Hi fellow teachers! If you’re looking for a short, fun poem to complement your Grade 2 Science or Math classes, take a look at “My Sister’s Zoo” below. It can be used to introduce or spark ideas for “Zoo in a Jar” projects or to tie in with measurements and weights. Scroll down to find the YouTube video, more teaching ideas, a print-ready PDF and a PPT version.
You could also use the poem as a bell ringer, time filler, or for a post-recess moment of calm and focus. Let the video play while you tidy or prep!
You have full permission to use the poem for teaching purposes within any educational setting, including online learning and homeschool.
Let me know if you use the poem – I’d love to hear how it goes.
Watch a video of the “My Sister’s Zoo” poem below. This “Poetry Pause with Dr. Kim” version includes a short interactive mindfulness introduction before the poem:
My Sister’s Zoo
You won’t find a crocodile in my sister’s zoo
You won’t find a whale
Or a kangaroo
You won’t find a panda
Chomping on bamboo
Or a hippo or a hog
Or some cows who moo
You won’t find an elephant
Steering a canoe
Or a dolphin or a tiger
Or a seal who grew
You won’t find a chimpanzee
Tying up his shoe
Or a rhino or a zebra
Or a wolf named Blue
And you certainly won’t find
In my sister’s zoo
All the children in this school
Not them, not me, not you!
Original poem by Kim T. Harrison. Video created in Canva.
Download a PDF, black & white, printable version of the poem:
Download a PPT slide version of the poem with question and activity ideas:
Teaching Ideas
- As a bell ringer or post-recess moment of focus. Let the video play while you tidy or prep.
- To complement Science and Math assignments and activities, including measuring, weighing, ordering and “Zoo in a Jar” projects.
- “I wonder…” questions: What are 3 “I wonder…” questions you could ask about this poem?
- What do all the animals in this poem have in common?
- What could we keep in a mini zoo in our classroom? Would a polar bear fit? Is a zebra a good idea?
- Create a list of other animals that would not fit in a jar. Then/Or, create a list of animals that would fit in a jar.
- Order the animals in size (height and/or length) and weight. Inquiry questions: Would a zebra fit in a house? Would it fit in a car? Would a rhino fit in a classroom? etc.
- Measure students and compare them to different animals: Am I taller or shorter than a zebra? A rhino? Etc.
- Use string to measure different lengths.
- Draw images or create collages of a “zoo in a jar.”
Happy Teaching! Kim x
Kim T. Harrison 