Age: Reception Group size: Small group Session Length: 15 minutes

Learning Objectives: To show recall and order of events from the story. Be able to use instructional /
sequential language to make a list of instructions to build a winter house.

Success criteria: Can children demonstrate recall of events in the story? Were they able to use a variety of
instructional language to order how to build winter house? Could they identify the resources needed to
build a winter house?

Resources: The Bear’s Winter House, plan for a Winter house worksheet, logs, twigs, moss, playdough,
elastic bands, small bear, words to brown bear song

Activity:

Introduce & read story The Bear’s Winter House, read title, author, illustrator,

listen carefully because at the end we’re going to talk about what bear collected and how we could build a
winter house.

As sat through story, ask children stand – stretch like brown bear waking from winter sleep, then sing brow
bear song, take part in actions, ending with children sitting down and settled again.

Explain that we are going to write a plan to build a winter house, use the story to help us plan what we nee
and how to do it.
Show the plan sheet.

What did the bear need / collect for his house? Logs, branches and moss,
(add each to the sheet as it is said)

Think about how the bear built his winter house. What was the first thing he did?
(Encourage children to think about different words to use to give instructions – first, then, next…)

First he banged the logs into the ground. – put onto sheet
What did he do next? Then bear weaved branches between the logs. – add onto sheet
What about after that?
Next bear filled up the cracks with moss. – put onto sheet
What was the last thing bear did? Finally bear made a soft blanket with moss - put onto sheet.

Show completed sheet – go through materials collected and instructions written to reinforce information.

Show example of built winter house, if in the classroom, this is what would have done next – have children
follow the instructions to build their own winter house for bear.

Next Steps: go for a walk to collect resources to build own winter house, build own winter house with
resources collected, write own instructions to build a winter house.

Emily Moss Pathfinder Primary Teaching Interview Activity Task 21.01.2021