1. EXT SCHOOL -- DAY It’s a bright morning in Animal Town. We open on ELINOR (carrying her BACKPACK) walking to her school. She’s in a very good mood, and stops to look at several flowers. ELINOR What interesting flowers! (s he admires the leaves. ) The leaves are so green! When she moves the leaf, she reveals another flowering plant behind it. ELINOR (CONT’D) Oh, and here’s another pretty one. She looks back and forth between the two plants . ELINOR (CONT’D) Hmmmmm . Her friends ARI (wearing a BACKPACK) and OLIVE (wearing her SATCHEL) walk up. OLIVE Hi, Elinor! Want to walk to school with us? ELINOR Hi, Olive! Hi, Ari! Sure! I can’t WAIT for school today. ARI Why? Is it a special day? Elinor looks shocked. ELINOR Yes! It’s a VERY SPECIAL day. ARI Oh, is it extra snacks day? Or maybe it’s cake day! Ari gets excited and flutters up. ELINOR No, silly, it’s PLANT DAY! Ari slaps his forehead. ARI Oh yeah, I TOTALLY forgot . OLIVE Plant day is the best . Mz. Mole is going to give each one of us a different plant to take home. ELINOR I’ve been looking forward to it for WEEKS . I can’t wait to get my own little baby plant to take care of. ARI Hey, I help take care of my baby sister sometimes. OLIVE Umm ... I think that’s a little different, Ari. ARI You’re right. My baby sister isn’t a plant. Although, she does like to play in the dirt sometimes . The kids <SFX: GROAN/GIGGLE>. ELINOR I help my dad take care of the plants in the garden. But I’ve never had my OWN plant before. olive Me neither. ELINOR I’m going to be SO RESPONSIBLE and take care of it all by myself. OLIVE Yeah! I really want my plant to grow , grow, GROW She stretches her trunk up as high as she can. Elinor giggles. ELINOR That’s a tall plant! I bet my plant is going to be green... with lots of leaves. We are going to have so much fun together! As she talks, we see a thought bubble of the plant she is imagining: leafy and green. In the thought bubble, we see scenes of Elinor hanging out with the plant in cute ways: she’s reading a book to it, she’s watering it, she’s dancing with it. ELINOR (CONT’D) And then... it might even grow a flower! The leafy plant in the thought bubbles grows a colorful flower. Thought-bubble Elinor looks really happy. The bubble dissolves and we go back to the kids. ARI Flowers are OK . But I want a plant that hangs from the ceiling! Like me! Ari hangs from a branch. OLIVE That’s fun. I just want something with big leaves and lots of color. ELINOR I can’t wait. Let’s go get our plants! They go in, full of excitement and anticipation. 2. INT CLASSROOM – DAY MZ. Mole (O.S.) All right, everyone, let’s get started. The kids bustle excitedly and go sit on the class rug. We pan over to Mz. Mole’s desk, and we see that it’s covered in small plants of all different varieties. MZ. Mole (CONT’D) We have an exciting day today! The kids look around for MZ. MOLE, not seeing her. OLIVE Where are you, Mz. Mole? We look again at the plants and see that some petals in the back start to move. MZ. MOLE What? Oh, you can’t see me ? The petals move in one direction and start coming around. Mz. Mole pops out the side, and we see that she’s dressed as a FLOWER POT! MZ. MOLE (CONT’D) Aha! Welcome to Plant Day, everyone! The kids <LAUGH> excitedly. ELINOR YAY! MZ. MOLE Okay! Today, everyone is going to get one of these plants to take home. All the kids go, <OOOHH...> . Mz. Mole (CONT’D) Not me, though. You can’t take me home! The kids <GIGGLE/LAUGH>. MZ. MOLE (CONT’D) Your job is to take good care of these little plants and help them grow. Several kids raise their hands. ARI How do we take care of our plants, Mz. Mole? OLIVE Do we read books to them? Elinor Do we take them for walks? SALLY Do plants like to play games? Koa Do they like to drink soup? Mz. Mole blinks at this last one. MZ. MOLE Oh dear! So many good ideas. But it’s pretty simple. Most plants just need water and sun. ARI Do they like juice? I like apple juice, and orange juice, and-- MZ. MOLE Thank you, Ari. No, just water. Each plant comes with instructions that show you how much water and sun they need. She picks up one plant and we see a string attached to the pot with some simple instructions: just icons of