Years 1 and 2 have been diving into the beloved picture book Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell!
This week, the children created their own story maps to chart the journey of all the animals sent by the zoo—from the heavy elephant to the grumpy camel.
What We Did
- Creative Mapping: The children drew detailed story maps, using symbols and illustrations to represent each section of the tale.
- Partner Retelling: Using their maps as visual prompts, the children orally retold the entire story to a partner, rehearsing key repetitive phrases and vocabulary.
- The Dream Pet Twist: We challenged the children to adapt the ending! Instead of keeping the puppy, they chose their own dream pet to receive at the end—from magical dragons to playful kittens.
What’s Next?
These brilliant story maps will now act as our writing plans. The children will use them to write and construct their own version of Dear Zoo, using their maps to help rehearse and remember their sentences before putting pencil to paper. We can't wait to read their finished books!
Try It at Home
- Ask your child to use their hands and actions to retell you the story of Dear Zoo—and don't forget to ask what surprise pet they chose for their ending!