Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

Active reading is the act of reading to understand and evaluate a text. It’s often described as “reading with a purpose.” This helps pupils, children, and people of all ages to broaden their understanding of a text or knowledge of a subject. You can reread something repeatedly, but it isn’t the most effective way to digest the material. Children can improve this by using one or more active reading strategies.

For pupils in primary education, active reading can involve reading a book with a child rather than reading a book to a child. Set evaluation activities or encourage classroom discussions about a text after you have read it to help learners better understand the text.

What’s the difference between active reading and passive reading?

Passive reading is what we do when we’re not trying to engage with the text. These characteristics are the opposite of what we want to achieve through active reading.

Check-in with your learners to see if they’re doing any of the following:

• Approaching every text in the same way.
• Reading without paying attention to the task or keeping the questions in mind.
• Always reading at the same speed without variation.
• Reading through the text without stopping to check if they understand it.
• Skipping past anything they don’t understand the meaning of and not returning later.

If so, they might be reading passively rather than actively.

It’s easy to slip into these habits, but focusing on some of our active reading strategies allows us to read more thoughtfully and efficiently. It also makes answering those tricky reading comprehension questions in class easier!

What are Active Reading Strategies?

There are many ways to develop active readers in the classroom and at home. Here are six active reading strategies that are applied in primary education:

1. Visualization – Building a picture in your mind’s eye as you read a story or text.
2. Summarising – Condensing the main details of the story using your own words.
3. Inferencing – Reading between the lines at the subtext of the story.
4. Comprehension – Demonstrating what you understand from reading the text.
5. Metacognition – Asking questions like, ‘What do I already know about the topic?’
6. Find the meaning – Read on or read back to discover the meaning of words.

Benefits of Active Reading

• By practicing the techniques, children will speed up their reading and be able to complete their homework and revise more easily.
• It allows children to gain confidence in their comprehension skills before tackling more challenging texts, especially as they move up through the primary and secondary school.
• Active reading aids in concentration and focus. The information doesn’t go in one ear and out the other, and it can be digested.
• It can build the background knowledge of a text required to help children relate to difficult concepts.
• These techniques encourage children to enjoy reading and get something out of it. This helps to avoid the problem of just reading for the sake of it or because they’re being told to do it. Instead, they are “reading with a purpose.”
• A good way to boost critical thinking skills, especially through discussion questions or group tasks immediately after reading.

Are there more active reading strategies?

Yes! And the ones listed above can be expanded as children progress through primary and secondary school. So let’s look at some of these in more depth.

Visualize and Predict

Readers use written and visual clues from the text and their personal experiences to predict what might happen before, during, and after reading. Readers can also use the clues from the text to create a picture in their heads. They use all their senses and imagination to create their mental image.

Read with Purpose

This active reading strategy confronts the practice of passive reading. To try this, before your students begin reading a text or story, give them each a task or ‘mission.’ For example, this could be a list of information or questions to which students need to find answers. This will encourage children in the classroom to pay attention and seek out the details in a text.

Read and Reflect

In primary education, students learn a great many skills across many topics. This means that it could begin to feel overwhelming to students to receive a lot of information in one day of learning.

Make Connections to the Text

Asking students to relate to a story or a text is a great way to encourage students to engage with the details and take note of the feature patterns of a text.

This activity encourages children to use descriptive language and letter recognition skills while learning about acrostic poems. It also prompts them to think about themselves and their likes and dislikes while exercising creative writing skills and reflecting on the features of poetry they have learned about.

For longer texts or stories, you can use questions for the class to encourage students to make personal connections to the story. For example:

• Does this text remind you of something else you have read?
• Is this text similar to something else happening in the world right now?
• How does this text relate to your life?

Highlight and Take Notes

Marking the text as you go along is a great way to show your engagement with it. For younger learners, highlighting key passages or phrases can help them to identify the most important aspects of a text.

Challenge them to color coordinate their markings, with each colored highlighter pointing out an additional text feature. This is great for visual learners, who learn best with a bright pop of color.

For older learners, this should only be the first step! Encourage them to take notes on a separate piece of paper or in the margins, annotating the text as they read it. This can help them approach the text analytically, ensuring they fully engage with what they’re reading. It can also encourage them to think creatively about the text, thinking outside the box to come up with interesting and unique takes. They could jot down their ideas about the topic or write questions that they’d like to ask the author, the answer to which hasn’t been included in the text itself.

Build this into a group activity by encouraging learners to swap, share their notes, and discuss each other’s ideas. This is a great way to practice reciprocal reading, reinforcing active reading strategies and prompting group discussion.

Have Students Summarise the Story

After reading a story with your students or child, why not ask them to summarise what they have heard? This is a great way to assess how they best engage with stories and texts.

Writing a poem about a person can be a wonderful way to show that you care about and value them. An ode is a poem that pays tribute to a person, thing, place, or event. However, there are loads of other forms, structures, and conventions that you could use when you’re writing your poem.

If you’re here reading this, that means you’re thinking about writing someone a lovely poem. But no matter if it’s for a friend, a relative, or someone you admire, writing poetry about a person can be quite daunting at first.

Luckily, we’re here to help! In this Twinkl guide, you can learn about the kinds of structures and forms that poets use when writing about someone. We’ll also show you some ways that you can teach your pupils about poetry so that they can have a go at writing their poems about a person.

What is Poetry?

But before we get going, we need to nail down what poetry is!

Poetry can be quite tricky to define. The best way to describe it is as a kind of literature where the writer uses language, structure, rhythm, and sounds carefully to have a specific effect. This effect could be a meaning or idea that the writer wants to convey. It could even be an emotion that they want the reader to feel. Poetry has been around for a long time and exists in virtually every culture and in many different forms.

A poem can be about pretty much anything, even a specific person. It doesn’t matter if it’s a friend, a family member, or someone you admire. Writing someone a poem is a lovely way to write down your feelings about them on paper. Even if, like me, you’re not destined to be the next Poet Laureate, your recipient will still love reading your poem and appreciate the effort that went into it.

How do you write a poem about someone?

So now that we’re feeling confident about what poetry is, we’ve arrived at the hardest bit of writing a poem about a person: knowing where to begin!

Starting a poem is always daunting, even more so when writing for a specific person. If it’s someone you admire or care about, you’ll no doubt want to make it the best poem possible. Luckily, we’ve got some useful pointers for writing poetry about a person:

1. Settling on a structure:

Structure is an essential part of poetry writing. Even if you decide not to settle for a strict one, it’s still important to consider when writing a poem about a person.

