Our learning objectives are:

To investigate and classify the key features of myths,

legends and fables;
To recognise how stories change over time and differences
of culture and place that are expressed in stories;
To write our own versions of myths, legends and fables,
using inspiration from our reading;
To review and edit writing to meet the needs of a certain
audience;
To listen to stories written by other children;
To explore and develop ideas through discussion,
expressing our own views clearly, and listening to the views
of others.
To use checklists to support writing;
To use a wider range of connectives.
Tell/ retell a story using notes designed to cue techniques,
such as repetition, recap and humour.

FABLES
A story that has a lesson a meaning that we
can learn from
It has a MORAL the lesson to be learned.
Morals can be used to finish the stories.
Animals as characters
Often set outside
E.g, the boy who cried wolf.
Often we have a thoughtless character who
does not understand the moral. They suffer for
this.
The other is thoughtful and clever.

 Fables are short stories that teach a useful moral lesson.

Aesop was the most famous writer of fables, but many countries
have fables of their own.
The key features of fables are:

A story that has a lesson a meaning that we can learn

from
It has a MORAL the lesson to be learned.
Morals can be used to finish the stories.
Animals as characters
Often set outside
E.g, the boy who cried wolf.
Often we have a thoughtless character who does not
understand the moral. They suffer for this.
The other is thoughtful and clever.

Today our objectives are:

In Reading:
To investigate and classify the key features of
fables.

In Speaking and Listening:

To explore and develop ideas through talk,
expressing our own views clearly, and listening
to the views of others.

 Fables are short stories that teach a useful moral lesson.

Aesop was the most famous writer of fables, but many countries
have fables of their own.
The key features of fables are:
Fables teach you what to do and what not to do
We normally have two types of character: 1 = a good character
who does the right thing and follows the lesson, 2 = a character
who does the opposite and not what he needs to do. Someone
who doesnt listen.
Characters are usually animals or people
Usually set outside, in the countryside - and habitats.
There should still be a story to them so that they can entertain.

 Fables are short stories that teach a useful moral lesson.

Aesop was the most famous writer of fables, but many countries
have fables of their own.
The key features of fables are:
Something for you to learn or a warning to remember

There is always a wise character who knows whats

coming next. He follows the moral.
There is always a thoughtless or lazy character, who does
not follow the moral. We learn what not to do from this
character.
Sometimes exciting
Set in a field, in the summer
Two situations: the second shows us the consequences of
not following the moral.

 Fables are short stories that teach a useful moral lesson.

Aesop was the most famous writer of fables, but many
countries have fables of their own.
The key features of fables are:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

A moral: a good lesson for us to learn from;

Benefits of following the moral;
Consequences of not following the moral;
A good, wise character, who follows the moral;
A lazy, or foolish character who does not follow the moral;
Animals as main characters;
An outdoor, countryside setting;

In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about,

chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by,
bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to
the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the
Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that
way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the
Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper;
we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant
went on its way and continued its toil.

When the winter came the

Grasshopper had no food and found
itself dying of hunger, while every day
it saw the ants fetching plenty of corn
and grain from the stores they had
collected in the summer.
Then the Grasshopper knew:
It is best to prepare for
the days of necessity.

Today our objectives are:

In Reading:
To investigate different versions of the same
story in print, in order to recognise how stories
change over time and differences of culture and
place are expressed in stories;
To respond imaginatively, using drawing
and jotting to engage with texts
and develop our own ideas.

Key features of fables are:

o
o
o
o
o

A moral: a good lesson for us to learn from;

Benefits of following the moral;
Consequences of not following the moral;
A good, wise character, who follows the moral;
A lazy, or foolish character who does not follow
the moral;
o Animals as main characters;
o An outdoor, countryside setting;

What do these common

phrasesBemean?
prepared / Be prepared for
It is best to prepare
for
the days of necessity.

tomorrow

Be prepared for today/ it is best to

prepare for the future
Think before you do

Look before you leap.

Too many cooks spoil

the broth.

United we stand,
divided we fall.

Look before you act but dont get

scared.
Too many people can spoil things that
you are doing on your own/
Too many people can spoil the thing
youre doing

Its best to have friends than be

alone/ work together/
Four eyes are better than two!

A proverb is a simple saying that is

popularly known and repeated. It
expresses a truth based on common
sense or the practical experience of
mankind.

Two boys were boasting to each other about

their familys possessions.
"Weve got four tellies in our house, said
Harry, the first boy.
Four! said James, the second boy, What
are they like?
"Well, weve got a 24-inch in the lounge
with five channels. My sister and I have
portables, and my mum has an old one in
the kitchen.

James scoffed. We might only have one TV

in our house, but its a plasma screen with
800 satellite channels and Dolby 5.1
surround sound.

Quality is better
than quantity.

A Vixen who was taking her babies out for an

airing one balmy morning, came across a
Lioness, with her cub in arms.
"Why such airs, haughty dame, over one solitary
cub?" sneered the Vixen.
"Look at my healthy and numerous
litter here, and imagine, if you are
able, how a proud mother should
feel."

The Lioness gave her a squelching look, and

lifting up her nose, walked away, saying
calmly, "Yes, just look at that beautiful
collection. What are they? Foxes! I've only
one, but remember, that one is a Lion."

Quality is better
than quantity.

Spot the Difference

The animals are changed to humans
The boys are young. A young audience can
understand their language & identify with
them.
TVs instead of cubs = modern new
technology
Modern language thats easier to
understand

The moral of my story is

The Setting

The Characters

What behaviour is
recommended?

What behaviour is
advised against?

The Moral
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________

The Characters
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________

How does your fable teach us the moral?

The Setting
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________

An ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried
away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning. A Dove
sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall into
the stream close to her. The Ant climbed onto it and floated in safety to
the bank.
Shortly afterwards a bird catcher came and stood under the tree, and
laid his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the branches. The Ant,
perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In pain the bird catcher
threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove take fly off to safety.

