animal research project free

Writing Unit of Study: Animal Research Project

This free animal research project will provide you with a writing unit of study that will help you build excitement about writing informational text in your classroom.

You can download this free animal research project to help your writers develop their research and writing skills.

This project will be a great fit for your first, second or third grade writing workshop.

This is another free resource for teachers and homeschool families from The Curriculum Corner.

Why should I introduce my students to research through animal study?

Animal research can be a great topic for writing informational text because students tend to be curious about animals.

Nothing seems to spark interest in most kids like learning about animals in our world. Turn their enthusiasm into an engaging animal research writing project.

They can take the time to learn about different habitats and diets.

You can also encourage students to expand their vocabulary by having them create a glossary to accompany their writing.

About this animal research project

Within this post you will find over 30 pages of anchor charts, mini-lesson ideas, writing planners and graphic organizers.

The unit will help guide your students through the complete process. In the end, you will be helping to teach your students how to write their own pieces of informational text.

The intended end product for students is an animal booklet that they can staple together to share with others.

Students who are ready for more advanced work, can create a larger project with less direction.

A description of the mini-lessons

Lesson 1: introduction.

• Begin the unit by having the students brainstorm a list of animals that they might see everyday.
• Then, have them brainstorm a list of animals they see when they visit the zoo or walk in the forest. You can do this on the blank anchor chart provided or on cart paper.
• Another option is to place students in groups. They could work to create a list together.  
• You might assign each group a continent and have them find animals that live there.
• Pull the class together and have each group share what animals they found that live on their continent.

Lesson 2: Noticings

• Next you might want to get your students familiar with common characteristics about informational texts that teach about animals.
• Have them work in pairs or small groups to go through some books and record their “noticings” about the writing.
• Then come together in a community circle to discuss those noticings and create a class anchor chart.

Lesson 3: Opinion vs. Facts

• Before getting truly into this unit, you might need to conduct a lesson on opinions vs. facts.
• After a brief discussion you can use the giraffe paragraph provided in our resources to give your students some practice differentiating between the two. This paragraph contains both opinions and facts.
• With your class read through the paragraph and record facts and opinions on the T-chart.
• Discuss both sides and how they are different from each other.
• A black & white copy of this giraffe paragraph has also been provided.  You can have them work in pairs or groups to distinguish between the facts and opinions.
• If you need more resources for your students surrounding fact & opinion check out our   Fact & Opinion Sort .

Lesson 4: Choosing a Topic for the Animal Research Project

• We want to help students to narrow their topic choices by giving them some guidance.
• Gather students and begin a discussion about choosing an animal research topic.
• For this lesson we have provided two pages where students can individually brainstorm the animals they are interested in.
• You might have students work in groups or independently to make their choice. Conference with students as needed to help.
• Don’t shy away from letting more than one student research about the same animal.  This can be a great way to promote group work. It might also help out with some of your literacy center choices throughout this unit.

Lesson 5: Good Places to Find Information about an Animal

• At this age we want students to begin to understand that all they read online about animals isn’t always true. Sometimes writing might sound true without being filled with facts.
• Show students two possible places to find information online about their animal. One should be a trusted site with reliable and accurate information. Another should be a site that perhaps a child has created.  (There are many that you can find if you search.)
• Pose these questions: Is everything on the internet true? Why?  How can you tell? Why is it important for your research writing to contain accurate information?

Lesson 6: Taking Notes

• Sometimes giving students resources and a blank sheet of notebook paper can be too overwhelming for them. Some students will copy word for word. Others might feel overwhelmed.  We need to guide them to read and pull out facts & relevant information to use later in their writing.
• For this lesson we have provided four templates for note-taking that you might choose to use for your students.
• You might need to provide different organizers to students depending on their needs.
• You will want to model the organizers your students are use. Show them how to take notes as they read.
• After initial teaching, you may find that you need to pull small groups for extra practice. Others might benefit from a conference as you take a look at the notes they are taking.

