brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/wojtek-soldier-bear/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “Have you ever heard of an animal in an army? What jobs do you think an animal could do for soldiers?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–11′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: adopt, wrestle, private, ammunition, rank. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 11–18′ | Video | Play the video (4:51). Students follow the transcript. Play it a second time if needed. |
| 18–26′ | Comprehension | Worksheet C (or the online Story Challenge): check answers together. Ask “How do you know?” |
| 26–34′ | Grammar | be allowed to + verb: to say that the rules let someone do something (not allowed to = the rules say no). Show “He was allowed to travel with the soldiers.”, then do worksheet E together. |
| 34–42′ | Worksheet | Students do worksheet A, B and D alone or in pairs. Check with the answer key. |
| 42–45′ | Speaking | In pairs: “The soldiers had lost their homes, but they took care of a little bear. How can caring for someone else help us in hard times?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- adopt (verb): to take a child or an animal into your home and care for it as your own (past: adopted). “The soldiers adopted the little bear.”
- wrestle (verb): to hold someone and try to push them to the ground, often as a game or a sport. “Wojtek loved to wrestle with the soldiers.”
- private (noun): a soldier with the lowest position in the army. “The soldiers made Wojtek a private.”
- ammunition (noun): the bullets and shells that guns fire. “Wojtek carried heavy boxes of ammunition.”
- rank (noun): a person's position in the army, for example private or corporal. “Wojtek also got a higher rank: corporal.”
Grammar: be allowed to + verb — to say that the rules let someone do something (not allowed to = the rules say no). “He was allowed to travel with the soldiers.”
Discussion questions
- The soldiers had lost their homes, but they took care of a little bear. How can caring for someone else help us in hard times?
- What was the hardest moment in Wojtek the soldier bear's story? What did Wojtek the soldier bear do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “be allowed to + verb”. (From the story: “He was allowed to travel with the soldiers.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- adopt (verb)
- wrestle (verb)
- private (noun)
- ammunition (noun)
- rank (noun)
- corporal (noun)
- mascot (noun)
- supply truck (noun)
- a person's position in the army, for example private or corporal
- the bullets and shells that guns fire
- a soldier with a rank just above a private
- to hold someone and try to push them to the ground, often as a game or a sport
- a soldier with the lowest position in the army
- a truck that carries food, fuel or ammunition to soldiers
- to take a child or an animal into your home and care for it as your own (past: adopted)
- an animal or a thing that a group keeps because they think it brings good luck
B Complete the sentences from the story
wrestle · adopted · mascot · private · supply trucks · ammunition · rank · Corporal
- Wojtek was the of his company.
- Private Wojtek was now Wojtek.
- Wojtek loved to with the soldiers.
- Wojtek carried heavy boxes of .
- The soldiers the little bear.
- The men loaded the boxes onto .
- Wojtek also got a higher : corporal.
- The soldiers made Wojtek a .
C Did you understand?
- Polish soldiers met the bear cub in Iran.True / False
- How did the soldiers feed the young cub?
- Milk from an old vodka bottle
- Fish from a river
- Bread and honey only
- Meat from a tin
- Pets were allowed to travel on the British ships.True / False
- Why did the soldiers make Wojtek a private?
- So he could travel on the ship with them
- Because he could fight
- Because he could drive a truck
- So he could go home to Poland
- What was on the company's new badge?
- A bear carrying a big shell
- A boy with a sack
- A ship
- A mountain
- At Edinburgh Zoo, Wojtek looked up when people spoke Polish to him.True / False
D Put the words in order
- He / allowed / soldiers / with / travel / was / to / the
E Grammar: be allowed to + verb
We use it for to say that the rules let someone do something (not allowed to = the rules say no). The rules said he could travel with them. → He was allowed to travel with the soldiers. · The rules said no pets on the ships. → Pets were not allowed to travel on the ships.
Example from the story: He was allowed to travel with the soldiers.
