Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

FOR THE TEACHER

This resource uses information about how the brain works and how to accelerate learning
from Alistair Smith’s excellent and easy to follow book Accelerated Learning in the
Classroom, as well as ideas about techniques for engaging pupil interest from Lessons are for
Learning by Mike Hughes.

Page references are for the Collins paperback edition.

Before printing copies of the pack for your students, please look through the contents! The
answers to the wordsearch etc are included here and in some places, alternative tasks are
given.

However you decide to approach this novel, it is well worth the effort. If you do WW1 War
Poetry at GCSE, this is an excellent long-term preparation for understanding the poems.

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

Before you read this Michael Morpurgo novel, take a good look at the
cover, read the blurb and think about the things you already know
about WW1.

Now have a ‘brainshower’ (below), where you jot down your

impressions. Next, ask some questions which could be answered by
reading the book. (Add in more arrows if you can.)

WHO? WHY?

HOW? WHERE?

WHAT? WHEN?

When you’ve completed that, discuss your thoughts with a partner and
make one prediction about what will happen in the story.

I predict that ................................................................................

.......................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

RHYTHM AND MEMORY:

‘Oranges and Lemons’ is mentioned a lot in the first three chapters and becomes a
symbol of the brothers’ unity, spirit and inner freedom. Did you ever sing it, or
even play it? The text of the song is on p 119.

As in music, rhythm is a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. First, from

memory, tap out the tune of ‘Oranges and Lemons’ using your left hand to tap
unstressed syllables and your right hand to tap stressed syllables. Do this as a class
activity, starting on your teacher’s signal. Try to stay in time – that’s the real
challenge!

Now mark the stresses with a / and the unstressed syllables with -. The first part
is done for you:

/ - - / - - / - - / -
Oranges and Lemons, say the bells of St Clements,

- / - -
You owe me five farthings, say the bells of St Martins.

When will you pay me?, say the bells of Old Bailey.

When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch.

When you’ve got the hang of that, try ‘Humpty Dumpty’, ‘Hey Diddle-
diddle’ and others.

Rhythm helps us remember.

TEST YOUR SKILL:

Tell the story so far to the tune of Oranges and Lemons. Circulate around
the class and put what happens next into your own words. You could start
like this:

Tommo and Charlie are the boys of our story,

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

‘It was Molly’s job to iron the Colonel’s newspaper

every morning so that the ink did not come off on his
fingers’ (p 69)

How odd that seems to us today! So many things have changed since
WW1. We are going to explore some of the changes. Then you are
going to teach the class about what was different. Have a think about
things you’ve noticed about life for Tommo that is different today.
Decide what you’d like to research (find out about). Next think about
how you’ll find the information – you could look on the internet, in
the library, interview your History teacher etc. Finally decide how
you’ll present your findings to the class in an interesting way.

Some questions you could research:

Why did the boys have to touch their ‘forelocks’ as if they ‘meant it’
(p 16)? What does that reveal about the social order of the time? Why
did everyone work at ‘the big house’? Why could the Colonel evict the
family from the cottage unless Mother would work for him? Do you know
why World War 1 would have changed all this?

Until recently the ink from newspapers could make your hands very dirty
(p 69). What was the ink made from? What is used now? Why has that
changed? How does the new ink help the environment?

You may have met people who are a bit like Big Joe. How do we treat
people who seem ‘backward’ or ‘special’ (p 26) today? What do we
learn from the different ways people treat Joe? What would happen to
Joe today if he lived near you? What would your attitude to him be?

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

RECRUITMENT

At the beginning of World War 1, there was a large recruiting campaign to

persuade healthy men to take part in the war and fight for their country.

One of the ways of making men join up was by calling them cowards, just like the
old woman who called Tommo ‘Chicken’ (p 96–97). Women were urged to give
men they loved who refused to join up a white feather in public to shame them
into enlisting. If you like poetry you may like to find Recruiting by
E.A. Mackintosh, which is about all the pressure put on men to go and fight by the
very people who are not going off to fight themselves!

Another way was with eye-catching posters, which is what we are going to
explore:

1. Have a look in the Library or on the Internet for the posters that were used
for recruitment in WW1. There are lots of other posters warning people
not to talk about the war, to black out their windows etc, but just choose
those that try to recruit men.