Lesson 7: Word Choice in Research Writing

• To help students think about making their writing more interesting, have them brainstorm words about their animal.
• Together brainstorm words that would be appropriate for animals. They might add words about what they look like, their movement, their habitats, their life cycles, their diets, etc. You can create a class anchor chart on the page provided.  You might even think about using the real life picture of the wolf in the download. This can get the students to begin thinking of more interesting words for animals (fierce, mighty, strong, etc).
• Then, pass out the individual brainstorm pages. Students can use the anchor chart as a guide to begin their own word choice pages about their animal. This might be a good partner activity as well.

Lesson 8: Writing Sketch for the Animal Research Project

• Next, you can model the writing sketch planner for your class.
• One idea to help your students narrow down all of the information they have learned about their animals is to give them a specific number of animals facts that they can focus on.
• Each of these facts can serve as the actual text that they will put on each page of their animal research book. Or the facts could serve as a focus for each paragraph in their writing.
• You might find that this would be a good mini-lesson to do with smaller groups of children.

Lesson 9: Creating a Table of Contents

• Another idea that can be a writing planner AND a page in their animal research book is the table of contents. Pull out one of the Table of Contents pages from the resources provided and model how to fill in the blanks on each page.
• This page will then serve as their Table of Contents (with a focus discussion on what that is and the purpose it serves) and also their writing planner so they know what they will put in the pages of their booklet.

Lesson 10: Creating a Glossary

• There are two pages provided in the resources that might help your students to learn to pull out topic specific words to put into a glossary for the end of their animal research book.
• Be sure to model how you would like for your students to use these organizers (keeping in mind that you may need to copy more than one page if there are more words than the page provides for).
• If your students need a refresher on ABC order check out these links for some added practice/review: ABC Order Task Cards & Fry Word ABC Order Task Cards

Lesson 11: Writing Your Animal Research

• You will decide on the best method for your students to showcase their published animal research.
• You may want your students to use their own creativity in the texts that they write and share. If you’d like a first experience to provide a bit more guidance, we have provided two different sets of pages for booklets.
• One is more guided and the other has less structure and smaller lines for more writing.  15 pages are provided so that you or students can pick what fits their needs.
• This “lesson” may actually become a series of lessons if you choose to model how each page can be used.  (We have also included a page with simple writing lines in case students need less guidance than the booklet pages provided.)

Lesson 12: Labeling Pictures

• One final lesson idea that pairs well with writing informational text is to teach your students how to label pictures.
• Since most nonfiction writing has real photographs, students can find some pictures online to print out and label for their booklet.  Hand-drawn pictures are also great if you would rather encourage some or all of your students in that direction.
• Whatever you choose, show your class how to effectively label a picture so that it teaches the reader more.  You can use the picture of the polar bear provided to model how to add words or even short facts as labels.  (For example if the simple label “fur” wouldn’t add additional information to the book, you might teach them to label it with a short fact such as “dense fur protects the animal’s skin from the weather”.
• To make this idea more user friendly, you might want them to use the page of blank white boxes provided to write their labels for their pictures.  Then all they need to do is cut them out and glue them to a printed picture.

Lesson 13: Writing Celebration

As always, find a way to celebrate your students’ writing.  

Invite guests (younger students or special adults) to read the books with your young authors. You might simply want to pair or group them, or some students might choose to present their book to everyone.  

Provide some light snacks if possible to give it a party atmosphere and pass out the author certificates to each child for his/her hard work.

You can download this free writing unit of study here:

Writing Download

As with all of our resources, The Curriculum Corner creates these for free classroom use. Our products may not be sold. You may print and copy for your personal classroom use. These are also great for home school families!

You may not modify and resell in any form. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Christine E.

Saturday 8th of May 2021

Thank you so much for this resource and the many pages that I can use in my homeschooling. It is exactly what I've been looking for to help me get my kids to write about our animal units! You are doing a great job, keep up the amazing work you do. I appreciate the hard work you put into putting these together.

