Lesson video

Hi there, my name is Mr. Byrne Smith.

Today we're going to be doing some reading together.

This is the third of five lessons on Nicola Davies King of The Sky.

In today's lesson, we're going to be analysing a character together.

It's going to be really fun, so let's make a start.

Here's the agenda for today's lesson.

First, we're going to recap what we've learned so far.

I'm going to recap the story so far.

And we're going to do some text analysis.

After that, we're going to summarise what we've learned or summarise what we've done today.

In this lesson, you will need an exercise book or paper, pencil and your brain.

So if you need to go off and get any of these things, please do so now.

Okay, let's recap the story so far.

Here we have five pictures.

Now these depict the second half of the story.

This is the part of the story that we looked at last lesson.

I'd like you to help me put these in order.

So pause the video, have a careful look, and then put them into the order you think they should go in.

Pause the video now.

Okay, so first we have the boy and Mr. Evans together.

And they're actually looking at the entry form for this big race, the big race into which king of the sky is eventually entered.

Next, we have the boy Mr. Evans waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting for the return of the king of the sky.

Next, we have King the sky our pigeon flying through the night sky on his way back.

After that, we have the boy who's at this point, gone outside and spotted in the distance in the sky, a speck, king of the sky.

Then we have the boy, the king of the sky, the pigeon back in his arms after having successfully flown all the way home.

Okay, now we're going to do some text analysis.

Today and we're going to analyse a character.

The character we're going to analyse today is the boy.

The boy is arguably the main character in the story.

Now this is up to you, perhaps you actually consider king of the sky to be the main character.

Or maybe you consider Mr. Evans to be the main character, but the boy is definitely in the running for being the main character in the story.

In order to analyse this character, we are going to do three things.

We're going to discuss what we know about the boy, we can discuss what we can infer about the boy.

And finally we're going to discuss what we want to know about the boy.

I know, I can infer, I want to know.

First let's discuss what we know about the boy.

So that's we're thinking about things we know for sure.

So these are things that we are told, we're either told them in the text or in the image.

We're not putting together clues and figuring things out.

We're not making educated guesses that would all come under inference, which we're going to do next.

But now we're focusing on things we know for sure.

In order to do this, I'm going to recap part of the story.

It rained and rained, and rained.

Little houses huddled on the humpbacked hills, chimneys smoke and metal towers clanked.

The streets smelled of mutton soup and coal dust, and no one spoke my language.

You need to pause the video please do.

All of it told me this is not where you belong.

Just one thing reminded me of home of sunlight fountains and the vanilla smell of ice cream in my granny shop.

It was Mr. Evans his pigeons in their loft behind my house, queueing as if they started in St.

Peter's Square in Rome.

Mr. Evans' his face was crumple, and he could hardly walk.

But when his birds flew he smiled like springtime.

I stood beside him and watched as his pigeons soared above the chimneys and the towers up to where the sky stretched all the way to Italy.

So let's focus on this part of the story.

I'm going to read out loud and then we're going to delve in.

It rained, and rained, and rained.

Little houses huddle on the humpback hills, chimneys smoked and metal towers clean, the streets smelled of mutton soup and coal dust, and no one spoke my language.

What does this text tell us about the boy? What do we know after having read this text? Pause the video now and have a think.

Okay, so I look carefully at this.

And first I thought what actually it doesn't tell us much about the boy.

So lots of setting description going on here, but what does it actually tell us about the boy? Then at the very end of this piece of writing, I spotted this.

No one spoke my language.

Now if you haven't yet thought about this, I'd like you to think now.

What does this tell us about the boy? No one spoke my language.

Well, it tells us that the boys in a country that he does not originate from.

If you could speak a different language to the people around you, it suggests that either you've gone to a different country to live or maybe to visit, or you're surrounded by people from a different country.

So I've taken from this that the boy is in a country where nobody speaks his language, he must be from somewhere else.

Next, we're going to look at these two images.

One image depicts where the boy came from, that's the first image.

