Anticipatory Set: Elephant Jokes

How can you tell an elephant from a grape? The grape is purple. What does a bald headed elephant wear for hair? A sheep. Why did the elephant walk around in polka-dotted socks? Someone borrowed his Nikes. How can you tell if there has been an elephant in your refrigerator? Footprints on the pizza. What does an elephant smell like before it takes a shower? An elephant. What does an elephant smell like after he takes a shower? A wet elephant. When can you find elephants? When you remember where you lost them. What do you do when an elephant sneezes? You get out of the way!

Presentation of Concepts (spelling, science, character education):

Tell the story of The Good Ould Family, then have four students act it out while others sing the song:

The Good Ould Family to the tune of "Davy Crockett" (Ask Grandma, she knows the tune!) Grandpa Ould is the old one’s name. He’s very funny and likes our game. His wife is Grandma. We call her Should. She says SHHH to the neighborhood! Chorus: O--U-L-D, the good Ould Family! They went walking through the woods. There they found their little cat Could. They took him home, and he started to grow For he was a lion  And COULD eat them, you know! Chorus: O--U-L-D, the good Ould Family! Uncle Would got his name one day  From all the excuses he would say. He would work, but he’s got a pain. He would go but his tummy ache came. Chorus: O--U-L-D, the good Ould Family!

Read The Little Elephant Who Couldn't Forget by Faith McNulty

Discuss things elephants COULD, SHOULD, and WOULD do.
Brainstorm and list things you COULD, SHOULD, and WOULD do.

Distribute paper. Students draw a picture of something they SHOULD do. As they draw, monitor. Ask each student to describe their sentence. (Be sure they include "should" in their sentence.) Write their sentences on sticky notes if they need to copy under their picture. Create other pictures and sentences for "what an elephant could do" and "what an elephant would do."

Closure and Transition to Math: Make a marshmelaphant to use during math! Give each student 2 large marshmallows (for head and body), 4 small marshmallows (for legs), and some toothpicks (to break for details..like tails and trunks!). Students can lick the marshmallows where the pieces touch to have them stick together. Take turns making up math problems with our marshmelephants. For example: How many more small marshmallows did we use? How many large marshmallows did all the girls have to use? 

Sing the song once more before eating our marshmelephants.

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© 2007, Suzy Red, Lockhart, Texas
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