Hi everyone,
'The Hundred Decker Bus' by Mike Smith is a lovely story about getting away from the mundane and finding other people who feel the same. It's about finding community spirit and working together towards a common goal. What a lovely lesson for children to learn about. This book lends itself to learning about transport, community, friends, family, construction and building.
Learning Ideas
Communication and Language
Re-tell the story from the beginning using just the pictures.
Role-play going on an adventure on a bus, set some chairs up and give out tickets that you have made yourself. Where are you going? Where will you end up?
Pretend you are trying to explain to the bus drivers boss why you took a different route?
Physical Development
Gross Motor - Use a paintbrush or marker pen and draw huge circles like the wheels of the bus.
Fine Motor - Use lego or another construction material to make your own bus. How tall can you build it before it falls over?
Practising using an effective pencil grip while writing and drawing.
There are lots of different ways we can stay fit. Can you do 100 jumps? Jacks? Sit-ups? Pushups? Hops? How long does it take to do? Can you get someone to count for you while you do the moves?
Personal Social Emotional Development
How do you think the bus driver at the beginning of the story when he was sat in traffic? How did he feel when other people wanted to join him on his journey? What about when the bus broke down?
Build word power by encouraging children to use words other than happy/sad. e.g worried, upset, downhearted, miserable, dejected, cross, ecstatic, cheerful, merry, jolly, delighted, etc.
Have you ever been on an adventure? How did it feel to do something different? Was it scary or exciting?
Who is your best friend? Can you draw a picture of your best friend and label all the things that make your relationship special?
Reading
Retell the story from the beginning.
Watch part of the story. What happens next? What could happen next? Tell your own ending to the story.
Think up your own story with a bus going on an adventure. Where will it go? Is it an adventure bus? It is a holiday bus?
Writing
Write a letter to your best friend or family member.
Draw a picture of your best friend and write their name using phonetic knowledge. Remember in Nursery we aren't looking for spelling to be correct, mark-making is fine. If we are working with a Reception child then we would be hoping for a phonically plausible attempt to write the name Josh e.g. "J-o-sh"
Numbers
The bus was 100 deckers tall. How high can you count? How many is 100?
100 pennies make up a pound. Can you find and count 100 pennies together with an adult?
Find a video of counting up to 100. Can you say all the numbers?
Shape Space and Measures
Can you build a tower of lego that is 100 bricks tall? Is it taller or shorter than you? Is it taller or shorter than an adult?
Can you measure how tall other things in your house or classroom are by lego bricks?
The bus in the story travels a very long way. How many steps does it take you to get to different places? How many steps to the kitchen? How many steps to the bottom of the garden? How many steps to the shops? Which is further away?
Understanding of the World
Go on a trip on a Bus. Talk about buying a ticket and needing to stop at numerous steps before reaching the destination. What was the bus driver's destination in the story?
Research the tallest building in the world? How many floors does it have? Can you imagine walking up the stairs? Use google maps to go on a tour of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Why do people build tall buildings? Why do people want to live together in a community?
(Not necessarily for children to watch but this can help develop knowledge about community living for adults.)
Research transport jobs for adults? What does the job entail?
What would it be like to fly through the sky in a hot air balloon?
Expressive Arts and Design
There are lots of different types of artwork that can be created from recycled household rubbish. This Pinterest post has lots of lovely ideas.
Build your own building for your dolls or Lego figures to live in.
Draw your own adventure bus. In the story, the school children invented a device to get over bridges. What other devices might the bus need? What about a rope swing? Where will they sleep?
Make your own flying machine from paper. Can you fold it to make a paper aeroplane?
If you can find a helium balloon, can you make a basket for your dolls or Lego figure? How many can it hold? Will your balloon still float?
Have a lovely week,
Big Fox
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