Imagine

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Intended for young children, this book presents opposites in a clear and simple way, making the most of the old truth that one picture can tell a thousand words.

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Look at the use of rhyming within the story. Can you make a list of the rhyming words?
• Write a story about the girl in the book. What does she do? Where does she live? What are her favourite things?
• There are lots of different types of punctuation in the story. Can you find each full stop, apostrophe, comma, ellipsis, exclamation mark etc?
• Look at each of the illustrations and make a list of vocabulary that could be used to describe the different things that you can see.
• Choose an animal in the illustrations and write about an adventure that it has.
• Retell the story of the race between the tortoise and the hare that features in the pictures.
• The book is full of ‘opposites’. How many can you find (e.g. fast / slow, weak / strong). Can you discover any more?
• How many adjectives can you find in the story? Can you think of synonyms for each?
• Could you make a poster to teach people about different opposites?
• Look at the illustrations of the different (old / new) buildings. Can you write a story that might take place in each of them?

Maths

• Use sorting diagrams to sort things that can be described using some of the words in the book (e.g. round, flat, weak, strong, dark, light).

Science

• How many animals can you find in the illustrations? What do you know about them?
• How many different habitats are shown in the pictures? How are they similar / different? What plants and animals might live there? How are they adapted to live in each environment?
• Think of different animals that are weak / strong, short / long etc. How do these different features help them to survive?
• Identify materials and objects that are weak / strong, round / flat etc. Can you sort them into different groups?
• Use the book as a starting point for learning about things that are hot / cold or light / dark.

Computing

• Use a graphics program to draw examples of short / long, round / flat things.

Design Technology

• Identify different materials that are weak and strong. Which ones are best for making different objects?

Art

• Draw / paint a picture of clouds that look just like something else.
• Play ‘I Spy’ with a friend to find things within the picture.
• Draw a picture of pairs of things that are opposite.
• How many different colours can you see in the pictures of the rainbow? Can you try to paint your own rainbow?
• Look at the illustrations in the book, as well as photos of real animals, and try to create your own pictures of some of them.

Music

• Can you think of different types of music that could be described as ‘opposite’ (e.g. fast / slow, calming / exciting, gentle / loud)?

Geography

• Look at the different types of environments shown in the pictures. Where in the world might those places be? How are they similar / different?