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• ELEMENTARY TEACHING , INTEGRATED CURRICULUM ACTIVITIES

Animal Research Project for Kids at the Elementary Level in 2024

Whether you are doing a simple animal study or a fully integrated science, reading, and writing unit, this animal research project for kids includes everything you need. From the graphic organizer worksheets and guided note templates to the writing stationary, printable activities, projects, and rubrics.

Thousands of teachers have used this 5-star resource to have students complete self-guided animal research projects to learn about any animal they choose. The best part is, the resource can be used over and over again all year long by just picking a new animal! Learn all about this animal research project for kids at the elementary level below!

What is the Animal Research Project?

The animal research project is a resource that is packed with printable and digital activities and projects to choose from. It is perfect for elementary teachers doing a simple animal study or a month-long, fully integrated unit. It’s open-ended nature allows it to be used over and over again throughout the school year. In addition, it includes tons of differentiated materials so you can continue to use it even if you change grade levels. Learn about what’s included in it below!

What is Included in the Animal Research Project

The following resources are included in the animal research project :

Teacher’s Guide

The teacher’s guide includes tips and instructions to support you with your lesson planning and delivery.

Parent Letter

The parent communication letter promotes family involvement.

Graphic Organizers

There are graphic organizers for brainstorming a topic, activating schema, taking notes, and drafting writing.

Research Report

There are research report publishing printables including a cover, writing templates, and resource pages.

There is a grading rubric so expectations are clear for students and grading is quick and easy for you.

Research Activities

The research activities include a KWL chart, can have are chart, compare and contrast venn diagram, habitat map, vocabulary pages, illustration page, and life cycle charts.

Animal Flip Book Project

There are animal flip book project printables to give an additional choice of how students can demonstrate their understanding.

Animal Flap Book Project

There is an animal flap book project printables that offers students yet another way to demonstrate their learning.

Animal Research Poster

The animal research poster serves as an additional way to demonstrate student understanding.

Poetry Activities

The resource includes poetry activities to offer students an alternative way to demonstrate their learning.

Digital Versions

There is a digital version of the resource so your students can access this resource in school or at home.

Why Teachers love the Animal Research Project

Teachers love this animal research project because of the following reasons:

• This resource guides students through the research and writing process, so they can confidently work their way through this project.
• It is a great value because it can be used over and over again throughout the school year because the pages can be used to learn about any animal.
• It offers several ways students can demonstrate their learning.
• It includes a ton of resources, so you can pick and choose which ones work best for you and your students.
• It is printable and digital so it can be used for in-class and at-home learning.

This animal research packet is great because it can be used over and over again using absolutely any animal at all. The printables in this packet are ideal to use with your entire class in school, as an at-home learning extension project or as a purposeful, open-ended, independent choice for your students who often finish early and need an enrichment activity that is so much more than “busy work.”

The Research Report Process

This animal research project packet was designed in a manner that allows you to use all of the components when studying any animal. Because the printables can be used over and over, I will often work through the entire researching and writing process with the whole class focusing on one animal together, This allows me to model the procedure and provide them with support as they “get their feet wet” as researchers. Afterwards I then have them work through the process with an animal of choice. You may find it helpful to have them select from a specific category (i.e. ocean animals, rainforest animals, etc) as this will help to streamline the resources you’ll need to obtain.

Step 1: Brainstorm a list of animals to research. Select one animal.

During this stage you may want to provide the students with a collection of books and magazines to explore and help them narrow down their choice.

Step 2: Set a purpose and activate schema.

Students share why they selected the animal and tell what they already know about it. Next, they generate a list of things they are wondering about the animal. This will help to guide their research.

Step 3: Send home the family letter.

To save you time, involve families, and communicate what is happening in the classroom, you may want to send home a copy of the family letter. It’s so helpful when they send in additional research materials for the students.

Step 4: Research and take notes.