These are just a few of the poetic forms that you or your learners could use to write a poem about someone:

Ode:

An ode is a long, complex poem praising a person, event, object, or place. They originated in Ancient Greece and are made up of three distinct parts:

• The strophe: The opening section of the poem.
• The antistrophe: A reply to the strophe which explores an opposite idea.
• The epode is the conclusion that brings the strophe and the antistrophe together.

These poems are tricky to write but great if you want to ‘wow’ the person you’re writing them to.

Sonnet:

The name sonnet comes from the Italian word ‘sonetto,’ which means “little song.” They’re 14 lines long and are written in a rhyme scheme called the iambic pentameter. William Shakespeare is best known for this type of poem, and they’re a great choice if you want to write a short but sweet ballad about a person.

Acrostic:

Acrostic poetry is a good choice for anyone looking for an easier structure. In acrostic poetry, the first letter of each line spells out a word or phrase in the left-side column. This is great if you want to write a thoughtful poem that spells out a person’s name. It’s also great for younger children or pupils who wish to write a poem about someone but aren’t as confident in their writing skills.

Free form:

If none of these forms appeal to you, you can always break convention and write a free-form poem about a person. The beauty of free form is that there are no strict rules to follow. Therefore, it can be a great choice

2. Think about the person you’re writing it for:

Now that we’ve got the structure issue out of the way let’s consider to whom your poem is addressed. This is, in many ways, the most important step in the poem-writing process!

When writing a poem about a person, having that person in your mind is a good idea. So make sure you think carefully about the following:

• Who the person is: Make sure you carefully consider their relationship with the person you’re writing for. Is it a friend, a relative, a sibling, or even someone you admire? Thinking about who they are will help you to write a poem that resonates with them. You could also include some memories and experiences that you shared with them in your poem.
• What kind of a person they are: As you’re writing your poem about a person, try to paint a picture of them using words. Think about what kind of personality they have, what some of their best qualities are, and why you like or appreciate them. You could even include some lovely similes or metaphors that describe them!
• What sorts of things they enjoy: Not only will this show how well you know them, but it’s also a great opportunity to add some nice imagery that you think they’ll enjoy!

3. Think about what you want to say in your poem:

Last but not least, think about the message that you want to communicate through your poem. For example, you or your learners might want to write a poem to:

• Let someone know what a good friend you think they are.
• Tell someone that you admire them.
• Tell someone that you’re proud of what they have achieved.
• Show your appreciation towards someone.

No matter what you want to say, making sure that your chosen reader will be able to understand is crucial. That’s why it’s worth reading your poem once you’ve finished writing. Imagine you’re that person and think about how they would feel while reading it.

If you or your learners are confident enough in their writing abilities or want a second pair of eyes, then a good idea might be to let someone else proofread your poem about a person before you send it.

Are you starting to dive into the vast topic of Geography with your students? Are you feeling like the tide has come in, and you are struggling to answer the question, What Is Geography? Well, don’t worry; we’ve got your back! This helpful teaching wiki is sure to answer most, if not all, of your questions about Geography. We’ve also included many handy Twinkl resources, so you feel confident and prepared to support your students on their Geography learning journey.

So What Is Geography? Geography is the scientific study devoted to the Earth’s physical properties and how they are affected by human activity. Scientists who study geography, also known as geographers, study material changes in the environment and many other things.

Why is Teaching Geography Important?

Teaching geography to your KS1 and KS2 students in their formative years is so important; you can cater geography to any level of learning and can make lessons fun and engaging. Learning geography helps children make sense of the world around them and piques their curiosity about different places and people. Making your geography lessons interesting will inspire your students to engage with the world around them. It often spurs them into action and is a subject they will thoroughly enjoy learning about.

Learning geography doesn’t just have to be classroom based either; there are lots of fantastic opportunities like exploring a local wild area or planning a school trip to a city where your children will not only be able to see the evidence of physical, human and environmental geography, but they will also be able to touch it and use their other senses too, this is great for fully immersing your class in this topic!

Because geography is such a broad subject, there are many areas your children will find fascinating; for example, you may inspire a future astronaut with an amazing lesson about space. Or you could have this generation’s next top environmental team in your class; with the right tools to teach, you could inspire them to fulfill their destiny!

What are the different types of geography?

Three widely recognized types of geography are commonly taught in our schools. To help you understand a bit more about each type of geography, we’ve put together the following information.

Physical Geography

Physical Geography studies the Earth’s physical features, such as oceans, mountains, rivers, coastlines, forests, and plant life. Not only that, but Physical Geography also studies the Earth’s climate, weather, and animal life, including their habitats, and how these affect and can cause changes to the Earth’s physical features.

However, it can be argued that it’s a little oversimplified to say that Physical Geography studies the Earth. Because so much research has gone into Physical Geography, scientists have categorized key research areas into four categories called The Four Spheres.

The Four Spheres are as follows:

The Atmosphere – The Atmosphere has many different layers to research. Still, a topic under the lens of Physical Geography also includes areas of study such as the ozone layer, the greenhouse effect, wind, jet streams, and the weather.

The Hydrosphere – The Hydrosphere encompasses everything to do with water, from the water cycle to acid rain, groundwater, run-off, currents, tides, and oceans.

The Biosphere – The Biosphere concerns all living things on planet Earth and studies what they do and why they do it. This research covers biomes, ecosystems, food webs, and the carbon and nitrogen cycles.

The Lithosphere – The Lithosphere studies geological processes such as the formation of rocks, tectonic plates, earthquakes, volcanoes, soil, glaciers, and erosion.

Because the Earth and all its systems are so complex, there are many sub-branches and even sub-sub-branches of Physical Geography as a research area, depending on how stringent the categories are divided. Physical Geography also has overlapping studies with Geology. Because Physical Geography is such a diverse area of research, Geographical researchers and scientists will never run out of things to study!

Human Geography

Human Geography studies the human race, including its origins and interactions. Human geography involves studying populations and interactions with the natural environment. Geographical researchers that study Human Geography also explore how different cultures, politics, and economics have developed.

Built-up area with cities.

Environmental Geography

Environmental geography is the study of how humans interact with the physical environment and what effect each has on the other. This study could be described as a combination of human and physical geography, emphasizing the relationship between these two branches of geography.

Environmental Geography represents a vitally important set of analytical tools for assessing our human presence and our effect on the environment. Geographical researchers study this by measuring the result of human activity on natural landforms and cycles. Environmental geographers are familiar with how biological systems function, but they also know that humans are a dominant agent of change in nature. They also realize that it’s impossible to understand environmental problems without understanding the physical processes and the demographic, cultural, and economic processes that lead to increased resource consumption and waste.

