Teachers Resource Pack

Theatre Alibi
Mucky Pup
by Daniel Jamieson
Teachers
Resource
Pack
Written & compiled by Dorinda Hulton
Theatre Alibi . Emmanuel Hall · Emmanuel Road . Exeter EX4 1EJ
+ fax 01392 217315 · info@theatrealibi.co.uk
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www.theatrealibi.co.uk
Theatre Alibi
Mucky Pup Teachers Resource Pack
This education pack has been specially designed and developed to accompany
Theatre Alibi’s performance of Mucky Pup.
It’s intended as a resource for teachers of children at Key Stages 1 and 2 and is
best used after the performance. Aspects of it are especially relevant to PSHE,
Literacy, Speaking and Listening, and touch on a range of other subject areas as
indicated below. We have also included pages suitable for photocopying for
classroom use. These pages are marked with borders so that you can spot them
easily. Activities aimed at younger and older children are colour coded.
We hope you enjoy the pack and find it useful. Dorinda Hulton
Contents
Synopsis of the story and Characters in the story ......3
Creating a storyboard and Sequencing the story ........6
LITERACY
Responding to a performance of Mucky Pup ..............8
LITERACY DRAMA
Working out what to do about worries ......................9
PSHE LITERACY
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
An animal’s point of view........................................14
PSHE LITERACY
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
A world of smells....................................................18
NUMERACY SCIENCE
Working out what to do about bullying ....................22
PSHE DRAMA
Being brave in different ways ................................24
PSHE CITIZENSHIP
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
Meeting new people ..............................................26
PSHE
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
A special sense ......................................................31
PSHE SCIENCE
Helping to cheer each other up! ..............................33
PSHE
SPEAKING AND LISTENING ART
Enjoying doing things together ..............................34
Resources..............................................................36
2
PSHE SPORT
Mucky Pup Synopsis
In Theatre Alibi’s Mucky Pup there’s a boy called Ben who worries a lot. He gets so worried
sometimes that it stops him doing things he’d really like to do. Ben’s worries are mostly to do
with getting dirty, and at the beginning of the story he does everything he can to avoid even the
smallest speck of dirt.
Also, at the beginning of the story, Ben does everything he can to avoid being with other children
because he thinks they’ll make fun of him. Sometimes he feels very lonely doing things by
himself and wishes he could change.
One thing he does enjoy doing by himself, though, is swimming. He’s a brilliant swimmer and
spends hours swimming up and down the pool on his own. He even practises life-saving at
Dolphins, his swimming club.
Ben’s Mum worries about him
sometimes because she thinks he
would have more fun if he
wasn’t always so bothered
about a little bit of dirt here and
there. So, every now and then, she tries to
think up a solution that will help Ben sort
out his worries. This time her idea is to
borrow a dog for the weekend to see
if that helps.
3
The dog that visits Ben’s home for the weekend is called Chatty. She’s a friendly dog, but to
begin with Ben hates everything about Chatty, especially when she gets upset and does a wee
over his beanbag! Then, on the first night that she stays at Ben’s house, he comes downstairs
late at night, and is amazed to find that she is able to talk to him…
The following morning, Ben tells his Mum that he wants to spend more time with Chatty, and
asks if he can take her out for a walk to the park on his own. Chatty’s world is full of smells and
on the way to the park, she strains at her lead, following her nose, sniffing the ground every step
of the way. Then she does a poo, and of course Ben has to clear it up, especially when his
headmistress, Mrs Dougalls, who lives nearby, tells him to. In the park, she rolls on a dead
squirrel because she loves the smell!
Ben and Chatty meet a girl and her dog in the park. The girl’s dog is called Vader, but when
Chatty tries to be friendly with him, he suddenly gets aggressive and the two dogs have a big
fight, which ends up with Vader whining, and running off. Then, Vader’s owner picks on Ben
because she knows he’s frightened of dirt. She laughs at him, teases him, calls him horrible
names, and finally rubs his face in the mud before running off herself.
Chatty tries to cheer Ben up, and they play a game with a ball together. But then they see some
boys having fun playing a game of football and Chatty starts charging around chasing their ball
instead. Ben runs up to the boys and tries to stop her from messing up their game. He says sorry
to them, and they all end up laughing at her antics. After that, a boy called Noggin introduces
himself to Ben and invites him to join in the game.
Whilst Ben is playing football, Chatty gets herself into trouble when she starts chasing ducks in
the pond and gets stuck on a shopping trolley somebody has dumped there. She gets more and
more tired, and nearly drowns, but fortunately someone realizes what is happening. Ben is very
brave and wades into the pond, and swims across to rescue her. The pond has lots of slimy black
mud around the edge as well as duck poo, so when they both clamber out they’re completely
filthy. To his great surprise Ben realises that he actually quite enjoys being dirty!
After that, Ben and Chatty become really good friends and Ben decides that he definitely wants
to keep her as his own pet. He even decides that she can sleep in his room. Then Ben’s Mum
reminds him that they can’t keep Chatty because she belongs to a neighbour of Ben’s Grandpa
called Mrs Grainger, and they were only borrowing her for the weekend to see if they might want
a dog of their own. So Ben feels very sad. He goes to his room and refuses to come out all day.
Ben’s Mum tries to cheer him up, and Chatty tries to cheer him up, but he just gets more and
more upset. And the next morning, Mrs Grainger comes round to the house to fetch Chatty and
take her home.
