A Big Fish Pattern Block Design

Questions/Activities for this big fish design:

• How many diamonds are hidden in this design?
• Count the number of triangles inside of the fish.
• Can you change the fish gills to green?

The Kangaroos

Kangaroo grazing peacefully in Australia.

Kangaroo baby in pouch.

       The  Kangaroo  lives  in  Australia. It  is  usually  found  in  small companies,  and  always  in  charge  by a  leader.  The first European to see  a  kangaroo  was  Captain  Cook,  in  New South  Wales,  in  1770,  and  it  is  said that  when  the  sailors  asked  the  natives the  name  of  the  strange  animal they  replied,  "Kangaroo,"  which,  as  a matter  of  fact,  meant  in  their  language, "What  do  you  say?"  However, this  name  has  remained  unchanged ever  since.
       The  skin  of  the  kangaroo  made a very  fine  leather,  and  its  flesh  was  good to  eat when it was hunted long ago. The  native  Australians  said that  it  afforded the  best  hunting  on the continent.
       Perhaps  the  most  wonderful  part  of  the  kangaroo  is  the  pouch  in  which  it carries  its young.  The  baby  kangaroo,  when  first  born,  is  not  much  over  an inch  or  two  in  length,  and  for  about  eight  months  it  lives  in  this  pouch,  until  it is  strong  enough  to  hop  about  beside  its  mother.  The  doe  kangaroo  is  very watchful  of  her  young,  for  at  the  least  suspicion  of  danger,  the  youngster scrambles  into  the  pouch,  and  away  goes  the  mother  in  gigantic  leaps.  The kangaroo  thrives  well  in other places.  Quite  a  number  have  been  brought  from Australia, to other countries and  are  now  to  be  seen  in  a variety of zoos and  parks,  hopping  about  quite comfortably.  They  breed  freely,  too,  and  appear  to  tolerate alternative damp  climate very  well. When  Captain  Cook  first  discovered  the  kangaroo,  they  roamed everywhere  in  great  numbers  from little  ones,  the  size  of  a  rabbit,  to the  old  fellows,  as  tall  as  a  man ; but  now  they  are  becoming  very rare,  and  it  looks  as  though  many species  might  become  extinct.
       At  present  the  kangaroo  is  limited to  the  less  frequented  bush lands,  far  from  the  towns in Australia.
       The  kangaroo  can  be  taught  to box  with  boxing-gloves.  This  was sometimes  seen  in circuses,  but the show was  always  attended  with  some little  danger,  for  the  instant  the  kangaroo thinks  it  is  getting  the  worst of  it,  it  will  kick,  and  a  kick  from a  full-grown  kangaroo  meant great injury,  if  not  death  outright to a man.

Kangaroos in danger of hitting trees.

Description of a Kangaroo Hunt, Right. 

 

       The    men    ride   on horse-back,    while   a   pack    of   large, fierce    hounds   follow    the   kangaroo, which   goes    over    the   ground    at   a curious  gait,  consisting  of  a  series  of  immense  leaps.     Its  hind  legs  are  of great  size  and  strength,  and  when  brought  to  bay  the  creature  defends  itself with  kicks. The  front  legs  are  very  small,  and  do  not  seem  to  be  of  much  use except  to  convey  food  to  the  mouth. When  a  kangaroo  is  chased  by  hunters, it  has  an  odd  habit  of  looking  back  over  its  shoulder,  and  instances  have  been known  where  it  has  collided  with  a  tree,  and  thus  brought  itself  to  an  untimely end. 

• Learn About Kangaroos With Ozzie
• What Kangaroos eat for breakfast at the zoo? 
• Feeding baby kangaroos with Chris 'Brolga' Barns
  

