1. What animals do you see in the pen?
We see a piglet, some goats (kids), and some lambs.
2. How many animals are there?
There are seven animals in the picture.
3. Are they adult animals, or baby animals?
They are baby animals.
4. Do these animals live in the wild, or on a farm?
These animals live on a farm.
5. What other kinds of animals might you see on a farm?
On a farm we can also see cows, horses, chickens, ducks, and geese.
6. What sounds do these animals make?
The pig says “oink.” The goats and lambs say “baa.”
7. What is on the floor of the pen?
There is hay or straw on the floor of the pen.
8. Where is the animals’ water dish or feeding trough?
The animals’ water dish or feeding trough is off to the side, in the middle of the pen.
9. What is the mother doing with her children?
The mother is helping her children feed and pet the animals.
10. Is the mother standing or kneeling?
The mother is kneeling.
11. What is the older girl doing?
The older girl is petting a goat.
12. What does the older girl have in her hand?
The older girl has a cup in her hand.
13. What is the younger girl doing?
The younger girl is standing by her stroller.
14. Do you see any children who are scared or shy?
One child looks scared, and is clinging to her mother. Another child looks shy, and hasn’t approached the pen.
15. Why do you think the little girl is scared?
Perhaps the little girl is scared because the lamb is making noise, or maybe she thinks the lamb is going to bite her.
16. What is her mother doing?
Her mother is talking to her and trying to calm her down.
17. Why do you think the other little girl might be shy?
Perhaps the other little girl is shy because there are so many people. Perhaps she is shy because she doesn’t know the other children.
18. Which animal would you like to pet?
I think petting a lamb would be fun, because the lamb’s fur is soft and wooly.
19. Which animal would lick your hand the most?
I think that a goat would like my hand the most, since goats like to eat everything.
20. Which animal do you think likes to nibble feed from people’s hands?
I think that all the animals in the picture are gentle, and like to nibble from people’s hands.
Paragraph: A Visit to a Petting Zoo
Write a brief paragraph about what it would be like to visit a farm or petting zoo. What is it like to pet the baby animals? How would it be to feed them? Would any animal make you scared?
When we went to the county fair, we visited a petting zoo. They had several animals there, including lambs, goats, and even a llama. For twenty-five cents you could buy a small cup of feed to give to the animals. If you put some feed in your hand, the animals would come and nibble the feed in your hand until it was all gone, and then they would look for more. One goat even tried nibbling on my t-shirt! The animals are used to people, and like to be petted. Their coats are soft and furry, but they are often dirty. It is a good idea to wash your hands thoroughly after you are done petting the animals. Sometimes very small children might be afraid of the animals, especially if an animal starts licking the child’s hand. Older children, however, understand that the animal probably wouldn’t bite them, so they aren’t afraid at all. But if the child starts running after one of the animals, then maybe the animal will be afraid of him!