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The Little prince
Inkheart
The Railway Children
The One and Only Ivan
Lesson Plan -
Summary for Lesson 1
In today’s lesson we began our work on The Little Prince, thinking about the key ideas and themes explored in the book and evaluating the class’s response to the story. The students began by highlighting wonderfully the things they did and did not enjoy in the book before moving on to creating a semantic field that encapsulated the central motifs and ideas in the story. They then learned a little about the author and historical context surrounding the novel before completing a hot-seating exercise, using their inference skills to help answer questions from the perspective of the author. Finally, we analysed a passage from the beginning of the book, thinking about the message behind the first chapter and the notion of looking at the world through a child’s lens. Everyone worked beautifully today and they were all super enthusiastic and creative in their responses. Well done everyone, keep up the fab work and I’ll see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Summary for Lesson 2
In today’s lesson we continued our work on The Little Prince, thinking about the genre of the story and the subtle messages the author includes throughout. We began with some work on theme, analysing a passage from the story to get to the bottom of how the author uses themes of love, possessiveness and obsession within the book through the symbol of the rose- the class analysed this beautifully, thinking carefully about the meaning behind the passage and their own personal feelings towards it. We then completed work on genre, identifying the genre of the story and playing around with switching it up, with the class writing some fantastic re-workings of the story with a new genre in mind. Everyone worked incredibly today, I was super impressed with their work! The quality of their ideas was super high and their debate and discussion skills were fantastic. Well done everyone, keep up the amazing work & I’ll see you next week 🙂
Video on theme that we watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY9AdFx0L4s
Homework
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Fantastic work Jessica- really well done! I love how you have interpreted this quote and how carefully you have considered the themes of the quotation and how it links to bigger ideas such as bravery and love. The example you give to back up your argument is superb and I really like how you’ve carefully explained exactly how the little girl’s story shows us the true meaning of this quote. To make this even better, could you think about what the girl learns through her experience? Overall, amazing work, well done 🙂
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Hi Beth,
This is sanya’s homework:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bBarh06Zn5fwF3AAOlvSVBp5V9DAN7TmALir7FShAZU/edit?usp=sharing
Thank you 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂-
Gorgeous work Sanya- really well done! You have written about this quotation beautifully, thinking incredibly deeply into the meaning of the words and the message we can learn from it. I love your comparison to that of religion & point about being unique, and think the idea of people learning to listen to their heart is amazing. You have closely analysed what each part of the quote means and translated it into your own philosophical thoughts wonderfully. Just be careful with your spelling and grammar. Overall, lovely work, well done 🙂
Spelling corrections:
*in Islam (someone who believes in Islam is a Muslim- Islam is the religion, a Muslim is a person who follows that religion, in the same way Christianity is the religion, Christians the people who follow it)
*Christian
*believes (no apostrophe)
*your heart
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Lovely work George- really well done! I like the original take you have on this quotation, thinking about how the Little Prince has to be self-sufficient in lots of ways, and think it’s great that you found an example from your own life to help you understand the quote. Your translation of the quote into your own words is fantastic and I like the line “you can only see the truth with your heart” a lot! One little improvement would be to think about this quote in relation to the story of the book to help find examples. Overall, great work- well done 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 3
In today’s class we finished our work on The Little Prince, thinking about characterisation in the novel and what we can learn from the different constructions of character throughout the story. We began with a mini class on character analysis and what elements of a character need to be considered, discussing elements such as motivation, dialogue and challenges- which the students then applied to their own thinking. We then looked at learning moral lessons from characters, before the class completed a writing exercise thinking about putting themselves in the Little Prince’s shoes. Finally, we discussed tragedy, questioning the end of the book and its effect. Fab work today guys, keep it up and I’ll see you all soon 🙂
