LO 1: to respond to a text (general LO)

LO 2: to use evidence and inference to describe characters

 

Success Criteria:

 

SC1) I look for evidence in the text.

SC2) I refer to the text to back up my answers.

SC3) I think about how actions can show characteristics.

SC4) I think about how dialogue can show characteristics.

SC5) I make inferences.

 

Differentiation:

 

For each task, choose the level of question that you feel gives you challenge but is 'doable'. In most cases there are choices for 'tricky', 'trickier' and 'trickiest'.

 

Tasks:

 

1) Watch the introduction video.

2) Answer the comprehension questions (Task 1).

3) Watch the video and read the section of the book.

4) Complete the task about characterisation (Task 2).

Task 1

 

Task 1

For each question, if there is a choice between tricky, trickier and trickiest, choose the question that you feel you can best answer, the question that might challenge you but that you think you can attempt.

For each answer, go into depth as much as you can. Don’t go for the simplest, shortest answer. Aim to go beyond the question, even if the question has a quick answer available, whether you attempt the ‘trickier’ and ‘trickiest’ questions or not.

 

Question 1)

 

Tricky:                                  

Who is the book about?

 

Trickier/Trickiest:             

Why might the author have chosen these characters?

 

Question 2)

 

Tricky/Trickier:                  

What evidence is there that Charlie Mackesy (the author) often finds it harder to read? Give examples.

 

Trickiest:                             

Use inference as well. Go into depth in your answer, speculating on what he might be like as a reader. Imagine him reading a book and describe what he does and what he is experiencing.

 

Question 3)

 

Tricky/Trickier:

The author describes The Wild as ‘a bit like life – frightening sometimes but beautiful’. In what ways can life be frightening and in what ways can it be beautiful? Think of examples.

 

Trickiest:

How else could The Wild (nature) be used as a comparison with life in general?

 

Question 4)

 

Tricky/Trickier:

Why is it not easy meeting a fox if you are a mole?

 

Trickiest:

Explain why being ‘hurt by life’ might make someone silent and wary?

 

Question 5)

 

Trickier/Trickiest:

What do you think ‘turn on a sixpence’ means? Why?

 

Question 6)

 

Tricky/Trickier:

What is meant be ‘everyone is winging it’?

 

Trickiest:

Why does the author quote the horse in this way? What point is he trying to make do you think?

 

Question 7)

 

What evidence is there that following dreams can sometimes result in those dreams coming true?

Task 2

 

Question 1)

 

Tricky/Trickier:

The mole said that he was so small. What might this tell you about his character (not just his size)? How might he feel about himself. Because you don’t have much information to go on yet, you can speculate (think about possible characteristics he might have).

 

Trickiest:

Based on what you have answered for ‘tricky/trickier’, why do you think the boy felt he needed to point out that the Mole makes a big difference? What does he mean by making a big difference?

 

Question 2)

 

Tricky:

Why do you think the boy wants to be kind when he grows up?

 

Trickier:

What might this tell you about the boy at the moment? What might his character be like? What might he have experienced?

 

Trickiest:

Justify why the boy might have ‘being kind’ as a wish for the future. Surely this is something he has control over? Why might it be a dream or ‘aspiration’?

 

Question 3)

 

Tricky:

Describe the Mole’s relationship with cake.

 

Trickier:

What does this tell us about the Mole’s character? (Don’t just write about cake!)

 

Trickiest:

In what ways might the Mole’s relationship with cake reflect strengths and weaknesses in his character?

 

Question 4)

 

Tricky/Trickier:

Why do you think the Mole suggests we shouldn’t compare ourselves with others?

 

Trickiest:

Is comparing ourselves to others a waste of time? Explore and justify your answer.

 

Lesson One Continued - Evaluation and Follow-Up

 

1) Please complete Task 1 and Task 2. 

 

You may have time today to complete these tasks if you need more time from yesterday. If you have written your answers on paper, please consider recording them on DB Primary. If you choose to do this, you may have time from today's lesson to get them on there. I know that DB Primary has been slow, which might make this harder to do. It should settle down over the next few days. You do not have to write your answers on the computer. You may work in a book or on paper. I am more likely to be able to give feedback on DB Primary.

 

2) Spend time on self- and peer-evaluation.

 

Once you have completed your work, spend the rest of the lesson on self- and peer-evaluation. Please watch my teaching video to help you with this. There are reminders and things to look for.

 

If you have worked on DB Primary, please use the 'quote' button when replying to forum posts in order to edit work. Please edit your own work and that of others (respectfully), showing how to improve. Think about corrections - grammar, punctuation and spelling. Think about improvements - vocabulary, layout, choice of phrases and sentence structure. Think about how deeply the answers match the questions - ask your own questions in response.

 

Let's make remote learning just as powerful as in-class learning. Rather than just setting a task and moving on to the next one, let's look carefully at what we have produced to improve and develop it further. During the lesson time, I will be looking at work that you have produced and helping with self-evaluation.

 

Differentiation

 

Tricky: Check for corrections on more than one piece of work, spotting errors and showing how they could be improved. Begin to make suggestions for other improvements, such as vocabulary.

 

Trickier: As well as 'Tricky', please start to ask questions designed to get yourself and your classmates to give fuller and deeper answers. Challenge their thinking and try to get more out of them.

 

Trickiest: As well as the above, look for connections and patterns between the answers of children in the class. Are there things that most people tend to write? Are there similarities and differences?

 

Video Lesson for Follow-Up Work

 

 

Please click on the image to take you to the video. The video is in DB Primary, which is password protected, so that it is only available to members of the school.