Engage students in a farm animal thematic unit.
Kindergarteners experience a lot during the school year -- from learning basic academic and life skills to exploring the world that lies around them. Farm animals are a common topic to teach kindergarteners, because these animals are an important part of the world. If you're teaching your students about farm animals, integrate a thematic unit that focuses on these animals into your curriculum that brings that study across the curriculum.
Farm Animal Books
For a literacy activity, have children create farm animal books. Print pictures of individual farm animals onto separate pieces of paper and write "I see the _____ on the farm" on the bottom of each page. Students look through the pages and write the name of the animal featured on the page on the blank line. For example, if there is a pig on the page, they write the word "pig." Create a word wall that contains each of the animal names that students can refer to during this activity. After filling in the names of the animals, assemble the pages into a book for each student and encourage them to read through their books individually, or read them as a whole class. Through this activity, students practice their writing skills and develop their reading skills.
Farm Animal Addition
Use farm animals as a means of developing addition skills. On paper, write simple addition problems and provide children with farm animal stickers. To solve the addition problems, students must place an amount of animal stickers underneath each number in the addition problems and then count the total number of stickers to determine the sums. For example, if the problem is "2+4," children should place two stickers under the number two and four stickers under the number four, then count the total number of stickers to find the sum, which is 6 in this example.
Farm Science
Put students' sense of hearing to the test for a science-related farm animal activity. Make or purchase a tape of farm animal sounds: pigs, cows, chickens and horses, for example. Play a section of the tape so that children hear only one animal sound at a time. After playing the tape, direct students to determine the animal that made the sound. You could even turn this activity into a game by having students hold up pictures of the animal that they believe made the sound and awarding points to those who are correct.
Farm Animal Crafts
During arts and crafts, have children create farm animal crafts. Provide children with construction paper, markers, crayons, scissors, glue and other craft materials. Encourage students to use the materials to create their own versions of farm animals. For example, children may use construction paper and cotton balls to create a sheep craft, or they may draw images of cows and dip their fingers into black paint to add spots on them. Through this activity, students express their understanding of farm animals.
Tags: farm animal, this activity, addition problems, farm animals, activity students