• Bundle of letters in envelopes, tied up with ribbon (see resource section)
• Animal Cards (see resource section)
• Wilbur – a toy pig (I used a money box)
• Charlotte  (see How to Make Charlotte A. Catavica resource) – hidden in the hall (in the barn space)
• Square pieces of paper and wax crayons
• A roll of paper I usually use roll paper lining
• Wax Crayons
• Wilbur’s prize winning certificate

• Discuss with the group what makes a good story? Something happen, an adventure, characters, good and bad characters etc.
• The Freeze.  Ask the group to move about the room at various speeds, and when you clap to freeze.  Go over what someone has to do to be excellent at freezing.  Give the class marks out of 10 for their freezing, getting higher as they get better.
• Magic Toy Maker.  Ask each participant to choose their favourite character from a story, and freeze as a statue of that character.  Explain that a very famous toy maker from (say where the workshop is being held), has made clockwork statues of all of these toys, so they come to life for 10 seconds when he uses his big clockwork key.  However, the toy maker doesn’t realise that the toys are actually magic.  When he leaves the room, they toy come alive!!!  But when he comes back in to the room they freeze completely.  Play this for around 5 minutes, ending with all the toys being would up.
• As the group were so good at that, I’m going to tell them about two of my favourite characters in that Wilbur (a pig) and Charlotte A. Catavica (a spider)

• Background.  These two characters, Wilbur and Charlotte are the main characters in a very famous book, Charlotte’s Web.    Have you heard of it?
• Dad’s story.  My Dad was the first person to tell me about this story, he had heard about it from his Great Aunty Fern.  When Dad moved to the England from the USA, she wrote to him about it in her letters.  I asked Dad and he said that he was happy for me to share these with you

• The First Letter.  According to the stamp and postmark on this letter, this was the first one sent.  Shall we open it and see what it’s all about.  The letter will describe the farm in detail.  Once the letter has been read ask the children in they can imagine what it is like.
• The Animals.  Divide the class into groups of 5/6.  Explain that you are going to give each group an envelope, but that they must keep the contents of the envelope a secret.  Inside each envelope is a picture of an animal found in Mr. Zuckerman’s farm; on the back of the card is a fact about that animal.  They have three tasks (can change depending on the skill level of the group and the timing of the session.  The three tasks are: 1. Create a still image of the animal.  2. Add the sound the animal might make. 3. Mime the animal fact.
  The other groups have to guess what animals are being done.  They get two points if they get the animal from the still image, one point if they guess from the still image and the sound effect, and a bonus point if they can work out the fact.  An additional element that can be included here, could be that every member of the group must know the answer before their team answers, then any member of the team can be asked to supply the answer.
• The Sound of the Farm:  Now we know about all the animals, but what did the farm sound like?  Ask the class to sit in a circle, make sure they sit in their groups.  You will take on the role of conductor.  Instruct the class that when your hand is near to the ground they have to do their animal’s sound very quietly, and when it is high in the air, they have to produce their sounds very loudly.  Instruct them that when you want them to stop you will close your conducting hand. Tell the groups that they have to start making their sounds (at a normal level) when you point at them.  Point at each group until they are all making a sound.  Then conduct the sound.
• Geography of the Farm: So now we know which animals lived on the Zuckerman’s farm and what they sounded like, but where did they live.  Tour the group around the school hall.  Pointing out the different places and homes of the animals.  Explain that to help us remember we are going to play a game
• Farm Action Game:  Gather the group into a circle, recap with the group where the main areas of the farm are (each one should represent a different area of the hall:
  Barn – Up Stage
  Farm House – Stage Left
  Farm Yard – Stage Right
  Fields – Down Stage
  Add in a couple more actions representing life on the farm:
  Hard Day’s Work:  Collapse on the floor, saying “phew”
  Tractor: Sit crossed legs and pretend to drive a tractor, making the sound of the machine
  Barn Dance: Everyone dance in the centre
  Repeat this several times, ensuring at least one action involves movement across the room, several involve sound, one involved going to a lower level (sitting, lying etc…)
  Through this process, constantly recap during the actions.  Then once you have worked out all the actions.  The workshop leader repeats them in a jumbled up order.  If you wish, you can add a competitive twist, by taking out the last one to do the action.
• Now we have such an excellent image of what the farm is like, we’ll open up the second letter.

