Understanding Lila's feelings in the build-up of 'The Firework Maker's Daughter'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can identify and understand the emotions of Lila in the build-up of 'The Firework Maker's Daughter’.
Key learning points
- Lila faces physical and emotional challenges that the reader does not know if she will overcome.
- Lila's emotional journey is a key part of building suspense in the build-up of the story.
- Philip Pullman conveys Lila's changing emotions both explicitly and using 'show and tell'.
- 'Show and tell' is a narrative technique that conveys a character's feelings through sensory details, actions &thoughts.
- Empathising with a character's emotions can help us develop our own examples of 'show and tell'.
Keywords
Suspense - a state of feeling excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen
'show and tell' - a writing technique for showing a character's feelings with description of their actions, body language and facial expressions
Empathy - the ability to understand other people's emotions and points of view
Common misconception
Children may find it difficult to develop 'show and tell' ideas without stating the emotion.
Act out different feelings to encourage children to consider what happens in their bodies when they feel that emotion.E.g. What do you think or physically feel when you experience frustration? Answers could include 'chest tightens' or 'jaw clenches'.
Teacher tip
Ensure children have access to pages 59-65 of 'The Firework-Maker's Daughter' so they can use extracts from the text to infer Lila's emotions.
Equipment
You will need a copy of the 2018 Penguin Random House UK edition of ‘The Firework Maker's Daughter' by Philip Pullman for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the build-up in Chapter 4 of 'The Firework-Maker's Daughter' involve?
Q2.What is suspense?
Q3.True or false? Lila's journey up Merapi is simple and straightforward.
Q4.Order the following events from the first part of Lila's journey.
Q5.Order the following events from the second part of Lila's journey.
Q6.True or false? Lila experiences a range of emotions during her journey up Merapi.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.True or false? The only way to identify a character's emotions is if the author explicitly states it.
Q2.What effect does the narrative technique of 'show and tell' achieve?
Q3.Match the key moments Lila experienced at the beginning of her journey to how she felt.
Q4.Match the key moments Lila experienced towards the end of her journey to how she felt.
Q5.How can we generate 'show and tell' ideas for Lila's emotions?
Q6.What is the definition of empathy?
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Understanding Lila's feelings in the build-up of 'The Firework Maker's Daughter', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Understanding Lila's feelings in the build-up of 'The Firework Maker's Daughter', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 English lessons from the 'The Firework Maker's Daughter': reading and narrative writing unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.