Respect My Friends
Book: Something Else by Kathryn Cave
Begin with an activity based on the differences and similarities in the story, eg. move around the room and then move to a part of the room if you have a brother, if you have brown hair, etc. Then bring children back together and discuss how there were some times when they were similar to each other, and some when different. If as a teacher you give any personal insight or examples this will help discussion.
Potential extension activity:
Hot Seating in small groups
Freeze Frames using think, say, feel bubbles
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS:
Why do they treat Something Else differently?
Why is he not like them?
Why do you think that they have said he is ‘not like us’?
Why don’t they include him?
Why does Something Else tell the new creature, Something to leave?
Why does Something Else change his mind?
Why do you think they welcome the boy who arrives at the end?
Is there a time where Something Else is similar to his friends at school?
Is there a time where Something Else is similar to the new creature called Something?
Is there a time where Something Else is similar to the boy at the end?
What things about us might be weird to some people? (e.g. the food we eat, games we play, how we look)
When you want to be friends with people, do you ever do the things that they do?
How do we include others?
Thinking Skills
ENQUIRY
• Ask relevant questions
• Ask different types of questions and decide how to find answers
• Draw conclusions
PROBLEM SOLVING
• Consider a range of possible solutions
CREATIVE THINKING
• Discover and make connections through play and experimentation
• Ask ‘why’, ‘how’, ‘what if’ or unusual questions
• Try alternatives or different approaches
INFORMATION PROCESSING
• Understand what is relevant information
• Talk about and recognise similarities
• Use first hand experiences and simple information sources to answer questions
• Summarise information
REASONING
• Use the language of sequence
• Recognise and challenge assumptions
• Use the language of similarity and difference
EVALUATION
• Use given criteria to make judgements
• Express their own views, opinions and preferences
• Evaluate the quality of an outcome
RESOURCES
Book: Something Else by Kathryn Cave
Create question cards from the suggestions (working wall)