water droplets and little suns. Mz. Mole (CONT’D) Now, next week, I want each of you to tell the class what you learned about your plant . Remember, each plant is different, but they all need love and care! Elinor raises her hand. ELINOR Which plant do I get, Mz. Mole? MZ. MOLE Everyone line up and you’ll find out! The kids are very excited and they line up as we hear <SFX: CHATTER> and <SFX: EXCITED WALLA>. Elinor gets in line behind Koa, Ari, and Olive, and there are several kids behind her. ELINOR I can’t wait to see my plant! As she says this, we see a THOUGHT BUBBLE next to her showing the leafy plant she’s expecting. Mz. Mole has the plants in lines on her desk and she hands them out to the kids in order, naming the plants as she gives them out. MZ. MOLE Koa, this plant is called a fern. She hands Koa a droopy looking plant. KOA Sweet. It’s so totally chill! As each kid takes their plant, they step outside to the playground. Ari is next. MZ. MOLE Ari, this one is called an ivy. It likes to hang from the ceiling. She hands him a pot with a hook on it. [Ref: https: // cb2.scene7.com /is/image/ CB2 / MacramePlantHolderSHF17 ] ARI Awesome! You’re going to love hanging from my ceiling, ivy! We can HANG out together. Mz . Mole laughs. Olive is next. MZ. MOLE Olive, this one is called a red poinsettia. Olive’s plant is mostly green with some red leaves on top [Ref: https: // images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com /images/I/ 51VDDJhLvwL.jpg ]. OLIVE Wow, I love the colors. Elinor gets to the front of the line. With her THOUGHT BUBBLE showing the plant that she’s expecting, she eagerly waits to get her plant from Mz. Mole. Finally, Mz. Mole hands her a pot. [NOTE: Suggestion - it might be fun to see the thought bubble obstructing the plant Ms. Mole is holding, until it poofs to reveal the cactus] MZ. MOLE For you Elinor, we have... a cactus! Elinor is confused. [Ref: https: // i.pinimg.com /originals/88/ ba /18/ 88ba1820973c7cbcb78ac827382280a4.jpg ] ELINOR Uhh , Umm . Hmmmm .... We see her compare the cactus with the plant in her THOUGHT BUBBLE. It doesn’t look anything like what she was expecting! 3. EXT. PLAYGROUND – DAY We see Elinor stepping out of the school holding the cactus. Mz. Mole comes out, having finished handing the plants out. MZ. MOLE All right everyone, bring your little plants out for recess and get to know all about them. Olive (carrying her satchel) and Ari (both holding their plants) find Elinor. OLIVE Look, I got a colorful plant with big leaves, just like I wanted! ARI And I got a plant that hangs from the ceiling, just like I wanted! I’m going to hang it right next to my bed and look at it while I hang upside down. So it’s gonna look... uh... right side up? Wait. I’m confused. Elinor looks at Olive and Ari’s plants. They both look like regular leafy plants. Ari’s plant even has a flower bud already. She looks at her cactus and is starting to feel a tiny bit disappointed. Ari is still trying to figure out the upside down/ rightside up situation. ARI (CONT’D) Ok , if I’m upside down, but the plant is hanging right side up, is it going to look... upright down...? Ari is trying to hold his plant up while also trying to turn his head upside down to look at it, and he accidentally backs up into Elinor’s plant. ARI (CONT’D) Yow ! He jumps a few feet in the air. When he lands, he examines the seat of his pants and pulls out a few cactus spines. ARI (CONT’D) Ouch! Something just poked me! What IS that, Elinor? Elinor shows them what she got. ELINOR Sorry, Ari. This is what Mz. Mole gave me. I thought I was going to get a plant like you and Olive, but instead she gave me a... cactus. ARI A “cactus”? They should call it an “ouch”-us. Ari pulls out the last spine from his pants. Olive goes over to Elinor. OLIVE But Elinor, you DID get a plant . Cactuses are plant s, too . Elinor looks confused. ELINOR What? OLIVE I read that in my Nature Book! It says that a cactus is a kind of plant. ARI Really? THAT’S a plant? Just like THESE two are plants? Ari points to the hanging plant and the poinsettia. Elinor But... the cactus looks SO different. Elinor’s curiosity is awakened. She takes a closer look at her