Teacher’s Notes – Elemental Heroes

Chrissy Metge is an Annie Award nominated producer and has been in the animation film and TV industry for 20 years, her love for children, storytelling and animation means it was natural for her to develop her own stories.

Her screen credits include Entergalactic (Emmy Award Nominee), Rons Gone Wrong, the Oscar-Winning Jungle Book 2016, Alvin and The Chipmunks Roadchip, The Hobbit Trilogy, IronMan 3, Fast and Furious 7, Hunger Games, Superman Man of Steel, Legend of the Guardians, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Gary of the Pacific, Animalia TV Series. The WotWots TV Series, Bro Town TV Series. Chrissy is also the author of the Max and His Big Imagination series, and Amy’s Dreaming Adventures.

Karen McMillan is the author of 23 diverse books, from bestselling novels, The Paris of the East, The Paris of the West, Brushstrokes of Memory and Turbulent Threads, to non-fiction books that inspire and help others: Everyday Strength and Unbreakable Spirit, and now the Elastic Island Adventures and Elemental Heroes series for children.

Karen was the resident book reviewer on The Café TV3 for two years and is regularly featured in New Zealand media.

Elemental Heroes: Hydrogen Showdown is an action-adventure fantasy story told with lots of humour. The books are an engaging way for children to learn about the elements of the periodic table. In this book, children will learn about gold, iron, and hydrogen as human twins Sophie and Joey enter Elemental Land from Greenland to stop the unrest there from spilling over into our world.

Twins Sophie and Joey are the ‘heroes’ of each story. They are both experts with swords, and Joey has extensive knowledge about science and the elements, while Sophie has the ability to observe things others wouldn’t, and with her great empathy she often brings about positive resolution. Apart, they often flounder without each other, but together, they are a formidable team.

The book’s themes are working together as a team, problem-solving and overcoming obstacles, and finding peaceful and kind resolutions in tricky situations.

This series also engages the theatre of the mind, with the personification of elements from the periodic table. They behave in one way in our world, but in a slightly different way in Elemental Land.

The text is in third person past tense. Hydrogen Showdown is written for 7–12–year–olds, but younger or older audiences will also enjoy this action-packed story.

ASK YOUR STUDENTS:

• Look at the cover. What do you think the tone of the story might be?
• How has the author set the scene in the first few pages? How do you think you would feel stepping from Greenland into Elemental Land?
• What do you think of the human characters Sophie and Joey?
• In Chapter 2, we meet the hydrogens. Quickly flick to the back of the book and compare real-life hydrogen with the youngsters we meet here. List how hydrogens are different in Elemental Land and how they are the same.
• In Chapter 3, we see the Golden Palace for the first time. Draw your own version of this palace.
• In Chapter 4, the readers meet Queen Gold and Medic Iron. Flick to the back of the book and compare how gold and iron are in the real world. List how gold and iron are different in Elemental Land and how they are the same.
• In Chapter 5, Joey and Sophie enter the Treacherous Forest. Can you find all the things that are dangerous about being in this forest?
• In Chapter 6, we meet Hydro, the leader of the hydrogens, for the first time. What do you think of his character? Is he scary, funny, or both?
• In Chapter 7, there is a mathematical equation. If a hydrogen blew itself up 10 times a day, every day, how long would it take to do its millionth blow-up?
• In Chapter 8, the young hydrogens like the idea of a World Hydrogen Celebration Day. Make a list of all the things you would do to celebrate. Be imaginative! What food would you serve? What songs would you sing? Would there be dancing? Do a pretend interview with your favourite hydrogen from the book.
• What have you learnt about gold, iron and hydrogen by reading this book?
• At the end of the book, the twins are asked to go on another mission. Would you like to go to Elemental Land on a mission? Which of all the elements would you like to meet?

Chrissy Metge is an Annie Award nominated producer and has been in the animation film and TV industry for 20 years, her love for children, storytelling and animation means it was natural for her to develop her own stories.  

Her screen credits include Entergalactic (Emmy Award Nominee), Rons Gone Wrong, the Oscar-Winning Jungle Book 2016, Alvin and The Chipmunks Roadchip, The Hobbit Trilogy, IronMan 3, Fast and Furious 7, Hunger Games, Superman Man of Steel, Legend of the Guardians, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Gary of the Pacific, Animalia TV Series. The WotWots TV Series, Bro Town TV Series.  Chrissy is also the author of the Max and His Big Imagination series, and Amy’s Dreaming Adventures. 

Karen McMillan is the author of 25 diverse books, from bestselling novels, The Paris of the East, The Paris of the West, Brushstrokes of Memory and Turbulent Threads, to non-fiction books that inspire and help others: Everyday Strength and Unbreakable Spirit, and now the Elastic Island Adventures and Elemental Heroes series for children.

Karen was the resident book reviewer on The Café TV3 for two years and is regularly featured in New Zealand media. She is the NZ Herald Books Editor.

Elemental Heroes: Copper Calamities is an action-adventure fantasy story told with lots of humour. The books are an engaging way for children to learn about the elements of the periodic table. In this book, children will learn about gold, iron, and hydrogen as human twins Sophie and Joey enter Elemental Land from Greenland to stop the unrest there from spilling over into our world.

Twins Sophie and Joey are the ‘heroes’ of each story. They are both experts with swords, and Joey has extensive knowledge about science and the elements, while Sophie has the ability to observe things others wouldn’t, and with her great empathy she often brings about positive resolution. Apart, they often flounder without each other, but together, they are a formidable team.

The book’s themes are working together as a team, problem-solving and overcoming obstacles, and finding peaceful and kind resolutions in tricky situations.

This series also engages the theatre of the mind, with the personification of elements from the periodic table. They behave in one way in our world, but in a slightly different way in Elemental Land.

The text is in third person past tense. Copper Calamities is written for 7–12–year–olds, but younger or older audiences will also enjoy this action-packed story.

ASK YOUR STUDENTS:

• Look at the cover. What kind of book do you think this will be?
• How has the author set the scene in the first few pages? How do you think you would feel stepping through the mist from Greenland into Elemental Land?
• What do you think of the human characters Sophie and Joey?
• In Chapter 2, we meet the hydrogens. Quickly flick to the back of the book and compare real-life hydrogen with the youngsters we meet here.
• In Chapter 3, we meet Queen Gold and Medic Iron. Flick to the back of the book and compare how gold and iron are in the real world. List how gold and iron are different in Elemental Land and how they are the same.
• In Chapter 4, Joey and Sophie must cross the Wandering River to reach the Petrified Forest. What is a petrified forest in real life?
• In Chapter 4, we meet the coppers for the first time. What do you think of them?
• In Chapter 5, we learn that coppers are ancient and go back to Roman times. What do you know about the Roman Empire? What do you think of their jokes? Can you make up your own Roman Empire jokes?
• In Chapter 6, Carmine goes into the melting pot! Refer to the back of the book to learn about copper in the real world. List how coppers are the same in Elemental Land.
• In Chapter 7, the coppers want to come into our world to steal the Statue of Liberty for a reward. What can you learn about the Statue of Liberty? Draw a picture. Do you think it’s a good idea for the coppers to want so many coins? How many coins would you want to have in the same situation, and what would you do with the coins?
• In chapter 8, it comes in handy that Sophie and Joey can swim. How important is it to learn to swim?
• In Chapter 9, we know there will be another mission involving another element, Sulfur. What do you know about this element?
• What have you learnt about copper, gold, iron and hydrogen by reading this book?