Phase 1: Listening; reading; analysis and discussion (5 days)



|Phase 1 (5 days) |Learning outcomes |

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|FINDING OUT |Children can read to find specific information points in a narrative and refer to examples in the text. |

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|Key questions: | |

|What is a rainforest and what are rainforests like? | |

|Why are rainforests important? | |

|What’s happening to them? | |

| | |

|The Vanishing Rainforest by Richard Platt is used to | |

|introduce information and key vocabulary on the topic of deforestation. Through close reading, | |

|book-talk and discussion children gather information and begin to explore the issues raised | |

|through wider reading and independent research. | |

|Pupil Targets (SfW) that could be used to differentiate guided and independent activities during Phase 1. |

| Year 3 - Level 2a | Year 3 - Level 3c |Year 3 - Level 3c |

|Strands 7/8 Understanding and interpreting texts, Engaging and responding to texts |

|Explore underlying themes and ideas in poems and narrative. |Identify basic features of writers’ use of language, e.g. where |Discuss the actions of main characters and justify views with |

|Demonstrate a clear idea of where to find information to support |language is used to create mood and build tension. |reference to the text. |

|ideas. | | |

|Talk for Writing |Book talk |

|Session 1 |Whole class |Plenary |

|Objectives |Introduction to the topic |Establish the names and identities of main |

|To understand why characters act the way |Show the class the double-page spread illustration inside the front cover of The Vanishing Forest and play the audio|characters introduced so far and ask the |

|they do and explore their dilemmas. |file rainforestambience.wav several times as an ambient soundtrack . Can the children spot or hear any clues to help|children to summarise what we know about them. |

|To refer to the text to back up ideas. |them work out the setting for the books they’ll be reading in this unit? |Support the class in drawing on both explicit |

| | |and implicit information from the text, e.g. |

| |Use questioning to activate children’s prior learning about rainforests and establish what they already know. |‘Remaema’s grandfather was right.’ He was old |

| | |and wise. |

| |Summarise and collect the main points they offer as shared notes and add to them with some key Did you know | |

| |that....? facts about rainforests. Use an atlas or globe to show them where the Amazon basin is. | |

| | | |

| |EXAMPLES | |

| |More than half the world's species of plants and animals are found in the rainforests. | |

| |Scientists believe that there are still millions of species of plants, insects, and micro-organisms living in | |

| |rainforests that have not yet been discovered. | |

| |The Amazon rainforest covers more than two and a half million square miles, more than any other rainforest.  | |

| |One in five of all the birds in the world live in the Amazon rainforest. | |

| |Scientists estimate that one square mile can contain over 75,000 types of trees and 150,000 different species of | |

| |plants. | |

| | | |

| | | |

| |Shared reading | |

| |Read the text to the bottom of page 16. | |

| |TfW Book talk: Eliciting response | |

| |What are the children’s personal responses to the story so far? | |

| |What are the nabë doing in the forest? What is the main problem the rainforest tribe are facing? | |

| | | |

| |Focus on the character of Moawa. What kind of person is he? Encourage children to refer explicitly to the text as | |

| |they explore the character and his feelings / motivation for helping the nabë. What questions would they like to ask| |

| |Moawa about his actions? | |

| | | |

| |Role-play and drama | |

| |Hot seating | |

| |Invite one child to take the role of Moawa and hot seat the character to find out why he has agreed to help the nabë| |

| |even though they are destroying the habitat of his people. Support children in asking open questions to find out | |

| |pertinent information, and model the use of effective questions if necessary. EXAMPLES Please tell us why, Moawa. | |

| |How did you feel about that? Can you tell us more about your life in the Amazon rainforest? | |

|Session 2 |Whole class |Suggested independent / guided activities |Plenary |

|Objective | | | |

|To develop responses to the text and make |Shared reading | |Compare and discuss groups’ lists of information|

|direct reference to words and phrases. |Read from page 17 to the end of the story and model use of the |Children complete their own collection of |words and phrases from the text to create a |

