Talking With the Animals

1. Share a read aloud story with the class that focuses on animals doing things that they would normally not do, such as speaking. Ask students to imagine what their favorite animals might say to them, if they could speak. Would they be happy to see you? Would they ask questions or tell you a story? What might it be thinking?
2. In preparation for creating talking animal scenes, students cover their work area with recycled newspaper. Distribute white paper and Crayola® Ultra-Clean Markers to be used in drawing animal scenes. Provide time for students to sketch their unique scenes. Encourage them to blend markers with a wet Crayola Paintbrush for a watercolor effect.
3. Use markers and Crayola Crayons on top of the dry watercolor effect to draw strands of fur or to represent skin.
4. Students use a marker to draw a thought bubble above the animal's head. In the bubble, write the words the animal would say, if it could. Assist students with spelling as needed.
5. Provide time in the school day for students to present their artwork to classmates.

LA: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

LA: Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grade level text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

LA: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

LA: With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.

LA: Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.

VA: Know the differences among visual characteristics and purposes of art in order to convey ideas.

Possible classroom resources include: National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Animals (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books) by Catherine D. Hughes; National Geographic Kids 125 True Stories of Amazing Animals: Inspiring Tales of Animal Friendship & Four-Legged Heroes, Plus Crazy Animal Antics by National Geographic Kids; First Animal Encyclopedia (Dk First Reference Series) by DK Publishing

Invite students to imagine that they are inanimate objects, such as tables, chairs, pictures hanging on walls, etc. What might these objects say about "what they see" if they could talk? Students illustrate their selected objects and write about their ideas.

After reading a story about animals and/or pets, encourage students to collaborate in small groups to write a different ending to the story. Illustrate the characters in this alternate ending and create thought bubbles for each of them to describe the new ending and provide insight into what they are thinking.