Hi everyone,
'You Can't Call and Elephant in an Emergency' by Patricia Cleveland-Peck and David Tazzyman is the sequel to 'Elephant on a Bus' and 'Elephant on a Digger' both of which are hilarious and I find my class in hysterics at the absurdity of each of the animals in different vehicles. This story is soon to be a classic, with easy rhyming to be read aloud and beautiful illustrations. This book once again lends itself to the study of different types of vehicles, people who help us, safer strangers, road safety, 'Clever Never Goes', holidays and some absurd artwork.
Learning Ideas
Communication and Language
Re-tell the story from the beginning using just the pictures.
Role-play being at the GP/Hospital using an out of date first aid kit? When do we need a bandage? Plaster? How do Nurses, Doctors or Paramedics help us when we are hurt?
Research one of the vehicles or jobs in the story and question how they help us and give a 1-minute presentation
In the end, the animals were sent on holiday? Where was your favourite holiday? Where would you like to go next?
Physical Development
Gross Motor - Use a toy car, fire engine, police car, ambulance and dip its wheels in paint, as they push the vehicles across a large piece of paper (old wallpaper will do the trick) they can see the tracks made by the wheels of the car.
Fine Motor - I saw this lovely pin (Picture left) and realised that it uses quite a lot of skills to lay the masking tape down. The pulling, tearing and placing. But also the tidying up when it's time to peel it off the floor.
Practising using an effective pencil grip while writing and drawing.
When children first start out with scissors they can find regular scissors difficult to use, especially with the closing AND opening action. They tend to use them like sheers to snip the paper. I like to use squeeze scissors like these ones from Easi-Grip as once they have developed their hand strength they can move onto regular scissors.
Try using scissors on cabbage leaves this week.
Personal Social Emotional Development
Why do you think people help each other when they are hurt or in trouble? When should you help someone that is hurt and crying? What can you do to make them feel better?
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.
Take turns using the bike outside, set a timer and use that the help the children to self-regulate their turn-taking behaviour. This could be applied to anything, iPad time, tv time, video game time, etc.
Reading
Think up your own absurd story with your favourite emergency vehicle and animal.
Why wouldn't you animal be able to help?
Practice the Phonics videos from The Little Foxes YouTube Channel
Writing
Write a list together of things that an emergency vehicle would need inside in order to help.
Ambulance - bandages, plasters, stretcher, medicine, etc.
Fire Engine - hose, water, helmets, ladders, etc.
Draw a picture of your favourite emergency vehicle and write its label 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 name the fire engine e.g. "f-ire e-n-j-i-n".
Numbers
Counting the number of animals in the story.
Draw and count the number of emergency vehicles you can think of.
Writing thee numbers using the Number Land videos to help with writing the digits.
Make a car survey of the different types of vehicles driving past in a set period of time.
Shape Space and Measures
Make a simple block graph using pictures, stickers or lego to show the results of the vehicle survey.
Ask questions of the graph.
Which vehicle did you see the most?
Which vehicle did you see the least?
Which vehicle/s did we see more than this one?
Which vehicle/s did we see fewer than this one?
Which vehicles did we see more than 5 of?
Place a group of 5-10 toy vehicles on a tray and cover it with a cloth. Secretly take one away and uncover the tray. Can the children say which vehicle is missing? Try with more vehicles or taking away two vehicles at a time.
Understanding of the World
Research the types of jobs that they can do when they are older? Do these jobs help other people?
Research animals and insects that help human, sniffer dogs help the police, Bees pollinate flowers, rats that detect landmines, seeing-eye dogs for the blind, etc. use the computer and/or iPad to retrieve this information. Start your search here at GlobalGiving.org
Who are the people that help us when... we are hurt? we are lost? we are sick? we are sad? we are in a fire? my toothaches? my bike is broken? my pet is ill?
Talk about what you need to do when you are lost? Who should you ask for help from? Should you ever walk off with strangers? We used to talk to children a lot about Stranger Danger back in the 1970s however studies and pilots have found that this message fosters a climate of fear and suspicion around strangers and other members of public. Here are a few resources to be aware of...
Safer Strangers Video
Safer Strangers (Who to talk to when your child gets lost.) (Video from Child's Eye Media.)
Clever Never Goes (You should be clever and never go with strangers.)
PANTS (NSPCC guidance on talking to children about their body and how it is private and belongs to them.)
What is the emergency number that you can call? in the UK it is 999 or 112.
(Video from North West Ambulance Service.)
Expressive Arts and Design
Draw a poster of who you can ask for help if you are lost or hurt.
Draw a picture of an animal in a vehicle, the sillier the better.
Collage an ambulance or fire engine from different coloured paper.
Roleplay going to the GP, putting out a fire with water, rescuing a downed skier, etc.
Create an invention that an animal could use to help people in trouble? Camel with water bags to help people lost in the desert, a dog with a mechanical arm to help carry food, etc. The whackier the better.
Have a lovely week,
Big Fox
#YouCantCallAnElephantInAnEmergency #patriciaclevelandpeck #davidtazzyman #emergency #PeopleWhoHelpUs #holiday #animals #PANTS #CleverNeverGoes #SaferStrangers #CallForHelp #999 #112
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