The Enormous Crocodile
Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources
Author: Roald Dahl

This page contains The Enormous Crocodile
lesson plans, summary, and fun activities for your students.

The Enormous Crocodile, written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake, is the story of a large and greedy crocodile who is hungry and "off to find a yummy child for lunch. Keep listening and you'll hear the bones go crunch!"

The crocodile leaves the big brown muddy river and makes his way into town. On his way, he encounters a hippopotamus, a monkey, a bird of paradise, and finally an elephant who are all horrified by the "secret plans and clever tricks" that the crocodile has planned for the children in town.

Even though the Enormous Crocodile may be wicked and cunning, the other animals in the jungle know just how to foil his plans and they save the children from his clever tricks. In the end, the Enormous Crocodile gets exactly what he deserves.

The crocodile's tricks involve various funny disguises, which are delightfully illustrated by Quentin Blake. The Enormous Crocodile, first published in 1978, was Quentin Blake's first collaboration with Roald Dahl.

Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake soon became good friends, thus beginning one of the most eye-catching and distinctive collaborations in children's literature. Many people have said that Quentin Blake's illustrations have softened the nastiness that some critics have said existed in Roald Dahl's stories.

This picture book has everything that children adore: humorous illustrations, funny characters, unique names, animals, children in danger, suspense, and a thoroughly loathsome villain.

Of the shorter picture books by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake, this is my students' favorite. It is funny, the illustrations are captivating, and my students love completing the fun projects that I have created specifically for this book, which you can find below.

This is a short book to read to your students. Although The Enormous Crocodile may appear at first to be for younger elementary school students, I have read this story to my Grade 5 students numerous times and used the projects found on this page with upper elementary school students with great success.

If you are completing a Roald Dahl author study with your students, this is a splendiferous choice to use as a book to read to your class.

All of the resources on this page include a second version of each resource that contains British spelling rules (colour instead of color, favourite instead of favorite, etc).

Below you will find some of the Enormous Crocodile lesson plans that I have developed over the years as I have read this book to my students on Roald Dahl's birthday, or during an author study that focuses on this scrumdiddlyumptious writer!

The Enormous Crocodile Group Project

An Extra Large Crocodile Project Based on Roald Dahl's Book

One of my students' favorite projects during the entire school year is this extra large group project for The Enormous Crocodile.

For this cooperative group project, students work together to describe the four clever tricks that the Enormous Crocodile plans in order to eat the children in town. There are also areas on the crocodile templates for students to draw pictures that represent the crocodile's four clever tricks.

I believe that it is important for students to go through the steps of the writing process.

For this reason, my students never begin their Enormous Crocodile group projects by writing on their final draft crocodile templates, instead they write on first draft worksheets.

Next, my students edit and revise their work together and I circulate around my classroom and provide assistance as needed.

This set of Enormous Crocodile teaching resources contains three worksheets for students to write their first drafts on. On my first draft worksheets, I have designed the writing line spaces to match the spaces on the final draft crocodile templates.

• explain the Enormous Crocodile's plan and disguise
• describe the setting
• describe the animal
• explain how the animal saves the children from the Enormous Crocodile

TEACHING TIP:

This Enormous Crocodile group project requires a lot of green coloring materials to complete these extra large crocodile projects. A few days before my students begin working on their final draft crocodile templates, I assign a homework assignment, or an extra credit task, of bringing in green coloring pencils and markers.

By having my students bring in some of these materials from home, it helps to not dwindle down all of the green coloring materials that I have in my classroom. Students also enjoy bringing in green glitter to help them put some sparkly touches on their Enormous Crocodile group projects.

This set of The Enormous Crocodile teaching resources includes step by step directions on how to assemble the 10 project templates into a large crocodile.

Depending on the age of your students, you could assemble these crocodile projects ahead of time for your students. Each crocodile takes me around 10 minutes to assemble myself.

Older students are able to assemble this large group project on their own. I have given my Grade 5 students the assembling directions worksheet (shown below), and they were able to assemble these large crocodile projects themselves.

Students should proofread and edit their first drafts together before they begin working on their final draft crocodile projects.

