Inspired by: Monster Zoo - Week 2

Inspired by a lesson plan based on "Monster Zoo," students are encouraged to delve into the realm of vocabulary through the "Wonder Words" activity. The learning objective is to discuss and understand word meanings, connecting them to those they are already familiar with. The activity centres around a narrative where a little boy excitedly cycles to the zoo. Students explore the action verb 'pedalled,' linking it to the concept of a bicycle pedal, and delve into the meaning of 'whizzed,' discussing the boy's rapid movement and other contexts in which one might 'whizz.' They are prompted to consider synonyms and encouraged to explore other new words found within the book, fostering a rich and engaging vocabulary learning experience.

Another facet of the lesson plan, "The Squirgal," focuses on sentence structure and creative thinking. Students are tasked with orally composing a sentence before writing it down, based on a scenario where the Zoo Keeper expresses concern over a creature called the Squirgal that hasn't been fed. The children use descriptive clues to imagine what the Squirgal might look and sound like, drawing and labelling their interpretations, and finally writing a description. This activity stimulates the students' imagination and reinforces their understanding of sentence composition. Further activities include "The Monsters," where students learn the importance of capitalisation for proper nouns by labelling monster illustrations, and "Messy Monsters," which encourages appreciation of rhyme and poetry through creating and reciting verses about the monsters' antics, enhancing their literary and grammatical skills.