Character, setting and plot in 'The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark'

English

Reading the opening of 'The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark'

Building comprehension of 'The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark'

Understanding character in 'The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark'

Exploring themes in 'The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark'

In The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark’, pupils read a linear narrative with an animal as the protagonist. In ’The Sheep Pig’, pupils will read another narrative where animals are the protagonists and will discuss the features of narrative writing in more detail.’

In The Wolf, The Duck and The Mouse’, pupils read and discussed a narrative story. In ’The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark’, children will read and listen to a more challenging narrative. They will infer meaning to build understanding.’

In this unit, pupils read and explore the text, 'The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark'. They use a range of strategies to build their understanding of the plot and the characters. Finally, they explore the key themes in the text and give a personal response.

'The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark': reading

Plop and his mother are discussing the dark and how it makes Plop scared

Plop’s mother tries to encourage Plop to stay positive about the dark

Plop meets a young boy who teaches him all about fireworks

Plop and his parents watch the fireworks that night from their tree branch

Order the following events from Chapter One.

guessing what you think will happen using evidence

Finish this sentence. The old woman liked the dark because…

Mr Barn Owl asked Plop if he wanted to go ‘hunting’ with him but Plop said no

Plop’s mother encouraged him to go down from their tree to learn about the dark

Plop met an old woman who told Plop that night time is ‘kind’

Plop had a conversation with the old woman and then returned to his branch

Order the following events from Chapter Two.

True or false? 'The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark' is a non-fiction text.

Who is the **author** of 'The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark'?

True or false? Owls sleep in the day time.

What is the big problem in the story so far?

Who does Plop meet on the ground in Chapter One?

Introduction

What will you need for this lesson?

Are you ready to learn?

Equipment

Worksheet