Gorilla by Anthony Browne
In the story Anthony Browne tells us about something that has already happened to Hannah.
Take a look at these sentences taken from the book,
Highlight the ‘past tense’ verbs that make it clear that these events happened in the past?
Hannah read books about gorillas, she watched gorillas on television, and she drew pictures of gorillas.
Her father went to work every day and in the evening he worked at home.
Hannah threw the gorilla into the corner with her other toys and went back to sleep.
They opened the front door and stepped outside.
Week 1
From present to the past
Most narratives are written in the past tense.
Imagine that Hannah meets the Gorilla again the next day…
Rewrite the sentences changing the verbs so that it is clear that the events happened in the past.
Hannah is eating her breakfast.
Hannah is sitting in her room; she is looking at her favourite book about Gorillas.
She is turning the pages; suddenly she sees something move in the bushes outside.
What might happen next? Write some more sentences in the past tense to continue the story.
Week 1
From present to the past
Most narratives are written in the past tense.
Imagine that Hannah meets the Gorilla again the next day…
Rewrite the sentences changing the verbs so that it is clear that the events happened in the past.
Hannah is still eating her breakfast, however she is going to be late for school.
Hannah is sitting down on her bed; she is taking a moment to look at her favourite book about Gorillas.
She is turning the pages; suddenly she sees something large move in the bushes outside, although she can’t see it clearly she is sure that the friendly Gorilla has returned.
What might happen next? Write some more sentences in the past tense to continue the story.
Week 1
From present to the past
Most narratives are written in the past tense.
Imagine that Hannah meets the Gorilla again the next day…
Rewrite the sentences changing the verbs so that it is clear that the events happened in the past.
Hannah is still eating her breakfast; she has toast and jam which is her favourite.
Hannah is looking out on the garden where she was dancing with the Gorilla the night before. She is wishing that he is still there.
Hannah is smiling as she walks past the Zoo. She is pleased that she has seen the monkeys; however she is sad and is wishing that they were wild in the forests they call home.
What might happen next? Write some more sentences in the past tense to continue the story.
Week 1
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
Y6 N Rev Unit 1 – Spr – Weeks 1 - 3
Planning a story like
Anthony Browne.
To write a great story like Gorilla you need to plan your story carefully. Use the story planner to think about your own story that will have the same structure that Anthony Browne used.
IntroductionIdentify Problem /
Problem
Solved
Story
Ending /
Week 1
Reviewing the Books of
Anthony Browne
Anthony Browne is an internationally famous author and illustrator of children's books, with nearly forty book titles to his name. Gorillas feature in many of Anthony's books, he says, ‘I am fascinated by them.’ In 2000 he received the highest international honour for illustration, the Hans Christian Andersen Award, for his services to children's literature - the first British illustrator ever to win.
TitleCharacters / Does the story have a good character that the reader can identify with?
What Happens? / What happens in the story? What are the events? How are these described?
Story Structure / Is the story well-structured?
Does it follow the intro – problem – solution – end pattern?
Opening & Ending / Are the beginning and ending good? Does the story begin well – are we drawn in?
Is the ending appropriate?
Overall rating
Week 1
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
Y6 N Rev Unit 1 – Spr – Weeks 1 - 3
Character Profile: Joseph
from Anthony Browne’s Changes
Joseph:
· Appears shy and reserved.
· Does not put himself forward and is not a child who stands out from the crowd.
· Not timid or easily led. He has his own opinions.
· Strong willed, difficult, if not impossible, to persuade him to do something that he does not want to do.
· Stubborn as a mule.
· Persistent, and sometimes keeps trying to do something long after other people have given up.
· Can be insensitive about continuing with his own interests even when his companions are bored.
· Does not make friends easily and has just one or two children his own age with whom he is comfortable.
· Loyal and supportive of his friends and does not take offence easily.
· Does not like change, preferring things to stay predictably the same.
Week 1
Joseph’s Diary
from Anthony Browne’s Changes
Friday 16th October
Dear Diary,
Dad said there would be big changes today, at the time I didn’t know what he really meant but it didn’t take long before strange things started to happen!
I don’t really like being left at home on my own, although I don’t like to admit it I actually get a little bit scared. When mum and dad are home I feel so much safer, anyway back to what happened! It was in the kitchen where it all started, something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. The kettle seemed to be changing, I wasn’t sure what it was changing into but it soon became clear – a cat! I couldn’t believe my eyes; I rubbed them and looked again! Mum and dad always said that my imagination would get me into trouble one day, and today was the day!
I looked at my watch it was a quarter past ten, I wanted mum and dad home that very moment, and things were about to get a whole lot more freaky!
Week 1
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
Y6 N Rev Unit 1 – Spr – Weeks 1 - 3
Three Stars and a Wish!
Children work in pairs
Each child reads out their diary entry to their partner in turn
The partner finds three good examples of diary features – 3 STARS!!
The partner then has 1 WISH for another feature to be used!
Week 1
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
Y6 N Rev Unit 1 – Spr – Weeks 1 - 3
The Story of Perseus
This is the story of a boy, a boy who was born in a prison, high up in a tower, who floated to freedom in a chest, and who fought the monster at the very edge of the world. This is a story of snakes, poisonous snakes forming the hair on a woman’s head. And it is the story of a look that can freeze your blood and turn you into stone.
