Preschool students are learning how things are alike and different. Because humans and monkeys are both mammals and have similar characteristics, help them make a chart that displays how monkeys and humans are alike and different. As a class, create a chart that has two categories: alike and different. Ask students to think of similarities and differences and have student volunteers draw pictures to represent them. For example, students could draw pictures showing eyes, fingers, toes and other shared characteristics in the similarities column. While things like fur or the ability to grasp with feet can be compared with hair or walking upright, in the differences column. If students do not understand charts, you can simply have them draw their ideas on a piece of paper and explain them informally as a class.
Breaks for physical activity help keep preschool students engaged, as they cannot focus for long periods of time. Show pictures of several types of monkeys, and ask preschoolers to move their bodies like that monkey does. For instance, a spider monkey has long limbs and with long hands. Ask the students to wave their arms and hands like a spider monkey.
Teach students about monkeys' habitats with an easy matching game. Have several poster boards with different habitats drawn on them, such as the rainforest, mountains or trees. Have cutouts of several types of monkeys and laminate them to make them durable for little hands. Place Velcro on the back of each piece and the opposite piece of Velcro on the habitat posters. Ask children to place the monkey on its correct habitat. Preschool children might not understand the idea of habitat at first, so take some time to discuss the different types of outdoor homes in which animals live.
Preschool children are learning how to match like objects. Create a game that is similar to Memory with pictures of monkeys. Glue two matching pictures on two separate note cards. After creating about a dozen matches, mix the cards up, turn them picture side down and have students play Memory. The first child should flip over a card, and then another one. If he has a match, he should remove the cards from the game. The next child should do the same. As they continue playing, they will see where the different cards are and will easily make matches. The game ends when all of the cards are matched.