Here We Are
Here We Are
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ICEKit Pages
#5 Here We Are 1 / 13
Oliver Jeffers
(HarperCollins, 2017)
ICEKit Summary
This ICEKit accompanies the picturebook, Here We Are After reading aloud, the activities enable children to
by Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins, 2017). It enables children make a personalised response to the story and include
to explore Focal Field 1: socially responsible behaviour ideas to support opportunities to share their views
when interacting with others as well as Focal Field 3: about the picturebook’s message through drawings.
generating a sense of belonging and appreciating one’s Other activities include children describing differences
own as well as others’ heritage cultures. between children in their school and community while
focusing on similarities in the classroom, school and
The activities start by arousing children’s curiosity to
community, as well as creating a picture dictionary of
the story context using a 3D globe or the book trailer.
planet Earth to introduce it to an alien or creating a
The peritextual ponderings focus on questions
short dialogue and acting it out. The ICEKit culminates
around the visual triggers which help children predict
in the eTwinning Taking Action Cycle where children
the plot – learning about planet Earth, its
co-create a flyer with a poem or song and useful tips
landscapes, its inhabitants and their differences and
for preserving the planet through simple actions at
similarities – and gives them a real reason to listen
home, at school and in the wider community.
during the read-aloud.
ICEKit #5 • Page 1/13
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ICEKit | Part 1
By the end of the ICEKit task and activity cycles, » find different features in humans and animals for
children will have opportunities to: science and maths
» engage in respectful communication and interaction » take action in the community for citizenship
education and planet preservation
» find reflections of themselves and their way of living
» raise awareness of diversity and acceptance via the
picturebook illustrations and interactions with partner
schools
Language and Skills Outcomes
» reflect on and take action in environmental issues By the end of the ICEKit task and activity cycles,
children will have opportunities to:
» develop curiosity about, appreciate and respect other
people, cultures and lives Grammar & Lexis
»foster intercultural dialogue with others across » understand and use nouns and adjectives for
borders [eTwinning activities] describing landscapes and appearance (e.g. colour,
size, shape)
Cross-Curricular Outcomes
» understand and use lexical chunks to give personal
information
» understand and use lexical chunks to express
By the end of the ICEKit task and activity cycles,
preferences, possessions and abilities
children will have opportunities to:
» participate in role plays and dramatization (drama) » show general understanding by following read-alouds
» show detailed understanding during the second
»design and create an object using recycled
read-aloud by answering questions
materials for arts and crafts (art and design)
» » identify words and expressions in context ...
Listening
» show understanding by following instructions
» show understanding by responding to questions
during read-alouds and other activities
» identify keywords during read-alouds and in a song
Speaking
» respond to questions about appearance,
preferences and abilities
» describe own and others’ appearance, preferences
and abilities
» join in a song by singing the chorus or a verse
Writing
Preparation and materials settings in the book provide clues to different ways
of living.
For the ICEKit lesson(s), you need: » Children can notice how the colours reflect some
» Class copies of the picturebook diversity on planet Earth.
» A globe or Google Earth app Language and Skills
For the tasks and activities, you need: » Children have some experience of making
» Photographs of the solar system, landscapes from predictions in English based on visual input.
around the world, animals
» Children can understand but may give opinions in
» Art and crafts equipment: pencils, crayons, paints, the shared classroom language in response to the
paper, cardboards picturebook messages.
» A device (pc or tablet) to record children’s » Children will be able to recognise and use adjectives
performances during the roleplays and during the to describe outside places, people, animals.
song practice » Children will be able to recognise and use words
» Objects from daily life to be recycled in art and associated with lexical sets for descriptions e.g ,
craft landscapes, animals, parts of the body, adjectives. m
Picturebook summary
Story
Here We Are offers insights into planet earth. By contextualizing
human life and various life forms, it allows for a deeper
understanding of who and what we are as well as where planet
earth is located in the universe. Here We Are turns an elusive and
abstract phenomenon into comprehensive, meaningful and
tangible content. It opens with the earth as a planet located within
the great solar system. The picturebook continues to take a closer
look at Earth’s inhabitants: its people and animals come in many
different shapes, sizes and colours. We are also introduced to the
different landscapes, and we get an idea of life and diversity in the
sky, on land and under water. The verbal text fosters mutual respect
and acceptance by considering potential differences among people
(“...don’t be fooled, we are all people”). At the end, the reader is
prompted to consider once more earth’s scale and dimensions and
reminded to act in socially responsible ways and in connection with
each other as we are never alone.
