Transition Unit on My Father is a Polar Bear: Teacher Notes
Tasks/Notes
Overview
In their primary schools pupils write the opening of a story for their new Y7 teacher. This is
prepared for using the following work on the story ‘My Father is a Polar Bear.’ The full story
and an overview of the areas of the programmes of study planned for are embedded under
resources needed. In their secondary schools pupils then return to the story and work
towards doing an essay on how the character of Andrew’s father is developed and the
techniques Morpurgo uses to gradually reveal the truth.
Resources needed
My Father is a Polar
Bear (Full Story).docx
The National
Curriculum in England extracts.docx
Primary
Week 1
Day 1 - Put class into mixed ability groups of 3. Read introduction to ‘My Father is a Polar
Bear’ (up to “I’ll tell you”.) Discuss formation of quality questions/ possible topics for the
questions.
Task - Each child to come up with a question. Complete column 1 of grid then pass onto
next group for them to answer and complete column 2. If they don’t have an answer, how
might they find the answer? Encourage children to be creative with their answers but stress
importance of basing on an element of the text.
Share some of questions/answers. Allow time for research/discussion into unknown
questions.
Day 2 - Reread introduction. How do children think that the story will continue?
Investigate language features, structure and punctuation in the opening section. Highlight
different examples and complete sheet.
Focus on last section about the ‘secret treasure box’. Why was the box hidden? What
might be inside? (Could possibly be done on computer) Ask the children to add things to
the sheet and annotate with the reasons that they have been included. They could illustrate
the items. (see example)
Task - Describe their own ‘treasure box’. Where is it? What is inside? Why is it important
to them? Encourage children to use their imagination and to think carefully about what is
important to them and why.
KS2 Day 1 - question
sheet/PowerPoint slide
Questions sheet week
1.pptx
KS2 Day 2 - features
sheet/PowerPoint slide (pupil sheet
and teacher’s copy)
KS2 Day 2 features
sheets.pptx
KS2 Day 2 - treasure box sheet
Transition Unit on My Father is a Polar Bear: Teacher Notes
(example and pupil sheet)
In my treasure box I In my treasure box I
would keep - Example.docx
would keep Pupil sheet.docx
Days 3&4 – Ensure class have read remainder of story before session commences
Form a map of the story - use story mountain grid to identify each part. Agree the different
sections then allow children to recreate their story map on A3 paper being as creative as
they wish. Add detail and examples from the text to support their plan. Illustrate different
sections to clarify events.
Alternative: Retell story using picture prompts
Polar bear story map
Polar bear story
map.docx
Day 5 – Re-read the section from “So there we were a few days later” to “”To Terry and
Andrew…” Discuss ideas asking children to empathise with the character.
Task - Write a diary entry from Andrew’s point of view detailing the theatre trip and how he
felt during the day.
Week 2
Below is a selection of different ideas to use based on the story. They may take several
days depending on the depth of study and – if time is short – it is possible to use one of the
two examples.
1. My Sister Lives in Outer Space
Innovate - Discuss how stories can innovate a story (retell in our own words/imitate)
Discuss different ways that we might be able to imitate a story. Which aspects could we
change? Which parts would we keep the same? Read example and discuss what
elements are the same as the original story (first person/repetition/question to reader/short
sentences). Move on to discuss how the story is different to the original (main character,
location)
Task: Write in first person as a grown up looking back at their life. Who went missing?
Where? What was the misunderstanding and how did it occur? (examples in the
PowerPoint: My Sister Lives in
Outer Space
Imitate and Innovate
PPT.pptx
Story planning sheet
Transition Unit on My Father is a Polar Bear: Teacher Notes
PowerPoint) Collect ideas and allow children to choose which elements they want to
include.
Look at the example of how the story could develop using the story planning sheet.
2. Penguins Live on Blackpool Beach
Imitate – Talk to the children about how we are able to invent a story by copying some of the
features of Michael Morpurgo (ask reader questions, draw reader close to feel they are a
friend, repeat phrases and words, write as a character looking back on their life)
In example, the style is imitated but the central idea is changed.
Read ‘Penguins Live on Blackpool Beach,’ using same PowerPoint
Task: Imagine a brother or family member tells you something as a joke but you take it
literally. This will lead you on an adventure and form the basis of a story.
Discuss: how you will have heard this story (overhear adults, read in diary or newspaper,
see a photograph, news article, TV programme.)