• The Second Letter. The second letter tells us about the arrival of Wilbur on to the Zuckerman’s farm and a bit of background to Wilbur’s story. Read this to the class.
• What does the Farm yard think – Conscience Ally: Ask the class to go back into the animal groups, and have a quick discussion about what the animals will think of the new arrival.  Each child should have a short sentence or couple of words to say to Wilbur as he arrives (this can be something they wish to say or their feelings towards Wilbur), it doesn’t matter if these are the same as others, but the more variety the better.  They should practise saying these in the voices that their animals would use if they could speak.  Ask the class to form two parallel lines, explain that you will take on the role of Wilbur when he first arrives at the farm.  As Wilbur walks between the parallel lines, the pupils say the words or sentences to sum up their reaction to his arrival.
• How’s Wilbur feeling?  Ask the group how they think Wilbur will feel on his first night at the farm?  Frightened, lonely, missing Fern, nervous, excited about making new friends.  Ask each group to think of one feeling or emotion, and to mould themselves into statues of that feeling (a bit like how we made statues in the Magic Toy Maker exercise).  Each group should also practise saying their word together.  Explain that they need to remember this as will need it in a bit.
  Again ask the class to form two parallel lines leading to the area of the hall designated as the barn.  This time, instead of saying what the animals are feeling, they are going to make the sounds of the farm yard. Select a child to represent Wilbur, walking through the farm yard, and then settling down to sleep on his first night at the Zuckerman’s farm.
  Ask each group to leave their line and create their statue’s around Wilbur, gently touching Wilbur and saying their word together on their way.  Once the whole group has done this, explain that this is exactly how Wilbur felt on his first night at the barn.
• Group Discussion on Friends.  Gather the class around you, and explain that what Wilbur really needed was a good friend.   Discuss with the class why we need friends, what makes a good friend, and how they you can be a good friends.
• Introducing Charlotte.  (Before the workshop, hide Charlotte in the “Barn” space.)  Ask the class to come creep with you to the Barn where Wilbur is sleeping.  Explain that in the corner of the barn is Charlotte, a spider, a very intelligent spider.  Explain the class that we must be very quiet for two reasons, firstly, not to wake Wilbur and secondly because Charlotte is so small, her ears will hurt if we’re too loud!  Explain that Charlotte would be a good friend for Wilbur, but that she might take some convincing – let’s persuade her.  Put Charlotte onto your hand (because she has such a small voice, she has to speak directly into your ear).  Tell the class she’s not sure if they will make good friends as they are so different – what do the class think?  Charlotte can ask what she would need to do to be a good friend.  You could add the additional element that the children come to the front and say their suggestions quietly into Charlotte’s ear.
  End the discussion, with Charlotte deciding to be Wilbur’s friend.  Ask one child to gently put Charlotte back next to Wilbur.

• The Third Letter. The third letter tells us about the amazing friendship between Charlotte and Wilbur, and that although Fern was coming to the farm less and less often Wilbur wasn’t lonely because he had the best of friends.  The seasons change, and then as Old sheep tells Wilbur, he’s due to be made into Bacon!  Distressed Charlotte and Wilbur come up with a plan.  It’s so successful they end up going to the county fair.  If they win the prize for best pig, Wilbur will be safe forever.

• County Fair Ticket. Each child is to design their ticket to the county fair.  Discuss what needs to be included: date, time, cost, what it is, maybe a drawing.
• Travelling to the Fair.  Now we need to get there, what’s the best way for all of us?  Suggest different modes of transport… plane, train, boat, spaceship, bus, car, walk.  Explain that as there is a big group of us, we are going to take the bus (environmentally friendly!).  Before we get on the bus though, what might we see on the way by building a word bank of the children’s ideas.  Select one child to hold Wilbur, one child to hold Charlotte, and one to be the bus driver, with the teacher at the front too as the tour guide.  As the bus driver drives to the fair, point out the stuff from the children’s word bank, and create the journey.  When we arrive at the fair, select one child to take the tickets into the fair.  Then ask the children to file off the bus, thanking the driver, and handing in their tickets.

