One universal fact is that first graders love animals!  Love!  I knew the story, “Animal Park” would be hit with my group of animal lovers.  I wanted to channel some of that enthusiasm into a research writing activity.

I also came across these amazing reading street supplemental units on TPT by Lendahand’s Printables.  I chose to use one of the close reading activities provided in the unit.  I blew the page up to 11×17 on the copy machine.  I knew the big paper would really get my crew excited and they would know this was a “serious” research assignment.

The students buddy read, “Animal Park” and put a sticky note on their favorite animal.  Once they chose their favorite animal they wrote one fact about their animal and illustrated their fact on the 11×17 sheet.  I mounted the “research reports” on colored construction paper and they make an awesome hallway display.  The kids love reading each others animal facts.