The Singing Mice

 The Singing Mice
by Elizabeth A. Davis

A Little family of mice
Lived in a hold as snug and nice
As ever mice could wish to live.
They'd plenty, and a grain to give
To any poorer little mouse
That chanced to come about the house.
But one day - 'twas the strangest thing -
They fancied they must learn to sing;
Then such a racket as begun!
From early morn till set of sun
The mother mouse grew wild with dread;
She said such actions turned her head,
That mice were never made to sing,
And surely 'twould a trouble bring.
At this the mousies only laughed
They thought their mother merely chaffed;
But still they sung, and sung, and sung,
Till every beam and rafter rung,
And good old farmer Brown declared
He'd have to have his house repaired:
''It's old and shaky, and the wind
Comes searching every crack to find.''
''Not so,'' then Mistress Brown replied;
''It's rats and mice that sneak and hide,
And keep up such a frightful din
You'd think the house had tumbled in;
But I've a remedy for that, -
I'll get a good and faithful cat.''
Next morning came, and Mistress Brown
An early journey took to town,
Returning with her friend, the cat,
An animal so sleek and fat
She looked as though she'd fed on mice,
Or something else as sweet and nice,
Her whole life long. And, oh! her eyes
So green, so sleepy, and so wise!
She crept along the kitchen floor,
And sniffed at every closet door,
Across the hall, and through the house, -
'Twas evident she smelt a mouse;
At length she disappeared from view -
What follows now is strictly true -
Beneath the crazy garret floor
She found the mice - they numbered four -
All in their hole, and quite content,
Unthinking of the punishment
Their mother said would find them out
When they began to sing and shout.
So, little children, give an ear
When wise ones counsel danger near.

Tear and paste a candy corn picture for preschool...

Candy corn filled with torn construction paper.

       This simple, craft for early learners is perfect for the sharing of sweets at Halloween because every child can taste one piece of candy corn without it costing too much or spoiling their appetites. It is a project that also is a great opportunity to discuss the idea of layers, or of order or the number 3, of course. 
       The action involved with tearing paper helps to develop the young students small motor skills. These skills will be needed desperately when students begin to write their letters and numbers! Projects like the following are likened to ''exercise'' for the fingers. The more young students ''exercise'' their hands, the better prepared they will be when writing with other tools.

 Supply List:

• 8 x11 standard sheet of black construction paper
• white school glue
• white pencil
• orange, white and yellow construction paper for tearing
• candy corn pattern (below)

Use white pencil to draw candy corn.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. The teacher will first need to draw a candy corn pattern similar to the one shown in the example here.
2. Cut out the pattern and trace around it on top of a piece of black construction paper. The teach will probably need to prepare this step as well and possibly step three. It is really up to the instructor to decide if his or her students can accomplish these first three steps.
3. Draw the three divisions using two lines where the colors of candy corn are to be pasted. 
4. Young students should tear small pieces of white paper and glue these on to the first or top layer of candy corn drawn on the black background paper.
5. In the center, youngsters should paste a layer of ripped orange paper.
6. And third, at the bottom of the candy corn, is where students should fill in the space with the ripped yellow paper.
7. Take the time to talk with the preschool students about what else is white, orange and yellow during the Fall. They may respond with ''ghosts'' being white, ''pumpkins'' being orange and ''leaves'' being yellow. 
8. Take care to also discuss that candy corn has three distinct layers in a particular order. Use vocabulary like: top, middle and bottom and first, second and third or one, two and three. 

''Chicken feed'' or ''candy corn'' was 

invented by George Renninger.

The Camel

The animal called, "ship of the desert.''

