Building comprehension of 'Mulan' through rich discussions

English

Understanding the genre of 'Mulan'

Engaging with the legend of 'Mulan'

Developing a character profile for 'Mulan'

Exploring themes in 'Mulan'

In Moon Dragons’, children will encounter a female protagonist who also has to defy authority and challenge female stereotypes.’

In The Children of Lir’, pupils read a traditional tale from Ireland. In ’Mulan’, children will develop their understanding of the features of traditional tales and draw comparisons between their reading. ’

In this unit, pupils read and explore the legend of 'Mulan'. They discuss folklore as a genre and build comprehension around the text. Finally, pupils will explore the key themes and the moral of the text.

'Mulan': reading

How does asking questions about a text support comprehension?

skimming and scanning to find information from the text

talking to others about the meaning of what we have read

using clues from the text to draw further conclusions

Match the comprehension strategy to how we use it.

How can we infer a character's emotions or intentions?

Through facial expressions in the illustrations.

She communicates her worry to her parents.

How does Mulan show that she is feeling difficult emotions such as worry or fear at the beginning of the story?

True or false? There are clues within the story that let you know the different feelings her family have on her plan to fight in the war.

What can we infer from the end of the story about how Mulan felt once she was home and revealed her true identity?

What does building **comprehension** of a text mean?

drawing meaning from what is written in the text

What does **retrieving** key information mean?

drawing conclusions from clues within the text

True or false? Discussing a story with others can help build comprehension of a text.

What are the intentions behind Mulan's decision to become a soldier in the war?

True or false? Everyone supports Mulan in her decision to go to war.

Starter Quiz

What does building comprehension of a text mean?