We are always learning about animals this time of year!
One of the recent memories that popped up on my social media was an easy safari classroom transformation my teaching partner and I put together. We used things that we already had and were teaching, but just presented in a fun way!
I think most teachers avoid classroom transformations because they think they might be expensive or time-consuming, but honestly, they don’t have to be! I spent maybe $10 of my own money on this transformation, but most of the supplies I purchased can be saved and used again. Classroom transformations are a great way to get your students excited and engaged too.
Here’s what this transformation taught:
- Various animal classifications (mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish)
- Animal moms and babies – each center had adults and their young for students to make observations about
- Teamwork and cooperative learning
- Reading and writing practice (reading articles and recording information on graphic organizers)
- Organizational Skills (organizing materials and information as they moved from center to center)
Here’s what we needed for this transformation:
- Articles about animals from Pebble Go (that we normally read with students anyways
- Colored paper normally used for bulletin boards (provided by my school)
- Paper plates, yarn, and toilet paper rolls (for Safari hats and binoculars)
- Stuffed animals from home of different types of animals!
In closing classroom transformations don’t have to cost money and take lots and lots of planning, they just take some creative thinking. Your students will be so engaged in learning and they will have meaningful experiences they will remember forever.
Happy teaching!
