Exploring voice in ‘Klara and the Sun’
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore the ways that Ishiguro crafts a unique voice in 'Klara and the Sun'.
Key learning points
- Ishiguro crafts Klara as an ambiguous narrator, leaving us to decipher her true nature.
- 'Klara and the Sun' is set in a futuristic dystopia.
- Klara is an AI companion for children.
- Ishiguro blurs the line between robot and human in his crafting of Klara.
- Ishiguro crafts Klara as the future voice of AI, perhaps subverting our traditional expectations about AI.
Keywords
Ambiguous - not having one obvious meaning
Dystopia - relating to an imagined society in which people live dehumanised lives
Compelling - if something is compelling, it makes you believe it because it is so strong
Common misconception
We have to know everything about a narrator and their world in order for a story to make sense.
Through slow crafting of a voice, we can let our reader work out the true nature of our narrator, world and characters as they read.
Teacher tip
You might want to spend some time unpicking the implications of using AI companions and how this links to a dystopian society.
Equipment
You will need access to the opening of Ishiguro's 'Klara and the Sun' for this lesson. We will be reading the first 16 paragraphs of Chapter 1.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a dystopia?
Q2.Which world below represents a dystopia best?
Q3.What is true of an ambiguous situation?
Q4.What is artificial intelligence (AI)?
Q5.Which of the below is an example of AI?
Q6.What might create the most compelling character for a reader?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is true of Ishiguro's opening in 'Klara and the Sun'?
Q2.What type of world is 'Klara and the Sun' set in?
Q3.What clues does Ishiguro give that Klara from 'Klara and the Sun' is not human?
Q4.What is Klara's relationship with the sun in 'Klara and the Sun'?
Q5.What is interesting about Klara's interaction with Rex in 'Klara and the Sun'?
Q6.In 'Klara and the Sun', what suggests AI has evolved?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Exploring voice in ‘Klara and the Sun’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Exploring voice in ‘Klara and the Sun’, 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 4 English lessons from the Fiction: inner musings unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.