This unique and fun group project for The Enormous Crocodile includes 10 printable worksheets with templates that assemble into a large crocodile.

When the project has been assembled, the finished crocodile measures 37 inches in width and 12 inches in height.

After your students have written their descriptions for each clever trick, there are four areas on the crocodile templates for students to draw pictures that represent the crocodile's clever tricks.

Your students will love working on this large project together and these finished Enormous Crocodile group projects will make a dynamic and eye catching classroom or hallway display.

After your students have completed their group projects, they can evaluate their projects using the group project grading rubric that is provided in this set of The Enormous Crocodile teaching resources.

After the group has graded their project, there is also an area on the grading rubric for the teacher to evaluate the project.

When I am first introducing my students to a new project, I believe that it is important for them to have a visual example of what their final draft projects will look like. I always assemble the project myself beforehand and display it at the front of my classroom.

To save you time in coloring the project that you show to your students at the beginning of this assignment, I have included color crocodile templates for you to use so that you do not have to color these templates yourself.

You can also choose to print these color templates and give them to your students to use for their projects. This will save your students time in having to color the crocodile templates themselves.

I have provided 3 different shades of green templates for you to select from. If you choose to print out the color templates to use with your students, you will have crocodile templates in 3 shades of green to distribute to your students.

I know that it takes teachers a lot of valuable time to assemble their bulletin board displays. Many teachers spend hours of time cutting out large display letters or making a banner on their own at home on their computers.

This time is valuable and better spent on developing your classroom curriculum and grading papers, so I have designed a matching 5 page banner for your bulletin board display.

If you have access to a laminating machine, you can laminate your banner so that it is durable and you can use it year after year for bulletin board displays of your students' Enormous Crocodile group projects.

I hope that these unique teaching resources will help you
to create an engaging and fun activity for your students!

Enormous Crocodile Wanted Posters

Fun Creative Writing Projects

Students love creating wanted posters for the main characters of the books that they have read.

The Enormous Crocodile is an ideal character for a wanted poster because of the nasty tricks that he plans in order to eat some of the children in the town.

For this creative writing assignment, students describe the crocodile's appearance, what he is wanted for, where he was last seen, and the reward amount. Then, they have to write a detailed narrative describing the actions that happened, and what made the Enormous Crocodile commit this crime.

For students who are often reluctant about writing, I have found that my students gobble up this writing task with great enthusiasm and creativity!

This fun project contains two templates that assemble into a wanted poster. The wanted poster measures 13 inches in height and 10 inches in width.

This set of The Enormous Crocodile lesson plans includes:

• assembling directions worksheet
• first draft creative writing worksheets
• final draft black and white wanted poster templates
• final draft color wanted poster templates
• grading rubric
• 5 page bulletin board banner (shown above)

I believe that it is important for students to go through the steps of the writing process. For this reason, my students never begin their Enormous Crocodile wanted posters by writing on their final draft templates, instead they write on first draft worksheets.

Next, my students edit and revise their written work on their own, with a partner, or in individual writing conferences with me.

This set of Enormous Crocodile teaching resources contains two worksheets for students to write their first drafts on. On my first draft worksheets, I have designed the writing line spaces to match the spaces on the final draft wanted poster.

• physical description
• wanted for
• last scene
• reward amount
• narrative describing the crocodile's actions and why he is wanted by the police

A grading rubric is included in this set of teaching resources.

I believe that it is important for students to evaluate their own work, so my wanted poster rubric contains an assessment section for both students and teachers.

When students evaluate their book report projects, they color in the faces on their grading rubric worksheets. When a teacher evaluates the projects, the teacher circles the small numbers inside each box on the printable worksheets.

Below is an example of the wanted poster grading rubric that is included in this set of teaching resources.

Wanted Poster Final Draft Templates:

Assembling these wanted posters is easy:

• cut the dotted line off the bottom template
• glue bottom template onto the top template
• cut along the thick black border of the wanted poster
• using edited first draft, complete writing sections
• draw a picture of the Enormous Crocodile inside the empty box

Below are examples of the final draft black and white wanted poster templates.

