Bring a world-renowned storyteller into your classroom and help pupils put their own twist on a classic tale.
In this episode of Author in Your Classroom, Sir Michael Morpurgo (author of Boy Giant) guides pupils through the process of taking a story they know well and combining it with a “truth” – an issue or idea that matters to them. Pupils learn how to retell stories creatively while exploring important themes, writing in the first person, and developing characters, settings and plots that reflect their own ideas.
Short extracts from the podcast illustrate key ideas, but listening isn’t essential – the teaching sequence works fully on its own.
Resource pack contents
This free classroom pack supports a full creative writing unit and includes:
- Ready-to-use PowerPoint
- Extract from Boy Giant
- Planning sheets for choosing a story, linking it to an idea and planning the narrative
- Working wall images and quotes for inspiration
- Themed writing paper for pupils to draft and present their work
Teaching overview
Across three sessions, pupils will:
- Find a story to tell – Identify issues or ideas that matter to pupils and could form the “truth” at the heart of their story. Pupils consider real events, personal experiences, historical moments or ongoing issues.
- Choose a classic tale to update – Select a well-known story to retell, discussing which characters, settings and themes could align with the issue they want to explore. Pupils map out how their story could adapt the original narrative to share their own message.
- Write the story – Draft a story in the first person, taking inspiration from Michael Morpurgo’s techniques in Boy Giant. Pupils focus on character perspective, use of verbs, Omar-style reflection, and incorporating themes that communicate their chosen “truth.”
The unit also includes reflection and editing stages, encouraging pupils to review, refine and share their writing, helping them build confidence and skills in storytelling.
How to listen
Search for Author in Your Classroom wherever you get your podcasts. A free resources pack is available with every episode.
Subscribe to hear more brilliant children’s authors share insider tips that help pupils write with confidence, purpose and flair.
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