Friendship · Activity

We Are Going to be Pals

1st & 2nd Grade

Open External Resource →
Note to teachers: This activity goes well with this story (on our website): We Are Going to be Pals by Mark Teague   Resource: Weird Friends Unlikely Allies in the Animal Kingdom - myView 3rd Grade, Unit 2, Week 2 - Read Along   Activity: Students watch the video and discuss what they learned. Each student picks a pair of animals that have a symbiotic relationship. They are instructed to draw a picture and write 3 sentences or more about how they help each other.    Materials needed: The video, paper and materials for drawing and writing   Directions: Explain: “Today we will watch a video about symbiotic relationships among animals. These amazing stories about unlikely friendships in the animal kingdom will help us understand more about human relationships. People can learn from animals who find ways to cooperate with one another, even though they are very different. Let’s try to apply what we learn through this video and find new ways to connect with the people around us, especially those who seem to be not at all like us. Maybe we can find something in common, some way to help one another and get along better.”  Show the video and pause frequently to discuss the animals it features. Direct students to pick an animal pair, draw a picture of the pair, and write 3 sentences or more about how they cooperate. Conduct a show and tell or pair share, so that students can explain their work.    Wrap it up: Ask: “Which pair of animals surprised you the most and why? We humans often had a hard time getting along. Can you explain how this book might help us get along better?  Let’s be more curious about people who are different from us, instead of avoiding interaction with them. Maybe we can find something in common, some way to help one another and get along better. “
← Back to Activities Library