Section 4
MANY COLORED CATS
Objectives:
Children will be able to define camouflage.
Children will be able to describe how camouflage helps some cats survive.
Children will be able to identify characteristics of different types of cats.
Materials:
Copies of cat accordion sheet included Copies of cat poem included Scissors
Crayons or markers Reference books
Chalkboard or easel paper Pictures of different wild cats
Activities:
1. Begin by explaining that many mammals are camouflaged. This means that the colors and
markings on their coats help them blend into their environment and make them less visible to their
predators or prey. Show pictures of different types of cats and how their coats are different.
Discuss what characteristics are different with each and write them on the chalkboard/easel.
2. Write the following cat names on the chalkboard/easel: leopard, lion, black panther, tiger, cheetah,
jaguar, cougar, and snow leopard. Then, pass out the poem included at the end. Have the children
read the poem. Then, explain that each verse of the poem matches one of the cats listed. Have the
children search reference books and try to determine which picture matches which verse.
3. Pass out copies of the cat accordion sheet included and follow the Cat Cut-Out instructions:
a) Cut along the straight, solid lines in the middle and top of the page.
b) Fold the cat cutout like an accordion along the dotted lines. You will be cutting along the lines
of the "top" cat. So make sure that it faces outward.
c) Cut the outline of the top cat along solid lines only. Be sure to hold the layers together firmly
so that they do not slip. (To make it easier for children, have them cut around each cat
separately and then fold it like an accordion.)
d) Unfold the paper and then color each cat to match one of the cats described in the poem (lion,
jaguar, snow leopard, black panther, and tiger). The order of the cats does not matter, but make
sure the children use the reference books to make their markings accurate.
e) Write the name of each cat on the back of its picture and then copy its verse onto the back as
well.
4. When finished, discuss with the children the various ways that each cat's coat helps it blend into its
environment. For example, discuss how the orange and black pattern on the tiger helps it blend
into its background to help it sneak up on its prey. The dark black stripes of the tiger run at right
angles to the outline of the tiger's body. This helps to break up the tiger's outline and makes it look
as if it were part of the habitat where it lives. Another example is that of the leopard, which is
spotted. This cat lives in a wooded area where sunlight comes through the woods in a "mottled"
pattern. The dark spots on the cat’s light coat help the cat mimic the natural light and dark pattern
found on the forest floor. It also helps break up the outline of the body.
(Answers to poem verses: 1. Lion, 2. Tiger, 3. Black Panther, 4. Snow
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