‘The Dancing Bear’
by
Michael Morpurgo
Read the extract taken from ‘The Dancing Bear’ by Michael Morpurgo
2A: To be able to show an understanding of vocabulary in context.
2B: To be able to retrieve and record information from non-fiction, fiction and poetry. Provide explanations for key information and evetts and for characters’ actions and motivations.
2D:To be able to draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justify inferences with evidence.
Listen to Michael Morpurgo’s reasons as to why he joined then left the army.
Consider how people were recruited to the army, particularly during a World War. Use the internet to find WW2 propaganda posters. Create your own WW2 propaganda posters in j2e5 to recruit young men to the army.
You could even bring the idea into the 21st century by creating a promotional video on Adobe Spark
Listen to Michael Morpurgo’s reasons for writing a new book.
Write a story with the title ‘The Impossible Dream’.
Consider who your main character is, what their impossible dream is and what they can do to achieve their impossible dream.
Listen to Michael Morpurgo discuss his texts being read all over the world.
Research the different countries all over the world that his books have been published in. Locate them on a world map.
Pick a country that you do not know much about and create a fact sheet/fact file based on that country. You could include language spoken, food eaten, landmarks and any other interesting information about a different culture.
Watch Michael Morpurgo discuss who inspired him to write.
Who inspires you to do something you love? It could be several different people: an author, a family member, a youtuber or a friend.
Write an email to your inspiration, explaining how they have inspired you and what they have inspired you to do.
Listen to Michael Morpurgo talk about how his life experiences influenced this writing.
Think about a significant event in your life e.g. moving to a new house, changing schools.
Write a story based on your own experience.
