Matching Body Parts – Animals of the Deciduous ForestUsing familiar animals found in a deciduous forest, students will match the head, shoulders, body and tail with the right animal. This helps students recognize patterns and match edges to make complete pictures. It is meant to improve motor skills and pattern recognition, while enjoying the sense of puzzle completion and learning about animals. Applying teaching pedagogy, this simple activity addresses pattern completion, reasoning by analogy, serial rea-soning and spatial visualization, measuring a student’s nonverbal abilities including critical thinking and prob-lem solving using nonverbal reasoning skills in preschool to kindergarten aged children.

Materials:• printed page with animal pieces and page with animals named for later discussion• scissors• access to school laminator

Directions:1) Copy, laminate and cut out the pieces for 4 forest animals.

2) Mix them all up in a pile. Have single, paired or small groups of students build and name the 4 animals. 3) Once they are done, talk about the 4 animals, what they eat and where they might see them.

©Sheri Amselwww.exploringnature.org

©Sheri Amsel www.exploringnature.org

Matching Body Parts – Animals of the Deciduous ForestCopy, laminate and cut out the pieces for 4 forest animals.

©Sheri Amsel www.exploringnature.org

Animals of the Deciduous Forest

chipmunk

squirrel

robin

skunk