Exploring Elephants

Overview

This 30-minute mixed Year 3 and Year 4 English lesson uses a carefully scaffolded approach to develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking aligned to the National Curriculum for England. The lesson uses the age-appropriate informational text All About Elephants and incorporates strategies to support diverse learners, including those with low attainment and dyslexia-friendly approaches.

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National Curriculum Links

English – Key Stage 2 – Reading

• Comprehension (Years 3 & 4)
  • Apply knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes to understand the meaning of new words (Y3)
  • Ask questions to improve understanding of a text (Y3)
  • Retrieve and record information from non-fiction texts (Y3)
  • Use dictionaries to check the meaning of words (Y3)
  • Summarise main ideas from a text (Y4)
  • Draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings and motives (Y4)
  • Distinguish between fact and opinion (Y4)

Spoken Language

• Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates (Y3 & Y4)

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT activate prior knowledge about elephants and predict content using book features
• WALT understand and explain the meaning of challenging Tier 2 vocabulary in context
• WALT read aloud and annotate text using visualising, questioning and summarising strategies
• WALT discuss and analyse information from the text to deepen understanding

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Success Criteria

• I can share what I already know about elephants
• I can predict what the text will be about using the title and pictures
• I can explain the meaning of new words like recognise, estimate and species
• I can annotate the text by drawing pictures, asking questions and summarising important points
• I can discuss facts about elephants and explain ideas in my own words

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Resources

• Printed dyslexia-friendly copies of All About Elephants (high contrast font, spacing, paper colour)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Vocabulary flashcards (recognise, estimate, species, herd, matriarch, endangered)
• Sticky notes or small coloured dot stickers for annotations
• Pencils, crayons for drawing

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Lesson Structure

1. Pre-Reading Phase – Setting the Stage (8 minutes)

Activate Prior Knowledge (5 minutes)

• Begin with whole-class questioning: "What do you already know about elephants? Where do they live? What makes them special?"
• Chart responses on the board with pictures or keywords.
• Show the book cover and ask: "What do you see here? What might this book be about?"
• Introduce key Tier 2 words with flashcards: recognise, estimate, species, herd, matriarch, endangered.
  • Use simple student-friendly definitions and example sentences.
  • Use gestures or pictures to clarify meaning.
• Encourage students to repeat each word aloud as a class.

Predicting (3 minutes)

• Read the title aloud: All About Elephants.
• Show cover illustration and some subheadings (Elephant Herds, African Elephants, Asian Elephants).
• Ask children to predict what kinds of information and stories they might find inside.
• Note predictions on the board for later reflection.

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2. Guided Reading Phase – “I Do” and “We Do” (15 minutes)

Teacher Modeling & Think-Aloud (I Do)

• Read aloud the first two paragraphs slowly and clearly in a dyslexia-friendly manner (short phrases, clear intonation).
• Think aloud: "The text says elephants are ‘the largest of all land mammals.’ That means they are really, really big. It also says they can ‘recognise themselves in a mirror.’ That’s clever because not many animals can do that."
• Pause frequently to clarify vocabulary and answer questions.

Shared Annotations & Active Reading (We Do)

• Give each pupil a printed copy of the same two paragraphs.
• Show how to annotate:
  • Visualising: Draw a simple elephant next to the description of trunks and ears.
  • Questioning: Put a question mark next to the phrase "recognise themselves in a mirror" and discuss what it might mean.
  • Summarising: Write a short sentence at paragraph end, e.g., "Elephants are big and clever animals."
• Circulate to support students as they annotate using coloured dot stickers.
• Pair/share to discuss annotations and questions.

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3. Analysis Phase – Deep Diving (7 minutes)

Class Discussion & Critical Thinking

• Refer back to predictions chart: Which predictions were right? What new facts did we learn?
• Discuss the purpose of the text: to inform about elephants’ lives and types.
• Ask comprehension questions from the text:
  • "What is a herd? Who leads it?"
  • "Why is it hard to count forest elephants?"
  • "How do we know Asian elephants’ footprints help frogs?"
• Prompt children to infer beyond the text: "Why do you think some elephants are endangered?"
• Invite opinions and support them with reasons from the text.

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Differentiation

• For Low Attainers / SEN:

  • Use paired reading – stronger reader supports weaker reader.
  • Provide sentence starters for annotations and discussion, e.g. "I think... because..."
  • Highlight keywords and provide picture cues for vocabulary.
  • Break tasks into small chunks with clear, simple instructions.

• For Dyslexic Learners:

  • Provide dyslexia-friendly printed texts as above.
  • Use multisensory vocabulary teaching with flashcards, gestures, and oral repetition.
  • Allow oral annotation if writing is a barrier (drawing or verbalising annotations).

• For Advanced Learners:

  • Challenge with deeper inference questions, e.g. "Why might elephants’ ability to recognise themselves be important?"
  • Extension writing: Write a short paragraph explaining why it is important to protect elephants.
  • Research task for home: Find out more about a specific elephant species and present findings next session.

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Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observes verbal responses, annotations, and participation during group activities.
• Check understanding through responses to questioning and annotation activities.
• Use a simple self-assessment: thumbs up/down on whether pupils met success criteria.

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Reflection & Plenary (Optional if Time)

• Ask students to share one new thing they learnt and one question they still have.
• Highlight the importance of protecting elephants and relate back to the endangered vocabulary word.

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Summary

This concise, scaffolded lesson creatively integrates the All About Elephants text to build foundational and advancing reading comprehension skills appropriate for mixed Year 3 and 4 learners. It employs explicit vocabulary teaching, engaging think-alouds, and active annotations to support understanding while promoting higher-order thinking in analysing the text. The lesson aligns fully with the English National Curriculum and includes thoughtful differentiation and dyslexia-friendly approaches to maximise accessibility and engagement.