Sylwia Zabor-Żakowska, Poland is an English and Art teacher, teacher trainer, creativity animator,  material writer, author, poet and painter. She writes and publishes in Polish and in English. The core of her work is developing thinking and creativity in children. She runs a little Art and Language school www.rzezucha.com. Email: poppies@op.pl

Introduction

The  project ‘Sophie the Lady and Mouse in the House’ is directed to the teachers of young learners who are keen to explore the field of developing their students’ creative potential while English teaching. It is based on pieces of a rhyming story for children and the use of Arts and Crafts techniques. Part I - ‘Prologue’ which comprises  four lessons was published in the February issue of HLT. The ‘Prologue’ worksheets are published in the current issue together with the second, four-lesson part, ‘Monday’. The third and last piece ‘Friday’ will be available in one of the next issues of HLT.

True creativity always involves thinking out of the box, which in ELT means broadening and going beyond the well known, standard curricula. It might understandably cause unpleasant  discomfort of the unknown among some teachers. ‘Sophie the Lady and Mouse in the House’, however, not only refers to the prevailing and more than welcome children’s need to act creatively but is set among standardized ELT practices to make it easily approachable.

The three parts ‘Prologue’, ‘Monday’ and ‘Friday’ are fragments of the book ‘Siedem dni z życia Hrabiny Grabiny’ published in Polish by BoSz,  https://bosz.com.pl/sklep/siedem-dni-z-zycia-hrabiny-grabiny/. Sylwia Zabor-Żakowska - an author translated the story into English and designed the ELT Arts and Crafts project that lets children experience joy, excitement, creativity and engagement in the learning process. The text is accompanied by some  Basia Trembaczowska illustrations that come from the book, too. You can learn more about the book at the bottom of the project.

 

About ‘Monday’

Students’ age: 10 - 13

Level: A2/B1

Time: 4  45-minute lessons

Creativity and critical thinking skills:

- aims: fostering students’ interest and eagerness to think and create, enhancing an ability to express one’s own individual opinion, developing imagination and metaphorical thinking, enhancing problem solving abilities, practising fine motor skills

- activities: making puppets, performing the language  chunks with puppets, role-playing,  illustrating, drawing

Emotional/social/life skills: triggering interest in studying English, building inner motivation for learning, experiencing joy and excitement for learning English, taking part in discussions, presentation/performing skills, strengthening concentration skills, enhancing long-term memory, playing with the language, deepening understanding of the value of friendship

Language focus: revision and consolidation of previously learnt language (see part 1 ‘Prologue’), should, shouldn’t, the language of ‘Monday’ (see below)

Skills: Practising speaking, writing, listening and reading skills

Materials: puppets of Sophie the Lady and Mouse in the House (teacher’s and students’), plastic bottle tops, a hat, a scarf, a pair of gloves, a mirror, a pair of holey tights, a chair, recorded  Monday on a smartphone (if you are willing to do it ), worksheets (nr 5,6,7,8) crayons, at home children will need skewers, crayons, glue and scissors

GI element: No.12 responsible consumption

 

MONDAY

Delightfully  bright  dawn is unhurriedly switching on.

Yet, Sophie’s asleep in an embroidered gown.

Hot, morning tea is already ready,

Mouse in the House is invariably steady.

 

Now comes the breeze to sneeze,

to cool the dark orange drink down,

wake up the Lady, so she can change her night gown.

 

She stands on the floor, grabs the mirror and opens the wardrobe door.

Picks an elegant hat, a hand-made lace scarf and gloves,

(that’s what she now and then does).

She sits on the chair, neatens her hair

and takes a deep breath of fresh air.

- Who should I see?

- Where should I go?

- What should I do?

 

The sky is clear blue,

Sophie the Lady, here and there,

has friends more than a few.

 

Out of the blue she starts to put on her holey tights

and off she runs to visit her good old pals.

 

Alice Gal Pal and Spider the Mate are already awaiting her,

Tall Spider welcomes the Lady with a ringing bell.

- Hey, hey - he calls and opens the creaking doors.

With a frown on his face he says:

- Do sit down and weave the net.

After work there will be delish foods for you to get.

So Sophie the Lady gets down to work,

- Good, good - mutters Alice with a hidden smirk.

‘No pain, no gain’- Sophie’s deep in her thoughts,

being careful not to make any knots.

Gal Pal doesn’t stop conducting the whole thing,

now and then, Sophie hears the bell ring.