Environmental Geography is a very important aspect of geography because it allows geographical researchers to understand and try to fix problems that humans are causing, for example, climate change which is when the weather makes long-term shifts in its temperature pattern; it is because of Environmental Geography that geographical researchers have been able to work out that humans are the main driving force of climate change, even though sometimes these long-term shifts in weather or temperature are naturally occurring.

Geography Facts Kids

There are so many interesting facts to learn about geography, so here are just a few your students are bound to love!

• Did you know there have been three periods where Dinosaurs roamed planet Earth? These periods are said to have taken place during the Mesozoic era and are the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.
• The Amazon Rainforest produces over 20 percent of the world’s oxygen supply.
• The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil’s Triangle, is an area in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean. Here ships and planes are said to vanish mysteriously. However, recently researchers and scientists have debunked the ‘mystery’ element in these stories and come up with more logical explanations for the disappearances.
• About 90% of the total volcanoes on the Earth are found in the 40,000 km horseshoe-shaped area in the Pacific Ocean called the ‘Ring of Fire.’
• Did you know that Sweden has more than 2,57,000 islands? This makes Sweden the country with the most islands.

To understand narrative letter writing, we first must understand what a narrative is.

A narrative tells a story. It shows the reader what happened at the beginning, middle and end. A plot, setting, and characters usually feature in a narrative. Narratives come in many forms, from short stories and novels to poems and play scripts.

Narrative letter writing, then, is writing a letter that tells the reader a story. It engages the reader from the beginning, through the middle, and right to the end.

What are the features of narrative letter writing?

Narrative letters have some of the same features as traditional letters:

• recipient’s address and date at the top;
• opening address (‘Dear…’);
• ending sign-off (Yours sincerely).

The tone of voice (informal or formal) would depend on the character and to who they’re writing.

Narrative letters should have the same features you would include when writing a story. These are:

• characters, setting, and plot;
• a clear beginning, middle, and end;
• a narrator (written in the first person in a letter);
• exciting language to engage the reader.

How do you write a narrative letter?

When we write a narrative letter, we combine the elements of storytelling and letter writing.

Before writing, decide who is writing the letter and who they’re writing to. How does the character talk to this person? Is it a friend? Or someone they look up to? This will inform the tone of the letter.

Now, let’s look at how to structure a narrative letter. Share these tips with your pupils when they’re trying their hand at narrative letter writing.

1. Introduce the characters.

Unlike traditional stories, narrative letters don’t leave much room for exposition. The opening address introduces the recipient of the letter, but who is writing it? So at the start of the letter, be sure to say or imply who is writing it and why they’re writing it.

2. Go back to the beginning.

Narrative letters work best when written in chronological order, so start by returning to the story’s beginning. How did it all happen? This is an opportunity to set the scene, too.

3. Develop the story.

We’re in the middle of the story, building up to the climax! So, again, make sure to use exciting language to keep the reader engaged at this point in the letter.

4. End the story.

The story’s ending is most likely why the character is writing the letter in the first place – it’s the most important part of the whole letter. So make sure to emphasize the character’s feelings and how this event made them feel.

5. Sign off.

Remember to sign off the letter. ‘Yours sincerely’ and ‘Yours faithfully’ are common choices.

Example of a Narrative Letter

Dear Mum,

You’ll not believe what happened when I went to Grandma’s house today!

I was wearing my favorite red cloak with the hood, strolling through the forest, when suddenly a huge wolf jumped out at me.

He asked me where I was going. I told him I would see Grandma – and he had the nicest suggestion! He said I should pick some flowers from the forest for her. I thought it was such a good idea that I picked some straight away.

But when I got to Grandma’s house, she seemed a little funny. Her face was hairier than I remembered, and she had huge fangs.

The wolf had stolen Grandma’s nightgown!

Luckily, the neighbor came by and rescued us. I was so relieved.

Grandma enjoyed her gifts and flowers, though!

See you soon,

Little Red Riding Hood

When we refer to the word assertive, we mean the ability to stand up and be confident in your thoughts or comments. It can also be defined as being self-assured and confident.

Assertive skills are usually used positively to bring forward your ideas or thinking while staying calm and avoiding aggression. Learning good powerful skills is also an effective way to promote social and communication skills and self-esteem.
How can I explain what assertive skills are to my child?

Firstly, children need to understand that it’s great to be assertive and confident with their thinking and reasoning, but they should never be aggressive. Children who learn the correct powerful skills often grow more confident and self-assured; it’s also a great help for their self-esteem. Here are just a few ways you could try to help children to understand how to be more assertive:

• Make sure they understand that it’s okay to disagree or say no as long as there’s a valid reason and it doesn’t come across rudely or aggressively.
• Teach them the importance of negotiation amongst their peers when disagreeing on any thoughts or ideas calmly and respectfully.
• Help them to identify and understand their feelings.
• Teach them the importance of confidence and being able to speak up.

What is the difference between aggressive and assertive behavior?

Children need to understand the difference, as assertive behavior can commonly be confused or mistaken for aggression, which is not what you want your child to be mistaken for.

Firstly, they can be confused, as both behaviors involve people having to stand up for themselves and have a sense of control.

Assertive behavior is always direct but should avoid offensive language or behavior. When using assertiveness, children should always be taught to be respectful and thoughtful of people’s feelings; this is the key element that stops assertive behavior from becoming aggressive.

What are the benefits of children becoming more assertive?

Children that show assertive skills are more likely to:

• Be able to identify their talents.
• Speak up for themselves with confidence and self-assurance.
• Say no without feeling guilty.
• Disagree with others without sounding disrespectful or rude.
• Be more in control of their thoughts, feelings, and actions.
• Be more level-headed.

Elephants are indigenous to Africa and Southern Asia. They’re identifiable by their exceptionally large size, long trunks, four columnar legs, and greyish-brown coloring, as well as their long curved ivory tusks. They’re a relative of the extinct mammoth.

There are some physical differences between the African and Asian elephants too. The African elephant has much larger ears, and the Asian elephant has a twin-domed head with an indent in the middle, whereas the African elephant has a singular dome.

They’re exceptionally large herbivore mammals and are the largest living land animal.

At the turn of the 20th century, there were a few million African elephants and about 100,000 Asian elephants. An estimated 470,000 African elephants and 40,000 – 50,000 wild Asian elephants.

What is an elephant’s habitat?

