Lesson 1wsassets.s3.amazonaws.com/ws/nso/doc/b3c0a522b1a83092584… · Web view*Pass judgements Ending and how it links back to beginning Group reading: chapter 30. Group activity:

Tightrope Gillian Cross Group reading Year 9Objectives: R6 Authorial perspective, R9 Compare writers from different times, R13 Evaluate own reading, R18 Prose text, S&L10 Group organisationLesson Reading strategy

focusStarter/introduction (15 minutes)

Development(35 minutes)

Plenary (10 minutes)

Homework Resources

1 *Predict*Pass comments

Introduction to guided reading/key objectives/ establishing ground rules. Allocating books, reading ‘tasters’

Reading strategies: see startersIntroduction to book – title, cover, comparison of reviews, etc.Group reading: chapters 1–2Group activity – group card TR1

Reflect on reading strategies and which used already

None Strategy check-card

2 *Ask questions*Speculate*Relate to prior reading

Openings, setting, narrative hooks

Group reading: chapters 3–4Group activity: narrative hooks – group card TR2

What makes an effective narrative hook?

Read chapters 5–6

Prompts sheet Narrative hooks sheet

3 *Inference and deduction*Visualisation*Empathy

Character, inference and deduction

Group reading: chapters 7–8Group activity: explicit/inferred development of character – group card TR3

Each group shares one example of inference

None Sugar paperPens

4 *Reread*Relate to time and place * Interpret patterns

Structure, mind-mapping, seeing patterns

Group reading: chapters 9–11Group activity: mind-mapping of plot and links between characters – group card TR4

Pupils to feedback on which reading strategy helped most in this lesson

Read chapters 12–14

Sugar paperPens

5 *Summarise*Interpret patterns

Identifying and tracking themes

Group reading: chapters 15–16Group activity: identifying theme – group card TR5

Refer to TR5 None None

6 *Interpret patterns*Ask questions*Establish relationship with author

Author’s viewpoint and intentions

Group reading: chapters 17–18Group activity: author interrogation in pairs (one person is the author and is interviewed) – group card TR6Teacher with guided group – guided card TR1

Select one group to demonstrate. What new insights has this given into the book?

Read chapters 19–21

Photocopies of chapter 17HighlightersAccess to Internet

7 *Interpret patterns*Ask questions

Narrative style at word, sentence and text level

Group reading: chapters 22–24Group activity: find examples of author’s voice – group card TR7

Refer to TR7 Read chapters 25–27

Authorial voice sheet

8 *Hear a voice as read*Interpret patterns*Ask questions

Authorial voice. How is author ‘heard’ in the novel?

Group reading: chapters 28–29Group activity: groups choose one plot event and explore how the language features work within this – group card TR8

Groups to give an example of a) authorial voice b) narrative voice

None Photocopies of chapter 29Highlighters

9 *Reread/reinterpret*Summarise*Pass judgements

Ending and how it links back to beginning

Group reading: chapter 30Group activity: endings and resolutions – group card TR9Teacher with guided group – guided card TR2

Each group to consider what is effective about the ending of their text

None None

10 Expectations for group presentations. Preparation of oral presentations Homework: Preparation/rehearsal11 Group presentations: 10 minutes per text

Key Stage 3 NATE © Crown copyright 2003 Group reading at Key Stage 3National Strategy

Tightrope Gillian CrossLesson 1 Group card T1

Objectives: R4 Versatile readingR12 Independent reading

Resources: Strategy check-card

As a whole group we have: established the ground rules for group and guided reading; looked at effective strategies for reading (starter activity and Strategy check-card); read the introductory chapter to the novel.

Group task

1. Read chapters 1 and 2 independently.

2. In your groups, discuss how you think the author ‘hooks’ or interests the reader, making them want to read on.



Objectives: R13 Evaluate own readingR18 Prose text

Resources: Prompts sheet, Narrative hooks sheet

As a whole group we have: revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; explored narrative hooks.

Now you are going to: decide whether chapters 1–3 are effective as an opening.

Whilst you are reading: think about the strategies you are using (look at the Strategy check-card); think about the evidence you may use to support your ideas.