Step by step is falling the dusk,

the Lady is just about to finish her task.

She’s hungry and exited about the upcoming meal,

yet, to her dissapointment it doesn’t seem to appear.

- That’s all, thanks, you can go - Spider the Mate looks stern.

-‘What the hell? - Sophie thinks in return.

 

As fast as she can, she runs to the house of the Wise Man.

He always helps her as if he were her beloved gran.

 

The Wise Man is having a nap,

in a rocking chair, carpet slippers and a soft, red hat.

 

There is a knock on the door

- Oh,no, not any more – he sighs with a groan.

When he sees the Lady weeping, though,

he lets her in with a grin.

- I visited Alice Gal Pal and Spider the Mate,

which turned out to be my bad fate.

- I’ve been weaving the net along,

all day long.

They promised to serve me  food, vegetables and fruit,

The Spider then was wearing a smart suit.

But nothing I got, don’t know why, I didn’t make the tiniest knot.

I don’t understand, thought Alice is my friend.

Did I do something wrong, making the net along?

- Now, now, don’t cry, I will reply to what they’ve done to you.

I know what to do.

Tomorrow Giant Buzzing Bumblebee will visit them in their tree.

Alice Gal Pal and Spider the Mate will understand their mistake.

Don’t worry, Alice will make it good, as fast as she should.

 

Sophie the Lady now,  is spreading her wings,

It’s not a miracle but what a true friend’s help brings.

Although she’s a little bit scared

she leaves her very best good friend

to fly in the sky, high, very high.

 

She sits on the roof, if you need a proof.

It’s time to wave bye bye

to the full moon and the twinkling stars.

Just a minute more above the roof window

and then she leaps through the chimney, ‘Oh!’

Into her chamber,

where Mouse in the House awaiting her

is still toiling at threading the needle

(again she feels feeble.)

She’s tidied the room with a broom.

Put flat and high-heeled shoes in even rows,

chocolates in drawers.

Indeed, she has lots of chores.                
 

Lesson 1

Procedure and timing

Step 1 (5 min): Greet children warmly and tell them you’re going to continue reading the story of Sophie the Lady and Mouse in the House. Teach the words: breeze, sneeze, should, a few, out of the blue, tights, good old pals – write down the words on the board.  Students say them out loud, they don’t need to copy them.

Step 2 (2 min):  Using your puppets of Sophie and Mouse and a plastic bottle top perform  the following scene: it’s Monday, Sophie is asleep and Mouse in the House has already brewed morning tea which is too hot to drink.  Read or recite the lines:

 

Monday

Delightfully  bright  dawn is unhurriedly switching on.

Yet, Sophie’s asleep in an embroidered gown.

Hot, morning tea is already ready,

Mouse in the House is invariably steady.

 

Ask children to repeat the two last lines:

 

Hot, morning tea is already ready,

Mouse in the House is invariably steady.

 

Step 3 (3 min): Hand out plastic bottle tops, children take out their puppets, and while listening to you  they mime it with their puppets.

Hint: you can use the recording of the story if you prefer.

Step 4 (3 min):  Tell children the tea is too hot to drink and pretending to be sneezing breeze that cools down the tea and wakes up the Lady say:

 

Now comes the breeze to sneeze,

to cool the dark orange drink down,

wake up the Lady, so she can change her night gown.

Children repeat: Now comes the breeze to sneeze, and mime the scene, the whole class cool down the tea and wake up Sophie the Lady.

Step 5 (6 min): Ask one volunteer to perform Sophie in front of the class. They need a mirror, a hat, a scarf, a pair of gloves, a chair, and a pair of holey tights. Read or recite the next fragment  of the story and the volunteer student mimes that.

She stands on the floor, grabs the mirror and opens the wardrobe door.

Picks an elegant hat, a hand-made lace scarf and gloves,

(that’s what she now and then does).

She sits on the chair, neatens her hair

and takes a deep breath of fresh air.

- Who should I see?

- Where should I go?

- What should I do?

 The whole class repeat:

 Who should I see?  Where should I go? What should I do?

 

Step 6 (3 min): Go on with:

The sky is clear blue,

Sophie the Lady, here and there,

has friends more than a few.

Out of the blue she starts to put on her holey tights

and off she runs to visit her good old pals.

And the volunteer plays that.

Step 7 (5 min): Put the following words on the board and say them as a chant. Children join you. Repeat it two, three times.

