A LITTLE FOOTWORK--JUST FOR FUN!

I want to kick off my newest WHAT IF YOU HAD!? book WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL FEET!?. So here are some fun activities to start things hopping.

( Below each activity, the Common Core State Standards being developed for grade 2 and 3 are identified)

LET’S STOMP

Have each child choose his or her favorite animal feet. 

Choose some foot stomping music and have the children spread out at least an arm’s length apart. Then turn on the music and have kids dance where they’re standing. 

Remind them to dance as if they had their favorite animal feet.

Afterwards, ask the children to tell how it was different to dance with that animal’s feet. Next, have them tell how they think it would be different to do each of these things if they had that animal’s feet.

• Take a bath
• Pick up their room
• Make their bed

Now, let them pick another animal’s feet, start the music, and dance some more!

•   CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3 Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.

BEASTIE SHOE SHOP

Start by having children list all the kinds of shoes they can think of. That list will include: boots, sneakers, loafers, high heels, waders, sandals, high tops—and more.

This animal's shoes will need to be big and tough!

As a class, vote on one animal from WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL FEET!? to treat to their very first pair of shoes. 

Share building a list of ideas to answer these questions:

• What should those shoes do for the animal’s feet?
• What material will the shoes need to be made out of to fit the animal’s habitat and behavior?
• What special features could be added to the animal’s shoes to make them extra special?  

Have the children work alone or in small groups to draw and color pictures or make models of their special animal’s new shoes.

•   CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).

MY NEAT FEET

The Rest of the Story

Have children look through WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL FEET!? and pick their favorite picture of a boy or girl with animal feet. Now have them tell the rest of the story.

Each of those pictures shows only one moment in a story. Challenge children to imagine--and tell--the rest.

• What led up to the moment shown in the picture?
• What is really happening in the picture?
• How is this story likely to end?

For example, look on page 19 at the boy digging for treasure with aardvark feet. How did he get the treasure map and find the right spot to dig?

How does he feel about finding the treasure? And what kind of treasure did he find?

What will he do now that he’s found the treasure? How will it change his life?

•   CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

NEW FEET

I'm sure everyone will agree that the animals in the book  have totally cool feet. For this activity ask children to pick an animal that isn’t in the book. 

Have them dig into books and work with older students or adults to search on-line and find out about that animal. 

Most important, encourage them to find the answers to these two questions:

1. What are that animal's feet like?

2. How does the animal use its feet to move and stay alive?

Next, like WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL FEET!? have children make two-pages (a left hand/right hand spread) for their animal. On one page, they should answer the two questions. On the second page, they should share at least one super fun way it would be cool to have that animal’s feet for a day.

•       CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.5 With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.

•       CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

FOOT SWAP

What if one of the animals in WHAT IF YOU HAD ANIMAL FEET!? woke up one day with another kind of animal’s feet!?

Ask children to imagine what it would be like if—

A Mountain Goat had White Rhinoceros feet?

A Cheetah had Eastern Gray Kangaroo feet?

A Barn Owl had Cheetah feet?

A Giant African Millipede had Green Basilisk feet?

A Wolf had Duck-Billed Platypus feet?

Or make up another foot swap.  

Challenge children to think of something totally cool that animal could do with its new feet. Be sure they also consider how that swap might cause serious problems.

•   CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

Did you and your students enjoy leaping into these activities? Then run with these ideas and come up with even more.