cactus. ELINOR (CONT’D) So I DID get a plant! But why does it look so different? And why doesn’t it have any leaves? Ari leans in to take a look and puts a finger on a spine. ARI And why is it so pokey? Olive looks at the instruction sheet for the cactus. It shows a sun icon and one water droplet icon. OLIVE I don’t know. But it also doesn’t need a lot of water. The instructions say you only have to water it once a week! ELINOR Wow, that’s amazing. ARI I’d be so thirsty if I only drank water once a week! OLIVE (giggling) I’m pretty sure you’re not a cactus Ari. Elinor checks her and Ari’s plants. Each of the instructions show one sun icon and several water droplets. elinor Both of your plants need water every few day s . Hmmm ... Elinor’s attitude towards her plant has clearly gone from disappointment to curiosity. ELINOR (CONT’D) That... is... SO INTERESTING! I wonder why a cactus is SO different. ARI And pokey. ELINOR I know! Let’s see if we can figure it out! We need MORE OBSERVATIONS! 4. Ext. small clearing - day The kids run over to a small clearing at the edge of the playground to have more space to compare their plants. Elinor and Olive set their plants down and step back to take a look while Ari holds his up next to the other two . They recap the mystery. elinor Ok , why is a cactus SO different from other plants? olive It has spikes and it doesn’t have leaves or thin stems like other plants. ARI This really pokes my curiosity. Olive pulls out a magnifying glass. OLIVE Let’s take a closer look. ARI Careful, don’t touch it! Olive grabs a small stick from the ground and gently touches the cactus as she looks at it through the magnifying glass. OLIVE It’s definitely green like other plants... But the shape is very different. At that moment, Ari turns to put down his plant and accidentally bumps into Olive, causing her to poke a shallow little hole on the cactus. ARI Whoops! Sorry! OLIVE Uh- Oh! I accidentally poked the cactus! ELINOR I hope it’s not hurt! Can I use the magnifying glass? Olive gives Elinor the magnifying glass, and Elinor observes where the poke happened. Elinor (CONT’D) I think the plant is ok ... But look! There’s water coming out of the little hole you made! A droplet of clear liquid forms where Olive poked the cactus. OLIVE (looking closely) You’re right! ARI Huh! OLIVE I think I read about this in my Nature Book too ! She pulls the Nature Book from her satchel . She searches for a moment , going back and forth until she finds the right page . OLIVE (CONT’D) Hmmm , Cabbage, no. Camel, no. ARI Is there anything in there about cake? OLIVE It’s a NATURE book, Ari. Not a cook book. Ok , here it is. Cactus! She opens it up to the cactus page. Olive (CONT’D) It says that cactuses are not like other plants. They live in places that are hot and dry, so t hey’re thick and rounded to help them keep water inside . In the book, we see different kinds of cactuses and a diagram showing how the cactus holds water. Ari Ohhh ... Elinor So that’s why cactuses have a different shape! They’re full of water! Olive And that’s why they don’t need water every day. They already have it! ARI Cool! OLIVE The book also says that having water inside means that lots of thirsty animals like birds and lizards want to eat the cactus. Elinor Awww ... ARI Hmm, all this talk of eating makes me hungry. He takes out a bag of sunflower seeds from his pocket and starts munching. OLIVE Ari, do you always carry a snack? ARI It’s important to be prepared! At that moment, a few birds nearby get attracted to the seeds and land nearby. ARI (CONT’D) Here you go, birdie! S unflower s eeds are delicious, right? More birds show up. One hops over and grabs a seed. ARI (CONT’D) Hey! Don’t get grabby . Ari moves the bag of seeds away to the other side, but then a bird on that side snags one . ARI (CONT’D) Hey birds, I don’t have enough seeds to share with all of you! He is trying to shoo the birds away in all directions. Elinor watches him and gets an idea. She gets a THOUGHT BUBBLE where Ari turns into a cactus. The birds approach the cactus, but then think twice when they get close to the spikes. ELINOR Ari, that’s it! ARI That’s what? ELINOR I think that’s why