a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story

a way in which people or things are dissimilar

the way in which something or someone is viewed or interpreted

showing that you realise someone’s true feelings and intentions

Exploring themes in 'The Iron Man'

English

Engaging with the opening chapter of 'The Iron Man'

Chapter 2 and humanity's response to the Iron Man

Chapter 3 and characterisation in ‘The Iron Man’

Chapters 4 & 5 and the evolution of the Iron Man

In 'The Iron Man’, pupils read and discussed the story of ’The Iron Man’. In 'The Iron Man Narrative Writing’, pupils will use the book as a stimulus for narrative writing.

In 'The Sheep Pig’, children read and discussed a linear narrative. They used inference to build their comprehension and understanding. In ’The Iron Man’, pupils will read and discuss another narrative structure. They will develop their understanding of how authors use language to create tone and atmosphere within a book.

In this unit, pupils read and explore the narrative 'The Iron Man'. They explore the genre of contemporary science fiction and read and discuss the story in detail. Finally, pupils will examine the traits of the different characters and explore the key themes in the text.

'The Iron Man': reading

True or false? Themes within a text are explicitly stated by the author.

Which of the following are key themes in 'The Iron Man'?

Match each theme to the correct definition.

The protagonist is a robot in a human world.

Hogarth empathises with the Iron Man and sees his true intentions.

Match each theme to how it is explored in the story.

If somebody is different, you should fear them.

You should not judge or treat somebody based on their differences.

It is important to show understanding and acceptance towards others.

The way you see something is always accurate and true.

Which of the following are lessons that could be learnt from the story?

Who is the protagonist in 'The Iron Man'?

The Iron Man fell off a cliff, broke into pieces and put himself back together.

The Iron Man ate the farmers' machinery. They responded angrily by burying him.

The Iron Man resurfaced. Hogarth found a solution & took him to a scrapyard.

The space-bat-angel-dragon threatened the Earth. 

The Iron Man battled and defeated the dragon, protecting the Earth.

Put the summaries of each chapter of the story in the correct order to show their chronology.

True or false? Humanity views the Iron Man the same way throughout the story.

Put the following perceptions of the Iron Man in order to show how the he is viewed over the course of the story. 

What skill do we use to uncover the deeper meaning behind a story?

Exploring themes in 'The Iron Man'

Lesson outcome