• Discusswiththechildrenwhethertheyfeeltheyhavetimetostopandstareattheworldaroundthem.Whatthingsenablethis?Whatgetsinthewayofappreciatingtheworldaroundthem?

• ExplainthatthewholeschoolisgoingtohaveanopportunityaspartofElmerDaytogooutintotheenvironmentandenjoytheirsurroundings,thenrespondtothiscreativelybackintheirclassrooms.

• Tellthechildrenthatworkfromeachclasswillbechosentocontributetoawholeschoolcelebrationaboutthewonderoftheirlocalenvironmentandtheirinteractionswithit.

Part2:PlannedActivityforeachclass,yearorphasegroup:

• Aftertheassembly,re-readthestoryofElmer’sWalktoeachclassbackintheirclassrooms.Explaintothechildrenthattheyaregoingtotakeawalkinthelocalenvironmenttoallowthemtimetotakeintheirnaturalsurroundings,observingbuildings,localfeatures,creatures,plants,naturalobjectsandeventsthattakeplace.Youmaywishtoarrangeaspecificvisittoaplaceoflocalinterest,suchasapark,woodlandarea,river,seasideetc.iftheseareeasilyaccessible.

• Allowtimeforthechildrentomakeasimplenotebooktotakewiththemontheirtravels,wheretheycanmakesketchesortakenotesaboutthethingstheyhaveobservedontheirwalk.Takecamerasiftheseareavailableforchildrentousetorecordpointsofinterest.Modelthisbyrecordingyourownthoughtsasyouwalk.Aschildrennotetheirobservations,encouragethemtothinkaboutthefeelingsthesethingsinvokedinthem.

Part3:Encouragingchildrentorespondtoobservationscreatively:• Comebacktotheclassroomanddiscusswhatthechildrensaw,heardandexperienced.

Downloadandlookatphotographstaken,sharesketchesandobservationsintheirnotebooksandtalkaboutthingsthatwereofparticularinteresttoparticularchildren.

• Nowlookathowtheycouldsharethingsthatcaughttheirwiderinterestwithothersandprovidetime,space,materialsandopportunitiestosupportthechildrentocreatetheirworkindependentlyoringroups.Thetablebelowgivesawiderangeofideasandsupportiveresourcesthatmayinspirechildren:

PossibleCreativeOutcome

SupportingResources Materialsandopportunitiestofacilitate

Editandshareafavouritephotographandcomeupwithatitleforit

• Youngwildlifephotographeroftheyear:http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/wpy/gallery/2018/young.html

• RSPCAyoungphotographersaward:https://young.rspca.org.uk/ypa/galleries

• StreetSeencategoryoftheYoungDigitalCameraPhotographeroftheYearcompetition:https://www.photocrowd.com/photo-competitions/street-seen-young-dcpoty-street-photo-contest-2213/overview/

• Digitalcamera• Laptop/tablet• Editing

software/app

• TheGreatOutdoorscategoryoftheYoungDigitalCameraPhotographeroftheYearcompetition:https://www.photocrowd.com/photo-competitions/the-great-outdoors-young-dcpoty-landscape-photo-contest-2212/overview/

Paintordrawsomethingthatcaughttheirattentioninmoredetail

• TheGallerypageontheNationalOpenArtChildren’sAwardpages,scrolldowntoviewthegallerytogivechildrenideasofwhattheymightcreate:http://www.nationalopenart.org/gallery.php?filter=children

• ThegallerypagesontheWorcesterBoschArtcompetitioncouldalsogivefurtherinspiration:https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/environment-2020/childrens-art-competition/winners

• Variousartmaterials;softpastels,oilpastels,brushpens,watercolours,starteracrylicpaints

• Cardorpaperappropriatetothechosenmedium

Writetheirownpoemaboutsomethingtheysaworexperienced

• PoemsthatrevolvearoundthethemeofthenaturalworldonCLPE’sPoetrylinewebsite:https://clpe.org.uk/poetryline/themes/natural-world

• PoemsthatrevolvearoundthethemeoftheurbanenvironmentonCLPE’sPoetrylinewebsite:https://clpe.org.uk/poetryline/themes/urban-environment

• PoemsthatrevolvearoundthethemeofplacesonCLPE’sPoetrylinewebsite:https://clpe.org.uk/poetryline/themes/places

• Arangeofwritingmaterialsfordraftingandpublishingwriting

Writetheirownstoryabouttheirwalkoraboutsomethingtheysaworexperienced,e.g.astorythatcentresaroundabee,astorysetinaforest,thecity,bytheseaetc.

• FictionbooksonCLPE’sCorebookswebsitethatrevolvearoundthethemeofnature,suchas:

o Tadpole’sPromisebyJeanneWillis,illustratedbyTonyRoss(AndersenPress)

o TheTreebyNealLayton(Walker)o OnaMagicalDo-NothingDaybyBeatrice

Alemagna(ThamesandHudson)o TheSecretofBlackRockbyJoeTodd-

Stanton(FlyingEye)o TheBeeWhoSpokebyAlMcCuish,

illustratedbyRebeccaGibbon(ThamesandHudson)

o TheFoxandtheStarbyCoralieBickford-Smith(ParticularBooks)

o BelongingandWindowbyJeannieBaker(Walker)

• Arangeofwritingmaterialsfordraftingandpublishingwriting,artmaterialsforillustration

o ThePromisebyNicolaDavies,illustratedbyLauraCarlin(Walker)

o HildaandtheBirdParadebyLukePearson(FlyingEye)

o TownisbytheSeabyJoanneSchwartz,illustratedbySydneySmith(Walker)

o VarmintsbyHelenWard,illustratedbyMarkCraste(Templar)

