This lesson plan for A1 level primary learners aged 9 to 10 years old explores racism, prejudice and tolerance.

This is a series of activities and related worksheets for you to download and use with the storybook Tusk Tusk. Learners will make a poster on elephants and give a presentation of the story. It forms part of the Promoting diversity through children's literature series, produced by the British Council Teaching Centre in Paris.

Age

9-10 years old

Level

A1

About the story 

Tusk Tusk is excellent book to introduce racism, prejudice and tolerance to children. It is a story about a time when elephants came in two colours: black or white. They loved all other creatures – but each set wanted to exterminate the elephants that were not the same as themselves. Peace-loving elephants ran and hid in the deepest jungle, and battle commenced. The war-mongers succeeded in annihilating each other. For a long time it seemed that there were no elephants in the world at all, not of any colour. But then the descendants of the peace-loving ones emerged from the jungle, who were now all grey.

Language areas

  • Numbers
  • African and Asian elephants
  • Adjectives and opposites
  • Comparatives 

Diversity themes

  • Developing awareness of similarities and differences
  • Developing tolerance
  • Becoming aware of racism and prejudice
  • Developing curiosity 

Main outcomes

  • Doing a project using the internet and producing a poster on elephants
  • Singing a song: 'Peace loving song' based on 'We are the world'
  • Giving a presentation of the story

Tusk Tusk, David McKee, Andersen Press, ISBN 978 184 270 579 7

Story notes by Nayr Ibrahim

The materials form part of the Promoting diversity through children's literature series, produced by the British Council Teaching Centre in Paris. You can download materials for five sessions of around three hours each. The materials include:

  • A sequence of activities – a plan for you to follow
  • Worksheets – for you to print and use with your learners

Research and insight

Browse fascinating case studies, research papers, publications and books by researchers and ELT experts from around the world.

See our publications, research and insight