Forest Animals and Their Habitat Text Set

Miranda Siler
EDU 320

Bear Snores on

1. Wilson, K. (2001). Bear snores on. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Children’s
Publishing Division.
2. Age: 2-7
Grade: 1st
Genre: Poem
Content Area: Science

3. I would use this book in a science lesson and read the book as a way to introduce students to
different animals that live in the forest. Then after I finished the book I would ask them what
animals were in the story and if they know of any other animals that live in a forest. I would
teach them about the different things that can be found in a forest and that it is the habitat of
these animals. As an assessment, I would have the students draw their own forest habitat
and list the things they included in their picture.

4. This book is about a bear that is fast asleep in his den. As he is sleeping some of his friends
come into his den one by one to escape the cold. They try to wake him at first but Bear
continues to sleep. They make themselves right at home bringing food to eat and brewing
tea. As more animals come it begins to turn into a party all the while the bear is fast asleep.
Finally, the bear wakes up and when he sees all of his friends having a party without him, he
starts to cry. Mouse makes him feel better by telling him they can make more popcorn and
brew more tea. Bear is happy when he gets to have fun with his friends. The story ends by
telling how in the morning Bear’s friends are all so tired they fall asleep but now Bear is
wide awake.

5. I would have students make their own forest habitat shoe box display. Students could use
the drawings they created previously as a guideline of what to include in their shoe box.
Students would make the inside of the shoe box look like a forest using whatever materials
they wish. This allows students to use their creativity. I would have supplies available in the
classroom but students would also be able to bring things from home as well. Then they
could present their shoe boxes to the class or put them on display around the room for
everyone to see.

The Fox and the Crow

1. Aesop, (1947). The fox and the crow. The Aesop for Children. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally
& Company.
2. Age: 3-8
Grade: 4
Genre: Fable
Content Area: Reading

3. I would use this story in a reading lesson to introduce to students what fables are and how
each one teaches a moral lesson. Before reading I would engage students in a short mini
lesson to explain fables. Then I would read the fable aloud to the class. The students would
write down characteristics that make up a fable during reading. Examples would include
using animals as characters, having a sort of dilemma, and a moral lesson. After reading,
students would engage in a sketch-to-sketch to show their understanding of the main idea of
the fable.

4. A hungry fox is walking along looking for his breakfast when he spies a crow sitting in a
tree with a piece of cheese in her beak. The fox uses his cunning and begins to flatter the
crow. He goes on about what a beautiful bird she is and how she must have a beautiful
voice. He begs her to sing for him. The crow falls for the fox’s trick and opens her beak to
sing, dropping the cheese right into the foxes open mouth. The moral of this fable is “The
flatterer lives at the expense of those who will listen to him.”

5. To extend the lesson further I would have students write a fable of their own. The fable can
be about any topic the student chooses. It must, however, include a moral lesson. The
students will also provide an illustration for their fables.

Sketch to Sketch for the Fox and the Crow

 Two Little Bears

1. Ylla, (1954). Two little bears. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

2. Age: 4-8
Grade: 2nd
Genre: Photography/Narrative
Content area: Reading

3. I would use this book to introduce students to one of the many types of animals that live in
the forest. I would read this book aloud to the class. Before reading I would have students
predict what they think will happen to the two cubs. I would ask them what they know about
bears and have a brief discussion about some things that bears like to do to establish prior
knowledge. During the story, I would stop and ask students questions about what is
happening to check their comprehension. After reading the story I would have the students
create a timeline of five events that happened in the story.

4. This is a photography book that includes a narrative about two bear cubs. The author
followed the bears and documented their behaviors. First, the bears emerge from their den
and run off to make “mischief and fun”. Next, the author writes about the bears playing with
one another. Then the bears wander into the forest. The two little cubs discover many new
things throughout their adventure. Eventually, the two cubs find that they are lost and cannot
find their way back home. Fortunately, the story ends with Mother Bear finding her two lost
cubs and taking them home.