Discuss: what could the misunderstanding be? (place, person, event) (examples on
PowerPoint) Scribe ideas and allow children to use some of them or make up their own.
Look at the example of how the story could develop using the story planning sheet.
Planning_Sheet
Imitating a story.docx
Pupils now write their story openings. A word limit of 150 words will be needed if these are
to be marked by secondary colleagues.
Transition Period (or September if this is not possible)
Pupils’ openings written for their
new secondary teachers
 Where possible openings are marked by secondary colleagues and returned (using
their marking policy) possibly with a visit involving editing and redrafting of the
opening to take back for first lessons in secondary schools in September.
 To ease the logistics, the openings should have a limit of 150 words and will need to
be delivered to the secondary schools in time. The planning group have suggested
the week ending June 26th for 2015.
 This will depend on the staffing/time available and how this might fit with current
arrangements.
 Another suggestion (if the above is not possible) would be for transition visits to take
place from secondary school teachers to work with the year 6 students whilst they
write their opening and to collect them for marking and use in September.
Transition Unit on My Father is a Polar Bear: Teacher Notes


Secondary schools will need to decide on this and liaise with their partner primary
schools as required.
For those partner primary schools and pupils not involved in the project (out of district
schools and young people) a copy of the story can be made available on school
websites for pupils to read over the summer – a copy is embedded above.
September
Secondary – Returning to the opening of the story
The students are now going to work towards doing an essay on how the character of
Andrew’s father is developed and the techniques Morpurgo uses to gradually reveal the
truth.
Use the slideshow to introduce the aims/objectives of the lesson(s).
Use the slideshow (slide 3) to ask pupils what they remember from their primary schools
about the story – or if they haven’t read it what they think it might be about and how the
father can be a polar bear. Five minutes paired or group discussion.
Use the resources to do a shared read of the opening of the story – can be differentiated
using either the opening with boxes to fill in for guidance - on Pupil sheet 2- Andrew’s father
in the opening - or without boxes using Pupil sheet 1 - Andrew’s father in the opening
(blank) and by using the information on the teacher sheet as required for the group.
This can also be done on A3 in pairs or groups.
Secondary PowerPoint slides 1- 3
Secondary
PowerPoint.ppt
Pupil sheet 1 – Andrew’s father in
the opening (blank)
Pupil sheet 1 Andrew's father in the opening (blank).docx
Pupil sheet 2- Andrew’s father in
the opening
Pupil sheet 2 Andrew's father in the opening.docx
Both these could be used on A3
Teacher sheet 1 – Andrew’s father
in the opening (annotated)
Teacher sheet 1 Andrew's father in the opening - annotated.docx
Extract 1 – Andrew’s father in WW2
This extract is about what happened to Andrew and his father during World War 2. Use the
slideshow to introduce the objectives and do a shared read of the extract (slides 5-7)
Secondary PowerPoint slides 4 – 17
(above)
Pupil sheet 3 – Andrew’s father in
Transition Unit on My Father is a Polar Bear: Teacher Notes
Use slides 8 – 12 to look at retrieving information from the text and then slides 13-14 to
introduce and use PEE (point, evidence, explanation) paragraphing. This is later developed
into PEAZER (point, evidence, analyse, zoom in, explore, reader) by the end of the unit.
Slides 15-17 offer additional optional opportunity for a research task into WW2 if there is
time.
Extract 2 – Andrew’s trip to the theatre
Use the PowerPoint to re-cap and outline the topic (slides 19 - 20).
Starter – Theatre discussion task and word bank (slide 21). Feedback as a class.
Activity 1 – Read the extract as a class (slides 22- 24).
Grammar explanations on parenthetic commas and superlative adjectives (slides 25 -26)
and close analysis (slides 27-29) are to be used to teach aspects and give structure to
independent reading of the extract.
Depending on ability of students, this could be done in pairs or as a class guided by the
teacher. Techniques/interesting sections are highlighted in red as a guide.
Use the pictures of polar bears (slide 30) as it may be useful to discuss the actual animals,
their characteristics and portrayal in story. Link to slide 31 and why Morpurgo uses the
technique of Andrew believing his father is an actual polar bear.
What the children learned about PEE previously can now be developed using PEAZER
practice (slides 32 -35).
Extract 3 – Terry meets their dad
Introduce the aims and objectives on slide 37.