the cactus has spikes ! It doesn’t want animals to eat it , so it uses spikes to protect itself. OLIVE I think you’re right, Elinor! That makes sense! Ari Whoo hoo ! We solved the mystery! Ari looks at the birds around him and gives up. He empties out the bag for the birds to eat. Ari (CONT’D) Ok , here you go, birdies. Elinor picks up the cactus and looks at it in a new light. Elinor I was a little sad when I didn’t get a regular plant, but now I know that cactuses are SO COOL! I’m gonna take really good care of you! SONG MONTAGE: We hear the first bars of a ditty and fade to a montage of Elinor taking the plant home. She shows it off to her parents, who touch the spines appreciatively. She does all the things she had imagined before, this time for real and with the cactus. In one scene, her friends are visiting with their plants. Elinor/olive/ari Some things are different Or not what you thought they’d be But that’s what makes them special If you notice and see… A cactus is so cool It’s not like other plants It’s round with lots of spikes ARI: that can poke you in the pants! Some things are different Or not what you thought they’d be But that’s what makes them special If you notice and see… The song ends with Elinor going to sleep with the plant in her window sill. As we fade out, we focus on tiny little buds growing at the top of the cactus.... INT. classroom - day The kids gather and sit in the middle of the room, holding their plants. Mz. Mole Ok , kids! I hope you had a great week taking care of your plants. Now, who wants to be the first to tell us what they learned? Elinor, with her cactus at her side (so we don’t see the top of it yet), raises her hand enthusiastically. Mz. MOLE (CONT’D) Ah, Elinor! Come on up. Elinor goes up to the front with her cactus. ELINOR Ahem . I learned that cactuses are SO cool. They’re plants, but they’re not thin and leafy! They are thick and round because they hold water inside, and they have pokey spikes to protect them from animals that want to eat them . Even though this cactus was not what I was expecting, I loved taking care of it! Each plant is different, but they all need love and care! Elinor reveals that the cactus has sprouted little flowers on top. The class <SFX: OOOHS> and <SFX: AAAHHH> . Sally Look, it has flowers! Koa Cool! The kids gather around Elinor, all wanting to know more about the cactus. END.

EWW125 The Pokey Plant Polish June 4, 2019 .

.

ELINOR WONDERS WHY EP 125 Pokey Plant By: Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson Elinor's Question: Why do cactuses have pokey spikes? Logline: Elinor get a cactus and learns how its spikes protect it and what makes it unique. Curriculum Goals: LS1a ; Identify and describe the physical characteristics of a variety of animals and plants [ they note how the cactus looks different from other plants] LS2d: Explore how different external features of an animal help it survive in its environment [ a cactus has thorns to protect its water ] SEP3b: Compare and contrast objects and events by describing similarities and differences in detail [ they compare the cactus to other plants] SEP4a: Collect, describe, and record observations in greater detail and in various ways [ they make a list of similariteies and differences between cacti and other plants] SEP6a: Use background knowledge experiences, and data to construct reasonable explanations and theories of natural phenomena (science) [ they use what they learned and know to explain why cacti have thorns] NOTE: Both “cacti” and “cactuses” are correct plural forms of “cactus.” MAINS: Elinor, Ari, Olive, Mz . Mole LOCATIONS: Koa, Sally PROPS: plants, fern, ivy, poinsettia, cactus, popcorn, birds OUTLINE: April 2, 2019 FIRST DRAFT: April 29, 2019 SECOND DRAFT: May 27th, 2019 POLISH DRAFT: June 4th, 2019 ARI ELINIR ELINOR Elinor/olive/ari ELINR KOA LIZZIE MARY MR RaCCOON MZ. MOLE Mz. Mole OLIVE SALLY SILAS TAPIR TITO (V.O.) (O.S.) (O.C.) (CONT'D) (SUBTITLE) INT EXT I/E 1 EXT MAIN FOREST PATH -- DAY CLASSROOM DAY NIGHT AFTERNOON MORNING EVENING LATER MOMENTS LATER CONTINUOUS THE NEXT DAY CUT TO: FADE IN: FADE OUT. FADE TO: DISSOLVE TO: BACK TO: MATCH CUT TO: JUMP CUT TO: FADE TO BLACK.