This Morning I Met a Whale

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This resource shares an extract from the story, describing the flamingos that live on the salt flats of the Camargue. It also features suggested discussion activities considering the author’s craft. This includes looking at effective features of descriptive writing, specific vocabulary choices made by an author, and introducing unfamiliar vocabulary. help pupils to evaluate their own levels of skill and confidence in preparation for this significant next step in their educational journey

This BBC radio play of the story is free to listen to, which makes this a valuable text for comparing play scripts and prose, and how the same story can be told in different ways. Resources to lead a whole-staff demonstration on how to use a high-quality text with engaging oracy techniques and activities to develop and deepen reading comprehension. When war comes to Omar’s Afghan village, 10-year-old Omar and his mother set off on a long and dangerous journey. They’re heading for England and Uncle Said’s café.

Pupils could try to write their own story-within-a-story, based on another myth or legend they know. Pinocchio by Pinocchio As well as terrific writing, this book gives older children the chance to explore narrative structure, using the device of a character telling another story. This is another lovely story by Michael Morpurgo, beautifully illustrated by Christian Birmingham. Michael lives in London, near Battersea Bridge. He loves to get up early to go bird watching on the River Thames when no one else is about. One morning the most extraordinary thing happened. He found a bottlenose whale that was almost beached in the river. Michael discovered that the beautiful creature had deliberately swum up the river, even though he knew it would be dangerous because he was looking for a child so that he could give it a very important message. Michael listened to the whale and promised that he would never forget the message and that he would tell others about it. Michael knew that he would keep this promise for the rest of his life.

A fictional story based on the actual event of a whale being found on the River Thames in 2006. A beautiful (and sad) story of a boy who discovers the whale who tells him the story of how people are killing the world, and then goes on to pass on this message in his classroom. The story is beautifully written and full of description which draws you in, whilst relaying a really important message. I think it would be a great way to start conversations with children and start creative writing about the environment by asking questions such as; Inspire KS2 pupils to write their own story using a classic tale to raise awareness of an issue that matters to them, with advice from Sir Michael Morpurgo himself. Pupils could then be challenged to use the word in their own writing. Tales retold Arthur, High King of Britain In this free PDF there are loads of ideas and writing opportunities. These range from environmental information pamphlets and persuasive letters to news reports. This book is ideal for ages 8+. This book could be used to read to a class and to inspire creative writing. For example:Taking the wonderful Michael Morpurgo book, This Morning I Met a Whale as an example, we show how reading a story can act as a starting point to whole units of work. Asking children how they would feel if they suddenly saw a whale swimming in a river. Would they believe it was true? I read this book with its use in a classroom setting in mind. As a child i read a few Micheal Morpurgo books but not many. I have to say this one was great! The book follows a little boy from Battersea who gets up each morning to go to the bank of the Thames and bird watch, one morning he is greeted by a much larger creature. Each worksheet features a variety of writing, comprehension and research activities for pupils to carry out. These include writing a timeline of Joan of Arc’s life and describing how you met your best friend. This text can provide a great model for first-person writing. Children can invent new adventures for Pinocchio or retell another familiar story with themselves in the role of the protagonist. Times of war Friend or Foe

The class can then choose another setting – the desert, the tundra – and use the same techniques to create the feeling of being there. Animal adventures The Butterfly Lion This year, the theme is horses. This is to celebrate 40 years of the Morpurgo’s modern classic, War Horse. Use this month to introduce pupils to this beautiful tale. This is a magical story that spans many decades. The Butterfly Lion provides a motivating and memorable way of teaching children to control shifts in time in their own writing. Listen to the story and think about how the author moves from one period to another. Introduce the story: Asking children how they would feel if they suddenly saw a whale swimming in a river. Would they believe it was true? Read as a class and imagine what it would be like to be there. Next, look carefully at how the author describes the setting. This can support children’s own development as writers.This book is another masterpiece written by Michael Morpurgo. Beautifully written and illustrated. Based on a real life event about a whale visiting the Thames in 2006. This book is a great read with a beautiful story that makes people think creatively. Use Morpurgo’s tale of a boy who spies a bottlenose whale in the Thames as the centrepiece of your next Key Stage 2 storybook curriculum.