Australia's National Simultaneous Storytime Day is on 21 May and the text is
"Too Many Elephants in This House" by Ursula Dubosarsky.
Click on the image above to read more about this text at the author's website.
A YouTube read aloud is available here.
Find more ideas for Australia's National Simultaneous Storytime Day here and here and ideas for sharing this book here.
http://www.alia.org.au/sites/default/files/NSS%20activity%20ideas%201_0.pdf
https://www.alia.org.au/nss
Other ideas can be found at this blog post from The Education Clinic.
I have pinned ideas around elephants that could tie in with the sharing of this picture book here. I just love this YouTube clip of an elephant that joins in playing jazz on the piano.
"Elmer" would be a terrific companion text for this picture book. View the YouTube clip by clicking on this link.
This elephant paper craft activity is just gorgeous.
Older students could research the ivory trade or the meanings of sayings such as "an elephant in the room", or "you have a memory like an elephant". They could write persuasive texts about the ivory trade, circus elephants or elephants in captivity. Please share any other ideas in the comments section below.
I have created a resource to support this book. It will be free at my TPT store for a short time.
You can grab your copy by clicking on the image below. If you download it, please leave feedback in my TPT store :) Please also follow my blog (using the links in the right hand comment) to accept this giveaway.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!
Many thanks to Iva from etsy for her fabulous clip art. Please check out her work here: https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/nahhan73
If you can think of any other great ideas for sharing this book or any other companion texts, please leave a note in the comments below.
Hi friends
I need your help!!! Please share ideas/strategies/resources/links for teaching about elephants in the comments section.
I am putting together a blog post for my fellow Aussie teachers around the topic of elephants, for Australia's National Simultaneous Storytime Day on 21 May (next week!!!). For more information about the event, check out: https://www.alia.org.au/nss
I will be putting together some freebie resources to support my colleagues and a blog post with links etc. My focus will be on supporting students/teachers in the middle years and probably around some of the socially critical issues surrounding elephants etc.
There are so many great ideas already shared by the author, illustrator, publisher and the Australian Library and Information Association. Many of these are for the early years.
I don't know how to host a blog linky, so please, if you have any great ideas/resources/links for teaching about elephants, or for this particular book, "Too Many Elephants in This House", please leave a comment in the comments section at the bottom of this post...
I really would appreciate your help in sharing ideas, as I would love my colleagues (after the National Testing this week) to have a fun, romping good time with their students that encourages and inspires reading :)
Can anyone think of any companion texts that might be suitable???
All ideas would be greatly appreciated :)
Many thanks!
Kylie
Two wonderful new picture books on Australian animals arrived today!
"Karana: The story of the father emu" is written by Uncle Joe Kirk who is a Brisbane and Wakka Wakka elder. This is a wonderful Australian Indigenous picture book which would be terrific for teaching rhyme. The book is about how Karana, the father emu, cares for his chicks and teaches them how to survive in the bush. It is a circular story with lovely illustrations by Sandi Harrold.
There are some interesting facts in here that I didn't know...did you know that baby emus swallow little stones? Do you know why?
"Possum's Big Surprise" is a newly published picture book by Colin Buchanan and Nina Rycroft. This is another great text for teaching rhyming words, verbs and adjectives. It is a terrific picture book for predicting as well.
These two picture books are just terrific to add to the study of Australian animals. Do you have any other favourites?
