Teaching Ideas

The following is a list of suggested ideas for using ‘Shadrach the Lion’ in an Early Years and Primary setting.

Early Years Activities

  • Using Playdough, let the children create Shadrach – each child can be provided with a laminated picture of Shadrach to place their Playdough on.
  • Colour Shadrach and/or use tissue paper to create a 3D Shadrach
  • Small World Play Area – Create each of the characters on sticks (these can be drawn by the children) and provide them with a small bag, suitcase, shelf, costumes to re-enact the story using the puppets.
  • Mime the different games that the children played with Shadrach. Discuss the jobs and roles that these people play – e.g doctor, pilot, builder, shopkeeper.
  • Matching game – use pictures of Shadrach dressed in different roles (doctor, shopkeeper) and get the children to match the pictures. Play ‘go fish’.
  • Dressing up costumes
  • PSHE activities on feelings – Have the children create the facial expressions that Shadrach would have had during the story – sad, excited, happy, nervous, worried, relieved.
  • Focus on kindness and sharing
  • Discuss –  what makes us happy? How can we make other people happy?
  • Circle time/develop imagination – What would you do with Shadrach? What adventure would Shadrach have with you?

Primary – Key Stage 1

  • Retell the story to a partner.
  • Reorder the story/story sequencing – using pictures from the book, can the children put the story in the correct order? Use a washing line to hang the pictures up.
  • Get the children to create a tune for Shadrachs song.
  • Rhyming words – Ask the children to collect all the words that rhyme and make a rhyming dictionary.
  • Match the rhyming words and create more words that rhyme.
  • Adjectives – The little girl ‘skipped into the room’. How else could the little girl have entered the room?
  • Character Descriptions
  • Timeline of events
  • Write a prequel to the book – Why is Shadrach sat on the shelf?
  • Ask the children to write a new story about Shadrach and his new home, or new adventure.
  • Shadrach plays a game using sticks – Can the children create a game that uses sticks? Write instructions for the game to give to a friend.
  • Draw and describe someone that is special to you.
  • Circle Time/PSHE – Use the story to discuss what makes us happy, how we can make others happy, sharing and kindness.
  • Give them opportunities to develop their imagination through role play. What other adventures could Shadrach have -could he visit the moon?  The ideas are endless!