The two-column notes template is a research-based tool that helps the kids organize their notes. I added bulleted prompts to guide the students in finding specific information within each category. This method has proven to be highly effective with all students, but is especially useful with writers who need extra support.

I have included two versions of the organizers (with and without lines). I print a copy of the organizer for each student. I also copy the lined paper back to back so it is available to students who need more space.

Step 5: Write a draft.

Using the information gathered through the research process, the students next compose drafts. The draft papers were designed to guide the students through their writing by providing prompts in the form of questions. Answering these questions in complete sentences will result in strong paragraphs. It may be helpful to give them only one page at a time instead of a packet as it make the task more manageable.

Step 6: Edit the draft.

Editing can be done in many ways, but it is most effective when a qualified editor sits 1:1 with a student to provides effective feedback to them while editing.

Step 7: Publish.

Print several copies of the publishing pages. I like to have all my students start with the page that has a large space for an illustration, but then let them pick the pages they want to use in the order they prefer after that. I have them complete all the writing first and then add the illustrations.

Finally, have the children design a cover for the report. Add that to the front and add the resources citation page to the back. Use the criteria for success scoring rubric to assign a grade. The rubric was designed using a 20 point total so you can simply multiply their score by 5 to obtain a percentage grade. The end result is a beautiful product that showcases their new learning as well as documents their reading and writing skills.

In closing, we hope you found this animal research project for kids helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:

• How to Teach Research Skills to Elementary Students
• 15 Animals in Winter Picture Books for Elementary Teachers
• How to Teach Informative Writing at the Elementary Level

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FREE Spring Animal Research Project for Kids

I am putting a HUGE spring writing freebie on the blog today that I am SO excited about! I am happy to be sharing an animal research project for you to use with your students this spring. Animal research is a fun way to engage students in the writing process. Add in some awesome crafts and some cute animals: what a win-win for your class!

All About Bunnies: Spring Research Writing and Craft

So, if you have checked out my blog before, you know that I LOVE creating writing projects for you to use in your classroom. I am sharing this HUGE spring animal research project with you for free because I really want you to check out the quality of my writing projects. I have so many of them in my TPT store.

My “All About Bunnies” Research Writing and Craft Project comes with a TON of writing templates with two options. Choose if “Have, Can, Are” or “Diet, Appearance, Habitat, Life Cycle, Interesting Facts” works best for your class. Use books, videos, Nat Geo Kids, and kid-appropriate websites to do class research! I have included everything you need for asking questions, writing down prior knowledge, taking research notes, rough drafts, final drafts, and crafts!

Bunny Craft Options

After your class has completed their animal research project, choose a craft! My writing packet includes a simple coloring activity, a mobile craft, and a flip book!

More Animal Research Projects

Looking for more spring animal research projects? I have a bundle in my TPT store that includes the bunny project with butterflies, frogs, worms, and bees! Click the picture to check it out!

Grab Your FREE Animal Research Project!

Grab your FREE bunny research project below! Enter your email, and I will send it directly to you to download and use with your students! I promise I do not send out emails very often, but having an email list helps me keep this blog going! Which means more FREEBIES for you! Happy teaching!

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Classroom Freebies

April 18, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Free Animal Research Packet

All Freebies · PK-2

Springtime is a great time for an animal unit. If you are studying animals, this free animal research packet is for you!

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Make Writing Fun and Engaging with this Animal Research Project

• May 16, 2023
• Sarah Winchell

Engaging young students in the writing process can be challenging, but with the Animal Research Project Report, it can be a breeze. This no-prep unit is designed to teach primary and early elementary writers informational writing in a fun and interactive way. This resource will help you save time in the classroom. You do not have to come up with a list of animals! The animals, habitats, and animal characteristics are already provided for you. Most of the activities can be completed independently by the students once they understand what you would like for them to do. They can follow the same directions for each animal. There are six different projects in this resource that extend student learning!

