Roald Dahl Teacher Resources

The dark whimsy of Roald Dahl has entranced readers for generations. Who can forget the fast friendship formed on top of a peach in James and the Giant Peach (1961), or the fantastic revenge exacted upon Mrs. Trunchbull in Matilda (1988)? Can you remember where you were when Dahl’s prose brought you through the gates of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) for the first time, or introduced you to the Big Friendly Giant in BFG (1983)?

Roald Dahl’s modern-day fairy tales present readers with precocious protagonists up against the oddness of their worlds—and often, of adulthood—amidst zany backdrops and magical adventures. An expert at engaging readers, Dahl often resolves the eccentricity in his stories with what children really want most: a calm, happy life.

Bring the fanciful universe of Roald Dahl to your classroom with high-quality resources, reviewed by teachers like you. If you’d like to cross the curriculum, check out a science lesson that tests the buoyancy of a floating peach, or a math resource that calculates exactly how much money Mr. Wormwood could make with his corrupt car-salesman schemes.

For additional ideas and background information, read a Lesson Planet article that discusses critical thinking and multimedia integration during a Roald Dahl-themed literature unit.

Showing 133 resources
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Printables
Puffin

Roald Dahl Day Challenge

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Have some fun with Roald Dahl-related activities in order to celebrate him as a person and a writer. The page includes 10 tasks that learners can complete to honor Dahl, including everything from wearing something yellow to swapping a...
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Printables
Puffin

Roald Dahl Day Banner

For Teachers K - 12th
While intended to create a banner celebrating Roald Dahl, and you can certainly do so, these bunting templates could be used to put together any banner you desire! Included in the resource is one blank template and a template page for...
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Printables
Puffin

Roald Dahl Day Book Swap Sheets

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Celebrate reading with a book swap and exchange of favorite Roald Dahl book pages. There are eight cards on this page for pupils to fill out with their information. 
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Unit Plan
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Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl Matilda Lesson Plans

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Fifty eye-catching pages contain six lessons about Roald Dahl's novel, Matilda. Each lesson has a theme and covers a different subject—literacy, social-emotional learning, science, and geography. Scholars analyze characters, examine...
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PPT
Curated OER

Famous Authors - Roald Dahl

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Here is a colorful, and informative presentation on the brilliancy of author Roald Dahl - my personal favorite children's author!  This presentation focuses on how he plays with our language to create new words and phrases to help make...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Convince that Jury (Inspired by Roald Dahl's

For Teachers 7th - 12th
What happened to a murder case when the police eat the murder weapon? After reading Roald Dahl's dark and ironic short story "Lamb to the Slaughter," students write a persuasive essay to convince a jury that the wife who killed her...
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Lesson Plan
Edmentum

Roald Dahl Day

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
Who's your favorite Roald Dahl character? What book by Roald Dahl is the most exciting for you? Explore the wacky world of Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, The Witches, James and the Giant Peach, and more with a helpful resource pack for...
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Printables
K-3 Teacher Resources

Sunbeams Quote - Roald Dahl

For Teachers K - 6th
Roald Dahl spreads happiness and sunbeams to your classroom with a delightful poster. It features a smiling sun and a quote from the author, encouraging kids to have good thoughts.
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Unit Plan
Roald Dahl

The BFG Lesson Plans

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
A 55-page unit examines the novel, The BFG, by Roald Dahl. Six lessons pay close attention to friendship, dreams, and believing themes while analyzing interesting characters, writing creative vocabulary, smilies, metaphors, an exciting...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Strong Descriptive Writing: James and the Giant Peach

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Support your writers! Clear procedures and appropriate support make this a superb resource for elementary writing instruction. Ready your class to compose original descriptive paragraphs inspired by the episode in Roald Dahl's James and...
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Activity
Roald Dahl

Using The BFG in the Classroom

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Use a resource that highlights Roald Dahl's seven tips for imaginative writing while reading The BFG. The activities encourage learners to become creative writers through finding harmony, establishing stamina, engaging in imaginative...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Roald Dahl Quiz

For Students 4th - 5th
In this Roald Dahl worksheet, students answer twenty questions about this author and his children's books. Students are encouraged to use research skills to find the answers. All answers are printed at the bottom of the worksheet.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Buoyancy: Integrating Science and Literature

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Integrate science and literature by using the scientific method to test the veracity of the floating peach described in Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach. Clips from a Bill Nye: The Science Guy episode about buoyancy frontload...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sorting Out Homophones in Roald Dahl's

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the concept of homophones.  In this homophone lesson, students use a selection from the book Matilda to review homophones.  Students use a web to identify homophones. 
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PPT
Curated OER

The BFG: What did he say?

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Are you reading The BFG, by Roald Dahl, in your classroom right now? Check out this colorful and fun PowerPoint that illustrates some of the BFG's silly quotes! Tip: Have your class search the book for their favorite BFG quote.
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Activity
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Roald Dahl

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Follow up a reading of The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl with this collaborative lesson on teamwork. Starting with a fun team game, learners go on to investigate examples of teamwork in the story before working in small...
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Lesson Plan
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Roald Dahl

Matilda - The Reader of Books

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
The titular Matilda from Roald Dahl's famous novel adored books above all things. Discuss why it is important to read stories from across cultures and around the world using the first chapter from the ever-loved story Matilda.
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Lesson Plan
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Roald Dahl

Matilda - Arithmetic

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Mr. Wormwood, one of the characters in Roald Dahl's Matilda, is not the most trustworthy of characters. Have student groups take on the roles of car salespeople and play a game to see who can make the most profit by selling refurbished...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Landlady Pre-Reading: The Characters

For Students 5th - 7th
Prepare your class to read "The Landlady" by Roald Dahl with these pre-reading activities about the two main characters in the story. This resource provides a brief overview of the story as well as excerpts from the text that describe...
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Unit Plan
Roald Dahl

Fantastic Mr. Fox

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
A fancifully illustrated guide to Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox, this series of lessons, activities, and tasks could be used in its entirety or picked apart and used piecemeal. Have young readers investigate the role of dialogue in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Esio Trot" by Roald Dahl

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students read Roald Dahl's Esio Trot and complete vocabulary and reading activities. In this reading and vocabulary activity, students review vocabulary for the activity and listen to the story. Students discuss the story elements and...
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Lesson Plan
Penguin Books

An Educator's Guide to Matilda

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Chances are, you've got some precocious Matilda fans in your class! Use a thorough set of lesson plans to address Roald Dahl's classic novel about a bright girl who just wants to be understood. Vocabulary exercises, comprehension...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Jumbo Roald Dahl Quiz

For Students 4th - 5th
In this Roald Dahl quiz worksheet, students complete a 15 question multiple choice quiz about the works of Roald Dahl. Included are detailed questions about events in his books.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Research - Roald Dahl

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students listen to one of Dahl's poems or complete one of his books. They then research using the official Roald Dahl website and navigate some of the areas to familiarize themselves with some of the content to enable them to answer...