Eventually, Ben’s new friend, Noggin, pops round to his house and asks him if he wants to play
football, and as you can imagine, Ben cheers up immediately. After that, things change for Ben,
and he often goes out to play football after school, as well as swimming with Noggin and other
friends. On his birthday Ben’s Mum takes him and three friends on an outing to Diggerland; and
at the end of the story there’s another surprise in store for Ben: Chatty has puppies and Ben is
allowed to choose one of them for himself!
4
Mucky Pup Characters
Ben
Ben is a nine year old boy who worries a lot about getting dirty. In the story he gets to worry less
and be much happier.
Ben’s Mum
Ben’s Mum worries a lot about Ben. She really cares about Ben and wants him to be happier and
have more fun.
Mrs Grainger
Mrs Grainger lives next door to Ben’s Grandpa. She has a dog called Chatty who has kept her
company since her husband died.
Chatty
Chatty is a friendly dog who comes to stay at Ben’s house for the weekend. She’s lots of fun but
gets into trouble sometimes.
Mrs Dougalls
Mrs Dougalls is Ben’s headmistress. Ben happens to pass her house when he’s on his way to the
park with Chatty. She’s quite strict and Ben has to obey her even when it means clearing up
Chatty’s poo.
The girl in the park
The girl in the park is a bully. She picks on Ben because she knows he worries a lot. She has a
dog called Vader.
Vader
Vader is an unfriendly dog that Ben and Chatty meet in the park.
Noggin
Noggin is a boy that Ben meets in the park. He becomes Ben’s friend and they often play football
together after school, or go swimming, with other friends. His real name is Noah, but everyone
calls him Noggin.
5
Creating a story board
Create a storyboard for Mucky Pup by drawing 4 pictures in the rectangles
below showing what you think are the most important events in each stage
of the story. Can you think of interesting, funny, or exciting ways of acting
out those events in the story?
BEGINNING
BUILD UP
CLIMAX
END
6
Sequencing the story
Below are ten events in the story of Mucky Pup. If you’ve read the synopsis, or
seen the play, cut each of them out along the dotted lines. Then, stick them
in order, one below the other, with the latest last.
Ben meets Noggin, and joins in a game of football in the park.
✁
Ben goes out to Diggerland with some friends on his birthday.
Ben is very brave and wades into a muddy pond to rescue Chatty.
Ben takes Chatty to the park.
Ben gets to choose a new puppy.
Chatty comes to stay with Ben and his Mum for the weekend.
Ben feels sad when he realizes Chatty belongs to Mrs Grainger.
Ben’s Mum thinks up a solution to try and help Ben have more fun.
Ben worries a lot about getting dirty.
A girl in the park bullies Ben.
7
Responding to the performance of Mucky Pup
In a large group, encourage the children to discuss how
different moments in the story of Mucky Pup made them feel.
Were there exciting moments, or funny ones, or sad ones? Were
there moments when they all felt the same thing? Discuss the
similarities and differences between their responses.
In pairs, or small groups, ask the children to choose their own
most vivid memories of the performance. Were they linked to the
acting, a prop, a costume, the music, a sound effect, or the set
design? Or a mixture of them all? Between them they can make
notes or draw pictures and use these to help them share their
choices with the rest of the class.
In pairs, or small groups, ask the children to choose a moment
from the performance that they think could have been done in a
different way - not necessarily better. Encourage them to discuss
other ways of telling that part of the story, perhaps by changing
the acting, a prop, a sound effect or an aspect of the set design,
costume or music. They can note down their own creative ideas
and add drawings to help explain them. Then each small group
can share them with the rest of the class.
Ask the children to write a review of the performance and send it
to Theatre Alibi. They can include their own creative ideas as well
as tell us what their favourite moments were, and why, and how
each moment made them feel.
8
Working out what to do about worries
In Mucky Pup there’s a nine year old boy called Ben who
worries a lot. He gets so worried sometimes that it stops him
doing some of the things he’d really like to do. Ben’s worries
are mostly to do with getting dirty, and at the beginning of
the story he does everything he can to avoid even the
smallest speck of dirt. For instance, he likes to use a clean
towel every time he goes swimming, and when he’s eating
crisps, he gets his Mum to open the car door for him because
he doesn’t want to get car ‘yuck’ on his hands. Sometimes he
even asks his Mum to peel his baked potato for him.
In a big group, talk to the children about how Ben gets worried by
all sorts of things to do with dirt. Ask them if they can think of
things - big or small - that other people might worry about.
Perhaps older children can discuss things they used to worry
about when they were younger, but don’t any more. Can they
remember how they helped themselves to stop worrying? As a
teacher you could perhaps offer a few examples of things you used
to do as a child to stop yourself from worrying - and perhaps still
do - like crossing your fingers for good luck, or thinking about
something happy when you feel a bit scared. Can the children
think of other things that people can do to stop themselves from
worrying too much?
Perhaps reassure the children that everyone has worries,
including adults, and it’s quite normal. The important thing is to
find a way of sorting out our worries before they grow and grow in
our minds.
One good thing to do if we’re worried about something is to ask
someone for help. Make a list together of ‘People we can turn to
for help if we’re worried’. Older children could include people that
adults can turn to for help if they’re worried. For example, a Mum
could turn to a doctor if she is worried about a family member
feeling poorly, or a Dad might seek advice from a vet if a family pet
seems to have fleas.