| |Glossary. |information words and phrases from the text using |shared understanding of what a rainforest is |

| | |audiovisual software (e.g. Powerpoint, Voicethread |like. What do the children think it would feel |

| |TfW Book talk: Extending response |etc). Each group has a different page and records |like to live there? |

| |Invite children’s collective responses to the text. The story |phrases. Groups access one another’s files and ask |Which words have come up most frequently amongst|

| |is fiction but in what ways do they think this book provides |questions or make comment. |the groups? |

| |non-fiction information for readers? | |Which are least frequent? Is this because they |

| |e.g. The book is about a fictional group of people but it |Children read in pairs to collect six more |are least relevant? |

| |provides information about what a rainforest is like and also |information facts and note them, then pairs join to |Arrange ideas onto ‘zone of relevance’ circles. |

| |includes a Glossary, typical of a non-fiction information text.|create small groups of four or six and pool their | |

| | |notes to edit out any repetitions of information and| |

| |Shared reading |create a group list. | |

| |Using audiovisual software (e.g. Powerpoint, Voicethread) with |round house, insects / buzzing, small clearings, | |

| |the IWB, demonstrate how to collect and record words and |fruit trees, hammocks... | |

| |phrases from the text that provide information about life in | | |

| |the Amazon rainforest. Use the illustration on page 8 at the | | |

| |centre and write your notes around it. | | |

|Session 3 |Whole class |Suggested independent / guided activities |Plenary |

|Objective |Shared writing in response to reading |Independent writing |Revisit the shared notes from Session 1 |

|To know, understand and use key vocabulary |As they explore their responses to the text in more depth, |Children work in small groups to create their own |(rainforest facts) and the text, to draw |

|to create atmosphere. |invite the children to help you think of words to describe the |Wordles. |children’s attention to any additional topic |

| |rainforest and demonstrate the use of the free downloadable | |words they will need to use during the unit, |

| |Wordle software. Model its use if the class hasn’t used it |Possible Guided writing |e.g. deforestation, conservation |

| |before. |Linked to 3C targets: work with a group to find and | |

| |Use the illustrations to help suggest ideas, e.g. inside cover |use a different selection of words that will create | |

| |double spread: dense, green, dark, colourful, steamy, fertile, |a more sombre and menacing Wordle, suggesting the | |

| |shadowy, dappled. |dark side of life in the rainforest since the nabë | |

| | |arrived. | |

| |Create the word list and decide together which words to write |(Save the groups’ Wordles for use in Session 5) | |

| |in multiples so they are dominant by size in the final Wordle. | | |

| |Which words do the children think should be largest and what | | |

| |colours or fonts will help to convey the mood and feelings they| | |

| |want to create? | | |

|Session 4 |Whole class |Suggested independent / guided activities |Plenary |

|Objective |Use an illustration, photograph or video clip to show the class|Provide a range of information texts appropriate for|‘Jigsaw’ the groups so that they each share |

|To extend knowledge and find information |the four different rainforest levels commonly defined: forest |each group to research information about the |their facts with children from other groups. |

|through wider reading and research. |floor, understory, canopy and emergent. |understory, canopy or emergent layer. | |

| | | | |

| |Tell the children they are going to find out more about each of|Ask children to find out about the animals that live| |

| |these different parts of the forest. How are they different |in the layer they are researching. This background | |

| |from each other? Why are they each important in their own way |information will support their understanding of the | |

| |to the people who live there? |text used in Phase 2. | |

| | | | |

| |Shared reading | | |

| |Teacher modelling | | |

| |Using either a large format non-fiction text or a digital | | |

| |/online source, search for, locate and collect information | | |

| |about the forest floor layer. Make very brief notes either by | | |

| |recording separately (e.g. scribing on a whiteboard) or by | | |

| |copying and pasting digitally, or a second open document. | | |

|Session 5 |Whole class |Suggested independent / guided activities |Plenary |

|Objective |Shared reading |TfW Book talk: Encouraging critique |Hear each group’s views and discuss as a class |

