Grade level: Grade 2.
Provincial curriculum links: Ontario.
Subject: Science; Language.
Keywords: Animals, Feeding.
Using a Christmas book about feeding animals, students learn how to share Christmas with the animals.
Topic: Growth and Change in Animals
Strand: Life Systems
Specific Lesson Goals:
Compare ways in which animals eat their food. Identify the needs of animals.
Identify and compare the effects of the seasons on animals.
Topic: Language
Strand: Reading
Specific Lesson Goals:
Read the book and discuss the content.
The book, "Night Tree" by Eve Bunting.
Food - cranberries, popcorn, lard, bread and oranges.
Cookie cutters.
Pine cones.
Hot chocolate for students (optional).
Read the story "Night Tree" to the class.
Identify what the children did for the animals.
Make the food and hang it on a tree outside.
After tree is decorated gather around the tree and sing carols and drink hot chocolate.
Run a whole class discussion with the following questions:
What animals will come to our tree?
Where will you hang your food for the mice, the birds?
Develop a rating scale for students to determine how well they have completed the goals of the lesson.
Have the students make a list of which animals they think will visit the tree (must be based on observations and logic).
This is an excellent activity in which to demonstrate the spirit of helping.
This exercise is adapted from: Bunting, Eve. Night Tree Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 1994.
Submitted by: Janice Harper, Teacher, Broadacres Junior School