The second image depicts the boy lives now, what we're going to do is we're going to see if we can figure out anything from the boy after looking at these images.

So I'd like you to look at them carefully.

Consider them carefully.

What are the similarities and differences between where the boys came from, and where the boy is now? And what does that tell us about? Pause the video now.

Okay, so the first image I can see lots of kind of yellow shade, and there's a big sun in the sky, suggests to me that he came from somewhere hot and sunny.

I can also see some really beautifully designed buildings.

These are very old fashioned.

This is the kind of architecture you might find in old fashioned city.

I think he comes from an old fashioned city that somewhere hot.

The picture on the right depicts where he is now.

And I can see tool towns that are billowing dark smoke out the top, these look like chimneys, and I can see machines and what looks like factories.

From this I can tell that the boy currently lives what I would describe as an industrial area.

An industrial area is one full of machines and factories, an area used to making things.

From these two images I've been able to figure out a bit about the boys from, and a bit about where he lives now.

However, still I don't feel as though I know that much about the boy.

We're told very little about the boy for sure in this text, we actually have to do a lot of working out.

That's what we're going to do next.

Next, we're going to infer some things about the boy.

When we infer we put together clues in the text to figure things out about the story or the characters.

In a second, we're going to put together some clues left behind very carefully and cleverly, by Nicola Davies and Laura Carlin.

We going to put them together, I'm going to use them to figure out a bit more about the boy, see if we can get to the bottom of who he is and where he's from.

When we infer we need to use phrases such as this, I can infer that because, the because it's very important.

And we infer it's important that we explain how we know what we know, how we've figured out what we figured out.

When we infer we're making a bit of a guess.

Now it's an educated guess, but it's still a guessing it's important that you explain how you've come to that conclusion.

We read this a second ago and decided that the boy is from a different country to the one he's in now.

We came across the phrase no one spoke my language and decided that you probably from a different country.

Now we're going to try and figure out which country.

We're never told that we are left lots and lots of clues.

This is the first clue.

We've got some insight into where he came from through this picture on the left, it's your traditional old fashioned city, the sun in the sky which is probably very hot, which contrasts quite significantly to the city he's in now.

I'm going to read you this piece of text and I like to look carefully at the images.

Let's see if we can figure out where he might be from.

Where the sky stretched all the way to Italy.

Now listen to the boy speaking here.

And for some reason, he's chosen to reference Italy, I wonder why? I'd like you to think carefully.

Is there a clue in this sentence about where the boy might be from? Pause the video now.

Okay, so there's a big clue in this sentence, where the sky stretched all the way to Italy.

Now, like I mentioned earlier, we're not being told that he's from Italy, but he's chosen to reference Italy.

Now, I wonder why he would have made that choice.

He could have chosen any country to reference but chosen Italy.

If I were to discuss what I can infer from this picture, I might say something like, I can infer that the boy is probably from Italy, because he has chosen to reference it.

I think he's chosen to reference it, because it's a place he cares about.

If you care about something, you are likely to think about it and talk about it.

Like the boys done here.

If there are any other clues? I didn't have to think of I replied.

Now, you might not have heard those words before.

That's because is a different language.

Perhaps you already know the language, perhaps you don't? I'm going to tell you it's Italian.

So what do we record? What does this tell us about the boy? What does this tell us about where the boy might come from? I'd like you to have a go using the phrase, I can infer that because.

Pause the video now and have a go.

Okay, I've come up with, I can infer that the boy is probably from Italy, because he's chosen to name the pigeon in Italian.

That's a really big clue.

He's likely to speak Italian.

When we were told earlier that he speaks a different language, we can now figure out which language that probably is which you may have guessed this by now means king of the sky.

Now we're going to think about how the boy was feeling at the beginning of the story.

Now, at the beginning of the story, he hadn't yet struck up this friendship with Mr. Evans.

The way we're going to get to the bottom of how he was feeling is by looking at the image here, and the text that accompanies it.