       The  Camel  has  been  called  the  "ship  of  the  desert,"  and  for  a  very  good reason.  The  mighty  sandy  wastes  of  Africa  and  Asia  would  be  untraveled but  for  this  useful  creature.
       Its  stomach,  upon  which  the  life  of  the  camel  depends  during  its  long journeys,  is  constructed  in  a  wonderful  fashion.  It  contains  a  number  of  cells which  carry  a  great  quantity  of  water.  When  drinking,  the  camel  takes  in  sufficient to  fill  all  these  cells,  which  is  enough  for  a  six  or  seven  days'  journey, and  when  the  camel  gets  thirsty  it  draws  upon  this  supply.  It  is  thus  able  to live  a  week  while  crossing  the  blinding,  sandy  wastes  without  stopping  for water.  Some  naturalists  have  claimed  that  the  camel  has  never  been  wild,  for as  far  back  as  history  can  trace  it  has  always  been  in  the  service  of  man.
       In  parts  of  Arabia,  on  the  great  steppes  of  Russia,  and  the  plateau  of Central  Asia,  camels  are  sometimes  seen  in  a  wild  state,  but  they  have  probably escaped  from  some  of  the  tame herds.  An  attempt  was  once  made  to introduce  the  camel  into  the  United  States.  The  animals  were  taken  out  to Arizona  and  New  Mexico.  The  plan  was  a  failure  and  the  herd  rapidly diminished  by  decease.  A  few  of  the  beasts  escaped  and  for  years  afterward were  seen  from  time  to  time  in  various  parts  of  Arizona.
       The  Arabian  camel  has  a  single  hump,  while  the  Bactrian,  or  camel  of Asia,  has  two  humps.  These  humps  are  formed  of  fat.  The  Arabs  can  tell the  condition  of  a  camel  by  its  hump.  After  a  long  journey  it  becomes  flabby and  sometimes  disappears  altogether,  while  the  hump  of  a  camel  in  good health  should  be  firm  and  solid.  The  feet  of  the  camel  are splendidly  built for  the  work  it  has  to  do,  as  most  of  its  journeys  are  over  small,  loose  rocks and  shifting  sand.  Its  toes  are  wide  apart  and  well  padded  beneath,  so  that  it has  a  firm  foot-hold.  It  has  always  been  the  custom  to  load  the  camel  kneeling, hence  it  has  developed  a  hard,  leathery  surface  over  its  knees,  which serve  as  a  protection  against  sore  places  being  formed.  The  camel  has  been credited  with  greater  speed  than  it  really  has.  There  is  one  species  called the  "heirie,"  which  can  trot  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  an  hour  and  keep  it  up from  sunrise  to  sunset,  but  the  common  camel's  stride  is  seven  feet,  and taking  them  on  the  average  of  thirty-six  to  the minute  makes  its  speed  about three  miles  an  hour.
       It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  creature  with  a  more  morose  and  ugly  disposition. It  is  great  fun  to  watch  a  camel  being  loaded,  for  its  temper is worst at this  time.  The  Arab  comes  in front  of  his  beast,  taking  care  to  keep  out  of  the way  of  its  teeth,  and  coaxes  and  begs  the  animal  to  get  down  on  its  knees.  If this  has  no  effect,  he  gets  a  big  stick  and  whacks  and  pokes  it  until  it  obeys. He  must  tie  it  down  by  the  muzzle  or  it  will  rise  the  minute  his  back  is turned.  Then  the  patient  Arab  piles  his  boxes  on  top  of  a  saddle  and  straps them  there,  while  the  camel  keeps  up  a  gurgling  and  grunting,  all  the  time trying  to  bite  its  master's  legs.  When  the  loading  is  finished,  the  camel  rises to  its  feet.     If  it  is  in  an  extra  bad  temper,  it  will  buck  the  load  off  its  back.
       The  camel  lives  to  a  great  age,  and  in  some  parts  of  the  world  is  held  in great  veneration.  Sometimes  a  white  camel  is  born.  These  animals  are  always very  highly  prized.  The  dervish  warrior,  the  Madhi  of  the  Soudan,  rode  upon a  white  camel.  The  beast  is  said  to  have  been  a  magnificent  specimen,  being larger  than  any  of  the  commoner  species.  It  was  afterward  killed  in  battle. In  the  deserts  they  take  the  place  of  regular  cavalry.

More About Camels:

• Adorable baby camel at Idaho News
• Baby camel born at Whipsnade Zoo
• Camel facts by Animal Fact Files
• Many camel coloring sheets here

The Giraffe

The giraffe is the tallest animal on Earth.

