It's a Shape Zoo!

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling

• Read aloud the book, Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert.
• Create an anchor chart with the different shapes and shape names that come up as you read the story. Then have students repeat shape names after you (e.g., triangle).
• Pause as you read to note the different shapes you see in the story. Ask students to pay attention to the different animals.
• Model thinking aloud as you describe each shape's characteristics, "This is a triangle. It has three sides and three corners."

Guided Practice

• Demonstrate how to use the pattern blocks to make animals, like in the story (doing this in the center of a circle on the floor is useful).
• Ask for a student volunteer to choose several shapes for you to use in your picture.
• Pass out pattern blocks to each student and ask them to make an animal using at least one square.
• Have students turn and talk to share what they made with a partner. Provide students with the sentence frame: "I made a ____. I used ____ and ____."

Group work time

• Explain that students will now get to create their own shape animal pictures using pre-cut shapes and gluing them onto paper.
• Model choosing one animal to make, and using the different shapes, glue, and googly eyes to create that animal.
• Review any expectations around materials and moving around the classroom.
• Pass out materials and have students get to work.