Beyond Words
There is a unique feel to the dust jacket, similar to the land and the deep sea, the magic of the night sky.
holding something very precious in one’s hands. The soft, Jeffers uses handwritten lettering for labels or other
velvety feel suggests the first activity – letting children interesting information, and so there is lots to see and
touch the book, sparking interest through their senses. look for in each of these openings. There are just four
Could it symbolize the great value of (human) life and the double spreads that contain individual illustrations
significance of planet earth? scattered across a white page. These highlight
diversity on Earth... how different we all are, and how
Here We Are is richly illustrated in the well-known style
different animals are too. There is so much to look at
of Oliver Jeffers. Most openings are in full colour bleed,
in this picturebook that children will want to keep
right to the edge of the page. These openings depict
looking and looking! m
scenes and suggest the vastness of space, the variety of
Choose one of these context setting activities according » If you have the hardback copy, show (and let
to class interests, resources and time them feel) the dust jacket and ask the children
these questions:
Activity 1
1. Look at the title Here We Are and at the illustration.
» Show children a 3D globe or open Google Earth on Ask, What do you think 'Here' refers to?
an interactive panel or Interactive White Board.
2. No one lives here (...yet!). Where is 'here'?
» Ask children to share their ideas about what they can
3. Read out the blurb and show children Oliver Jeffers’
see and what the globe represents.
photograph holding his baby.
» Ask children where they would need to be to see the Ask: Who can you see in the picture?
planet like this with all these colours.
Peritextual ponderings 2: the front and back covers
» Collect the children’s ideas and write them on
of the hardback version
a poster containing the picture of planet Earth.
» Take the dustjacket off and let the children feel
OR the front and back covers to let them experience
the embossed stars.
Activity 2
Peritextual ponderings 3: the front endpapers
» Put children into pairs or small groups, hand out
flashcards photos of different landscapes, » Show the front endpapers. Point to the compass,
living creatures (humans, animals, plants), man-made and read the names of the constellations, translate
geographical elements, and ask them to guess where into own language(s) if necessary, and ask if any
they could find their picture / photo in the globe. children have heard of them. Pursue the children's
interest is there is any.
» Watch the official Here we Are book trailer and ask 1. Who is the man holding the baby, do you think?
children what they think Oliver Jeffers wants to tell his 2. What will the baby need to know about living on
son: https://tinyurl.com/4tnz2ya4 Earth?
» Create a mind map of their ideas. ... » Look at the quote from J.M. Barrie at the bottom
of the dedication page, read it out, translate if
necessary and ask children if they have any other
ideas about what the book might be about. m
and colours? Which ones can you think of? tell us in Openings 10 and 11.
Opening 4: ask these questions: » Ask the children to relate this advice to the
What is Earth made up of? subtitle Notes for living on planet earth.
What is land composed of? » Ask them how these notes can help a baby grow
up. What notes could they leave for the baby?
Opening 5: ask: Can you name or describe any of the
objects or creatures in the sea?
Opening 15: focus on the advice 'be kind'. Return
Opening 6: if there is interest, talk about stars, to the dedication page and make the connection
constellations, Earth’s atmosphere, etc. with the quote. ...
Opening 16 to 18: draw the children’s attention to Stage 4: After reading aloud
the fact that we should never be afraid to ask for Choose one or more of the four activities according to
help as we are always surrounded by people, but class interests, resources and time. Then complete the
everyone is different and we should respect that. reflect and review activity. Optional: the children could
Opening 19: point to the illustration and ask the also do this activity via eTwinning with partners in other
children to read the last sentence along with you. countries to enrich the intercultural exchange.
Give them the sentence starter You’re never… and
Activity 1: A universe of differences
ask them to conclude the sentence.
» Hold up or project Opening 8 which shows a double
» Ask, Is there anything you would like to see, read or
spread of all kinds of different people appearing in
listen to again?
many shapes, sizes and types.
Reflect and review » Talk about the picture with the class, what kind of
Use one of these activities to help the children to review differences do they see? Support with vocabulary in
and reflect (use their languages, as necessary): English that helps them describe differences while
focusing on similarities (e.g. skin colour, eye and hair
Activity 1: My star ratings
colour, abilities, disabilities, shapes and sizes of
» Ask the children to draw and colour on a square-
people, nationalities, languages, cultures). After they
shaped sticky note to show how much they enjoyed
have gathered some ideas, collect key words on the
the story:
board.
3 stars = I loved it.
» Ask the children to imagine their school represents
2 stars = It was OK.
the universe. Say that they will work in groups and
1 star = I didn’t enjoy it. create this representation, clarify using their
» Then, ask the children to share their drawings language(s). Work in groups or in the TwinSpace.
with a pair and say why they liked or didn’t like the » Ask the children to co-create a representation of
picturebook, Here We Are. Ask them to share some their school as the universe. Include stars and planets
of their reasons with the whole class. that symbolize the potential similarities between
them all and label each object. They can a) paint a
OR mural; b) do a chalk drawing in the school
playground; c) use crayons or pens to draw on a very
Activity 2: My favourite part large piece of poster paper.