On the next page is a photocopiable sheet. On it is a list of worries that
younger children might experience in their day-to-day lives, as well as
possible solutions. Ask them to match each worry with a helpful
solution. This exercise was inspired by one of the excellent books listed
in the Resources section at the back of this pack: Ideas for PHSE (1988:11).
9
Working out what to do about worries
Cut out all the boxes and match up each worry with a good way of sorting it
out. Ask an adult to check your solutions before sticking them down.
✁
Ask someone at
David has lost his
new toy car
home to help you
practise. At school,
ask an adult for help
Alice can’t finish her
school dinner on
time
Explain what’s
happened to Mum,
and ask her to help
you find it
Billy fell down and
made a hole in his
trousers
Ask for a night light.
Have a ‘magic’ toy
that keeps ghosts
away
Milo can’t do up his
shoelaces
Ask a dinner lady for a
smaller helping. Also,
don’t talk so much
and eat a bit quicker!
Gemma is afraid of
ghosts in her
cupboard
Say sorry when you
get home and explain
it was an accident
10
Younger children might enjoy – and perhaps already
know – the story of Chicken Licken who worried when an
acorn fell off a tree, and bumped him on the head, and he
thought the sky was falling down! Read the story aloud
to the children and ask them to retell it in their own
words. If needed, a version of the story can be found at:
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type2033.html#halliwell
Ask younger children if they can think of any other possible solutions to Chicken Licken’s
worry about the sky falling down? Can they retell the story in their own words and give it a
happy ending? For example, perhaps Chicken Licken could talk to a Wise Old Owl who could
explain to him that an acorn falling down is quite a normal thing to happen, and nothing to
worry about at all!
Ask the children if they enjoy the story more when it has a happy ending, or when it ends in
disaster? Can they explain why?
If older children remember the story of Chicken Licken, they may be interested to
understand, and categorise it, amongst other ‘End of the World’ stories from around the
globe, all of which encourage people to make light of their worries. These may be found at:
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type2033.html#halliwell
11
In Theatre Alibi’s story, it’s not only Ben who worries. Ben’s
Mum also worries because she thinks Ben would enjoy
things more - and have more fun - if he wasn’t always so
bothered about a little bit of dirt here and there. So every
now and then, Ben’s Mum tries to think up a solution that
might help Ben sort out his worries. This time her idea is to
borrow a dog for the weekend to see if that helps. The dog
that visits Ben’s home for the weekend is called Chatty, and
somehow, the whole mixture of things that Ben does
when he’s looking after Chatty, helps to stop him worrying
quite so much.
Older children can be encouraged to recognise that sometimes
worries don’t necessarily have simple solutions but need to be
sorted out through a mixture of things. Nobody quite knows which
ingredient in the mixture does the trick, but somehow, combined
together it all works. In the story, perhaps it’s the mixture of
experiences that Ben has when he’s looking after Chatty that helps
him not to worry so much.
Invite the children in a big group to think about the mixture of
experiences Ben has when he’s looking after Chatty, which
somehow all combined help him not to worry so much. For
example, there is:
the fun Ben has with Chatty,
the friendship Ben makes with Chatty,
and the courage Ben finds when he needs it.
Also, when Ben is looking after Chatty, he
forgets to worry about himself quite so much!
Divide the children into small groups and ask them to imagine,
and make a list together of the mixture of day-to-day tasks Ben
would need to do to look after Chatty well. For example, there are
things like clearing up after Chatty, making sure she has
somewhere comfortable to sleep, and giving her plenty of water to
drink. Each group can report back to the whole class, and together
they can make a big long list entitled Looking after
Chatty. Younger children can make a collaborative drawing of
all their ideas, either in small, or larger, groups.
Ask older children to make up their own stories about someone
with a worry which ends with the worry being successfully sorted
out. If appropriate the worry could be quite a complex one which
might best be sorted out through trying a mixture of solutions.
12
In case it is needed for more complex and wide-ranging social issues –
including bullying, bereavement, domestic violence, family
breakdown, neglect and trauma - there is an organisation called
Place2Be which, with their linked organisation Place2Talk,
provide a range of counselling services in primary, as well as secondary
schools. They currently reach 75,000 children, helping them to cope
and build resilience through a mixture of talking, creative work and
play.
Below is a drawing by 7 year old ‘Matthew’ who is deaf and suffered
from tragic circumstances at home, but who benefitted from
Place2Be’s mixture of activities, in a small group of five boys, led by a
counsellor.
http://www.place2be.org.uk/what-we-do/childrens-stories/matthew/
The Place2Be website is at http://www.place2be.org.uk/what-we-do/
13
An animal’s point of view
When Chatty first meets Ben, she jumps up and tries to be
friendly, but Ben hates being covered in dog hairs, so he
immediately starts shouting. In the confusion, Chatty has an
accident, and wees on Ben’s bean bag. ‘Oh dear’, Ben’s Mum
says, ‘I think all the shouting must have upset her.’
Invite children to discuss whether or not they think animals have
feelings, and if they too, like humans, can sometimes get upset,
worried, over excited, lonely, or scared. Perhaps some of the
children might have their own small stories to tell about the way
an animal might have been feeling, whether contented or anxious.
Below is a list of words that describe Chatty’s feelings at different
points in the story, and underneath it, a list of descriptions of her
behaviour. Ask the children to work in pairs to find an appropriate
word to match the feeling with the behaviour. Do they think there
might be moments when Chatty could have been feeling more
than one thing at the same time?
