The activity involves students reading the story "The Gruffalo" together in class. Then in groups, students write an additional animal character and dialogue for it to have with the mouse and Gruffalo. Groups present their additions to the class. The goal is for students to practice reading, writing, speaking and collaboration skills while engaging with an adapted version of the well-known story.

1. The Gruffalo By Julie
Donaldson
Irene Borrego

2. Activity
Name of the activity The Gruffalo
Age of children and level 7 years old / 2nd primary
Skills Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking
Software used Power Point, Slideshare
Description of the activity The students have to read the story with the teacher in
class. The text has been adapted from the original one.
Then in groups, they need to write an extra animal and
write down the dialogue between their animal, the mouse
and the Gruffalo. The idea is that the groups are mixed so
that they can help each other. However, the patterns and
the structures are repeated all over the story and the
students can use it as a template too. The most advanced
ones can always add more complicated grammar and
vocabulary. Once the teacher has revised what they have
written, in their groups they practice and act it out in front
of the class.

3. ONCE UPON A TIME…

4. • A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark woods.
• A fox saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.
• “Where are you going to, Little Brown mouse?” said
the Fox “Come and have lunch with me”.
• “You are very kind, Fox, but I’m going to have lunch
with the Gruffalo” –explained the mouse. “It has
terrible tusks, terrible claws and terrible teeth and his
favourite food is roasted Fox”.
• “I MUST GO! Bye Little mouse!” said the Fox.
• “Doesn’t he know? There’s no such thing as a
Gruffalo”.

5. • On went the mouse, through the deep dark woods.
• An owl saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.
• “Where are you going to, Little Brown mouse?” said the owl “Come and have lunch with me”.
• “You are very kind, owl, but I’m going to have lunch with the Gruffalo” –explained the mouse. “It
has huge toes, knobbly knees and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. And his favourite food is
owl ice-cream”.
• “I MUST GO! Bye Little mouse!” said the owl.
• “Doesn’t he know? There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo”.

6. • On went the mouse, through the deep dark woods.
• A snake saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.
• “Where are you going to, Little Brown mouse?” said
the snake “Come and have lunch with me”.
• “You are very kind, snake , but I’m going to have
lunch with the Gruffalo” –explained the mouse. “His
eyes are orange, his tongue is black and he’s got
purple spikes all over his back. And his favourite
food is scrambled snake”.
• “I MUST GO! Bye Little mouse!” said the snake.
• “Doesn’t he know? There’s no such thing as a
Gruffalo”.

7. • “Oh!” –said the mouse- “What’s this
creature? He’s got terrible claws,
terrible tusks and terrible teeth. Oh
no! He’s got knobbly knees, huge toes
and a poisonous wart at the end of
his nose. Oh my! He’s got orange
eyes, a black tongue and spikes all
over his back. It’s a Gruffalo!” – the
mouse screamed.
• “My favourite food!” – the Gruffalo
said- “you taste good on a slice of
bread”.
• “I’m the scariest creature in these
Woods” –said the mouse- “Walk
behind me and you’ll see”.
•
• “All right” –answered the Gruffalo.

8. • “I can hear a hiss in the leaves
ahead” – said the Gruffalo.
• “It’s the snake” –said the mouse-
“Hi snake!”
• The snake took a look at the
Gruffalo and said: “Goodbye
little mouse!” and off he sled.
• “You see! I told you so!” – the
mouse said to the Gruffalo.
• “Amazing!” –replied the
Gruffalo.

9. • They walked some more until the
Gruffalo said: “I hear a hoot in the
leaves ahead”.
• “It’s the owl” –said the mouse- “Hi
owl!”
• The owl took a look at the
Gruffalo and said: “Goodbye little
mouse!” and off he flew.
• “You see! I told you so!” – the
mouse said to the Gruffalo.
• “Amazing!” –replied the Gruffalo.

10. • They walked some more until the Gruffalo said: “I can hear
some feet on the path ahead”
• “It’s the fox –said the mouse- “Hi fox!”
• The fox took a look at the Gruffalo and said: “Goodbye little
mouse!” and off he ran.
• “Well, you see! Everyone is afraid of me. And I’m starving, my
favourite food is Gruffalo crumble” – the mouse said to the
Gruffalo.
• “Gruffalo crumble?” –replied the Gruffalo. And quick as the
wind, turned and fled.

11. • “Well, you see! Everyone is afraid of me. And I’m
starving, my favourite food is Gruffalo crumble” –
the mouse said to the Gruffalo.
• “Gruffalo crumble?” –replied the Gruffalo. And quick
as the wind, turned and fled.
• Always quiet in the deep dark woods.
• The mouse found a nut, and the nut was good.

13. Conclusion
• The students have to practice their Reading and listening skills first. The
teacher will ask questions to make sure they have understood the story.
• Afterwards, they have to work in groups to produce their own material and
share it with the class.
• The activity has been adapted to make sure the students find the task
motivating instead of doing a Reading from a book and fulfiling some
exercises about it.
• The idea is that the different formats and parts of the activity allow the
students to work collaboratively and Little by Little they can achieve a
better degree of self-esteem and that they trust in their abilities.