       The  Giraffe  is  the  tallest  of  all  animals,  not  excepting  the  elephant.This  is  chiefly  due  to  its  wonderful  neck.  A  full-grown  giraffe often  exceeds twenty  feet.  On  the  top  of  its head  are  two  curious  bones.  They  are  an  out- growth from  the  skull  and  not  horns,  as  you  might  think.  Also,  farther  down on  its  forehead  is  another  bone  growth,  somewhat  like  the  small  horn  of  the unicorn.  Its  white  skin  is  oddly  marked  with  brown  patches,  which  really serve  as  a  protection,  for  when  standing  near a  tree-trunk  the  colors  match  so well  that  it  is  hard  to  see  a  giraffe.  The  skin  is  also  very  thick,  and  tough enough  to  turn  a  rifle-bullet,  unless  it  is  well  aimed.  The  Zulus  used to make  their war-shields  from  the  hide  of  the  giraffe.  The tongue  is  long  and  thin,  and  as its  owner  feeds  upon  leaves  it  is  of  the  greatest use  to  pick  out  just  those  that it  wants.  Its  eye  is  of  a  dark  brown  color,  and  is  mild  and pleasing.  The giraffe,  like  the  kangaroo,  is silent,  never  uttering  a  sound,  even  after  it  has been  badly  wounded.  In  spite  of  its  long  legs  it  is  not  a  swift  runner,  but  at the  same  time  it  defends  itself  and  keeps  off  the  hyena,  jackal,  and  other  small animals  by  kicking  all  around  with  lightning  speed.  When  one  thinks  of  the range  of  a  giraffe's  heels,  it  is  clear  that  they  might  become  formidable.
       A  hunter  on  one  occasion  watched  a  lion  creeping  toward  a  fine  old  bull giraffe,  but  just  as  it  was  about  to  spring  its  victim  must  have  caught  sight  of it,  and  like  a  flash  the  giraffe  sprang  round  and  kicked  furiously.  One  blow caught  the  lion  full  in  the  chest,  and  to  the hunter's  surprise,  the  "king  of  beasts "  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  This  giraffe  had  a  fearful  wound  in  its  flank, where  the  claws  of  the  lion  had  struck  it,  but,  on  the  whole,  it  seemed  well pleased  with  its  work.
       On  another  occasion  three  lions  were  seen  to  steal  toward  a  small  herd of  giraffes,  and  singling  out  one  bull,  they  all  attacked  it  together.  One  lion sprang  on  its  flank  and  was  immediately  kicked  off,  but  before  the  giraffe  could gain  any  advantage  another  lion  sprang  on  its  back.  The  giraffe  made  a frantic  struggle  to  reach  the  forest,  but  before  it  could  get  far  the  third  lion sprang  upon  its  neck,  and  the  first  lion,  which  had  been  kicked  off,  hung  on its  flank  again.  By  their  combined  weight  they  managed  to  pull  their  victim down.  Few  animals  could  have  withstood  the  attack  of  three  lions  for  such a  length  of  time.
       The  giraffe  causes  much  fun  in  the  zoological  gardens  by  stealing  the artificial  flowers  from  the  tops  of  the  ladies'  hats.  The  visitors  stand  near  the enclosure  thinking  they  are  safe,  but  forget  that  the  creature's  long  neck enables  it  to  reach  clean  over  the  railings.  The  giraffe  is  good-tempered,  and soon  gets  to  know  its  keepers.

More About Giraffes:

• Baby giraffe makes new friends...
• New baby giraffe at Houston Zoo
• Study finds there are four kinds of giraffes

The Spring Bucks

        The  American  Spring-buck  is  an  antelope  which  is  found  on  the  prairies of  the  Western  States.  They  move  about  in  great  herds,  which  are  sometimes seen  in  one  district,  then  they  vanish  and  appear  in  an  entirely  new  locality.
       The  African  Springbok  is  still  found  in  great  numbers  throughout  the Transvaal  and  Orange  Free  State.  As  late  as  1891  the  springboks  made  a migration  north  toward  the  Zambesi  River.  They  took  several  days  to  pass  an up-country  station,  and  the  sheep-herders,  who  are  accustomed  to  accurately guess  the  numbers  of  herds  of  animals,  estimated  that  there  must  have  been over  half  a  million  springboks  on  the  move.  These  migrations  are  not  regular, but  generally  take  place  when  the  food  in  the  plains  gives  out.

Spring bucks resting and grazing in the fields.

More About Spring Bucks:

• 5 fascinating facts about springboks
• springy baby springbok - second animal covered in this video