Use Pupil sheet 6 - Terry meets their dad to read through the short extract on what
Andrew’s brother Terry found out about their father when he met him back stage at the
theatre. Andrew finds out more about his father here and also has lots of feelings about him.
Use Pupil sheet 5 – Andrew’s feelings and the facts. Around the outside of the image,
students need to write down what they learn about Andrew’s father from the extract
Inside the image, students need to write down how Andrew feels about his father
Match their points to evidence taken from the extract and think about how the language of
the extract has created these impressions using slide 39 on language explosions.
WW2 (Extract 1)
Pupil sheet 3 –
Andrew’s father in WW2 (Extract 1).docx
Secondary PowerPoint slides 18 –
35 (above)
Pupil sheet 4 – Andrew’s trip to the
theatre (Extract 2)
Pupil sheet 4 –
Andrew's trip to the theatre (Extract 2).docx
(This could be double spaced so
more space to annotate)
Dictionaries and thesauruses
Secondary PowerPoint slides 36 –
39 (above)
Pupil sheet 5 – Andrew’s feelings
and the facts (on A3)
Pupil sheet 5 Andrew's feelings and the facts.doc
Pupil sheet 6 - Terry meets their
dad (Extract 3)
Transition Unit on My Father is a Polar Bear: Teacher Notes
Pupil sheet 6 - Terry
meets their dad (Extract 3).docx
Extract 4 – Andrew’s father as Magwitch
Use the slideshow to introduce the aims/objectives of the lesson(s) – slide 41.
Introduce the section with the slideshow – it is possible to watch the clip on YouTube – link
here and on the slideshow. (Please note the clip begins with an advert which can be skipped
after 3 seconds!)
The slides also give an opportunity to discuss how the sudden appearance of Andrew’s
father is led up to by Morpurgo’s language – this is on slide 45 (ominous
atmosphere/pathetic fallacy.)
Then use Pupil sheet 7- Andrew’s father becomes Magwitch and/or Pupil sheet 8- Magwitch
techniques grid to look at how this new image of Andrew’s father is revealed.
Secondary PowerPoint slides 40 –
46 (above)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXyo68sf1E
Pupil sheet 7 – Andrew’s father
becomes Magwitch (Extract 4)
Pupil sheet 7 Andrew's father becomes Magwitch (Extract 4).docx
Teacher sheet 2 – Andrew’s father
becomes Magwitch
Teacher sheet 2 Andrew's father becomes Magwitch (Extract 4 annotated).docx
Pupil sheet 8 - Magwitch techniques
grid
Pupil sheet 8 Magwitch techniques grid.docx
Independent work
Use the slideshow to introduce the aims/objectives of the lesson(s) and the title of the
assignment. Slide 48 is left blank so that the title can be differentiated to suit the
class/pupils. Suggestions are:

What do we learn about Andrews’s father in the story?
Secondary PowerPoint slides 47 –
end (above)
Pupil sheet 9 – Andrew’s
discoveries and ideas
Transition Unit on My Father is a Polar Bear: Teacher Notes




What different impressions does Andrew have of his father throughout the story?
How is the character of Andrew’s father presented?
How does Andrew’s understanding of his father change throughout the story?
How does Morpurgo gradually develop our understanding of the character of
Andrew’s father as the story unfolds?
Use slide 49 and Pupil sheet 9 –Andrew’s discoveries and ideas as a starter activity to
collect an overview of what Andrew has learned throughout the story about his father.
Introduce PEAZER again using slide 48.
Students may have heard of PEE in their partner primary schools - and if not – have looked
at PEE and PEAZER earlier in this unit so this should help them see how PEAZER is a
development from PEE.
Model completing Pupil sheet 10 – Planning using PEAZER– as many rows as you feel are
needed for your group using some of the extracts already taught.
Pupils can add further points from the extracts they have studied and from the last 2 pages
of the story independently – or this can be read through as a class.
Pupils may need the introduction to the essay modelling and later on help with writing a
conclusion.
Pupils complete the essay. Depending on the class, this may be completely independently
or they may focus on certain sections or a set of specific lines from the story. This is left up
to the class teacher to decide.
If possible, you may want to share some of the work produced with partner primary schools.
Pupil sheet 9 Andrew's discoveries and ideas.docx
Pupil sheet 10 – Planning using
PEAZER
Pupil sheet 10 Planning using PEAZER.docx
Pupil sheet 11 – How does the story
end?
Pupil sheet 11 - How
does the story end.docx