- Now he was allowed with the soldiers. (to travel / travel / travelling)
- In 1944, pets allowed to travel on British ships. (were not / did not / had not)
- When I was a child, I allowed to stay up late. (wasn't / didn't / couldn't)
F Your turn
Retell Wojtek the soldier bear's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1g 2d 3e 4b 5a 6c 7h 8f
B. 1 mascot · 2 Corporal · 3 wrestle · 4 ammunition · 5 adopted · 6 supply trucks · 7 rank · 8 private
C. 1 True · 2 a · 3 False · 4 a · 5 a · 6 True
D. 1 He was allowed to travel with the soldiers.
E. 1 to travel · 2 were not · 3 wasn't
Transcript
In 1942, Polish soldiers in Iran met a young boy with a hungry bear cub in a sack.
They gave the boy some food and a pocket knife, and took the bear with them.
Two years later, that bear was carrying boxes in a battle.
This is the story of Wojtek the soldier bear.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Adopt. When you adopt a child or an animal, you take it into your home and care for it as your own.
The soldiers adopted the little bear.
Wrestle. When you wrestle with someone, you hold them and try to push them to the ground, often as a game.
Wojtek loved to wrestle with the soldiers.
Private. A private is a soldier with the lowest position in the army.
The soldiers made Wojtek a private.
Ammunition. Ammunition is the bullets and shells that guns fire.
Wojtek carried heavy boxes of ammunition.
Rank. A rank is a person's position in the army, for example private or corporal.
Wojtek also got a higher rank: corporal.
Now, one pattern: be allowed to, plus a verb.
It says that the rules let someone do something.
The rules said he could travel with them.
He was allowed to travel with the soldiers.
Ready? Let's begin.
In the spring of 1942, Polish soldiers were crossing Iran after hard years far from home.
Near the town of Hamadan, they met a young boy with a little brown bear cub in a sack.
The soldiers gave the boy some food, chocolate and a pocket knife.
The soldiers adopted the little bear.
He was too young to eat or drink well, so they fed him milk from an old vodka bottle.
They called him Wojtek, from an old Polish name meaning happy warrior.
He moved with them through Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Egypt.
On cold nights, he was allowed to sleep in the soldiers' tents.
Wojtek copied the men.
He learned to salute, and he drank coffee in the mornings.
Wojtek loved to wrestle with the soldiers.
By 1944, he weighed about ninety kilograms.
In 1944, the soldiers had to sail to Italy on British ships.
But pets were not allowed to travel on these ships.
How could a bear go to war?
The soldiers made Wojtek a private.
He got his own name, number and food on the list.
Now he was allowed to travel with the soldiers.
Their company's job was to bring ammunition to the big guns.
In May 1944, the Polish soldiers fought in a huge battle at Monte Cassino.
Day and night, the men carried heavy boxes of shells to the guns.
Then, the soldiers said, they saw something amazing.
Wojtek stood up on his back legs and held out his arms.
Wojtek carried heavy boxes of ammunition, just like the men.
Each box weighed about forty-five kilograms, and they said he never dropped one.
After the battle, the company chose a new badge: a bear carrying a big shell.
Wojtek also got a higher rank: corporal.
Private Wojtek was now Corporal Wojtek.
After the war, the company moved to Scotland.
In 1947, Wojtek went to live at Edinburgh Zoo.
Old soldiers often came to visit him.
When they spoke Polish to him, he still looked up happily.
Wojtek died in 1963, at the age of twenty-one.
Today, there are statues of the soldier bear in Edinburgh, in Poland and even at Monte Cassino.
Let's review. The soldiers adopted the little bear.
Wojtek loved to wrestle with the soldiers.
The soldiers made Wojtek a private.
Wojtek carried heavy boxes of ammunition.
Wojtek also got a higher rank: corporal.
And remember: he was allowed to travel with the soldiers.
Wojtek's story teaches us: in hard times, friendship keeps us going, and everyone can help to carry the load.
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