- Story
- Blast off, Year 4
- Issue 6, 2019
Lopini Leaves Home
Learning resource
Outcomes
Worksheet: Rewriting Lopini Leaves Home
Understanding EN2-4A
Create a detailed story map of ‘Lopini Leaves Home’ using this scaffolded Mapping your Story worksheet.
Character: Complete a character development worksheet to illustrate how Feana Tu’akoi reveals clues to help students get to know the characters in ‘Lopini Leaves Home’. This Character Development worksheet helps students focus and analyse four ways in which an author develops characters: physical description of the character, the character’s words and actions, what others say about the character and direct commentary by the narrator. Explore further the English Textual Concept ‘Character’.
Mini review: Using the scaffolded Mini Book Review worksheet students can complete and share a review of the story, ‘Lopini Leaves Home’.
Engaging personally EN2-2A
Complete this Think About It worksheet where students record personal responses using written prompts.
Point of View: Perform a Hot Seating activity where students can explore the point of view (sometimes written as POV) of each character. Perform in groups or as a class. Students can pose questions to each character. Explore further the English Textual Concept ‘Point of View‘.
Connecting EN2-11D
Text-to-self connections occur when we make connections between personal experiences and the text.
Text-to-Self: Have a class discussion on how do the ideas in this text relate to students’ own lives, ideas and experiences. Ask students to consider:
- What I just read reminds me of the time when I …
- I agree with/understand what I just read because in my own life …
- I don’t agree with what I just read because in my own life …
Students complete a Text-to-Self Connections worksheet and discuss as a class.
Teaching Strategy explained: Text-to-Text, Text-to-Self, Text-to-World Rationale.
Engaging critically EN2-2A & EN2-7B
Create a mind map using bubbl.us for ‘Lopini Leaves Home’ that shows each character’s point of view regarding Lopini’s imminent departure. What emotions were Sefo, Mum, Dad and Nena feeling prior to Lopini’s departure? How did they feel when Lopini was gone? How did each character’s feelings change?
Conduct a Circle of Viewpoints visible thinking routine to help students consider and perceive different and diverse perspectives presented in the story. Brainstorm a list of different perspectives and then use this script skeleton to explore each one:
- I am thinking of... the topic ... From the point of view of ... the viewpoint you’ve chosen.
- I think... describe the topic from your viewpoint. Be an actor—take on the character of your viewpoint.
- A question I have from this viewpoint is... ask a question from this viewpoint.
Wrap up: What new ideas do you have about the topic that you didn’t have before? What new questions do you have?
Students could record their responses on these Circle of Viewpoints worksheets.
Experimenting EN2-10C
Theme: At its most basic level a theme may be regarded as a message or even the moral of a text. Ask students to write a paragraph about what they think the moral of the story is. Students could use a Thinking about Themes worksheet to record their ideas. Further explore the English Textual Concept ‘Theme’.
Write a summary of the story using a scaffolded Retell Summary worksheet to briefly retell the story.
Write about what it would be like to have a sibling leave home. (‘Only children’ could write about the arrival of a new baby.) Students could list their ideas using one of these Pros and Cons worksheets.
Write a thank you letter to a sibling, which allows students to practice being grateful. Brainstorm specific examples of what is great about having a brother or a sister. How do their siblings help students? Show kindness? Share their belongings? etc.
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.