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US Letter, 8.5 x 11 inches. Print at 100% for craft pieces; use Fit to page if your printer clips the margins. An adult should help with scissors and fitting wearable crafts.
Turn the idea of catching a turkey into a pretend design challenge with paper models. This original reading and planning activity asks children to notice a problem, suggest a change and explain a test. It can accompany a classroom turkey story, but it does not reproduce the text, illustrations or worksheets of a published book. The activity uses a paper turkey and is not a guide for catching live animals.
How to use this printable
- Read the original passage about Maya and Luis. Identify the problem with the first cardboard model before discussing possible improvements.
- Answer the questions using details from the passage. Separate what the characters observed from what they planned to test next.
- Sketch a simple pretend model with a paper turkey. Label one moving part and write what you expect that part to do.
- Test a small change and record the result. Explain whether the observation supports the prediction and name one next step.
Make the activity your own
Keep construction materials simple: paper, a small box and tape are enough for a model. Children can also draw the whole design without building it. If using a picture book alongside the activity, compare a character’s imagined plan with the evidence needed for a real classroom test. Praise a useful revision rather than treating a first attempt that does not work as failure. The written explanation is an essential part of the challenge.
Printing and questions
Print the PDF on US Letter paper in portrait orientation. Start with one copy and check the preview before making a classroom set. Use ordinary paper for a worksheet, or cardstock when the finished piece needs to stand up to handling.
Is this a worksheet from the book How to Catch a Turkey?
No. It is an original companion-style activity and passage. Use a legally obtained book separately if you want a read-aloud.
Do students need to build a trap?
No. A labeled sketch and a written test plan complete the task. Any model should use a paper turkey only.