As you are introducing this creative writing assignment to your students, it is a good idea to have a visual example of a finished wanted poster for your students to see. I have provided color templates of this project to save you time in having to color these templates yourself.

Clever Trick #5

Enormous Crocodile Creative Writing Set

One of my students' favorite creative writing assignments during the entire school year is creating an idea for a 5th Clever Trick that the Enormous Crocodile plans.

For this fun writing assignment, students pretend that they are Roald Dahl and write a new idea for a clever trick.

For this creative writing assignment, students:

• choose a setting their story
• create a new animal for their story (Stripy the Zebra, Stretchy the Giraffe, Roary the Lion, or Laughy the Hyena)
• write a story about the crocodile's 5th clever trick and disguise (a float at a beach, a teacher at a school, a football on a field, a stuffed animal at a toy store, a pizza delivery person, etc.)

Students are often reluctant about completing writing assignments. I have found that my students chomp with enthusiasm as they begin this assignment because they enjoy pretending that they are Roald Dahl and writing a new chapter for his story.

One of the main reasons that I continue to read The Enormous Crocodile to my students year after year is because my students love creating their own idea for a 5th Clever Trick!

This set of Enormous Crocodile lesson plans includes:

• teacher directions
• idea web worksheet
• first draft worksheet
• black and white cover sheet
• color cover sheet
• grading rubric
• 5 page bulletin board banner (shown above)

Crocodile Times: Enormous Crocodile Newspaper Set

Enormous Crocodile Creative Writing Set

Your students will enjoy pretending that they are newspaper editors and creating a Crocodile Times newspaper based on Roald Dahl's book The Enormous Crocodile.

For this fun creative writing assignment, students write three newspaper articles and draw a comic strip for their Crocodile Times newspapers.

Students are often reluctant about creative writing assignments, but I have found that my students eagerly put on their newspaper editor's hats in order to create a newspaper based on the characters from The Enormous Crocodile.

This set of Enormous Crocodile lesson plans includes the following:

• assembly directions
• first draft worksheets
• black and white final draft newspaper templates
• gray final draft newspaper templates
• color final draft newspaper templates
• 5 page bulletin board banner (shown above)

This newspaper project is easy to cut out and assemble together. There are two final draft newspaper templates that are glued together to form a large newspaper project that measures 10 inches in width and 13 inches in height.

Below is an example of the assembly directions worksheet.

First Article: Headline News Story

• This article warns the people living in the town about the Enormous Crocodile.
• Give examples of some ways that the crocodile has tried to harm the children in the town.
• Include the following information: Who, What, Where, When, and Why (The 5 W's).
• Below is an example of the Headline News Story first draft worksheet.

Second Article: Sports Update

• This article is about a recent sporting event that happened in the town.
• Use characters from The Enormous Crocodile as the athletes in this newspaper article.

My students have enjoyed using their imaginations to create such sporting events as:

• a water polo match between the crocodiles and the hippos
• elephant weight lifting competitions
• monkey gymnastics at the Olypmics

Third Article: Restaurant Review

• Choose one of the animals (crocodile, hippopotamus, monkey, bird, or elephant) from the story, and create a restaurant that this type of animal would enjoy eating at.
• Create a special meal on the menu that this animal would love to eat.

My students have gobbled up the task of creating restaurants and menu items for the animals in the story such as:

• peanut butter and banana sandwiches for monkeys
• trout and turtle soup for crocodiles
• cabbage and lettuce stir fry for elephants
• Below is an example of the Sports Update and Restaurant Review first draft worksheet.

Fourth Section: Comic Strip

• Create a comic strip about one of the animals (crocodile, hippopotamus, monkey, bird, or elephant).
• Include speech bubbles that show what the animal is saying in the comic strip.
• Below is an example of the Comic Strip first draft worksheet.

Grading Rubric

Below is an example of the Crocodile Times grading rubric that is included in this set of teaching resources.

Final Draft Templates: Black and White, Grey, and Color

There are two newspaper templates that are cut out and easily assembled together. When the newspaper project has been assembled it measures 10 inches in width and 13 inches in height.

