I decided that we'd begin studying the alphabet again, but in a more fun way. First of all, we're going backwards. Second, we're learning about an animal that begins with that letter. Today we began with 'Z'. Learning how to draw both zebras & zorillas. What IS a zorilla you ask? Well, most people call them striped weasels. Here's an entry from Encyclopedia.com:
zorilla small, carnivorous, nocturnal mammal, Ictonyx striatus, of the weasel family, found in dry regions of Africa. It is also called striped weasel and striped polecat. Although it strongly resembles the North American skunk , a member of the same family, it is more closely related to the true polecat of Eurasia. The zorilla has thick fur with black and white markings, and a long, bushy tail. Its anal glands secrete a pungent fluid that can be ejected as a defense against predators. It is avoided by other animals. It lives in rocky crevices and hunts by night, feeding on small reptiles and rodents. Other African members of the weasel family, also called striped weasels, are more weasellike in appearance, with long, slender bodies. Zorillas are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Mustelidae.
"zorilla." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-zorilla.html
A real Zorilla. They are related to skunks and weasels. Kind of a mix. Stinky, too!
Zach's Zorilla outside a house.
Chayce's Zebra
Zach's ZebraWe used a book called Artsy Animals Learn to Read to draw the zebra and zorilla as well.
I must say that I got my copy from http://www.homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com
We also studied triangles in Saxon Math level K. It fit in well with drawing the Zebra. We looked at trapezoids as well, commenting that a trapezoid looks like a triangle with its head in a 'trap'.
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