2. In groups of four compare your findings. Pick out the persuasive

techniques used. These could be connected to language or strong imagery.
Jot down at least two things you all decide are effective.

3. In pairs, decide on something you’d like to recruit people for. It could be

your football team, the school play, or participation in a local event. Make
sure that what you choose a real event rather than a made-up one.

4. Now design your own recruiting poster using the techniques you’ve
discussed.

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

Think of a time when what you have felt has been too hard to put into words
accurately.

Think of a time when you felt so emotional you had to look at other things
because your eyes needed something else to concentrate on.

Writers, poets and artists often try to find ways of sharing profound (significant or
deep) experiences with us, which is what happens when Tommo and Charlie have
said goodbye to the family. Read from ‘Thanks … to a lifetime’ on p 104.

Often a moving piece of art, music, writing or dance will inspire other artists to
create more art using the same ideas, alluding (referring) to the source text or
changing it in some way.

Your task is to do something creative with this piece of text. Below are some
ideas. You may work alone, in pairs or in fours, but each of you needs to be
involved in the production. You may be as creative as you like, but whatever you
do must be rooted in the original text (i.e. grow from it, express its ideas).

You could:

Find pictures of all the things mentioned in the section of text. Write out
some of the words and phrases (by hand or print, in different colours and
fonts). Arrange and glue them onto paper.

Which words and descriptions make the most vivid (colourful) picture in your
mind? How do you think the boys were feeling? Focus more closely on a
moment, a sight, a feeling. Jot down words from the text and words that come
to your mind as you put yourself in the train with the boys … arrange as a poem
by making descriptive links between the words.

Two people play each boy and two each boy’s mind. Create a mini-drama in
which the boys are on the train. They say little, but look out of the
window, wriggle etc. However, their minds (sitting to either side),
comment on every thought and emotion. Practise and present to the class.

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

FOURTEEN MINUTES PAST TWO

Re-read the opening of the chapter on p 105. The whole section is about time and
the watch Charlie gave Tommo. With a partner, try to find evidence that time is
important within the novel. Is the watch important?

The chapter ends on p 118 with a description of Charlie being beaten. Notice this
phrase:

‘He seemed to me like Jesus hanging on the cross …’

The Bible tells us that Jesus was crucified (killed by hanging on the cross), so that
we wouldn’t have to pay the price for our sins: although he was completely
innocent himself, he took the punishment for our sake, enabling us to be
forgiven.

In what way is Charlie also like Jesus?

Before Jesus was betrayed by one of his friends (the disciple, Judas), he spent the
late night and early hours of the morning praying because he was actually quite
scared of what lay ahead. He asked three of his friends to stay awake and ‘watch’
with him while he prayed a little distance away, but they kept falling asleep.

The very first sentence of the next chapter says:

‘I dropped off to sleep’. (p 119)

THINK ABOUT THIS:

These allusions (references) are clues to prepare us for

what is going to happen …

What sort of thing do they predict?

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

Tommo describes a gas attack on pp 153–155.

Re-read his description carefully.

In your groups of four, choose one of the following tasks. You

need to do the research then ‘teach’ the information to the
rest of the group.

You may be able to work with all the others doing your research
task.

1. Find out about the gas used in WW1 and what it did to
those who breathed it in.
2. Find out about gas masks and how they worked. If you
have time, either draw one or make a model of one.
3. Find the poem Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen.
What does it tell us about the experience of a Gas Attack?
4. Find the poem Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen. How
does it help us understand how soldiers really felt about
their enemies?

Now in your group, decide how you can combine your research to
make one poster for display. It could be a model, a collage, a poster
– anything that summarises and represents what you’ve all found out.

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

Many soldiers found, like Charlie, that they just didn’t want to share
the horrors of the trenches with the people they loved and of course,
they weren’t allowed to write letters home about what they were
doing. But some were so disgusted by the lies being told and the
injustices perpetrated on the Front that they had to speak out. The
poets, particularly, had a lot to say about the reality of the war versus
the propaganda – you’ve come across Wilfred Owen now, who says it
is a lie to claim it is good and fitting to die for your country.

Re-read Tommo’s letter from his mother (pp 157–8). How would he
reply? Do you think he’d tell her Charlie is fibbing? Would he tell her
the truth? Or would he try to write about things that wouldn’t upset
her, that would make her feel hopeful?

Discuss this with a partner

When you’ve decided what he would do, write his letter home.

‘Give me half a chance and I’ll tell them,’ says Pete on p 158.

Write Pete’s letter, telling his family what it is really like in the
trenches. Remember, he would have different things to say or a
different view of the same things, so his letter will be very different
from Tommo’s.

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

pp 161–7

CLUES:

Find the word in the novel which means the same as:

1. Not allowed (p 161) ........................................................ .

2. Wearing away, erosion (p 161) ............................................

3. Running away in war (p 161)...............................................

4. Disappeared (p 161).........................................................

5. Make fun of, mimic (p 162) ................................................

6. Tied up (p 162) ..............................................................

7. Untidy (p 162)................................................................

8. Quick (p 163) .................................................................

9. Person who looks after you (p 164) ...............................................

10. Skiving (p 164) ...............................................................

11. Confused, perplexed (p 164) ..............................................

12. Huge, enormous, giant (p 165) ............................................

13. Hitting like a hammer (p 165) .............................................

14. Self-control, calm (p 166)..................................................

15. Summoned with a gesture (p 167) ........................................

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

ANSWERS:

1. Not allowed (p 161) ............................................FORBIDDEN

2. Wearing away, erosion (p 161) ............................... ATTRITION

3. Running away in war (p 161).................................. DESERTING

4. Disappeared (p 161)..........................................EVAPORATED

5. Make fun of, mimic (p 162) ..................................... MOCKING

6. Tied up (p 162) .................................................. TETHERED

7. Untidy (p 162).................................................DISHEVELLED

8. Quick (p 163) ......................................................FLEETING

9. Person who looks after you (p 164) ................................ GUARDIAN

10. Skiving (p 164) ............................................... MALINGERING

11. Confused, perplexed (p 164) ...............................NONPLUSSED

12. Huge, enormous, giant (p 165) ..................................... TITAN

13. Hitting like a hammer (p 165) .................................POUNDING

14. Self-control, calm (p 166)....................................COMPOSURE

15. Summoned with a gesture (p 167) ............................BECKONED

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

WORDSEARCH Ω

Find and underline each of the words you’ve found from the clues.

LEKDISHEVELLEDBRKTITANGPY
OCPJOMHOYMOCKINGAWTUGDO
VWNTIERATXASDJKBECKONEDJ
E G R A G U A R D I A N K O N D R I A V E O C LA
XSUMMARALMALINGERINGSHIF
COMPOSUREFTESSAIOPRAHULOV SEE WHETHER YOU
CAN FIND THE
OKOTBIDFORBIDDENNUBBRAPIK THREE-WORD
QAKSKPOIYUTERFTGSCVHIOPUD SAYING HIDDEN IN
UVAPODEVBSFOEZAEVAPORATED THIS WORD
SEARCH.
EORANGESANDLEMONSAREFRUIT
RPOUNDINGRONDINGBOUNDING
SLEETINGGREETFLEETINGBEETI
XLOVYLALQUONCERFOHVTOPERT
AXANONPLUSSEDSATTRITIONAX
LDESERTINGSEISYDEIDSUMMXC
LCMANJOFSTETHEREDLINKHULO

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

WORDSEARCH Ω ANSWERS

Find and underline each of the words you’ve found from the clues.

LEKDISHEVELLEDBRKTITANGPY
OCPJOMHOYMOCKINGAWTUGDO
VWNTIERATXASDJKBECKONEDJ
EG RAG U A R D I A N K O N D R I A V E O C L A
XSUMMARALMALINGERING SHIF
COMPOSUREFTESSAIOPRAHULOV
OKOTBIDFORBIDDENNUBBRAPIK LOVE
QAKSKPOIYUTERFTGSCVHIOPUD CONQUERS
UVAPODEVBSFOEZAEVAPORATED ALL
EORANGESANDLEMONSAREFRUIT
RPOUNDINGRONDINGBOUNDING
SLEETINGGREETFLEETINGBEETI
XLOVYLALQUONCERFOHVTOPERT
AXANONPLUSSEDSATTRITIONAX
LDESERTINGSEISYDEIDSUMMXC
LCMANJOFSTETHEREDLINKHULO

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

WORDSEARCH ∑

Find and CIRCLE each of the words you’ve found from the clues.
SEE IF YOU CAN FIND A THREE-WORD SAYING HIDDEN HERE: WHEN YOU’VE COMPLETED THE WORDSEARCH IT SHOULD BECOME CLEAR.

L O O D E D E S E R T I N G I N D E D M
N O V B E C K O N E D B C K E O V X A A
V F V C E X M P O S F L E D D S G E V L
C O M E O P A T T R D I S I X D D E N I
A H G U X M E O V F O R B I D D E N E N
D T N O N C P P L E S S E D I N G T X G
I Z T F L E O O E F T I N G O O B E V E
S B B R G U U Q S A L R D E D S M T Z R
H Q U E I B N V U U C E V A P O O H R I
E V A P O T D N O E R N E P L U C E S N
V A D E I T I B T I R E A T N O K R M G
E C E R N J N O M S B S M I I J I E K L
L V S T G A G L N M K L X T Z N N D L O
L B G U A R D I A N S F E A H M G Z V X
E N O N P L U S S E D K F N L J A G B U
D A E V A P O R A T E D Y J O L Y A M E
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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

WORDSEARCH ∑ ANSWERS
Find and CIRCLE each of the words you’ve found from the clues.
SEE IF YOU CAN FIND A THREE-WORD SAYING HIDDEN HERE: WHEN YOU’VE COMPLETED THE WORDSEARCH IT SHOULD BECOME CLEAR.

L D E S E R T I N G M
O B E C K O N E D A
V C L
E O I
A X M F O R B I D D E N N
D T C P T G
LOVE
I T O O F E E
CONQUERS
S R U Q S L M T R
H I N U U E O H I
ALL
E T D E R E C E N
V I R E T K R G
E N O S I I I E
L G N X T N N D
L G U A R D I A N A G
E N O N P L U S S E D N L
D E V A P O R A T E D L

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo
PREDICTION:

Read only the opening section of page 168 (chapter FIVE TO FIVE) - the first paragraph.

‘Private Peaceful will die, will be shot for cowardice …’ p 168

• Who do you think is going to die: Tommo or Charlie? Why?

List any evidence that might indicate Tommo is about to be shot.
List any evidence that might indicate Charlie is about to be shot.

• Although using ‘Private Peaceful’ rather than a first name echoes what the formal declaration would
have said, it is also deliberately ambiguous (unclear). Why do you think Michael Morpurgo wants to
keep it a mystery?

Read the rest of the chapter. When you’ve finished, close your eyes for a minute and keep absolutely
quiet, reviewing what you’ve discovered.

• How does it make you feel? If you were there, what would you try to do? What would you say? If you
could ask Michael Morpurgo questions, what would you ask about this section? Let your mind
freewheel around these questions for a while.

Now, without discussing, pick out the three things you feel/think/wonder most strongly. Jot them down.

• In groups of four, discuss your three points each. Have any of you got the same points? Does anyone
have an unusual or unexpected point?

• Decide on one point your group wants to put to the rest of the class for discussion and do so when
your group is chosen.

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 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

I cry every time I read the last chapter. I cry for Molly and her tiny baby, for Tommo, Mother and Joe, all
bereft. I cry because I’m so angry that Horrible-Hanley had so much power and so little sense. I cry
because I really admire Charlie and am awed by his courage. I cry because I feel as helpless as Tommo to
do anything to change the situation.

Take time to explore your feelings about this last chapter.

Hopefully, none of us will ever face what Charlie and Tommo faced, but we all face paler versions of
similar types of problem: we all have to decide which rules we obey and which we don’t, how to respond
when someone with authority over us treats us badly and what to do about guilt.

• Think about what this novel has helped you understand about some of life’s problems. How will it
help you deal with them better?

Even though this story is fiction, it tells the truth. Many British soldiers were shot for daring to stay true
to themselves. Read the POSTSCRIPT.

• Why do you think Michael Morpurgo added the Postscript? Why do you think he wrote the story?

What’s the bigger picture? WW1 was probably over long before even your grandparents were born, so why
should we care about the men shot for cowardice? How does thinking about the things that happened to
Tommo and Charlie help us make sense of things we face today and help us grow into better citizens of
the future?

• In one sentence, state the most important lesson you’ve learned from this story.

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