Group readingRead chapters 3–4 together.

Group task

1. Divide yourselves into two groups of three and label yourselves Group A and Group B.

Group A – using the Prompts sheet, decide what you have discovered about the main character in your book. Prepare to share your findings with Group B.

Group B – using the narrative hooks sheet, which narrative hooks has the writer used to entice the reader? Prepare to share your findings with Group A.

2. Share your findings with the group, using supporting evidence. Is this an effective opening to Tightrope?

3. You have now read four chapters. What do you notice about the structure of the chapters and voices in the story? How does the author maintain the flow between the use of third and first person? Make notes of the key points from your discussion (you will be revisiting these ideas in a future lesson).

HomeworkRead chapters 5–6 before the next lesson.




Resources: Sugar paper, pens

As a whole group we have: revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; explored narrative hooks.

Now we will explore: how the characters are developing.


Group readingRead chapters 7 and 8 together.

Group task

1. Chairperson to ask one member of the group to recount what has happened in Tightrope so far.

2. In two groups:

Group A – focus on Ashley’s character. Discuss what you have learned about Ashley’s character so far, supporting your ideas with evidence from the text.

Group B – focus on Eddie’s character. Discuss what you have learned about Eddie’s character so far, supporting your ideas with evidence from the text.

3. Share your findings with the whole group, using supporting evidence. How do you think the sense of place adds to their characters?

4. On a piece of sugar paper, draw two columns and write the headings ‘Explicit’ and ‘Implicit’. Focus on Eddie and pp.36–37 and pp.42–43. What do we learn that is explicit (i.e. we are told openly) and what is implied about him? Write your responses in the two columns.

5. We haven’t yet met Eddie but have heard a huge amount about him. Why has the author introduced his character in this way? Does this add or detract from his character?




Resources: Sugar paper, pens

As a whole group we have: revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; explored narrative hooks; explored the developing relationships between character and place.

Now you are going to: explore the characterisation in more depth.



Group task

1. Chairperson to ask one member of the group to recount what has happened so far. As they listen, the rest of the group should ‘mind-map’ the plot, using drawings, symbols and arrows, an appropriate graphic organiser, e.g. for chronology.

2. Each of you take on the role of one of the characters in the book (Ashley, Vikki, Pauline, Eddie, Geoffrey, Joe).

Each of you think of one question to ask the character sitting next to you. Ask questions in turn with each character answering ‘in role’ (no more than two minutes per character).

3. As a group, establish what the relationships are like between the characters and capture them on a large sheet of paper, using an appropriate visual format and key words only (e.g. spider diagram, mind-map).

What are the issues that are emerging between the characters? How do the characters contribute to these themes?

4. What does your group think Tightrope is about (the big picture)? Agree your ideas in three bullet points.

HomeworkRead chapters 12–14 by the next lesson. Find out what ‘leitmotif’ means.




Resources: None

As a whole group we have: revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; explored narrative hooks; explored the developing relationships between character and place; begun to explore themes and how the characters contribute towards them.

Now you are going to: continue to trace developments, including themes.

Group reading Read chapters 15 and 16 together.

Group task

1. Revisit the pictorial representation of the plot that you made in the previous lesson. From your reading today, add any developments in the plot in a graphic way.

2. In these chapters, we meet Eddie for only the second time and yet he seems to have influence everywhere. Things are moving fast for Ashley. Spend three minutes discussing the influence that Eddie has. Is it good or bad? What do you think his motives are? Support your ideas with examples from the text.

3. Later on in the novel, Eddie says, ‘I’m the ringmaster and they all jump when I crack the whip’. The line between reality and fantasy is a key theme in Tightrope. There is a ‘leitmotif’ of a circus that runs throughout this story. Jot down a list of characteristics for a circus.

What are the similarities between a circus and the events/description in chapter 16? For example, the club Nightrap could be a circus ring: ‘There was a circular balcony, running all the way around the club’.

Extend your search by revisiting chapters that you have already read. What other references/events can you find that could be applied to a circus?