One good turn

deserves another.

Name: ...

As we have done in class, see if you can translate these 6 sayings by writing them in
language that is easier to understand for you and other modern readers.

Dont judge a book by

its cover.
________________________________
________________________________
A watched pot never boils.
_______________________________
_______________________________
Fools rush in where
angels fear to tread.
_______________________________
_______________________________

A bird in the hand is

worth two in the bush.
________________________________
________________________________
Birds of a feather flock
together.
________________________________
________________________________
Dont put all your eggs
in one basket.
________________________________
________________________________

Today our objectives are:

In Writing:
T2 T11: To write our own versions of modern fables for
younger readers.
To use a checklist of key features of a fable to support our
writing.
T2 T13: To review and edit our writing to produce a final
fable, matched to the needs of our modern younger
audience.

In Speaking and Listening:

To listen to stories written by other children.

An ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried
away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning. A Dove
sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall into
the stream close to her. The Ant climbed onto it and floated in safety to
the bank.
Shortly afterwards a bird catcher came and stood under the tree, and
laid his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the branches. The Ant,
perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In pain the bird catcher
threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove fly off to safety.

One good turn

deserves another.

An ant went to the bank of a river to quench

its thirst.

The Ant, perceiving his design, stung him in

the foot.

We can target our modern fables for year 3

pupils by:

Making sure that the language is easy enough

for them to understand;
Including humour to entertain readers;
Including action to add excitement (which can
be shown with punctuation too, e.g. with
exclamation marks);
Adding sad and happy bits to attract different
interests;
Adding gruesome parts because they might like
to be scared;
Having a happy ending (e.g. with character
making friends and helping each other).

We can target our modern fables for year 3

pupils by:

Making sure that the language is easy enough

for them to understand;
Including humour to entertain readers;
Including action to add excitement (which can
be shown with punctuation too, e.g. with
exclamation marks);
Adding sad and happy bits to attract different
interests;
Adding gruesome parts because they might like
to be scared;
Having a happy ending (e.g. with character
making friends and helping each other).

We can target our modern fables for year 3

pupils by:

Key features of fables are:

o
o
o
o
o

A moral: a good lesson for us to learn from;

Benefits of following the moral;
Consequences of not following the moral;
A good, wise character, who follows the moral;
A lazy, or foolish character who does not follow
the moral;
o Animals as main characters;
o An outdoor, countryside setting;

Today our objectives are:

In Writing:
To use a checklist of key features of a fable to support our
writing.
T2 T13: To review and edit our writing to produce a final
fable, matched to the needs of our modern younger
audience.

In Speaking and Listening:

To listen to stories written by other children.

In Reading:
T2 T2: To appreciate the differences of culture and place
that are expressed in stories.

5CLo2: Today our objectives

are:
In Speaking and Listening:
To understand how to be a constructive listener,
by listening to stories written by other children and offer
positive ideas and suggestions for improvement.

In Writing:
To be able to use a checklist of key features of a
fable to support our writing.

5CLo1: Today our objectives

are:
In Speaking and Listening:
To understand how to be a constructive listener,
by listening to stories written by other children and offer
positive ideas and suggestions for improvement.

In Writing:
To be able to use a checklist of key features of a
fable to support our writing.
T2 T13: To understand and be able to review
and edit our writing to produce a final fable, matched
to the needs of our modern younger audience.

5CLo1: Today our objectives

are:
In Reading:
To understand and be able to investigate the
key features of myths, legends and fables;

In Speaking and Listening:

To explore and develop ideas through
discussion, expressing our own views clearly,
and listening to the views of others.

5CLo2: Today our objectives are:

In Reading:
To understand and be able to investigate the
key features of myths, legends and fables;

In Speaking and Listening:

To explore and develop ideas through
discussion, expressing our own views clearly,
and listening to the views of others.

 Not a story to read out not written down;

A tale passed around the country passed down by
generations;
An ancient story. We dont know whether it is true
or not;
Are religious stories myths?
Gods & mythical creatures (unfamiliar, unrealistic
characters)

 Myths tell of beginnings and ends, creation and

destruction, life and death. They explain the how and why
of life.
The word myth comes from the Greek muthos,
meaning a fable or word.
Wherever people have lived together, they have told
stories about how the world came to be made, how people
and animals came to live in it, and the characters and
actions of the god or gods they worshipped.
When a myth comes into existence it is
believed in a peoples heart and soul.
Because of this, myths are more than just
stories; every myth has a glimmer or truth.

 All mythologies start by telling of the creation of

the world and mankind.
The Greeks, the Vikings, the Egyptians, the
Chinese, the Japanese, all the peoples of Africa, and
all the 500 nations of the Native Americans each had
their own version or versions of the creation.

Our Questions:
How did the world begin?

How were people created, and why?

Discovering the Key Features of Myths

Group: ..................../ Date: ..
.
What we KNOW about
myths from Myth (1)

Magical and
unrealistic events
hard to believe
Mythical
creatures, e.g. Pan
ku
One person
creating/ building
the earth (hammer
and chisel)
Order of creation
There is no moral
to teach

What do we WANT TO
KNOW about myths?

What KEY FEATURES can

we recognise in Myth (2)?

What have we LEARNED

about myths?

Myths are..

 Starting with chaos (riot/

madness)

Myths are..

Monsters or creatures

Mystical (weird things

happen!)

Earth and sky

Magical stories

Powerful creatures

Different stories from a

long time ago.

The world

Powerful

The first mystical animals (e.g.,

unicorn, phoenix and dragon)
Sometimes have heroes
Nature and mountains/ land
Have made- up animals!

Made up?
From different countries
Amazing! Unbelievable!

Exciting! Ancient

 Start with CHAOS!

