- Story
- Blast off, Year 4
- Issue 7, 2019
A Box of Dreams
Learning resource
Outcomes
Worksheet: Rewrite a story opening
Understanding EN2-4A
Find three interesting words from the story. For example, psycho, hazel, billowing, expression, far-fetched, military, salute and conquer (Blast Off word of the month). Research their meaning and use them to increase student vocabulary using this Interesting Words worksheet.
Character: Complete a character development worksheet to illustrate how Brendan Doyle and Judy Day revealed clues to help students get to know the characters in ‘A Box of Dreams’. This Character Development worksheet helps students focus and analyse four ways in which an author develops characters: physical description of the character, character’s words and actions, what others say about the character, direct commentary by the narrator. Explore further the English Textual Concept ‘Character’.
Engaging personally EN2-2A
Point of view: Write a diary entry from Salim’s point of view. Choose any part of the story to explore what Salim was thinking, for example what life would be like with your dad in another country. Explore further the English Textual Concept ‘Point of View’.
Write a recount about students’ worst dreams or nightmares. Have students compare their dreams and find similarities and differences. Discuss how students could change the endings, as Connie suggested in the story.
Write about how Salim’s attitude changed about himself after his dream box success. Use a Beehive Flow Chart worksheet to demonstrate how the change affected Salim and Connie. Brainstorm ideas to support students.
Connecting EN2-11D
Text-To-World connections occur when we relate the text with what we already know about the world.
Text-to-World: How do the ideas in this text relate to the larger world—past, present and future? Students complete the following statements using a Text-to-World Connections worksheet activity:
- What I just read makes me think about (event from the past) because …
- What I just read makes me think about (event from today related to my own community, nation or world) because …
- What I just read makes me wonder about the future because …
Discuss as a class or use a Think, Pair, Share worksheet to record responses.
Teaching Strategy explained: Text-to-Text, Text-to-Self, Text-to-World Rationale.
Engaging critically EN2-2A & EN2-7B
Conduct a True for Who? Visible Thinking Routine, which asks students to examine a claim from different points of view. Students look at various viewpoints people can claim from, then look at a stance behind a viewpoint and the reasons behind this stance. Students can also identify how various situations might influence the stances people are likely to take. This routine can be used at any point when exploring truths once the truth-claim has been clarified. Students could use this True for Who? Viewpoints Circle worksheet.
Complete a fact or opinion chart to analyse student understanding and ability to review information statements presented in the text as either fact or opinion. Use this Fact vs. Opinion worksheet, and evidence from the text, to support the students’ positions on whether information statements are fact or opinion.
Experimenting EN2-10C
Design a television commercial for a new ‘dream product’. Students can create their advertisements using free software at Biteable.
Write about a dream job/career that students could see in their future. Compare and contrast student ideas as a class using one of these Think-Pair-Share worksheets.
Conduct a class dream experiment. Can our thoughts before we go to sleep really influence our dreams? Ask students to write about becoming ‘Masters of the Universe’ (page 21).
Create a class dream box, similar to the one described in the story, ‘A Box of Dreams’. Students could write their dreams on cloud shaped cards, or as a wall display.
Journal: ‘Connie smiled at the dreamy look on Salim’s face as he bounced higher than before.’ Have students explain what the imagery in the last sentence means, or tells them, about the story. What has Salim realised?
Reflecting EN2-12E
Conduct an I used to think ... But now I think … routine. This routine helps students to reflect on their thinking about a topic or issue and explore how and why that thinking has changed. It can be useful in consolidating new learning as students identify their new understandings, opinions, and beliefs. Record responses on this I Used to Think … Now I Think … worksheet.
Exit Slips are a formative assessment that can be used to quickly check for understanding. The teacher poses one or two questions in the last couple minutes of class and asks student to fill out an ‘exit slip’ (e.g. on an index card) to ascertain student thinking and understanding. Here are Instructions on filling out an Exit Slip and two Exit Slip worksheets.