Why do you think the author has used the leitmotif or extended metaphor of a circus? How does it contribute to themes of reality and fantasy (think also about language we use when somebody is treading a fine line between right and wrong)?

As you read on, keep this leitmotif at the front of your mind and note down any other references to it.




Resources: Photocopies of chapter 17, highlighters, access to the Internet

As a whole group we have: revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; explored narrative hooks; explored the developing relationships between character and place; explored themes and how the characters contribute towards them.

Now you are going to: explore the role of the author.


Group task

1. Many of the characters have a voice in the story and give their point of view. These are not the only voices in the story. Readers are often given a strong impression of the author, the teller of the tale, and this can influence your experience of the story.

2. In pairs, one pair prepares to be interviewed as the author and the other two pairs write down three questions that they would like to ask Gillian Cross about Tightrope and her ideas in the book. For ideas:

i. Why did you choose Ashley as a main character? What does she stand for?ii. What messages are you giving about right and wrong in the book?iii. Why do you like writing for young people?iv. Which is your favourite character/section of the book/description?

3. One pair, or individual, should take on the role of the author and be interviewed as the author.

4. When you have done this, ask permission to access www.gatehouse39.freeserve.co.uk and read a transcript of an interview with Gillian Cross.

5. List the similarities and differences in your ideas with the ideas that Gillian Cross provides in the transcript.

6. How close was your group’s impression of the author given in Tightrope, to that given in the transcript?

HomeworkRead chapters 19–21 by the next lesson.


http://www.gatehouse39.freeserve.co.uk/



Resources: Authorial voice sheet

As a whole group we have: revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; explored narrative hooks, character, setting and mood; explored the developing relationships between character and place; explored themes and how the characters contribute towards them.

Now you are going to: think about the author’s voice and narrative voice.


Group taskPoint of view, viewpoint, perspective, first person, third person: a story can’t be written without using point of view.

1. In lesson 5, you began to think about the narrative voices in Tightrope. Using the Authorial voice sheet, discuss the different narrative voices that there are in Tightrope.

i. What do you notice about the tense that is used in the different narrative voices in the chapters you have just read? Why does the author change the tense?

ii. The author uses different narrative voices to communicate her thoughts to you, the reader. What other channels does the author use to give herself a ‘voice’ in this story and convey thoughts to the reader?

2. In your group, agree and write down short definitions of what we mean by authorial voice and narrative voice. Be prepared to share this with the class during the plenary.

HomeworkRead chapters 25–27 by the next lesson.




Resources: Photocopies of chapter 29, highlighters

As a whole group we have: revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; explored narrative hooks, character, setting and mood, relationships between character

and place, emerging themes, the difference between authorial voice and narrative voice.

Now we will look at: narrative style.


Group task

1. In what ways does the author build up tension in chapters 28 and 29? Brainstorm the features at word, sentence and text level that you will be looking for, e.g.:

i. how the reader’s responses are played with;ii. the characters;iii. the pace and how it is controlled by the author;iv. the use of description (including senses) and dialogue.

2. Reread the handout of chapter 29, text-marking evidence as you read. You should do this in threes and you could use different colours for word, sentence and text level features. Whilst you are reading:

i. think about the reading strategies you are using;ii. think about the evidence you may use to support your ideas.

3. Chapter 29 has ‘filmic’ qualities. In your group, chart the way that the author moves the action from Ashley to the street, back to Ashley and so on. If you were directing the filming of this chapter, how might you turn this chapter into a film?




Resources: None

As a whole group we have: revised the range of reading strategies you have available to you; explored narrative hooks, character, setting and mood, relationships between character

and place, emerging themes, narrative style, the difference between authorial and narrative voice.

Now we will look at: the resolution.


Group reading

1. The chairperson asks one person to recount what has happened so far.

2. In your group, discuss and agree three or four questions that you hope will be answered by the ending of Tightrope.

3. Read chapter 30 together.

Group task

1. Briefly discuss your reactions to the ending. Have your three questions been answered?

2. Skim reread chapter 1. Both chapters 1 and 30 have the same structure, with the third person narrative focused on Ashley, and Geoffrey telling the first person narrative.

