ݮƵѰapp

  • Visual Arts
  • Grades K-2
  • Science

Animal Habitats
How can animal habitats be described through story, song, drama, or visual art?

In this K-2 lesson, students will create a story page about animal habitats using a non-traditional book illustration method. They will be introduced to animal habitats through story, song, and dramatic play using children’s picture books.

 

Lesson Content

Learning Objectives 

Students will: 

  • Identify animals and their habitats.
  • Identify and use common organizational structures, such as chronological order.
  • Demonstrate the relationship between numbers and quantities using sign language.
  • Enhance communication through volume, facial expression, body movement, and American Sign Language.
  • Identify rhyming words, patterns, and rhythms in a text.
  • Use music to accompany the text in a story.
  • Create a story page using moldable material.

 

Standards Alignment

Recommended Student Materials 

Editable Documents: Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students.

Websites

Additional Materials

  • Camera or smartphone (optional) 
  • (optional)

 

Teacher Background 

Teachers should obtain and review each of the following resources: 

  • and , by Marianne Berkes and Jeanette Canyon. Review the artist’s notes in the back of Over in the Ocean/Jungle to learn more about the artist’s use of polymer clay to make and capture her images.
  • (Jim Arnosky) or another more traditionally-illustrated animal book.
  • Review
  • Familiarize yourself with (the ability to deal explicitly and segmentally with sound units smaller than the syllable) (Stanovich, 1993).
  • Familiarize yourself with the original song, “Over in the Meadow,” which is the basis for these two stories. If you wish to hear the music, go to . You may also create your own tune or perform the story in a rap style.
  • Make (or purchase) enough modeling clay for the class. There are many, many recipes --use your favorite, or find a new favorite at the Family Education page.

 

Student Prerequisites 

Students should be able to count from 1 to 10 and be familiar with basic phonics and rhyme.

 

Accessibility Notes

Modify movements and allow extra time as needed.

  • Original Writer

    Diane Ambur

  • Adaptation

    Carol Parenzan Smalley

  • Editor

    JoDee Scissors

  • Updated

    December 18, 2023

Article Stories Brought to Life

Learn about ways to increase student participation and skill building during interactive read-alouds.

  • English & Literature
  • Arts Integration

Collection Storytelling

Lesson plans, activities, and other resources that focus on telling stories through theater, music, dance, writing, and visual arts.

  • Music
  • Dance
  • Theater
  • Visual Arts
  • Literary Arts
  • English & Literature

Article Reading Into Action

How theater and visual arts can help to engage your students to read.

  • English & Literature
  • Arts Integration

Collection Animals & Nature

Is there poetry in the ocean? How can the wind inspire dance? How can the arts represent the change of seasons? Discover patterns and cycles in nature with these resources that address cell composition and reproduction, animal habitats, the metamorphasis of a caterpillar to a butterfly, and an artistic representation of our relationship with the planet.

  • Animals & Nature

Lesson Adjective Monster

In this K-2 lesson, students will create their own adjective monsters using paper sculpture techniques. They will explore the connections between visual art and language arts, and how both are used to creatively tell stories and express emotions.

  • Visual Arts
  • English & Literature
  • Grades K-2

Lesson Creating AB Patterns

In this K-2 lesson, students will construct patterns using visual arts designs and math manipulatives. They will identify patterns existing in the natural and man-made world, art, math, and science.

  • Music
  • Visual Arts
  • Math
  • Grades K-2
Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning

Eric Friedman 
Director, Digital Learning

Kenny Neal 
Manager, Digital Education Resources

Tiffany A. Bryant 
Manager, Operations and Audience Engagement

Joanna McKee 
Program Coordinator, Digital Learning

JoDee Scissors 
Content Specialist, Digital Learning

Connect with us!

spacer-24px.png                email.png

Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; Annenberg Foundation; the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Bank of America; Bender Foundation, Inc.; Carter and Melissa Cafritz Trust; Carnegie Corporation of New York; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Estée Lauder; Exelon; Flocabulary; Harman Family Foundation; The Hearst Foundations; the Herb Alpert Foundation; the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The King-White Family Foundation and Dr. J. Douglas White; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Little Kids Rock; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation;

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Music Theatre International; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; the National Endowment for the Arts; Newman’s Own Foundation; Nordstrom; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives; Prince Charitable Trusts; Soundtrap; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; UnitedHealth Group; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Dennis & Phyllis Washington; and Wells Fargo. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts.

Social perspectives and language used to describe diverse cultures, identities, experiences, and historical context or significance may have changed since this resource was produced. Kennedy Center Education is committed to reviewing and updating our content to address these changes. If you have specific feedback, recommendations, or concerns, please contact us at [email protected].