Animal Interviews

Students research the physical characteristics, adaptations, and habitat of an animal and share their findings through a question and answer session with the animal.

Engage

Inspire your student's curiosity about animal's unique characteristics by reading a Janell Cannon book, such as Verdi or Stellaluna. How does the author use personification? What questions might they have for these characters and how might they answer?

Learn more about the unique characteristic of other animals from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers site.

Pair students together to conduct research about an animal. Task them to create a mock interview with their animal to inspire others to learn about its unique adaptations and the challenges it faces in the wild.

Create

After they conduct their research, have students complete an empathy map to show what the animal sees, hears, thinks, and feels. Have them divide up the information into a series of questions and answers.

Empathy Map Template

Have pairs start a new blank project or use the interview template to create a page for each question and answer.

Simple Interview Starter Template

Students can use the paint tools and image options to develop illustrations and the microphone to record the interview.

Share

Export student interview projects to video and post them to your classroom web site. Have students present their interviews to your class, and, if possible, to an animal expert, such as a ranger from a nature center.