Ella on the Outside
This resources pack from Nosy Crow contains lesson ideas to encourage discussion around the book’s themes in the classroom. They cover important PSHE, literacy and poetry objectives, focusing in particular on the different ways that we present ourselves, and the way we feel inside when confronted with new or difficult situations.
This pack includes four lessons with a focus on Literacy, Poetry, Drama and Speaking & Listening objectives.

View it or download it here. 

Take a look inside the book:

Listen to a preview of the audiobook:

For the Empathy Lab Youtube channel, Cath read from Chapter 12 of Ella on the Outside,
​which was selected as one of their ​2019 Read for Empathy Collection. 

Not My Fault​

This resources pack from Nosy Crow contains activity ideas that have been created to encourage children to explore the characters of the book through drawing, writing and drama exercises.

View it or download it here. 

Take a look inside the book:

Listen to a preview of the audiobook:

 For Waterstones #Goldentime, Cath introduced and read from
​the beginning of Not My Fault on their Youtube channel. 

How To Be Me


​

​How to Be Me is a beautiful, moving story of family, friendship and self-discovery.


This resource pack features activities to encourage children to explore the characters of the book through writing, PSHE and drama exercises.

View it or download it here. 

Take a look inside the book:

The Insiders


The Insiders is a wise, heartwarming story of friendship and family, from the highly-acclaimed author of Ella on the Outside, Not My Fault, and How to be Me.

These KS2 activity ideas have been created to encourage children to explore the characters of the book through creative writing and PSHE exercises.​

View the activity pack or download it here. 
Take a look inside the book: ​
Watch Cath read an extract: 
Picture

My Life On Fire

​My Life on Fire is written by KS2 teacher, Cath Howe. These activity ideas have been created to encourage children to explore the themes of family upheaval and kleptomania whilst discussing the importance of empathy and understanding how to help others in difficult situations.

Includes:
– Creative writing exercises
– PSHE discussions
– Creative activities
– Group debates

​View the activity pack or download it here. 

Call The Puffins​




​

View the Call the Puffins activity pack or download it here. ​

​A blog on the inspirations for Call the Puffins for the Federation of Children's Book Groups. 

​Read it here. 

Let's Perform - Monologues

The children really enjoy performing the drama scripts, which are also great springboards for further fun activities. Here are some more suggestions for ways to use the texts alone, in pairs or larger groups. 
In Goal Again:
Mime
In pairs or small groups
  • Without speaking, act out a sport in slow motion. Think about exaggerating your facial expressions – what does your face do when you miss a goal or hit a ball really hard?
  • Try speeding up or slowing down, like in a film.
  • See if the rest of the group can guess what sport you are playing.


Friendship Stop:
Imagine​
  • Being new is hard. Think of some different pets in their new homes, looking around, getting used to new things. What would they be thinking? Are they scared? Excited? With a partner, discuss some ideas.
  • Now create a scene.
  • Choose a pet and decide how they would feel in their new home.
  • Person 1: You are the new pet. You will be miming so don’t speak. You walk around the house, looking at things, sniffing things. Image what might be around you.
  • Person 2: You will be the pet’s inner-voice, telling us what the pet is thinking as it moves around the house. Are you in a cage, in a house, a barn? How are you feeling?
  • The pair must work together, listening to and watching one another.


Tudor Day:
Write a Monologue
  • You have come to school in costume on the wrong day and there’s no spare uniform that fits. You will have to spend the whole day dressed up.
  • First, in small groups or with the whole group, think of some really crazy costumes you could be stuck wearing. Maybe you thought it was World Book Day or Red Nose Day. Are you the type of person who would feel embarrassed? Or would you just find it hilarious?!
  • Now create your own monologue of 1-2 paragraphs, describing what happened on the day you wore a ridiculous costume to school.
  • Try performing it to a few of your classmates – if you can memorise it that would be fantastic.


Art Trip:
Breaking News!
Small groups
  • A very famous picture is stolen from a gallery. In groups, make up a live news report, starting with the burglars sneaking inside the gallery. Were the burglars caught or are they still on the run?
  • Write and Act out the news report in groups. Maybe one of you could be in the News Anchor in the studio and one of you is reporting live from the scene of the crime? Other characters could include, a detective, a gallery assistant, an art critic, or maybe the person who works in the gallery gift shop.


My Strange Guinea Pig:
News Article
  • Another unlikely animal has plans for world domination. Think of some animals that you’d least expect to try and take over the world. The more harmless the animal, the funnier it will be!
  • On your own, write a short newspaper article telling the story. Which animal is it? What are their motives? How will they do it? Should we all panic?
  • Think of a catchy headline, e.g. ‘Guinea Pigs Attack!’ A picture would be great as well.


