Animal Vocabulary and Rubber Band Books

Lions and tigers and bears....oh my!! Yes, my kids are WILD about animals.  We are studying animals and their amazing adaptations.  We've learned that ducks have oil glands to keep themselves dry, that rabbits run in zig zag motions to outmove their predators and so much more.

We are learning about how different animals are suited for different habitats.

Students are preparing to begin researching an animal.  They will become an expert on it and then teach us all they have discovered. 

But before I set them on their own to dig into books and nonfiction articles, I must teach them some content specific words.  This will help them as they read texts about animals.  Then I want to see them using these vocabulary words when they speak and write about their animal.
There are a TON of them!  We are creating an mini animal glossary booklet to help us keep them all straight. 

We view information on a set of slides and then students illustrate each word.  These are meaningful illustrations and through their drawings they must demonstrate their understanding of the term. 

We cut them all out and then we must put them in alphabetical order...just like a real dictionary or glossary.  

We glue them into the pages of this little rubberband book.  This is the perfect size!

Have you made this type of book before?  They are super simple. Once you show your kids, they will want to make them again and again.

I use the jumbo index cards that measure 5 inches by 8 inches. 


I fold the number of card I need for the book and cut a small slit at the top and bottom of the crease.


I used these cheap hair ties that I found at the dollar spot at Target to bind the pages.


And there you go, a great little booklet.




If you teach an animal unit and are interested in creating an animal dictionary or glossary, you can check here for the slides and cards.


Animal Vocabulary Cards and Slides