Where`s That Pair?

Fun Pages
Where’s That
Pair?
Most of these bears are different, but there are
two bears that are identical, or exactly the same.
Can you find them?
Copyright © 2013 by Wildlife Education, Ltd.
The Three Bears
Fun Pages
There are 3 bears in this picture.
Can you find them? Can you find
3 of any other kinds of animals?
Bear starts with “b.”
What do the other animals’
names start with?
Copyright © 2013 by Wildlife Education, Ltd.
Resource Corner
The number 3 is featured throughout Bears. Counting to 3, finding 3’s, identifying
sets of 3, and learning to connect symbols with concepts is great practice for children
who are learning their numbers and developing early math skills. How many 3’s and
groups of 3 can you and your child locate together throughout these pages?
As adults, we organize animals into scientific categories such as kingdoms,
families, and species. To a young child, dogs and bears may be the same,
since they are both furry and four-legged. Similarly, two cats may seem very
different if one is white and the other is black. Scientific categories are
accurate, but given the opportunity to compare and contrast, children
generate just as fascinating same /different connections.
Where in the WORLD? • Bears
Reading
Resource
Every title in the Zootles
series is designed to be
used for fun and learning,
and as a reading resource
as well. The pages are
written simply and address
various stages of emerging
literacy, and they
encourage new readers to
exercise their new skills at
just the right level. Reading
Zootles together will
provide “together time” for
you and your child—and
reinforce vocabulary,
comprehension, and early
reading skills, too.
It’s a ZOO out there!
Bears are wonderful to watch. If you’re fortunate to live near a zoo or park that has a spacious bear animal
habitat (especially a polar bear pool), your family may enjoy a trip there after reading Bears. Before you go, check
for regular feeding times so you can see the bears at their liveliest. You’ll reinforce learning and foster careful
observation skills if you look for polar bear features and behaviors mentioned in these pages:
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How are the bears different from one another and other animals in the zoo? How are they the same?
How many bears are there? How big are they?
Is there a baby? How far will it wander from its mother?
How have the zookeepers created a stimulating environment for the bears?
What ELSE can we DO?
• Little Cubs (p. 6-7) provides a photo montage
• Very Hairy, Very Bear-y Bears! (p. 1)
Preschoolers are proud of their counting skills.
Whether your child is just learning to 1-2-3 or can
already count to fourteen, the opening pages provide
more than meets the eye when it comes to counting.
•ZOOTLES TO-DO: Not only can you count the bears in this picture—you can count the bear legs.
How many bear ears are there? Bear noses?
• Bears, Bears, Bears! (p. 2-3) helps your
child appreciate just how many species of bears there are and the range of environments that they call home.
•ZOOTLES TO-DO: Chances are, there’s more than
one stuffed bear in your house. Bring them all out
and start comparing them with the photos. You may
have a panda or a brown bear that’s pretty similar
to the real thing, but you’ll have to work harder to
find same and different when faced with that fluffy
pink-and-purple teddy.
• Food for Three (p. 4-5) teaches about the
diversity of foods bears eat, but also provides an
opportunity for young children to practice eye-hand
coordination as they trace the maze routes with their
fingers. If your child isn’t yet able to hold out her
finger, let her find the route with a closed fat marker.
•ZOOTLES TO-DO: How about serving a “beary
good meal” one day for lunch?
Main course: Black bear’s favorite fresh-caught trout
(fish sticks) served with a side of panda’s preferred
bamboo shoots (check the Asian foods section of the
supermarket). Microwave the shoots and add a dash
of soy sauce, good with some rice or couscous.
Dessert: Put greedy grizzly’s berries and honey, some ice cubes in honor of the honorable polar bear, and maybe some yogurt, in a blender for a bear-rific dessert smoothie.
Sounds
otter-rific
to me!
Otto:
An adventureloving otter
of the many ways that mother bears care for their
young. Take a moment to ponder the ways we’re the
same as and different from other mammalian parents.
Those parental instincts aren’t unique to us!
•ZOOTLES TO-DO: Do you have a hard drive loaded
with photos of you and your child doing just about
everything? Why don’t the two of you print some of
your favorites and make your own photo montage
on a piece of brightly colored posterboard? Label
“feeding,” “playing,” and, of course, “snuggling.”
• Get up close and personal with the bear family
when you read How Now, Big Bear? (p. 10-11).
Size, texture, and temperament are some of the
attributes that make bears so fascinating. How can
something be big and possibly aggressive, but still
seem cuddly and endearing at the same time? Is there
another creature that poses this paradox?
•ZOOTLES TO-DO: Part of the bear’s appeal is the
lushness of his coat. Since petting a bear is strictly
off limits, help your child explore textures by
touching things that are more within reason.
Compare your dog’s coat with that of your
neighbor’s dog, or your dog with your cat. Does
Mom’s hair feel different from Dad’s? Which is
softer, the carpet or the bath towel?
• Linda L. Covella’s endearing Barry’s Very
Grown-Up Day (p. 12-15) appeals to children
because it addresses their concerns about what it
means to be grown-up. It’s that very curiosity that
stimulates our kids to play “house,” “school,” and “going to work.” The story also makes us wonder about ways being a little bear is like being a little human.
•ZOOTLES TO-DO: Play “bear.” Make a cave by
covering a card table or the kitchen table with a
large sheet. Your cave must be cozy, so gather up
some pillows and blankets too—but don’t get too
comfortable, because soon it will be time for you
and your cub to go exploring! See what adventures
you can have in the woods, but when you get tired,
snuggle up in your cave and read Barry’s Very
Grown-Up Day one more time.
Allie:
An intrepid hedgehog
Resource Corner