Myths are..

Mythical creatures

Make believe

Big characters that can hold the

earth together

Magical

We have to have the ground and

the sun
We have 2 different forces at the
start
They start with a creation
There is some sort of god/ gods
Creatures & people

Complicated
Adventurous
Quite weird!
Historical
Exciting
Plain

 In the beginning the world is chaos, or

covered in ice, or swamped with water.

A creator god comes and sets to work,
separating the earth from the heavens, the
sea from the land, and shaping the landscape.
Then the creator peoples the earth, making
human beings from drops of sweat, from
plants and animals, from mud or even from
his own fleas!

5CLo1: Today our objective is to:

In Reading and Writing:
To be able to investigate and
compare how the same myth
can be presented differently in
print.

5CLo1: Today our objective is to:

In Reading and Writing:
To be able to investigate and compare
how the same myth can be presented
differently in print.

To be able to present and retell part of a

written myth in a new form for others.

 While creator gods may choose to

leave the world once their work is
done, other gods and goddesses
constantly meddled in the lives of men
and women.
Some gods even fell in love with
mortals (humans), and from their
relationships came many of the heroes
of mythology, who have incredible
strength, intelligence or sneakiness!

The Hydra
Story

Cartoon

Name:
No : .

1. The Nemean lion

This enormous beast was killing people in
the area of Nemea. His pelt was proof
against iron, bronze and stone.
Hercules first tried shooting the lion with
arrows, which bounced off harmlessly.
Next, he tried his sword, which bent and
also had no effect. Hercules attempted
hitting the lion over the head with his club,
which shattered, and left the lion with
ringing in its ears. Finally, he started to
wrestle with it, choking it to death but
losing a finger in the course of the fight.
Hercules flayed the lion using its own
razor-sharp claws, and was subsequently

2. The Hydra

The Hydra lived in the swamps of Lerna. Some said

it had eight or nine heads, while others claimed as
many as ten thousand. As soon as one head was
beaten down or chopped off, two more grew in its
place.
Hercules sought out the monster in its lair and
brought it out into the open with flaming arrows.
But now the fight went in the Hydra's favor. It
twined its many heads around the hero and tried to
trip him up. It called on an ally, a huge crab that
also lived in the swamp. The crab bit him in the
heel and further impeded his attack. Hercules was
on the verge of failure when he remembered his
nephew, Iolaus.
Iolaus looked on in anxiety as his uncle became
entangled in the Hydra's snaky heads. Finally he
could bear it no longer. In response to his uncle's
shouts, he grabbed a burning torch and dashed into
the fray. Now, as soon as Hercules cut off one of the
Hydra's heads, Iolaus was there to sear the

2.

The Hydra
The Hydra lived in the swamps of Lerna. Some said
it had eight or nine heads, while others argued as
many as ten thousand. As soon as one head was
beaten down or chopped off, two more grew in its
place.
Hercules tried to find the monster in its lair and
brought it out into the open with flaming arrows.
But now the Hydra was winning the fight. It twisted
its many heads around the hero and tried to trip
him up. It called on a friend, a huge crab that also
lived in the swamp. The crab bit him in the heel and
held him back further. Hercules was close to losing
when he remembered his nephew, Iolaus.
Iolaus looked on in anxiety as his uncle became
tangled up in the Hydra's snaky heads. Finally he
could bear it no longer. In response to his uncle's
shouts, he grabbed a burning torch and ran to join
the fight. Now, as soon as Hercules cut off one of
the Hydra's heads, Iolaus was there to burn the
wound and keep further heads from sprouting.

Hercules vs. the

Comparing
story and cartoon
Hydra
Discuss these questions with a partner and try to write your answers in full
sentences in your workbook.
1. Pick out evidence (words and sentences) that describe how the
Hydra is presented in:
a) The story
b) The cartoon
2. COMPARE and CONTRAST: What similarities and differences
can you find between the story and the cartoon. You can draw a
table to present your ideas.
3. Which version do you prefer, and why?
Did you and your partner agree?

What
kind of
man is
Hercule
s?

1.

Is this
the
same
man?

2.

Is this
the
same
man?

3. The Cerynitian Hind

The third Labour was the capture of the Cerynitian hind.
Though a female deer, this fleet-footed beast had golden
horns. It was sacred to Artemis, goddess of the hunt, so
Hercules dared not wound it. He hunted it for an entire
year before running it down on the banks of the River
Ladon in Arcadia. Taking careful aim with his bow, he fired
an arrow between the tendons and bones of the two
forelegs, pinning it down without drawing blood. All the
same, Artemis was displeased, but Hercules dodged her
wrath by blaming his taskmaster Eurystheus.
4. The Erymanthian Boar
This labour took Hercules in quest of an enormous boar,
which he was challenged to bring back alive. While tracking
it down he stopped to visit the centaur Pholus. This creature
- half-horse, half-man - was examining one of the hero's
arrows when he accidentally dropped it on his foot. Because
it had been soaked in poisonous Hydra venom, Pholus gave
in immediately. Hercules finally located the boar on Mount
Erymanthus and managed to drive it into a snowbank.
Flinging it up onto his shoulder, he carried it back to

5. The Augean Stables

Eurystheus was very pleased with himself for dreaming up the
next Labour, which he was sure would humiliate his heroic
cousin. Hercules was to clean out the stables of King Augeas in
a single day. Augeas possessed vast herds of cattle which had
deposited their manure in such quantity over the years that a
thick aroma hung over the entire Peloponnesus. Instead of
employing a shovel and a basket as Eurystheus imagined,
Hercules diverted two rivers through the stable yard and got
the job done without getting dirty. But because he had
demanded payment of Augeas, Eurystheus refused to count
this labour as one of the original 10.
6. The Stymphalian Birds
The birds lived in a marsh near Lake Stymphalus in Arcadia.
The sources differ as to whether these birds feasted on
human flesh, killed men by shooting them with feathers of
brass or were merely a nuisance. Hercules could not
approach the birds to fight them - the ground was too
swampy to bear his weight and too mucky to wade through.
Finally he resorted to some castanets given to him by the
goddess Athena. By making a racket with these, he caused
the birds to take wing. And once they were in the air, he

