Toes, Knees, and Tails

Where is your elbow? Where is your knee? How many legs does a giraffe have? What is the difference between a monkey and a chimpanzee? (Hint: one has a tail, and the other doesn't!) Second, third, and fourth grade students learned to ask and answer these questions and many more at the beginning of this week.

First, students reviewed how to say, read, and write the names of common body parts. Many students knew words like eyes, ears, and nose, but realized that using the correct word for toe, foot, knee, and leg was actually trickier than they thought. Students worked together in pairs and groups to strengthen their speaking, reading, and listening skills using these words. Finally, students used what they'd learned about body parts to write lists, sentences, and paragraphs describing common animals.