Literacy Prop Box

By: Grace Cummins

Zookeeper

Objectives:

Students will understand the basic responsibilities of a zookeeper and how they revolve
around the health and care of the animals
Students will learn the basic vocabulary of a zookeeper through playing with the tools,
animals, books, and the pictures of habitats from a local zoo
Students will have enough understanding of the role and animals to give pretend guided
tours of their zoo

Vocabulary:
1. Zookeeper
2. Habitat
3. Species
4. Reptiles
5. Mammals
6. Amphibians
7. Diet
8. Tour Guide
9. Specific animal names from prop box
10. Observe/Observation

Materials:

Khaki shirt with local (or nearest) zoo badge on it

Safari hat
Gloves
Fake foods in jars with labels (fake paper pellets)
Fake fruits and meat
Stuffed animals (Ones from the nearest zoo if possible)
Pictures from the nearest zoo
Zoo check-up list on clipboard with pictures of the different animals and boxes to
check next to pictures of water, food, soap, and a heart (to represent good health)
Bowls for food and water

Baby bottles
Plastic pail (for carrying food)
Zoo tickets
Towel for bathing
Plastic shovel for cleaning habitat

Optional Questions:

How is the panda doing today?

What animals needed to be bathed today?
How can you tell if the lion is unhealthy?
What diet have you made for your bear?
What is your favorite part about being a zookeeper? Your least favorite part?
How many species are in your zoo?
What kind of habitat does your penguin have?

Songs and Fingerplays:

This is the Way to the tune of Mulberry Bush
This is the way the elephant walks,
The elephant walks.
This is the way the elephant walks,
In the zoo!
This is the way the kangaroo hops,
The kangaroo hops.
This is the way the kangaroo hops,
In the zoo!
This is the way the lion roars,
The lion roars.
This is the way the lion roars,
In the zoo!
This is the way the alligator snaps,

The alligator snaps.

This is the way the alligator snaps,
In the zoo!
From: http://preschool.colonial.net/Teachers/Brown/songsPDFs/zoosongs2010.pd
Zoo Keeper Song to the tune of Down by the Station
Down at the zoo, early in the morning, you can see the animals standing in a row. You can see
me feeding one and then the other. I am the zoo keeper, Watch me go!
Down at the zoo, early in the morning, you can see the animals standing in a row. You can see
me cleaning one and then the other. I am the zoo keeper, Watch me go!
From: http://www.childfun.com/index.php/alphabet/172-the-letter-z-activitytheme.html#sthash.fPB9q6f2.dpbs
"The Zoo Keeper" to the tune of "The Muffin Man"
Do you know the Zoo Keeper,
the zoo Keeper,
the zoo Keeper?
Do you know the zoo keeper
He likes the animals?
Oh, he loves the letter Z,
the letter Z,
the letter Z,
Oh, he loves the letter Z
and likes the animals.
From: http://www.dltk-teach.com/alphabuddies/songs/z/zookeeper.htm

Book List:
Bostrom, K. L. (2011). The View at the Zoo. Nashville: Ideals Children's Books.
Polcen, J., & Lester, K. (n.d.). Zookeeper. Learning A-Z.
Rathmann, P. (2000). Good Night, Gorilla. New York: Puffin Books.
Rey, M., & Rey, H. (1985). Curious George Visits the Zoo. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Smith, M., & Roland, S. (2007). Z Is for Zookeeper: A Zoo Alphabet. Ann Arbor: Sleeping Bear Press.