D'Amico, C., & D'Amico, S. (2004). Ella the elegant elephant. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books. ISBN: 0-439-62792-3.
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Grade Level: K-3
Summary: This story is about Ella the Elephant, who moves into a new town when her mother buys a bakery. Ella is nervous about starting school, and worries that she will not fit in. While she helps her mom move in, Ella finds a beautiful hat that her grandmother used to wear. Her grandmother called it the “good luck hat” and Ella decides to wear it for her first day of school. At school, the other elephants bully Ella because of her unique hat and she feels sad that she does not blend in. Then, one day, Ella saves a classmate who falls off the safety wall surrounding their school because her hat acts as a parachute for the two of them. The other students begin to accept Ella and she feels that she has found a place she belongs.
Activity: Discuss with students the feelings that Ella has throughout the course of the book. Have any of them felt nervous about starting school? Do they have a special item that they like to wear? Why is this item special to them? Have any of them ever been embarrassed because of something they do? Why is it not okay to bully people who are different?
After a group discussion, allow students to craft a paper version of Ella and to decorate a hat for her. Refer to this craft here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ella-the-Elegant-Elephant-Craft-Freebie-391158
Provide students with adequate materials to decorate their hats, including: markers, crayons, stickers, buttons, ribbons, flowers, and feathers. Then hang up their Ellas and allow students to admire the diversity of the hats!
Actity Adapted from: Rucker, F. (n.d.). Ella the Elegant Elephant Craft Freebie. Retrieved April 14, 2015, from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ella-the-Elegant-Elephant-Craft-Freebie-391158
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Grade Level: K-3
Summary: This story is about Ella the Elephant, who moves into a new town when her mother buys a bakery. Ella is nervous about starting school, and worries that she will not fit in. While she helps her mom move in, Ella finds a beautiful hat that her grandmother used to wear. Her grandmother called it the “good luck hat” and Ella decides to wear it for her first day of school. At school, the other elephants bully Ella because of her unique hat and she feels sad that she does not blend in. Then, one day, Ella saves a classmate who falls off the safety wall surrounding their school because her hat acts as a parachute for the two of them. The other students begin to accept Ella and she feels that she has found a place she belongs.
Activity: Discuss with students the feelings that Ella has throughout the course of the book. Have any of them felt nervous about starting school? Do they have a special item that they like to wear? Why is this item special to them? Have any of them ever been embarrassed because of something they do? Why is it not okay to bully people who are different?
After a group discussion, allow students to craft a paper version of Ella and to decorate a hat for her. Refer to this craft here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ella-the-Elegant-Elephant-Craft-Freebie-391158
Provide students with adequate materials to decorate their hats, including: markers, crayons, stickers, buttons, ribbons, flowers, and feathers. Then hang up their Ellas and allow students to admire the diversity of the hats!
Actity Adapted from: Rucker, F. (n.d.). Ella the Elegant Elephant Craft Freebie. Retrieved April 14, 2015, from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ella-the-Elegant-Elephant-Craft-Freebie-391158