“Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.” A.A. Milne, Winnie-the Pooh. This quote aptly describes the relationship between the two main characters in this beautifully written true story. “Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh” describes the relationship between Harry Colebourn and a bear named Winnipeg. It documents the true story of how Harry came to own Winnie and their adventures in the Canadian Military, highlighting the deep personal connection that the two form.
Winnie, who was an American black bear ended up traveling to England with Harry as a mascot for the troops. As the war worsened Winnie found herself living in the London Zoo, this is the place where the character, “Winnie-the-Pooh” was born. The stories of Winnie-the-Pooh are now a part of popular culture.
Connections:
Learner Profile Attributes: Caring (Harry showed empathy and compassion towards Winnie), Risk-Takers (Harry decided to take care of Winnie).
Attitudes: Commitment (showed commitment to caring for Winnie), cooperation (it took a team of people to care for Winnie over her life time), empathy (showing empathy towards the survival of Winnie), enthusiasm (Willingly took care of and learnt from Winnie).
PYP Concepts: Connection (e.g. How is the bear connected to the fictional character Winnie-the-Pooh?), Causation (e.g. Why was Winnie for sale? Why are there wars?) , Change (e.g. How did Winnie’s living conditions change over time?), Responsibility (How did Harry help Winnie? Who was responsible for Winnie?).