A Day at the Zoo

A Day at the Zoo

Written by Ms. Worthy

Before You Read: K-W-L Chart

Directions

Before you read about all of these animals, create a K-W-L chart with help from your teacher, parent, or guardian.

Creating a K-W-L chart is a great way to showcase your learning progress.

The "K" stands for "KNOW" - these are things you already know about the topic. The "W" stands for "WHAT" - these are things you want to learn about the topic. The "L" stands for "LEARN" - these are things you learned after reading about the topic.

Before you read, you will fill out the "K" and "W" section of your chart. After you read, you will finish the chart by reflecting in the "L" section.

Click here to download a copy of the example shown below.

Welcome to the Zoo!

Here are some tips to help you have a fun and successful adventure.

• Click on Ms. Worthy to check the current location at the zoo. She'll make sure you don't get lost. (If you do, check the Table of Contents.)
• Click on Pedro to check your understanding of the text by answering his questions.
• Click on the important bolded/underlined words in the text to learn more about them. This also helps you understand the text.
• Answer the Student Response question located on the bottom right side of the screen to make connections to the text.

The Elephant

Let's get this adventure started by first visiting the mammals. The first on our list to see is the elephant.

Facts about Elephants

Elephants are the largest land animals in the world with some reaching three meters tall.

They are known for their large ears, tusks, and trunks.

Sadly, some elephants (like the Asian elephants) are endangered because of the way humans treat them.

The Lion

The next mammal we will visit today is right over here. These are the lions.

Lions are known as the kings of the jungle because of their power and strength. 

Female lions hunt for their food while male lions stay back and protect their homes.

Lions can run with rapid speeds up to 81 miles per hour. That's almost faster than humans driving cars on the highway.

The Monkey

It's time to stop "monkey-ing around" and visit our next mammal: the monkey.

Facts about Monkeys

Some monkeys live on the ground and others live in trees.

When you see a group of monkeys, they are called a tribe.

Different monkey species eat a variety of foods like fruit, insects, flowers, leaves, and reptiles.

The Giraffe

At last, we have arrived at the final mammal of our visit. Here is the giraffe.

Facts about Giraffes

Giraffes are the tallest land animals in the world reaching all the way to 15 feet tall.

Giraffes do not have the same exact spots as other giraffes because each one is born with a very unique pattern.

Giraffes only consume plants (like leaves) and they use their long tongues to reach the leaves on trees.

The Flamingo

Let's take our journey to the next section of the zoo: the birds. The first bird we see now is the flamingo.

Facts About Flamingos

Flamingos are pink because of the food they eat (like plankton).

Flamingos stay around lagoons to find their food.

Flamingos have black feathers underneath their wings that can only be seen when they are flying.

The Peacock

Our next bird to visit on this journey is the peacock.

Facts about Peacocks

Peacocks have very attractive feathers, but they are not born with them. They do not start growing until the peacock is about three years old.

Peacocks can live up to 20 years old while shedding their feathers at least once a year.

Their feathers can reach up to 6 feet long, but despite these proportions, they still manage to fly (just not very far).

The Owl

The third bird we will see today is the owl.

Facts about Owls

Owls have large eyes, flat faces, and powerful claws to help them catch and kill prey.

Owls are mostly active during the night time, so they are considered nocturnal animals.

Owls cannot see things close to their eyes, so they are also considered farsighted animals.

The Penguin

The final bird we will visit in this section of the zoo is the penguin.

Facts about Penguins

Unlike other birds that have wings, penguins have flippers to help them swim in the water.

Penguins spend half of their time in water and the other half on land. Some penguins can stay underwater for 20 minutes at a time.

The black and white colors on penguins are used as camouflage while they swim. The black color makes it hard to see and the white color reflects between the sun and water.

The Crocodile

To bring our adventure to an end, we will visit four final animals in the reptile section of the zoo. The first reptile we will see today is the crocodile.

Facts about Crocodiles

Crocodiles have an average lifespan of 30-70 years depending on how big or small they are. 

Crocodiles have a valve at the back of their throat that allow them to open their jaw while they are underwater. They can also swim really fast (about 9 miles per hour).

Like other reptiles, crocodiles are cold-blooded, so they can survive without food for long periods of time.

The Alligator

The next reptile we see here is often confused with the crocodile. They look similar, but they are very different. This is the alligator.

Facts about Alligators

Alligators have an abundance of teeth (between 74 and 80 teeth). Once a tooth is lost, another grows in. An alligator can have up to 2,000 teeth throughout their entire life.

Alligators range from 8 to 10 feet long, but older male alligators can be as long as 15 feet.

Alligators are some of the most vocal reptiles in the world. They make different sounds by sucking air into their lungs and blowing it out - this is called bellowing.

The Turtle

Like other reptiles we've seen today, the reptile we're seeing now is also cold-blooded - the turtle.

Facts about Turtles

Turtles have hard shells that act as sheilds to protect them. Turtles hide their heads inside their shells when being attacked by predators.

Turtles lay eggs. Some of them lay their eggs in the sand and leave them there to hatch on their own. Once they lay the eggs, they go back to the water to avoid predators.

Many turtles (and other animals that travel or live in water) are endangered because of the amount of plastic waste in the ocean.

The Snake

To bring our adventure at the zoo to an end, let's slither on down here to see the final animal (reptile): the snake.

Facts about Snakes

Snakes are covered in scales. Their snakeskin is very dry and smooth.

Snakes are considered carnivores because they eat meat. They cannot bite their food so they actually have to swallow everything whole.

Snakes have very flexible jaws so they are able to eat things that are larger than their own heads.

After You Read: K-W-L Chart

Reflect on the "K" and "W" sections of your K-W-L Chart. Did you learn what you wanted to learn about these zoo animals? Were your own questions answered?

Now that you have finished reading about these zoo animals, it's time to fill in the "L" section of your chart. What did you LEARN today? (Think about the questions that Pedro asked you as you were reading.)

Remember to turn in your K-W-L Chart to your teacher, give it to your parent/guardian, or keep it for yourself as a reminder of how wonderful and smart you are!

References

10 unforgettable elephant facts. Retrieved from https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/general-animals/elephant-facts/

10 roarsome lion facts. Retrieved from https://www.natgeokids.com/au/discover/animals/general-animals/10-lion-facts/

Fun monkey facts for kids. (2018, December 20). Retrieved from http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/monkey.html

14 fast facts about giraffes. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.ajc.com/news/national/fast-facts-about-giraffes/lHfx30oBuByrPFwnlAEbYN/

Cellania, M. (2015, February 24). 15 fascinating flamingo facts. Retrieved from http://mentalfloss.com/article/61853/15-fascinating-flamingo-facts

Hullinger, J. (2016, August 29). 10 feathery facts about peacocks. Retrieved from http://mentalfloss.com/article/62371/9-feathery-facts-about-peacocks

Fun owl facts for kids. (2018, December 20). Retrieved from http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/owl.html

Fun penguin facts for kids. (2018, December 20). Retrieved from http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/penguin.html

Nevres, M.O. (2017, October 8). 20 amazing crocodile facts. Retrieved from https://ourplnt.com/crocodile-facts/

Bates, Mary. (2015, March 23). 10 fun facts about the american alligator. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2015/03/creature-feature-10-fun-facts-american-alligator/

Fun turtle facts for kids. (2018, December 20). Retrieved from http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/turtle.html

Fun snake facts for kids. (2018, December 20). Retrieved from http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/snake.html