Real Life Photos

Including real-life photos of different animals, makes it easy for learners to enjoy and learn about different habitats, animal facts, and more. Students can choose an animal or use one of the 12 different animals included in the animal research project. The differentiated informational text is perfect for learners of all levels and meets the goals you have for differentiating instruction for all students. If you are interested in Arctic Animals check out this post. You can use the activities in this resource for other animals as well. Activities to Choose From

Six Animal Research Projects to Choose From or Use Them All!

What makes this resource even more engaging are the various writing activities that come with it. There’s an informational graphic organizer, an animal facts booklet, an animal choice project, a cereal box project, creating a habitat diorama, research student-created books, and student-created trading cards. Each of these writing activities is designed to ensure that students review essential writing skills while enjoying learning.

Many Animals to Research and Write About

There’s no need to worry that your students are going to get bored with the same old animals because a wide range of animals like the African Elephant, Bald Eagles, Cheetah, Spotted Salamander, and more are included. These animal passages use real-life images, which makes them a hit with young learners. The activity is an easy-to-implement writing resource that makes teaching informational writing fun and engaging.

Students can also create an Animal Information Poster to demonstrate what they have learned about an animal. One fun way to do this is to have a pair of students or a small group of students share the responsibility for creating a poster. These collaborative posters are perfect for student engagement. They look great as a display and you can also have the students present their work to their classmates!

This resource gives students a fun way to learn about different animals and habitats while also teaching essential writing skills in an engaging and interactive way. Add this resource to your toolkit today and watch your students enthusiastically build their reading, writing, and science skills!

If you would like to use this Animal Research Project with your learners please click here: Animal Research Project

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Animal Report | Animal Research Project Worksheets Habitats and Adaptations

Subject: Biology

Age range: Age not applicable

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

13 September 2024

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Learn more about zoo animals with the aid of this animal report template, which is ideal for kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students. Children will discover fascinating facts about animals: habitats, their place in the wild, what they eat, where they live, who their predators are, and much more as they conduct research and complete the My Animal Report! For a biology or zoology curriculum, this is an excellent addition. Complete one report, or several reports, for each category of animal. You can play and learn by just printing the PDF file containing the animal report template!

With the aid of these entertaining Animal Report templates, children can learn about a variety of animals, including their habitat, where they live, classification, and more. Teachers, homeschoolers, and parents will find these animal report forms extremely useful to utilize with any program. They work well as a summer learning aid to prevent summertime loss, in conjunction with an animal study or a field trip to the zoo. Use these worksheets for animal reports with kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Each of the following classifications has an animal report worksheet: bird, fish, mammal, reptile, amphibian, insect, general, mollusks, and crustaceans . These worksheets are available in both simple lines and ruled lines.

These no prep first-grade, kindergarten, and pre-kindergarten worksheets on animals are very beneficial. For younger students, they have handwriting lines to help with clarity. They will consist of items like:

• Description of the Animal Classification
• What do they eat
• How big does it get
• Where does it live (habitat & location on a map)
• Interesting Facts
• Place for student to draw or place a picture

More information about the animals can be found in the animal report templates for grades 3, 4, 5, and 6. They consist of:

• Description of each animal classification
• Babies, what are they called
• What is its habitat & where does it live
• Who are it’s predators
• Draw or place a picture

The Animal Report Form Printable is based on my concept that students should write reports on each animal class. One of the three cover options (two in black and white and one in color for your student to color) can then be added. In addition to learning about a wide range of animals, children would also gain an understanding of the various categories into which animals are classified.

There are individual Animal Report Forms with descriptions for the following Animal Classifications:

• Amphibian Class
• Reptile Class
• Mammal Class
• Insect Class
• Crustacean Class
• Mollusks Class

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Free Printable Animal Report Template for Kids

By: Author Elizabeth Lampman

Posted on January 21, 2022

Writing a report on animals can be fun and educational with this free printable animal report template! Perfect for grade school students!

As a parent, you know how important it is for kids to learn about animals. And one of the best ways to do that is by writing reports about them! But coming up with a report format can be tough, especially if you don’t have much experience with it. That’s why we’ve created this handy free printable animal report template for kids.