All of it told me, this is not where you belong.

I'd like you to pause the video and have a think, how does the boy feel? And how do you know? And also like you to think of why he might feel this way? Pause the video now.

Okay, now in this picture, I can tell that the boy is feeling sad.

And I can tell that because of his body language and his facial expression, which I've zoomed in on here.

He's leaning against the wall, he has his head in his hand, and he has his head down pointing down, which is something people have to do if they're upset.

He also has quite a sad look on his face, he looks quite upset about things.

He has a slight frown, and he has slightly downturned mouth.

All this together is telling me that the boy is probably not very happy.

The next question is why he might be feeling this way? Now if you haven't already had a think about this, I'd like you to pause the video and have a little think, why the boy feeling sad? Okay, now in order to answer this question, I looked at the text.

And you can see I've highlighted word belong.

All of it told me this is not where you belong.

As we discussed in the home lesson belonging is a really important feeling, which is something that makes you feel comfortable.

The boy is telling us here that he doesn't feel as though he belongs.

I can infer that the boy is upset because he feels as though he doesn't belong.

I can even go one step further and say I can tell he's upset, or I can infer that he's upset because he has a saddened facial expression, and he has quite negative body language.

His body language suggests that he's not very happy.

Okay, so we get to the bottom of this character.

We know the beginning of the story that he wasn't being especially happy.

He wasn't feeling especially comfortable.

He wasn't feeling especially at home.

Now what about this picture? I'd like you to have a think about this picture.

How do you think the boys feeling here? And why? I'd also like you to tell me how how he's feeling? You might find this easy.

You might find it easy to tell me how he's feeling.

But how can he's feeling that way? What the clues? So pause the video, how's the boy feeling? How do you know, and why? Okay, now in this picture I can tell that the boy is feeling happy, because he's smiling.

He's leaning down close to the pigeons, and he's looking at them, which tells me that potentially possibly, he's feeling happy because of the pigeons.

This tells me that maybe the pigeons are making him happy.

Maybe he enjoys spending time with animals, and he enjoys spending time with birds.

If you didn't enjoy spending time with birds, you wouldn't be this close to them.

And you certainly wouldn't be smiling.

I can infer that the boy is happy because he is smiling.

I think this is because he likes pigeons.

And he's getting a chance to spend time with pigeons, as we can see in the picture.

So we're putting together clues here one by one to see if we can understand this boy better and better.

We're not going to think about how the boy treats other people.

Now you can learn a lot about somebody from how they treat other people.

It tells you an awful lot about them, who they are as a person, what their characteristics are like, what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are.

I'm going to read you this text.

We're going to consider the boys relationship with Mr. Evan, you can think about how that develops.

You're going to think about what that relationship tells us about the boy.

Mr. Evans' his face was crumpled and he could hardly walk.

But when his birds flew, he smiled like springtime.

I stood beside him and watch as his pigeons soared about the chimneys and the towers, up to where the sky stretched all the way to Italy.

Now I've read this carefully enough, it's made me think, what must it be like to be friends with Mr. Evans? When I read this, and when I considered this, I picked out a few things.

First of all, I looked at the boy and I looked at how he's reacting to spending time with Mr. Evans.

I'd like you to look at his face, which I've zoomed in on.

And consider what it tells us about Mr. Evans's relationship with the boy and how the boy feels about Mr. Evans? Pause the video now and have a think.

Okay, so in the image here we can see again that the boy is smiling.

The boy is spending time with Mr. Evans, and smiling.

This suggests to me that the boy enjoys spending time with Mr. Evans, maybe feels close to Mr. Evans, maybe feels comfortable in the company of Mr. Evans.

Either way, he's enjoying spending time with Mr. Evans, and doing the things that Mr. Evans likes to do.

For example, look up the pensions in the sky.

Let's consider what it might be like being friends with Mr. Evans.

Now we know that Mr. Evans is an old man.

And there's evidence in this piece of text, which tells us a bit about Mr. Evans.

