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Westonzoyland Primary School ‘Achieving, Learning and Growing Together’



This week I have chosen Elmer as our story, this book provides lots of opportunities for cross-curricular learning. It is also a fantastic chance to focus on some PSHE, I think that this is important at this time. I want the children to focus on why they are special, unique and important. I hope you will have lots of fun together with this project. Again, I have included two links of the story being read aloud and a PowerPoint of the story for those who might not have this in physical form. I hope the resources I have provided help you explore the story thoroughly.

* Elmer is part of a herd of elephants. Can you think of other collective nouns for different animals?
* Look at the first illustration. Can you describe how the elephants are similar / different?
* Look at the illustrations in the book and think of speech / thought bubbles for the elephants and other animals.
* Make alliterative sentences involving types of animals, e.g. an extraordinarily excited elephant, a long lazy lion.

* Try some role play activities from Elmer's point of view... How does he feel about being different? Why did he decide to paint himself grey with berry juice?
* Try role play activities from the other elephants' point of view... How do they feel about Elmer? How did they feel when we turned grey and then surprised them all. How do they decide how to decorate themselves on Elmer Day?

* Use these activities to help think of speech / thought bubbles for the elephants and other animals.

* Make an invitation to the other elephants, asking them to celebrate Elmer Day.

* There are lots of adverbs in the story, e.g. quietly, usually. Can you find any more? Can you describe what adverbs are? Can you make some sentences which include adverbs?


* Can you count the coloured patches on Elmer? Can you count how many elephants are in the herd? Can you count how many other animals are in the jungle?
* Look at the shapes and patterns on the decorated elephants. Do any of them have repeating patterns or symmetry?

Science and Geography
* Carry out some research to find out about different types of elephants. Could you present your findings to an audience (in the form of a presentation or written report)?


* The children can paint the elephant image in paint using warm colours, cold colours, a mixture of colours or different shades of the same colour!