CHATTY’S FEELINGS
happy, puzzled, friendly, sleepy, scared, itchy, sad
CHATTY’S BEHAVIOUR
When Chatty curled up on a bean bag she felt...
When Chatty licked Ben’s hand she felt...
When Chatty knew that Ben felt sad she felt...
When Chatty wagged her tail she felt...
When Chatty scratched herself she felt...
When Chatty was attacked by another dog she felt...
When Chatty got stuck in a muddy pond she felt...
14
On the first night that Chatty stays at Ben’s house, Ben
comes downstairs long after his Mum has gone to bed, and
finds Chatty chewing the remote control to the telly. From
Chatty’s point of view, she’s just having a nice chew, but in
the morning when Ben’s Mum finds out what she’s done, she
thinks Chatty has been very naughty.
Invite the children to share their experiences of animals being
‘naughty’. Perhaps, for example, they’ve seen how badgers or
moles can dig up a garden, or how an escaped hamster chewed
his way through Dad’s spectacle case, or heard about how a pet
kitten messed up Grandma’s knitting.
Chatty is a perfect name for Mrs Grainger’s dog because Chatty
really can talk! There are many, many examples of animals that
can talk in children’s literature and older children can be
encouraged to find out about a variety of these, and enjoy
categorising them according to type. For example, the Cowardly
Lion and the Hungry Tiger in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful
Wizard of Oz can talk and interact with humans, whereas the
rabbits in Watership Down can only talk to each other. Here is a
link to a page on Wikipedia entitled Talking Animals in Fiction
which might be a helpful starting point:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_animals_in_fiction
15
Ask the children to write about an experience from an animal’s point of view, in the first
person, as if it could really talk like Chatty. Younger children, could base their stories around
ones they might already know like Gene Zion’s funny tale of Harry the Dirty Dog,
and older children could, for example, choose a moment from The Lion the Witch and the
Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis. Below is an image for a theatrical adaptation of the story, directed
by Rupert Goold, and performed in a big top tent in London’s Hyde Park in 2012.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatrenews/8989449/The-Lion-The-Witch-and-The-Wardrobe-on-stageRupert-Goold-to-direct-C.S.-Lewis-classic.html#source=refresh
Children can also be encouraged to make up their own stories. For younger children, it
would be great fun to bring a pet into the classroom to act as a stimulus. Alternatively, a pet
photo-board, with a selection of pictures and photographs of pets, is a good starting point.
Here are a few pictures of animals to start children thinking and imagining. What do they
think each animal might be feeling?
http://img.thesun.co.uk/aidemitlum/archive/01699/cat4_1699761a.jpg
16
http://www.michalesjoy.com/wallpaper/1600x900/two-dogsplaying-with-yellow-ball-hd-animal-wallpaper-dogs.html
http://www.animaltalk.us/gorilla-and-duckling-friends/
A gorilla cuddles a duckling that had strayed from a nearby moat at
Bristol Zoo. The gorilla helped the lost duckling make it safely back
to its home and very worried mother.
17
A world of smells
Chatty’s world is full of fun and also full of smells! On the way
to the park from Ben’s house, Chatty strains at her lead,
following her nose, sniffing the ground every step of the way.
Then, in the park, she tries to make friends with another dog by
sniffing the other dog’s bottom in the way that dogs do. After
that, she rolls on a dead squirrel because she loves the smell!
Dogs can smell about a million times better than humans, and
different breeds of dog can smell better than others. Below is a
chart which shows the differences in the capacity to smell
between humans and different breeds of dog.
Number of
Scent Receptors
5 million
125 million
147 million
225 million
225 million
300 million
Species
Humans
Dachshund
Fox Terrier
Beagle
German Shepherd
Bloodhound
Dachshund
http://www.assisianimalhealth.com/news/wpcontent/uploads/2013/01/dachshund-back-problems.jpg
18
Fox Terrier
http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-168899/Wirehaired-fox-terrier
Beagle
http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091227084904/dogscats/images/5/57/Beagle_2.jpg
19
German Shepherd
http://www.fordogtrainers.com/browseproducts/German-Shepherd-DogWire-Basket-Dog-Muzzles-Size-Chart---German-Shepherd-Dog-muzzle.html
Bloodhound
http://ginger-pye.wikispaces.com/Breeder's+Choice
20
Below are a few ‘facts’ about the power of a dog’s sense of smell. Ask the children in pairs to
decide which of these ‘facts’ is true, and which is false (All are true!).
1
A dog’s sense of smell is about 1,000,000 times more powerful
than a human’s.
2
The part of a dog’s brain that is used for telling one smell from
another, is 40 times larger than it is in a human brain.
3
A human being can smell a teaspoon of sugar added to a drink,
whereas a dog can smell a teaspoon of sugar in 1,000,000 gallons
of water.
Older children will enjoy finding out more about how dogs can be trained to use their sense
of smell, for example, to help police sniff out criminals and criminal activity. Rescue dogs
are also trained to help find people through smell after disasters, such as earthquakes.
The book Senses by Jinny Johnson, is a great resource for younger children, and will help
them find out how the sense of smell is more important than sight for some creatures.
Below are a few ‘smelly’ activities inspired by information in the book.
Bears have a very keen sense of smell to help them find food. A polar bear can smell its prey
from 20 kilometres away. Identify a point approximately 20 kilometres away from the school and
ask the children to imagine smelling that distance!
