What the lesson is about
These are the first two parts of a 13-part scheme of work based on Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. It is aimed at key stage 3 pupils.
Aims: pupils will:
- discuss ideas arising from a text;
- present balanced arguments;
- identify unfamiliar words and describe their meaning.
Getting started
Introduce the novel and read the first few pages to establish the idea of sailing around the world. Ask the pupils to discuss this idea in pairs and then complete a table of arguments for and against it, using the book to find reasons. Collect the arguments put forward by the class.
Ask the pupils for ideas on starter sentences about how they would present their arguments. Then ask them to write up their arguments, using a template:
“I’m not sure that sailing around the world with my family would be a good thing because ...
On the other hand ...
However ...
One good thing about it would be ...
Nevertheless ...
Another point of view is ...
In conclusion ...”
Ask the pupils to swap work to check their neighbour’s spelling, punctuation and grammar. Ask them to suggest better words that their neighbour could have used.
Taking it further
Start the second lesson with a short discussion of what has happened in the novel so far, then read to the end of chapter 1. Discuss its content to make sure the class understands what is going on.
Ask the pupils to work in pairs to find eight words they do not know. Discuss ways of finding out the meanings of new words. Ask them to have a go at finding out the meanings and to put their results in a table showing the word, its meaning and then a sentence to demonstrate that they understand how to use the word.
Discuss the results as a class. Then ask a pupil to read out a sentence containing one of the words they looked up, but leaving out that word. Ask other pupils to write down which word is missing, making sure they spell it correctly.
Where to find it
The entire 13-lesson scheme, plus a supporting PowerPoint, was uploaded by kaffy98, and can be found at www.tes.co.ukkensukes-kingdom.