|To develop children’s personal response to a|Tell the children that there is one more section of the book |Small group discussion |the ways that The Vanishing Rainforest acts |

|text. |that they have not yet read. Read together ‘Why rainforests |Discuss together which part of the book works best |persuasively on us as readers. Clarify the ways|

| |matter’ page 28 |at persuading us that the rainforest should be |that text and illustrations work together as |

| | |saved. Do children think the most persuasive |well as the importance of the choices the author|

| |TfW Book talk: Encouraging critique |ingredient is: |made about viewpoint, characters and language. |

| |How does this part of the text add to the rest of the book? In |the characters? the events in the story? the | |

| |what way is it different? is it a part of the story or |illustrations? the additional information? a |To conclude Phase 1, display children’s Wordles |

| |something separate? Why did the author include this extra page |combination of several ingredients? |from Session 3 for the class to enjoy reading as|

| |at the end of the story? |Children order the ‘ingredients’ using Diamond |a slideshow, playing an audio file of rainforest|

| | |ranking. |sounds or music for effect. |

| | | | |

|Learning Link to Phase 2: We’ve found out what rainforests are like and what’s happening to them but what does ‘deforestation’ really mean for those whose home is the rainforest? |

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|Phase 2 (4 days) |Learning outcomes |

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|EXTENDING UNDERSTANDING | |

| |Children can identify text features used for effect, including sentence structure and vocabulary. |

|Key question: | |

| |Children can retell the story using modelled persuasive language. |

|How does the disappearing rainforest affect the daily lives of the people and animals who live | |

|there? | |

| | |

|The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry is used to focus on the ways writers can use language for | |

|effect. Children read as writers and explore authorial choices of words and phrases used to | |

|create empathy and persuade. Children dig deeper into the text to discover the issues for | |

|animals who live in the rainforest. They collect and share facts within and beyond the | |

|fictional narrative. | |

|Pupil writing targets (SfW) that could be used to differentiate guided and independent activities during Phase 2 |

|Year 3 - Level 2a |

|Year 3 - Level 3c |

|Year 3 - Level 3c |

| |

|Strands 7/8 Understanding and interpreting texts, Engaging and responding to texts |

| |

|Explore underlying themes and ideas in poems and narrative. |Identify basic features of writers’ use of language, e.g. where |Discuss the actions of main characters and justify views with |

|Demonstrate a clear idea of where to find information to support |language is used to create mood and build tension. |reference to the text. |

|ideas. | | |

|Talk for |Reading as a writer |

|Writing | |

|Session 6 |Whole class |Suggested independent /guided activities |Plenary |

|Objectives |Tell the class they’re going to read another story about the|In guided and independent reading, children read the|TfW: Reading as a writer |

|To read a complete text on the same theme |rainforest by a different writer. This time the story isn’t|next ten double-page spreads (ten left-hand pages of|Continue reading the next three pages together using|

|and respond by thinking as a writer, |just about the people who live there. |text). Groups then decide why/how the animal is |shared reading strategies (From “The man awoke with |

|reflecting on the whole text as well as the | |persuading the logger not to cut the tree. Children|a start...”) stopping at “... turned and looked at |

|author’s choices at sentence and word |Show the class the world map inside the front cover of The |record using thought and speech bubbles. |the animals and the child.’ before you turn over to |

|levels. |Great Kapok Tree and ask if they recognise any of the | |the final page of text. |

| |animals around its borders. Children who researched specific|When the children have read each new text section, |Ask the class what they think will happen on the |

| |animals in Phase 1 can contribute their knowledge at this |they discuss how each visitor tries to persuade the |next, final page of the story. Will the man continue|

| |point. (Which layer does the boa constrictor inhabit? Where |man to leave the tree standing. |swinging his axe to cut down the tree or not? |

