Writing Connection
Individual Writing:
Say: Interviewing someone is a good way to learn from her or him. You are going to interview a friend to learn more about him or her. If you are going to interview someone, what is the first thing you should do? (Develop questions) How do you develop good questions? (Find out about the subject) Please write four to six questions that will help you learn more about your classmate. Leave space between each question to record his or her response. When you are recording the response, you may need to ask him or her to repeat the response so that you have time to write it down. Interviews can be bound individually or into a class book. 

Science/Social Studies Connection
Design an animal habitat exhibit. In the text, the zookeeper talks about the exhibits being interactive and as natural as possible. Have the students choose an animal and design an exhibit for it. They will need to know as much about the animal as possible: how big it is, what it eats, how it moves, whether it lives in a herd or in isolation, what kind of "furniture" it likes, etc. Children should also think about how animals can be viewed: from above or below, through glass, in open areas, with or without cameras. Have them make a drawing, diagram, model, or diorama of the exhibit. They can include a sample of the "educational material" that would be displayed in the exhibit to teach visitors about the animal. 

Reading Independently
Invite children to reread the book independently or with a partner. They might then look for and read other books about zoos or about the animal they are designing an exhibit for.

Home Connection
Invite children to take the book home to read with their families. Children might also interview a family member. 

Assessment

• Monitor children's responses in the Comprehending the Text section to assess how well they understand the text or story.
• Monitor reading to see if children are using the effective reading strategies.
• Assess children's knowledge of main ideas and details.