TR&W Issue 20

www.teachwire.net | 51 C L AS SROOM AC T I V I T I E S Loved this? Try these... v Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone v Northern Lights by Philip Pullman v The Elemental Detectives by Patrice Lawrence v Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver v The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club by Alex Bell v Cogheart by Peter Bunzl GEOGRAPHY Opportunities here include linking the book to map work and to climates around the world. One activity that is always successful is getting the children to draw the as yet undiscovered Fourth Continent. They need to consider the environment (polar, desert, mountainous, forest, volcanic), whether or not it is inhabited, the wildlife that might be found there and any potential dangers that explorers might face. Depending on the time available, they could write stories based around what they have created. RSHE IDEAS Brightstorm addresses some issues that would make a basis for valuable RSHE lessons. For example, Maudie is assertive, scientific and fearless, whereas Arthur is generally quieter and more sensitive. Arthur also has a mechanical arm, which was designed and built by his sister. You could thus explore topics such as challenging gender stereotypes and increasing disability awareness. The importance of teamwork and cooperation is a thread that runs through the entire book, and is something that could be related to real-life situations the children encounter. There are also some events and elements in the story that can be linked to the damage that humans are doing to the natural environment. As well as the ideas suggested above, Hardy has provided lots of resources based on the books in the series, including maps and posters, so do make sure you and your pupils find the time to visit her website, vashtihardy.com Jon Biddle is an experienced primary school teacher and English lead. Winner of the 2018 Reading for Pleasure Experienced Teacher of the Year award, he coordinates the national Patron of Reading initiative. New villain Creating a new character for an existing story is always enjoyable, even more so if it’s a dastardly villain. Does Eudora Vane have a partner in crime? Is there an even more cunning member of the Geographical Society with an even more despicable plot up their sleeve? Do Arthur and Maudie have a long-lost sibling eyeing up their inheritance? Because there’s so much potential in the world that Vashti has created, there are numerous ways that a new antagonist could fit in. Pupils can draw their new villain and then annotate the image with key words that describe them. They could create a new backstory which explains why they have villainous tendencies, and write an account of one of their most wicked schemes – this could also be done in the form of a comic strip, where graphic novels such as Lightfall by Tim Probert can provide extra inspiration. TP Explorer’s journal Non-fiction books Against the Odds by Alastair Humphries and Explorers by Nellie Huang are a fantastic starting point for creating an explorer’s journal. Once the expedition sets sail, writing either as one of the twins or as another member of the crew can lead to an impressive piece of work that builds up as the story progresses. Writing longer entries when something significant happens in the book, alongside shorter entries which detail day-to-day life on board The Aurora, will help ensure that interest and enthusiasm is maintained. Recounts are a style of writing that the children will be very familiar with, and they should be able to attempt the task with a good level of confidence. Creating a sky-ship Books such as Sky High! by Jacek Ambrozewski and Planes by Jan Van Der Waken are full of incredible illustrations showing the evolution of flying machines over the past century. Sharing the artwork with the children and then encouraging them to draw and design their own sky-ships can take work based on the book in an entirely new direction. They can design the exterior and interior of the ship, label it with technical details such as top speed, fuel and flying height, work out how many crew members they’ll need wwto operate it and much more. Thought-wolves For me, one of the most interesting characters in the story is Tuyok, the brave and valiant leader of the thought-wolves, who rescues the children on more than one occasion. Writing an account of a rescue – or of an incident unrelated to the main quest – from his point of view could be challenging, but it would also produce writing full of empathy and compassion. previously found that splitting it into three categories – clothing, navigation and survival – helps them to focus their thoughts and ideas. In addition, restricting them to a maximum of ten or twelve items usually ensures that nobody tries to sneak in an Xbox or PlayStation 5. Not always, admittedly, but usually. Working with a learning partner can lead to some passionate debate about what is considered essential and what isn’t. If the children are struggling to get started, suggest some items such as sunglasses (to prevent sun glare), a compass, ropes (to help pull people out of crevasses) and something to light fires with. However, pupils are normally full of suggestions and find trimming their list quite a challenge.