This lesson plan is age appropriate for elementary students and is designed for children who read and write independently. After hearing a story about mammals, student recall is tested by completing several worksheet activities.
Lesson Plan for Mammals Overview and Objectives
Use this language arts lesson as a stand-alone lesson, in conjunction with other language arts lesson plans, or modify it to suit specific teaching objectives. The following educational objectives are met by this literature-based lesson:
- Reader recall and comprehension is increased and assessed
- Oral language skills are improved
- Vocabulary enrichment and fluency are increased
- Reading and following written instructions is improved
Here is a list of the teaching materials required for this lesson:
- Is a Camel a Mammal?, Tish Rabe, [Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P., 1998]
- Teacher-made worksheets
Teacher-Created Activity Worksheet
To prepare the language arts lesson activity worksheets, copy and paste the text below into a word processing program and format to teacher preferences. Print copies for each student.
Activity Worksheet
For each assignment below, read and follow the written directions correctly.
Reader Recall 3-2-1
- Name three places where mammals live.
- Write the names of the largest mammal in the world, and the smallest mammal in the world.
- What is one reason a camel is a mammal?
(Teacher answer key: Mountains, oceans, land, blue whale, pygmy shrew, camels breathe air)
Using the story as a guide, write three facts about mammals.
- Fact number one:
- Fact number two:
- Fact number three:
Using the word list, fill in each blank with the correct word or words.
Pygmy shrew, carnivores, blue whale, herbivores, kids, air, omnivores, hair, land, horns, mammals, sea, antlers, air
- The world’s smallest mammal is a _______ _______.
- The world’s largest mammal is a ______________.
- The Cat in the Hat’s favorite mammal is _______.
- Mammals breathe _______ and grow _______.
- Some mammals have ______, but others have _______.
- Mammals can be _______, _______, or _______, depending on what kind of food they eat.
- Camels are _______ because they breathe air.
- Mammals live on _______, in the _______, and in the _______.
Teaching the Lesson About Mammals
Show the class the cover of the book, making sure all students see the information clearly. Ask the class for their predictions about what the story will tell them. Making guesses about stories by using visual clues helps emergent readers develop literacy skills.
After reading the story, give each child a copy of the lesson activity worksheet. When everyone has completed the worksheets, let the students trade the worksheets and grade the answers. Review any wrong answers and praise the children for their efforts.
Book List for Mammals to Extend the Lesson Material
Here is a list of books on the theme of mammals. These books are an excellent way to extend the lesson materials and help students develop larger vocabularies, greater fluency, and increased knowledge of mammals.
- The Magic School Bus Going Batty: a Book About Bats, Joanna Cole, [Scholastic Paperbacks, 1996]
- About Mammals: a Guide for Children, Cathryn Sill, [Peachtree Publishers, 2000]
- A Whale of a Tale: All About Porpoises, Dolphins, and Whales, Bonnie Worth, [Random House Books for Young Readers, 2006]
By the end of this teacher lesson plan for all about mammals, students heard a story about mammals and participated in learning activities. Reader recall and comprehension was assessed and additional teaching was provided where appropriate.
For other teacher lesson plans, read "Teacher Lesson Plans Anagrams with Word Wizard," or "Teacher Worksheets for Suffixes for Grades 4 to 6."
Donna Cosmato - Donna is a Certified Image Consultant, author and public speaker, whose first book Buying Your First Home? will be available in bookstores ...
