Using Whizzy’s Incredible Journeys in the classroom.
Whizzy’s Incredible Journeys is an exciting big book adventure, thoughtfully written and illustrated to introduce young learners to Whizzy, the water cycle, and Waterwise behaviours.
IDEAS FOR EARLY YEARS: PREP TO YEAR 3
1. Read with enthusiasm and excitement in order to help children develop a relationship with the fictional character Whizzy as a means to engage them and deepen their knowledge about the uniqueness of water and our need to conserve this precious resource.
2. The ‘big book’ format allows for focus lessons with the whole class as well as for lessons with small groups. When reading Whizzy's Incredible Journeys it is best to rest the book on an easel that has been placed in a position where all students have a clear view of the illustrations and the text.
3. Read each journey a few times for ‘enjoyment’ before you expect students to respond to the text. If you are gathering evidence about their understanding, ensure they are very familiar with the book.
4. Remember to pause after reading each page and allow the students time to engage with the story and the details within the illustrations (visual literacy).
5. As well as the ideas within the Water: Learn it for life! units, other great ways for children to engage with Whizzy's Incredible Journeys include:
· Story Maps – After re-reading one of Whizzy’s journeys, model to the children how to draw a story map of Whizzy’s travels. Use pictures and arrows to build a cyclical map. Children can be encouraged to draw their own. Students can then compare their maps to the poster on pg 48.
· Retell – Young children may like to make small puppets of the characters and retell their favourite part of the story.
· Buddy reading – Invite older children (who may also be involved in Waterwise units) to read some of Whizzy's Incredible Journeys with the younger students. Give them a few questions to discuss with their buddy when they are finished. You may then wish to organise for buddies to assist with a Waterwise lesson (ie science experiment, water walk, etc)
· Dramatisations – On their own or with a partner, provide character props for children to act out one of Whizzy’s journeys.
· Soundscapes – Display page 6 and 7 and use different instruments and sounds to illustrate Whizzy’s journey from the cloud to the family’s house. The students can record themselves reading the words with the sounds.
· Six o’clock news – Select students to pretend to be Whizzy and some of the other characters such as Dad, Ben, Bella, the horse and the tree. Use a few key props to help children ‘get into role’. Then with the rest of the class as the audience, use a microphone to interview the characters about the events of the day. This works best if you, as the interviewer, can dress-up too! You may also wish to invite the audience to ask some questions once you get going.
STOP AND LEARN - FOCUS PAGES
The following pages can be used as poster style resources for discussion and investigation into specific water and resource sustainability concepts. “STOP AND LEARN” focus pages are an excellent resource for focused learning times, transition games, or left open on display as part of a science or special interest centre.
· Page 1 – Bird’s Eye View of Our Water
This is a great page for helping young learners identify and discuss many of the key elements of the Water: Learn it for life! units.
Water properties – Can you see water in different forms? Liquid (ponds, lakes, rivers); gas (as vapour in the cloud); ice (not drawn but children can make predictions eg, on mountains in winter, hail etc)
Water sources – How many different water sources can you spot in the picture?
Water to live – Name all the things in the picture that need water to be alive?
Water Uses – What are some of the ways that water is being used or could be used in this picture? Eg transport, drinking, bathing, swimming, water tank for garden, pool, etc.
Waterwise ideas – Can you see anything in the picture that people are doing to try and save water? (Eg water tank, tap is not left dripping, sign to remind everyone). What other things have we read or seen in this book that help us save water? (Water timer on shower, plug in basin when shaving, Whizzy’s song, recycling water onto garden, etc)
· Page 6 and 7 – This is a simplified version of the water cycle
Children in the middle and upper primary years may build on this simple version to investigate elements of the cycle in greater detail. Young children will enjoy using their bodies and perhaps some made up sound effects, to re-enact this part of the journey.
· Page 11 – What would we do without water?
What did Dad, Ben and Bella think would happen if they didn’t have water? Discuss with children what their day would be like without water? You may suggest that your students could illustrate and record their ideas.
· Page 48 – Whizzy’s Incredible Journey overview
This page summarises the cyclical nature of water and emphasises the way in which water is reused and recycled over and over.
· Page 49 – Whizzy’s song
The lyrics of Whizzy’s song are catchy and the children will love singing it as they engage in water routines and activities such as washing hands, flushing the loo, filling water bottles and turning off dripping taps. They will also love singing it to parents, friends and school staff as a celebration of what they are learning about Waterwise behaviours.
· Inside front cover
Contains information explaining which parts of Whizzy’s make-believe stories really happen, as water travels through the water cycle.