The Elephant is the most revered, protected and well treated of any animal in India. The culture of India includes the elephant in its historical, royal, religious and mythological importance. Although the elephant was used mainly for shifting heavy items and as a weapon when fighting wars, it was also the main means of transportation of the King or Maharaja. There are festivals held in India each year in which the highly bejeweled and velvet adorned elephants are the prime attraction.
If you wish to have the students draw their own elephant, there is a good tutorial of how to draw an elephant at http://www.easy-drawings-and-sketches.com/draw-an-elephant.html If you experience time restraints, you may want to use the patterns enclosed. For a better view, click on the image on the left. This project, “The Elephant Parade,” can be found in the 6th Grade Projects Gallery in the sidebar.