Teddy Bear Story Schools Experience: Poetry 2 - 4 Apr 2014
Every bear has a story to tell…
Meet a special collection of well-loved furry faces in this exhibition and workshop experience for schools that celebrates the success of one of the world’s favourite toys. On view in Ireland for the first time, Teddy Bear Story is a touring exhibition from London’s V&A Museum of Childhood, home to one of the world’s finest collections of children’s toys, dolls’ houses, games and costumes. Each school group will participate in a guided tour of the exhibition followed by one of three different workshop options.
Exhibition tour
On arrival in The Ark, your class will take a guided tour of the exhibition where they will be introduced to the origins of the teddy bear, from the very first bears right up to modern day versions. The children will be encouraged to consider how childhood and its associated toys have changed over the past 100 years. They will discuss how the bears in the exhibition were carefully made of quality material to last a long time, and how they were valued and passed from generation to generation by their owners. The children will then be introduced to some famous teddy bear characters from literature and poetry before commencing their practical workshop.
Workshop Option 3: Teddy Bear Poetry and Creative Writing
Poet, children’s writer and illustrator Lucinda Jacob will introduce your class to a selection of bear-themed children’s literature including Winnie the Pooh, Paddington Bear and The Jungle Book. After discussing the themes and styles of these stories, the children will be presented with a variety of creative writing techniques and asked to use real or imagined bears as a starting point for their own imaginative poems or stories. These workshops draw on many of the language strands in the curriculum including emotional and imaginative development through language and competence and confidence in using language.
See information on Workshop Option 1: Teddy Bear Craft
See information on Workshop Option 3: Teddy Bear Poetry and Creative Writing
Image: 'Love-a-Lot' Care Bear, Kenner Products, 1983 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London