Elephants are herbivores, and so to survive in their habitat, they need to be able to find shrubs, grasses, bushes, and trees to eat. They also like to eat bananas and sugarcane grown by farmers.

They also look for areas with rivers, lakes, or streams so that they can drink water. They’ll use their strong trunks to dig up vegetation and create new watering holes if they can’t find water sources.

Living on different continents, African and Asian elephants have differing habitats.

African Elephant

African elephants live in many habitats, including wetlands, forests, grassland, savanna, and desert across 37 southern, western, and Central African countries.

African elephants stamp and dig into dry stream beds in their habitat to uncover water below the surface. They often work together, using their tusks, trunks, and feet, until they reveal a supply of water that’s big enough for everyone in the group to share.

A lesser-known third species of the elephant also resides in Africa. Forest elephants have adapted to live in the forest habitat of the Congo basin. They’re smaller than other African elephants and have adapted to the lush rainforest environment.

Asian Elephant

The Asian Elephant lives in 13 countries across South, Southeast, and East Asia. This elephant’s habitat tends to be in wet forests and grassland with tropical climates. Still, they live on plains, in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, and in cultivating lands.

How have elephants adapted to their habitat?

Both African and Asian elephants have adapted to their unique habitat.

Asian elephants like to live in more tropical climates than African elephants. Asian elephants don’t have any sweat glands, and due to this, they have to adapt and find other ways to cool down, which include flapping their ears to create a fan effect, or spraying water from their trunks.

African elephants have also had to deal with their surrounding habitats and areas becoming more populated with people. To deal with this, they use their tusks to warn, protect and defend themselves against poachers or if they feel threatened.

Humans have also started to adapt better as conservationists have helped farms protect their crops to help keep the distance between humans and elephants.

African Elephant

Did you know that the African Elephant is the largest land animal on earth? Making them larger than their Asian cousins and can be identified with their larger ears.

Large Ears

African elephants have much larger ears than Asian elephants. This is so that it can dissipate its body heat in the high temperature of the African savanna. In hot weather, elephants can even increase the blood supply to their ears, flapping them around to dispel body heat.

Wrinkly Skin

Having wrinkly skin is another way African elephants stay cool in the heat. It allows heat to escape their bodies, and when they dip into the water to cool off, the wrinkles trap the moisture so they can stay longer.

Trunks and tusks

Did you know that an elephant’s trunk is used the same way as a nose? It’s used for smelling, drinking, and grabbing – making it very versatile!

An elephant’s trunk is pretty powerful, as it boasts 40,000 muscles.

Did you know that African elephants have two finger-like tools at the end of their trunk to help them grab things? Asian elephants only have one.

Both male and female African elephants have tusks that continuously grow and are used to help dig for food and water and strip bark from trees.

Where is an African Elephants habitat?

An African elephant’s habitat is usually in savannas located in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, elephants can also habitat in rainforests, primarily in Central and West Africa. Due to the differences in habitats, African elephants can be split into two – forest and savanna. However, some scientists argue there aren’t any physical or genetic differences between the two.

African elephants play a big part in their habitat and are referred to as ecosystem engineers. This means they shape their habitat, helping them survive and other animals. For example, during the dry season, African elephants use their trunks to dig up riverbeds; this later creates watering wholes in which many animals go for water.

Another good part African elephants play is with their dung! It’s full of seeds – a great way to help spread plants across their habitat and the environment. An African elephant’s dung also provides a good habitat for dung beetles! But that’s not everything; these clever animals also create passageways for smaller animals in the forest as they snack on trees.

What do African elephants eat?

An African elephant adapts well to its habitat and forages for food that is easily accessible, including roots, grasses, fruit, and bark.

Did you know that an adult African elephant can eat up to 300 pounds of food per day?

African elephants don’t tend to sleep much; they spend most of their day roaming great distances foraging for food to maintain their large bodies.

Is there any threat to African elephants?

The biggest threat to African elephants is poachers, hunting for ivory found in their tusks. The danger increased when Europeans colonized the area; this kicked off the illegal trade. Ivory from the tusks would be used for piano keys, combs, and many other items.

Before 1970, the elephant numbers were said to be around 26 million. As we reached 1970, the numbers dropped dramatically to 1.3 million. Today it’s believed that there are roughly only 400,000 African elephants remaining in the wild.

Due to the threat and the increasing demand for ivory, African Elephants are evolving and becoming tuskless.

Conservation of African Elephants

African elephants are protected in their habitats and geographical locations. They’re protected under international environment agreements, CITES, and the conservation of Migratory Species.

There have been efforts to try and re-legalize the trade of ivory, but so far, these efforts have been unsuccessful.

Conservation groups have worked on creating pathways to connect elephants to protected land. It’s believed that 70% of elephants currently habitat in unprotected land.

Facts about African elephants

• They can live up to 70 years.
• They can weigh anything between 2.5 to seven tons.
• Their scientific name is Loxodonta africana.
• Their current conservation status is vulnerable.
• An African elephant’s height (from its shoulder) can range from 8.2 to 13 feet.
• They often spray themselves with a coat of dust to protect themselves.
• Males use their tusks to battle one another as theirs are larger than females.

Asian Elephant

Flapping Ears

Since the Asian elephant’s ears are much smaller than the African elephant’s, they have had to adapt to another way to cool themselves off. They primarily flap their ears to fan themselves and dissipate body heat.

Six Sets of Teeth

Asian elephants can go through six sets of teeth in their lifetime. This is because their diet (made up of plants) means they’re constantly chewing and wearing their teeth down. Having six sets of teeth means the Asian elephants can enjoy their herbivorous diet and make the most of the food available in their forest habitat.

What is an Asian elephant’s habitat?

Asian elephants are adaptable so various settings can be suitable for an Asian elephant habitat, including a thick jungle, savannahs, rainforests, scrub forests, or grassy plains.

Asian elephants live in isolated pockets of India and Southeast Asia. While they are considered forest animals, open, grassy areas with different types of plants and shade from the sun are preferred Asian elephant habitats.

An Asian elephant habitat needs enough vegetation and water for the elephants to live off, and, if necessary, Asian elephants will migrate to find these habitats. They tend to move around within their home ranges, which might take up an area of 15 to 800 square kilometers.

This migration has been affected by human activities, like agriculture, which can also affect an Asian elephant’s habitat.