7. The Cretan Bull

Queen Pasiphae of Crete had been inspired by a vengeful
god to fall in love with a bull, with the result that the
Minotaur was born, a monster half-man and half-bull that
haunted the Labyrinth of King Minos. Pasiphae's husband
was understandably eager to be rid of the bull, which was
also ravaging the Cretan countryside, so Hercules was
assigned the task as his seventh Labour. Although the
beast belched flames, the hero overpowered it and shipped
it back to the mainland. It ended up near Athens, where it
became the duty of another hero, Theseus, to deal with it
once more.
8. The Mares of Diomedes
These horses dined on the flesh of travelers who made
the mistake of accepting Diomedes' hospitality. In one
version of the myth, Hercules pacified the beasts by
feeding them their own master. In another, they
satisfied their appetites on the hero's squire, a young
man named Abderus. In any case, Hercules soon
rounded them up and herded them down to sea. Once
he had shown them to Eurystheus, he released them.
They were eventually eaten by wild animals on Mount
Olympus.

9. Hippolyte's Belt
The ninth Labour took Hercules to the land of the
Amazons, to retrieve the belt of their queen for
Eurystheus' daughter. The Amazons were a race of warrior
women, great archers who had invented the art of
fighting from horseback. Hercules recruited a number of
heroes to accompany him on this expedition, among them
Theseus. As it turned out, the Amazon queen, Hippolyte,
willingly gave Hercules her belt, but Hera was not about
to let the hero get off so easily. The goddess stirred up the
Amazons with a rumor that the Greeks had captured their
queen, and a great battle ensued. Hercules made off with
the belt, and Theseus kidnapped an Amazon princess.
10. The Cattle of Geryon
Geryon, the owner of some famous cattle that Hercules
was now instructed to steal, had three heads and/or three
separate bodies from the waist down. His watchdog,
Orthrus, had only two heads. This Labor took place
somewhere in the country we know as Spain. The hound
Orthrus rushed at Hercules as he was making off with the
cattle, and the hero killed him with a single blow from the
wooden club which he customarily carried. Geryon was
dispatched as well, and Hercules drove the herd back to

11. The the Apples of the Hesperides

The Hesperides were nymphs entrusted by the

goddess Hera with certain apples which she had
received as a wedding present. These were kept in a
grove surrounded by a high wall and guarded by
Ladon, a many-headed dragon. The grove was located
in the far-western mountains named for Atlas, one of
the Titans or first generation of gods. Atlas had sided
with one of his brothers in a war against Zeus. In
punishment, he was compelled to support the weight
of the heavens by means of a pillar on his shoulders.
Hercules, in quest of the apples, had been told that he
would never get the them without the aid of Atlas.
The Titan was only too happy to oblige. He told the
hero to hold the pillar while he went to get the fruit.
But first Hercules had to kill the dragon by means of
an arrow over the garden wall. Atlas soon returned
with the apples but now realized how nice it was not
to have to strain for eternity keeping heaven and
earth apart. Hercules wondered if Atlas would mind

12. The Capture of Cerberus

As his final Labour, Hercules was instructed to bring the

hellhound Cerberus up from Hades, the kingdom of the dead.
The first barrier to the soul's journey beyond the grave was the
most famous river of the Underworld, the Styx. Here the newly
dead gathered as shades of their former selves, awaiting
passage in the ferryboat of Charon the Boatman. Charon
wouldn't take anyone across unless they met two conditions.
Firstly, they had to pay a bribe in the form of a coin under the
corpse's tongue. And secondly, they had to be dead. Hercules
met neither condition, a circumstance which aggravated
Charon's natural grouchiness.
But Hercules simply glowered so fiercely that Charon meekly
conveyed him across the Styx. The greater challenge was
Cerberus, who had razor teeth, three (or maybe fifty) heads, a
venomous snake for a tail and another swarm of snakes
growing out of his back. These lashed at Hercules while
Cerberus lunged for a purchase on his throat. Fortunately, the
hero was wearing his trusty lion's skin, which was impenetrable
by anything short of a thunderbolt from Zeus. Hercules
eventually choked Cerberus into submission and dragged him to
Tiryns, where he received due credit for this final Labour.

You are Hera, Herculess stepmother.

You hate that rotten Hercules because his mother had
an affair with your husband, Zeus. You tried to kill him,
but the stupid boy keeps on living! At least you were
able to stop him becoming king

You are Alcmene, Herculess mother.

You did not realise you were having an affair: Zeus was
disguised as your husband! Your poor boy Hercules has
had to suffer the anger of a jealous Hera, but he is not
to blame! You tried to protect him by abandoning him
outside Thebes, but he was returned by Athena.