3. On one large sheet of paper, mind-map how the two chapters fit together. Draw as many links as you can. What do you think is the lynchpin that connects the chapters?

How have Ashley and Geoffrey changed from the beginning of the novel to how they are at the end?

4. Finally, why is the book called Tightrope? It means more than the balancing act that Ashley does.

Be prepared to display and present your ideas in the plenary.


Tightrope Gillian CrossLesson 6 Guided card TR1Teaching objective(s):

R13 Evaluate own readingR18 Prose text

Resources:Photocopies of chapters 17 and 18, Strategy check-card

Text focus: Tightrope by Gillian CrossChapters 17 and 18: authorial voice

Teaching sequenceIntroduction to text:

Strategy check:

Group reading and related task:

Return to text – developing response:

Review (reading target and next steps):

Teacher clarifies objectives and asks pupils to say a sentence each as a six (number in the group) sentence recap of the story so far.Distribute Strategy check-card. Check pupils’ understanding of strategies and discuss expectations for developing active reading skills.

Ask pupils to reread chapters 17 and 18 on photocopies. Explain that in these chapters we see the developing relationship between Ashley and Eddie. The narrative is written in both the third person and first person. What does the author want the reader to think about Eddie and Ashley? Model the annotation of the first few lines, taking comments from pupils. Pupils should then continue to text-mark chapter 17, selecting evidence which conveys the thoughts of the author.

Whole-group discussion – lead initially, modelling as appropriate and then hand over questioning to the pupils. What voice do they hear in this section? What are the methods that the author uses to convey her thoughts?

(Look at word and sentence level features.) Ask pupils to ask each other for textual evidence to support their points.

There are two narrators in this book but the writer manages to move from one to the other without it seeming disjointed.

How does the author link the two chapters (look at the ending of chapter 17 and the beginning of chapter 18)?

How is continuity maintained? How might they use a double narration in their own writing?

Recap on the reading strategies that pupils feel they have developed in this lesson.

Homework: Read chapters 19–21 by the next lesson.

Evaluation:


Tightrope Gillian CrossLesson 9 Guided card TR2Teaching objective(s):

R13 Evaluate own readingR18 Prose text

Resources:Strategy check-card

Text focus Tightrope by Gillian CrossChapter 30: Resolutions, echoes, ambiguity, textual cohesion, through genre/theme

Teaching sequenceIntroduction to text:

Strategy check:

Group reading and related task:

Return to text: developing response

Review (reading target and next steps):

Teacher clarifies objectives and asks pupils to recap on the story and comment specifically on how the tension has built through chapters 27–29. Model for pupils a question still to be answered and ask them for examples of others.

Distribute Strategy check-card. Check pupils’ understanding of active reading skills when comparing the end and beginning of a book. Model this kind of thinking on a book or short story already read by the class.

Ask pupils to read chapter 30 and discuss their responses to the ending. Ask them to look back at what they thought might happen when they started the book. How effective is this chapter as an ending to Tightrope?

Ask pupils to reread chapter 1. Lead the discussion initially, gradually handing the questioning over to the pupils who are asked to explore: how the structures of the two chapters are similar, focusing on the

narrative voices; how has the portrayal of Ashley and Geoffrey changed between chapter

1 and chapter 30?

The links between chapters could be captured in the form of a mind-map. Ask pupils to ask each other for textual evidence to support their points.

Throughout the book, there is conflict between loving, giving characters and those with selfish motives. Discuss some examples of this conflict. Which characters prevail? Which characters appear to be a mixture and to be doing a balancing act? Any further comment on why the book is called Tightrope?

Ask pairs to consider what the future might hold for: Ashley? Pauline? Geoffrey?

As pupils share their thoughts, ask them what clues in the story lead them to these conclusions.

Recap on which reading strategies pupils have used in this session and which they feel they have developed in this unit.

Evaluation:


Documents

Lesson 1wsassets.s3.amazonaws.com/ws/nso/doc/b3c0a522b1a83092584… · Web view*Pass judgements Ending and how it links back to beginning Group reading: chapter 30. Group activity: