Unit: “E is for Elephant!”
Letter Recognition and Phonological Awareness: E and e
The letter E is a vowel. It has two sounds - long and short. Long E says its name like, "Eeek! and Eagle"
The sound for short E is the sound we hear at the beginning of “elephant” and “egg.”
I know the sounds for E like “Eek! It's an elephant!”
Thematic Concepts:
Elephants are the largest land-living mammal in the world.
An adult elephant needs to drink around 210 liters of water a day. That is like drinking more than 100 big
bottles of Coke! An elephant uses its trunk to lift food and suck up water then put it into its mouth. An
elephant can use the tip of his trunk like a hand to pick up small things. Elephants can swim. Elephants
purr like cats do to communicate with each other. Elephants also bellow, trumpet and squeak!
Elephants cry, play and laugh. Only one mammal can’t jump — the elephant. But elephants can stand
on their tiptoes. Elephants are herbivores. They do not eat meat. They eat leaves, twigs, bamboo and
roots. An adult elephant is as big as our school bus! Elephants flap their ears when they are very angry
and when they are very happy and excited. An elephant’s heart weighs more than you do! (27-46 lbs.)
Vocabulary Building:
elephant egg elk end energy every Eddie eggshells elbow elf envelope evergreen tree
enchiladas echo elevator engineer (the person who drives a train)
ear earring eagle Easter
eel eraser evil eerie even easy eat eleven emu electric easel equal eager Elmo
Math Concepts:
Elephant Toss! (counting, subtraction)
Scintillating Science:
Elephant Facts; Float or Sink Eggsperiment; Egg Weight Lifting
Activities for Creative and Exploratory Skills:
Elmo Art, baby Elephant Art, Elephant Puppets, Elmer Art,
E Like Eagle, Eh Like Elephant, Eeek!,
Jelly Bean Math, Glue & Chalk Art, Earrings and What Comes Next?
Social Skills/Group Games:
Echo Game, The Eleven Game, One Elephant, and Elephant Tag!
Songs and Fingerplays:
“Ee Song” “The Elephant” “Elephant's Trunk” “Circus Elephant” “Elmo the Elephant”
“Do Your Ears Hang Low?” “Ellie's Scared” “An Enormous Elephant” “E is for Echo”
Read Aloud Books:
Elmer by David McKee
What to Do If An Elephant Stands On Your Foot by Michelle Robinson
The Ear Book by Al Perkins
Grandma Elephant’s In Charge by M. Jenkins
The Right Number of Elephants by J. Sheppard
The Biggest Nose by Kathy Caple
The Saggy, Baggy Elephant by K & B Jackson
Elephants of Africa by Gail Gibbons