This handy animal research template provides kids all the prompts they need to research and write reports on their favourite creatures. With sections for habitat, diet, and more, it’s perfect for any budding zoologist.

Kids learn best when they are engaged and having fun, which is why animal reports can be a great way to teach them about different species. This free printable animal report template makes the process easy and enjoyable for both parents and kids. With plenty of space to record facts about each animal, it’s perfect for elementary-aged students.

With all the sections and prompts kids need, it’ll make creating reports a breeze – and they’ll even be fun to write! So go ahead and download our template today. Your little ones will love getting creative and learning all about their favourite animals in the process!

Plus, it’s a great way to practice writing skills. So download the template today and get started!

★WHAT YOU GET …………………………………………………………. 3 page PDF file including the following:

• Coloured Animal Report
• Black and White Animal Report

★ ★ You can download all 3 pages for FREE at the end of the article. ★ ★

The printable animal research template offers plenty of space for kids to draw the animal of topic as well as their habitat. Kids can record what type of animal they are, what they typically measure, their colour, diet, habitat, and more.

Use the cover page in a binder or paper folder so kids can store all their reports in the form of an animal research journal as they study more and more different animals.

I have included a colour version of the animal report printable, as well as black and white. You can print the cover in grey-scale by choosing that option when you print.

Looking for More Free Educational Printables for Kids?

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DOWNLOAD THE FREE ANIMAL REPORT TEMPLATE

★HOW TO USE THIS FILE: ………………………………………………………….

• Download the Free Printable Animal Report Templates to your computer to a secure, easily accessible folder.
• Print at home, office (if allowed) or at a professional printing service

★TERMS OF USE: …………………………………………………………. You may use this file for your own PERSONAL USE ONLY. File sharing, distribution, and commercial use of this file or of the printed work from this file are prohibited. You are welcome to print as many copies as you like for yourself. The designs can not be used for any commercial purpose or resold. You may NOT use these files for publishing on any platform under any circumstances.

Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!

Friday 5th of April 2024

Thank you for sharing this amazing template!

Monday 29th of August 2022

Thank you for this! I was short on time to make one myself so this certainly came in handy. The colors were also a fun yet simple touch to it. My son even commented that it looked fun for his research!

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Here We Go!

Animal Research Projects Step-by-Step

June 9, 2016

Inside: Discover the step-by-step process I use for animal research projects in kindergarten. 

Using a Roadmap for Your Animal Research Projects

Spring is an exciting time in kindergarten, because the children have now learned how to write and can create their own nonfiction informational books.  But in order to get the results we want, our animal research projects must begin several months before that, and include research and note taking steps, so children will already be animal experts before they begin write.

Here is the project path that we use to support us, as we move from animal researchers to nonfiction writers during the second half of the kindergarten year.

Animal Research Project Steps

Step 1: i wonder.

During this step, I plan an entry event, designed to spark curiosity and get children excited about the animal we’ll be studying.  This might be an animal webcam, live animal visit, or even an unexpected “visitor” that we discover in the classroom or on the playground.

As children observe the animal, I invite them to share, in words and/or writing, what they see, think, and wonder about the animal.

Step 2: I Plan

I then work together with children to create a list of resources that we might use to find the answers to our questions.  This includes books, videos, websites, webcams, mini field trips, and any ”experts” that we might interview.

We create a special research center in our classroom to store and display them all materials related to our animal research projects.

Step 3: I Investigate

I build “inquiry time” into your day to conduct whole class, shared research using the resources we’ve gathered.  I model note taking and let children take their own notes using a combination of pictures and words.

I also Incorporate what children are learning about the animal into their choice time discovery centers.  They might create models of the animal out of play dough or use animal figures and special props in the block center to create and build habitats.

Step 4: I Review

Once we’ve “digested” lots of information, I invite children to reflect and review our shared notes to see if we have collected enough information about our animal in each of these four areas: body features, habitat, diet, and life cycle.