Similar adaptations between species

Though they live in different habitats and parts of the world, both elephant species have evolved tusks and trunks. Here’s how they’re useful in each elephant’s habitat:

Tusks

Evolved from teeth, elephant tusks have many advantages, and they’re a way that elephants adapt to their habitat. They can use their tusks to lift objects, gather food, strip bark from trees, and dig into the ground to find water. They also use their tusks in defense when threatened. All African elephants have tusks, whereas only some male Asian elephants have tusks, with female Asian elephants not having any.

Trunks

Elephants use their trunks in several different ways. One of the main ways that they’re used is to pluck leaves and vegetation off trees for the elephants to eat. They also use them to lift water, drink it, or spray it over themselves to stay cool. They even spray dirt onto themselves using their trunk, and the ground acts as sun cream, so they don’t get sunburnt. The boxes are also strong enough to lift and move large objects like tree trunks.

Elephant habitat loss

The elephant’s habitat is one of the main reasons why this animal is endangered. Habitat loss is one of the key threats it faces.

If climate change continues, the elephant’s habitat will become much drier and hotter, making it much more difficult for vegetation to grow. This means that the elephants won’t have a reliable food source, making it harder for their young to survive.

Humans also encroach on the elephant’s habitat to hunt for their ivory tusks.

African elephant habitat loss

The rapid growth of the human population in Africa and the fact that most African elephant habitats remain outside protected areas means that the size of the African elephant’s habitat is on the decline. In addition, as humans continue to populate these areas, more and more of the land is stripped for agriculture or homes. Known as habitat destruction and fragmentation, this further shrinks the elephant’s habitat.

The conflict between elephants and humans is another factor. Elephants turn to the farmers’ crops and fields for food because their habitat and usual source of food has been disrupted, and as a result, elephants are killed or hunted in retaliation.

Asian elephant habitat loss

Asian elephants also face the risk of habitat destruction and loss. Human populations are growing fast in the Asian elephant’s habit, which leads to the elephant population becoming small, isolated, and cut off from their ancient migratory routes because of human settlements.

More and more dams, roads, mines, and other industrial complexes are built in the elephant’s habitat, which means the larger habitat has been split into smaller fragments.

Elephant habitat conservation

Work is being done to conserve the habitat of both African and Asian elephants. Even conservation programs work with farmers to help them protect their crops from hungry elephants and provide them with compensation if an elephant does raid their crops.

The Asian Rhinos and Elephants Action Strategy (AREAS) aims to help remaining Asian elephant populations by improving the connections between their fragmented habitats.

The main goal of elephant habitat conservation is to protect the habitat that the habitats have left and to help elephants and humans to live alongside each other peacefully.

What are the other threats to African and Asian elephants?

Poachers are a big threat to African and Asian elephants because they’re hunted and killed for their tusks due to the demand for ivory.

This is an illegal trade, and a regulation is in place to stop this, called the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It’s a global agreement set by the government to protect endangered animals from illegal trade.

On January 1, 2018, China banned the domestic trade of elephant ivory, which was a big move as China was the largest market.

Fun facts about elephants

• Elephants play a critical part in their ecosystem and play a big role in shaping their habitat. For example, African elephants use their tusks during dry seasons to dig riverbeds.
• Their dung is full of seeds which help plants further spread and grow across the environment. It provides a good habitat for dung beetles too.
• They create pathways for smaller animals as they snack on high branches, trees, and shrubs.
• Elephants live in herds, and when a baby is born, all the females in the pack must look after the baby, not just the mother.
• They use low ultrasound frequencies that humans can’t hear to sing. So instead, they sing when they want to keep the herd together and when looking for mates.
• They only sleep for two hours a day – they spend most of their time eating and grazing.
• There’s a difference between the Asian and African elephant’s trunks. African elephants have two ‘fingers’ at the tip of their trunks, whereas Asian elephants have one.
• Tusks are incisor teeth that appear when elephants are two years old. They grow throughout their lives.
• An elephant’s skin is 2.5cm thick in most places.
• Elephant calves can stand within 20 minutes of being born. They can walk within an hour!
• The elephant’s temporal lobe (the part of the brain associated with memory) is larger and denser than a human’s. This is why it’s said that ‘an elephant never forgets.’

Truth or Myth: Crazy things we believe about elephants

Why do elephants not use a computer? Because they’re scared of the mouse!

There are many crazy things we have been told or think we know about elephants, but are all of these true? Let’s find out.

1. Elephants drink through their trunks.

An elephant’s trunk is an extremely useful and versatile limb for elephants which they use for drinking, breathing, eating, smelling, and communicating. Although they do use their trunks for drinking, the water won’t go all the way up. Instead, they’ll suck the water up the trunk and pour it into their mouths. Elephants drink between 140 and 230 liters a day on average.

2. An elephant never forgets.

Elephants are amazing creatures with both impressive physical statures and emotional capacity but are the old phrase that ‘an elephant never forgets’ really true? Although it may be slightly exaggerated, it may be more true than expected.

Elephants have very large brains, which may increase their memory capacity and aid their complex communication patterns. However, measuring an elephant’s memory span with precision is not easy.

3. Elephants are scared of mice.

We are all familiar with this; from the film ‘Dumbo’ to every elephant featured in our favorite Saturday morning cartoons, we are told one thing about elephants — they are scared of mice. Well, there is very little proof that this one is true, but it is believed that the elephant’s fear of mice has more to do with the element of surprise than the mouse itself.

Theories that elephants are afraid of mice largely suggest it is because they are tiny creatures that can nibble on their feet or can climb up into their trunks, but there is no evidence to prove this particular theory. Instead, this theory dates back centuries to the Ancient Greeks, who reportedly told fables about a mouse that climbed into an elephant’s trunk and drove it crazy.

4. Elephants can drink through their trunks like a straw.

An elephant’s trunk is an incredibly versatile limb used for breathing, smelling, touching, grasping, and producing sound; elephants use their trunks for drinking, but the water won’t go up. So instead, they’ll suck the water partway up the trunk and pour it into their mouths — a lot. Elephants drink between 140 and 230 liters a day on average.

Oxymoron Definition in Literature

An oxymoron in literature is a symbolic language tool where two or more contrasting words are put next to each other to create a unique feeling or emotion because of this contrast.

These words might at first seem to not make any sense as they are directly opposite, but this opposition is part of the fun of using an oxymoron, to begin with! In addition, they can help reveal something else about the text we are reading through the odd use of words next to each other (known as a juxtaposition).

You can find the use of oxymorons in poetry, creative writing, persuasive pieces such as speeches, and even in everyday conversation. Anywhere where you might want to create emphasis by using contrast!

Where does the word oxymoron come from?

