Making comparisons across books
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can form connections to a text and draw comparisons across books.
Key learning points
- Connections are ways in which you connect personally with a text.
- Personal experiences impact the way that we interpret and connect to a text.
- Connections can be from text-to-self, text-to-text or text-to-world.
- We can draw comparisons between stories by considering character, setting, plot and themes.
- ‘The Moon Dragons’ can inspire us to draw comparisons with other stories that portray the female heroine, e.g. ‘Mulan’.
Keywords
Connections - ways in which you connect personally with a text
Comparison - involves the act of highlighting similarities or differences between two or more things
Female heroine - a woman within literature who possesses heroic qualities
Common misconception
Children may have questions or misconceptions around how the 'red-headed female heroine' is portrayed within stories.
It is important to explain that in life we do not judge somebody's qualities or traits based on their appearance. However, authors do sometimes use appearance to communicate certain messages.
Teacher tip
Provide an opportunity for children to discuss other stories they know with a similar plot or themes to 'The Moon Dragons'. Create a shared class mind map to form book recommendations based on different elements of the story. E.g. Stories involving quests, stories with dragons, etc.
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.Who is the protagonist in 'The Moon Dragons'?
Q2.Which of the following themes are explored in 'The Moon Dragons'?
Q3.Which lesson can we draw from the meaning of 'The Moon Dragons'?
Q4.When and where is 'The Moon Dragons' set?
Q5.What does it mean to compare?
Q6.True or false? Drawing comparisons between texts can help us develop our own personal reading preferences.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does it mean to form connections with a text?
Q2.Match the elements of a narrative to how a reader may connect to them.
might connect to them emotionally, e.g. feel empathy or inspiration
might feel a connection to the place, environment or surroundings
might enjoy stories that have similar storylines, e.g. quests
might connect these to issues or topics in their own life e.g. bravery
Q3.Match the different types of connections we form to their definitions.
how the content of the text relates to personal experiences
how the content of the text relates to another text
how the content relates to events and issues in the real world
Q4.What is a female heroine?
Q5.True or false? Comparisons can be drawn between 'The Moon Dragons' and 'Mulan'.
Q6.What similarities can we identify between 'The Moon Dragons' and 'Mulan'?
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Making comparisons across books, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Making comparisons across books, 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.