Moles live underground where it’s so dark that they can’t see very much. A mole finds its way
around through smell and touch. Try an experiment to help children experience what a mole
might feel like. Ask a member of the class, with his eyes shut, to sit on a chair in front of the
others. Then hold an orange to one side of his face and ask him to see if he can turn his head to
follow the direction in which you move the orange, just like a mole being guided by smell.
Deer look up now and then, whilst they’re feeding on grass, and sniff the air for any sign of
danger. Try an experiment similar to the one above, with a member of the class sitting on a chair
in front of the others, with her eyes shut. This time, use a different smell, and place it in a
container with a lid in order to release the smell only occasionally. Then, ask the child to stand
up and sniff the air, now and then, like a deer. If the ‘deer’ can’t smell anything she’ll know it’s
safe to sit down again. If she can smell something she should open her eyes, and, like a deer, be
ready to move back quickly to a safe place.
Younger children may also enjoy ‘guess the smell’ games. All you need to play these is a
scarf to use as a blindfold, and plastic containers with lids to contain an array of different
smells.
21
Working out what to do about bullying
In the park, Ben and Chatty meet a girl and her dog. The girl’s
dog is called Vader, and when Chatty tries to be friendly with
him, he suddenly gets aggressive. The two dogs have a big
fight which ends up with Vader running off, whining.
Invite the children to discuss this encounter between the two
dogs. Do they think Vader needed to behave so aggressively when
Chatty was only trying to be friendly?
Ask the children to think a bit about why Vader might have
behaved in the way he did. Perhaps it was because he wasn’t
properly trained? Or perhaps he was somehow frightened of
Chatty? Or perhaps he had become an angry and unhappy dog
because of the way he was treated by his owners? Can the children
think of any other possible reasons why Vader might have
behaved so aggressively towards Chatty?
Older children can be encouraged to understand the subtleties of
a dog’s body language by accessing the Being a Dog Detective
webpage which helps them recognise if a dog is friendly, cross, or
dangerous.
http://www.be-a-tree.com/dog%20detective.htm
After Vader runs off, his owner picks on Ben. She laughs at
him, teases him, calls him horrible names, and finally rubs his
face in the mud because she knows he’s frightened of dirt.
In the case of the two dogs, Chatty stands up to Vader in the only
way she knows how, which is to fight back. Ask the children to
think about other choices they might have. Make a list together of
what children can do if someone suddenly picks a fight with them.
Is fighting back always a good idea?
Perhaps we can stick up for ourselves in other ways,
look the bully in the eye, and tell him, or her,
to stop it?
Perhaps we can get help from other children,
or an adult?
22
You might want to explain your school’s anti-bullying policy,
including what behaviour is not acceptable and what children
should do if they are bullied or see other children being bullied.
The encounter between Ben and the girl in the park happens out
of school hours. Divide older children into groups and ask them to
make a list together of what children can do about bullying out of
school hours. Each group can report back to the others, and the
class can make a list together.
Children can also engage in role play to help each other come up
with ideas to tackle bullying.
Step 1
Ask the children in pairs, to prepare a short scene where one
child is acting in a bullying way towards another. Where are
they? Who are they? What time of day is it? What is happening?
Step 2
Then invite a few of the pairs – one pair at a time – to act out
their scene in front of the class. Can the children watching
the scene think of ways of handling each situation to stop
the bully? Can the children watching the scene say why they
think one of the children might have been acting in a
bullying way towards the other?
Step 3
If an idea for handling a situation can be acted out, try
setting up the scene again and giving it an alternative
ending. Encourage other children in the class to participate
in the solution.
Ask the children to think a bit about why the girl in the park might
have behaved in the way she did. Was it because Ben was
“different” to her? Or perhaps it was because she hadn’t learned,
or wasn’t properly taught, to think about other people’s feelings?
Or perhaps she had become an unkind and unhappy person
because she, herself, had been bullied? Can the children think of
any other possible reasons why people might behave in a bullying
way towards people who may be different to them in some way?
23
Being brave in different ways
In Mucky Pup, Ben and Chatty praise each other when they’ve been brave.
For example, Ben says to Chatty that he thinks she’s very brave when Vader
attacks her and she doesn’t run away – even though she feels frightened
and wants to at first. Also, Chatty tells Ben that she thinks he’s been very
brave for not minding about all the duck poo and other muck, when he
jumps into a muddy pond to rescue her.
Invite younger children in a big group to discuss what ‘being brave’ means.
Encourage them to recognise that there are all sorts of ways of being brave, and
that being brave is something that can happen at any time, for lots of different
reasons. For example, we can be brave by standing up to a bully, or by overcoming
a worry, or by being friendly with someone who is a bit different to us in some way,
or just by being proud of ourselves, and not worrying too much all the time about
what other people might think of us.
Invite younger children in a big group to discuss what ‘praising’ someone means.
Encourage them to recognise that the good thing about praise is that we can praise
someone for lots of different reasons. For example, we can praise someone for
being brave, trying really hard or being kind.
Ask the children to take it in turns to praise a pet, or a person, for being brave in
some way, or just for being who they are. For example, they might say how brave,
helpful, or hardworking a brother, sister, mother or father has been when they did
something special, or just how kind, generous, fun, or funny, they normally are. Or,
one of them might choose a friend who has just learnt to swim even though she was
a bit scared, or another might choose a dinner lady because she smiles at everyone
in a friendly way each day.
