The Thunder Giant

29 Feb 2008

Published in Literacy Time PLUS Ages 5 to 7 March 2008

By Brenda Williams

A great interactive story and poem about The Thunder Giant, based upon the Norse legend of Thor. Simple animated pictures and sound effects, make it accessible to a range of abilities.

This resource includes two audio texts — a story and a poem by the same author, Brenda Williams. The story is about Thor, the god of thunder, and is a retelling of the Norse legend. The narrative is supported by simple animated pictures and sound effects, making it accessible to a range of abilities. The poem gives a more humorous description of a thunder giant.

Shared teaching and learning

Explain that you are going to listen to a story or a poem about a thunder giant. Ask for words to describe a thunder giant and make predictions about what he could be like.
After both story and poem have been discussed, compare them.

Previous learning

Some previous experience of myths, legends or traditional tales would be helpful. The children should also be able to navigate their way through a simple ICT text or work with an adult who can help them to do this.

Preparation

Read through, and explore the functionality of, both texts. Decide which text to begin with.

Using the story

Speaking and listening

Before reading the story, explain that it is a story from the past and link to other myths, legends or traditional tales they may know.
For each page, listen to the story, or turn the volume down and read the story aloud. Talk about the pictures and sound effects. Pause after the second page to compare the children’s predictions with the descriptions given.
After the fourth page, talk about Jormungand the snake, and list words and phrases to describe him.
In pairs, discuss what might have happened when Thor stormed after the snake. Share some of the ideas. Link the war between Jormungand and Thor with the stormy seas. Talk about how the sailors would have felt, and ask if either character ever won the battle.
After listening to the story a few times, explore the characters through role play and music. Try moving to rhythms or music to convey the different movements of Thor and Jormungand and develop sounds and rhythms for the characters. Perhaps explore the reactions of the sailors during the storm.

Shared reading and writing

Suggest what each character may say or think about what is happening. Write ideas in speech bubbles.
Write one or two sentences for each picture. Practise sequencing them.
Compose additional sentences, with extra detail, for the other pictures.

Key learning outcomes:

To retell stories, ordering events;

To listen with sustained concentration and express views about how a story has been presented;

To act out traditional tales;

To make predictions.

Using the poem

Speaking and listening

Listen to the poem and ask for opinions and reasons for their feelings.
Listen again, saying the first line of each verse in a different way.
Devise actions for the poem.
Talk about other activities that the giant could do that would make thunder sounds or lightning flashes.

Shared reading and writing

Develop suggestions about the giant’s activities into sentences. Model composing the sentences orally and writing them down, applying any recently taught phonics. Practise oral composition and writing in pairs.
Develop the sentences into simple poems, repeating the first line of each verse to provide a structure. Give the last line emphasis, as in the poem.

Independent and group activities

Invent and draw thunder giants with labels or sentences to describe them.
Develop the sequenced sentences into stories about Thor and Jormungand.
Make an animated version of the story, or a new story, using stop-frame animation techniques or larger background pictures and stick puppets. Templates of characters are provided on the photocopiable.
Working as a group, pool ideas for simple poems about a thunder giant, using the repeated Can you hear the thunder giant? to begin each verse. Practise reading them aloud, adding appropriate actions.

Stick puppet templates

Use these pictures to make stick puppets of the characters, and retell the story of The Thunder Giant from Literacy Time PLUS for Ages 5 to 7, March 2008