• What can you see?  Ask the children to have a wander about the fair, and describe what they see? You can lead this, or they can move freely around in pairs, depending on the nature of the group.  Play music inspired by the fairground (preferably music without words). Ask the children to share back with you what they have seen around the fairground (you could create another word bank at this point).
• Map of the fairground.  Ask the children to recreate their two parallel lines and sit down, in-between them roll out a large piece of paper.  Depending on the nature of the group, you can either let them decided what they draw or allocate sections of the fair from their drawing.
• Fairground (Fruit bowl) ride game.  Explain that we are going to play a game that they play at the fairground.  Ask the children to sit in a circle, allocate each child a name of fairground (waltz, big wheel, dodgems).   When they hear their ride, they have to run around the circle, and sit down back in their place – last person back is out.  When you say “fairground” everyone has to move.
• The Final Word.  Explain that whilst everyone else was having great fun at the fair, Charlotte was busy saving Wilbur, by weaving her final word…  Ask the class, what letter they think Charlotte should weave and why?  Let’s open the last letter and find out what it is.

• The Forth Letter.  The last letter tells us that Charlotte had decided to weave the letter “Humble” into the web.  That Wilbur is saved (hand around the prize certificate), but Charlotte‘s life comes to an end and how the story ends.

• Write a letter back to the letter writer, telling them about what you liked about the story, or about your own story of friendship.
• Build your own Charlotte’s with pipe cleaners.
• Make a collage of the farm or the fair

• Newspaper Article (see workshop resources)
• Animal Cards (see workshop resources)
• Wilbur – a toy pig (I used a money box)
• Charlotte (see How to Make Charlotte A. Catavica resource) - hidden in the hall (in the barn space)
• A4/A3 paper and wax crayons
• A roll of paper I usually use roll paper lining
• Wax Crayons
• Wilbur’s prize winning certificate

• Touch All the Walls (breaking inhibitions exercise).  Ask the group how many walls there are in the space, pupils must touch all the walls in a clockwise direction and get back into the circle as quick as possible.  The last one back gets a forfeit.  Repeat with anti-clockwise.
• Knee Wars (breaking inhibitions exercise). Divide the group into pairs.   Explain that the objective is to touch your partner’s knees without letting them touch yours. Repeat.
• The Freeze and Shapes (focus and imagination exercise).  Ask the group to move about the room at various speeds, and when you clap to freeze.  Go over what someone has to do to be excellent at freezing.  Give the class marks out of 10 for their freezing, getting higher as they get better.  Now, explain that when you clap your hands, you will give them an instruction, and on your second clap they will need to carry out.  The instructions that you will give will be group sizes, an object they need to create with their bodies and a length of time to do so in (they need to be frozen at the end of the countdown).  Shapes could include: a twinkly star, a circle, a moving car, a working toilet/cuckoo clock

• The Story Machine.  Ask the class to all sit together.  Explain that we are going to build machines with our bodies.  What parts do we have to make the machines work: wheels, cogs, choppers, waterfalls?  Are there flashing lights, levers and buttons?  One pupil will start making the machine, by repeating a simple action, add more and more pupils, linking to each other but repeating different actions, until the whole class has made it.  Explain that is brilliant, but we need an extra special machine, that makes stories – A story making machine.  Divide the class into 6’s and explain that they have five minutes to create a story machine (you could have a brief discussion about what could be involved.  Explain that a pupil from another group will be going through each machine.  Show back to the class.
• The Story Box.  Introduce the Story Box – inside the box there are lots of different objects that could lead to different stories. The workshop leader will ask the group to form two parallel lines and sit, facing the person opposite, these two people should designate themselves A and B.   Ask A to start.  You will give A, a stimulus object from the box.  A is to create a story inspired by the word/picture, talking non-stop for 30 seconds to a minute (allow a bit more time as you go on).  Repeat with B, and so on and so forth.  Start this activity with something simple to loosen up the participants.   Finally ask the group to feedback some of the stories that they have created through the exercise.
• Newspaper Article.  At the bottom of the Story Box there is one more item.  Ask a pupil to remove it, and if there is a confident reader, ask them to read it to the class. It is a faded newspaper clipping, telling us about a pig and mysterious words in the spider’s web. I would like to discover more and as the pupils are obviously such story experts; will you help to bring the story life?