Hint:I recommend writing the words on the board before class starts. Not only does it save lesson time but also helps keep learners occupied and thus avoid discipline problems.

bright dawn

on

ready

steady

the breeze

to sneeze

down

gown

floor

door

gloves

does

hair

air

Who should I see?

Where should I go?

What should I do?

a few

out of the blue

holey tights

good old pals

 

Step 8 (5 min): Give out  worksheets nr 5, read aloud or play the text and children listen and read.

Step 9 (10 min): Read or play the text again and children fill in the gaps with the given words.

Step 10 (3 min): Read the text out loud as a choir and set homework.

Homework: Children read the text out loud two or three times. If you have made the recording share it with your learners so that they can first listen and then read. You can ask volunteers to learn a piece of the story by heart. I wrote about it in the ‘Prologue’ part.
 

Lesson 2

Step 1 (10 min): Greet students and usual and start the class listening to and reading the first part of Monday. Read first as a choir and then ask learners to read out loud individually.

Step 2 (6 min): Ask children to imagine Sophie’s ‘good old pals’.  Prompt their creative thinking with questions such as: How many pals does Sophie have? Who do you think they are? Where do they live? What are their names? Remind children to use the learnt phrases to express their opinion: to my mind, in my opinion, I believe, I guess.

Step 3 (5 min): Show children the illustrations of  ‘good old pals’, tell them their names are Alice Gal Pal and Spider the Mate and continue talking about them. Ask them also:  How old do you think they are? What are they wearing? What is Spider the Mate doing?

Step 4 (6 min): Write the following words on the board, elicit which of them children know and explain to children what the new ones mean. Then read them aloud as a chant. Invite children to join you.

 

awaiting her,

a ringing bell

opens the creaking doors

weave the net

delish foods

for you to get

work

smirk

in her thoughts

any knots

the whole thing

the bell ring

dusk

task

meal

appear

looks stern

in return

 

Step 5 (3 min): The whole class reads aloud the chant two or three times.

Step 6 (3 min): Hand out worksheet 6, read aloud the text and explain its meaning.  Don’t hesitate to use your mother tongue.

Step 7 (10 min): Children listen either to you reading the text or to the recording and fill in the gaps.

Step 8 (4 min):  Read the text out loud as a choir and set homework.

Homework: Children listen to and/or read the text aloud. Then they create Alice Gal Pal and Spider the Mate – draw the characters, cut them out and make puppets. You can ask volunteers to learn a piece of the story by heart. I wrote about it in the ‘Prologue’ part.
 

Lesson 3

Step 1 (5 min): Greet children warmly and ask them to present their puppets of Alice Gal Pal and Spider the Mate.

Step 2 (6 min): Ask children to take all the puppets (Sophie, Mouse, Alice, Spider), listen to part 1 and part 2 of the text and mime the action with the puppets.

Step 3 (10 min): Children read the texts first as a choir and then individually.

© Copyright by BOSZ

Illustrations: Barbara Trembaczowska

Photo: Sylwia Zabor- Żakowska

 

Step 4 (5 min): Show children the picture of Wise Man and ask them to think what advice he might give Sophie. Use should, shouldn’t.

Step 5 (6 min): Introduce the below list of words following the usual routine.

 

Wise Man

beloved gran

a nap

a soft, red hat

on the door

with a groan

though

he lets her in

with a grin

Spider the Mate

bad fate

I’ve been weaving the net along

all day long

food, vegetables and fruit

smart suit

nothing I got

the tiniest knot

I don’t understand

Alice is my friend

now, now, don’t cry

I will reply

Bumblebee

in their tree

Alice will make it good

as fast as she should

 

Step 6 (12 min): Hand out worksheets 7 and follow the same routine as in lessons 1 and 2. Children listen, read and fill in the gaps.

Step 7 (1 min): Set homework.

Homework: Children read the text out loud two or three times. If you have made the recording share it with your learners so that they can first listen and then read. You can ask volunteers to learn a piece of the story by heart. I wrote about it in the ‘Prologue’ part.

 

Lesson 4

Step 1 (10 min): Greet children friendlily, and read the 3 parts of Monday out loud as a group and individually. Children use the puppets to perform the action.

Step 2 (5 min): Present the following list of words as usual, explain their meaning and say it as a chant two or three times.

 

is spreading her wings

true friend’s help brings

a little bit scared

good friend

in the sky

very high

on the roof

need a proof

chamber

awaiting her

threading the needle

she feels feeble

room

broom

even rows

 

lots of chores

Step 3 (4 min): Hand out worksheets 8 and read aloud or play the text.

