Pig Day

Objective:
The students will identify different animal tracks.

Materials

• A link to Animal Tracks Den or a book about animal tracks, such as "Big Tracks, Little Tracks : Following Animal Prints (Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science. Stage 1)" by Millicent Selsams.
• A printout of a Pig's Track
• Animal Tracks Worksheet (answers are below)

Procedure

1. View the above link with the students or read the book to them.
2. Discuss different animal's feet - claws, webs, hooves, etc.
3. Show the printout of a Pig's Track.
4. Hand out the Animal Tracks Worksheet.
5. Have the students predict which animal left each track.  After the students have had time to make their predictions, give them the answers.  The answers are as follows (from left to right): dog, duck, elephant, raccoon, fox, mountain lion, zebra, turkey, pig.

Other Lesson Ideas

1. Do a lesson on the sense of smell.  Pigs have a tremendous sense of smell.  Put some different scents in small paper cups.  Cover them with a mesh material the students cannot see through and have them guess the smell.
2. Have the students make fact books about pigs.  Read nonfiction books about pigs and create books about their characteristics.
3. Research some of the different types of pigs.
4. Have the students match animals with animal babies.  For example, pig-piglet, goat-kid, cow-calf, etc.
5. Have the students spend time at Pork4Kids which provides information on pigs and pigs farms.