Studying cats with preschool children gives them a good start toward grade school science.
Though children are often familiar with cats as family pets, preschoolers can expand their knowledge of this species and get a leg up on grade-school science through some fun exploration activities. With over 40 species worldwide, cats range in size from a spare, few pounds to many hundreds of pounds, but all share a solitary, elusive quality as well as being natural carnivores.
Wild or Tame?
Kids often have cats as house pets or have family or neighbors who do, so they probably have experience with these tame cats. But what are some other cats who live in the wild? Bring some pictures in of some wild and tame cats and have students identify which is which. Students can also be offered the chance to list the ways that the wild and tame cats are alike and ways in which they are different. Some good questions to ask preschoolers include: What covers the skin of this cat? Are all cats covered in [fur/hair]? What does this cat eat? Do all cats eat [canned food/other animals]?
What Does a Cat Need to Stay Healthy and Happy?
Take your preschoolers to a local Humane Society location or a pet store. Have them meet with and ask questions of the pet-store owner or a worker at the animal shelter and have the worker there share one of the cats with the children, explaining what mistakes the previous owner made and how a good cat owner provides for his pet. At a pet store, the children could have the opportunity to compare the care needed by a cat to other animals at the pet store, such as a fish, a hamster or a bird.
How do Cats Move?
Ask students to stand up and stretch, getting their arms and legs loose. Then have them begin to walk around the room, asking them to notice how their body moves as they walk. If you have space, give them a chance to run as well. Call their attention to the parts of their bodies they use to walk and run and to notice especially that they are "upright" and not on all fours. Now have the children repeat this experiment, but as cats. How many legs does a cat use? Does a cat have "hands?" Once the children have thoroughly investigated what it is like to be a cat, conclude your session with a short video clip of some cats in action.
Why are Cats Different Colors?
For this lesson, you'll need some photographs of breeds of cats whose colors are clearly marked. Begin this lesson in genetics with a discussion of eye color. Ask students what color their eyes are and their parents' eyes are. Use their answers to this question to explain that one eye color "wins" over another, so that if they have blue eyes, for example, both of their parents probably have blue eyes, too. If they have brown eyes, they could have a parent with brown eyes and one with blue eyes, but the brown eyes are the color that "wins." Now, bring out your cat photos and explain color dominance in a few breeds in the same way, showing, for example, how two black cats might have black or blue kittens.
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