What we're going to do is we're going to read this text, we're going to take out and pick out parts of this text, which tell us something about Mr. Evans, that's going to be the first step.

A lifetime down the mind and taking Mr. Evans his breath away.

So he spoke soft and slow, slow enough for me to understand.

I like to pause the video and have a think, what does this piece of tech tell us about Mr. Evans? And what does the image tell us about Mr. Evans? 'cause there's lots to be considered in the image here too.

Pause the video now and have a think.

Okay, I picked out a few things.

A lifetime down the mine had taken Mr. Evans' his away.

That suggests to me that he's not very well, that he's short of breath and maybe finds it hard to speak properly, and loudly, and clearly.

In fact, it even says that in the next sentence, so he spoke soft and slow.

That suggests to me yeah, that he's not very well.

And now look at the picture.

And that idea kind of develops even more.

You can see that he has quite an hunched back as they struggle standing up straight.

And he has a stick which helps him stand, and helps him walk.

I can infer Mr. Evans is old and unwell, because he needs a stick to help him walk.

And he has a hunched back.

Now this is something that happens often to old people, their body starts failing them, it doesn't work like it used to.

And this process can be sped up if you're not very well.

So we don't know for sure if this is just part of getting old for Mr. Evans, or if perhaps he's unwell, it could be either.

Let's think about what it's like being friends with someone like this.

So I friended someone like this.

The boy has friended and Mr. Evans has developed a really close friendship.

But what must it be like being friends with somebody who's very old? Because being old affects how you can move, and how you can talk, and the things that you can do.

And of course, the boy is very young.

So for him to strike up his friendship with the old man.

Well, he's having to make some compromises.

And he's having to think about what it's like to be friends with an old man like this.

What does this tell us about the boy? I might start a sentence like this, I can infer that the boy is hmm because hmm.

Pause the video and have a go.

I think the boy is timed, I can infer that the boy is kind because he enjoys spending time and being patient with Mr. Evans.

If you're friends with somebody who's very old, and you're very young, you would have to be patient because things might take a little longer than they would ordinarily take.

Walking, speaking, climbing stairs, picking things up, putting things down.

So if the boy two had established this really close friendship with Mr. Evans, sure suggests to me that he's kind and patient.

I wonder if we can spot more evidence of the boy being kind and patient? Her is our next image.

I like you to look closely.

Can you see any evidence of the boy being kind and patient? What is that? Pause the video.

Okay, I wonder if you've spotted it.

That the boys linking arms with Mr. Evans or holding his hand.

Now it's funny because we often think about adults holding the hands of children in order to look after them.

I don't know about you.

But in here, in this image, I get the impression that it's actually the other way around.

I get the impression that the boy is holding on to Mr. Evans, to look after Mr. Evans, maybe to make it easier for him to walk, maybe to keep him more stable on his feet.

I think either way, this is a really strong sign of the boys kindness and friendship.

I think he's showing loyalty, and kindness, and patients.

I can infer that the boy is kind because he is holding on to Mr. Evans, and keeping him steady.

Let's see if we can dig a bit deeper into what it might be like being friends with Mr. Evans.

Every day Mr. Evans grew a little weaker.

By racing season, he couldn't leave his bed.

I like to read that piece of text carefully.

From this tech, do we learn anything else about Mr. Evans and his condition? From that, can we think carefully about what it might be like being friendly, Mr. Evans? And what kind of characteristics it might take to establish and maintain a friendship with Mr. Evans? I'd like to pause the video now.

Okay, so I picked up these two phrases.

Every day Mr. Evans grew a little weaker.

So as an old man who possibly unwell or at least very old, he's growing weaker and weaker.

By racing season, he couldn't leave his bed.

Now I'm imagining being friends with somebody who's getting weaker and weaker.

And I'm imagining being friends with somebody who can't leave their bed.

And I'm thinking that must be quite hard elements to that relationship, which must be quite hard.

I want you to really think about what that must be like.

