Draw Gerald the Elephant
From Kennedy Center: Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems · 2020
20 minPre-KK1st2ndReading & Writing (ELA)
Summary
In Episode 2, Mo draws Gerald the Elephant from the Elephant & Piggie series. He builds the big, gentle elephant out of simple shapes and encourages viewers to put their own spin on it -- Gerald doesn't have to look exactly like Mo's version.
Viewer safety
All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
- What makes Gerald look like a "kind" elephant rather than a scary one? Point to specific things in the drawing.
- Gerald is Piggie's best friend. What does a best friend look like -- can you draw what kindness looks like on a face?
- Mo says everyone's Gerald looks different. Whose drawing in your class looks the most surprising to you, and why?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: illustrator, expression, character design, proportion.
Try it: Draw Gerald, then swap with a partner and each add one thing to the other's drawing (a hat, a feeling, a background). How does it change the character?