Then invite the children to discuss how being praised makes each of them feel, and
to think about things that they, themselves, might like to be praised for. Encourage
them to recognise and congratulate each other on all the small achievements, or
moments of courage, that each of us feels proud of, and can make us feel special.
Perhaps ask the children to choose something brave, or special, that they,
themselves, have done – either for themselves, or for someone else – that they feel
proud of. It could be big or small. It doesn’t matter. In small groups, ask the children
to draw a collaborative picture, showing each of them doing something that makes
them feel brave or special in some way. This celebratory series of pictures can then
be used as a starting point for each of the children to write a true, or made up, story
about a special moment.
Older children can be encouraged to discuss different kinds, and levels, of courage.
They may be interested in writing about someone they know, or know about, who
has shown exceptional courage, for example, Stephen Sutton who died recently of
cancer at the age of 19, but who raised millions on behalf of other teenagers
suffering from the disease. Or perhaps a friend of theirs who helps to care for his
disabled brother. Or perhaps a story about a mother, father, grandmother, or
grandfather who was brave in another way.
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Older children can also be encouraged to find out more about people from
different cultures who have been outstandingly brave, some of whom
have changed the course of history. The story below is an example for
older children, which raises important and challenging questions related
to ethical choice, racism, and civil rights. It is edited and adapted from
Robyn Johnson’s site:
HTTP://MATADORNETWORK.COM/BNT/10-REVOLUTIONARY-ACTS-OFCOURAGE-BY-ORDINARY-PEOPLE/
Rosa Parks’ Sit Down for Civil Rights
http://cp91279.biography.com/1000509261001/1000509261001_2119569664001_RosaParks-Legacy.jpg
In 1955, in the United States of America, it was still illegal for African
Americans to sit on a bus next to ‘white’ citizens. Then, one day, an African
American woman called Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to obey a bus
driver’s order to give up her seat in the ‘coloured’ section of the bus to a
‘white’ passenger, after the ‘white’ section was filled. Some people say that
Rosa’s unwillingness to give up her seat was due to her aching feet, but she
disagreed. “No” she said, “the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” Rosa
became known as “the first lady” of the Civil Rights movement, which
fought for equal rights for all citizens of the United States.
Each of the other stories on Robyn Johnson’s site can be used to provoke
debate, and further enquiry, about the dangers in some societies of acting
according to your conscience. Invariably, the courageous acts in each story have
been on behalf of others, in protest against injustice, as well as discrimination
against ‘difference’.
25
Meeting new people
In the park, Ben and Chatty see some boys having fun playing a game of football,
but then Chatty invades the pitch and starts charging around chasing the ball. Ben
runs up to the boys and tries to stop Chatty from messing up their game. He says
sorry to them, and all they end up laughing at her antics. Then one of the boys
introduces himself to Ben, and says his name is Noggin. He invites Ben to join in
their game.
Explain to the children that they are going to practice a thoughtful way of behaving when
they meet new people.* To begin with, ask the children to think about times they might
meet new people. For example, when visitors come to the school, or when children join the
class as newcomers, or when they might meet new people at parties, on holiday, and so on.
Then ask the children to choose a partner in the class whom they don’t often talk to, or play
with, and to introduce themselves to each other as if they were meeting for the first time. Do
they know what to say and do?
Combine the pairs so that children are working in small groups of four or six, and explain to
them that they are going to take it in turns to introduce their partner to the group as if they
were meeting him, or her, for the first time. They will need to have a little chat with their
partner first to find out something about them, for instance, where they live, if they have a
pet, or what their favourite game is.
*(This series of activities is inspired by one of the excellent books listed in the Resources section
at the back of this pack: Ideas for PHSE)
Offer them an example:
“This is Annie, she has just moved to the village, and has a cat called Suki”.
Then Annie says
“Hello”,
and the group say
“Hello”
back, and someone can ask Annie a question. Then another person is introduced, and so on.
Now ask the children what they have learned from the introductions. For example: “How
did it feel to be introduced to the group? How would you feel if you met some new people
who your friend knows, and he, or she, chats away to them ignoring you and not
introducing you? Do we always need to make friends with people who are similar to us? Or
could it be just as much fun to make friends with people who seem different to us at first,
but with whom we can still find something in common?”
Ask the partners to have another chat and find out something they have in common with
each other. Perhaps allow the pairs, or group, to play together for a while to encourage new
friendships.
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http://www.gscdn.org/library/cms/56/17356.jpg
Encourage children to think about how they would like to be treated
when they are meeting new people and also to recognise that it takes
courage sometimes to be welcoming towards someone new, particularly
if they are a little bit different in some way. After all, it’s so much easier to
stick with friends we already know who are similar to us.
Children can also work together on a task which will help them to think a
bit more about friendly and thoughtful ways of meeting new people.
Overleaf is a photocopiable task sheet to do with decision making called
‘What would you do?’
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What would you do?
1
Your teacher has asked you to help a new child in your class to feel
welcome. She’s called Aisha and can’t speak English very well. You see
her standing by herself in the playground. Would you:
a) Whisper about her. After all she probably can’t understand what you’re
saying anyway.
b)Speak to her VERY SLOWLY AND LOUDLY and tell her about a book
you’re reading.
c) Invite her to join in a game you’re playing with some other friends.
