Did you know that elephants are the world’s largest land animals? Or that you can differentiate between species of elephants by looking at their ears?
Unfortunately, around 90 percent of African elephants have been wiped out in the last century from ivory trading, leaving the species endangered. Hunting and habitat loss have left most species of elephants endangered or critically endangered. Learning about them is the first step toward supporting groups that save the elephants.
Introducing thematic learning into the school week is a great way to inspire children to learn through interest-led activities, but it also helps them make connections and transfer knowledge across the content area.
Learn more about these amazing animals with these free activities and ideas.
KWL Graphic Organizer
A KWL chart is a great way to start a thematic unit. This type of graphic organizer captures children’s interest in a new topic by activating prior knowledge and helping them to learn how to organize new information. Display the chart and continually add to the information as children learn new facts about elephants.
K: What I already know
W: What I would like to know
L: What I learned
Fun Elephant Facts
Start your elephant unit with these fun and interesting facts!
- An elephant’s trunk is the most sensitive organ found in any mammal—and has around 15,000 muscle units!
- Elephants communicate a few different ways, one of which is seismic signals (vibrations) that they detect through their bones.
- Calves can stand up within 20 minutes of being born and can walk within an hour!
- Elephants are known for their excellent memory, which can be attributed to their temporal lobe being larger and denser than a human’s.
- Elephants are herbivores, meaning they eat plants and plant-based food.
- An elephant’s habitat varies depending on the part of the world it lives in. African elephants populate wetlands, savannas, forests, grasslands, and deserts, whereas Asian elephants live mostly in forests and grasslands.
- Elephants are very social, and typically form female-led groups. They play together often by wrestling and playing chase.
Project Ideas
Create a Diorama and Research Report
Dioramas are a fun DIY way to re-create an animal’s habitat. Using a shoebox for the base, and then construction paper, markers, scissors, glue, and other art materials for the interior, you can create a miniature model of an elephant’s home. Encourage children to get creative without using store-bought materials.
- Research your elephant species and its diet, habitat, and endangerment status.
- Collect plants, rocks, and other outdoor materials
- Create your own elephant figurines using playdough or clay
- Paint the inside of your shoebox to match your elephant’s habitat.
Have children write a research report on the type of elephant they chose. Some details to include are diet, habitat, behavior, dangers, and current population.
Researching Solutions to Save the Elephants
Research solutions and organizations that are helping elephants. Find organizations that dedicate themselves to saving elephants and see what you can learn from their websites. Researching solutions, donating time or money, and spreading awareness are just a few ways to start helping elephants. This is a great opportunity to show children how their actions and decisions can make a difference.
Free Elephant Activities
These free printable activities provide hands-on activities and reading units to help children learn about elephants.
Paper Tube Elephant Art (Grades K–3)
For this project you’ll need paper towel rolls, gray construction paper, and gray markers or colored pencils. For full instructions and the accompanying patterns, check out Paper Tube Zoo, an Evan-Moor activity book with reproducibles.
- Cover the paper tube with gray paper.
- Color the elephant patterns gray.
- Cut out the patterns and glue them to the paper tube to create your paper tube elephant!
Download your free elephant art here.
Elephant Shape Book (Grades K–2)
Read all about elephants with these book recommendations and then conduct writing exercises of your own! This activity provides a few different prompts for different writing levels and a shape-book elephant craft to present the writing!
Download your free elephant writing activity here.
Check out The Ultimate Shape Book for other animal-based activities.
Elephants Live Together (Grade 3)
This learning unit provides reading, writing, and other learning components all about elephants and how they live. The nonfiction-based unit also provides reading practice, followed by reading comprehension, to teach students real-life concepts and lessons.
Download your free elephant writing activity here.
Find other units like the one above in Nonfiction Reading Practice.
Paper Elephant Craft (Grades 1–6)
This fun paper craft only requires colored rectangular paper (5.5”x10”), black pen, scissors, and glue! In just a few simple steps, you can create a paper elephant!
- Fold the rectangle in half, hamburger style.
- At the bottom of the paper (the uncreased side) cut out a rounded section to create two legs, and a slanted line in front of it for the trunk.
- Use the rounded scraps as ears, and glue them to the top of the folded paper. Fold up the trunk and glue it into place.
- Cut a small slant at the top of the creased side for the tail and bend it up.
- Fold up the bottom of the legs for the feet, then use the pen to draw eyes.
Download your free elephant writing activity here.
For more folded-animal paper crafts, check out Folded Paper Projects (Grades 1–6).
Have fun learning about elephants, doing crafts, and learning about how we can save this endangered species!
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Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.