Video on character analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRhteCMgYoU&feature=emb_logo
Video on tragedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVRU5MVYNiw
Homework
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Beautiful answer Sanya- really great work! You have expressed your thoughts wonderfully, thinking carefully about why the author chose to write the ending in the way that he did. You have used some fantastic quotations to back up your argument and have discussed how the narrator’s feelings about the Prince’s disappearance last way past the end of the book, and take on a lovely, reflective tone. You have also explored your interpretation of the ending beautifully and carefully explained where it comes from- excellent work, well done 🙂
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Gorgeous work George- well done! I love how you’ve analyzed the different interpretations that can be drawn from the ending and how you have discussed the emotional effect this book had on you- also the phrase “hurts my soul” is a beautifully descriptive one! You have put your own voice into your writing really nicely and thought about how to approach some of the unanswered questions in the book- just make sure to try to keep it answering the question all the way through. I particularly like the focus you have on emotions and the reader’s reaction throughout. Lovely work George- keep it up 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 4
In today’s lesson we began our work on Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, thinking about the characters in the book and how we can use them to inspire our own writing. We began with a brief discussion of the book before thinking about literary archetypes and what the term refers to. The students then came up with some brilliant archetype analysis of Inkheart, completing character profiles based on their findings. Finally, they wrote some short stories, dropping the characters from the novel into whole different worlds. Amazing work today everyone- I loved all your energy and enthusiasm. Try to get some more of the book read over the next week and I’ll see you next lesson 🙂
Archetype video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=23&v=dvYM4GIbYKg&feature=emb_logo
Homework
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Beautiful work Jessica- well done! You have thought really deeply about the effect of these quotations, and I think you’ve hit the nail on the head in identifying the fact that they are there to foreshadow events that may follow. I love your idea that by quoting these books, Funke associates them with Inkheart, as I think this shows a real understanding of the importance of these books in the context. Just be careful with the length of your sentences, as this sentence is a little long and could probably do with a full-stop after the word “happen”. Overall, gorgeous work- well done 😊
Spelling corrections:
What’s (has an asopstrophe because it’s short for ‘what is’)
Usual (has another ‘u’ in it)
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Great work George- well done! I love your idea about the quotation giving the reader a preview of the chapter and foreshadowing what the deeper meaning of what is to come may be. I love the quote you have chosen, and that you were so determined to find that one particular quote that you leafed through the book several times- that really shows how deeply it stuck in your mind! I would love to hear what you think the effect of this quotation is- why do you think Funke chose Wind in the Willows to quote? Overall, lovely work- well done 😊
Spelling corrections:
Interview (did you mean preview here?)
Coward (spelt with an ‘a’ instead of an ‘e’)
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Hi Beth,
Here is Sanya’s homework
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oPx2bXcVZXBcPKaESkoMcCSUvizjXtb7Fd1BIm_Bp9E/edit?usp=sharing
Thank you
🙂 😀-
Fantastic work Sanya- well done! I love how carefully you have unpicked some of the crucial ideas and themes of the book- i.e., the theme of home and the recurring motif of books that runs throughout the story. You have thought beautifully about the meaning of your chosen quote and I think you are absolutely spot on in analysing the quote’s relation to Dustfinger, Meggie and Mo’s deep desire to go home. Also, your answer is structured excellently, and you build your argument very powerfully. Do you think these quotes could also be an example of foreshadowing in the novel? Overall, wonderful work- well done 😊
Grammar corrections:
There should be a space after “Home!” and after “air,”- make sure you always have a space between words.
