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Lesson 9: My Own Animal StoryThe students will examine other stories as inspiration for their own retelling. They will then create their own story using the knowledge and skills especially storytelling devices, gleaned throughout this scheme of work.

Background ContextThere are countless stories of animals which engaged in the war effort. Here are a few examples that could be retold for storytelling performances.

Pyram the Dog Pyram was awarded a special Scout Badge by President Poincare of France for services to the French army in the First World War. This ragged mongrel saved countless soldiers’ lives by giving warnings of enemy patrols at night. President Ponicare requested to meet Pyram when visiting the Front.1

Murphy the Donkey In 1915, Murphy was shipped to the coast of Turkey where soldiers from Australia and New Zealand other Allied nations were fighting Turkish and German troops

in Gallipoli. In blistering heat, Murphy’s job was to carry supplies along the narrow paths beside the beach. It must have been very hard work for the donkey.

One evening, an Australian soldier named John Simpson Kirkpatrick saw Murphy and had the idea of using the donkey to help his work in caring for injured men. John would find the injured men and lift them onto Murphy’s back who would then carry them safely back to the army hospital. Murphy and John worked well together and each day, at dawn, headed out to look for injured soldiers. Soon they had rescued over 300 men.2

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Key Questions:• How can the Incredible Journeys performances inspire ways to retell a true story?• What stories of animals in the First World War currently exist, and how can we use

our research to create retellings of these?• What structure can we use to create our own stories about the First World War from

the point of view of an animal?

Key Words:Use the glossary and research to find key words related to the stories.

Story Frame:Different cultures have different traditional story characters and structures to refer to or use as framing devices. Depending on the area their animal belongs to, the students may be wish to research this further, using inspiration from the examples in the Incredible Journeys stories – the traditional character of Anansi, the figures from religious stories such as Ganesh, or stories from the Dreaming.

The students also have other classic storytelling devices at their disposal, which are detailed in the lesson plan.

AttentionDiscuss It!• Look at images of the First World War. If you were an animal in this scene, what

would be going through your mind? How would it feel? How would it smell? What would you be able to hear and see? What emotions, thoughts and feelings would you have?

• Feed back ideas.

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Prepare to Advance

Draw It!• Divide a piece of paper into sections. Each section represents a significant place

and period of time in the story. Make rough sketches to act as prompts.

• Use this as a prompt to practise telling your story to a partner.

• Add in to your plan, moments at which you could extend the telling of the story by include key storytelling devices, such as:

- Rule of Three- Repetition- Sensory description- Onomatopoeia- A song- Dialogue

Research It!• You are going to create a story about the First World War from the point of view of

an animal. Research and share real stories of animals during the First World War, including stories of dogs, glow worms, donkeys, horses, cats, baboons.

• Choose your story.

Discuss It!• Practise telling the bare bones of your story in pairs.

• What is your animal like? Consider personality, character traits, feelings and appearance.

• Which of the following main devices would you like to use as a narrative structure for your story?

- Who will speak? First or third person narrative? Will you use anthropomorphism or not?

- Will you audience participation? Will you break down the fourth wall?- Will you use present or past tense?- How will you present time? You could use straightforward chronological

time, or make the time more complicated, for example, through the use of a flashback or a dream sequence.

Illustrations by Sheena DempseyText © The Story Museum42 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BPwww.storymuseum.org.uk

Forward MarchWrite It!• Using your prompt, write the first draft of your story.• Share drafts, peer assess, and prepare for a second draft.

Act It!• Perform your story to the rest of the class.

Celebrate It!• Record students telling their stories through film or audio;

• Make costumes and props to accompany the stories;

• Perform the stories to other classes, at assembly or a special event with an invited audience;

• Share your stories with The Story Museum and 14-18 NOW to let them know about your students’ achievements!

1 Animals in the First World War, Neil Storey, Shire Library 20142 Animals at War, George, I. Jones, R.L., Charman, T.C., & Kelly, A. London: Usborne, 2006