What the Sleepy Animals Do at the Audubon Zoo by Grace Millsaps - Teaching Ideas

I love this book! It is so fun! When Renee and her father visit the Audubon Zoo Renee starts to realize that something is just not right. She cannot understand why all the animals are not doing animals things. So, Renee's father tells her about all the things the animals do at night after the zoo closes. Your students, like Renee, will really get a kick out of all the games and dancing and playing the animals do when the rest of us are fast asleep. But will Renee, and your students really believe it?

Listed below are possible ideas and questions for the reading skills and strategies I think work the best for this book. Use these to help create an awesome lesson for your students, or simply use the questioning FREEBIE I made.

Reading level: 3.3

Theme/subject: animals

Genre: humorous fiction

Suggested vocabulary/phrases: galloping, frolic about, bling, flamenco, tango, synchronize swim, limbo, cater, hokey pokey, Sir Elton John, content,

Reading skills and strategies:

• Asking questions – these are just possible questions or wonderings from either the student or teacher
• Before – I wonder what the story is going to be about. I wonder why all the animals are sleeping. I wonder what sleepy animals do at the Audubon Zoo.
• During – I wonder why the animals are so sleepy. 
• After - I wonder if her dad’s story is true.

  **Remember to have your students answer/reflect their questions.

• Author's point of view – Third – he, they, Renee
• Author's purpose – entertain
• Evidence
1. The author wrote in rhyme.
2. The illustrations are very silly.
3. Animals don’t really do all the things the story says.
• Beginning, middle, end – the most important event from each
• Beginning – Renee wondered why the animals in the zoo were so tired.
• Middle – Renee’s father told her about all the silly antics the animals do at night when no one is around.
• End – Renee didn’t believe her father until they were leaving and she saw a monkey tuning his guitar.
• Cause and effect  
1. Why did Renee think something was missing from the zoo? Because all of the animals were not doing animal things.
2. According to her dad, why were all the animals so sleepy during the day? Because they have parties instead of going to bed.
3. Why did Renee start to believe her dad’s story? Because as she was leaving the zoo a monkey winked at her and started tuning his guitar.
• Character analysis - describe Renee. Describe her dad. {looks like, feelings, thoughts, character, how others think/see the character}
• Classify & categorize
• Classify
1. Zoo animals
• Categorize
1.  By kinds (mammals, amphibians, etc.)
2. By what they eat (omnivore, carnivore, etc.)
3. By when they sleep (daytime, nighttime)
4. By habitat
• Compare & contrast
• Different animals
• Connections
• Text-to-self  - going to the zoo. Having someone tell you a story you didn’t really believe. Wondering of something is true but you are just not really sure.
• Text-to-text –
1. Going to the Zoo by Tom Paxton
2. A View at the Zoo by Kathleen Long Bostrom and Guy Francis
• Drawing conclusions – Does Renee believe her dad’s story?
• Text clues – Renee tells her dad that his story was too silly and therefore can’t be true. As Renee and her dad are leaving the zoo she sees a chimp wink at her and tune his guitar.
• My conclusion – I think Renee thinks her dad’s story was true because she saw the chimp with a guitar, just like her dad said in his story.
• Main idea & details
• Main idea – the story is mostly about what the zoo animals do when everyone else is asleep.
• Details
1. Renee wonders why the animals are not doing animal things.
2. Dad tells Renee a story of how the animals have a party at night when everyone else is in bed.
3. The animals play pin-the-tail-on-the-zookeeper.
• Predict
1. What do you think the story is going to be about?
2. Why do you think the animals are not doing animal things?
3. What do you think Renee’s dad is going to tell her about the animals being sleepy?
4. Do you think Renee is going to believe her dad’s story?
• Problem & solution
• Problem – the problem in the story is that none of the animals are doing animal kinds of things as Renee and her dad walk around the zoo.
• Solution – Renee’s dad tells her a story about how all the animals have a party at night when everyone else is asleep, that is why they are so sleepy during the day.
• Sequencing
1. Renee and her dad go to the zoo.
2. Renee gets treats and plays on the equipment at the zoo.
3. Renee wonders why the animals are not doing animal things.
4. Renee and her dad get something to eat.
5. Renee’s dad tells her a story of how the animals have a party at night while everyone else is asleep.
6. Renee tells her dad that his story is too silly and that it can’t be true.
7. Renee and her dad get ready to go home.
8. As they walk out of the zoo Renee sees a chimp wink at her and tune his guitar.
• Story elements - list title, author, characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, or problem & solution.
• Strong thought – someplace in the story that the reader has a strong reaction for example an “I knew it”, or “Don’t do it” type of moment while reading.
• Renee doesn’t believe her dad’s story until they are leaving the zoo and she sees the monkey wink at her and start to tune his guitar. What would you say to Renee about the story being true or not true?
• Visualize – what do YOU picture…Renee’s dad comes up with a really good story of why the animals are so tired during the day. Why do you YOU think the animals are tired during the day.

Happy reading!