What Does My Pet Need? Kindergarten Storyboard Activity

Q: How can kindergartners research a pet before they can read?

Kindergartners research by listening, looking, and asking . Read aloud a simple nonfiction text, or share photos and short videos about the pet, and stop often to ask, “What does it need?” Children can also ask a family member or neighbor who has a pet. Record what they learn as pictures with a short sentence frame, and scribe for children who are not yet writing on their own.

Q: What is a good graphic organizer for a kindergarten pet research project?

A simple four-box organizer works well, with one need in each box: food, water, home, and exercise and care. Each box gets a picture and the frame “My pet needs ___ because ___.” In Storyboard That, each box becomes a storyboard cell, so children can drag in their pet and props instead of drawing everything, then use the finished plan when they write and share.

Q: What is the difference between a need and a want for kindergarten?

A need is something a living thing must have to stay alive and healthy, like food, water, or shelter. A want is nice to have but not necessary, like a toy or a treat. Help kindergartners test each item by asking, “Could the animal live without it?” A two-column T-chart with picture cards makes sorting quick and lets children explain their choices out loud.

Q: How do I help kindergartners give a reason with “because”?

Model it out loud many times first: “My dog needs water because she gets thirsty.” Then give a typed frame so children only fill in the blanks, and ask “Why?” after each answer to draw out the reason. Accept spoken answers and scribe them. Over the unit, children move from saying the reason, to copying it, to writing it on their own with invented spelling .

Q: How can I support English learners during a kindergarten pet research project?

Pair every need with a picture , so meaning doesn’t depend on English alone. Use the same sentence frame in every cell, so children practice one pattern four times, and let partners rehearse out loud before anyone writes. Allow home-language labels next to the English, and invite families to share how they care for pets at home. Pictures lower the language load while the thinking stays high.

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Lesson Plan Overview

Template and Class Instructions

Lesson Plan Overview

This unit asks kindergartners a big question: what do living things need? They answer it in the Week 6 project by choosing a pet, finding out what it needs, then writing and sharing what they learn. In this activity, students make a four-cell storyboard that holds that research, with one need in each cell: food, water, a home, and exercise and care. The teacher models first. Then students choose their pet, add it to every cell with a scene or props that show the need, and finish the sentence frame typed into each cell, with the teacher scribing as needed: “My pet needs ___ because ___.” Storyboard That’s four side-by-side cells give each need its own space, so children can see their whole list at once and point to it while they talk, write, and share.

The template’s cells are titled Food, Water, Home, and Exercise and Care. In the sample, a dog appears in every cell: she needs food because it helps her grow, water because she gets thirsty, a home because it keeps her safe and warm, and walks because exercise keeps her healthy. Use it as the research organizer for the Week 6 pet project, building on the Week 3 question about how we know what we need. Look for a need in each cell, a reason with “because,” and a picture that matches the sentence. The storyboard is the plan, not the graded piece: students still draw and write their project, and the project is scored with its own rubric. For another option, make a two-column needs vs. wants chart after the Week 3 shared read, with the frame “___ is a need because ___.”

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Template and Class Instructions

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Due Date:

Objective: Show what your pet needs and tell why.

Student Instructions

Pick your pet.
Put your pet in each cell.
In each cell, show one thing your pet needs: food, water, a home, and exercise and care.
Finish the sentence in each cell: My pet needs ___ because ___.
Read your storyboard to a friend.
Use your storyboard when you write about your pet.

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Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level K-1

Difficulty Level 1 (Introducing / Reinforcing)

Type of Assignment Group

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Lesson Plan Overview

Copy Activity

Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Due Date:

Objective: Show what your pet needs and tell why.

Student Instructions

Pick your pet.
Put your pet in each cell.
In each cell, show one thing your pet needs: food, water, a home, and exercise and care.
Finish the sentence in each cell: My pet needs ___ because ___.
Read your storyboard to a friend.
Use your storyboard when you write about your pet.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level K-1

Difficulty Level 1 (Introducing / Reinforcing)

Type of Assignment Group

Copy Activity

Guide Kindergartners Through Pet Research, One Need at a Time

Introduce the four needs with an animal everyone knows

Before anyone picks a pet, think aloud about one familiar animal. Name food, water, home, and exercise and care, and ask children what would happen if the animal went without each one.

Let each child choose a pet to study

Offer a short picture menu of familiar pets so choosing is quick. Grouping children who chose the same pet lets them research together and share ideas.

Gather facts by reading, looking, and asking

Read aloud simple nonfiction, share photos or short videos, and invite children to ask a family member or neighbor with a pet. Stop often to ask, “What does it need?”

Fill in one need at a time on the storyboard

Give each need its own short session. Children add their pet to that cell and finish “My pet needs ___ because ___,” with you scribing as needed, so research never turns into one long writing task.

Check each plan with a quick partner talk

Have partners point to each cell and read the sentence aloud. Listen for a reason with because and a picture that matches, and note any gaps to revisit.

Keep the storyboard close while children write and share

Students draw and write their pet project as usual, with the storyboard beside them as the plan. The project is scored with its own rubric; the storyboard is not graded.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kindergarten Pet Needs Activities

How do you explain what living things need to kindergartners?

For kindergarten, keep it to a few big ideas: living things need food, water, air, and a safe place to live. Animals also need to move, and pets need people to care for them. Start with an animal children know, ask “What would happen if it didn’t have this?”, and let them sort picture cards. Concrete examples stick better than definitions.

How can kindergartners research a pet before they can read?

Kindergartners research by listening, looking, and asking. Read aloud a simple nonfiction text, or share photos and short videos about the pet, and stop often to ask, “What does it need?” Children can also ask a family member or neighbor who has a pet. Record what they learn as pictures with a short sentence frame, and scribe for children who are not yet writing on their own.

What is a good graphic organizer for a kindergarten pet research project?

A simple four-box organizer works well, with one need in each box: food, water, home, and exercise and care. Each box gets a picture and the frame “My pet needs ___ because ___.” In Storyboard That, each box becomes a storyboard cell, so children can drag in their pet and props instead of drawing everything, then use the finished plan when they write and share.

What is the difference between a need and a want for kindergarten?

A need is something a living thing must have to stay alive and healthy, like food, water, or shelter. A want is nice to have but not necessary, like a toy or a treat. Help kindergartners test each item by asking, “Could the animal live without it?” A two-column T-chart with picture cards makes sorting quick and lets children explain their choices out loud.

How do I help kindergartners give a reason with “because”?

Model it out loud many times first: “My dog needs water because she gets thirsty.” Then give a typed frame so children only fill in the blanks, and ask “Why?” after each answer to draw out the reason. Accept spoken answers and scribe them. Over the unit, children move from saying the reason, to copying it, to writing it on their own with invented spelling.

How can I support English learners during a kindergarten pet research project?

Pair every need with a picture, so meaning doesn’t depend on English alone. Use the same sentence frame in every cell, so children practice one pattern four times, and let partners rehearse out loud before anyone writes. Allow home-language labels next to the English, and invite families to share how they care for pets at home. Pictures lower the language load while the thinking stays high.