Children study elephants from visible features and trunk functions to habitat, food, herd life, and skin. Modelling, sensory habitat work, trunk painting, mask-making, letter Ii, and informal measurement turn the animal study into a broad week of inquiry.
What children learn
- Describe an elephant's main physical features and multifunctional trunk.
- Explore elephants' habitat, food, family groups, and social behaviour.
- Investigate the texture and protective function of elephant skin and mud bathing.
- Recognise Ii and compare height, size, and non-standard units of measure.
Key activities
- Modelling an elephant's physical features with clay
- Making pictures with straw-blown trunk painting
- Designing an elephant habitat in a sensory tray
- Creating and wearing an elephant mask while singing
- Exploring skin texture and representing a mud bath
You’ll need
elephant pictures or toys, clay, paper and straws, paint and water, habitat pictures, sand or soil and leaves, toy elephants, paper plates and feature cut-outs, textured materials, letter Ii cards, measuring objects and blocks
Structure: 5 days; each day: Thought of the Day, Tuning-in Time, Warm-up, EVS, Literacy, Numeracy