Grades: primary
Flower & Garden: Explore the Bayou…..Bubba’s Gator Country
Before your visit:
*Show photographs of alligators. (Many excellent photos are available online or use photographs from a book.)
*Read several books about alligators.
*Watch an on-line video of alligators in their natural habitat. There are videos available that show alligators
hatching from their eggs.
*Show the children where Louisiana is on a map and a globe. Explain that the swamps of Louisiana are one of the
habitats of the alligator.
*Introduce and define vocabulary: reptile (explain/review the characteristics of reptiles), oviparous, carnivore,
bayou, swamp
*Brainstorm facts about alligators. You may want to include some of the following:
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This species is more than 150 million years old.
Alligators are carnivores. They eat fish, turtles, snakes, and small mammals.
A male alligator averages 10 – 15 feet in length and can weigh 1000 pounds.
Alligators live to be 35 – 50 years in the wild.
They have 74 – 80 teeth.
Alligators have armored bodies and very strong tails.
Alligators have three eyelids. Their eyes can move inside their head to protect them.
Alligators are oviparous. The hatchlings are 6 – 8 inches long when they come out of the egg.
Baby alligators have bright yellow stripes on their tails. Adults have a dark green stripe.
Baby alligators stay near their mother for the first six to 12 months of life.
*Make a circle map to record information about alligators. Then, transfer these facts to a tree map.
*Draw a life size alligator outline on a piece of green butcher paper. Use a piece that is 11 feet long—the size of an
average adult alligator. The students will write facts about alligators and glue them on to the outline.
*Sing alligator songs.
1. Alligator by Dr. Jean “Silly Songs” CD
2. Five Little Monkeys
Five Little Monkeys
Five little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing Mr. Alligator, you can’t catch me, no, you can’t catch me....
Along came Mr. Alligator quiet as can be....... And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!
Four little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing Mr. Alligator, you can’t catch me, no, you can’t catch me....
Along came Mr. Alligator quiet as can be....... And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!
Continue this pattern until the monkeys have all been snapped up.
(This is a great introduction/review song for subtraction.)
*Read the poem “Alligator Pie” by Dennis Lee. Display the first stanza in a pocket chart.
Alligator Pie, Alligator pie,
If I don’t get some, I think I’m gonna cry.
Give away the green grass.
Give away the sky.
But, don’t give away my alligator pie.
Discuss the rhyming words in the poem. Think about other types of food. Brainstorm different rhyming word pairs
that would work in this poem. Provide the following sentence frame and allow each child to write and illustrate
their own poem. Compile into a class book.
Alligator ______ , Alligator _____, If I don't get some I ________________________________________.
Take away my _____, give away my ______, but don't take away my Alligator ______________________!
*Display the following poems in a pocket chart. Read the poems several times as you use hand motions.
The Alligator Chant
Old Mr. Alligator looking all around.
Floating in the water without making a sound.
But don’t go swimming if you hear this sound…SNAP!
See ya later Alligator. I prefer the ground.
Albert the Alligator
Albert the Alligator had a very big mouth!
Teeth pointing north and teeth pointing south!
He liked to lay all day in the sun,
And he’d snap at a bullfrog just for fun.
One frog, two frogs, three frogs, four.
He was too full, he could eat no more.
Alligator Sitting on a Log
There was an alligator sitting on a log.
Down in the pool he saw a little frog.
In jumped the alligator!
Around went the log!
Splash went the water, and away swam the frog!
During your visit:
*Watch the alligators. Notice how the alligator can stay submerged with only its eyes showing. Can you see the
alligator’s teeth? Are they sharp or dull? Why?
After your visit:
* Discuss the alligators that you saw at “Bubba’s Gator Country ” Add information to your circle maps and tree
maps as needed.
*Write an explanatory paragraph describing alligators. A writing prompt is available. (Assign the number of
sentences and/or paragraphs appropriate for your grade level.)
*Create an alligator clothespin art project.
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Paint a wooden clothespin green.
Cut a green pipe cleaner in half. Fold and glue to the clothespin to form legs.
Glue on wiggly eyes.
Draw teeth with a permanent marker or glue small white foam triangles to make teeth.
*Physical Education Activities:
1. Buba’s Gator Swamp
Designate an area on the playground as the swamp. One child will be the alligator. The other children will try to
cross the swamp without being caught. If a child is caught, he/she becomes the new alligator.
2. Stay Out Of The Swamp
Place two jump ropes parallel to each other to form a swamp. The children will take turns trying to jump across the
swamp trying not to land in the alligator area. Move the jump ropes further apart after each attempt.
3. Alligator Jump Rope Rhyme
Alligator, alligator, turn around.
Alligator, alligator, touch the ground.
Alligator, alligator, catch your prey,
Alligator, alligator, will you stay?
Alligator, alligator, show your jaw.
Alligator, alligator, wiggle your claws.
Alligator, alligator, stomp your feet.
Alligator, alligator, take your seat.
Books About Alligators:
Alligators and Crocodiles by Gail Gibbons
Alligators and Crocodiles by Trudi Strain Trueit
Alligator Baby by Robert Munsch
Alligator or Crocodile? How Do You Know? by Melissa Stewart
Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee
Crocodiles and Alligators by Seymour Simon
Five Little Monkeys Sitting In A Tree by Eileen Christelow
Gaston Goes to Mardi Gras by James Rice
The Lady With the Alligator Purse by Nadine Bernard Westcott
Snap! A Book About Alligators and Crocodiles by Melvin Berger and Gilda Berger
The Swamp Where Gator Hides by Marianne Berkes
Name ______________________________
Alligators are reptiles. Think about what characteristics a reptile has.