Step 4 (5 min): Explain its meaning and read the text aloud with children.

Step 5 (6 min): Discuss the metaphorical meaning of the phrase ‘spread one’s wings’ and the value of friendship.

Step 6 (15 min): Give children space to illustrate the last part in the way they imagine it. They can work in pairs or individually.

No homework this time.

 

Follow up

Don’t forget to make a display of the illustrations.

Volunteer children who have learnt the fragments of the story by heart might want to perform them in front of the class. Encourage them to express freely their creative ideas. You can film the performances and share them with school.

 

About the book

 

© Copyright by BoSz www.bosz.com.pl

 

Title in Polish: ‘Siedem dni z życia Hrabiny Grabiny’

Invented and written by: Sylwia Zabor-Żakowska

Illustrated by: Barbara Trembaczowska

Published in Polish by BoSz

 

Audience: Children 4/5 -12/13

Word count: 4870

Numbers of chapters - 8 ( prologue and 7 chapters)

 

Key idea

To introduce children into the world of art through a process of creating/designing a book.

To appreciate children’s creative potential and their need to create and give them a chance to experience to a certain degree creating a book.

To invite children to go through a creative process along with the author and the illustrator.

To develop children’s love for reading as well as for creating.

Children/readers are invited to co-create the book with their own ideas, using their own imagination and individual sensitivity so that they become co-authors. They are provided with the creative, artistic ‘assignments’ to explore various artistic techniques (e.g. water paint, soft pastels, collage, pencil, crayons, mixed techniques)

 

Synopsis

The rhyming story ‘Sophie the Lady and Mouse in the House – Seven Days of Their Lives’, which is a working title, takes young readers for an unprecedented, unexpected and unforgettable adventure that has neither the beginning nor the end and lets children experience the joy of creativity. The reader is the one who is welcome to co-create, design and complete the missing elements with their own imagination, creativity and ideas expressed by a variety of artistic techniques, which helps children practise artistic skills using e.g. soft pastels, water paint, collage etc.

The inspirations coming from Polish, English and Swedish children’s classic literature permeate each other. The whole concept derives from different art branches: imaginary visions that you encounter evoke Marc Chagall’s or Impressionist paintings and the introduction resembles a theatre play (‘Mouse in the House is drawing the curtain to invite you to a joyous and exciting adventure.

Join her, you will be happy. That is for certain.’)

Sophie the Lady and Mouse in the House lead their lives in a mysterious castle surrounded by nature, which has a significant influence on them. Sophie  acts as a fairy  doing lots of good deeds and helping those in need.  Each day brings new adventures and challenges which demand commitment and courage. On Monday she is invited to Alice Gal Pal and Spider the Mate to weave a web. On Tuesday she plants a pearl out of which Treasure Tree will grow. On Wednesday she heals Christopher the Whale with a shell. On Thursday she takes The Cat in the Bag to Trumpeter who lost his creative power and visits Filestra who conducts an orchestra at night.  On Friday a swarm of insects help her cook fruit soup for the whole town. On Saturday she blows a hot air balloon out of chewing gum and cherishes the day by the stream. On Sunday she’s over the moon celebrating a family reunion.

Non-material / social/ citizenship/ values like friendship, help, tenderness for each other, love for nature, awareness of a healthy lifestyle, appreciative attitude towards life and joy of life recur in this story of Sophie the Lady, Mouse in the House and their numerous, unique friends who look forward to meeting young readers. The book is also intended to delight adults while reading out loud to children.

If you are interested to get this book published in English, do not hesitate to contact Sylwia or BoSz

You can see the book here: https://bosz.com.pl/sklep/siedem-dni-z-zycia-hrabiny-grabiny/

 

The publisher’s note

The illustrations are taken from the book "Siedem dni z życia Hrabiny Grabiny" published by the BOSZ Publishing House. The English texts were developed based on the Polish edition of the book.
Original title: ‘Siedem dni z życia Hrabiny Grabiny’

© Copyright by BoSz Coming soon! 

© Copyright for text Sylwia Zabor-Żakowska

© Copyright for illustrations Barbara Trembaczowska

 

The worksheets for the Prologue and Monday can be downloaded from the links at the bottom of the page.

 

Coming soon! Please check the Pilgrims in Segovia Teacher Training courses 2026 at ing soonPilgrims website.

Please check the Pilgrims f2f courses at Pilgrims website.