diving for food.

Snake
Snakes are reptiles with scaly skin. They do not have legs, but instead slither using their muscles. Most snakes live on land and slither on the ground where they hide under leaves and sticks or climb trees to hang out in branches. A few snakes are good swimmers and live in ponds, lakes, marshes or the sea. There are more than 3600 known species of snakes in the world. 38 different species live in South Carolina.

Blue Crab
Blue Crabs are a type of crustacean that get their name from the bright blue color on their shell. They have 4 pair of legs that help them crawl along the bottom of the ocean, and 1 pair of claws to help defend themselves or to grab prey to eat. The female blue crabs tend to have red tips on their claws.

Skunk
Skunks are a type of mammal that have short, stocky legs and feet equipped with well-developed claws that enable them to walk and dig well. Skunks are well known for discharging a smelly scent from their glands under their tail that is capable of reaching 10 feet.

Frog
Frogs are amphibians that can be found high in trees, on the ground, and sometimes in the water. Frogs have large, round eyes, no tail, and strong, webbed feet that allow them to jump/leap far distances.

Fish
Fishes are animals that live in water with scales covering their body, gills to help them breathe underwater and fins to help them swim. Fish have many types of fins. They have one dorsal (down the back), two pectoral (one on each side), two pelvic (both mid bottom), one anal (back bottom), and the caudal (tail) fin. Each fin helps fish survive and navigate its environment.

• Animal Pictures
• Mode of Motion Cube Template
• Animal Yoga Poses
• Animal Moves Song

Prep: Cut each animal picture out and if you can, laminate them so you can use them over and over. Cut out the “Mode of Motion Cube Template”. Fold and then tape it so it makes a cube. This will be your dice for the game.

1. Get a discussion going about animals. You could ask the students if they like animals. Ask if any of them have pets. Ask how many pets they have. Chat for a few minutes and then let them know they will learn about some animals today to practice how they move.

2. Ask them how they move around. Get a discussion going asking if all animal move around the same way. Can they name some ways that animals move?

3. Lay out the 6 images of the animals (fish, bald eagle, skunk, frog, snake and blue crab). Have a student roll the “Mode of Motion” die. Whichever mode of motion it lands on, have them match it to one of the animals.

4. Repeat this process until all 6 animals have been matched to a mode of motion.

5. Once all the animals have been matched with their motion, lead your students through all the animal yoga poses. Each yoga pose looks like one of the six animals. You can have the students guess which pose resembles which animal.

6. Sing the Animal Moves Song to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”. Can also have them act out the moves as they sing.
 

Animal Moves Song
To the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”

The Eagles in the sky use their wings, use their wings, use their wings,
The eagles in the sky use their wings,
To fly all around.

The Snake on the ground slithers by, slithers, by, slithers by,
The snake on the ground slithers by,
All through the leaves.

The Crab on the sand has 10 legs, has 10 legs, has 10 legs,
The crab in the sand has 10 legs,
To crawl all around.

The Skunk in the woods has 4 legs, has 4 legs, has 4 legs,
The skunk in the woods has 4 legs,
To walk all around.

The Frogs in the trees use their legs, use their legs, use their legs,
The frogs in the trees use their legs,
To jump all around.

The Fish in the sea swim with fins, swim with fins, swim with fins,
The fish in the sea swim with fins,
All through the sea.

ELA Extension
Read one or more of the following books about animal movements.
“My Very First Book of Motion” by Eric Carle
“Commotion in the Ocean” by Giles Andreae
“Dance Like a Flamingo: Learn How to Move and Groove Like the Animals Do!” by Moira Butterfield
“Do Goldfish Fly?: A Question and Answer Book about Animal Movements” by Emily James
“Animals – Sounds and Movements” by Jamie Forrester

Mental Wellness Extension
Read this book to get ideas on how to teach your students to calm their bodies and minds.
“Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere” by Kira Willey

Science Extension
Have them find something in the room that is the same color as each of the animals from the activity.

STEAM Extension
Give them finger paints or crayons and some paper. Let them make their own animal from the activity.