Funke (lower case ‘u’)
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Summary for Lesson 5
In today’s lesson we continued our study of Inkheart, working on bringing the story to life through our understanding of character and theme. We began the class with a discussion of the role of the quotations and intertextuality in the book, with the students then going on to choose their own quotations from other books that they felt worked well with a particular chapter of Inkheart. We then moved on to thinking about an in depth understanding of the theme of the past in the book, exploring this in reference to a character they thought was stuck in the past or nostalgic for their old life. Finally, the class wrote some gorgeous backstories for various characters, using their inference skills to expand beyond the world of the book. Amazing work today class and thank you so much for all your patience and maturity with the technical issues at the start of the class! You’ve all been fantastic today, really well done 🙂
Homework
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Beautiful work George well done! I love the range and volume of questions you came up with and think your ideas about how the series came about paint a great backstory of Funke’s writing career! You’ve thought carefully about the way in which she might respond to certain questions and I really like the story you weave in about her publishers being super involved in the book. Just be a little careful with your grammar and spelling- I’ll put some corrections below. Overall, this is a really entertaining and fun imaginary interview- well done 😊
Corrections:
‘Inkheart’ should be capitalized
I’m instead of I,m
Book instead of ook
Their names instead of there names
Chicken House
Series instead of seariuse
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Hi Beth,
Here is my homework:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vib0KPJNIMAaPlOdvSU8f5oa5u4LbtYMKLWX0erZ588/edit?usp=sharing
Thank you 🙂
Sanya 🙁-
Outstanding work Sanya, really well done! Your answers to these questions are beautifully symbolic and full of lots of deeper ideas. I really like how carefully you’ve thought about the themes of Inkheart and how Funke might comment on them. Furthermore, your explanation for the names she uses in the book are wonderful and we get a real sense of exactly how your version of Funke has imagined various aspects of the book. Great use of examples from the book to weave into your answers, and you’ve chosen a fab selection of questions too! Really excellent work- well done! 🙂
Corrections:
Just remember to capitalize Inkheart
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Lovely work Jessica, well done! You’ve thought of some great questions to ask and have thought carefully about why Funke might hold the opinions about her book that she does (I particularly like your justification for why Meggie is her favourite character). Your questions span lots of different topics and you’ve come up with some answers that fit together really nicely and paint a picture of the author’s writing process. To make this even better, could you make your answers a little longer so you can spin more of a story of how the book came together? Overall, great work well done 😊
Corrections:
Colour
Favourite
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Summary for Lesson 6
In today’s lesson we finished our work on Inkheart, concluding our three lessons with a reflection on the central ideas, themes and messages of the book. We watched an interview with the author to kick our lesson off today, thinking about what did and did not surprise us about her attitude towards writing, before thinking about some of the key themes which the class did excellently! We then spoke about the moral, comparing the students’ opinions to those of various book reviews, and the class evaluated a book review video to see what they did and didn’t agree with. Finally, we completed a short creative writing task where the class imagined what could happen next beyond the end of the book. Everyone worked with a huge amount of energy and imagination today- really impressive work everyone! Each and everyone student was really engaged and enthusiastic and it was a joy to teach you all! 🙂
Cornelia Funke interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IfBi-eotHA
Book review video we watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=eHiFLOGnYZo&feature=emb_logo
Homework
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The book I am reviewing is called Inkheart By Cornelia Funke. First published in 2003.
This book talks about a 12 year old girl named Meggie going on an adventure. Her father never read to her as when he read the characters came to life. An accident happened when Meggie was little. The father read out villains from the story and that’s were he got the scar on his arm. He tries. to find the book for 10 years but Capricorn burnt two copies so one copy is left .The villain of this book is a man called Capricorn who kills people if he doesn’t get what he wants. He is a very big tyrant instead of punishing them he kills them!
The most common themes are Fantasy as. the magical power is not real. Children literature as it is for young adults and children. It is also about lies as Capricorn tricked Dustfinger into passing over the book. It is set in a old town and church which only a few people live there now. One common theme was memory as Mo never forgot her wife since she disappeared
In my own opinion I would give this a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I really liked this book as it included lots of plot twists and magic that was really original.
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Excellent work Leyan- this is a fantastic book review! Your summary of the book at the beginning is beautifully succinct and creates a real sense of intrigue and excitement for the reader- fab use of the word tyrant! I also love your discussion of the themes and genre of the book, thinking about key ideas such as magic, lies, memory and the genres of fantasy and children’s literature. Your final analysis of the strengths of the book is really persuasive and I think the structure of your review makes it very clear and easy to read. One little improvement would be just to watch that your sentences are all complete. For example, the sentence “Children literature as it is for young adults and children” is not complete and would need something like “This book is also children’s literature, as it is for young adults and children”. Overall, really wonderful work, well done 😊
Corrections:
*That’s where instead of ‘were’
*Children’s literature instead of ‘children literature’
*An old town instead of ‘a old town’
*Mo never forgot his wife, not ‘her wife’
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hi beth
this is my homework:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oMv1Q0Ek9nvwkHleoZpTZiIUy7H_rn329MkFtX1f5Jc/edit?usp=sharing
THank you
😀-
Lovely work Sanya- well done. You have analysed loads of different aspects of the book and I love that you have focused not just on the things you liked but also those that you didn’t- great use of quotations to prove this point too! Your opening lines are wonderfully passionate about the book, and I like that you have also included a really great analysis of how the author creates suspense and how effective her use of suspense and tension is- great work! One little improvement would be just to try to use some paragraphs to make your structure a little clearer- i.e., you could have one paragraph for things you liked, one for things you didn’t like and a final concluding paragraph where you summed up your thoughts. Overall, fab work- well done 😊
Corrections:
*Review instead of ‘invew’
*Inkheart instead of ‘ink heart’
*There should be a closed speech mark after ‘Adventures can go into people’s blood even if they don’t remember having them.’
