How to Catch an Elf Book Companion and STEM Task for trapping an elf

This book companion for 'How to Catch an Elf' contains so many ideas to help you catch an elf.

There are steps to follow to create your own elf trap to catch that pesky elf. 

Explore the many tasks that compliment the text and make your students think about what they will design. 

Click here to see our pack in our store

This is a 'How to catch an Elf' book companion pack with a design brief to make a trap to catch an elf. There are writing prompts and Literacy Center Tasks to keep your students working hard around Christmas time.

Word Wall

• There are two versions for printing.

• These posters are an excellent way to brainstorm words together for reading and writing.

• Display in a prominent place in your room and watch your writers go!

Visual Representation

• This section includes a page for each trap in the text.

• Students can draw what they think about each trap.

• As you read aloud stop before you show the illustrations from the book.

• Record a summary for each change.

• Then predict a new trap design.

Print and Go

This sections includes
• Word splashes for each the Elf, Santa and the children

• Plus, Minus and Interesting facts

• Alphabet Key

• I see, I think, I wonder

• Record three facts

• 3/2/1 – Facts, options, questions

• Text to text, self and world

• Compare and contrast

• Design a book cover

Book Review

• The Book Review templates allow for illustrations and a text response.

• The first page is great for setting up beginning, middle and ending so that the second page is easier to complete.

Writing About the Reading

• Is-has-can tasks

• Writing letters- convince to keep the Elf safe

• Main Idea and sub points

• Author tools – what does the author do to keep us reading and interested?

• Interview questions

• Dialogue between characters

• Make an advertisement for the feast

• Write a different ending

• Write an innovation on the text

• Draw and label a story map

• Make a list of important facts from the text

• List the complications and resolutions

• Write a sequel

• Recount

• Summary

Design a new Elf Trap

• Discuss three good traps

• Draw one great trap

• Design the trap

• Make the trap

• Get feedback and make modifications

Enjoy the book and designing your own way to catch an elf.

ANZAC Day for P-1

Even our Foundation (Prep) students need to have an understanding about ANZAC Day. 

We have created this pack just for our very young students so that they can engage in an understanding of what this day means.

This pack will help you to explore through reading, writing, craft and cooking why ANZAC Day is so important to commemorate with our young students.

Click here to see this in our TpT store

or visit our blog

Harmony Day - celebrating diversity

Harmony Day is about celebrating cultural diversity. We should celebrate this every day, but this day highlights how great our country is.

We acknowledge this in March on the 21st. 

Did you know that ...

• around 45 per cent of Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was

• we identify with about 300 ancestries

• since 1945, more than 7.5 million people have migrated to Australia

• 85 per cent of Australians agree multiculturalism has been good for Australia

• apart from English, the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Italian, Arabic, Cantonese, Greek, Vietnamese, Tagalog/Filipino, Spanish and Hindi

• more than 60 Indigenous languages are spoken in Australia.

(Stats taken from this link)

Australia is a great place to live because of this diversity. Harmony Day is a celebration of our cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home.

We respect community, cultural and religious diversity and foster a sense of belonging for everyone.

The colour orange represents social communication and meaningful conversations. It is about the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. 

Last year I prepared a PowerPoint to share with my grade that provided information and tasks to help make a shared understanding of this day. 

Click here to see our pack on TpT

Here are examples of what is in the pack. 

Click here or on the images.

Here is a sample from our PowerPoint

Revising and Editing made easy

Writing conferences take time and effort to maintain.

As teachers we work so hard to improve our kids writing pieces and the outcomes they achieve.

I don't know about you but I have worked for a long time to try to get this right.

I think I have found a way that is easy - trackable and helps set goals.

I have been able to have a much bigger impact on getting my conference time more streamlined and manageable for us all.

Here is what I do....

I have created what we call our Monster Editor. My students color in certain parts of him as they move through the editing and revising cycle.

At the Teacher Conference I can see straight away which parts of the process they think they need my help with - it is the part not colored in!

To add a real conversation I can also ask questions like - I see you have colored the ears - show me where you have upgraded the punctuation or the vocabulary?

Our Monster Editor is displayed in our room as a large visual reminder of each step.

We attach a small Monster to each piece of writing. This then drives our goal setting.

Writing conferences and setting new goals can be so time consuming! This Editing and Conferencing Lapbook has been a life changer in our Writing sessions. We always know what stage, goal and level our students are working on.

This Editing and Conferencing Monster Lapbook is to be used every time your student’s are writing.

The LapBook can stand up and be a useful resource during writing sessions.

It is instrumental in the conference phase with you as the teacher. It helps guide the conversations, goals and steps for improved writing outcomes.

The students can use a paper clip to show which part of the writing cycle they are up to. The paper clip can be moved from –plan –draft- revise – buddy edit- teacher conference – publish.

There are extensive photos to guide you through the setting up and use of the Editing and Conferencing Lapbook.

This work is available in our TpT store by clicking here