Developing understanding of 'When Stars are Scattered' through rich discussions
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can discuss the main ideas of ‘When Stars are Scattered’.
Key learning points
- 'When Stars are Scattered' is a graphic novel memoir of Omar Mohamed's experience of living in a refugee camp in Kenya.
- Omar and his brother, Hassan, have lived in Dadaab refugee camp for seven years.
- Omar's brother, Hassan, has complex needs which are depicted and handled sensitively.
- Gender inequality is noted in the early chapters; inequality is an important theme of the text.
Keywords
Graphic novel - A graphic novel is a type of text combining words and images in long-form, sequential art panels.
Refugee - Refugees are people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country.
Theme - A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story.
Common misconception
Pupils may consider the text as telling Omar's story in one continuous narrative.
The graphic novel has two significant jumps in time, page 114 (two years later) and page 221 (four years later). The afterword and author's note both describe what happened to Omar after arriving in the United States.
Teacher tip
Pupils must have read the text in advance of this lesson. To develop a greater awareness of the refugee experience, appropriate non-fiction texts, resources or websites (such as CBBC's Newsround, Refugee Week) can be used to deepen understanding.
Equipment
You need a copy of the 2020 Faber & Faber edition of 'When Stars are Scattered’, created by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the following words with their definitions.
a close-knit group sharing bonds of kinship and support
learning and skill development in academic or practical contexts
a group sharing common interests, values, or location
assistance and support provided for the well-being of people in need
Q2.Which features are commonly found in memoirs?
Q3.Which of the following are forms of children's texts?
Q4.True or False? A theme of a text can be identified using retrieval skills.
Q5.Which is the most suitable definition for a graphic novel text?
Q6.Which of these are features of a graphic novel?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to their definitions.
a text combining words and images in long-form, sequential art panels
people who have fled war, violence or conflict to find safety
a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story
Q2.Order the following events from Omar's life.
Q3.True or False? Comics and graphic novels are the same form of literature.
Q4.How can you discover themes within a text?
Q5.Match the following graphic novel features with their role in the text.
represents what/how something is said
represents inner thoughts and feelings
represents the character's perspective through storytelling
Q6.Which of the following themes can be found in the text 'When Stars are Scattered'?
To help you plan your 6 English lesson on: Developing understanding of 'When Stars are Scattered' through rich discussions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 English lesson on: Developing understanding of 'When Stars are Scattered' through rich discussions, 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 'When Stars are Scattered': book club unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.