The World of
1. Choose any kind of animal and invent an animal clan,suchastheoneintheWarriorsseries.Makealistoftheclan’s positions of power. Describe the requirements forandfunctionofeachpositionintheclan,aswellashowthese requirements and functions have changed throughtheclan’shistory.
2.Createananimalcharacterthatwouldbeapartofyourclan.Writeadescriptionofitsphysicalappearance,thenwriteaboutitsdaydreamsandfears,strengthsandweaknesses,favoritefoodsandsecrethidingplaces.
3.CatsintheWarriorsserieschangenamesastheirpositionsin their Clans change. Pick at least three names for theanimal character you’ve created. Explain how and whyyourcharacterearnedeachname.
4.Make a family tree for the animal character you’vecreated.Writeaparagraphabouteachofyourcharacter’sancestors. Remember to describe any physical andbehavioralattributestheancestorshavepasseddowntoyourcharacter.
5.Invent friends for the animal character you’ve created.Describephysicalappearances,aswellastheirpersonalities.Explain how each is different from and similar to youranimalcharacter.
6.Dreamsmaybeasimportanttotheanimalcharacteryou’vecreatedastheyaretothecatsintheWarriorsseries.Createadreambookforyouranimalcharacter.Writeentriesforhisorherbestdreams,recurringdreams,andnightmares.
7. Many animals, like cats, see, hear, or smell better thanhumans.Researchhowtheanimalcharacteryou’vecreatedmightsee,hear,orsmellbetterthanahumancan.Describewhatyourcharactermightnoticeinyourroomwithhisorherstrongestsenses.
8.Usingtheideasandinformationabove,writeashortstory(or thefirstchapterofyourownbook!)aboutyourclananditscharacters.Ifyou’rehavingfun,keepwriting!
Exploring Characters
As Bramblepaw watched, the deputy was joined by Cinderpelt, themedicinecat,andherapprentice,Leafpaw,Squirrelpaw’ssister.Shelooked nothing like Squirrelpaw; she was smaller and slighter, withpaletabbyfurandawhitechestandpaws.Thesisterswerenotmuchalikeincharactereither.WhenLeafpawsatdownandtippedherheadtoonesidetolistentowhathermentorandthedeputyweresayingtoeachother,Bramblepawwondered,notforthefirsttime,howshemanaged to be so quiet and attentive when her sister Squirrelpawneverstoppedtalking.
—excerptedfromMidnight(Warriors:TheNewProphecy,Book#1)
Activities
AfterreadingsomeoralloftheWarriorsbooks,fanscanusethefollowingprompts—andtheirownpowersofimagination,creativity,andresearch—towriteaboutaWarriors-likeClanoftheirowncreation.
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The World of
1. Rusty, who later becomes Firepaw, Fireheart, and thenFirestar, chooses to live in the forest rather than in ahuman’shouse.Considerhisreasonsforlivinginthewild,aswellasreasonsothercatshaveforstayingwithhumans.Write a skit for two animal characters you’ve createdduringwhichtheyargueoverwhethertheyshouldstayinahumanhouseorliveinthewild.
2.Several characters in the Warriors series perform greatacts of loyalty to protect their Clans. Pretend loyalty isimportanttoananimalcharacteryou’vecreated.Composeaspeechyouranimalcharactergivestoothersonthevalueofloyalty.
3.ChoosetwocharactersfromtheWarriorsseries,onewhobelieves kittypets can’t be great warriors and one whobelieveskittypetscan. Writea scene for thesecharactersduring which they debate about training kittypets to bewarriors.
4. Create a prophecy encyclopedia for the Warriors series.Foreachentry,listtheprophecyanditsimportancetotheseries’characters.
5.Imaginethatacharacteryou’vecreatedmakesadifficultsacrifice to protect others, that some cats in the Warriorsseriesdo.Writeanewsstoryaboutthischaracter’ssacrifice.Describe both what the character did and how his or heractionshelpedothers.
6.InTheNewProphecy Warriors series,humansruin thecatClans’forest.Pretendyou’redesigninganewhousingdevelopment.Draftareportthatdescribestheinnovativewaysyourdevelopmentmightprovidehousingforhumanswhilemaintainingwildstretchesoflandforanimals.
7.Imaginethatcharactersyou’vecreatedmustworktogetherto solve an important problem, like the cat Clans mustwhentheyneednewhomes. Writeasceneduringwhichyourcharactershavedifficultiesworkingtogetherbutfindcreativesolutionstotheirdifficulties.
8.Usesomeoftheideasandactivitiesabovetowriteanothershort story, or a second chapter, about your clan and itscharacters.Ifyou’rehavingfun,keepwriting!
Exploring Themes
“AsforBrook,”Firestarcontinued,“whatmatters isnotwhereacatwasbornorwhotheirkinmaybe.”
Argue with that,Brambleclawthought.Our Clan leader was a kittypet, and he’s one of the greatest cats the forest has ever seen.
“Loyaltyiswhatmatters,”Firestardeclared,“andthatexistsnow,notinthepast.Loyaltyhastobeprovedeveryday,ineverypieceoffresh-killbroughtbackfortheClan,everyclawmarkonourenemies,everypatrol,everytrainingsession.”
—excerptedfromSunset(Warriors:TheNewProphecy,Book#6)
Activities
*NOTE—Thefollowingexercisesbuildonstudents’responsestotheprevious“ExploringCharacters”activitiesandprompts.
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The World of
Exploring Setting
“ThisistheThunderpath,”meowedTigerclaw.
FirepawfollowedasLionheartledthemtowardtheedgeoftheforest.Thenhesatdownandallfourcatslookedout.
