Developed by Tatjana Kokalj and Anja Kokalj

Publisher: Sodobnost International, Slovenian Writersʼ Association,

Ljubljana 2008
Translated from Slovenian by Aleksandra Ceferin (September 2009)

FORGET ME NOTS STORY-TELLING WORKBOOK

Spots

1. Tell the story

View the illustration of Spots in the book Spots Becomes a World Champion.
Send your imagination out on a wander. What do you think, is he kind or isnʼt he? Dopes
he have friends? What are their names? How does he like to play? What do you think,
why does he have such an unusual name?

2. Listen/ Construct
Spots played in the garden (Spots becomes a World Champion, p. 4 - 8). Suddenly
strange beings appeared in front of him.
Construct little hippityhopsters from plastecine.
HINT: hippityhopsters can be changed into a ball, a ladder or even a policeman.

3. Listen/Tell the story/Role-play

Would you like to know what kind of an adventure will Spots and hippityhopsters have?
Spots broke a windowpane (p.10 – 17). Did something similar happen to you, when you
were playing? What happened? How did you feel? Who helped you repair the damage?
Who helped Spots?
With friends perform the scene between the lady and the policeman.
4. Listen/Tell the story/Play
Hippityhopsters can change into anything: a goose, a boy, a chair (p.18 -21). Do you wish
you could change into anything too? What would you like to change into? Why? What
would you do in the new shape. Tell!
Play the game hop, hop, hop, change this instant, one two three!
Children move around in their space. The teacher calls: “Hap, hop, hip, change into
bears!” Children begin moving around like bears.
The teacher continues the game by naming various animals and objects.

5. Listen/Draw
Hippityhopsters decided to stay with Spots. Where will they sleep? What will they change
to before going to sleep? What will Spots give them to eat?
The teacher might read out the relevant section of the story (p.22 – 27)
What is the dish that your mum cooks best? What is your dadʼs specialty? Can you
prepare a dish? What is it? What do you like to eat best? Draw a plate with your favourite
dish.

6. Listen/Circle
Spots tells hippityhopsters, that he is being persecuted by a group of bullies (p. 28 – 30).
How does Spots feel when bullies confront him? Is he afraid of them? What do they want
from him? Who or what frightens you most?

7. Listen/Tell
Spots had, with the help of hippityhopsters formed a plan to defeat the bullies (p.31 – 35)
What would you do in his place? How would you defeat the bullies?

8. Listen/Role-play
Spots was strolling along the street with his ice-cream. Bullies attacked him and tried to
take from him his sweet. How would solve this problem. What would you do? With friends
play out a scene, then your teacher will read out the relevant section of the story (p.37 -
43). How did Spots save himself? Do you think the bullies will now leave him alone?

9. Listen/Tell
Spots went home after the episode with clothes pegs (p.44, 45)
What kind of mood is he in? What is he worried about? Did he tell his mum and dad about
his problems with the bullies? Did he tell them about the world championship? Do you
confide your worries and fears to your parents? How do they help you? What advice do
they give you?

10. Tell/Draw
Hippityhopsters changed into different animals in Spots bedroom (p.46, 47).
Do you have a pet? If you havenʼt got a pet, would you like one? What animal would you
prefer? You can draw the animal.

11. Listen/ Play

The day of the great game came. Dragons will be umpires (p. 48 -51)
Prepare a game of wind football. You need a ball of stiropor and for each player a straw.
Draw two goalposts on the table. Appoint teams and an umpire. Blowing through the
straw, try to roll the ball into the opponentʼs goalpost.
Four pupils play the game, two in each team. The competition is continued into the next
round by the team that hits the first goal.

12. Listen/ Draw

Read, about the course of the game (p.52 56)
Spots kicked most goals during the game. Draw the victorious expression on his face.
Draw also his expression at the moment when the bullies threw him into the water.

13. Listen/Repeat
The hippityhopsters were the first to help Spots (p. 57 – 59). What did they change into?
Can you swim? Who taught you? Where do you prefer to swim? Imagine an animal and
demonstrate how it swims. The other children try to guess which animal it is.

14. Listen/Tell/Draw
At home, read the remainder of the book with mum and dad (p. 60-63). Hippityhopsters
Are going to stay with Spots. Send your imagination on walkabout. What further
adventures will they have? Where will they go? What will they do? Make a drawing.