The Jungle

In this short video I will explain the importance of using a variety of resources when we our educating our children. Not only does it make it fun, but it also means that we are creating multiple memories making it easier for your children to recall the information when needed.

Creative resources also have the benefit of being multi-sensory once again making them more memorable because they pull in different parts of the brain making it easier to recall the information.

In this first video we will look at how we can put together the backdrop for the jungle using the 5x table as our focus.

In this video we will create a paper tissue parrot, then use this parrot to create a descriptive paragraph using the roll of a dice and 6 grammatical techniques.

Here's the prompts I wrote for this video and each of the following ones. I hope it helps:

5 x tables tree

This is a suggestion I have used before but it’s quite a handy one as a backdrop to a collage.

You will need a hand, some green paint, and paper.

Cover your hand in paint and place it carefully onto the piece of paper. Remove your hand and repeat to create at least 12 handprints.

These will create the leaves for the trees in the canopy of the forest.

The reason you needed a minimum of 12 is because on each leaf you will need to write one of the questions /answers for the 5x table.

Stick these to the top of a large piece of paper. From here draw on the trunks of your trees to form the basis of your jungle.

Tissue paper parrots

Parrots are obviously bright colourful creatures.

To create one, I suggest you will need:

An ice-cream tub lid

PVA glue

Coloured tissue paper

The template of the parrot

Scissors

Start by ripping the coloured tissue paper into very small pieces.

Next cover the lid completely with PVA glue.

Place the pieces on top of the glue so that the lid is completely covered with one solid layer of tissue paper.

Once completed, cover this once again in PVA glue and wait for it to dry.

Once dry it should easily peel off.

Cut out the template of you parrot and draw around it onto the tissue paper mosaic that you have made.

Cut out and draw an eye in the appropriate place to finish your parrot.

You may want to make several to have living in the trees of your forest.

If want you want an idea as to how you can relate this to your child’s education, what I do is suggest (you will need a dice).

Roll the dice.

The number you roll dictates the sentence you write. So, if you roll a:

1) Write a sentence using 2 adjectives to describe your parrot. (Adjectives are words which describe the parrot/ object such as colours, sizes, numbers, textures, etc)

2) Write a prepositional sentence (write a sentence explaining the position of the sentence -using terms such as in, on, near, under, etc.

3) Put the parrot in a sentence that contains alliteration (repetition of words that start with the same sound).

4) Use a proper noun in this sentence (a proper noun is a name, so for example the name of the parrot, the place where he lives, unlikely in this scenario but you might use a brand)

5) Write a sentence using a verb and an adverb to describe what he likes doing (a verb is a doing word. The adverb describes the doing word and often ends in “ly”)

6) For the final sentence how about using a simile? This is when you compare something to something else using like or as. Examples of this could be: He was a colourful as a rainbow, so was as quiet as a mouse, etc

Once you have your 6 sentences about your parrot, tweak them slightly to form a paragraph. The paragraph should make an amazing example of a descriptive paragraph about your bird.

Snakes

You will need to start with a circle cut out of a sheet of paper.

Onto the circle draw a spiral.

I suggest before you cut the spiral out you decorate it. You could just use shapes and colours to make it look attractive. However, you could also use them as visual reminders for the times tables. Writing the focus times table on the snake’s head, then the times table ascending through its body.

Alternatively, you can use it support your child with phonics. Pick a blend, for example “ie” then write/ draw images of words that use that blend along the snakes body. So, you might in this example use: pie, tie, replies, field, niece, etc

Once decorated, cut out the spiral. Give your snake eyes and cut out a red “y” shape for his tongue and stick it on. Perfect!

You may decide to make some out of paperchains as well to offer some variety. Make a paperchain with small links. Then, when you reach the end stick on the tongue and give it a pair of eyes.

These ones might be used to slide through your forest’s floor.

Elephants from milk bottles

I love this idea!

You will need an empty 4pt milk bottle.

Just above the bottom of the handle draw a straight line going right around the bottle.

If you cut along the line this will give you the basic body shape of the elephant.

The handle will become the trunk.

Now draw arches on the two sides of the bottle and cut them out. This will form his legs.

Now decorate.

He will need two eyes. You may choose to use stick-on goggly eyes, or you may prefer to draw them on.

Again, decorating him is at your discretion. You may make him colourful like Elma. You may colour him grey like a traditional elephant. You will probably find the easiest way to decorate him is by sticking bits on as paint may not hold. But this is at your discretion.

Once done, he too can be placed in the jungle.

The jungle is full of insects and spiders. Spiders are a great way to create a visual resource for learning the 8x table. Each spider will have 8 legs, giving the child simple groups of 8 to count.

There are 2 ways you can make the spiders.

The first is to simply cut out a circle for the body. Then cut 8 rectangles which will be size appropriate for the legs. You might decide to bend them in the middle to give them knees and maybe again at the end for feet. You might decide to leave them straight or you may use pipe cleaners to make them sturdier and to give them more of a spring in their step.

The other way of making the spiders is to paint cardboard egg boxes and put eyes and a mouth on the front of there. Again, attach 8 paper or pipe cleaner legs to complete your spider.

Where will you place these?

I suggest if you are going to use them as prompts for the 8x table you will need to

Create at least 12.

Because these are two easy activities to make I have combined them together. However, you will probably agree with me that the activities that go with them are probably for children at the opposite ends of the age range. Having said that feel free to change and adapt them as you see fit.

Either way, I hope you enjoy making them and I hope they are a welcome addition to your jungle scene.

Here is the final suggestion to help you support your child's learning in our jungle project. Every jungle is known to have spiders living in it! So, let us use the 8 legs that each of those spiders have to help us to learn the 8x table. I've also added a very quick game that you can share with your children. It's one of my favourite games and one we use at Clara James Tutoring - a lot!

Enjoy.

I would love to see images of your finished jungle scene so please do send them across to me in the Q&A or over in our Facebook group at the Clara James Approach

In this final video I would like to say thank you for sticking with me until the end. I hope you have enjoyed the ideas. I would love to see the photos of what you and your child have produced either in the Q&A or over in the membership group.

If you have any questions, I will always be here to help so please do ask.

Enjoy the time with your child and I look forward to getting to hear how you've got on.