Rabbit:
Improvise
In pairs
  • One of you is the rabbit owner and one is the rabbit thief.
  • Improvise a scene where you are both trying to claim the rabbit is yours. Why would the thief think they should have the rabbit? Who would be more upset?


Boy in the Choir:
Improvise
  • Imagine you have to do Scottish Country Dancing with people you don’t know. 
  • In small groups, improvise the scene. Is it awkward? Does one person think they are much better than everyone else? What could go wrong?
  • Remember, Scottish Country Dancing is usually done in pairs. It would be great if you could find some music for this as well.


Bridesmaid Day:
Mime
  • You are given a bright yellow knitted jumper by an elderly relative. You decide not to wear it but to use it in a different way.
  • What other ways could you use the jumper? Make a list on your own.
  • Take it in turns to mime what you are doing with the jumper. See if anyone can guess what you are doing!


Nit:
Present
Small groups
Where do nits go on holiday?
  • In groups of three or four, share some ideas – what are nits interested in? What do they enjoy doing? How do they relax?
  • Now, in your group, design a new holiday destination for nits. If you have time you could draw a picture.
  • Present your idea to the rest of the group: Remember to explain your reasons for designing this holiday destination and why you think nits would enjoy really enjoy it.
Under the Bed:
Group improvisation
  • Everyone Imagine you are creatures living under the bed, thinking about what the human world is up to. What animal are you? What do you see around you?
  • Improvise with your class. You are all creatures living under the same bed, but you’re all meeting for the first time. Stay in character, introduce yourself to each other; talk to each other about your life under the bed and the human world. How did you end up under the bed in the first place?


Dinner Lady Dog Disaster:
Hot Seat
  • Mum comes up to school to see the dinner lady to apologise again. Choose someone in the class to be the dinner lady and Hot Seat her.
  • Ask her questions as a group: she must stay in character. What is she really planning? Will you have to do something to show how sorry you are?


The Healthy Lunch:
Perform
Small groups
  • The ingredients in a sandwich are all having an argument. What would sandwich fillings fight about? Is the lettuce being squashed by the tomato? Is the cheese too pongy or the salami more popular than the other fillings?
  • In groups of 3 or 4, write their conversation and perform it for the group. Remember, to squish very close together!

​The Maths Genius:
Present
In pairs
  • Write a list of ways to get rid of Brian and, with a partner, plan your most ingenious ways.
  • Design, together, an ingenious and complex machine or plot and present your idea to the rest of your class.


The Dull Part:
Perform
In pairs
  • Using a spider diagram, come up with some ideas for a new baddie. What are they called? What do they wear?
  • Share your ideas for a new baddie with a partner. Together, come up with an idea for a meeting between the two baddies somewhere unexpected; the supermarket? The park? Alton Towers? Write their conversation and perform your script.


Bat:
Improvise
Small groups
  • Improvise the whole story of the bat being found at night.
  • How many characters do you need? Will you need any props?


Foxes:
Narrating
  • There’s a fox in your house. It got in the back door. You must find it and shoo it out!
  • Slowly make your way inside, telling us every action you take and all the places you are searching. Try this in pairs, with one of you as the fox, trying to hide!


Broken Leg:
Make up a game
Pairs or small groups
  • In this monologue, Sasha makes up games about invisible rabbits. In pairs or small groups, see if you can make up a new game that includes animals. Think about some you already know, like dead fishes, leap frog, and what’s the time Mister Wolf?
  • Maybe the rabbits have to escape a patrolling fox. You could use paper circles to show their burrows. Teach your game to the rest of the class.


Detention:
Staying in character
Whole group
  • Pretend you are all in detention. Either the teacher or a student must pretend to be the teacher supervising detention.
  • Write a selection of characters on post-it notes (always well-behaved, scared of sitting on a chair, laughs too much), one each for the whole class. Now everyone picks one out of a hat and must be that character. Improvise a scene with everyone staying in character. The teacher can give orders and ask questions, for example, ‘stand up and say your times tables’, ‘tell me why you are in detention.’
  • At the end everyone must try to guess who had which character.


