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This post has been co-written with Ben Wolfson, a full-time educator and assistant principal in the USA.
This zoo animals number strip puzzle is easy to set up as part of your zoo thematic unit. The 2 printable zoo number puzzles included will help your students master being able to write the cardinal numbers 1-20 in magnitude order. SImply print the number order puzzle you wish to use, cut them up and put the strips back together again using either the picture as a clue or using the numerals at the bottom.
Teaching Number Sequencing
Being able to write the cardinal numbers in magnitude order is a foundational skill that your students have to master. This teaching starts with students counting out groups and naming the number of objects in each group. This teaches them the idea of visual magnitude, and you then start to tie in the concept of the written numbers as a formal way of representing the amount in each group. This zoo animals number strip puzzle helps your student put the numbers in order by creating a zoo themed jigsaw puzzle with the numbers on the bottom. Once the students have created the correct picture, they’ll also have the numbers in the right order, and vice versa.
Preparing Crayon Fine Motor Number Mats
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Extension Number Order Puzzle Activities
The premise behind this cute number order puzzle is simple. Print out the original picture and then cut it up into the right strips. Students then have to assemble the pieces back together, either by looking at the pictures or by putting the numbers in the correct order. To get more out of this zoo animals number strip puzzle, try some of these activities:
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Say it out loud – the key to helping your students remember the order of the numbering system is to engage as many parts of their brain in the learning as possible. As they build the number order puzzle, have them say the numbers out loud from left to right in a variety of silly voices to help make them stick.
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Make it a scoot – any time you can bring movement to your academic centers, the engagement will go way up. Try cutting up a bunch of these printable zoo number puzzles and hiding the pieces around the room. Students then have to work together to make all the pictures. This is a good challenge when they realize that you cut up more than one picture!
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Cut the numbers off – finally, you can add a hard challenge to this zoo animals number strip puzzle by cutting the numbers off the bottom of each picture. Students will then have a 20 piece jigsaw to put together, and won’t be able to rely solely on the pictures to help them put the numbers in order. You can also set students the challenge of just making the picture or just putting the numbers in the right order to get more out of your download.
Like this? Then you’ll love my 10 Zoo Themed Literacy and Math Centers. These easy-prep games will get your students working on math, literacy and fine motor skills.
Games included:
1) Feed the Giraffe Counting Mat to 20 – Pick a number card and feed the giraffe that any leaves. Use real leaves, playdough pretend leaves, or green pom poms.
2) How Many Animals Write the Room – Students will go around the classroom visiting the “zoo”. When they spot the animals, they will need to count how many there are and write down the number from 1-10 on the recording sheet provided.
3) Zoo Animal Number Puzzle Strips – 5 different types included (1-10, 11-20, skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s).
4) Arrange by Size – Each animal has 4 different sizes for them to arrange from smallest to biggest or biggest to smallest.
5) Shadow Matching Cards – Look at the animal shown and choose from 3 given shadow options.
6) Zoo Animal Alphabet Strips – Work on handwriting and animal vocabulary at the same time. Each lined strip shows the correct capital letter formation plus an animal that starts with that letter.
7) Syllable Count – Students will look at the labeled animal shown and clap out how many syllables are in its name. Use a paperclip, clothespin or wooden peg to mark the answer.
8) Hippo Alphabet Find and Cover – This activity works on letter recognition for both uppercase and lowercase letters.
9) Animal Alphabetical Order – A-Z animal cards are placed inside a brown paper bag or box “cage”. Students will need to pick out 3 cards randomly and arrange them in alphabetical order on the mat.
10) Short Vowel Sloth – Fill in the missing vowel in the CVC words.
Check it out for more ready-to-go fun!
Fun Books About Animals:
Other Animal Printables You’ll Love:
1) Zoo Animal Sight Words Bingo – Use this as a small group literacy center in your classroom to learn pre-primer Dolch sight words.
2) Zoo Animal Number Puzzle Strips – Learn to sequence numbers with these cute puzzles.
3) Farm Animal Find and Cover Letters – Work on letter recognition any time of the year.
4) Count the Chickens – practice counting from 1 to 10 with these clip cards.
5) Bird Theme 3-Part Cards – learn different types of birds in this Montessori-style activity.
6) Rainbow Chameleon Color Sorting – laminate these mats and use them to sort color pompoms.
7) Mr. Alligator’s Shape Bubble Hunt – Spin the wheel then color in a matching shape.
8) Unicorn Ten Frame Mats – make math a little more magical while teaching one-to-one correspondence, counting, and the use of ten frames.
9) Dog Bone Math Game – Count up the bones and solve the simple sums within 10.
10) Animal Alphabet Follow the Letter – 26 pages to learn uppercase letter recognition.
Zoo Themed Educational Tools For Your Classroom:
Browse My Most Popular Math Printables:
1) Parking Cars Tracing Lines – More than 10 different tracing line patterns to choose from, all of which help with pencil control.
2) Scarecrow Arrange By Size – 3 different scarecrow-themed image sets that they will arrange from smallest to biggest.
3) Bumblebee Addition Game – Solve the sum and help the bee land on the correct flower!
4) Farm Shapes Mats – Use playdough, pompoms, stickers etc to learn 2D shapes.
5) Popsicle Stick Number Formation – Kids will love forming the numbers 1 to 10 when ice cream and popsicles are involved!
6) Valentines Printable Worksheets Pack – 50 pages of mixed literacy and math activities.
7) Zoo Animals Number Puzzle Strips – Complete these cute puzzles and learn the numbers 1 to 20.
8) Counting Colorful Bugs – This printable book will help kids count to 10 while also learning about color words.
9) Humpty Dumpty Numbers – In this printable game, your students will practice number recognition using 1 dice or simple addition when using 2 dice.
10) Build A Number Santa – Match the number to the correct number word, tally mark and domino to form a Santa Claus