The Enormous Crocodile Quiz and Worksheet Set:

The Enormous Crocodile Quiz:

This quiz contains 16 questions: 8 matching, 6 multiple choice, and 2 essay.

1. Creative Writing Worksheet:

You can choose the topic for this general creative writing worksheet, or let your students choose their own topics. There are black and white and color versions of this worksheet in this set of teaching resources.

2. The Enormous Crocodile Character Description:

For this worksheet, students write a character description about the Enormous Crocodile.

• Students choose 10 adjectives that describe the crocodile and write them in the smaller boxes.
• On the lines below, students write a character description and include these adjectives in their paragraphs.
• In the box in the middle, students draw a picture of the Enormous Crocodile.

3. Adjectives Worksheet:

For this worksheet, students review adjectives by using example sentences from the story.

4. Word Search Puzzle:

After students have finished the word search puzzle, they use the remaining letters to solve the secret message at the bottom of the puzzle. An answer key is also included in this set of teaching resources.

5. Word Scramble Puzzle:

Students unscramble letters to form words used in this story. An answer key is also included in this set of teaching resources.

6. Decode the Secret Message:

For this Secret Message worksheet, students have to decode the secret message to find out what the Enormous Crocodile is saying to Trunky. An answer key is also included in this set of teaching resources.

7. Letter Tiles:

For this Letter Tiles worksheet, students have to cut out the letter boxes and arrange them in the proper order to find out what the Roly Poly Bird said to the Enormous Crocodile. An answer key is also included in this set of teaching resources.

8. Similes:

For this last worksheet, students review similes using Roald Dahl's examples from The Enormous Crocodile. Then, students have to write 3 sentences containing similes in them about characters from the story.

Are you looking for fun activities and lesson
plans for other books written by Roald Dahl?

Click on the link below to view fun
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory activities,
lesson plans, and ideas for unique group projects.

Go To: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Lesson Plans Page

Click on the link below to view fun Esio Trot activities,
lesson plans, and ideas for unique group projects.

Go To: Esio Trot Lesson Plans Page

Click on the link below to view fun
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me activities,
lesson plans, and ideas for unique group projects.

Go To: The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me Lesson Plans Page

MORE Fun Ideas and Activities
for The Enormous Crocodile:

1. Make an Enormous Crocodile Sandwich!

Roald Dahl has two cookbooks based on food found in his different stories that are available for purchase through Amazon.com (see the box found below).

I have purchased copies of both of these cookbooks myself and I use them to help me plan a fun Roald Dahl Day for my students.

These cookbooks contain scrumdiddlyumptious recipes for food items that are found in many different Roald Dahl books. Both cookbooks are filled with color photographs, as well as illustrations by Quentin Blake.

Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes contains a recipe for how to make an Enormous Crocodile sandwich and a photograph of a finished sandwich.

Below are some ideas for ingredients that you can use to make an Enormous Crocodile sandwich. Feel free to use your imagination and substitute ingredients.

• large baguette for body
• almonds for teeth
• frozen chopped spinach for skin
• artichoke leaves for scales
• slice of ham for tongue
• hard boiled egs for eyes
• black olives for eye pupils
• cooked sausages for legs
• cocktail gherkins for toes
• use folded coat hanger or wire to open crocodile's mouth
• filling of choice for inside the sandwich and the crocodile's body

2. Make an Enormous Crocodile Book Cover!

Below are some ideas for materials that you can use to make an Enormous Crocodile book cover. I staple my students' Enormous Crocodile stories inside these fun book covers that they enjoy designing.

Materials:

• dark green construction paper measuring 9 inches by 24 inches
• light green construction paper measuring 9 inches by 24 inches
• white construction paper for teeth and eyes

Directions:

• draw a crocodile on the light green construction paper so that it takes up most of the space on the paper
• cut out the crocodile
• glue light green crocodile on the dark green construction paper
• fold the dark green construction paper in half
• add eyes and teeth to the crocodile
• staple or glue Enormous Crocodile story or essay inside the book cover