• Creating the farm.  First of all we have to establish what the Zuckerman’s farm looked like.  Ask the class to decide the basics about the Farm: a) Ask the class to name some shapes, and draw the island using these shapes.  b) How big is it 5/7/10 miles worth of land?  c) Select a child to name the Farm.
• What’s on the Farm? Divide the class into 6 small groups.  Each group has to add one geographical feature (these are all natural features) on to the map of the farm.  Each group must decide together, which feature they wish to add.  Anyone from each group could be called to draw it on, and as they do so, the others must explain their choice and one fact about it.  It might be that the farm is on a hill, or that there is a stream/pond, or that there are fields etc. Repeat this exercise with man-made features, such as the barn, farm yard, hoses stables, farm house.
• The Animals.  Divide the class into groups of 5/6.  Explain that you are going to give each group an envelope, but that they must keep the contents of the envelope a card.  On each card is a picture of an animal found on the Zuckerman’s farm; on the back of the card is a fact about that animal.  They have three tasks (can change depending on the skill level of the group and the timing of the session.  The three tasks are: 1. Create a still image of the animal – They can choose either to do one big animal using all of them, or they can use their bodies to create several animal, carrying out activities that animal would carry out, in their environment.  2. Add the sound the animal might make. 3. Mime the animal fact.
  The other groups have to firstly guess what animals are being created from the still image.  Then from the still image and the sound effect and finally what the fact is.  Teams get two points if they get the animal from the still image, one point if they guess from the still image and the sound effect, and a bonus point if they can work out the fact.   The team creating the images get a point, for every correct answer guessed.
• Farm Action Game:  Gather the group into a circle, recap with the group where the main areas of the farm are (each one should represent a different area of the hall:
  Barn – Up Stage
  Farm House – Stage Left
  Farm Yard – Stage Right
  Fields – Down Stage

Add in a couple more actions representing life on the farm:
Hard Day’s Work:  Collapse on the floor, saying “phew”
Tractor: Sit crossed legs and pretend to drive a tractor, making the sound of the machine
Barn Dance: Everyone dance in the centre

Repeat this several times, ensuring at least one action that involves movement across the room, several involve sound, one involved going to a lower level (sitting, lying etc…)

Through this process, constantly recap during the actions.  Then once you have worked out all the actions.  The workshop leader repeats them in a jumbled up order.  If you wish, you can add a competitive twist, by taking out the last one to do the action.

• Back to the Newspaper Article. Now we have such an excellent image of what the farm is like, let’s continue exploring the newspaper story.  In the newspaper article it stated that the pig, Wilbur, had belonged to the Arable farm, but had been bought as a young piglet to live on the Zuckerman’s farm.  This is quite true
• What does the Farm yard think – Conscience Ally: Ask the class to go back into the animal groups, and have a quick discussion about what the animals will think of the new arrival.  Each child should have a short sentence or couple of words to say to Wilbur as he arrives (this can be something they wish to say or their feelings towards Wilbur), it doesn’t matter if these are the same as others, but the more variety the better.  They should practise saying these in the voices that their animals would use if they could speak.  Take Wilbur around to each group – each group should perform what their animal would say to Wilbur to sum up their reaction to his arrival.
• How’s Wilbur feeling?  Ask the group how they think Wilbur will feel on his first night at the farm?  Frightened, lonely, missing Fern, nervous, excited about making new friends.  Ask each child/group to think of one feeling or emotion, and to mould themselves into statues of that feeling.   Select a child to represent Wilbur, walking through the farm yard, and then settling down to sleep on his first night at the Zuckerman’s farm.  Ask the class to form two parallel lines leading to the area of the hall designated as the barn.
  As Wilbur, moves through the two lines, the participants should say their word.  Once the whole group has done this, explain that this is exactly how Wilbur felt on his first night at the barn.
• Wilbur and Charlotte become friends.  Gather the class around Wilbur, and explain that what he really needed was a good friend.   (Before the workshop, hide Charlotte in the “Barn” space.)  Explain that in the corner of the barn is Charlotte, a spider, a very intelligent spider.  Explain that Charlotte would be a good friend for Wilbur, but that she might take some convincing – let’s persuade her.  Put Charlotte onto your hand.  Tell the class she’s not sure if they will make good friends as they are so different – what do the class think?  Charlotte can ask what she would need to do to be a good friend.  End the discussion, with Charlotte deciding to be Wilbur’s friend.  Ask one child to gently put Charlotte back next to Wilbur.

• Saving Wilbur. Explain that all went swimmingly for Charlotte and Wilbur for a few months, but for a pig on a farm, that’s a situation that can’t continue for too long.  Wilbur heard from the Old Sheep that the farmer was going to turn him into bacon!  Not wanting to end up on the breakfast table, he went in tears, to his best friend Charlotte.  Charlotte came up with the amazing plan to weave amazing words about Wilbur into the spider’s web above his head.
• Reactions to the Web.  We know from the newspaper article that the web caused quite a stir!  Divide into three groups of around 3 to 4 participants.  Choose Mr. Zuckerman, Mrs. Zuckerman or Avery.   Create a still image of the character’s discovering the web.  One just before, one during their discovery and one just after.  Remember we want to create as an interesting story of discovery as possible.  What can you do to make your character’s discovery interesting?  Did they fall over in surprise; did they faint, did they do a double take etc?  If time, participants could write a diary account of their character’s discovery.
• According to our newspaper article they were all very surprised, and people came from miles around to see the wonder.  So much so, that they decided to take Wilbur to the County Fair.