*quote doesn’t need a capital letter at the beginning
*Make sure you always have a space after a full-stop
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Beautiful work Jessica- well done! I love your summary of the book which presents the reader with a really exciting and mysterious image of the plot of the book- I love that you use the cliff-hanger about the adventure that will change her life forever. You’ve summarised the most important plot points really well and have structured your answer wonderfully into clear paragraphs that make your review really clear and persuasive. I really like that you weigh up both things you enjoyed and didn’t enjoy within the book and have reference the scenes in the book that you felt were either enjoyable or not enjoyable. One little improvement would be one final paragraph summing up your overall thoughts and giving the book a rating out of five stars i.e., ‘In conclusion, Inkheart is a charming, intriguing and captivating book with some minor flaws, and I would recommend it to any fantasy lovers. 4 stars!’. Overall- fab work, really well done 😊
Corrections:
*Cornelia Funke
*Inkheart instead of ‘inkherat’
*An adventure instead of ‘a a adventure’
*Designed
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Summary for Lesson 7
In today’s class we began work on our next book The Railway Children by E. Nesbit, thinking about the historical background and context of the novel. We began with discussing what the students enjoyed and didn’t enjoy before moving on to thinking about the novel’s 1905 setting and what was different in 1905 from our modern world. We spoke about Nesbit’s inspiration, The Dreyfus Affair, and learnt about some of the history of the early 1900s that Nesbit references in the book. We then studied Nesbit’s life, thinking about what this could tell us about why she wrote the book, and the students wrote some fantastic interview responses pretending to be Nesbit herself. Amazing work today everyone- you were all super engaged and energised today and were able to take on some complex historical knowledge and work with it beautifully, keep up the wonderful work! See you next week 🙂
Dreyfus Affair video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3gYeGWMz48
Homework
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Hi Beth,
Here is My homework:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13ihk0Sr8t-YMvZnebB6iEDrxdHvUaWY3cVdh2nIC0BU/edit?usp=sharing
thank yyou 🙂 -
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Summary for Lesson 8
In today’s lesson we continued our work on The Railway Children, considering some key ideas on the themes and ideas explored in the text and analysing a passage from the novel. We spoke about the role of family in the story, considering how this is translated to the reader in a passage from the beginning, which the class then analysed beautifully. We also dug deeper into the values and themes communicated through the plight of the children. Finally, the students created their own play versions of the novel, coming up with some amazingly inventive ideas as to how to explore this book theatrically. Great work everyone- really well done with all your imaginative work today and I’ll see you next week 🙂
Adapting novels for stage video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzRef3MpkeQ&feature=emb_logo
Homework
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hi beth here is my homework☺:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16WjlMA5Hb7Fw97k3u5s6Yzhqbw-jwXdiCigu_UdmexM/edit?usp=sharing
Tank you -
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Summary for Lesson 9
In today’s class we finished The Railway Children, evaluating our overall feelings about the book through the medium of a book review. We began by plotting our feelings out regarding the most dramatic moments of the book and the most interesting characters, using this to segue into evaluating the book as a whole. We spoke about the four step process of writing a book review, and watched a segment of the original film made of the novel which the class used to evaluate the ending. Finally, we spoke about what they had learnt from The Railway Children, drawing on ideas such as bravery, determination and never giving up. Excellent work from the class today- really fantastic ideas and some creative book reviews too. Well done everyone! 🙂
How to write a book review video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhYF3v3zTeo&feature=emb_logo
Clip from the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVbT3t0j11M&feature=emb_logo
Homework
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Summary for Lesson 10
In todays lesson we began our new book, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. We began our class with reviewing the things the class liked and disliked, before thinking about the origin of this story as a real story. We then worked on some ideas about animal rights, thinking about the kind of rights animals should have and how we as humans should treat them. We watched a video of someone who had campaigned for animal rights as a child, and then moved on to discussing what the book tells us about these issues. Finally, the class put themselves in Ivan’s shoes writing diary entries from his perspective that illuminate what his emotions may have been towards the conditions he was kept in. Good work today class- keep it up and make sure you always try to dig deep into the central ideas of a book to help you further your analysis. See you next week 🙂
The real Ivan video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYYL2LxotA8&feature=emb_logo
Animal cruelty video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-11Au4KgfQ&feature=emb_logo
Homework
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With the enhancements of technology, animals have been thought of as so inferior as to being only food and entertainment. However, I disagree with this statement. I believe that animals, as a species, should not be in imprisoned. Animals should not live in such solitary buildings, they should be back in the wild living with their family. They should not be human entertainment as people kill the animal’s parents to put the animal in a circus. Animals are not to play with, even if they don’t rule the world like us they are not toys. They have the same feelings as humans.