Firepawcouldseeagraypathlikeariver,cuttingitswaythroughtheforest. The hard gray stone stretched ahead of him so far that thetreesontheothersideseemedblurredandtiny.Firepawshudderedatthebittersmellthatrosefromthepath.
—excerptedfromInto the Wild(Warriors,Book#1)
Activities
1. One of the maps at the beginning of each book in theWarriorsseriesdepictlandasthecatsseeit,notashumansmight. Choose a wild animal or pet that lives near yourhouse.Createamapofyourhouseandtheareaarounditfromthisanimal’sperspective.
2.Designahomeforananimalcharacteryou’vecreated.Labeleachareaofthehomeanddescribethearea’simportancetoyourcharacter.
3. Research cats’ predators, then create a cat predatorencyclopedia.Ineachentry listapredator,aswellas thepredator’sphysicalappearanceandbehavior.
4.Thecats inthe Warriorsserieshavedifferentnamesforplaces than humans do, such as Twolegplace and sun-drown-place. Draw a picture of your home or school.Labelareasorroomswithnamesyouthinkthecatswouldchooseforthem.
5. The cats in the Warriors series use herbs, cobwebs, andotherthingsfoundinnatureforhealing.Considerwherean animal character you’ve created lives. Write a healingguidewithentriesforeachitemyourcharactermightusetotreatillnessesorinjuries.
6.Pretendthatananimalcharacteryou’vecreatedneedstomovetoanewhome,likeThunderClandoesinTheNewProphecy Warriors series. Write a report your charactermustgivedescribingpossiblenewhomesites.Besuretoexplaineachsite’sadvantagesanddisadvantages.
7.Inventaplacethat’sasspecialtocharactersyou’vecreatedasMothermouthandtheMoonstonearetothecatsintheWarriorsseries.Describewhatit looks like,aswellas itsimportancetoyourcharacters.
8.Usesomeoftheideasandactivitiesabovetowriteanothershort story, or a third chapter, about your clan and itscharacters.Ifyou’rehavingfun,keepwriting!
*NOTE—Thefollowingexercisesbuildonstudents’responsestotheprevious“ExploringCharacters”activitiesandprompts.
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The World of
Exploring Writing Tools
“Read,read,andreadsomemore!Makesureyoureadawidevarietyofstories:fantasystoriesteachyouaboutmakingupcompletelynewworlds,crime-solvingstoriesteachyouabouthandlingacomplicatedplot, stories with lots of characters teach you how to describerelationships.Also,writeasmanystoriesasyoucan,evenifnooneelsereadsthem.Andrememberthatthebestinspirationcomesfromwhat’saroundyou.”
—adviceforaspiringwritersfromWarriorsauthor,ErinHunter
Activities
1.MultiplePoints-of-View:EachWarriorsserieshasmultiplepoint-of-view characters with distinctive personalities.Create two distinctive characters. Pretend they saw thesame event. Write a narrative of the event from onecharacter’s point-of-view. Then write a new narrative ofthesameeventfromtheothercharacter’spoint-of-view.
2. Description: Choose a compelling descriptive paragraphfrom one of the Warriors series books. Read it throughseveraltime,andmakealistofthingsthatyoulikeaboutitandthatmakeitinterestingtoread.Then,usingideasfromyourlist,writeadescriptiveparagraphthatdepictsacharacterorsettingyou’vecreated.
3. Prologues: Read a few Warriors series prologues fromdifferent Warriors books. Consider how they help ErinHuntertellherstories.Thenwriteaprologueforastoryofyourownthatreallyneedsone.Ifyou’reanartist,drawanillustrationtogowithit.
4.Cliffhangers:ManychaptersinWarriorsseriesbooksendwithgreatcliffhangers.CreateaTopTenlistofyourfavoriteWarriorsseriescliffhangers.Writeafirststorychapterofyourownandenditwithafantasticcliffhanger.
5.Outlines:SelectyourfavoriteWarriorsseriesbook.Makeanoutlineofitsplot.Marktheexpositionorintroductionsectionwithastar.Marktherisingactionsectionwitha
wavy line. Mark the climax section with an exclamationpoint.Markthefallingactionsectionwithaspiral.Marktheresolutionsectionwithacircle.Nowmakeanoutlineforastoryofyourownandmarkallitssections.
6.Revision:ChooseyourfavoriteWarriorsseriescharacter.Writeadescriptiveparagraphaboutthatcharacter.Readover what you’ve written. Cut any unnecessary words,phrases, or sentences. Replace any weak words, phrases,orsentenceswithstrongerones.Addanydetailsthatyouleftoutofyourfirstdraft.Thentradedraftswithafriend,andseeifyouwouldsuggestanyfurtherrevisionstoeachother’swriting.
7.Summaries:Pretendyou’retryingtoconvinceafriendtoread a Warriors series book. Write an exciting summaryforthatbooktogivetoyourfriend.Thenpretendyou’retryingtoconvinceyourfriendtoreadastoryyou’vewritten.Writeanexcitingsummaryforyourownstory.
8.Collaboration:ErinHunterisapseudonymforthethreepeople who create the Warriors series books together,Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Victoria Holmes. Trycreatingastoryaspartofateam.Choosetwopeoplewithwhomyouworkwell.Pickapseudonym,orpenname,foryourselves.Thendiscussyourstory idea,planhowyou’llwork together, and start writing. If you’re having fun,keepwriting!
*NOTE—Thefollowingexercisesbuildonstudents’responsestotheprevious“ExploringCharacters”activitiesandprompts.
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