| |does the anteater live?) | |Turn over and read aloud the last page of the story.|

| | | |What did we read about on the previous two pages |

| |Shared reading | |that may have finally persuaded the man to walk away|

| |Read together the introduction opposite the title page and | |without damaging the tree? |

| |check children’s understanding of vocabulary: e.g. | |Sun streaming through the canopy / bright light like|

| |environment, community, vines, emerges | |jewels / strange and beautiful plants / fragrant |

| |TfW: Reading as a writer | |perfume / steamy mist / silent animals. |

| |Invite children to choose their favourite phrases that begin| |Invite the children’s responses to this text and |

| |to bring the forest to life for a reader even before the | |their comparisons with The Vanishing Rainforest. |

| |story has started: everything grows, and grows and grows / | |Which do they prefer and why? Which do they think is|

| |colourful parrots / monkeys leap / silent snakes / graceful | |the most persuasive? Do the two books have the same |

| |jaguars. Encourage children to be specific about why they | |audience? Who are they written for? What are their|

| |like a particular phrase: carefully chosen words that are | |messages? |

| |effective describers, use of alliteration or repetition for | | |

| |a sound effect that adds to the impact, powerful verbs that | | |

| |help us to imagine the lively scene, small details that fill| | |

| |in the background and help our imagination to work? | | |

| |Continue shared reading for the first two pages of the story| | |

| |to “ ... lulled him to sleep.” | | |

|Session 7 |Whole class |Suggested independent / guided activities |Plenary |

|Objectives |TfW: Reading as a writer | |TfW: Reading as a writer |

|To recognise the effects of and differences |Using one or two example text pages, draw children’s |Working in pairs, children re-read the text, taking |Whole class reflection |

|between third person and first person when |attention to the way the author uses 3rd person narrative to|two different roles: A reads the narration and B |Why do the children think Lynne Cherry decided to |

|used in a narrative and to consider why an |tell the story (A bee buzzed in the sleeping man’s ear) and |reads the voice of the animal/child who whispers in |write the story so that each animal ‘speaks’ |

|author might make these choices. |1st person direct speech to give a strong, personal voice to|the sleeping man’s ear. |directly to the man in this way? Did she make a |

| |each visitor (Senhor, my hive is in the kapok tree and I fly| |good decision? What effect does the voice of each |

| |from tree to tree...) | |animal – even the tiny frog - have on the whole |

| |Ask children to point out some of the differences between |Using mp3 recording software, (e.g Audacity, |story? |

| |the two. |Easi-speak) a group records a collaborative reading | |

| | |of the text using different voices for the narration| |

| | |and the first person direct speech of each visitor | |

| | |to the sleeping man. | |

|Session 8 |Whole class |Plenary |

|Objectives |Tell the children they are going to try out their own powers of persuasion using language to encourage the logger|Reflect on the language choices children made to |

|To rehearse persuasive language and key |not to cut down the tree. Can they be as successful as the animals in the story? |have a persuasive effect on the logger. |

|vocabulary orally, using drama | |Which examples do they think were most effective. |

| |Role-play and drama |Does the ‘logger’ agree? |

| |Ask the class to refer again to the animals around the border of the map inside the front cover. Each child |Ask the child in role as the ‘logger’ to decide if |

| |should choose one animal, whose role they will take in the drama, thinking carefully about what kind of animal it|the animals’ persuasion has worked. Will he/she cut |

| |is, where it lives in the forest layers and how it lives. |down the tree or not? |

| | | |

| |Conscience alley | |

| |Set up the drama as a circle rather than a two- row alley. Invite one child to take the role of the logger who | |

| |will walk around inside the circle and hear the voice of each animal as he passes by, giving him a good reason | |

| |not to cut down the tree. After each child has made their persuasive contribution, stand behind them and voice | |

| |the other side of the man’s conscience, as the voice of his employers at the logging company. EXAMPLE Child: I’m | |

