The Whipping Boy
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Welcome to my The Whipping Boy lesson plans web page. On this page, you will find teaching resources for this novel, as well as resources with a castle, knight, or Middle Ages theme.The Whipping Boy, written by Sid Fleischman, won the Newbery Award in 1987.
If you are doing a Newbery Medal study with your students, this is a great book choice to use as a whole class novel, or as a historical fiction novel study. When I teach this novel with my students, I combine it with a medieval times unit and my students also complete writing assignments related to castles and knights. Many of The Whipping Boy lesson plans on these three web pages are not specific to The Whipping Boy, but can be used for any Middle Ages theme.
Below you will find some of The Whipping Boy lesson plans that I have developed over the years as I have used this novel with my students during our Newbery Medal book study.
All of The Whipping Boy lesson plans on this page include a second version of each resource that contains UK spelling and punctuation rules.
Large Castle Group Project
The Whipping Boy Lesson Plans
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Whipping Boy Castle Group Project
Whipping Boy Lesson Plans
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One of my students' favorite projects about this book is my Whipping Boy Castle Group Project (see above). For this project, students work together to write and draw a picture about the four main characters: Prince Horace (Prince Brat), Jemmy, Cutwater, and Hold Your Nose Billy. Then they write about the setting, plot, problem, solution, and conclusion. My students love completing this castle project with the members from their group!
Above: Students working on their project together.
The Whipping Boy Lesson Plans: Castle Group Project
Above: Students displaying their finished projects.
The Whipping Boy Lesson Plans: Castle Group Project
This The Whipping Boy lesson plans set includes step by step directions on how to assemble the 11 pages of templates into a large castle.
Depending on the age of your students, you could assemble these projects ahead of time for your students, each castle takes me about 10 minutes to assemble myself. I have given my fifth grade students the direction sheets, and they were able to assemble their projects themselves. If my students assemble these themselves, I cut out the two templates that have flags on them ahead of time for my students because these are narrow lines to cut along.There are 3 pages of directions on how to assemble this project, the first 2 are shown below. There are also assembling directions and tips on the actual castle final draft templates.
This is a cooperative group project and students begin their projects by completing their first drafts together. Students should proofread and edit their first drafts together before they begin their final drafts.The writing responses in these The Whipping Boy lesson plans include students writing about the main characters and the setting, plot, problem, solution, and conclusion.
There are 3 first draft worksheets that are included in this The Whipping Boy lesson plans set, the first 2 worksheets are shown below.
This unique and fun group project for The Whipping Boy includes 11 worksheets with templates that assemble into a large castle. The finished project measures 25 inches in width and 18 inches in height.There is an area on two of the templates for the group members to draw the 4 main characters. Your students will love working on this large group project together and the finished projects make a dynamic classroom or hallway display.
Below are examples of the 11 worksheet templates that are included in this The Whipping Boy lesson plans set.
There is an optional step in this The Whipping Boy lessons plans set that includes adding a drawbridge that folds open and closes on the castle.
When I am introducing this project to my students, I like to provide a visual example of a completed project for my students to see at the front of the classroom. I have included color templates for you to use in order to save you time in having to color these templates yourself.Below are examples of the 11 color worksheet templates.
After each group has completed their projects, they can evaluate their project using the group project grading rubric that is provided in this The Whipping Boy lesson plans set. After the group has graded their project, there is also an area on this rubric for the teacher to evaluate the project.
Creating bulletin board displays is a time consuming task for teachers. To save you time in preparing your The Whipping Boy Castle bulletin board display, I have provided a 5 page banner for you to use for your classroom displays.
Finally, to help you in preparing your bulletin board display, I have included 9 bulletin board accent pieces in this The Whipping Boy lesson plans set.
The first 5 castle bulletin board accent pieces are in the shape of a knight's helmet. These accent pieces contain a title helmet and 4 helmets with the main characters from The Whipping Boy written on the helmets: Jemmy, Prince Brat, Cutwater, and Hold Your Nose Billy.
The last 4 castle bulletin board accent pieces are in the shape of a knight's shield and contain general castle themed graphics on them.
Legendary Stories:
A Knight's Sword Creative Writing Set
Writing Myths and Legends
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Legendary Stories
Knight's Sword Creative Writing Set for Myths and Legends
$4.99
This creative writing set includes final draft templates for students to write on that are in the shape of a knight's sword. For this writing assignment, students write a myth or legend. I have included this knight's sword creative writing set on my The Whipping Boy lessons plans page because it is an ideal resource to use with novels that have a castle, knight, or medieval theme in them. These sword shaped templates would also work well with a Middle Ages social studies unit of study.
For students who are often reluctant about writing stories, I have found that my students enjoy this writing topic, especially when they get to complete the final drafts of their myths or legends on templates that are shaped like a knight's sword. They enjoy coloring and designing their swords and the finished Legendary Story Swords make a colorful bulletin board display.
This Legendary Stories Creative Writing Set is a complete set of resources that will guide your students into writing their own myth or legend.
This set of teaching resources includes:
- Introducing Writing Myths and Legends Display Set (a 20 page teaching resource and display set)
- Teacher Directions
- Assembling Directions
- Idea Swords (Idea Web)
- First Draft Writing Worksheets
- Final Draft Sword Templates (4)
- 2 Final Draft Color Sword Templates
- Grading Rubric
- 5 Page Bulletin Board Banner
- 10 Helmet Bulletin Board Accent Pieces
There is a second set of these resources in this set that contain UK spelling and punctuation rules.