I'd also like you to think about what qualities are required to keep that friendship going.

Imagine you offended somebody who couldn't leave their bed.

What qualities would it take in order for you to keep that friendship going? Pause the video and have a think.

Okay, so I've had to think about it.

I think it must be really hard to maintain that friendship.

Because as this person grows weaker and weaker, they can't leave their bed, there are a few things that they can do, they can't go out, they can't run in the field, they can't play in the park.

They can't join you on long walks, there are lots of things that they can't do anymore.

And therefore, you as their friend, you're having to make a few compromises.

So in order to spend time with them, you're having to agree that you won't do those things either.

That shows great kindness, and that's not easy to do.

Also, patience as we've seen, again, and again, and again, boy has proven to be a very patient friend, he's willing to take things a little bit slower, because Mr. Evans has to.

And here's a depiction of that really nice depiction.

On three separate occasions, here's the boy sitting loyally by Mr. Evan, there he is in the background.

This is why they're sitting waiting for the pigeons.

Mr. Evans, presumably at this point is in bed, and the boy is sitting in the window, patiently waiting, patiently spending time and Mr. Evans been very loyal, staying by his side, showing him great friendship and great kindness.

I can infer that the boy is loyal, because he stays by Mr. Evans's side, even when he's ill.

And then there's one final reference to how the boy feels about Mr. Evan on this page.

I sat beside my friend's bed, and I told him, that perhaps the sunlight and the fountains and vanilla smell of ice cream from 1000 granny shops, that made our pigeon wants to stay, though he said, Mr. Evans, that will only tell him this is not where you belong.

And I've picked out this one sentence, I sat beside my friend's bed, there's a word there which makes it very clear how the boy feels about Mr. Evans, what is it, helped me out? Okay, it's this, it's very clear that the boy has strong feelings towards Mr. Evans.

And as we have learned, in order to maintain that friendship, the boy is proven to have lots of really fantastic qualities.

Thought about kindness and patience, loyalty.

Wonder if we can put some of those into a sentence.

I can infer that the boy is hmm because, I like you to pick one of these adjectives, kind, patient or loyal.

And I'd like you to really explain it.

Explain your choice.

So this might be more than one sentence, we've picked up on lots of evidence today, lots and lots of evidence.

So whether you decide that the boy is kind, patient, or loyal, that's up to you.

But I'd like you to really back it up.

You can use any number of sentences to do this.

I would like to write this answer down.

This is how it's going to look, I can infer that the boy is hmm because.

And then I need your evidence.

So pause the video now and have a go.

Okay.

Finally, we're going to consider things we want to know.

This is a chance for you to consider what you want to find out about the text, things you don't already know about the boy.

In order to do this, we're going to come up with some questions.

And actually, we might not ever get answers to these questions.

But that's not really the point.

It gives us something to discuss.

So by raising these questions, we have things to think about by thinking and talking about the question, we can discover more about the text.

I've come up with an example question.

I want to know why the boy moved.

So my question might be why did the boy move in the first place? Why did he come from where we presume is Italy to live here? That's what I want to know.

What sorts of questions jump out at you? Pause the video now and how to think.

Okay, let's summarise today's lesson.

I like to do this by discussing and comparing the differences in these two pictures.

So what's the difference between the way the boy is behaving in the first picture, and the way the boy is behaving in the second picture? I'd like you to have a think, discuss the transformation that happens between the first picture and the second picture.

Pause the video now.

Okay.

In the first picture, we can see that he's quite despondent and downhearted and sad.

I can tell this from having standing and facial expression he's making.

In the second picture by contrast, he's looking very happy.

He's leaning down, he's reaching out and he has a smile on his face.

Congratulations, that's the end of the lesson.

You've done really well.

It's a difficult one today.

Lots of thinking, lots of discussion, but I'm really impressed.

So we have recapped done some text analysis, and we've summarised, which is a lot so you've done really well.

Well done for your hard work.

You've completed Lesson.

Good job.