Text Talk Lesson s1

Whitney Rikard

Text Talk Lesson

Ella the Elegant Elephant By Carmela and Steven D’amico Arthur A. Levine Books, 2004

Summary: Ella the Elephant has just moved into a new town and is nervous about her first day of school. After finding her Grandmother’s old lucky hat, she decides to wear it on her first day of school. Although Ella loves her beautiful hat that her Grandmother left to her, she becomes embarrassed and sad after students at school make fun of her. Belinda Blue and Tikki are the two elephants that pick on her the most and call her names such as “Ella the Ella-gant”. After being made fun of and dared to climb up the safety wall of the school to get the red ball with which they were playing, Belinda Blue tires to climb up the wall but slips and needs someone’s help to get down safely. Ella decides to help Belinda Blue even though she was very mean to her. As Ella was trying to help Belinda, they both begin to fall however Ella’s magical and lucky hat turns into a parachute and saves Belinda and Ella by lowering them slowly down to the seashore where they are safe and unharmed. After Ella saves Belinda, the whole class is very proud of Ella, treats her very nicely, and decides to wear beautiful hats to school as well.

Focus: A focus for understanding how to treat people can be found by looking at how Ella and Belinda Blue become friends after Ella helps her. Another focus could be that it is ok to be or look different than other children, just like Ella looked different with her hat on her head, and that we should never make fun of children who look different than us, wear different clothes, etc…

Comments and Questions:

Cover Show the cover and read the title. Ask children what they think will happen in the story. Show the first couple pages and ask if they can tell what will happen in the story based on these pictures.

Where have Ella and her mother just moved to? (An apartment above her mother’s bakery in the Hidden Elephant Islands) Why is Ella worried? (Because she was new to town) What are some things you would be worried about after moving to a new town?

What is Ella nervous about starting school? (She was nervous about making new friends) What did her mom suggest they do? (She suggested Ella help her unpack) What do you think Ella will find in the hatbox from her Grandmother? (A hat perhaps?) Whitney Rikard

Do you think Ella looked different than the other elephants? (Yes, she was the only one wearing a hat) Do you remember what Ella’s Grandmother called her hat? (Her ‘good luck’ hat)

What did Ella do at recess? (Sit by herself) What things have we seen Belinda Blue do that have not been very nice? (Trip Ella, call her names, make fun of her) Do you think Ella’s hat has been very lucky so far? (no…)

Did Ella feel much better about being at school today? (No, she was still eating and playing by herself) Do you think Belinda and Ella will be friends soon, maybe after playing ball?

What is Belinda going to do? (Climb the safety wall and get the ball) Do you think it is safe for Belinda to climb the wall? (No, she could fall)

What’s happening now? (Ella has climbed the safety wall and is trying to help Belinda but they are both falling off the safety wall!) What do you think will happen next?

What ended up saving Ella and Belinda? (Ella’s hat) What did it turn into? (a parachute)

Do you think Ella’s hat was lucky after all? (Yes, it saved Ella and Belinda from hurting themselves) What did Ella’s mom make her promise to never do again? (Ella promised to never climb the safety wall again) Do you think this was a safe promise? (Yes)

What surprised Ella and made her happy when she arrived at school? (Everyone was wearing a beautiful hat) Do you think her and Belinda Blue will be friends now? (Yes!)

Wrap-up: Do you think Ella was happy that she found her Grandmother’s hat and that she wore it to school? Do you think Belinda Blue was happy that she wore her Grandmother’s hat and that it was able to save them? (Let the children talk about lessons they learned from the Whitney Rikard book such as one should never make fun of another person or one should not disobey school rules.)

Vocabulary: Constructive Elegant Exciting

Constructive (Page 6) – In the book, Ella’s mom suggests they should do something constructive so that Ella would not worry about school. To do something constructive means to do something that is useful or necessary. Say the word constructive.

I am going to say some things to see if you think they are constructive. If you think they are, say “constructive!” If you think these activities are not constructive say “no way!”

Cleaning your house after a party (“constructive”) Laying on the couch watching cartoons (“no way”) Doing your homework after school (“constructive”) Staring at the ceiling (“no way”) Unpacking after moving into a new house (“constructive”)

What’s our word? Constructive

Elegant (Page 18) – In the book, Belinda Blue and Tikki are teasing Ella and they say she looks Elegant in her hat. Elegant means to look nice, fancy and pretty. Say the word elegant.

Let’s think about some things that would make you feel elegant. Which would make you feel elegant… -bedroom slippers or glass slippers -wearing dirty old rags or a beautiful wedding dress -wearing a baseball hat of a princess crown -a shiny diamond ring or plastic one

What’s our word? Elegant

Exciting (Page 41) – In the story, Ella came home from school and told her mom about the exciting events of the day. Exciting describes something that is special and extraordinary. Say the word exciting.

Think about what you think would be exciting. If you think it would be exciting, say “how exciting!” but if you don’t think it would be exciting, say “how boring!”

-A hot air balloon ride (“how exciting”) -Doing your homework (“how boring”) -Swimming with dolphins at sea world (“how exciting”) Whitney Rikard

-Watching your friend take a test (“how boring”) -Eating ice cream on the beach with your best friends on a school day (“how exciting”)

What’s our word? Exciting

We talked about 3 words: Constructive, Elegant, and Exciting. Let’s think about them just a bit more. -Which is more constructive, helping your mom do laundry or walking around your house? (Helping your mom do laundry) -Would going to an enchanted ball make you feel elegant or going to your brother’s soccer game? (An enchanted ball) -What would be more exciting – going to Disney World or playing across the street at a neighbor’s house? (Disney World)