The first half of the word ‘Oxymoron’ comes from the Ancient Greek word ‘Oxus,’ which means ‘sharp.’ The second half is taken from the Ancient Greek Word ‘Mōros’, meaning ‘dull’ or ‘foolish.’ Taken together, we get a word that translates as ‘sharply dull,’ which is an example of an oxymoron itself! This makes it an example of an autological word!

Examples of oxymoron

Perhaps the best way to learn about oxymorons in literature is through examples. This way, the techniques and effects of this tool can be felt. Here are some examples of an oxymoron in a sentence:

• “After the teacher had finished speaking, there was a deafening silence within the room.”
• “The comedian was seriously funny.”
• “Walking through the city in a busy crowd, we were alone together.”
• “The amateur baker made a perfectly imperfect cake.”
• “My fears grew smaller as the night went on.”
• “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” – George Orwell, ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four.’
• “Her face let out a silent scream as she watched.”

Oxymorons can also be found in everyday language, such as walking dead,’ ‘only choice,’ and ‘old news.’

What is the purpose of an oxymoron in literature?

The purpose of an oxymoron in literature will vary depending on a few factors. What is the author’s purpose? What is the text type? Is it written to entertain, persuade or explain?

Here are some potential uses of an oxymoron to think about when reading texts that include them or even when getting ready to write your own:

• To add dramatic effect. An oxymoron can be very dramatic! Poets like William Shakespeare would use this figurative device to emphasize the emotions felt by his characters. We can see this in Romeo and Juliet, where the pain and pleasure of love are described in the line ‘Parting is such sweet sorrow’. Not only does this help define love as a complex emotion, but it also feels grander and over-the-top.
• To reveal a deeper meaning. Oxymorons can also make the reader aware of something they might not have noticed within the text. Like metaphors, oxymorons can reveal a hidden layer of significance in the story. For example, a character with a ‘sad smile’ might be trying to hide their true emotions.
• To poke fun at something with irony. We see this frequently in persuasive texts. Here, a writer will use an oxymoron to show how silly or absurd something is. We could describe a situation as a ‘perfect farce’ to emphasize how bad it is.
• To add a playful tone. This feature of language is naturally quite active, placing words that don’t normally mix right next to each other. This can create a fun and exciting energy within the writing.

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest wet tropical forest in the world and hosts an extensive ecosystem. Located in South America, with 60% of the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, 13% in Peru, 10% in Colombia, and small percentages in Venezuela, the rainforest boasts a radius of 5,500,000 square kilometers. To put this into perspective, that’s 25 times bigger than Britain.

Because of its size, scale and magnitude, the Amazon Rainforest is the most important ecosystem on our planet. It absorbs over 40% of our global carbon dioxide pollution, transforming this into the oxygen we need to breathe. For this purpose, it’s often titled the “lungs of the world” due to the scale and speed at which the Amazon’s estimated 390 billion trees can photosynthesize.

The Amazon Rainforest is also the home to the world’s largest river by water volume, the Amazon River. Despite being a close second in size, the Amazon hosts the most water after the River Nile in Africa. It pumps around 58 million liters of water into the ocean every second.

While that figure may appear surprising, it’s predicted that the Amazon is subjected to 1,500 mm and 3,000 mm of torrential rain each year. These downpours tend to occur on a seasonal pattern between December and May, with an estimated 88% humidity. Throughout the dry season, the moisture remains intense at 77%.

What is the Weather Like in the Amazon Rainforest?

The Amazon Rainforest is a tropical rainforest located very close to the equator. Therefore, the weather and climate are very hot, humid, and damp. The average temperature of the rainforest is around 27 degrees. There aren’t distinct seasons in the Amazon Rainforest; it is always moist with lots of rain. Despite being very stuffy and humid, the temperature rarely reaches above 34 degrees or below 22 degrees. Also, the rainfall varies in different parts of the Amazon Rainforest, but it can produce as much as 180 inches of water! Over time, global warming and deforestation will likely cause the rainforest to become hotter and change the rain patterns. This will affect the forest, wildlife, plants, water availability, and more.

The rain and humidity make the Amazon Rainforest a perfect environment for growing plants. The rainforest is also home to lots of wildlife! Read on to find out about the animals and plants that can be found in the rainforest.

When was the Amazon Rainforest Created?

The formation of the Amazon Rainforest has been a natural evolution of habitats over centuries. The Amazon Rainforest is believed to be over 55 million years old, with its origins forming as far back as the Ice Age. It is widely believed that, during the Ice Age, the Amazon Rainforest was divided into islands of savannah. Once the Ice Age ended, the Amazon Rainforest reverted and the islands rejoined with swarms of trees.

Humans and the Amazon

The Amazon Rainforest is home to over 20 million people from over eight countries. Over 350 Indigenous communities have developed livelihoods that are suited to the unique environment around them. In addition, they have developed sustainable ways of living in the rainforest, which means its resources will be accessible to future communities.

Human Destruction

The rainforest is a home for people and an incredible ecosystem worth protecting. Unfortunately, however, the Amazon Rainforest is too often seen as a goodie bag: a source of desirable luxury materials. These are harvested by farmers and large businesses, often from the global north. This has resulted in unimaginable habitat loss.

The use and destruction of the Amazon Rainforest for profit have been a global concern for decades. This includes wood, natural oils, land, and fruits. Because the Amazon Rainforest has such rich land, these same large businesses rely on destructive methods of deforestation, such as slashing and burning, to create agricultural opportunities. Trees are cut down to create more land to farm animals for the meat industry and soya to feed those same animals. Other crops are sometimes re-planted, too, using monoculture farming methods. This hurts the people who live there and the ecosystem.

Deforestation creates gaps in the humid canopy of the forest, which in turn dries out the surrounding environment. This leaves areas prone to damaging wildfires that cause mass destruction. In 2019 alone, there were over 40,000 wildfires in the Amazon Rainforest due to agricultural methods and an exceptionally long dry season caused by global warming. Together, these wildfires burned over 2,240,000 acres of forest and sadly killed over 2.3 million animals.

The United Nations proposed Sustainable Development Goals to try and resolve some of these issues and create a blueprint for a more peaceful, sustainable, and prosperous world.

The Amazon’s Different Species

The Amazon Rainforest is home to over 40,000 plant species, around 427 mammal species, 1,300 different types of birds, 378 species of reptiles, over 400 amphibians, and 3,000 fish species. This large number of species results from diverse ecosystems within the rainforest.

