All Creatures Great And Small

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL

Overview: “All Creatures Great and Small” is a collection of vignettes by James Herriot, a vet in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s. Herriot faces the formidable task of gaining the acceptance of the farmers who think they know more than the vet when it comes to their animals.

Number of classes: 3 Storytelling/Reading + Any 3 Activities

Resource material: “All Creatures Great and Small” by James Herriot, Bantam

Story summary: Chapter 1 begins with a flash forward, seven months into his first job, where James Herriot is lying face forward in muck, labouring to deliver a badly positioned calf. He acknowledges that his job is a thankless one, and considers giving up, but the spark of life he senses in the calf keeps him going. Chapter 11 is a touching story about an old man and his dog, “Old Bob” who has to be put to sleep.

Chapters 13 and 30 are Tricki-Woo stories, where Herriot gets a breather from the hard work his job entails, when he visit’s Mrs Pumphrey’s dog, Tricki-Woo. Mrs Pumphrey sends gifts to “Uncle Herriot” in the name of her pampered pet. In chapter 30, Tricki-Woo is dangerously sick from overfeeding, and Herriot saves the dog in the most unconventional way.

In Chapter 14, Siegfried hires Miss Harbottle to set the practice’s record keeping straight, except his plan dangerously backfires. Also read Chapters 17 and 20 for more on Miss Harbottle. In Chapter 27, another of Siegfried’s plans for efficiency backfires when he goes into a cow surgery wearing his best clothes. In Chapter 37, Siegfried lectures Herriot on how he needs to be more careful while using medicines, and uses them extravagantly himself.

Preparation for class: Read “All Creatures Great and Small” and choose the stories you want to share with the class. We suggest that you pick the stories that have been summarised above. Read up on the medical facilities availble in England in the 1930s so you can put the stories in perspective.

Class description: Talk to students about life in England in the 1930s. What do they think medicine was like at that time? And transport? Students can do a little research on the time and get trivia to share with the class. Alternately, you can get a vet to visit your class and talk to the students about the profession. The practice of a vet of today will greatly differ from Herriot’s, but it will help children understand the profession better.

Plan the classes in such a way that each class of storytelling is followed by an activity class.

Related activities:

1. 'Everyday Heroes (Writing, Before reading, Individual)

Read Chapter 1 of the book, where Herriot is doing what appears to be a thankless job. Ask students whether they know of everyday heroes who go unacknowledged. They could write a short piece on them. Many people begin their careers anticipating praise and recognition for their work. However the reality is very different. Often there are unsung heroes, who spend their lives helping animals, or the sick and needy, without as much as receiving thanks for their work. Get the students to read out their pieces to the class. [Worksheet]

2. 'Losing a pet (Discussion, Before reading, Whole class)

Read Chapter 11. It’s always difficult to lose a pet. Talk to the class about pets and what they mean to us. Students can take turns talking to the class about an incident with a pet that they cannot forget. Conclude by narrating experiences from your own life.

3. 'Writing to my pet (Writing, After reading, Individual)

In Chapter 13, Mrs Pumphrey insists that it was Tricki who sent Herriot the goodies, and Herriot writes a letter thanking the little dog. If students were to write a letter to their pets, what would they say? Ask them to write a letter to their pet. It could be a thank you letter for something the pet did, or a general letter, sharing memories. Get the students to read out their letters to the class. [Worksheet]

4. 'How to look after a pet (Discussion, After reading, Small groups)

In Chapter 30, Tricki is taken seriously ill because of overfeeding. Mrs Pumphrey, however, refuses to acknowledge that her dog is too fat. Divide the class into groups of 4. Ask them to choose an animal and write an instruction manual on how to look after it. The animal’s diet, exercise and cleaning must be addressed. Remind students to include a list of things needed to take care of a pet. Get a few groups to read out their manuals to the class. [Worksheet]

5. 'Devil’s Advocate (Speaking, After reading, Individual)

Siegfried Farnon is a man of contradictions. Read Chapters 14, 17, 20 and 37. In each of these stories, he makes several assertions and contradicts them himself. Tell the students that like Siegfried, they are all going to argue both for and against several statements. Call students to the front of the class one by one. Give each a topic. When you ask them to start, they argue for the topic, and when you say, “Change,” they stop and argue against the topic. Students can be given one minute to prepare. Here are some topics you could use:

· In another 50 years, books will be replaced by computers.

· Experimenting on animals must be banned.

· Eating junk food is bad for the health

· Exams must be banned from the education system.

· Exercise is as necessary as education

· Books should not be reread

· History as a subject is necessary.

· Uniforms must not be compulsory in schools

· TV has no benefits.

· Chocolate must be recommended by doctors.

Note: Say “Change!” as soon as the student seems to be getting comfortable talking for or against the topic.

6. 'My difficult problem (Group, After reading, Whole class)

Often, the most difficult problems have the simplest solutions. Read chapter 26 to the class. Next, students take five minutes to write down a problem on a sheet of paper. Collect the sheets of paper, shuffle them and distribute them at random. Each child should try to find a solution to the problem he/she has received.

7. 'Character Sketch (Art/Writing, After reading, Individual)

Siegfried Farnon is an interesting character. Read the introductory chapters followed by chapters 14, 17 and 20. What type of a man is Siegfried? Ask students to draw a picture of him and describe his character. Conclude by discussing with the students what they think of Siegfred.

8. 'Writing a play (Theatre, After reading, Small groups)

Talk to the class about plays and how they differ from novels. Divide the class into groups of six. Ask them to choose a chapter or a combination of chapters filled with humorous characters and conflict. Ask them to adapt it into a one-act play. Remind them that their play needs a title, cast, dialogue, etc. You can help them decide the scene that will mark the climax.

Recommended Reading: 

“All Things Bright and Beautiful” by James Herriot,

“My Family and Other Animals” by Gerald Durrell, Penguin Books

Want more? Check out the Activities