You are Eurystheus, Herculess

cousin. You know that really, Hercules should be
king, and you were only born early because of Heras
powerful jealousy. This makes you scared that any
moment Hercules could try to kill you! Hopefully one of

Improving Sentences with

Description
Hercules was very strong.
1. Hercules was as strong as God.
2. Hercules was as strong as a polar bear
crossed with a lion. He was invincible.
3. Hercules the mighty lion was muscular
and powerful.
4. Hercules was as strong as the rays of the
sun and stronger.
5. The mighty Hercules was exceedingly

Improving Sentences with

Description

Hera was jealous. She wanted Hercules to be

killed.
1. The queen goddess Hera was extremely jealous.
In fact, she was green with envy.
2. The wonderous goddess Hera was envious. She
prayed more than anything for Hercules to be
MURDERED!
3. Hera was extremely envious of Hercules, and she
wanted him on the floor dead.
4. Hera was jealous of the huge, mighty Hercules, so
she wanted him killed.
5. Hera was jealous of the amazingly mighty

Improving Sentences with

Description
The Hydra was dangerous.
1.The beastly Hydra was impossible to kill,
but could this brave man Hercules defeat
this powerful monstrous monster?
2.The 10- headed Hydra was really
dangerous, because of its snake-like head.
3. The jade- green Hydra was ferociously
dangerous, and every time Hercules
chopped of a head it felt like 10, 000 more
grew!
4. The mean, dangerous deadly Hydra was

Questions for our panel

Eurystheus
Alcmene
Hera

5CLo2: Today our objectives are:

In Writing:
To be able to present and retell part of a
written myth in a new form for others.
To use a wider range of connectives;

Connectives
Connectives are words that join
sentences or parts of sentences
together.
Examples: and, then, so, meanwhile, also,
soon after, even, because, whenever,
whether, indeed, once, later, earlier, next,
after all, while, for instance, finally, first,
suddenly.

5CLo1: Our objectives today are:

To begin to investigate the key features of
legends and fables;
To explore and develop ideas through
discussion, expressing our own views
clearly, and listening to the views of
others.
Tell/ retell a story using notes designed to
cue techniques, such as repetition, recap
and humour.

Photos taken from Nottingham castle. Copyright Nottingham Castle. Used with kind permission.

Who is
Robin Hood?

Who is Robin Hood?

Hes cool
Hes good at archery and
has a bow & arrow
He has a good aim
Hes a legend
Hes strong
He wears green
Hes clever
He fights
He is in love with Maid
Marion, the old sheriffs
daughter
Hes brave

He lives Sherwood
forest, near Nottingham
His friends are the
merry men: together,
they fight, and they rob
the rich and give to the
poor
The sheriff of
Nottingham is his arch
nemesis!

Discovering the Key Features of

LEGENDS

Group: ..................../ Date: ...

What I KNOW about Robin
Hood

What I KNOW about

Legends
Key Features:

What I WANT TO KNOW

about Legends?

What I have LEARNED

about Robin Hood

What I have LEARNED

about Legends

Discovering the Key Features of

LEGENDS:
RobinWhat
Hood
(5clO1)
I WANT TO KNOW

What I KNOW about Robin Hood

about Legends?

He is strong and
muscular
He is a good
marksman (archer)
He is heroic and brave
He slays bad people
He stole from the rich
and gave to the poor
He had a bow and
arrow
He looks like a fox
He lives in Sherwood
forest

What I have LEARNED

about Robin Hood

Did Robin Hood He became an outlaw

by shooting one of
have a wife?
Was Robin
Hood a
murderer?

the kings deer

The real Robin hood
probably lived in
Yorkshire
The real RH robbed
the rich, and probably
the poor too,
What I have LEARNED
about Legends

They keep on
getting passed down
Characters always
get into a mess and

Discovering the Key Features of

LEGENDS:
I WANT TO
RobinWhat
Hood

What I KNOW about Robin Hood

KNOW about
Legends?

12 merry men (lots of friends)

Stinks and is scruffy
Delivers money to the poor
Enemy = Sheriff of
Nottingham
Feather in funny hat?
Always has plans
Red bow and arrow.
Shoots people with bow &
arrow
Fear
He kills people
Always wears green
He is legendary

What I have LEARNED

about Robin Hood

What I have LEARNED

about Legends

Two men crept ever closer. Clouds shifted. Moonlight

seeped into the dark night. The figures paused.
How on earth? Will Scarletts whisper was
swallowed by the blackness as the battlements of
Nottingham Castle were revealed. Well never get in
there, Robin.
No reply came so Will turned. He could see Robins
furrowed brow as his eyes scanned the castle defences.
It was six hours since Maid Marian had disappeared.
Their clothes still reeked from the smoke of the hamlet
the Sheriffs men had torched and where Marion had
been giving food to the poor.

Robins face, taut with anger and determination,

was reply enough. To their right was the
drawbridge that led to the gatehouse. The
sharpened teeth of the portcullis warned against
entering the very mouth of the castle. The outer
curtain walls reared above them, arrow slits within
the crenulated stone. Chain mail rattled as they
walked the battlements, their shadows gliding
across the keep behind them.

Darkened murder holes that could spit forth rock,

or oil or fire lay beneath the walkways.
Mortimer, muttered Robin, they never found
out about Mortimer. Come, Will. These walls are
too strong for us but they have a weakness.
With that Robin stepped out onto the highway. He
hoisted his heavy sack onto his broad shoulders,
nestling next to his bow and quiver. The smell of
stale ale spread from Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
together with the sound of the last singing drunk.
Robin ducked swiftly though the inns courtyard
and to the stables behind. Will strode after him,
shaking his head. Wherever he was going, he was
sure to be going in to trouble.
Will saw Robin flitting to the back of the stables, where an outcrop of
rock jutted out below the castle. As he came up closer to him he stepped
behind a huge tree trunk and began feeling along the sandstone wall.
Help me, Will.
What am I looking for?

 There should be an outline of a Kings crown

chiselled into the rock. King Edward used it to get
into the castle to murder Mortimer, long ago. They
never knew how he got in.
So how did you know?
My father served King Edward, the hole that is
behind here leads right up into the castle, he was
with him the night Mortimer was killed.
Wills fingers slid across the rock, rough to the
touch and cold as bone. Indentations caused him
to stop and feel closer but then he would move on,
exploring, exploring, exploring. He moved Robins
sack to one side and felt along the ground.
Its not on the wall at all but here, Robin, on the floor. He placed Robins
palm onto a carved crown. As soon as Robin felt it he stood up and kicked
hard. Once.
Silence. More silence. Will dared not breathe. Glancing down he saw that
inside the crown was a heavy, iron ring. They both grasped it and heaved. The
earth beneath them moved aside and revealed a gaping hole, Mortimers hole.