Most famously, the list of animals that call the Amazon Rainforest home are:

• jaguars;
• sloths;
• the howler monkey;
• spider monkeys;
• giant anteaters;
• glass frogs;
• common basilisks;
• and giant otters.

In terms of insects, over 2.5 million different insects enjoy the humid environment inside the Amazon Rainforest. This includes Clear-Winged Butterflies, the Elephant Beetle, and tarantulas, the infamous giant spider.

Amazon Rainforest Trees

The Amazon rainforest is bursting with wildlife and contains almost 400 billion trees! This huge amount of trees are categorized into 16,000 different species. However, there is not an even split in terms of the types of Amazon rainforest trees, as around half of the rainforest trees are thought to belong to just 227 species. Some of these super dominant species of Amazon rainforest trees include the walking palm tree, the ungurahui tree, and the rubber tree.

Let’s have a look at some of the different types of Amazon rainforest trees:

Barrigona

This type of palm tree is commonly found west of the Amazon rainforest. On this tree, hard fruits grow that have a soft, colorful center. Many animals, including spiders, monkeys, and toucans, love eating this delicious fruit. In terms of appearance, the stem of the spine of this Barrigona palm tree has a large bulge, which is actually what gives it its name as ‘barrigona’ means ‘pot-bellied.’ This tree is also very tall, growing up to 30 meters. The wood from this tree is used by those living in the rainforest to make the floors and walls of their houses.

Euterpe Precatoria

This Amazon rainforest tree is another type of palm tree and is believed to be the most popular tree in the rainforest. A whopping 5.2 billion of these trees are scattered around the Amazon basin. This tree, often called ‘huasaí’ and ‘palmito’ in Peru, and ‘asaí’ in Colombia, grows to around 20 m tall. You can typically find this tree in flooded areas of the Amazon rainforest. The indigenous communities make good use of the fruits of the Euterpe precatoria tree by using its berries to top delicious desserts like ice cream and tapioca.

Huicungo

Another common type of palm tree, the Huicungo, is a single-trunk tree typically found in primary and secondary forests, upland forests, and seasonally flooded forests. These trees grow to just half the height of the Barrigona palm tree at 15 m, making it small compared to other Amazon rainforest trees. Moreover, the Huicungo tree grows lovely fruits and edible leaf buds. The seeds on this tree can also be harvested and used to make shiny, black rings. Alternatively, the soft substance inside the source can make various cosmetic creams. There are believed to be more than 2.4 billion Huicungo trees in the Amazon rainforest.

Palla

It is no surprise that the Palla tree is another type of palm tree. While palm trees are extremely common in the Amazon rainforest, they are not the only tree species there, and in some tropical areas, they are pretty unusual.

The Palla palm tree has been used by those living in the rainforest for many years, as it is the perfect material for making thatched roofs. Various methods for creating thatched roofs with these trees vary from region to region. Moreover, the seeds from the Palla tree can be used in cooking to produce a milky, chocolatey substance that is super rich in antioxidants. There are estimated to be around 1.8 billion Palla palm trees in the Amazon basin.

Shiringa or the Rubber Tree

The Shiringa tree, commonly known as the Rubber Tree, is a species of rubberwood tree that is native to the rainforests of the Amazon basin. This tree can be found in Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru, typically in lowland moist forest habitats. This tree gets its name from the creamy, white latex substance it produces, which has been used to make rubber. These trees are super tall, growing up to 40 m. There are approximately 1.9 million trees in the Amazon rainforest.

Walking Palm

The Walking Palm is, you guessed it, another type of palm tree! This tree has a strange appearance, with a tall 20 m trunk supported by long roots measuring around 1.5 m. The long roots of this tree give it an unbelievable look and have sparked a theory that the tree can move through the forest by a few centimeters. This movement, believed to occur as new roots grow towards the sunlight and replace the old ones, gives the tree its name. However, some scientists believe this theory to be false as individual sources may be replaced by the tree’s thorny, grey stems, but they remain in the same place. There are around 2.7 billion of these trees in the Amazon rainforest.

Amazon Rainforest Plants

The rainforest is home to over 40,000 different named plants. Of course, many may not even have been discovered yet! Many plants have great properties — from being important sources of nourishment, providing us with the air we breathe, and even boasting medicinal properties unique in nature. The Amazon is sometimes referred to as ‘nature’s pharmacy’ and the ‘earth’s lungs.’

We mustn’t lose these great plants for our health and the planet.

Here’s a list of some of the most incredible Amazon Rainforest Plants.

1. Cocoa tree — seeds are used to make chocolate!
2. Passionflower — beautiful and strange, these look other-worldly.
3. Mahogany — resilient wood, is used to build furniture.
4. Heliconia — also known as ‘lobster-claws’ — for obvious reasons!
5. Rubber trees — you guessed it, this is where rubber comes from.
6. Bromeliads — a family of colorful, tropical plants.
7. Banana tree — one of the world’s favorite fruits.
8. Water lettuce — found floating on the Amazon River itself.
9. Lupuna — an iconic, huge species of tree.
10. Walking palm — unusual roots look like stilts, giving the tree its name.

70% of plants with anticancer properties are only found in the Amazon Rainforest!

Here’s a list of some of the plants of the Amazon Rainforest which are used in medicine.

1. Cordoncillio has a range of traditional uses, including anesthetic!
2. Lapacho is used in modern medicine to ease pain caused by cancer treatments and fight infection.
3. The leaves of the Matico plant are used to make tea — easing common illnesses like sore throats and muscle aches.
4. Brazilian ginseng boosts energy and improves the immune system.
5. A compound from the Curare plant is used in modern medicine to treat Parkinson’s disease and other muscular disorders.

Fun Facts about the Amazon Rainforest for KS2

Are you teaching your KS2 children facts about the Amazon Rainforest? Here are five fun facts to kick-start your lesson.

1. The Amazon Rainforest floor is in complete darkness. This is due to the amount and density of the billions of trees within the rainforest.
2. 10% of our world’s animal species live in the Amazon Rainforest.
3. The Amazon is hot and humid all year round.
4. There are over 150 different species of monkeys that live in the Amazon Rainforest
5. For the Indigenous Amazonian communities, almost every plant found in the Amazon Rainforest holds a medical purpose.

An ecosystem is where a community of living organisms (such as plants and animals) live together in conjunction with non-living aspects of their environment. Ecosystems contain biotic and antibiotic elements, joined together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Climate and landscape affect habitats and the interactions of various species.

