Curriculum Suggestions

Activities for: Noah's Square Dance

1. Play "I'm Building an Ark".
   1. The first player says, "I'm building and ark and I'm going to take a _____." The player then names an animal.
   2. The second player then says, "I'm building an ark and I'm going to take a _____ and a _____." The player repeats the first player's animal and then adds their own animal.
   3. Each additional player says, "I'm building an ark and I'm going to take..." They then repeat all of the previous players' animals, and then add their own.
   4. You can end play a couple of ways. The game can be over when everyone's had a chance to play. Or, if a player is unable to repeat all the animals, they are out, and the game is over when there is only one player left.

2. Play "I Spy"
   1. Choose someone to be "It". They say, "I spy with my little eye an animal." It can be a real animal, a toy animal, a picture of an animal, or the name of an animal.
   2. Kids then start asking yes/no questions to help them figure out what "It" sees.
   3. When someone guesses right, someone else, perhaps the person who guessed correctly, is "It".

   Variation. Play "I'm Thinking Of..." The game is played the same as "I Spy", but "It" doesn't have to be able to see the animal they're thinking of.

3. Play "Hangman". Players guess which animal "It" is thinking of.

4. Have a spelling bee, with players spelling animal names.

5. Have a reverse spelling bee, where players have to spell out the animal names--backwards.

6. Play "Animal Pantomime". One player is chosen to be "It". They come to the front of the class, and then act like they're either a specific animal, or that they're interacting with a specific animal. The rest of the players guess what the animal is. The first person to guess right is the next "It".

7. Play "Alligator". This is a good game for reinforcing verbs. Choose one person to be "It". "It" thinks of a verb. The rest of the players then ask questions to figure out the verb. Their questions, and "It's" answers use the word "Alligator" in place of the verb. For example, if "It" chooses the verb "eat", the game might go like this...

   Player: Can I alligator?
   It: Yes, you can alligator.
   Player: Will I alligator today?
   It: Yes, you will alligator today.
   Player: Can an alligator alligator?
   It: Yes, an alligator can alligator.
   Player: Can I alligator a cat?
   It: I don't think you'd want to alligator a cat.
   Player: Are there more than four letters in the word alligator?
   It: No, there are not more than four letters in the word alligator.

   Questioning goes on like this until players start to figure out what the verb is. They should not say it, though, because they'll have fun, knowing what the verb is, listening to the questions of those who haven't yet figured out the verb, and to It's answers. When it's clear that most players know the verb, ask one of the Players to tell what they think the verb is. If they get it wrong, keep asking players until one of them gets it right. Then choose someone else to be "It".

   Variation: Instead of "alligator", you can use any silly name or phrase.

8. Play "Animal Bingo".
   1. To prepare, write thirty animal names on small pieces of paper. Put them in a hat or a sack.
   2. Have the kids draw a Bingo grid on a piece of paper. (Show them a grid on the board. A Bingo grid consists of twenty-five squares--five squares across and five squares down.)
   3. Have kids X out the middle square.
   4. Read out the animal names. As you read each animal name, kids write the animal down in one of the blank squares on their grid. They can skip any six of the animals.
   5. Put all the animal names back in the hat or bag. Then pull them out one at a time and read them. If a kid has the animal on their bingo grid, they cross it out.
   6. When a player has five squares in a row crossed out, they shout out "Bingo". The game can end there, or you can keep playing until everyone has a Bingo, or until all the squares on all the grids are full.

9. Play "Toss the Animal". Players sit in a circle, or at their desks or tables. One player has a beanbag and starts the game. They shout out an animal name and toss the beanbag to another player. They then shout an animal and toss it to another player. Players keep shouting out animals and tossing the beanbag until someone can't think of an animal, repeats an animal, or shouts out a word that is not an animal.

   Competitive variations:

   1. All players stand while playing. If they repeat an animal, can't think of an animal, or say a word that is not an animal, then they are out and sit down. The last player standing wins.
   2. Divide the class into two teams. One team lines up on one side of the room, the other team on the other side of the room. Players toss the beanbag bag and forth, from one team to the other, and shout animals. If they can't quickly think of an animal, or if they shout out an animal that's already been said or a word that's not an animal, the other team gets a point. The first team to get five points wins.

 
 

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Picture Credits
Original bunny climbing rope picture by Paige Miglio (copyright 2000 ©) from One More Bunny authored by Rick Walton.
Original purple monster picture by Renee Williams-Andriani (copyright 1998 ©) from Really, Really Bad School Jokes authored by Rick Walton.
Original bullfrog seated picture by Chris McAllister (copyright 1999 ©) from Bullfrog Pops! authored by Rick Walton.
Electronic modifications by Ann Walton.