Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver Overall aims of this teaching sequence. • To understand the genre of ‘quest stories; • To explore dilemmas, empathising with characters; • To consider differing viewpoints; • To build an imaginative picture of a different world; • To explore themes of bravery and loyalty though a fictional text. This teaching sequence is designed for a Year 5 or Year 6 class. Overview of this teaching sequence This teaching sequence is approximately 4 weeks long if spread out over 20 sessions. You will need to allocate time outside of the teaching sequence to read the book. Wolf Brother is an exciting adventure set 6,000 years ago during the time of the hunter gatherers. Torak, of wolf clan is the main character. His father’s death, at the hands of a gigantic bear inhabited by an evil spirit, triggers Torak’s quest - to save the forest from destruction. His loyal guide is a wolf cub and the story is told from both human and animal perspectives. There are strong themes in this story, including bravery, loyalty and a deep respect for the forest and its inhabitants. Before beginning this teaching sequence it would be helpful for children to have an insight into life at the time of the Stone Age and the life of the hunter gatherers. National Curriculum objectives covered by this sequence Reading: (Word reading / Comprehension) Writing: (Transcription / Composition) . Increase familiarity with a range of books; . Plan writing by identifying the audience for . Identify themes and conventions and and purpose of the writing, selecting the compare these across books they have read; appropriate form . Show understanding through intonation, . Note and develop initial ideas, drawing on tone, volume and action; reading . Discuss words and phrases that capture . Draft and write by selecting appropriate readers’ interest and imagination; grammar and vocabulary . Draw inferences about characters’ feelings, . In narratives, describe settings, characters thoughts, emotions and actions. and atmosphere, integrate dialogue to . Apply their growing knowledge of root convey character and advance action words, prefixes and suffixes, both to read . Use a range of devices to build cohesion aloud and to understand the meaning of within and across paragraphs new words that they meet. Evaluate and edit by proposing changes to . Ask questions to improve their vocabulary, grammar and punctuation understanding . Proof-read for spelling and punctuation ©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE. identifying how language, structure and errors presentation contribute to meaning . Perform their own compositions, using . Predict what might happen from details appropriate intonation, volume, movement stated and implied. so that meaning is clear . Prepare play scripts to read aloud. select appropriate grammar and vocabulary, and understand how such choices can change and enhance meaning Speaking and Listening: . Maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, responding to texts . Ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and build vocabulary and knowledge . Articulate and justify answers and opinions . Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, imagining and exploring ideas . Participate in discussions, presentations, performances and debates . Consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to the contributions of others . Select and use appropriate registers for effective communication . Use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas in discussion, role-play and . drama . Consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others. Cross Curricular Links: . It would be really good to have a selection of items around the class that ‘magnify, illuminate and focus’ and a Viewmaster if you can get one, to allow the children to see and handle these items. History . Researching hunter gatherers http://www.michellepaver.com/creating-a-stone-age-world Art . The descriptive language and strong setting provide opportunities for Art work many of which have been included in the teaching sequence eg Chalk pastel images of wolves. Forest images in oil pastel or paint Collage of the Walker Science . Living things – Wolves(see session three) http://www.all-about- wolves.com/free_wolf_photos.aspx ©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE. PSHE& Citizenship . Man as hunter and the notion of respect for the forest provides an opportunity for discussion. Children could also research hunter gatherers today or consider issues around deforestation, survival skills and animals loss of habitats. DT . Children could design and create model shelters using twigs or even on a larger scale if possible! Dance . Based on the scene under the river has been included in the sequence other opportunities include movement based on hunting and tracking in the forest. Music . children could work in groups to create sounds of the forest Teaching Approaches Writing Outcomes . Reading aloud and rereading . Script marking . Reader’s theatre . Letter in role . ‘Tell me’ . Note making . Writing in role . Character description . Visualising . Storyboard . Shared writing . Eyewitness account . Role on the wall . Poster . Poetry . Journal . Descriptive writing Links to other texts: . Finding out about Torak’s world http://www.michellepaver.com/creating-a-stone-age-world . Find out more about the author Michelle Paver and how she researched the book www.michellepaver.com . Other books in the Chronicles of the Ancient Darkness series: Spirit Walker Soul Eater Outcast Oath Breaker Ghost Hunter Tell me grid . Look at teaching approaches for explanations and examples of some of the terms used. ©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE. Teaching Sessions Session 1: ‘Tell me’, discussion and note making . Talk with children about the cover of the book, encouraging them to share their predictions and ideas. Read the first chapter. Allow children to respond to this powerful opening holding a ‘Tell me’ discussion; sharing anything they liked or disliked, anything that puzzled them or reminded them of something. Children could complete a ‘Tell Me’ grid to help them organise their thoughts. Children’s comments could then be written on post it notes and kept in a whole class ‘Wolf Brother ‘journal or placed on a display board to be referred to later in the sequence. What do we know so far? Ask children to work with a partner and brainstorm what they have found out, making notes in their journals. Share some of their comments and record them in the class journal. Before the next session read chapters 2 and 3. Ongoing work . Word collections . Before the start of session 2 list two or three words and phrases from the book: ‘Daywalks’, ‘Fast Wet’ ‘Not Breath’ . Discuss with the class what these might mean. Use this discussion as a starting point for a word collection in the class journal. Individual children can also record them in their Wolf Brother journals. Invite children to add to this collection as you continue to explore the book together. Session 2: Freeze frame, drawing and annotation . Ask children to work with a partner to freeze frame one scene from the first encounter between Torak and the wolf cub. What are Torak and Wolf thinking? . Discuss this with children as they look at each other’s freeze frames. Then ask children to work individually to create annotated drawings of their scene, these could be kept in their journals, with some in the class journal or displayed on the wall. Read chapters 4 and 5 before the next session Session 3: Visualisation, drawing and discussion . Show the children images of wolves on the IWB. There some excellent images here http://www.all-about-wolves.com/free_wolf_photos.aspx . Then re read pages 34-35 aloud starting from ‘Once again Fa’s voice echoed in his memory.’ . Ask children to close their eyes as they listen to the description of the wolf. Have some of these audios playing in the background to add to atmosphere http://www.all-about- wolves.com/wolves_howl.aspx . Give children charcoal, chalk or pastels and sugar paper to create their own monochrome images of wolves. ©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE. Display children’s art work on the wall. At the end of the session discuss with the children what they have found out about wolves from the chapter displaying this section on the board: ‘More than any other hunters in the forest…. wolves are like us. They hunt in packs. They enjoy talking and playing. They have a fierce love for their mates and their cubs. And each wolf works hard for the good of the pack. Discuss with them whether they think a wolf could make a suitable guide for Torak in his quest. For homework children could research information about wolves. Allow time for them to share what they have found with the class. This website is a useful starting point: http://www.all-about- wolves.com/default.aspx . Read up to the end of chapter seven before the next session. Session 4: Storyboarding and storytelling . What has happened in the story so far? . List the key points in the narrative together as a class. Ask children to work with a partner and create a storyboard of the events so far, with illustrations and captions.