Year 1 pupils in St. Peter’s School, Lympstone have been studying Native American Indians. We have spent time creating our very own Mr Benn adventure which is quite extraordinary! Based on the story of Black Elk’s Vision: A Lakota Story; see how Mr Benn gets on by reading through our adventure.
Story written by Year 1 pupils at St. Peter’s School, Lympstone, entitled:
“Mr Benn meets Sitting Bull”
1. Mr Benn goes into the changing room and finds a Native American costume.
2. Suddenly Mr Benn steps into the North American Plains. There he sees a big group of tipi’s near a river.
3. Mr Benn speaks with the Native Indians. They are from many different tribes. The tribes are meeting about working together to try and defeat the ‘Washichu’s'(white men), who are trying to take their land.
4. The Native Indian tribes and Mr Benn see the ‘Washichu’s’ coming at them with pistols and riding on horses.
5. Quickly the tribes tried to fight back. Many people from both sides of the war die.
6. The Indians win the fight, this time.
7. Mr Benn speaks with a Chief. He is man called ‘Sitting Bull’. He thanks him for fighting their cause and gives him a ‘coup’ feather for being brave. Mr Benn tells the Native Indians that he is sorry for their problems.
8. Mr Benn walks down to the river and enters a cave. He mysteriously comes out back in the changing room. His leg begins to tickle. He puts his hand in his pocket. He found the ‘coup’ feather that he was given from the chief
There were too many pictures of the children flourishing during their Art and design tasks to upload 100’s of photos individually. Please see above our Picasa montage of the work completed and the ethos of the 2 day workshops.
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An example of a completed story board. Children’s images were then scaled up to fit on Mr Benn’s changing room wall. The ‘wallpaper’ reflected each stage of the story we had written.
If you would like to use our storyboard story in your own classrooms please click on the link below.
Mr Benn Storyboard
The children have benefited hugely from these workshops. They have developed many creative skills and felt great satisfaction from completing their Mr Benn projects. The team work witnessed throughout the process was a real highlight. Children who normally would not choose to work together got great pleasure from learning more about their peers and we have seen the lasting effects once we returned to timetabled lessons. They understood the term ‘identity’ and grasped the concept that we all have different ‘identities’ in different situations.
We cannot thank Ali Roscoe enough for her enthusiasm and flexibility with the project. Not only did we create some fantastic Mr Benn images and puppets throughout this week. We also enhanced the children’s understanding of their topic work on Native American Indians. A wonderful way to return to school after a half term break.
Since Ali Roscoe has left St. Peter’s, we have continued our learning on Native American Indians by using Forest School to cook rabbit meat on open fires, made bows and arrows, played traditional Indian games such as ‘Counting the Coup’s’ and also built our own tipi’s in the woods. The children have written other texts including an explanation of the importance of the Eagle to Native Americans, following a fantastic Hawkbridge bird show at school, where we met ‘Baldrick’ the bald headed eagle. Next week we are completing the making our very own pair of moccasins, taking part in a feather and bead workshop and organizing a cake sale to raise money for a Native American Reservation Coffee Shop.
Phew what a way to learn and thrive!!!
Written by Lucy Ball. (Head of Junior School and Year 1 teacher).
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Creative Adventures with Mr Benn 