Fiction: Key Stage 1
This July, our Class Audiobook of the Month dives into the hilarious and imaginative world of Baby Aliens Got My Teacher by Pamela Butchart. The story follows Izzy and her friends, who are convinced that their teacher, Miss Jones, has been taken over by aliens. The group notices strange behaviour, such as Miss Jones suddenly being overly nice and the mysterious appearance of baby aliens around the school. Determined to save their teacher and uncover the truth, the kids embark on a wild adventure filled with suspense, humor, and unexpected twists.
Classroom Discussion
After listening to the story, here are some discussion points for your class:
1. Character Analysis: Discuss the main characters in the story. How do Izzy and her friends react to the strange events at their school? What qualities make them good friends and detectives?
2. Theme Exploration: What are the central themes of the book? How does the author use humour to address fear and the unknown? Discuss the theme of friendship and teamwork.
3. Plot Predictions: Were there moments in the story where you predicted what might happen next? What clues did the author give that led to your predictions?
4. Personal Connections: Have you ever experienced a time when something strange happened, and you had to figure out what was going on? Share your story and how you dealt with the situation.
Classroom Activities
Here are some fun activities you could do with the class after listening to the story:
1. Creative Writing: Imagine you are a student at Izzy's school and you start noticing strange behaviour in another teacher. Write a short story about your adventure in uncovering the mystery.
2. Art Project: Draw your interpretation of what the baby aliens in the story look like. Create a classroom gallery to display everyone’s artwork.
3. Role Play: In groups, reenact a favorite scene from the book. Focus on how the characters react to the unfolding mystery and work together to solve it.
4. Science Experiment: Conduct a simple science experiment to understand basic principles of space and aliens. This could involve creating your own “alien” slime or learning about planets and stars.
5. Discussion Circle: Hold a discussion circle where students can share their favorite parts of the story and explain why they liked them. Encourage students to listen respectfully and build on each other's ideas.
6. Book Review: Have students write a review of *Baby Aliens Got My Teacher*. They can rate the book, summarise the plot, and describe what they enjoyed most about the story.
'Baby Aliens Got My Teacher' provides plenty of opportunities for laughter, learning, and creative expression. Through these discussions and activities, students will not only enjoy the story but also develop critical thinking and teamwork skills. Happy listening!