5. To extend students’ creative thinking I would have them work in groups to create a short
skit. Students would act out a summarization of the story. The students could use their
timelines as a guideline of what major events to incorporate in their skit.
 The Forest

1. Farb, P. (1961). The forest. New York, NY: Time Incorporated.

2. Age: 10-15
Grade: 5th grade
Genre: Science
Content Area: Science

3. I would use this book to introduce students to the forest habitat before taking a field trip. I
would read to the students about different plant life, insects, and animals that can be
encountered in a forest. Students would also learn about different types of forests. Then I
would take students on a field trip where they would engage in a nature walk through a
forest near where they live. We would stop and look at leaves and insects and try to identify
them based on the information learned from reading the book. Afterward, I would have
students complete a free write about the things they saw and identify what kind of forest
they walked through.

4. This book provides information about the ecology of forests. There is information about
plant life and animals that can be found in a forest. It includes information about different
types of forests and information about forests throughout the four different seasons. It even
includes a guide to American tree identification.

5. To extend students knowledge further I would have them collect different types of leaves on
the nature walk. Students would then research and identify which tree each of the leaves that
they collected came from. Students would compile all their findings in a journal. They
would have a page for each leaf that they collected. The page would include the leaf and any
information the student has gathered about the tree it came from. This would help students
to be able to recognize and identify different types of trees that make up the forests near
where they live.
 Dash and Dart

1. Buff, M., Buff, C., (1942). Dash and Dart. New York, NY: The Viking Press.

2. Age: K-3
Grade: 3rd
Genre: Narrative
Content area: Writing, Reading, Language Arts, Science

3. I would use this story to teach a descriptive writing lesson. Before reading I would
teach a mini lesson on what descriptive writing is and how it uses the five senses.
This book uses beautiful imagery and descriptive language to tell about two fawns in
their first year of life. I would read the story aloud to my students. As I read, I would
have them write down ten descriptive words they heard in the story. After reading I
would have them write a sentence using each descriptive word. Then I would divide
them into small groups and have them share their sentences with classmates.

4. This story is about two little fawns Dash and Dart, in the first year of their lives. It
begins with their birth and continues with the many discoveries that they encounter
as they find their way and learn to live in the forest. They must learn to forage for
food and how to survive on their own. The book ends with Dash getting his antlers.
This narrative is poetic and descriptive in nature. It informs and entertains the reader.
It allows the reader to take a peek into the typical life of a fawn.

5. To extend my students’ creative thinking, I would have them write a descriptive

story of their own. It could be about any topic of their choice. Students would then
read their descriptive stories to the class. After each student reads his/her story, the
class would create a Sketch-To-Stretch to depict what the student described. Since
descriptive writing is to help the reader paint a mental picture this would be a good
way of helping the students to self-assess their own descriptive writing. If classmates
are able to draw what the student describes in his/her paper then the student is
making good use of descriptive language.
 Home for a Bunny

1. Brown, M.W. (1956). Home for a bunny. Racine, WI: Western Publishing
Company, Inc.

2. Age: 5-8
Grade: 1st
Genre: Fiction
Content area: Reading Language Arts

3. I would use this story to teach students about the main idea of a story. Before
reading, I would have them complete a story impression of what they think will
happen. During reading, I would ask students questions about what is happening in
the story. After reading, Students will complete a story pyramid about the main
points of the story.

4. This is a story about a bunny trying to find a home. He stops at different places along
the way asking different animals where their homes are and deciding if it would be a
good home for him. The first stop is a robin’s nest. The bunny decides that this
would not be a good home because he would fall out of the nest onto the ground.
Next, he stops at a frog’s bog and then a groundhog’s log deciding that both of these
would not be a good home for him either. Finally, he runs into another bunny. He
asks the other bunny where his home is located. The friendly bunny shows him. The
main character decides that he has finally found his home.

5. To extend the lesson further I would use this story for Readers Theater. I would
create scripts for the students and allow them to act out the main events of the story.
 Owls

1. Zim, H.S. (1950). Owls. New York, NY: William Morrow & Company.

2. Age: 7-10
Grade: 4th
Genre: Nonfiction
Content area: Science

3. I would use this book in a lesson about owls. I would read the book aloud to the class.
Before reading, I would have students engage in a free write about what they already know
about owls. During reading, students would fill out a chart about the different characteristics
such as where owls live, what they eat, and what types of owls there are.

4. This book has useful factual information about owls. It talks about such things as where
owls live, what they eat, and the anatomy of their eyes which allows them to see in the dark.
It even gives useful information on owl pellets. It includes pictures on each page and much
interesting information.

5. To extend the lesson further I would have students dissect owl pellets. Students would be
able to identify the different animals that owls eat and understand that they are predators.