» Ask the children to draw their favourite part of
» Take a photo of the representation. Share this in
the book and create a Globe-shaped mural.
the classroom or on the school website. Have children
» Then ask children to share their choices.
present it to each other using In our school, we have
If you have time, write the justifications under
children with the same [...] and [...]. They [...] like the
the pictures.
universe.
Optional eTwinning: Children could share each other’s
representations and give feedback. Help with sentence
stems: I really liked this part because...; What does this
part represent? This is great / creative / interesting! ...
» Collect vocabulary and ask children to draw one Activity 3: Planet Earth for Martians role-play
picture for each key word they find e.g. planet, sky,
» Ask the children to work in groups or in the
land, sea, mountain, volcano, hill, river, people,
TwinSpace and to choose the key moments from Here
land animals, sea animals, etc.
We Are e.g. the solar system we belong to; different
» Focus on the children's own experiences. Ask landscapes; human shapes, sizes and colours; animal
them to give some examples of key words to shapes, sizes and colours.
describe their own country.
» Ask the children to collaborate in small groups to
» Create an interactive picture using ThingLink write a 6 to 8 line dialogue for a role play between
[https://www. thinglink.com/it/edu] to share in the two characters, an Earthling and a Martian, where the
Twinspace. Martian asks questions and the Earthling presents
Optional eTwinning: Children could share each planet Earth.
other’s picture dictionaires, using photographs, or » Provide support with vocabulary and lexical chunks
films of them reading aloud. and provide sentence stems to complete e.g. I live
in...; Humans look like...; There are… etc.
» Teach the song to the class, focusing first on the How did I learn?
chorus, and then on each verse.
» Using the prompts on the record sheet, help
» Ask the children to share their comments on how the children to reflect on the ways they learned.
they felt singing the song, their reactions to the lyrics
and its message. How well did I do?
» Help children assess their performance during
» Brainstorm ways that they could share the song with
the Here We Are activities and tasks.
their school community. Some ideas might include:
involve a school choir, make it the school anthem, What actions do I need to take with my friends?
write a band arrangement and have the children sing
» Have the children talk in groups and decide on
with a band.
their top action, then finish the sentence with one
» Then record the final version, upload it on of their ideas. m
TwinSpace, on the school’s website, send it to the local
radio station …
The children complete this activity cycle on eTwinning (or a similar virtual
exchange platform). If your school does not have access to eTwinning,
the children can still go beyond the book using the activities to take
action in their schools and/or communities.
» Have the class try to undertake at least one of their Activity 6: Reflect and review
selected actions at school and one action at home.
» Ask the children to draw stars on their sticky
This can be done individually or as a class. Have them
notes to reflect on working with children in partner
collect evidence of what they did using photos or film.
countries in eTwinning or with children from other
» Create a display of what they did and share their school classes:
activities via the school social media, newsletters,
Three stars = I loved it!
message boards, etc.
Two stars = It was OK.
» Have children collect responses from the
One star = I didn’t like it!
school community or family and neighbours about
their different actions. » Then, ask the children to share their sticky notes
with their partners and say why they liked or didn’t
like communicating with others.
Activity 5: Share
» Ask the children to share their fliers and their OR
selected actions in the TwinSpace.
» Create an object (like a bracelet, necklace)
» Share the feedback and photos the children have
symbolizing planet earth and its uniqueness.
collected and taken.
Consider recycling materials to make this. Children
» Look at and talk about the different taking action can give this upcycled and handcrafted object to a
activities each group undertook. Help children ask friend or family member. m
questions.
2. How did I learn? Finish the sentences to explain how you learned:
3. How well did I do? Colour the star to show how well you did.
I did very well during the lessons! I did well during the lessons! I need to work harder during lessons!
Chorus
Here we are, people of the earth,
Chorus
Breathing air from the very day of birth.
Here we are, people of the earth,
And wherever we first see the light of day,
Breathing air from the very day of birth.
We are all humans anyway.
And wherever we first see the light of day,
We are all humans anyway.
Verse 1:
Who are reaching out for the warmth of the sun, To
Verse 3:
let joy and peace hug our hearts, touch everyone.
So, share with the world your smile.
And when the day is done,
You are beautiful, you are one of a kind.
We will dream of many things yet to come
Share with the ones who need it most.
Poor, ill, lonely - they will appreciate it so!
Chorus
Here we are, people of the earth,
Chorus
Breathing air from the very day of birth.
Here we are, people of the earth.
And wherever we first see the light of day,
Breathing air from the very day of birth.
We are all humans anyway.
And wherever we first see the light of day.
We are all humans anyway.
Verse 2:
We are all humans anyway.
If you are black. If you are white.
Both are fine. Both are right.
Are you tall or rather small?
That is no character trait at all!
And whoever cares about your weight,
Should do much more for their own sake.
For all that really matters in the end,
Is to be kind, to be lovely and to be a friend.
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