Weve no light, thought Will. No shields,

no hauberks no idea where we are going
to come outbut then neither have they
The passage led down on sandstone steps
but quickly it begin to rise up, winding
their path into the castle. Robin and Will
slipped stealthily into the heart of danger.
At last their way was blocked by an iron
gate that rose above them. "See that, Will.
The light?
Will nodded.
That shines down onto the dungeon
where I reckon theyll have Marion. Some
fool seems to have left the gate ajar. Come
on.
Crouching as they eased their way up the steps, they prepared every
muscle to spring should there be a trap. Robin glanced through the gaps,
his eyes slowly finding the iron grille that covered the dungeon hole.

They slid through the open gate and peered down into the dungeon. Eyes
adjusted to the dark, cavernous pit.
There! Will could see the cloak of a woman huddled and curled around
her knees but with eyes of fire.
Clink!
Robin reeled around in time to evade a towering blow from a gleaming
sword.
Trapped! roared a voice that Robin knew only too well, like rats at the
cheese

What?
?
w
Ho

?
y
h

Wh

ere

Who?

Two men crept ever closer. Clouds shifted. Moonlight

seeped into the dark night. The figures paused.
How on earth? Will Scarletts whisper was
swallowed by the blackness as the battlements of
Nottingham Castle were revealed. Well never get in
there, Robin.
No reply came so Will turned. He could see Robins
furrowed brow as his eyes scanned the castle defences.
It was six hours since Maid Marian had disappeared.
Their clothes still reeked from the smoke of the hamlet
the Sheriffs men had torched and where Marion had
been giving food to the poor.

Robins face, taut with anger and determination,

was reply enough. To their right was the
drawbridge that led to the gatehouse. The
sharpened teeth of the portcullis warned against
entering the very mouth of the castle. The outer
curtain walls reared above them, arrow slits within
the crenulated stone. Chain mail rattled as they
walked the battlements, their shadows gliding
across the keep behind them.

Darkened murder holes that could spit forth rock,

or oil or fire lay beneath the walkways.
Mortimer, muttered Robin, they never found
out about Mortimer. Come, Will. These walls are
too strong for us but they have a weakness.
With that Robin stepped out onto the highway. He
hoisted his heavy sack onto his broad shoulders,
nestling next to his bow and quiver. The smell of
stale ale spread from Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
together with the sound of the last singing drunk.
Robin ducked swiftly though the inns courtyard
and to the stables behind. Will strode after him,
shaking his head. Wherever he was going, he was
sure to be going in to trouble.
Will saw Robin flitting to the back of the stables, where an outcrop of
rock jutted out below the castle. As he came up closer to him he stepped
behind a huge tree trunk and began feeling along the sandstone wall.
Help me, Will.
What am I looking for?

 There should be an outline of a Kings crown

chiselled into the rock. King Edward used it to get
into the castle to murder Mortimer, long ago. They
never knew how he got in.
So how did you know?
My father served King Edward, the hole that is
behind here leads right up into the castle, he was
with him the night Mortimer was killed.
Wills fingers slid across the rock, rough to the
touch and cold as bone. Indentations caused him
to stop and feel closer but then his would move on,
exploring, exploring, exploring. He moved Robins
sack to one side and felt along the ground.
Its not on the wall at all but here, Robin, on the floor. He placed Robins
palm onto a carved crown. As soon as Robin felt it he stood up and kicked
hard. Once.
Silence. More silence. Will dared not breathe. Glancing down he saw that
inside the crown was a heavy, iron ring. They both grasped it and heaved. The
earth beneath them moved aside and revealed a gaping hole, Mortimers hole.

Weve no light, thought Will. No shields,

no hauberks no idea where we are going
to come outbut then neither have they
The passage led down on sandstone steps
but quickly it begin to rise up, winding
their path into the castle. Robin and Will
slipped stealthily into the heart of danger.
At last their way was blocked by an iron
gate that rose above them. "See that, Will.
The light?
Will nodded.
That shines down onto the dungeon
where I reckon theyll have Marion. Some
fool seems to have left the gate ajar. Come
on.
Crouching as they eased their way up the steps, they prepared every
muscle to spring should there be a trap. Robin glanced through the gaps,
his eyes slowly finding the iron grille that covered the dungeon hole.

They slid through the open gate and peered down into the dungeon. Eyes
adjusted to the dark, cavernous pit.
There! Will could see the cloak of a woman huddled and curled around
her knees but with eyes of fire.
Clink!
Robin reeled around in time to evade a towering blow from a gleaming
sword.
Trapped! roared a voice that Robin knew only too well, like rats at the
cheese

Maid Marian Robin Hood

The Sheriff of
Will Scarlett Nottingham

The Legend of Robin Hood

Main sections:
1. Robin and Will: Climbing up the castle walls to
try and get in. Dark. Trying to find stones to
climb on. Worried and anxious
2. They hear the last singing drunk. In the stables
to find the crown. Apprehensive
3. Finding King Edwards hidden passageway.
Robin relieved. Will excited. Marion does she
hear?
4. Finding the steps leading to the dungeons and
MARION! Worried, relieved they are in. Pleased,
but scared.
5. Seeing Maid Marion, then suddenly CLINK!
Trapped in the castle like rats to the cheese.
Absolutely beaten. Scared dont want to die!

The Legend of Robin Hood

Main sections:

1.
2.
3.

4.
5.

