This was no ordinary day! A GIGANTIC leaf lay waiting patiently on Room 8's floor. It finally heard the excited chatter of children: Where did that come from? Wow, that must be the biggest leaf in the world. I've never seen such a huge leaf, Look at its prickles.......

And so it went on as new arrivals gathered around it.  It looks like food for a dinosaur, and so the herbivores moved in to "munch and crunch" on their favourite food. T-Rex followed soon after, eager to get his dinner too.

This lesson began as a result of a Maths lesson on symmetry with the children invited to find examples of symmetry in nature. But.... It became much more!

New vocabulary was explored and talking and writing followed. The lesson turned to Science: What are those lines (veins)? We have veins. What are they for? Why is it prickly?  Do we need plants? How does a plant get to grow so big? What are those caterpillars doing? Should we put them onto our school plants?

It enabled the children to use their imagination and engage in a shared experience. It could be used for a big umbrella. Who could lift it above their heads? A few were brave enough to try.

A truly integrated lesson. Here are a few examples from their writing.

"Look at a caterpillar that blends in. See! Look at the Dinosaurs chomping on it with their razor sharp teeth!" Cooper

"It was so bumpy. There were so many veins. It was bigger than a chair!" Ayden

"That's the biggest leaf I've ever seen!" Lily

"Wow! I said looking at the colossal leaf. I was like a Dinosaur munch. It could probably be an umbrella. It had massive veins, like seriously big. It was symmetrical as well. In my head I said, "Man that's one massive leaf" Ryder

"The leaf grew so big a herbivore could go crunch. The stalk was covered in prickles - ow! Its veins hold water. If someone swung it around I could dodge it. Crunch!" Angelica

Enjoy the photos!