• AuthorsreadingstoriesonCLPE’sPowerofPictureswebsitesetinnaturalenvironmentsorwithcharactersthatcouldbefoundinnaturalenvironments,suchas:

o Shh!WeHaveaPlanbyChrisHaughton(Walker):https://clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures/haughton-chris

o CrocandBirdbyAlexisDeacon(RedFox):https://clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures/deacon-alexis

o WildbyEmilyHughes(FlyingEye):https://clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures/hughes-emily

o Grandad’sIslandbyBenjiDavies(SimonandSchuster):https://clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures/davies-benji

Writesonglyrics,composemusicoradancethatreflectssomethingtheysaworexperienced

• Exploremusicthatreflectseverydayexperiencesofbeingoutdoors,suchas:

o ‘Dandelions’byEnnoAareo ‘WaterRipples’byEnnoAareo ‘Seaside’byDevendraBanharto ‘Herecomesthesun’byTheBeatleso ‘TheWater’byJohnnyFlynnandLaura

Marlingo ‘TheWhiteHare’bySethLakemano ‘TheStreetsofLondon’byRalphMcTello SelectedsongsfromHaushka’sA

DifferentForestalbum

• Accesstotablets,laptopsorMP3playerswithappsthatallowthechildrentolistentoormaketheirownmusic.

• Arangeofmusicalinstruments

• Spacetopracticeandperform

Writeapersonalrecountoftheirexperience;this

• Copiesoftheschoolnewsletter.• Examplesofrecountarticlesfrompublications

suchasTheWeekJuniorandFirstNews.

• Arangeofwritingmaterialsfordraftingand

couldtaketheformofadiaryentry,awrittenoraudioblogpostfortheschoolwebsite,anarticlefortheschoolnewsletter

publishingwriting,artmaterialsforillustration

• Accesstotablets,laptopsorMP3playerswithappsthatallowthechildrentopublishtheirwritinginauthenticways

Somefactualwritingaboutsomethingtheysaworexperienced;thiscouldtaketheformofanon-chronologicalreport,avideooraudiopresentation,amagazineornewspaperarticle

• InformationtextsonCLPE’sCorebooksWebsiteaboutnaturalelements,suchas:

o AFirstBookofNaturebyNicolaDavies,illustratedbyMarkHearld(Walker)

o JustDucksbyNicolaDavies,illustratedbySalvatoreRubbino(Walker)

o BecauseofanAcornbyLolaMandAdamSchaefer,illustratedbyFranPreston-Gannon(Chronicle)

o TheAcornandLittleBeebyEdwardGibbs(BF&F)

o GrowingFrogsbyVivianFrench,illustratedbyAlisonBartlett(Walker)

o Moth:AnEvolutionStorybyIsabelThomas,illustratedbyDanielEgnèus(Bloomsbury)

o ALittleGuidetoTreesandALittleGuidetoWildFlowersbyCharlotteVoake(EdenProject)

o AWalkinLondonbySalvatoreRubbinho(Walker)

o ABeetleisShybyDianaHuttsAston,illustratedbySylviaLong(Chronicle)

• Filmanddigitaltextsthatfocusonthenaturalworld:

o BBCEarthwebsite:https://www.bbc.com/earth/uk

o BBCSpringwatchwebpages:https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qgm3

o CBeebiesOurPlanetclips:

• Arangeofwritingmaterialsfordraftingandpublishingwriting,artmaterialsforillustration

• Accesstotablets,laptopsorMP3playerswithappsthatallowthechildrentopublishtheirwritinginauthenticways

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m9ny/clips

o NationalGeographicKidswebsite:https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/

o RSPBForKidswebpages:https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-kids/

• ExamplesofarticlesfrompublicationssuchasTheWeekJuniorandFirstNews.

Part4:SharingandPublishingchildren’sresponsesWhenthechildrenhavehadchancetocreatetheirwork,exploredifferentwaysthatthiscouldbesharedwithawideraudience:

• Ifyourschoolhasasocialmediaaccount,youmaywishtoshareexamplesofthechildren’swork,viaTwitter,InstagramorFacebook.Using#StopAndStare#ElmersWalkandtagging@AndersenPressand@clpe1willallowyoutoseetheworkdonebyotherschoolsandbepartofthewiderElmerDayCommunity.

• Organiseawholeschoolevent,suchasanassemblyorexhibition,wherechildrenhaveanopportunitytopresenttheirworktoawideraudience.Therecouldbedifferentzonestoshowcasedifferenttypesofresponses;aphotographygallery,apoetrypresentationorperformancespace,displaysofwritingorartwork,tabletsorlaptopswithchildren’svideoresponses.Inviteparents,carersandthewiderschoolcommunitytoviewtheexhibition.

• Setupspaceintheschoolnewsletteroronaschoolorclassblogforchildrentopresenttheirworktothewidercommunity.

• Createacommunaldisplayofexamplesofworkfromeachyeargroup,classorphase.

TheseresourceswerecreatedinpartnershipwithCLPE.CLPEisacharityworkingtoimproveliteracyinprimaryschools.Findoutmoreabout

ourtrainingcourses,freeresourcesandhigh-qualityteachingsequences.Visit:www.clpe.org.uk

Elmer’sWalkbyDavidMcKeeispublishedbyAndersenPressISBN:9781783447541