Panda Theme Preschool Lesson Plan Printable Activities
Chinese New
Year | Endangered Animals
Activities
Materials
The giant panda is revered and a national treasure in its homeland, the
country of China in the continent of Asia. The giant panda is
endangered.
Young children will have fun making an easy and fun craft of a panda and during the process many skills
and educational themes can be addressed. Other printable support materials and links to related
activities are provided. Let's get started.
The panda theme is appropriate for the following themes: Chinese New Year (Lunar
New Year), Bears, and Endangered Animals.
Select a printable panda craft that is age appropriate. All
you need is a printer, paper or construction paper, glue stick,
scissors and something to color with.
Before
craft assembly conduct some of the learning activities suggested
for the craft which may include: Math | Colors | Shapes : Identifying shapes, colors, counting, sorting
and sizing the craft templates.
Skills developed during craft assembly: Scissor cutting and
coloring (precursors to handwriting), problem solving, fine motor
skills.
Activity > Online Jigsaw Puzzle > Giant
Panda >
Skill: Problem solving, bilingual English and Spanish
Here is an online puzzle the children will enjoy with a fun giant
panda image. The default puzzle is 6 pieces. Click on the
change cut button to change shape and number of pieces.
Activity > Science & Social Studies > Geography > Learning about the Giant Panda,
an Endangered Animal [current status: vulnerable] Science objectives:
Understand that people need to respect animal and plant life,
natural resources and their habitats.
Identify ways people help protect these living things so that they
are not endangered or become extinct.
Define and understand the terms:
- extinct: to die out, there aren't any left alive
- endangered species: when an animal or plant species is in
danger of becoming extinct.
Identifying an endangered animal: the giant panda
Identifying at least one endangered animal in your geographical
area: country or region. Learn a few basic facts about this
animal.
Review the external resources and suggested children's picture books
below to prepare and expand on the objectives:
Where to start?
Ask children what they know about the giant panda, or if they have seen
pictures or read stories that have a panda character. Ask
children if they have heard about endangered animals or extinct
animals, and what these terms mean to them. Keep notes
of their responses.
Basic facts:
Giant pandas are bears.
Pandas are mammals.
Where do they live? They live in mountainous bamboo
forests in the country of China.
China is part of the continent of Asia (show on a map).
What do they eat? In the wild, pandas' main diet is bamboo
shoots and their leaves. Bamboo is a plant (a type of grass) that
grows in the mountainous and rainy forests where pandas live.
Pandas living in zoos eat bamboo, apples, sweet potatoes, carrots and
other yummy nutritious foods.
About 140+ pandas live in zoos, mostly in China and other zoos
around the world.
Their fur is black and white and perhaps it is to be able to find
each other and to camouflage themselves in the cloudy forests.
We need to take care of pandas, because they are critically endangered
(review and define) and could become extinct (review and
define). The
people of China and other people around the world are dedicated to
protecting the pandas and their habitat, the unique forests where they
live.
External educational resources for additional
information, fun facts, and wonderful images of the giant panda:
Activity > Picture Books | Literature > Panda Picture Books YouTube Playlist:
This is just a sampling of beautifully illustrated books that can help
you present the panda and other topics -- your librarian can help you
select many more!
Dinner at the Panda Palace, by Stephanie Calmenson
Goldyluck and the Three Pandas by Natasha Yim (Author), Grace Zong (Illustrator) excellent for Chinese New Year theme