Three Types of Ecosystems

Each of these ecosystems can hold a huge variety of habitats. This accounts for the wide range of plants and animals on Earth. Let’s have a look at some of the main systems:

Freshwater

Freshwater ecosystems include wetlands, ponds, reservoirs, lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Freshwater is an ideal resource as it can be used for many things, including agriculture, sanitation, and transportation. Plus, freshwater is drinkable and helps sustain many organisms, including reptiles, birds, mammals, worms, fish, and amphibians. Plants, phytoplankton, and algae are also abundant and form the skeleton of the freshwater food cycle.

Ocean

Ocean ecosystems cover around 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. Marine ecosystems include the oceans, coral reefs, and coastal areas. These ecosystems differ from freshwater as the water contains salt. Plants and animals living amongst these types ofecosystemmust therefore be tolerant of salt. Many fish, such as flounder, sea bass, whales, and dolphins, are examples of the diverse animal life in the ocean.

Terrestrial

A terrestrial ecosystem is a network of plants, animals, and other organisms that live on land. They have less water available to survive than the different types of ecosystems. Water can be a limiting factor for survival for some species. These ecosystems endure great movements in temperature, which the lifeforms must adapt to or be tolerant of. Here, gases are necessary to keep life going. Animals need oxygen, while plants require carbon dioxide. Terrestrial environments include grasslands and forests, providing many items humans need to survive. These include food and materials for shelter or clothing.

It happens every year in August and September. Kids return to school, and you hear the same question asked by co-workers, students, parents, and friends. Usually, the answer is as follows: “Oh, it was good, [insert a detail about your weekend trip to the beach].” But this question does little to build a relationship or develop a connection – both of which are extremely important to the new children in your class this year!

So take a chance! Take a risk! Ask the questions that dive deep! You’ll learn something new about your new students and your old co-workers if you choose one of these questions over the generic “How was your summer?”

Alternative Questions to “How Was Your Summer?”

1. What was something you didn’t do this summer?
2. Tell me about a unique person you met this summer.
3. What was your most memorable moment of the summer?
4. Tell me one thing you learned.
5. Who was the person you spent the most time with this summer?
6. What is the best meal you ate?
7. Tell me about something that you wish you had taken a photo of.
8. What was the most educational thing you did?
9. Tell me about your favorite thing that you bought this summer.
10. Talk about something you made this summer
11. Pick three words to describe your summer.
12. What books did you read?
13. What was your “high,” and what was your “low”?
14. What was the kindest thing you saw?
15. What was the kindest thing you did?
16. Tell me about something that surprised you this summer.
17. What was your biggest challenge?
18. What is one thing you’ve been looking forward to in the new school year?
19. What would it be if you could change one thing about your summer?
20. How did you change/grow over the summer?
21. What made you feel proud?
22. What made you feel loved?
23. What do you want to do this school year?
24. What do you think you could teach the class?
25. What made you laugh the most?
26. If your stuffed animals could tell me about your summer, what would they say?
27. Draw a picture of your favorite summer moment.
28. Did you build a fort? Do you have any tips for creating a good defense?
29. How many animals did you see?
30. What is one thing you used to need an adult’s help for that you could do on your own this summer?
31. Did you grow any plants or vegetables in a garden? If not, what would you want to grow?
32. How did you make somebody happy over the summer?
33. What was the best place you visited over the summer?
34. Tell me about something cool that you saw outside in nature.
35. What frustrated you most over the summer?
36. Did you celebrate any holidays over the summer? Any birthdays?
37. What was the grossest thing you ate?
38. What new rules did you have to follow this summer? Were there any rules you had to follow last summer but didn’t have to follow this year?
39. Tell me something that made you smarter over the summer.
40. What did you daydream about?
41. Tell me something about you that changed over the summer.
42. What did you do with your friends over the summer?
43. Did you make any memories that you will remember forever?
44. What did you look forward to most over the summer?
45. Did you go to the beach? Tell me about that!
46. What made you feel brave?
47. How did you help others over the summer?
48. What are you most thankful for?
49. What would it be called if you could make a play/book/game about your summer?
50. What are three things you want to do this school year?
51. How did you keep in touch with your friends over the summer?

More Fun Questions to Ask Your Students.

1. How would you do it if you wanted to make everyone in the class smile?
2. If you had a time machine, when would you go?
3. How would you describe the school if you were tiny, like a mouse?
4. What do you look forward to every day?
5. When was the last time you felt lonely? How did you make yourself feel better?
6. If you could only eat food of the same color for the rest of your life, what color would it be?
7. What is the worst thing you’ve ever eaten?
8. Do you think your pet’s dream? What do they dream about?
9. If you could invent a dance move, what would it be? Can you show me?
10. If your life could be a tv show, what would it be called?
11. If you were the only person on Earth, what would you do?
12. What is the silliest thing you’ve ever done?
13. What is your favorite season? Why?
14. What are you most thankful for?
15. Who would you choose if you had to pick someone else to be you for a day?
16. Now reverse! Who would you be if you had to be someone else for a day?
17. What would you name a hurricane?
18. What animal would you choose if you had to spend the day as an animal? What would you have to do differently?
19. What would your toys do while you’re at school if your toys could come to life?
20. How would your friends describe you?
21. If you had a million dollars, how would you spend it?
22. If you were invisible for a day, what would you do?
23. What is something that you don’t understand about grownups?
24. What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
25. What is the greatest thing about being you?
26. Do you notice anyone who needs some extra kindness today? What could you do for them?
27. What is the most popular thing to do at recess?
28. If one of your classmates could be a teacher for a day, who would you want it to be and why?
29. If you could be a teacher, what would you teach the class?
30. What subject do you want to learn that isn’t taught in school?
31. What do you wish your friends knew about you?
32. If you could know anything about your future, what would it be?
33. If you could change your name, what would it be?
34. Do you know anyone who is going through a tough time? How can you help them?
35. What is your favorite way to be comforted when you’re upset?
36. When are you most proud of your mom and dad?
37. What is the funniest word you know?
38. If you could name your color, what would the color be, and what would you call it?
39. If you opened your store, what would you sell?
40. If you could design a treehouse, what would you put in it?
41. Describe your perfect day.
42. What do you do when people don’t want to be your friend?
43. What would it be if you could choose one thing to bring with you everywhere?
44. Have you ever felt misunderstood? What did you do? What do you think would help you feel more understood?
45. What do you love doing with your parents?
46. How are your mom and dad different?
47. If you could grow any food at all (it doesn’t need to be a fruit or vegetable), what would it be?
48. What rules do you dislike following?
49. What can I do to be a better teacher for you?
50. What compliment makes you feel good about yourself?