Write a paragraph to explain why alligators are reptiles. Remember to
include a topic sentence, three detail sentences and a conclusion
sentence. Illustrate your paragraph.
Alligators Primary Circle Map
Name ________________________________________
alligators
Alligators Primary Tree Map
Name ____________________________________
alligators
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Grades: primary
Explore the Bayou…..Opossum Hideaway
Before your visit:
*Show photographs of opossums. (Many excellent photos are available online or use photographs from a book.)
*Read several books about opossums.
*Watch an on-line video of opossums in their natural habitat. There are some interesting videos available on
YouTube.
*Introduce and define vocabulary: mammal (explain/review the characteristics of mammals), nocturnal, omnivore,
marsupial, scavenger, carrion,
*Brainstorm facts about opossums. You may want to include some of the following:
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Opossums are sometimes called “possums.” They are solitary, nocturnal mammals.
They are about the size of a cat (2.5 feet from nose to tail). They have black to gray fur, and a
long, pointed, pink nose.
They have 50 very sharp teeth. That is the most teeth of any land animal.
Opossums have a long, mostly hairless tail. It is a prehensile (gripping) tail that can be used as an
extra limb for climbing. Adult opossums cannot hang upside down from their tails because they
are too heavy.
They have sharp claws to help them climb trees.
Virginia possums or common opossums are the only marsupials in North America.
The mother opossum may give birth to as many as 20 babies in a litter, but fewer than half of
them usually survive. The mother may have up to three litters each year.
Baby opossums are born after only about 11 – 13 days. At birth, they are only about the size of a
dime. Their eyes, ears, and rear limbs are poorly developed. However, their forelimbs, nostrils,
and mouth are well developed so that they can crawl into their mother’s pouch and nurse.
Baby opossums spend about two months in the pouch. As they get older, they will crawl in and
out of the pouch. Sometimes, they will ride on their mother’s back as she searches for food.
Opossums are omnivores and scavengers. They eat grass, nuts, and fruit. They will hunt for
mice, birds, insects, worms, snakes, and even chickens. They often try to get into trash cans and
dumpsters. They also eat carrion (dead animals). By eating carrion, they keep our environment
clean and lower the risk of spreading diseases.
Opossums are nonaggressive, but will hiss and growl when they are frightened.
When opossums are threatened by an animal, they sometimes “play possum.” This means that
they pretend to be dead. They flop on their sides, close their eyes, or stare into space. They
stick out their tongues, foam at the mouth, and give off a bad smell. They won’t move even
when poked, bitten, or carried away. They will stay in this state for a few minutes to a few hours
until the threat is gone. Then, they regain consciousness and run away.
Opossums have remained unchanged since pre-historic days. Some scientists refer to them as
“living fossils.”
Male opossums are sometimes called “jacks,” females are sometimes called “jills,” their young
are sometimes referred to as “joeys,” and a group of opossums is known as a “passel.”
*Make a circle map to record information about opossums. Then, transfer these facts to a tree map.
During your visit:
*Watch the opossums. Did you see Opal and her family? What did you notice about their tails? Could you see
their sharp claws? How do you think these adaptations help the opossums survive?
*Did you get to see the kangaroos in Mojo’s Wild and Crazy Lagoon? Kangaroos and opossums are both
marsupials. That means they have a pouch where the young are fed and carried. Watch these two animals. How
are they alike? How are they different?
After your visit:
* Discuss the opossums that you saw at “Opossum Hideaway.” Add information to your circle maps and tree
maps as needed.
*Brainstorm why some people might like opossums and some people might dislike them.
*Write an opinion paragraph describing your feelings about opossums. A writing prompt is available. (Assign the
number of sentences and/or paragraphs appropriate for your grade level.)
*Paint a paper plate possum.
1. Use a large and a small white paper plate. Paint them both gray. Allow to dry. Glue the plates
together
to form a head and a body.
2. Provide children with scraps of gray, white, pink, and black construction paper.
3. Display photographs of opossums. Allow the children to use the painted paper plate and the scraps to
create their own opossums.
Books About Opossums:
The Adventures of Opie the Opossum by Robert and Heather Perry Gordan
The Collectors (Cork and Fuzz) by Dori Chaconas
Henry Possum by Harold Berson
The Life Cycle of an Opossum (Nature’s Life Cycles) by Barbara M. Linole
Lucy: A Virginia Opossum by Bonnie Highsmith Taylor
No Fooling (Clark and Fuzz) by Dori Chaconas
Opossums (Early Bird Nature Books) by Sally M. Walker
Opossums (Nocturnal Animals) by Mary R. Dunn
Opossums (Scavengers: Eating Trash) by Emma Carlson Berne
Opossums (What’s Awake?) by Patricia Whitehouse
Opossums (Woodland Animals) by William Ripple
Possum Come A-Knockin’ by Nancy Van Laan
Possum Magic by Mem Fox
There’s an Opossum in my Backyard by Gary Bogne
Name ______________________________
Opossums are interesting mammals. Some people are afraid of them, and
some people like them. How do you feel about opossums? Write an
opinion paragraph to explain your answer. Remember to include a topic
sentence, three detail sentences and a conclusion sentence. Illustrate
your paragraph.
Opossums Primary Circle Map
Name ________________________________________
opossums
Opossums Primary Tree Map
Name ____________________________________
opossums
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