Interactive story: Fortunata and the Four Gods accessible learning for SEN pupils Objectives (these can be adapted, and added to, according to your own pupils needs) To develop engagement and attention skills To develop communication skills through participating with chanting and signing To participate in creating a rhythm using an instrument or clapping To explore sensory props associated with the story To develop interaction skills through dressing-up and drama To develop comprehension skills. Call and response what is it? Fortunata and the Four Gods is an interactive story, told as a chant, in call-and-response. The main storyteller (in this case, the voice on the story s audio track) calls a line of the story and everyone responds by repeating the line back. This style of telling stories was developed as a teaching strategy by Keith Park, a teacher, author and storyteller, as a way of including pupils with severe and profound learning disabilities in larger group activities, and make drama and literacy work more accessible. How is it accessible? The main storyteller uses his voice to help convey meaning not only through words but with lots of appropriate drama and emotion. This helps to communicate the feel of the story to students who may not have understood all the vocabulary used. The way the lines are repeated encourages some students to join in and this is made easier with the use of the chanted rhythm and rhymes. Each time the story is repeated the pupils will become increasingly familiar with it and increasingly likely to join in. The images and simple animation in this story make it even more accessible and engaging to the pupils as it adds a visual element thus aiding comprehension further. How do I use it? As the story narration is included, you, the teacher, don t have to be the main storyteller. The story should, however, be learnt as a class activity. You can help further convey the meaning of the story using gestures, props and signs (the script of the story is provided below so you can read along with it). The important thing to remember is for you, and your teaching assistants, to join in with the responses as enthusiastically as possible as this will encourage the participation of your pupils. The story also includes visual comprehension questions which will enable some pupils to show how well they have understood the story. Taking it further multisensory activity The pupils learning can be further enhanced, particularly for those students who find it difficult to participate in the chanting, with the use of props, dressing-up clothes, and musical instruments, as this can turn the story into a multisensory activity with opportunities for drama, interaction, choice making, anticipation, and the chance to express preferences. 1
Suggestions for props: log of wood still with bark attached ice/freezer block for pupils to feel/put their feet on a monster mask for the teacher to wear and tickle each pupil in turn (good for anticipation!) campfire smell (can be created by carefully wafting a handkerchief in the smoke of a small fire then keeping it sealed in a jar) a hot water bottle a pair of socks (a used, smelly pair if you dare!) coins, particularly coppers or 1 coins, in a box screwed up bits of gold foil or paper toy snakes: rubber snakes to feel, big material ones for giving your pupils squeezes! chocolate coins. Suggested dressing-up clothes: a simple brown material tabard tied around the waist with string for Fortunata a longer white tabard with a belt around the waist for the woman a blanket for the woman to wrap around herself. The script of the story is provided on the next page. Credits The Museum of London would like to thank Richard Neville who originally wrote the Fortunata story, Nick Wonham for adapting and illustrating the story, Museum of London Senior Curator Jenny Hall for her guidance and advice, and e-bloc Interactive for the Flash development. 2
Fortunata and the Four Gods In the town of Londinium, Lived a rich and greedy woman. Fortunata was her slave girl. She was always kind and thoughtful. One cold and snowy day, As was the woman s way, She ordered the slave to get wood, Although she had no shoes or hood. Oceanus had a long straggly beard, God of winter he looked slightly weird. There was Venus with flowers in her hair, Goddess of spring and extremely fair. There was Ceres with corn in her ears, Goddess of summer is how she appears. There was Bacchus with grapes on his head, Shivering and shaking, God of autumn when the leaves turn red. Quivering and quaking, She walked down the street, Snow freezing her feet. She left by a great gate, But the forest made her wait. She thought of demons and bears And wolves hiding in lairs. Beautiful and odd, Goddess and god, They asked what the girl thought Of the seasons that they brought. And she answered like this: I love the autumn for the mist, And the harvest and the wine. Hissing and howling, Snarling and growling, The girl was relieved to hear The sound of laughter near. Stumbling into a clearing, She saw a fire, and nearing, She saw four strange folk In the summer the weather is fine. I love the long sunny days. I love the spring when I gaze At the blossom on the trees. I love the winter for hot teas And curling up by the fire. I love the whole year. Who looked a bit of a joke. 3
Goddess of spring and extremely fair. There was Ceres with corn in her ears, Goddess of summer is how she appears. There was Bacchus with grapes on his head, Thoughtful and fair, God of autumn when the leaves turn red. Answering with care, The gods smiled and thought: She rocks! Oceanus gave her a small box. Fortunata ran with it all the way home. She wanted to open it on her own, But the woman met her at the door And wanted to know the score. You ve got a small box cause you re a slave, I ll get a big box! and she left with a wave. Beautiful and odd, Goddess and god, Asked what the woman thought But the woman stopped them short. Who do you think you are? She shouted You look bizarre! Grapes on your head? I d rather be dead! Corn in your ears? I hope that clears! Raging and fuming, Scheming, assuming, She searched through the forest green, Thinking thoughts greedy and mean, And stumbling into the clearing, She saw a fire, and nearing, Flowers in your hair? How do you dare? And as for you with the beard, You look really weird! You all smell like dirty socks! Now give me my box! She saw the four strange folk And thought they looked like a joke. Nasty and mean, She thinks she s a queen! Oceanus had a long straggly beard, God of winter he looked slightly weird. There was Venus with flowers in her hair, The gods frowned and thought: What a pest! Oceanus gave her a large chest. 4
It was big! It was heavy, Getting it home wasn t easy. Fortunata met her at the doors. The woman said mine s bigger than yours! Open yours first and we ll see what s inside. She opened her box, her eyes open wide, It was full of gold! It spilled over the side! Thoughtful and brave, No longer a slave, Fortunata stands by her door, And shares her gold with the poor, Gruesome and greedy, Sordid and seedy, The woman looked at her big box, And dreamt of gold the size of rocks. But when she opened the lid up wide, And if people ask for reasons, She says I love all seasons. I met four strange folk, Who looked a bit of a joke, But I didn t say that to them! Snakes came out and pulled her inside! The girl tried to help her in vain, The end The woman was never seen again. 5