Inspired by: Monster Zoo - Week 1

Inspired by the imaginative world of 'Monster Zoo', students delve into the realm of fantastical creatures and the significance of narrative elements. The session begins with an engaging activity where students examine the book's covers, pondering the variety of monsters that might inhabit such a zoo and speculating on the reasons behind a light blue monster's 'Do Not Enter' sign. This leads to a creative exercise where they match monster names to illustrations and even concoct their own whimsical monster names by altering letters and sounds, such as 'Purple Gurp' becoming 'Purple Gorp' or 'Purple Garp'. The concept of 'mischievous monsters' is explored, prompting discussions on what mischief entails and culminating in a role-play where children embody these playful creatures, enhancing their understanding of character traits and actions.

The learning journey continues with 'The Letter', an activity that encourages students to articulate their thoughts before writing. They discuss a scenario where a boy receives a thrilling letter informing him that he's won the opportunity to 'run the zoo for a day'. This sparks a conversation about personal experiences with letters and what additional details the boy's letter might include. After reading the letter, students are tasked with writing a response to The Keeper, imagining what they would do if given the chance to manage Monster Zoo. Lastly, 'What a Surprise!' focuses on punctuation, specifically the use of capital letters and different end marks like full stops, question marks, and exclamation marks. Students discuss the element of surprise and its emotional impact, explore the use of exclamation marks to convey strong feelings, and create warning labels with post-its to affix to the book's illustrations, further engaging with the text and enhancing their literacy skills.