Writing Activities: Year 6

African elephant

African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They are slightly larger than their Asian cousins, and the two can be distinguished by the interesting fact that their larger ears are a similar shape to the continent of Africa. Its long nose (its trunk) is used for smelling, breathing, drinking, trumpeting, and also for grabbing things – especially a tasty treat to eat. Its trunk contains about 40,000 muscles. They also have have two finger-like features on the end of their nose, which they can use to grab small items.

In this clip, we will see a young elephant named Safina charging at birds – just one of the useful skills that Safina needs to learn.

Literacy Idea

Write a diary entry from the perspective of Safina, the young elephant in the clip.

You should include the following details:

• Talk about the important events that happened to you throughout the day
• Describe the places you have been and the animals you have seen
• Talk about your feelings
• Talk about what you would like to happen tomorrow
• Remember to write in the past tense

Wider Curriculum Idea

Use these 10 facts about elephants from wwf.org.uk to create a true or false quiz to test your friends and family. Make sure you write down the correct answers so you can check whether they are correct!