• The County Fair was a massive event for the whole family, and people came from miles around, not least to see the amazing pig, Wilbur.  There were Shetland Pony rides ; Show jumping; cattle, sheep, horse, paltry and pig showing, there was a food area with delicious cakes and jams, big rides like a Ferris wheel and dodgems and even a tracker display and much, much more!!
• Poster for the Fair.  First of all, either individually or in small groups, design a poster to attract people to the fair.  What kind of information do we need on this?  Date, time, cost of entrance, name of event?  Something to grab attention and invite them in!  Ask the children to lay their posters out and look at each other’s briefly.
• The Gallery.  Then ask them to pair up with someone else that they can work well with (this should not be the same person that they have created their poster with).  Ask the children to show the other person their poster and explain their choices and what we can learn about the fair from it.
• Exploring the Fair.  Ask the pairs to name themselves A & B. A is to close their eyes and be led about the space by B, who will vividly describe the fair to B.  Music can be added to help pairs concentrate on the task, rather than other people’s accounts.  This can be a more imaginative account, describing the atmosphere.    B should use the information gathered from the first half of the exercise to enhance their creative description.  Ask the children to share back with you what they have seen around the fairground (you could create another word bank at this point). This exercise could be developed further into a piece of creative writing.
  • Map of the Fairground.  Ask the children to recreate their two parallel lines and sit down, in-between them roll out a large piece of paper.  Depending on the nature of the group, you can either let them decided what they draw or allocate sections of the fair from their drawing.  Once finished ask the class to stand and walk slowly around the fairground map.  Discuss what they can see.
  • The Sound of the Fair.  Now we know all about the fair, but what did it sound like?  Ask the class to think about what the fair sounded like at their section of the map.  Explain that you are going to walk slowly down the map and pass by each section, the pupils there need to make the sound of the fair.  Once you have done this, select one child to walk down with Wilbur and one with Charlotte. Ask them to feedback what it was like.
  • Wilbur and Charlotte at the Fair.  Explain that whilst everyone else was having great fun at the fair, Charlotte and Wilbur were waiting for the results of the judging.  Recap what this meant for them?  Put two chairs in the room and put Charlotte and one and Wilbur on the other.  The pupils can decide to either line up beside Charlotte’s of Wilbur’s chair.  They then have to create a statue and say a descriptive sentence to describe how their character is feeling at this point.
  • Saving Wilbur. Charlotte was busy saving Wilbur, by weaving her final word…  Ask the class, what letter they think Charlotte should weave and why?  Humble – Chose the word humble.  Give the class the definition of the word humble (not proud or arrogant; modest, courteous and respectful).  Charlotte chose the word humble, because “Wilbur was not proud and close to the ground”.   You’ll be pleased to hear that it worked excellently, and Wilbur was awarded a special prize, and the Zuckerman’s were given £25.  Wilbur was saved!
  • Ask the class to create two parallel lines.  Down the centre of these lines, walk with Charlotte in your hands.  Explain that the pupils will be representing Wilbur and this is their opportunity to express what Wilbur would want to say to Charlotte, as she walks down the centre of the lines

• A game to end in honour of the wonderful Charlotte!
• We learn in the book that Charlotte is a spider who likes to eat flies by catching them in her web.  One person is on as Charlotte, the rest are flies trying to escape from her.  Whoever she catches joins hands with her (symbolically becoming part of her net), and so on, until all the flies are caught. 

• Write a newspaper article like the one found in the box about Wilbur winning the Special prize at the County fair.
• Write a piece of creative writing inspired by the fair.
• Build your own Charlotte’s with pipe cleaners.
• Make a collage of the farm or the fair
• Create a fair ground ride or experience with moving parts in D&T
• Fairground (Fruit bowl) ride game.  Explain that we are going to play a game that they play at the fairground.  Ask the children to sit in a circle, allocate each child a name of fairground (waltz, big wheel, dodgems).   When they hear their ride, they have to run around the circle, and sit down back in their place – last person back is out.  When you say “fairground” everyone has to move.