RIC-6277 I can dance the Barramundi

DUCKSAILING
Preparation
• Collect pictures of ducks and ducklings.
Presentation
• Share and discuss the pictures with the
class.
• Say the rhyme with the actions for the class.
Additional activities/information
• Read the following story to the class.
DUCKLINGS – A TRUE STORY
One day under a palm tree by the river, Grandfather was
raking leaves when he heard ‘plop!’ then ‘plop! plop!’ then
‘plop! plop! plop!’ He looked around and found six little
fl uffy yellow ducklings behind him.
Grandfather went to tell Gran and the six little fl uffy
yellow ducklings waddled in an obedient line after him.
They thought Grandfather was their mother!
Gran could not believe her eyes!
‘Six little fl uffy yellow ducklings!’ she said. ‘But where can
their mother be?’
So Gran rang the Council and they told her about a lady
on a farm who cared for injured and deserted birds. The
lady, whose name was Wendy, told Gran she was very
happy to have the ducklings.
‘Keep them warm’, she said, ‘and bring them over right
away.’
Wendy had prepared a large hot water bottle and tucked
it up in a soft blanket in the shape of a mother duck.
The six little fl uffy yellow ducklings snuggled up to their
new mother and fell asleep.
‘How old are the ducklings?’ asked Grandfather.
‘A mother duck lays her eggs in the spring’, said Wendy.
‘She lays them in a warm nest lined with her own
feathers. The eggs hatch in four weeks. The ducklings
are wet and wobbly. If they get cold they will die so they
cuddle up under their mother and sleep for several days.
When they wake up, their feathers are dry and fl uffy and
they can stand without wobbling. I think your ducklings
are about six days old’, said Wendy.
‘What could have happened to their mother?’ asked
Gran.
• The class claps the beat while saying the
rhyme.
• The class says the rhyme with the actions.
‘Perhaps the mother duck left the nest to fi nd a safe
place where her ducklings could feed’, said Wendy. ‘She
might have been taken by a fox. A fox is a duck’s main
predator.’
‘What will happen to the ducklings now?’ asked
Grandfather.
‘Tomorrow they’ll have their fi rst swim in our special
duckling pond’, said Wendy. ‘Soon they’ll be swimming and
feeding and grooming themselves in the water. They eat
lots of insects and juicy water weeds.’
Wendy smiled at Grandfather and Gran.
‘In three months,’ she said, ‘your six little fl uffy yellow
ducklings will have grown into six big beautiful white
ducks!’
• Read the following rhyme to the class. Have
the students listen for the rhyming words.
©R.I.C. Publications
Low Resolution Images
Display Copy
As Grandfather was raking leaves
PLOP! He heard a sound
And looking down Grandfather saw
A duckling on the _ ! (ground)
Then PLOP! and PLOP! and PLOP! PLOP! PLOP!
Grandfather stood and stared
As fi ve more fl uffy ducklings
Came plopping through the _ ! (air)
They snuggled round his wellies
And smiled at one another
For they had quite decided that
Grandfather was their _ ! (mother)
I can dance the barramundi
38 R.I.C. Publications ® www.ricgroup.com.au
ISBN 978-1-74126-424-1