2
Your Mum has asked you to help a new neighbour’s little boy to feel
welcome. He’s called Billy and is a bit deaf. When you try and talk to him,
he doesn’t turn round. Would you:
a) Suggest to him that he should wash his ears out. After all, he probably
can’t hear what you’re saying anyway.
b)Make sure you have eye contact with him before you speak to him,
even if it means you that you move into a position where he can see your
lips easily.
c) Ask your Mum to look after him herself.
3
Your older sister has invited a new friend round for tea and asked you to
make him feel welcome. He’s called Pete, and has ginger hair. Would you:
a) Say ‘Hi Pete, it’s nice to meet you’.
b)Giggle, run away and spy on them from somewhere.
c) Smile politely and then make a rude face behind his back?
After all, he probably can’t guess what you’re doing anyway.
4
Your head teacher has asked you to think up a few strategies for making
newcomers to the school feel welcome. Can you?
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Older children who are soon going to move to a secondary school will
not only be meeting lots of new people, they will be saying goodbye to
some of their old friends. Encourage them to discuss their excitement
and concerns, as well as to think about other transitions which can
occur during people’s lives.
Overleaf is a photocopiable sheet for older children to help them think
about some of the ways of making new friends at a new school. Ask the
children to discuss each of the statements to see if they understand
and agree with all of them, or only some.
Do any of statements contradict each other a bit? Can they explain how
and why? Can they add others?
http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/our-work/employmenteducation/moving-on-to-secondary-school/
29
Making friends at a new school
Do you agree with the following statements?
If not think about why?
Do you have any other suggestions about the best way to
make friends at a new school?
Be patient. Making new friends takes time
Make sure any jokes you tell aren’t mean or degrading to
others. That’s not the way you should make friends.
Joining a club or sport is a great way to make new friends.
If you're naturally shy, try to keep your head high and
smiling. Don't stare at the floor when you’re walking, look at
the people around you. Greet others.
Accept yourself for who you are. You don’t have to pretend
to be someone different.
Don’t let other people’s opinions of you affect you
negatively. What's most important is what you think of
yourself rather than what others think.
Don't automatically assume that the more friends you have,
the happier you’ll be. A few close friends can lead to richer
relationships than a large but impersonal group.
If you’re worried about something, keep it all to yourself
and don’t tell anyone.
Don't listen to gossip about other people. Get to know them
yourself, and learn who they really are, not what others
think of them.
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A special sense
In Mucky Pup, Ben and Chatty become good friends and Ben
decides that he definitely wants to keep her as his own pet. Then,
Ben’s Mum reminds him that they only arranged to borrow Chatty
for the weekend to help them decide if they wanted to get a dog of
their own. In fact, Chatty belongs to Mrs Grainger – a neighbour of
Ben’s Grandpa – and she keeps her company since her husband
died. So Ben feels very sad. He goes up to his room and refuses to
come out. His Mum tries to cheer him up, and Chatty also tries to
cheer him up, but Ben just gets more and more upset. Eventually,
Chatty lies down outside Ben’s bedroom door, so that she can sniff
him through the crack underneath it.
Children will be interested to learn that dogs have a special sense which is
highly developed, where they can feel the energy (emotions) of other
beings around them. Invite the children to share their experiences of this
special sense that dogs have – as well as some other animals – of
knowing very quickly how people, and other animals, around them are
feeling. For example, when Ben is feeling upset, Chatty goes to sit near his
door to try and sniff him through the crack underneath it.
The special sense that dogs have of empathy makes them wonderful
companions. It also means that they don’t like to be left alone for long
periods, and need companionship themselves otherwise they become
bored and distressed. Older children may be interested to find out more
about a dog’s need for company, through the RSPCA website:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/dogs/company
http://static.oprah.com/images/relationships/201006/20100608child-and-pet-2-300x205.jpg
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Older children can also learn more about the work of the Dogs Trust in the UK which is a
charity that looks after stray and abandoned dogs and helps to find homes for them:
www.dogstrust.org.uk
Partly because of their special sense of empathy, dogs can be trained to help people who
are blind, or deaf. Invite older children to find out more about how dogs can be trained to
help people, using all their senses. Here is a useful website address to start them off. It’s
related to training puppies as guide dogs for the blind:
http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/microsites/sponsor-a-puppy/puppy-training
http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/microsites/sponsor-a-puppy/
A dog’s special sense is now also being trained to help children learn to read through the
Kennel Club Bark and Read programme.
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/barkandread
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Helping to cheer each other up
When Ben is feeling upset, his new friend Noggin pops
round to his house and asks him if he wants to play
football. As you can imagine, Ben cheers up immediately!
Encourage the children to appreciate how we can help, as
well as influence, each other in how we are feeling. Can they
think of times they’ve cheered someone else up, or someone
else has cheered them up?
For younger children, collect a pile of old socks - or perhaps
each child can bring in an old sock from home - to make a
sock puppet. Eyes can be made with buttons, or cut out felt
shapes and stuck on with Velcro, and wool can be glued on
for hair.
These sites give more detailed instructions on how to make a
sock puppet : www.puppetgifts.com/How-to-Make-aPuppet.html and
http://learningandteachingwithpreschoolers.blogspot.co.
uk/2012/01/sock-puppets-tutorial.html
http://www.teachinghelp.org/ways-to-teach-a-bible-lesson-puppets/
33
Invite children to experiment with making their puppets look, and sound, happy or sad.
Then, ask them to see if they can make happy (or sad) puppet faces and sounds, in response
to a series of situations that you suggest to them:
Imagine how you’d feel if it was your birthday today.
