Objectives

1. Recall information about Zimbabwe, Africa, elephants, and the Women of Akashinga.
2. Demonstrate understanding of the story and facts included in ‘The Elephants You Will Never Forget.’
3. Examine and debate issues of poaching and the use of elephants, as well as the Women of Akashinga.
4. Estimate the facts about the size of elephants and the land on which they live.
5. Formulate an evaluate a plan to help the elephants, as well as the people in Africa, who stop the poaching of elephants and other endangered animals.

Materials:

Piece of colorful sea glass

1. Digital sound of an elephant
2. Map of Zimbabwe
3. Visual and audio clip of elephants in Africa
4. Clips of Damien Mander and the Brave Ones (Women of Akashinga)
   YouTube: National Geographic Documentary Akashinga – The Brave Ones
   YouTube: 60 Minutes Australia The Women of Akashinga
   ** teacher shows what he/she feels appropriate for students

6. Apple Music: or www.musicalyogaadventures.com
Musical Yoga Adventures – Linda Lara – I Am Strong, and I Am Free

7. Animated clips: When I See An Elephant Fly, Dumbo (Disney) YouTube;    Colonel Hathi’s March (The Elephant Song), The Jungle Book (Disney) YouTube

8. Information on WWF: Adopt An Elephant 

9. Examples of Babar the Elephant, Horton, as well as images/information on Ganesh (elephant worshipped in Indian culture)

10. Facts about the size of elephants, as well as the land on which they live

Procedure:

1. Show a piece of sea glass. “Do you know what this is? Where did it come from?” Discussion.
2. “Listen to this sound. Can you identify it? “ Allow students to answer.
3. “Now I would like you to look at this map of Zimbabwe, Africa. Please say the name with me”. Discussion. Show that Zimbabwe is not near an ocean.
4. “Today we are going to read a book about elephants in Zimbabwe, and a boy, named Imari. It is called ‘The Elephants You Will Never Forget,’ by Jackie Marston. Let’s see how the sea glass, the elephant sound, and the Zimbabwe map all connect”. Read the story, and discuss.
5. Show short teacher-previewed clips about the Women of Akashinga (The Brave Ones), and relate them to Imari’s mother. Talk about the women’s instinct to protect, as well as the elephants’.
6. Play “I Am Strong, and I Am Free.” Try the yoga poses from the directions on the Musical Yoga Adventures website or the attached document. Stand in rows so students have enough space to do the yoga poses. As the teacher, you may stand up front and lead the movements.
7. Go over facts about elephants, such as their weight and height, how the male elephants like to be alone, and the female elephants stay together in herds for their whole lives. Elephants are seed dispersers, just like bees. Also discuss the good memories of elephants, and talk about what elephants like to eat (grasses, fruits, bamboo, jackfruit, coconut, etc.) They do NOT like to eat peanuts! Discuss the amount of land on which they prefer to graze (much of this information is in the book ‘The Elephants You Will Never Forget’).
   Another interesting fact: elephants possess something called ‘seismic vibration/localization’. They can locate and signal each other, using their trumpet sounds and stomping with their feet. Scientists have found that if they want elephants to stay in one area, they can set up vibration sensors to help the elephants stay in a safe place.
8. “Now, let’s look at elephants in a different way!” Show  2 Disney clips. Talk/show photos of Babar, Horton, and also Ganesh. Discussion.
9. Make up math problems for the students to solve. For example, elephants need a large amount of land to roam (sanctuaries). How many acres is 20,000 hectares? How many pounds of grass does an elephant eat in one day? How many gallons of water? Compare to how much food humans should eat per day and how much water a human might consume.
   Set up an experiment where one person stomps or makes a vibrational sound, and measure how far other students can go, to be able to hear/feel the vibrations.
10. “It would be nice if elephants were made, just for us to enjoy and watch. But some people, called poachers, do not respect elephants and try to kill them using their tusks to make money. Tusks used to be wanted for: ivory piano keys, shirt buttons, billiard balls, handles for knives, forks, and spoons, as well as the artwork. Some African people also do not want the animals to eat their crops, so they kill them”.
11. “How can we help the elephants from becoming an endangered species? Can we come up with ideas on how the elephants can live peacefully? How can we let others know about the good qualities of elephants?” Discussion.
12. Make a list of students’ ideas. Then show the students the WWF Adopt An Elephant website and program. Discussion. Formulate a plan!

Vocabulary Words

elephant, enormous, Zimbabwe, Akashinga, poachers, hectare, sanctuary, seismic, conservation, respectful, teamwork

Note: This lesson plan would naturally be broken up into 3 or 4 segments so that the students can learn, using an inquiry and research approach, helping them better retain what they are learning.

Feel free to use these activities to accompany the ‘The Elephants You Will Never Forget’ book, in any way that works for your students, or for you, as a teacher. This approach helps get all the students involved, giving them more confidence. As an edition, always encourage the students to draw and create pictures and find authentic African music that the class might like to hear. Enjoy!