Notes
| Synopsis | A strange creature arrives pulling a big suitcase and the other animals are curious to find out what is inside. |
| Lesson access | via url-link or QR-Code |
| Equipment | tablet, phone or laptop, internet connection, perhaps headphones |
| Resources | dictionary (online or paper), craft materials |
| Language Skills | listening, vocabulary (verbs), speaking (acting out) |
| Cross-curricular Links | citizenship, geography, art and design, music |
| Values | accepting and welcoming newcomers, trust, tolerance and kindness, displacement |
| World Event Day | World Refugee Day |
STEP 1: Look at the Cover
| Look & Describe | What creatures do you see on the front cover? Describe the creatures: their colour, their expressions, their posture, their feelings. |
| Listen& Identify | Close your eyes and listen to the sound from the picturebook trailer. Which sounds can you hear? Which musical instruments can you hear? How does the music make you feel? What do you think is happening? Link |
| Predict | Where do you think the creature with the suitcase has come from? Where do you think he is going? |
| Predict | What do you think is in the suitcase? Is it light or heavy? |
| Think | Think of 3 questions you would like to ask the blue creature. |
| Check | Look up the meaning of these verbs: to trust, to tell the truth, to lie. |
Step 2 and Step 3: Listen and Watch
| Part A | Listen and watch for general understanding and enjoyment. |
| Part B | Listen and watch again and answer the questions, pause and replay when you need to. |
| What did the strange animal look like when he arrived? Why? | |
| What is the first question the other creatures ask? | |
| What is in the suitcase? | |
| Do the other creatures believe him? Do you believe him? | |
| What do the creatures decide to do while the stranger is sleeping? | |
| Do they all agree this is the right thing to do? | |
| What do they find in the suitcase? What does the photograph represent? | |
| What does the stranger dream about while he is sleeping? | |
| Pause the video. What do you think the stranger is going to find when he wakes up? | |
| What did the other creatures do while he was asleep? How does this make them feel? Why? | |
| Pause the video. What do you think the tiny problem could be? | |
| What do you think the two pictures on the last page represent? |
Step 4: Add your Voice
| Review & notice | Watch the story again and notice the different colours in the illustrations and the dialogues. How do they help you understand the story and how do they make you feel? |
| Speculate | The strange animal has been travelling for a long time and come a long way from his home. Why do you think he has had to travel a long way from his home? |
| Watch | Watch the picturebook trailer (sound and images). What are the sound effects? Which part of the story does the trailer show? Was it what you expected? Link |
| Imagine | Imagine you suddenly had to leave your home. What would you put in your suitcase to remind you of home? |
| Review & Think | Which creature distrusts the stranger the most? Why do you think he does not trust him? |
| Act out | Act out the story using different voices for each of the creatures. |
| Draw & Translanguage | Use the Nosy Crow activity sheet to draw your home. What makes your home special and what would you miss about it if you had to leave? How do you say ‘home’ in the language(s) you speak? What about your classmates? Add the words to your drawing. Nosy Crow Download |
| Personalise | Has someone new ever arrived in your class or street? How did you feel? What did you do to welcome them? |
| Research | How many people are displaced in the world today? What are some of the reasons for this? |
| Your opinion | Which is your favourite part of the story? Why? |
| Think | What is the message of this story? |
Step 5: Share and Evaluate your work
| Share | Send your work to your teacher or share in your virtual classroom. |
| Evaluate | Complete the evaluation sheet to reflect on your learning. |
Need Help ?
Part A: Read and complete. You can write or say your answers. You can do this on your own, in pairs or in a class discussion.
Part B: Think about how well you did. Choose and draw the smiley face that fits best.
Want More?
| 1 | Watch children from Britain ask children questions about the refugee crisis. Link |
| 2 | Do you drink tea? If yes, what do you drink it in? Find out in which countries people drink tea. Design your own teacup. |
| 3 | How do you think the story continues? Choose one of the creatures and continue the story from his perspective or make an online comic strip. Link to Storyboard Tool |
Learn to draw the characters from The Suitcase with Chris Naylor-Ballesteros.
Learn Sign Language
If you enjoyed the read aloud, why not learn some Sign Language. Watch Leanne sign The Suitcase and learn how to sign: suitcase, tea cup, table and chair.
©Ellis, G. & Gruenbaum, T. for PEPELT 2020
The Suitcase by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros, published by Nosy Crow, 2019
Video © Nosy Crow
Picturebooks in European Primary English Language Teaching 