STORY STARTER

She waded out into the shallows. Waves of water lapped up against her bare legs, sending a chill up her already trembling body. She stole a glance back at what she had left behind on the shore. No regrets.

Fog wrapped its arms around the girl, adding to her feeling of growing trepidation. She held a lantern in her hand; it swayed gently by her side as she moved, leaking a milky light out into the night. That light was the only comfort she had.

As she stole away, the outline of the ship crept out of the mist like a silent predator. Would the ship bring the solace she had been longing for?

1. What does the word ‘solace’ mean?

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2. Who is the girl in the picture?

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3. Can you give her a name?

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4. Why is she dressed in the way she is?

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5. What has she left behind on the shore?

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6. What does it mean by ‘that light was her only comfort’?

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7. What is the ship? Why has it been described as a ‘silent predator?

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8. Why does the girl want to reach the ship?

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9. What will happen once she does?

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These sentences are ‘sick’ and need help to get better. Can you help?

The girl walked through the water. It was foggy. She was scared.

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Story starter!“Leave us alone! This is our home!” the animals all declared as one.

The humans didn’t seem to care…

Can you continue the story?

Or, can you persuade the humans to leave the animals alone? This could be a persuasive poster, leaflet or even a letter.

1. What is a habitat?

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2. What is happening in the picture?

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3. Do you think it is fair? Why?

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4. Which animals can you see?

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5. What country do you think the picture is from?

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6. Do you think there are any important messages to take from this picture?

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7. If you were driving the digger, how would you feel? What would you do?

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Perfect picture!Can you draw a picture that shows:

1) The animals’ home before the diggers came along,

2) What the scene looks like after the humans have finished on the site?

Story starter!‘Please look after this bear.’ That was all the tag around his soft, furry neck said.

The station guard had so far been extremely kind to the unexpected visitor on his platform, left behind after more ‘normal’ travellers had bustled their way past. “Always in such a rush!” the man had tut-tutted to himself, before he noticed a bear standing there looking rather forlorn on the deserted walkway.

The bear could not, however, stay at the station. Despite already travelling such a colossal distance from deepest, darkest Peru, this particular bear’s journey was really just beginning.

He knew what might help, and so lifted a paw to reach for what lay underneath his bright, red hat…

1. Who is the bear on the platform?

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2. Why is he all alone at a train station?

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3. Who wrote the tag around his neck?

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4. What lies beneath his bright, red hat?

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5. Why can’t the bear stay at the station?

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6. In what way is this bear similar/different to a ‘normal’ bear?

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7. What will happen to the bear next? What does it mean by ‘this particular bear’s journey was really just beginning’?

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Sick sentences!These sentences are ‘sick’ and need help to get better. Can you help?

A bear stood on the platform. He wore a coat and hat. He carried a suitcase. He held out a paw.

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Story starter!Robin exhaled slowly. As an archer, this final exhalation, almost a ritual, was the calm before the storm; the final moment before releasing the arrow and wreaking havoc on its target.

Like all bowman, Robin was as strong as an ox. Daily training had seen to that. Hours upon hours of drawing back the beautifully curved yew bow had thickened Robin’s muscles like hempen rope, to the point where he could now draw the massive bow with ease.

The thousands of arrows that he had loosed since the age of 6, when he had been given his first bow, made Robin a professional, and like his ancestors, a bowman of his skill didn’t miss. The yew bow was so familiar that it was like an extension of his body; when it was not in his hands he didn’t feel alive.

He was the bow. The bow was him.

He didn’t need to aim; all he had to do was glance at his target and he knew the missile would find its mark.

A rustle from the treeline to his left disturbed Robin’s thoughts…

1. Have you ever seen a medieval longbow? Why do you think it is so difficult to draw the bow?

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2. What is a bowyer?

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3. Why do you think archers often chose wood from a yew tree for their bows?

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4. What might have caused the rustle in the bushes?

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5. Why is Robin alone in the woods?

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6. Can you recall the story of Robin Hood?

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7. Which other characters do you know?

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8. Can you think of any other skills that require lots of practise, like being an archer?

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Story starter!Ulrik had always been the strongest man in the village: it was said that he could lift a cart all by himself! Growing up, his father, and his father before him, had been builders. He had even heard that a great uncle of his had been a mighty warrior! Ulrik, however,

dreamed of a different path. He had always wanted to be a blacksmith.

Sure enough, Ulrik grew up to be the best blacksmith in the whole country. Anything you wanted made, he could make it! That was until a fateful evening on a snowy night, when he was visited by a darkly-cloaked, mysterious man…

1. Who was the mysterious visitor in the night?

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2. What do you think it's like inside a smithy?

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3. What kind of person do you think Ulrik is?

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4. What country do you think he lives in?

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5. What things do you think Ulrik has made for people?

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6. What kind of people come to Ulrik for help?

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7. Why do you think Ulrik did not want to be a builder?

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8. What do you think his mother did?

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9. How do you melt metal?

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10.What’s stronger: metal or wood?

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