Zoo Animals / Zoo Animals: Reading Dominoes for English Lessons

This reading domino turns the topic of zoo animals in primary school English lessons into a reading game. Learners read short English riddle sentences and place the card with the described animal next to it, for example, for “I am a large, grey animal with a long trunk”. The riddles range from elephants and lions to sloths.

What is included in the material

• Domino cards, each with a picture of an animal and an English riddle sentence in which the animal describes itself, plus a start card and a finish card
• Instruction page with a selection of laid cards and short tips on use and preparation

Tips for using the material

• The reading domino can be used flexibly for pair work, station work, or remedial lessons.
• It is useful to start with the start card and continue the chain until the finish card is reached.

These skills are promoted

• Reading comprehension: understand short English descriptions and match them to the appropriate animal picture
• Vocabulary: words for the characteristics and habitats of animals such as trunk, mane, stripes, beak or rainforest
• Sentence patterns: reinforce recurring sentences such as “I am …“, “I have …“ and “I live …“ while reading

Organizational tips

To prepare, print out the template, laminate it, and cut it into individual cards.

To complement this, there is a simpler version with single words, further English descriptions to guess and the riddle sentences as a worksheet.