We will us these 4 categories to help us organize our writing in the next step, so it’s important that we’ve focused our research on gathering information for each subtopic.

Step 5: I Create

Now it’s finally time to write! During this step, we will create a piece of informational writing to share what we’ve learned.  Depending on what form of writing we choose, the children’s age and their experience, they might work independently, with a partner, in a small group, or be guided by me, step-by-step.

When it’s our first animal research project, we usually do it together.  The children choose the facts they want to write, but I guide them page by page through each subtopic.

Once, we’ve done that one together, I then let children choose an animal and do the second one independently, in pairs, or with a small group.  This happens naturally, as some children will pick the same animal, and will need to share resources, so they end up working together, but each creating their own book.

Along with an informational text, children can also create additional visuals to use in their presentation. These might include:

These are great options for children who have finished their writing before others and need an additional challenge. Or children might choose to work on this extra project during choice time.

Step 6: I Share

I work together with children to choose an authentic audience to share our learning and we schedule a time to present.  The presentation can be as simple as reading to a book buddy from another class or as involved as creating a “museum” and hosting tours for families.

Before children present, I spend some time reviewing and rehearsing presentation habits.  I model and we role play each behavior so children know what it looks and sounds like to be an effective presenter.

Resources for Your Own Animal Research Projects

Are you ready to begin an animal research project with your kiddos? Use the above roadmap as your guide along with these additional resources that will be helpful to you on your journey.

Using Webcams for Animal Research in Kindergarten

Keeping it Real: Animals in the Classroom

Our Eagle Research Project Path

Ready, Set, Research: Animal Informational Writing Units

For more science and inquiry ideas, visit the Growing with STEAM page found inside the Roots & Wings Resource Library. 

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June 14, 2016 at 1:26 pm

Where is the rug from that students play with the animals on?

June 14, 2016 at 1:27 pm

June 14, 2016 at 9:46 pm

It's from Ikea!

Connect with Me

How to Explode Student Engagement with this Habitat Research Project

One HUGE 2nd grade standard is researching and learning about animals and their adaptations. Students LOVE this unit, but teachers can be intimidated by the overwhelming pressure involved in guiding student research at such a young age. I love doing this 2nd grade animal research project with my students every March! This project has been reworked for a digital platform as well .

I love to start by playing a Brain Pop Jr, Flocabulary or YouTube video for my kids on all of the different habitats that exist. Typically, we have previously researched habitats during our social studies unit before starting this writing project, so they already have the background knowledge.

Then, I let students pick the habitat they are most interested in studying. From there, they pick 3-4 animals that live in the habitat that they would like to research more about. We use National Geographic Kids , Epic! Books and library books [all free resources] to learn about our animals.

2. RESEARCH/PLANNING

The next day, I model my own notes for students. Then, I give students lots of time to research their animals and take notes. It is really important that you are walking around the room and guiding students during this time.

If you have a struggling group of writers, I like to work with them at the back table during this time. We all research the same animals and take notes together. This helps them build confidence and feel sure about their writing in future days.

3. DRAFTING

I break drafting days up into 2 days so that students can really focus on the craft of what they are writing. I also always model before releasing students to write on their own.

Depending on what we have covered so far in the year, I encourage students to be sure to add:

• embedded definitions
• transition words
• conjunctions
• adjectives, adverbs and prepositions where appropriate
• 3-4 details per fact

4. PUBLISHING/GRADING

On the last day for each animal (typically Friday), I give students time to publish. While they publish, I model then ask them to add a map and diagram to their writing. I also show them how to grade themselves on the rubric, so they can double check that they are not missing anything.

After they finish, I give them free time to explore other animals in their habitat while I grade their writing. I find grading at the end of each animal rather than at the end of the entire project saves me a TON of time.

We repeat steps 2-4 for either 3 or 4 animals. Some students may work faster, while some may take a bit more time on each step. I try to adjust the project to be appropriate for the majority of the class.