The Ferret

        The  Ferrets  are  the  best  known  of  all  the  weasel  family.  Cruelty  is  the birthright  of  these  curious  creatures.  They  destroy  wantonly  and  viciously, and  yet  ferrets  prove  that,  when properly  handled,  they  can  be  tamed,  and  are capable  of  great  affection.  The  ferrets  are  best  recognized  by  their  lithe, creamy-white  bodies,  pointed  noses,  and  fierce  little  pink  eyes.  At  one  time  it was  thought  that  the  ferret  and  pole-cat  were  the  same  animal,  but  now  it  is well known  that  they  are  not.  The  pole-cat  lives  in  the  North,  while  the  ferret originally  came  from  Africa.  When  living  in  captivity,  these  little  creatures  must  be  kept  very  warm,  for  if  by chance  they  get shut  out  of  doors  and  the  weather  turns cold  they  will  die.  Set  a  thief  to  catch  a thief  holds  good  with  the  ferret,  for  it  is counted  as  vermin  itself,  and  yet  it  is  used to  kill  rats.  A  large  rat  is  nearly  a  match for  the  ferret,  and  it  has  been  said  that  after a  ferret  has  been  mauled  by  one  it  will never  face  a  stand-up  fight  again.

The white ferret looks for rabbit.

       There  are  really  two  kinds  of  ferrets, the  one  a  beautiful  creamy-white  creature, the  other  larger,  fiercer,  and  with  a  good deal  of  black  in  its  coat.  This  last  one  is a  cross  between  a  true  ferret  and  a  pole-cat, and  is  often  used  in  rat-catching,  while the  smaller  species  only  in  rabbit-hunting. 
        The  game-keeper  carries  the  ferret  to  the rabbit-warren  in  a  small  bag  in  his  outside pocket,  and  when  taken  out  it  is  muzzled. It  would  never  do  to  let  the  ferret run  loose  down  in  the  burrows,  for  it  would kill  the  first  rabbit  it  came  across,  and  could not  be  coaxed  out  until  it  had  had  a  meal.  For  this  reason  they  are  taken  into the  field  hungry,  so  as  to  keep  them  active.  In  rabbit-hunting  the  burrow holes  are  covered  with  a  slack  net,  and  when  the  ferret  is  turned  into  the ground  it  begins  at  once  to  chase  the  inhabitants  through  all  the  windings and  twistings,  until  the  bunnies,  in  terror,  fly  out  of  their  holes  only  to get  tangled  up  in  the  net.  When  the  ferret  comes  out  it  is  put  back  in  the bag.
       A  ferret  that  did  not  return  from  one  of  the  burrows  was  given  up  for  lost by  its  owner.  A  week  later  a  servant  of  the  manor  house  (which,  by  the  way, was  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  field)  found  the  little  ferret  on  the  kitchen  door-step, very  cold  and  hungry,  patiently waiting  to  be  let  in.

More About Ferrets:

• Baby ferret training in Colorado...
• Ferret play time!

The Mink

The mink drinks from a creek.

        The  Mink  is  another  little  animal  which  is  famous  for  its  fur.  It  lives near  lakes  and  rivers,  and  was  once  thought  to  belong  to  the  otter  family;  but it  is  really  a  weasel  In  many  places it  is  spoken  of  as  the  water  pole-cat. It  swims  well  and  readily.  It  is found  throughout  Northern  Europe and  America,  near  the  rivers  in  the spring  and  the  lakes  in  the  fall. Like  the  rest  of  its  family,  it  is  a fierce  fighter  and  a  mighty  hunter Everything  of  its  size  in  the  forest flees  before  it.  The  color  of  the mink  is  dark  brown,  but  it  often  varies many  shades  lighter.
       Hunters  tell  many  curious  stories showing  the  cleverness  of  the mink.  In  one  district  where  the mink  had  been  hunted  to  such  an extent  that  it  had  almost  disappeared, a  hunter  was  very  anxious to  catch  one  that  was  larger  and fiercer  than  any  he  had  seen  before, and  had  so  far  defied  all  attempts to  kill  it.
       The  hunter  put  up  a  spring  gun with  a  bait  attached  to  a  wire  and trigger,    which  would    fire    off    the minute  it  was  moved.  The  mink  smelled  the  bait,  but  when  it  saw  the  wire  it became  cautious  at  once.  After  watching  the  bait  for  awhile  it  began  to  dig the  earth  out  from  underneath  the  bait,  which  soon  fell  into  the  hole,  and  the gun  exploded  harmlessly.    The  mink  then  trotted  off  with  its  prize.

The Butterfly's Message

 The Butterfly's Message by Reho

I found a poor butterfly under a tree,
So crushed and so injured
'Twas painful to see;
No bright pretty colors all over its wings,
And never again the sweet message it brings,
Of 'Spring, happy Spring,' shall be borne on the 
air,
For slowly 'twas dying midst all things so fair.