Albert:
Write a monologue
  • Write a short monologue (1-2 paragraphs) from the teacher’s point of view.
  • Why is Albert always so naughty? Are you tired of children talking over you all the time? What would you rather be doing? Are you really dreaming about being on a desert island where there are no naughty children?
Find out more about Let's Perform

Let's Perform - Duologues

The children really enjoy performing the drama scripts, which are also great springboards for further fun activities. Here are some more suggestions for ways to use the texts, in pairs or larger groups. 
Highwayman and Scooter Kid:
Improvise
In pairs or small groups
  • The scooter kid takes the Highwayman home for tea and shows him round. What happens? Is there anything that might scare the Highwayman – a toaster? A pet? How would he react to new technology? What would he enjoy?
  • Improvise the scene with a partner. If you have a small group, one or two of you could be parents or maybe a little brother or sister.


Lion’s Den:
Write a duologue
In pairs
  • You have fallen into an animal enclosure and the animal is really pleased you came. It could be that they are very lonely and happy to have some company, or it could be that they are just very hungry.
  • Write the conversation with a partner: Which animal enclosure have you fallen into? Is the animal a meat-eater? Are they friendly?
  • Act out the scene in your pairs.


Rapunzel at the Hairdressers:
Write and draw
Whole group
  • The list of things that could get stuck in Rapunzel’s hair is endless! Make a list as a group.
  • Think of some funny ways these things got stuck in her hair in the first place. Do some drawings to go with your ideas.


Danny and Nipper:
Write a duologue
In pairs
  • A bully has to ask for help. Their kite is lodged in a tree or something has dropped down a well.
  • Make two versions of the scene; one where the bully gets what he/she wants and the other where something happens to stop the bully getting what they want.


Frog Prince at the Garden Centre:
Make a list
Small groups
  • A witch has put a spell on you. What is the spell? Has she turned you into something else? Has she changed your voice to a dog’s bark?
  • In small groups, think of a really wicked or funny spell to cast on someone. Then make a list of unusual spell-reversing equipment and where to get it from.


Beavils
Discussion
Whole group
  • Discuss the following questions as a group:
  1. When is it ever OK to lie?
  2. When was the last time you told a lie?
  3. What’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told?


Mermaid in the Fish and Chip Shop:
Persuade
In pairs
  • You go for a job interview as a mermaid/sea monster. Are you suitable?
  • In pairs, one of you as the mermaid/sea monster, one as the interviewer, improvise a scene. The interviewer must decide on what the job is and come up with some questions.
  • The mermaid/sea monster must persuade the interviewer that they are the right creature for the job.

Scout Camp:
Write a duologue
In pairs
  • Discuss in pairs or as a group: What are you scared of? What things do you find really creepy? Spiders? Shadows?
  • Write a duologue with a partner that includes one of these ideas and is set in a dark place. Is there really anything to be scared of in the end?
Mrs. Smith goes to the Doctors:
Write a duologue
In pairs
  • The Big Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood meet in the forest but she is much scarier than the wolf. Write the duologue between Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. What does Red Riding Hood do?
  • Perform the duologue for the class. See if you can do it without your script.


The Burglar:
Hot Seat
Whole group
  • A strange burglar only burgles things that no one wants like empty crisp packets and worn out rubber bands. What is he doing with them? Think of some ideas on your own.
  • No one person must be the burglar and decide what unwanted thing he’s stealing and what he’s doing with the stolen goods.
  • The rest of class must ask the burglar ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions to work out what he’s stealing and what he’s doing with it. Really listen to the answers to try and work it out.


Cake Story:
Discussion
Whole group
  • How should how should 'the cake eater' be punished? Think of an unusual but suitable punishment.
  • Make a list of unusual but suitable punishments, and then discuss them as a group, as if you are in a meeting of experts on children.


Football Bully:
Write a duologue
In pairs
  • Two cats are having an argument on a wall. Choose names for them. Maybe their families have always argued.
  • What happens?
  • Write a duologue between the two angry cats.


Rescuing Spider:
Improvise
Follow-on activity from the activity in the book.
  • Improvise the scene of finding the treasure from the moment when you start to dig.
  • What happens when you find the treasure? Will you share it or fight over it?


Lion and Zebra:
Make a Map
Whole group
  • On your own - All the locks in the zoo are broken. Some of the animals aren’t even in cages at all but scattered in other parts of the zoo. Make a map of the zoo and write the phone call to the zookeeper with instructions for how to get animals safely back in cages and survive.
  • As a group – One of you is making the phone call and giving instructions and one of you is the panicked zookeeper. Everyone else pretend to be the escaped animals! Improvise this scene.


Doctor’s Appointment:
Write a duologue
In pairs
  • The vampire is about to go in and see the Doctor. The Pepperami isn’t working as well as it did, so the Doctor must prescribe the vampire something else.
  • Write a duologue with a partner and act out the scene. Remember that the vampire is a very dramatic character!
  • Perform your duologue for the group.
Find out more about Let's Perform
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