When the project is done, I try to find a special way for us to share our work. This can include sharing to younger buddies, parents or doing an author’s chair.

Since they work so hard on this project, we make a BIG DEAL out of the finished project, and I typically send it home with parents during conferences. It makes a great writing portfolio and talking piece with parents.

Teaching digitally or wanting to add a digital component to your writing block? This project can also be completed in a digital format . Students will go through the same process, completing all of their work on Google Slides rather than writing using paper and pencil.

Grab the resources pictured above here:

Do you teach about a 2nd grade animal research project each year? Drop your ideas in the comments below!

Some other posts you might find helpful are:

• Teaching Animal Habitats During Science Ideas
• Animal Adaptations Writing Project
• Life Science Unit: Animal Adaptation

Emily - The Mountain Teacher

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FREE Animal Research Printables (Instant Download)

Published: July 17, 2018

Contributor: Carrie

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

My daughter loves learning about animals. Last year we used Sassafras Science  volume 1 Zoology and it was one of her most favorite things in school. She loves using notebooking pages to do research and copy facts that she has learned.

Below you can find a FREE instant download of an Animal Research Paper and a “Make up your OWN” Animal fact sheet. You can find a bunch of FREE Animal Report Printables and Notebooking Pages   at this link .

You may also want to check out these posts:

• Instant Download
• life science
• reports & templates

Carrie Fernandez is the owner of  Daily Skill Building . She has been homeschooling for over 18 years, has two girls and works side by side at home with her awesome husband. She has been saved by grace, fails daily, but continues to strive toward the prize of the high calling of being a daughter of the Most High God.

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See our latest activities and ideas first!

Animal Research for Kids with Zoey and Sassafras (Free Printable)

Animal Research for Kids with Zoey and Sassafras

We at Natural Beach Living LOVE everything that has to do with animals and animal habitats . In fact, my kids would have one of every animal if they could. We also love to read and learn new things every day. Recently we received Zoey and Sassafras and fell in love with the series. I think every child will enjoy this spunky little girl and her scientific adventures. Download the free printable below so your kids can enjoy a little animal research of their own.

Animal Research Printable for Kids

If your child is anything like Zoey , they’ll be learning about new creatures, asking questions, and figuring out why animals do and need certain things.

Animal Activities 

In the Zoey and Sassafras series , Zoey discovers she can see Magical animals. She also finds out that she and her mom are the only ones that can help them, but she has to learn about them first. Whether you go searching for animals, they visit you at home, or you find them in a book , learning about animals can be so rewarding.

Animal Information for Students

You might want to click over here and grab the free printable for Body Coverings . It will be a great addition to any animal study, or to add to your Zoey and Sassafras fun.

Subscribe Below for Your Animal Research for Kids Printable

You might want to get a copy of Zoey and Sassafras for your home library. The books are so good we recommend them to all of our friends.

Animal Habitat Activities

Animal habitat activities for kids.

STEM Education for Preschoolers – Ideas and Printables

Pond Theme Activities – STEM – Free Printables

PIN ZOEY AND SASSAFRAS ACTIVITIES TO SAVE

10 Animal Research Websites for Kids

Kids LOVE animals!! When it comes to research, it is the number one “Go To” topic for everyone: kids, teachers and librarians alike.

I know that not all districts have the funding for online databases and encyclopedias. So, we ALL need free websites that provide animal facts for kids!! Even more important, we need them to be easy for elementary students to navigate. Below is a list of my top ten favorite animal research websites. You can also click on the image to the left to download an interactive PDF file.

Mrs. D’s Top Ten

If you are REALLY lovin’ this list, click HERE for a FREE clickable, yes clickable, PDF file. What does that mean?? Well, if you download the file and open it on your computer, you will be able to click on each picture to be taken DIRECTLY to that website. Easy Peasy Right?? This PDF file would be perfect posted on your website or posted in your Google Classroom. Happy Researching Friends!

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