Once upon a time, in an age long since past and a place no longer talked of, there was a king called Acrisius. And the king had a daughter called Danae. Of course, she was beautiful, and kind and happy. But one day, her life fell apart. Her father visited the Oracle. Now the Oracle was a fortune-teller who lived in a cave deep in the mountains. The king made this pilgrimage against the advice of his courtiers and his friends who warned him of the dangers of trying to see into the future. “It is not given to humans to know what will befall them,” they told him, “we should live our lives, taking each day as a gift. Evil comes to those who try to dictate the future. Knowledge of this will only bring harm.” But the king was determined. He was desperate to know whether he would have a grandson, if there would be an heir to his throne. The Oracle reassured him. She told him that he would indeed have a grandson. But before the king had time to rejoice, she continued, “And in this grandson lies your own doom.” The king was horrified! “What doom?” he demanded. “How can my grandson bring about my doom?” “The Oracle laughed, a cold, hateful laugh. “You will meet your death at the hand of your grandson!” She cackled. And the king was left alone in the cave with his thoughts.
The king was a cowardly man, and he was terrified. As soon as he had made the long journey back to his palace, he sent for Danae. She ran towards him, delighted to see that he had returned safe and well. But he pushed her affectionate embraces away. “Take my daughter, and shut her in the top of the highest tower,” he told his guards. “And never let her out.” So Danae was led away, bewildered and weeping to her prison, a room in the very top of the highest tower.
From this day onward, Acrisius never saw his daughter. She was kept in her prison, and he roamed his palace, miserable and scared. Danae grew used to the large round room with its wooden floor and the window in the ceiling through which she could see only sky.
She loved the bright sunlight that fell on her bed and woke her each day. It seemed her only connection with the outside world. And one day the sunlight bought her a surprise. Zeus, the king of the gods, took pity on this beautiful young girl, trapped in her lonely prison, and he came to her in a shower of gold.
A baby was born of this union, a baby boy. Danae named this boy Perseus. He grew swiftly into a beautiful toddling boy, and still he and his mother inhabited their prison in the top of the highest tower in the palace. Danae would entertain her son by telling him stories, tales of the outside world which he had never seen. She told him of monsters who lived at the edge of the world, and of the Gorgons, the terrible sisters living on a rock far, far, away. “Medusa, the Gorgon has a head of snakes, poisonous, writhing snakes surrounding her terrible face,” Danae told her son, “but the worst thing is her dreadful power. Just one look petrifies you. Whoever looks at her face is instantly turned to stone.” Perseus listened with excitement and horror to these tales. He pictured the Gorgon, Medusa, and her terrible sisters. He imagined her head surrounded by the wriggling, writhing snakes. He thought about the statues of all those warriors who had tried to kill her and who had been petrified as they looked upon her face. His mother made him a wooden sword from one of the slats of her bed, peeled and sharpened upon the stone sill of the step. Perseus would run up and down, swiping and slashing an imaginary head of snakes with his sword. And the sounds of his cries and laughter drifted along the silent corridors of the palace and reached the ears of the king.
Acrisius listened. Could it be a child, even a grandson? He ran, with fear in his heart, to the very top of the tower, and threw open the door. There, in the round room, was his daughter Danae. And her arms were clasped tightly round her son, the boy, Perseus.
Danae pleaded and wept. She begged her father not to kill Perseus. She promised to take him far away, where he would never know who he was. But the king was terrified. Here, despite all his care, was the grandson the Oracle had predicted. He ordered Danae and Perseus to be thrown into a chest and thrown off the highest cliff into the sea.
For days and days they tossed and turned, Danae and Perseus, curled in their tiny prison, floating on the waves and bobbing beneath the sea. Finally, just as Danae thought they would die of thirst and cramp, they washed up on a shore, and light flooded into the chest as the lid was raised. A smiling, bearded man looked down at them. “Well,” he said, “look at what the sea has brought me.”
For more than ten years, Danae and Perseus lived on the rocky shore of this island. Dictys, the kindly and gentle man who had taken them in, was a fisherman. Perseus grew, helping Dictys fish and learning his lessons from his mother. But their peace was shattered by the arrival of the King of the island, Polydectes. Polydectes fell in love with the beautiful Danae, and brought them to his palace, swearing that he would marry Danae, against her will, in five days. Perseus was furious, but powerless to defend his mother against the cruel and powerful king. He swore that he would bring Polydectes a wedding gift worthy of him, none other than the head of Medusa. “I will bring you the Gorgon’s head!” he cried, and left the palace, with Polydectes’ mocking laughter ringing in his ears.
Perseus wandered along the edge of the shore, and dug his heels in the sand. How was he to get to the ends of the earth and kill the Gorgon? As he mused, two figures appeared before him, shining over the edge of the sea. One was Hermes, the messenger of the gods, and the other was Athene, Zeus’s daughter. “I am your sister,” she told him. “And Zeus, my father, has sent you these to assist you in your quest.” And she held up a bright silver sword, and a shield, so brightly polished that its surface shone like a mirror and Perseus could see the rocky shore behind him reflected in its shiny surface. “I also give you this gift,” Athene continued, handing Perseus a cap of invisibility. “Whosoever wears this, cannot be seen.” “And I bring you these,” said Hermes, holding up a pair of winged sandals and a large leather pouch. “You must first fly to the far end of the northern shores to where the Graeae, three eyeless and toothless sisters, live.”
Perseus set off northwards. He knew that these old and horrible, swan-like three women possessed only one eye and one tooth between them, which they shared and quarrelled over. Perseus flew night and day using his winged sandals. Eventually, towards the end of the second day, he came to the Graeae, cackling in their nest on the edge of the rock, blown by winds and lashed by the wild seas. Perseus swooped down and, before they could react, snatched their one eye. “You shall not have this back until you tell me how to find Medusa!”