Two men creeping to the castle: Will and Robin

Hood (RH)
The men talk of Mortimer. Robin steps onto the
highway and into the courtyard. Reaching the
stable walls.
Robin says there should be a crown on the
wall. Will finds the crown on the floor and RH
kicks it hard. When the men pull on the ring
they find a hole.
No light or protection in the dungeons.
Passage leads down sandstone steps. They
find a metal gate ajar.
They slide through the open gate and peer
down into the dungeons. Cloaked woman? The
men are TRAPPED by the Sheriff.

Name:

Robin Hood TRAPPED:

Visualising the Story with The Heart Rate Graph

Expected heart rate of

reader (beats per minute)

x
Main sections of the story

Now that we have decided on the main sections of our story, think about how dramatic they
are and plot an X on your graph ( = a high, dramatic point, with lots of action, and = a low,
calm point in the story. This might be when there is lots of description, instead of action.)
Then join up your points so that we see how the story develops for readers.

Can you find these suspense techniques?

Questions of the reader
Character reaction
Varying sentence length for effect
Flashback or detail to make reader wait
Repetition for impact
Similes for added weight to description
Hiding
Ellipsis
(...)

Storytelling Techniques
AUDIO:
Pitch varies, showing emotions/ allowing the storyteller to
sound like characters
Metaphors
Similes
Alliteration
Making it sound exciting
Expression
Giving description
Builds tempo when it gets exciting
Thats for another feast: making the reader want to come
back for more.
Sound effects

Storytelling Techniques
AUDIO:
Sound effects and pauses
Changes the tempo & pitch according to whats
happening
Exciting connectives
Gets slower when the sheriff is approaching: a
moment of suspense
Creates pressure to match the characters
pressure
Explains well
Metaphors (e.g. heart of stone)
Alliteration
Similes
Onomatopoeia, e.g. clink

Storytelling Techniques
AUDIO (sound):
Sound effects (incl. music)
Speaking clearly
Changing your voice (TONE, PITCH, VOLUME) to
make it appropriate for characters pitch is lower for
the sheriff, and softer for Marion.
Reading with expression to make the action exciting
Strong vocabulary: metaphors, alliteration, similes,
onomatopoeia
Explanation & description during the story
Pulling in the audience by talking to them: incl.
rhetorical questions

Storytelling Techniques
AUDIO (sound):

Dramatic pauses
Volume, pitch, speed
Expression
Sound effects (birds; )
Imagining whats happening
Changing the tone of your voice for different
character and feelings/ mood
Clear voice
Describing the action/ scene
Talking to audience asking rhetorical Qs
Similes, metaphors, alliteration, onomatopoeia

Storytelling Techniques
VISUAL:
Squinting when something strange was happening
Looking angry when talking about the sheriff:
showing the sheriffs emotions, Robins emotions
and the storytellers emotions
Expressions and body language explained words.

Storytelling Techniques
VISUAL:
Action/ events (e.g. a fight)
Facial expression to show how characters are
feeling
Background effects to show WHERE the people
are and the mood of the story (e.g. wind/ weather)
Animations
Camera shots: close ups; far away shots; different
angles)
Body language (e.g. hand movements)

Storytelling Techniques
VISUAL (what you can see):
Actions/ movements: body language
PowerPoint/ movies technology
People acting as the characters
Looking up from the script and at the
audience (or just above)
Facial expressions they can encourage
the audience by showing your emotions
Background

Robin Hood TRAPPED!

AUDIO

VISUAL

Storytelling Techniques
VISUAL:
Facial expressions
Body movements
Hand movements
Moving cameras? More than one camera?
Storytellers actions match characters actions
Cameras move faster for more exciting/ dramatic
moments
Holding breath because he really wanted to tell
us information. Holding his breath like
characters would if they are scared?
Eye movements all the time!

Marians thoughts
I am Marian. Im alone, in the dungeon. Alone.
Im frightened. Wheres Robin? I hope he hasnt hurt
himself, or worse, been captured.
Wheres everyone else?
I thought I heard a soundbut maybe it was just the rats
Its dark, and cold.
Robin? Is that you?
I DONT deserve to be here. Locked up. Imprisoned. What if I
die here?
Its pitch black down here. Im really scared.
Im lonely.

Will? Robin? HELP!

Marians Thoughts
Im in the dark. Alone. Im not quite sure
where, but Im worried.
I wonder, if Im going to die tonight.
What am I going to do? Is there any way out?
Whatever happens, in my heart Im happy, because
I just know Robin will come. I love him with all
my heart.
BUT
What if Robin doesnt come?

Sentence Structure

Simple Sentences have one main clause of meaning tha

makes sense on its own.

E.g. The television was broken.

Compound Sentences

They are made up of 2 simple sentences, joined by and

or but.
E.g. The television was broken and smoke came out of
the back.

Complex Sentences
They are made up of 2 or more clauses.
One = the MAIN CLAUSE (makes sense on its own)
Two = the SUBORDINATE CLAUSE (Does not make sense
E.g.without
The television,
which was broken, was thrown
the main clause)

out.

How many different ways could we

combine
these sentences?

Robin's hands trembled as he picked up the arrow.

Robin was scared of the sheriff.

Reorder the words?

Use a comma?
Use a connective?

List the new sentences

Which do you prefer and why?

Make up two sentences for a partner to combine in
different ways.

Discuss : what would make these sentences clearer?

The dungeon dark as pitch spat fear into the bones of any man
woman or beast that entered it some of whom of course would
never leave.
Trembling with cold and the terror of pain Marian crouched
gasping with the grave-still air determined to kill the guard
about to enter her cell.

Why would we want such long sentences?

Make up some more with a partner!

The TFD Map:

Thoughts, Feelings, and Dialogue of
Robin Hood

As a group of Robins, discuss and decide on

what you think this hero might think, feel and
say during the story of Robin Hood.

The TFD Map:

Thoughts, Feelings, and Dialogue of
Maid Marian

As a group of Marians, discuss and decide on

what you think this maiden might think, feel
and say during the story of Robin Hood.

