Developing a character profile for Alina in 'The Moon Dragons'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can understand and describe the character of Alina.
Key learning points
- The protagonist is a main character or central figure in a story or narrative.
- Alina is the protagonist in 'The Moon Dragons'.
- Character traits are the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting.
- We can identify Alina's character traits by exploring her experiences and interactions and making inferences.
- Alina displays a range of character traits such as resilience, bravery, and morality.
Keywords
Protagonist - a main character or central figure in a story or narrative
Character traits - the special qualities that make a character in a story unique or interesting
Role on the wall - a character analysis activity which encourages readers to infer
Common misconception
Some of the vocabulary used to describe Alina's connection to nature and the moon dragons may be unfamiliar, e.g. 'intuitive'.
Explore the word 'intuitive' and its definition. Ask the children to consider moments that they feel a sense of intuitiveness and how this guides them to make decisions.
Teacher tip
Create a shared role on the wall at the beginning of the lesson or allow children to do the activity in groups to share ideas and build Alina's character profile.
Equipment
You will need a copy of the 2015 Andersen Press Ltd. edition of ‘The Moon Dragons’ written by Dyan Sheldon and illustrated by Gary Blythe for this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Put the following moments in order to tell the beginning of Alina's story.
Q2.Put the following moments in order to tell the rest of Alina's story.
Q3.True or false? The King and Alina have the same motivations for finding the moon dragons.
Q4.What is a character trait?
Q5.Which character in the story shows the most admirable character traits?
Q6.What comprehension strategy do we use to draw meaning from clues within the text?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a protagonist?
Q2.How can we identify a character trait?
Q3.What character traits can we infer from Alina's decision to venture up the mountain alone?
Q4.What character traits can we infer from Alina's connection to nature and the moon dragons?
Q5.What character traits can we infer from Alina's decision to protect the dragons and forego the reward of gold?
Q6.Alina's decision to lie could be considered an example of how lying is not always bad or wrong.
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Developing a character profile for Alina in 'The Moon Dragons', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Developing a character profile for Alina in 'The Moon Dragons', 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 Moon Dragons': reading unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.