The Adventures Of Captain Underpants

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George and Harold have created the greatest superhero in the history of their school – and now they’re about to bring him to life! MEET CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS! HIS TRUE IDENTITY IS SO SECRET, EVEN HE DOESN’T KNOW WHO HE IS! FIGHTING FOR TRUTH, JUSTICE AND ALL THINGS PRE-SHRUNK AND COTTONY!

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• There are a number of books in this series. Can you read the others and discuss which is your favourite and why?
• Compare the book with the movie. Which do you prefer? Make a list of the similarities and differences between the book and the movie.

• Write a new adventure about Captain Underpants.
• Can you write a character description of Captain Underpants?
• Write a description of a new villain that Captain Underpants can defeat.
• Imagine that you are Captain Underpants. Write a diary entry about your day.
• Think of some speech / thought bubbles to accompany some of the illustrations in the book.
• Parts of the story are told using a comic strip. Could you retell these parts using narrative writing?
• Carry out some role play activities in which you interview the main characters in the book. What would you like to ask them? How might they respond?
• Make a list of the similarities and differences between George and Harold.
• Some of the boys’ comic strips include spelling mistakes. Can you proof read the comics for them?
• Imagine that you could hypnotise your teacher. Write a story that describes what might happen!
• Create a newspaper article that reports on the first appearance of Captain Underpants in the city.
• Can you find any examples of onomatopoeia in the book?
• Create the instruction manual for the 3-D Hypno Ring.
• Some of the other books in the series have alliteration in their title. Can you come up with an alliterative title for a new Captain Underpants book?

Science

• At the start of the book, the football is filled with helium. Describe the forces that caused it to float up into the clouds.

Computing

• Use relevant software to create a poster, animation or website to promote this series of books.
• Design an online product page to sell the 3-D Hypno Ring.
• Create a ‘book trailer’ to promote the story to other children.
• Make a stop-motion animation that features the main characters in the book.
• Record your own sound effects to accompany the ‘Flip-O-Rama’ pages. Can you use audio editing software to enhance them?

Design Technology

• Can you make a model of George and Harold’s tree house?

Art

• Parts of the book are told using a comic strip. Could you create a comic strip that retells a part of your favourite book?
• Captain Underpants is ‘the greatest superhero in the history of the school’. Can you design your own superhero?
• Create a storyboard that shows the main events of the story (or part of it).
• Design some new underpants (or a new cape) for the hero of the book.
• The book uses ‘Flip-O-Rama’ to tell part of the story. Can you make your own flip book that tells a story?
• Create a comic strip that tells the ‘origin story’ of Dr. Nappy.
• Look at how the author / illustrator has shown the emotions of the characters in the story. Can you draw some cartoons that show a character with different facial expressions? Look at photos of people (or use a mirror) to help you.

Music

• Compose a theme tune to accompany a new Captain Underpants movie or TV show.

Geography

• Draw a plan view of the inside of George and Harold’s tree house or of Jerome Horwitz Elementary School.

PSHE

• ‘George and Harold were usually responsible kids’. What does it mean to be ‘responsible’? What is responsibility?
• Why do classes and schools have rules? Make a list of rules for your classroom… or create a new set of rules to encourage George and Harold to stay out of trouble.