Grandad’s Island

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Syd loves Grandad. Grandad loves Syd. And that will never change. This beautiful book shows how those who are dear to us remain near to us – however far away they may seem.

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Retell the story from Syd’s (or Grandad’s) point of view.
• How would you describe Grandad’s house? Could you write a sentence / paragraph to describe it? How would you describe the island?
• Make a list of similarities and differences between Grandad’s house and the island. Where would you prefer to live (and why)?
• Write a new story about a secret that is hidden in the attic of a house.
• What objects can you see in Grandad’s attic? Discuss what each object might be and where Grandad got it from.
• Can you find any examples of onomatopoeia in the story (e.g. CLUNK)?
• When Syd looked out from the deck of the ship, ‘there was an ocean of rooftops all around’. Is this a simile or a metaphor? Why?
• Imagine that a member of your family has a secret ship (or a different type of vehicle). Where would you go to?
• When they’re travelling on the ship, all Syd saw was ‘sea and sky, sky and sea’. Why has the author repeated this phrase (and in a different order)?
• Write a letter that might be inside the envelope that Syd receives at the end of the story.
• Imagine that you had your own island. What would you do there? How would you survive?
• Write a review of this book in ten words.

Science

• Design a new ship for Grandad using different materials and test to see if it will float. Could you have a competition with your friends to see which ship will hold the most cargo without sinking?
• Find out about jungle habitats. What kinds of animals and plants live there? How are they adapted to live in those conditions?
• Could you create a food chain / web for a jungle habitat?

Computing

• Make a stop-motion animation of a ship sailing the seas. Where might it travel to and what will happen when it gets there?
• Could you make an animated trailer to promote this book? Watch this example for inspiration:

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Design Technology

• Could you create a model of Grandad’s ship (or his island)?
• Create a set of labelled plans that show the different parts of a ship.
• Design a new shelter for Grandad and Syd to use on the island.

Art

• Look at photos of the jungle (or tropical islands) and use these as the starting point for your own pictures and paintings.
• Syd and Grandad explore the island and paint the things that they see. Could you try to produce some of their paintings?
• Draw Syd’s view as he is waving goodbye to Grandad at the end of the story.

Music

• Create some jungle-themed music.
• Could you create some musical instruments using natural materials that you might find outdoors?

Geography

• Imagine that you could travel on Grandad’s ship. Use a map to plan the journey that you would take around the world.
• If you could travel to Grandad’s island, what things would you need to take with you? Explain why you will need each item.

History

• Find out about the history of exploration. Can you learn about people who have discovered new lands?

PSHE

• Syd will never see his Grandad again. How might this make him feel? How do we feel when we have to say goodbye to somebody that we love?