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Beautiful argument Leyan- well done! Your vocab here is outstanding- you use some really powerful emotive and technical words to highlight the sophistication of your tone and come up with great persuasive techniques such as inclusive language (use of the words ‘us’ and ‘we’ to make the reader feel you are ‘one of them’). Your points are varied and well-argued and you have used some wonderful, varied sentence structures to create texture and excitement to your writing. One little improvement would be to try to use some more persuasive techniques such as statistics, rhetorical questions and the rule of three in order to make your argument even more punchy. Overall, really wonderful and evocative work that plays on sympathy beautifully to achieve the desired effect – well done 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 11
In today’s class we considered the key idea of authorial intent, thinking about the various ways in which understanding a writer’s choices is central to understanding a text. We spoke about the way in which the author had created sympathy in this novel, thinking about specific scenes the class could identify, before moving on to think about the death of a main character and how it shapes the story. Finally, we completed some theme work, focusing in particular on how to use examples from the text to make an argument stronger. We looked at how to use quotations and how to choose specific examples to help bring a point to life, finishing with some ruminations on memory and belonging. Great work today everyone, I loved your alternative timelines that you created and thought your energy and enthusiasm today was fab- keep it up and I’ll see you next week 🙂
Quotations video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt5G7XT3UlQ&t=223s
<span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>Quotations websites to help with the homework</span>
https://www.commackschools.org/Downloads/The%20One%20and%20Only%20Ivan%20Quotes.pdf
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/16536239-the-one-and-only-ivanHomework
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Summary for Lesson 12
In today’s class we finished our series of lessons on The One and Only Ivan and completed our winter reading course. We focused today on different types of writing inspried by the story, ranging from journalistic writing, to persuasive writing, to creative writing. The students started out by identifying the climax of the novel, before writing some journalistic segments on their chosen scenes. We then moved on to thinking about debating the question of whether the animals should be moved to the zoo, which the class did a great job of, coming up with some beautifully creative characters to argue from the perspective of and holding a lively debate. Finally we thought about the notion of writing fictional stories based off true events. The class produced some wonderful writing today and tackled all the tasks with great energy and verve. Amazing job today and over the past twelve weeks everyone- fantastic work and I look forward to seeing you all again soon 🙂
Homework
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Hi Beth,
HEre is my homework:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h-cc9gZG3PwllVVJg6y-3LQgltRmu7DMohu40aZnvj4/edit?usp=sharing
Thank you 🙁 -
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Wow Sanya this is an excellent piece of work! Really well done 🙂 I absolutely love the words and phrases you have chosen to express your ideas- such as “stuck in their own domains” and think the way you have summed up the moral as fighting for your freedom is very powerful and evocative. You’ve used some great examples from the book to back up your ideas- especially when thinking about the second moral you have idenitified and choosing different places in the book where the characters persevered against all odds. Your language and structure is spot on and enables you to make a fantastic argument. To make this even better, could you try using a direct quotation from the book that backs up your point? Overall, beautiful work and I am very impressed by your in depth and thoughtful analysis of this book. Great job! 🙂
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