Introducing Writing Myths and Legends Display Set
Use this resource display set to
introduce writing myths to your students.
This display set includes 20 pages of printable resources (5 myth display swords) that will help you introduce writing myths to your students. You can display these writing prompt swords at the front of your classroom or make a bulletin board display using these sword displays.
There are 5 sets of display swords for you to use in introducing each aspect of a myth that you want your students to think about as they are writing their own myth.
These 5 display swords are the same size and shape as the student templates and each sword measures 31 inches in length and 9 inches in width.
Sword Display 1: Setting:
- When does the story take place?
- Where does the story take place?
- How will your setting capture the reader's interest?
- How will the setting help you set the mood for your story?
Below are smaller examples of the other 4 myth swords.Sword Display 2: Characters:
- What is the character's name?
- What does the character look like?
- What does the character act like?
- What are your character's strengths and weaknesses?
- What special strengths or abilities does the character have?
- What challenge will the character have to face?
Sword Display 3: Mythical Beast:
- What will you call the beast in your story?
- What will the beast look like?
- What will the beast act like?
- What powers will the beast have?
- Where does the beast live?
- What makes this beast unusual?
Sword Display 4: Story Climax:
- How does the hero/heroine find the beast?
- What happens when the hero/heroine finds the beast?
- Describe the conflict between the beast and the hero/heroine.
- Does the hero/heroine have any special help in solving the problem?
- Is the climax the most exciting part of your story?
Sword Display 5: Ending:
- Who wins the struggle?
- How was the problem solved?
- What happened to the hero/heroine?
- Does the hero/heroine receive a reward?
Above is a display of these 5 Myth Display Swords that introduce the writing components that students should use in writing their own myths.The other components included in this set of teaching resources include:
There is a set of directions for teachers to use in helping them plan this creative writing assignment. Below is a sample of the Teacher Directions page.
There is an assembling directions sheet for you to give your students on how to assemble these sword templates. There are also directions provided on each of the pages of the individual templates. Below is a sample of the Assembling Directions page.
I have found that it is helpful for my students to start their creative writing assignments by beginning with an idea web. My students do not have to write in complete sentences in their idea webs, they are just concerned with mapping out the major elements of their story. By using an idea web, this also helps my students to break their stories into paragraphs. Below is a sample of the Idea Swords worksheet that you will find in this Legendary Stories myths and legends creative writing lesson plan set. The idea webs are in the shape of a knight's sword.
I have provided writing prompts and ideas inside each of the four swords to help guide students in planning their setting, main character, mythical beast, climax, and ending of their story. These are the same prompts that are in the large display set. You will see and example of this in the first worksheet. If you do not want to use the writing prompts that I used, there is a second version of this worksheet with blank idea swords.
For creative writing assignments, I believe that it is important for students to go through the writing process. This process begins with their idea webs and is completed when they publish their work on their final draft templates.For this reason, my students never begin their creative writing assignments by writing on their final draft templates, instead they write on first draft worksheets. Then, they edit and revise their work on their own, with a partner, or in individual writing conferences with me.
Below is an example of the first draft writing worksheets that are included in this Legendary Stories myths and legends creative writing set. The lines on these 2 first draft worksheets match the lines and spaces on the final draft sword templates.
After students have edited and revised their first drafts, you should give them their final draft sword templates. This set of Legendary Story Swords includes 4 sets of worksheet templates that are glued together to form a large medieval sword.
The sword project measures 31 inches in length and 9 inches in width.
These 4 templates have thick border lines around them, so they are easy for the students to cut and assemble their swords themselves.
Below is a sample of the final draft sword templates that you will find in this myths and legends creative writing set.
As I am introducing this writing topic to my students, I like to begin by sharing my story with them. I model my idea web and then I read my myth to my students. At the front of the classroom, I post examples of what the final draft sword templates look like. By providing a visual example at the very beginning, my students know what their myth creative writing assignments will look like when they have completed all of the steps in the writing process.I have included 2 different colored sword templates for you to use as visual examples to show your students so that you don't have to spend time coloring these swords yourself.
This set includes a creative writing grading rubric. 
I believe that it is important for students to evaluate their own work, so my grading rubric contains both a student assessment and a teacher assessment component.
When the students grade their work, they color in the faces. When the teacher grades the work, the teacher circles the small numbers in each box beside the faces. I often find that my students are harsher on themselves than I am, and that the grade that I give them is higher than they have scored themselves.
There are two grading rubrics in this set to choose from. The first one contains wording similar to the words inside the sword idea webs. The second grading rubric contains wording that is generic and would fit any creative writing assignment.
Finally, I know that it takes teachers a lot of valuable time to assemble their bulletin board displays. Many teachers spend hours of time cutting out large display letters or making a banner on their own at home on their computer. This time is valuable and better spent on developing your classroom curriculum and grading papers, so I have designed a matching 5 page banner for your bulletin board display.
In addition, I have included 10 helmet accent pieces to help you in decorating your bulletin board.
If you have access to a laminating machine, you can laminate your banner and helmets so that they are durable and you can use them year after year for bulletin board displays of these Legendary Stories creative writing assignments.
Below is a photograph of these finished sword creative writing projects.
I hope that you have found some Whipping Boy lesson plans on this page that have given you some ideas for fun extension projects that you can use with your own students.
Thank you for visiting my The Whipping Boy lesson plans page.
I hope to see you back here at Unique Teaching Resources!
Heidi McDonald
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