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Two children meet under a tall tree. James has a book. Ginger has a paper plane. They become friends… but then they’re parted. Will they ever meet again?
But this isn’t just James and Ginger’s story: it’s a paper chase!
English:
- Before reading the story, read the title. What do you think it might be about? Look at the illustrations and read the blurb. Have these changed your thoughts about the plot?
- Make a list of verbs that Julia Donaldson uses to describe the movement of the plane (e.g. gliding, swooping). Can you think of any more?
- Retell the story from the point of view of the boy (James) or the girl (Ginger). You could also write a diary entry for one of them.
- Think of some speech / thought bubbles to add to the illustrations.
- Create some instructions to teach people how to make their own paper plane.
- Use the text in the story to make a report that teaches people how paper is made.
- Write your own version of James’ story to Ginger.
- Write a letter from James to Ginger (or vice versa) telling them about the things they have been doing recently.
- Write a character description of James or Ginger.
- Write a description of the setting where James and Ginger first meet.
- Write an alternative ending for the story. Could James and Ginger meet again in a different way?
- Make a rhyming dictionary and use it to collect all the rhyming words in this story.
- Some parts of this story retell the plot by repeating lines that have already been used (e.g. the plane made from paper that came from the tree that stood in the wood where a boy met a girl). Can you use this technique in your own writing?
- Write a report that explains how paper is made, using information from the book. This video also explains the process:
Maths:
- Make a timeline that shows the different activities the children take part in throughout their first day in the woods.
- Have a paper-plane competition and measure how far each plane flies.
Science:
- Think of different ways we use trees.
- Research the topic of trees. How many different types are there? Where do they grow? How do they help other plants, animals and people?
- Make a food chain / web that includes plants and animals that might live in a wood.
- Investigate different types of paper and their properties (e.g. strength, absorbency).
Computing:
- Use publishing software to create a poster to advertise a paper plane competition.
- Make a game in which a paper plane has to fly over and around different trees.
- Record a ‘read aloud’ version of this story using video tools and special effects. Here is an example:
Design Technology:
- Can you design and build some different paper planes? Have a competition to see which one will fly the highest / longest, etc.
- Make some paper boats. Slowly add marbles to the boat and see which one will stay afloat the longest.
- Use paper to make different structures (e.g. towers and bridges). What paper engineering techniques can you use (e.g. folding, twisting)?
- Make some simple puppets and use them to retell the story.
Art:
- Make a comic strip that retells part of this story.
- Create some pictures of a wood that show different activities people might do there.
- Choose one of the illustrations in the book and draw or paint your own version of it.
Music:
- Could you create some forest-themed music?
Geography:
- Create a map showing the story’s locations, and add labels indicating the events that took place there.
- Create a poster to encourage people to recycle paper and other materials when they have finished with them.
- Find a wood near you and make a map showing how you might travel there.
History:
- Explore the history of paper and how it has changed over time.
- Investigate how books were made in the past.
PSHE:
- How do you feel when you see an old friend for the first time in a while?
- Have you ever had to say goodbye to a friend for a long time?
- Look at the illustrations in the story. How are James and Ginger feeling at different points?