CU 6.10Animal Tracks and Feet

1. 1

   Invite the child to press a hand into the damp sand and lift it: 'This is a print. It shows the shape of your hand.'

2. 2

   Show the dog paw card: 'A dog has paws with soft pads and claws.' Press the dog stamp into the sand and compare the track with the card.

3. 3

   Show the duck foot: 'A duck has webbed feet for swimming.' Press the duck stamp and find the web between the toes.

4. 4

   Show the horse hoof: 'A horse walks on hard hooves.' Press the stamp and look at the curved track.

5. 5

   Give a three-period lesson on paw, webbed foot, and hoof.

6. 6

   Lay out the foot cards and the track cards and invite the child to match them.

7. 7

   Check with the control cards, then smooth the sand for the next child.

What catches the child’s eye

• Lifting a stamp to see the track it left in the sand
• Finding a real bird or dog track in snow or mud outside

Extensions, easiest to hardest

1. Add more pairs: deer, rabbit, raccoon, owl, chicken
2. Look for real tracks in mud or snow on the playground and match them to the cards
3. Talk about why each foot fits its animal: webs for swimming, hooves for running, talons for gripping
4. Make a trail of tracks in the sand for a friend to follow