I lifted it tenderly up from the ground,

The dainty wings broken,

I very soon found

A sad little flutter. No more it will rise

Or float in its beauty toward the blue skies.

The thing we call life had escaped from my

hand,

A something so wondrous I can't understand.

Then wrapt in a fern-leaf, beneath moss and 

flowers.

I put it quite safely,

Where soft summer showers

Will whisper the violet how it has died;

And primrose and snowdrop shall bloom by its

side.

Repeating the message of 'Spring, happy Spring,'

That all the bright butterflies bear on their

wing.

Cut, color and assemble sweet Annie and Adam Apple

Adam and Annie Apple paper dolls.

       Young students may enjoy crafting two little apple friends this fall. This kind of project is fun to do at the end of a long day at school while waiting for the bus. 
       Children may also enjoy crafting these paper dolls on a weekend when they have nothing to do outside on a rainy day...

Supply List:

• red and green construction paper
• white school glue
• scissors
• decorative scrap papers for clothes
• free template below for students only
• scrap yarn for Annie's hair bow

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

1. First print out the pattern below at school or from your own home computer. 
2. Cut out the patterns and trace around the apple shapes for your paper doll's heads. I used both of the larger apple patterns for the examples you see just right. But you may wish to make one of your paper dolls a younger brother or sister; so then you can use the smaller apple head pattern for one of these siblings instead.
3. Cut out the clothing patterns and trace around these to make dresses and/or overalls for the dolls using fancy patterned scrap papers.
4. Cut out narrow strips of construction paper to shape accordion styled arms and legs for the apple doll children.
5. Cut out and trace around the small leaf pattern to design ''hands and feet'' for each paper doll.
6. Use white school glue to attach all of the pieces as seen in the photo above. Let dry. Then play.
   

A free set of patterns for young students to use for their apple paper dolls.

The Mole

The mole digging up a garden.

      The  Mole  is  the  first  of  the  true  insect-eating  animals  living  almost  entirely  under  the ground.  Its  fur  is  very  fine,  and,  as  the  hair  has  no  grain, none  of  the  particles  of  soil  through  which  it  passes  sticks  to  it.  Its  eyes  are very  poor, ‚Äî in  fact,  unless  you  know  where  to  look  for  them  you  would  fancy it  did  not  have  any.  However,  if  you  sprinkle  a  little  cold  water  on  its  head, it  will  show  two  small,  black,  beady  eyes.  Its  muscles  are  very  strong  and  its diggers  large  for  its  size.  The  mole  is  able  to  bore  through  the  earth  with amazing  rapidity.  It  feeds  largely  on  worms,  and  herein  is  seen  its  wonderful skill.  Its  strong  diggers  enable  it  to  chase  the  worms  through  all  their  windings  in  and  out,  following  them  by  smell  and  sound.  The  hearing  of  the  mole is  proverbial,  while  its  sense  of  smell  is  delicate.  It  uses  its  nose  to  find  the softest  earth  to  burrow  through,  and  often  does  some  of  the  work  too  like  a pioneer.
       The  mole  is  fierce  and  quarrelsome.  The  males  far  outnumber  the females  in  this  family,  so  when  the  pairing  season  comes  round  there  are  fierce battles'  between  the  males.  On  one  occasion  a  hunter  noticed  some  grass moving  in  an  odd  way,  and  going up  to  see  what  was  the  cause  of  it he  found  two  moles  in  mortal  combat. They  were  so  absorbed  in  their  fight that  they  did  not  notice  the  stranger, and  indeed  they  came  within  an inch  of  his  toes  during  the  struggle.
       After  awhile  one  of  the  moles  began to  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  The  other followed  it,  and  with  every  show  of  ferocity began  to  tear  it  to  pieces.  The mole  makes  a  bad  pet,  as  it  never displays  any  liveliness  except  at meal-times,  and  then,  having  gorged itself,  it  goes  to  sleep  again.  It  does a  great  deal  of  damage  to  lawns  and gardens  by  tunneling  under  the  top soil.  These  tunnels  are  often  hundreds of  feet  in  length.  At  the  same time  many  people  believe  that  the earth  is  all  the  better  for  having  been stirred  up,  and  turned  over.