Visiting A Petting Farm takes students on a virtual exploration. They can go to see all the animals on the farm in whatever order they wish. They also have a chance to feed and pet the animals, and when they do, they hear the sound the animal makes.
When they leave, students hear all the animals sound off together to bid them goodbye. For a preview, look to the foot of this page for a link to the Annie’s Books Online version of this activity.
This is a very content-rich activity. Students probably will take several sessions to see it all. Navigation is made much easier through the use of a central map page. From this point, students can jump to visit any animal, usually reading two to three pages before returning to the central map. Short videos add realism to each animal visit.
The vocabulary level is simple, about first grade, but the subject will interest older students. Pre-K students can enjoy the petting farm by having the text read out.
One focus of the activity is to relate the terms for the various animal babies to the adult animals. Since I photographed this farm in the spring, there were many young animals, including baby pigs, turkey chicks, and a baby llama. Did you know that a baby llama is a cria?
Comprehension Test
The comprehension test for this activity focuses on the animal babies. Each page has a photo of a baby animal, a question, and three text choices for answers. In some formats, animal sounds add fun to this test.
Puzzles
An extra set of activities features three animal puzzles made using photos from Visiting A Petting Farm. IntelliTools Classroom Suite®, HyperStudio 5®, and PDF format puzzles can be downloaded.
Students who can access the internet can work online versions of the three puzzles. These are hosted on jigsawplanet.com. Links to the online puzzles are among the links at the foot of this page, and Preview buttons let you see what the puzzle picture looks like.
The HS puzzles have separate pieces to move into place. The Classroom Suite puzzles are cause and effect, with students choosing pieces in any order to remove and reveal part of the puzzle. The PDF puzzles are intended for off computer use, and need to have the pieces cut apart.
Non-Linear versions
The Classroom Suite, Clicker 5®, HyperStudio 5, Annie’s Books Online, PowerPoint®, and the PDF versions of Visiting A Petting Farm are all set up with a non-linear structure, using the map page to quickly access each animal. There are movies with all of these formats except in the PDF version.
SoftTouch® versions
Visiting A Petting Farm in My Own Bookshelf® is a linear story, with sounds and movies. A test in Test Me Score Me® format can be used with the MBS version. The Animal Babies test can also be downloaded in Microsoft Word® format, to use with the PowerPoint, Annie’s Books Online, or My Own Bookshelf versions of Visiting A Petting Farm.
Clicker 5 activities
The Clicker 5 version includes the anchor activity and test in one integrated study unit with a menu grid. For details on integrated study units, click here.
Classroom Suite activities
The Classroom Suite download is a single zip file that includes the anchor book, test, and three puzzles. Custom Intellikeys® overlays are attached to each activity in the Classroom Suite version. There are also a set of Dynavox® package versions of these overlays. See the Special Needs Access section on the System Reqs page for information on controlling the Classroom Suite version from PRC® devices.
HyperStudio 5 activities
The HyperStudio version of this activity set includes stacks with the anchor activity, the test, and a stack with all three puzzles in a single zip file. Refer to the HyperStudio is Back! page for information about downloading players to run these activities.
PowerPoint version
The PowerPoint version has been exported as a single unit, with the .ppt document and a media folder. To keep the movie links intact, unzip the file and move, copy, and paste the whole folder.
Annie’s Books Online version
If you are using the PDF version, be sure to also check out the link to the online version of Visiting A Petting Farm to enjoy the activity with all the sounds and movies. You can move the cursor over the picture of an animal and click to pet it. You will need QuickTime® installed to see movies in the online books. See the Annie’s Books Online page for details.
Bonus: Photo Collection
The Farm Animals Collection includes all the photos from Visiting A Petting Farm in JPEG format. Download it to create extension activities to use with this set, or to create entirely original activities. Also consider making more puzzles, either in one of the multimedia apps, using the printed puzzle templates, or creating puzzles online.
Applications needed: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Clicker 5, HyperStudio 5, IntelliTools Classroom Suite, Microsoft Word, My Own Bookshelf, PowerPoint, Test Me Score Me
Subject areas: Reading, Science.
Level: Grades 1-3.
Online Links-Activities
Visiting A Petting Farm Book Online: CLICK HERE. Description: Visiting A Petting Farm activity to explore online. Movies require QuickTime. For details on using Annie’s Books Online, click here.
Desktop version of Visiting A Petting Farm link: pettingFarmDesktop.zip Visiting A Petting Farm activity to read from the desktop using a web browser. Movies require QuickTime. For details on using Annie’s Books Online, click here.
Puzzles
Online Cat and Dog Puzzle link: Click Here . Description: Puzzle made from photo of cat and dog hosted on the Jigsaw Planet web site. For details on using Annie’s Puzzles Online, click here.
Online Nanny Goat and Kid Puzzle link: Click Here. Description: Puzzle made from photo of nanny goat and kid hosted on the Jigsaw Planet web site. For details on using Annie’s Puzzles Online, click here.
Online Sheep Puzzle link: Click Here. Description: Puzzle made from photo of nanny goat and kids hosted on the Jigsaw Planet web site. For details on using Annie’s Puzzles Online, click here.
Downloads-Activities
Printable Activities
VisitingAPettingFarm.pdf (11.3 MB) Visiting A Petting Farm activity to print or read onscreen. No movies. Acrobat Reader.
AnimalBabiesTest.doc.zip (2.1 MB) Animal Babies test to print. No movies. MicroSoft Word.
PrintablePuzzles.zip (5.3 MB) Puzzles from Visiting A Petting Farm to print and complete for off computer use. Acrobat Reader.
Clicker 5
PettingFarmClick.zip (61.2 MB) Visiting A Petting Farm Integrated study unit in Clicker 5 for either Mac or Win. Has AVI (Cinepak compression) movies. Includes Visiting A Petting Farm and Animal Babies test.
Classroom Suite
PettingFarmSuite.zip (82.6 MB) Visiting A Petting Farm interactive book and activities in Classroom Suite v.3 or later. Includes anchor book, test, and three puzzles. Custom IntelliKeys overlays are attached.
PettingFarmDynavox.zip (772.8 KB) Visiting A Petting Farm activity set overlays saved as Dynavox package files.
HyperStudio 5
PettingFarmHS.zip (71.8 MB) Visiting A Petting Farm interactive book, test, and puzzles in HyperStudio 5
SoftTouch
PettingFarmMBS.zip (56.8 MB) Folder with Visiting A Petting Farm book and movies to import into My Own Bookshelf.
AnimalBabiesTestTMSM.zip (12.2 MB) Show What You Know About Animal Babies Test on Visiting A Petting Farm story using text answers. Requires Test Me Score Me.
PowerPoint
PettingFarmPowerPoint.zip (68.6 MB) Visiting A Petting Farm interactive book saved as a .ppt file. Movies in the same folder. PowerPoint 2003 or later.
Downloads-Resources
FarmAnimalsCollection.zip (10 MB) Collection of photos in JPEG format including all the photos used in Visiting A Petting Farm. To preview the collection, click here.