The TFD Map:

Thoughts, Feelings, and Dialogue of
the Sheriff of Nottingham

As a group of Sheriffs, discuss and decide on

what you think this villain might think, feel and
say during the story of Robin Hood.

The TFD Map:

Thoughts, Feelings, and Dialogue of
Will Scarlett

As a group of Wills, discuss and decide on

what you think this man might think, feel and
say during the story of Robin Hood.

Nouns ending in
hissing, buzzing
and shushing
sounds (s/ x/
ch/sh) add es
in the plural.
(E.g. buses)

Nouns ending in
hissing, buzzing
and shushing
sounds (s/ x/
ch/sh) add es
in the plural.
(E.g. buses)

Nouns ending in
hissing, buzzing
and shushing
sounds (s/ x/
ch/sh) add es
in the plural.
(E.g. buses)

Nouns ending in
hissing, buzzing
and shushing
sounds (s/ x/
ch/sh) add es
in the plural.
(E.g. buses)

Nouns ending in
hissing, buzzing
and shushing
sounds (s/ x/
ch/sh) add es
in the plural.
(E.g. buses)

Nouns ending
in a vowel

Nouns ending
in a vowel

Nouns ending
in a vowel

Nouns ending
in a vowel

Nouns ending
in a vowel

and a y
add s in the

and a y
add s in the

and a y
add s in the

and a y
add s in the

and a y
add s in the

plural. (E.g.

plural. (E.g.

plural. (E.g.

plural. (E.g.

plural. (E.g.

monkeys)

monkeys)

monkeys)

monkeys)

monkeys)

Nouns ending in
a consonant

Nouns ending in
a consonant

Nouns ending in
a consonant

Nouns ending in
a consonant

Nouns ending in
a consonant

and a y

and a y

and a y

and a y

and a y

y
to an i and
add es in the

y
to an i and
add es in the

y
to an i and
add es in the

y
to an i and
add es in the

y
to an i and
add es in the

plural. (E.g.
babies)

plural. (E.g.
babies)

plural. (E.g.
babies)

plural. (E.g.
babies)

plural. (E.g.
babies)

Several older
nouns ending
in an o add
es in the

Several older
nouns ending
in an o add
es in the

Several older
nouns ending
in an o add
es in the

Several older
nouns ending
in an o add
es in the

Several older
nouns ending
in an o add
es in the

change the

change the

change the

change the

change the

witch

cry

box

domino

city

puppy

lunch

fish

tomato

party

hiss

lolly

potato

Nouns ending in
hissing, buzzing
and shushing
sounds (s/ x/
ch/sh) add es
in the plural.
(E.g. buses)

Nouns ending in
hissing, buzzing
and shushing
sounds (s/ x/
ch/sh) add es
in the plural.
(E.g. buses)

Nouns ending in
hissing, buzzing
and shushing
sounds (s/ x/
ch/sh) add es
in the plural.
(E.g. buses)

Nouns ending in
hissing, buzzing
and shushing
sounds (s/ x/
ch/sh) add es
in the plural.
(E.g. buses)

Nouns ending in
hissing, buzzing
and shushing
sounds (s/ x/
ch/sh) add es
in the plural.
(E.g. buses)

Nouns ending
in a vowel

Nouns ending
in a vowel

Nouns ending
in a vowel

Nouns ending
in a vowel

Nouns ending
in a vowel

and a y
add s in the

and a y
add s in the

and a y
add s in the

and a y
add s in the

and a y
add s in the

plural. (E.g.

plural. (E.g.

plural. (E.g.

plural. (E.g.

plural. (E.g.

monkeys)

monkeys)

monkeys)

monkeys)

monkeys)

Nouns ending in
a consonant

Nouns ending in
a consonant

Nouns ending in
a consonant

Nouns ending in
a consonant

Nouns ending in
a consonant

and a y

and a y

and a y

and a y

and a y

y
to an i and
add es in the

y
to an i and
add es in the

y
to an i and
add es in the

y
to an i and
add es in the

y
to an i and
add es in the

plural. (E.g.
babies)

plural. (E.g.
babies)

plural. (E.g.
babies)

plural. (E.g.
babies)

plural. (E.g.
babies)

Several older
nouns ending
in an o add
es in the

Several older
nouns ending
in an o add
es in the

Several older
nouns ending
in an o add
es in the

Several older
nouns ending
in an o add
es in the

Several older
nouns ending
in an o add
es in the

change the

change the

change the

change the

change the

Monday 25th February

Top Tips for Storytelling!

AUDIO:

VISUAL:

Changing voice:
tempo; pitch; volume
Expression
Pauses for suspense
& dramatic effect
Sound effects, e.g.
gasping

Facial expressions;
Movements;
Eye movements
Body language
(hands)
Moving cameras
Signs

Friday 22nd February

Top Tips for Storytelling!

AUDIO:

VISUAL:

Make it clear
Alliteration
Change your voice:
change tempo; change
pitch; change volume
Sound effects &
onomatopoeia
Pausing for suspense
Make it exciting

Use objects around you

such as a chair.

Body language

Act like a character

Smile

Eyebrows & facial

expression (pulling
faces)

Movement/ acting out

words

Reading
imagination

Robin Hood Storytelling

Robin Hood Storytelling

Challenge
Peer Assessment Card

Challenge
Peer Assessment Card

Name: .........../ Date: .

Pair/
Group

Audio
techniques

Visual
Techniques

?/
10

Name: .........../ Date: .

Pair/
Group

Audio
techniques

Visual
Techniques

?/
10

Robin Hood Storytelling

Robin Hood Storytelling

Challenge
Peer Assessment Card

Challenge

Peer Assessment Card

Pair/
Group

Audio
Visual
techniques Techniques

?/
10

Pair/
Group

Audio
Visual
techniques Techniques

?/
10