Michael Morpurgo

Abstract

This innovative series is designed to help primary teachers plan focused sessions on the work of popular, well-loved and valued authors, both classic and contemporary. Each book contains a range of activities for use directly in the classroom, covering biographical information about the author; a review of the author's work and a summary of major themes in his/her key texts; key language features of the author; frameworks to help children analyze, evaluate and compare texts, and to develop personal opinions of authors' works; ideas for writing modeled on or developed from key texts; speaking and listening opportunities; drama and role play ideas; and references to video, CD-ROM, websites and ICT activities. Inside each book is a full-color pullout poster illustrating the work of the author, which also has a set of challenges for children on the back. Michael Morpurgo is the author of over 60 books for children, including Sam's Duck, The Butterfly Lion, The Wreck of the Zanzibar, and Kensuke's Kingdom. Beginning with a detailed plan for structuring a half-term's work on Michael Morpurgo, this book presents activities that focus on narrative structure, character development, settings and themes. Activities and games include: focus on biography - writing blurbs, role-playing 'ask the author', creating a magazine article/web page about the author; exploring key themes, including bullies, not liking school, caring for animals, relationships with older people, and farm and country life; creating a character sketch; writing in role; focusing on time with a story web; analyzing setting; and an in-depth study of The Butterfly Lio.