RIC-20935 Early years Fairytales - Billy goats

Cross-curricular activities
Science
• Set up a sensory tub for the children to use their
senses to identify aspects of the story. Fill a plastic
tub with soil, commercially-grown turf, Easter grass,
dry grass, goat’s wool and plastic toy goats.
• Draw a large picture of a goat and display it on a board. Add labels of body parts such as ears, mouth, nose, head, beard,
legs, tail, horns and hooves. Give individual children cards with names to match to the labels. For more capable children,
remove the labels to enable them to use initial letter cues to match the cards to the parts of the goat.
• Remind the children that the three billy goats Gruff didn’t want to eat just any grass but wanted the greenest, freshest grass
that they thought was growing on the other side of the bridge. Discuss the fact that goats are quite fussy eaters and they
won’t, as some people believe, eat anything they find. Draw or cut out pictures, or make a list, of the food goats eat.
• Grow grass seeds in a clear container so children can observe the seeds germinating and the roots and green shoots
developing. Place paper towel around the inside of the container and put some seeds between the paper and the container.
Fill the container with soil and water regularly to keep the paper towel moist. At the same time, some seeds could be planted
in a soil-filled container and watered regularly. Having the seeds in the container will enable the children to understand what
has been happening as the seeds germinate in the soil.
• Pose the question ‘Would you like to have a goat as a pet?’ Ask the children to each give a reason for their answers. Tally
the amount of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ responses.
• Discuss similarities and differences between goats and
cattle. Use the information to complete a ‘same and
different’ graphic organiser. This could be done using
simple pictorial representations and words.
Same
• Have horns
Goats and cows
Different
• Are different sizes
• Discuss animals that can swim and those that can’t,
then explain that goats are good swimmers. Introduce
the concept that some objects float in water but others
don’t. Prepare a tub of water and a variety of objects to
test. Sort the object into the two categories. Prepare a
chart and record your findings in pictures and words.
• Give milk
• Have four legs
• Have hooves
• Goats have
beards
• Make different
sounds
• Make wool from
goat fleece
Society and environment
• Bring in goat’s milk or cheese for the children to feel and taste.
• If possible, visit a farm to view goats or arrange for a local farmer to
bring a goat to visit the children.
• Discuss the need to look after animals and some of the things farmers would
have to do to care for their goats.
• Explain that in many parts of the world there are wild goats that have to look after themselves.
Children can suggest how they might do this and meet their basic needs of food, water and
shelter, particularly in harsh environments such as in cold, rugged mountains or in hot, dry
deserts. Look at pictures of wild goats in informational books.
• Discuss reasons why people keep goats; for example: as pets; for their milk which can
be drunk or made into butter, yoghurt and cheese; for their hair and skin; and for meat.
Encourage children to talk about, and describe, any goat products they are familiar with.
4 Early years themes—Fairytales—The three billy goats Gruff www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®