Use this James and the Giant Peach KS2 planning to teach students about the importance of friendship through a range of activities. Then look into the science of James and the Giant Peach using an actual piece of fruit.
James and the Giant Peach has its fair share of sadness and angst. However, used sensitively it has much to teach us about the importance of friendship. We can also enjoy the lighter side of the tale with some creative activities.
This three-page document contains four cross-curricular classroom activities inspired by James and the Giant Peach.
James and the Giant Peach KS2 activities
You’ve got a friend
The children consider James’ friendlessness, and empathise with his predicament through an exercise in which they spend break time away from their usual friendship groups.
They then share how it felt to do so. They consider what their friends have previously done for them, and what it means to be a true friend to others.
Flying fruit
A physics activity that uses the giant peach’s journey across the Atlantic via seagull-assisted air travel as a starting point, the children think of ways to raise a representative ball of cotton wool from the surface of a table.
Dream homes
The children call to mind other stories featuring characters living in unusually oversized objects; they then use their imagination to come up with other objects that could serve as homes or modes of transport when enlarged, listing their advantages and disadvantages.
Comparing great characters
Children compare and contrast characters from different books, focusing on their personalities; this can then be extended into looking at how each character overcomes their personal difficulties, and whether this can be applied to to our own lives.
Dave Lewis is a former Teaching Award winner, has taught in primary schools in the UK for 18 years and is now a headteacher in Cyprus. He worked with the RSA on their Opening Minds project and has had education articles published in the UK and Europe. Browse more free Roald Dahl Day resources.
