Frank and Bert: The One where Bert Plays Football

Buy This Book * More books by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

Meet Frank and Bert. They LOVE football and Frank is teaching Bert everything he knows… until Barbara turns up, the local football legend, and Frank drops everything to play with her. Poor old Bert.

But when Frank finds himself in trouble, it’s Bert, his BFF, who is always there for him…

English:

Think of some speech and thought bubbles to add to the pictures.
Create conversations between Frank, Bert and Barbara at different points in the story.
There are several stories about Frank and Bert*. Which is your favourite? Could you create a new story about them?
Make some instructions to help Frank teach Bert how to play football.
Write a letter of apology from Bert to the couple enjoying some cake by the tree.
Write a letter from Frank to Bert apologising for going off to play football with Barbara.
Write diary entries from the points of view of each character (Frank, Bert and Barbara). How might each character’s recollection of the day differ? How will their feelings be different?
Find some synonyms for ‘friends’ and ‘team’.
Write a persuasive letter from Bert to Frank asking him to play football together.
Make a poster to persuade people to watch a football match with Bert, the greatest goalie in the world.
In this video, the author talks about the characters in his story. Think of some questions you would like to ask him.

Maths:

What shape is a football? How many other 3D shapes can you name? Can you describe their properties?
Choose a football tournament and use some of the statistics to make word problems for a friend to solve.
Conduct a survey to find your friends’ favourite sports. Tally and graph the results.
Design some symmetrical football shirts.

Science:

Find out how exercise affects our bodies.
Investigate animal adaptations. How are Frank (a fox) and Bert (a bear) adapted to living in their natural habitats?

Computing:

Scan the QR code at the front of the book to listen to the audio recording of the story. Could you make your own recording, using expression and sound effects?
Create an animation that shows Bert kicking a football or Frank falling from a tree. You could use stop-motion or coding tools for this.
The trailer below was created for another book about Frank and Bert. Could you make a similar one for this book, using stop-motion animation tools or presentation software?

Design Technology:

Design a new football for Frank and Bert to use.
Use recycled materials to make a goal for Frank and Bert to use.

Art:

Create your own illustrations of Frank and Bert.
Draw pictures of Frank or Bert with different expressions on their faces, showing a variety of emotions.
Design a logo and football kit for Frank and Bert’s team.
Make a comic strip that retells the key points of this story.

Music:

Compose a melody to accompany an animated series about Frank and Bert.

Geography:

Research countries where football is most popular.
Choose a recent football tournament and find competing countries on a world map.

History:

Create a timeline that shows the history of football.

Physical Education:

Plan some activities to help Bert improve his football skills.

Languages:

Learn football-related vocabulary in different languages.

PSHE:

Make a list of similarities / differences between Frank and Bert. How are you similar to and different from your friends?
How does Bert feel when Frank goes off to play football with Barbara? Have you ever been left out of something? How did it make you feel? How could you support others in a similar situation?
Role-play a conversation between Frank and Bert in which Bert expresses how he felt when Frank left him alone.
What makes a good teammate or friend? Make a ‘recipe’ for a good friend.