Imagine how you’d feel if your friend was sad.
Imagine how you’d feel if you managed to do something really difficult for the first
time.
Imagine how you’d feel if you were going to go on a picnic and it started to pour
with rain.
Imagine how you’d feel if your friend managed to do something really difficult for
the first time.
Imagine how you’d feel if your pet was poorly.
Imagine how you’d feel if you had a really nice surprise.
Children can be encouraged to imagine, and make up their own ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ situations
in pairs.
Invite them, also, to improvise a short scene based around a situation in which one puppet is
sad for some reason and the other puppet tries to cheer them up. ‘What’s the matter?’, ‘Can I
help?’, ‘Let’s go and find someone to talk to shall we?’ ‘Shall we play a game together?’
Enjoying doing things together
At the beginning of Theatre Alibi’s story, Ben does everything he can to avoid being
with other children because he thinks they will make fun of him. One thing he does
enjoy doing by himself, though, is swimming. He’s a brilliant swimmer and spends
hours swimming up and down the pool on his own. He’s even practised doing lots
of life saving at Dolphins, his swimming club. But, sometimes he feels very lonely
doing things by himself and wishes he could change.
Ask the children if there are any activities they enjoy doing by themselves. For example, some
might suggest reading, or practising a musical instrument, or walking round to the corner shop.
On the other hand, there are lots and lots of games and other activities which need more
than one person to play them, and that are much more fun to play with friends. Invite the
children to discuss their favourite games, activities and sports.
Younger children can also be encouraged to think about games they enjoy playing on their
own, as well as games that are more fun if you play them with someone else: games to play
outdoors in the fresh air, as well as games to play indoors.
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http://www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/sites/default/files/images/bumblehole%20fire.JPG
After Ben joins in the game of football in the park, and makes friends with Noggin, he often goes
to play football with Noggin after school, as well as swimming with Noggin and other friends.
Invite older children in pairs to make up a swimming game that boys and girls could play for
fun, but that would also help them build up their swimming skills. The NHS has an excellent
list of fun swimming games to inspire them, at their Change4Life website
http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/swim-for-life.aspx These games are essentially
adaptations of playground and/or drama games, and have names such as ‘Underwater
Humming’, ‘The Mirror Game’, and ‘What’s the Time Mr Wolf’. The list is downloadable as a
PDF file.
Alternatively, they could find out more about a sport they really enjoy playing. For example,
there’s a terrific little book called Football by Paul May. It’s packed with interesting facts
about the history of football and published by Oxford University Press.
By the end of the story, Ben has lots of fun, and on his birthday his Mum takes him and three
friends on an outing to Diggerland!
Ask the children to write about a favourite outing they’ve been on with family or friends.
http://sporteology.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/kids-playing-soccer.jpg
35
Resources: Books and Websites
Note to teachers: Every effort has been made to ensure that the websites listed in
the pack are suitable for children. However, it’s impossible to guarantee that the
content of the sites will not be altered. We therefore recommend that internet
access is supervised at all times.
PSHE
Friends at School. Rochelle Bunnett. Published by Star Bright Books, 1995. ISBN 13: 978 1
595572 040 5
Helping Children to Build Self-Esteem. Deborah M. Plummer. Published by Jessica Kingsley,
2007. ISBN 978 1 84310 488 9
Ideas for PSHE. Ingrid Oliver. Published by Scholastic Limited, 2000. ISBN 0 439 01669 X
Personal and Social Development. Hannah Mortimer. Published by Scholastic Limited, 1998.
ISBN 0 590 53758 X
The Place2Be website is at http://www.place2be.org.uk/what-we-do/
SCIENCE
Caring for your Dog. Anita Ganeri. Published by Raintree, 2013. ISBN 978 1 4062 5058 9
Senses. Jinny Johnson. Published by Kingfisher Publications Plc, 2004. ISBN 13: 978 0 7534 1061 5
Senses. David and Penny Glover. Published by Franklin Watts, 2004. ISBN 978 0 7496 5544 0
Smelling in Living Things. Karen Hartley, Chris Macro and Philip Taylor. Published by
Heinemann, 2000. ISBN 0 431 09723 2
Swimming games at the Change4Life website:
http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/swim-for-life.aspx
Website for training puppies as guide dogs for the blind:
http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/microsites/sponsor-a-puppy/puppy-training
Website for the Kennel Club’s Bark and Read programme:
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/barkandread
Website for Be a Dog Detective http://www.be-a-tree.com/dog%20detective.htm
Website for the RSPCA: http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/dogs/company
36
STORIES
Website for end of the world stories: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type2033.html#halliwell
Website for talking animals in fiction:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_animals_in_fiction
ART
Websites for making a sock puppet:
www.puppetgifts.com/How-to-Make-a-Puppet.html and
http://learningandteachingwithpreschoolers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/sock-puppetstutorial.html
ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
Circle time. Hannah Mortimer. Published by Scholastic Limited, 1998. ISBN 0 590 53914 0
Favourite Themes. Jenni Tavener. Published by Scholastic Limited, 1995. ISBN 0 590 53307 X
Primary Teacher YEARBOOKS. Edited by Lucy Hall. Published by Scholastic Limited, 1998.
ISBN 0 590 53818 7, ISBN 0 590 53819 5, 1SBN 0 590 53821 7, ISBN 0 590 53823 3,
ISBN 0 590 53824 1
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