| |a little squirrel monkey and if you cut this tree I will have nowhere to collect fruit so my children will | |

| |starve. Teacher: But think, logger, this is your job and if you don’t do your work you will lose your income. | |

| |If the children have researched other animals who live in the rainforest as part of Science/Geog cross curric | |

| |work, these could be included here | |

| | | |

| | | |

| |Ask the class to think back on the language they used to try to persuade the logger not to cut down the tree. | |

| |Collect/record examples of the words and phrases they used. Edit and add new suggestions to make their reasoning | |

| |even more effective by changing or adding words. | |

| |I will have nowhere to live → I will be homeless and helpless. | |

|Session 9 |Whole class |Suggested independent / guided activities |Plenary |

|Objectives |Shared reading |Independent retelling |One group retells the story once more for the whole |

|To explore the simple structure of the text |Allow time for the children to revisit the complete story by|Children work in pairs, taking turns to retell the |class , adding the refinements they discussed during|

|as a model for retelling. |skimming the book. Remind them of their previous learning |story using the story structure chart to help them. |guided retelling. |

| |about story structure and provide any recent examples from | |Whole class discussion |

| |other units. |Children record their retelling of the story using |Children consider the differences between reading |

| |Ask the class to help you map the story structure visually, |mp3 software (Audacity, Photostory, Easi-speak etc).|the story, oral storytelling and listening to the |

| |using Boxing up technique, to help them remember what |This allows them to playback their retelling, check |story being retold. Which do they prefer and why? |

| |happens and in what order. |against the story map and go back and amend/improve |Note: The story structure chart can be used in a |

| |EXAMPLE |their retelling considering their choice of |later unit as a simple model for children’s own |

| |INTRODUCTION |vocabulary and the effect this will have on the |independent writing, for example if writing a |

| |Setting (rainforest) and main character (logger) |listener/reader. |narrative (Unit 3) with events narrated in |

| |↓ |. |chronological order. |

| |ACTION STARTER | | |

| |Man starts to cut tree but falls asleep. | | |

| |↓ | | |

|Learning link to Phase 3: We’ve learned how animals rely on the forest to live, but what’s it like to be a child living in a vanishing rainforest? |

| |Learning outcomes |

|Phase 3 (5 days) | |

| |Children can explore and discuss their personal responses to issues raised in a text. |

|EXPLORING ISSUES | |

| |Children can demonstrate their knowledge and empathy through role-play and other drama conventions. |

|Key question: | |

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|How does clearing the rainforest affect the everyday life of someone living in a village in the| |

|Amazon rainforest? | |

| | |

|Shared Reading of The Shaman’s Apprentice by Lynne Cherry and Mark J. Plotkin provides the | |

|context for a village drama. Developing the drama over several sessions allows the children to | |

|use role-play to explore and personalise the effects of deforestation on the people of their | |

|tribe. Through the drama conventions of meeting, still image with thought-tracking, role on the| |

|wall, small group playmaking and mantle of the expert, children rehearse orally the language | |

|structures and choices they can draw on later during writing in Phase 4. Working in role, they | |

|try out through talk for writing the effects of key vocabulary / topic words and descriptive / | |

|persuasive sentences. | |

|Pupil writing targets (SfW) that could be used to differentiate guided and independent activities during Phase 3 |

|Year 3 - Level 2a |

|Year 3 - Level 3c |

|Year 3 - Level 3c |

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|9 Creating and shaping texts |

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|Select and use vocabulary appropriate to different text types. |Use specific vocabulary, varying nouns, verbs and adjectives. |Use a developing range of adjectives, adverbs, verbs and nouns in |

| | |writing to engage the reader. |

|Talk for |Book talk |

|Writing |Role play and drama |

|Session 10 |Whole class |Suggested independent / guided activities |Plenary |

|Objectives |Shared reading |Group text marking |Share children’s responses to the pages they read |

| |TfW Book talk: Eliciting response |Children read the next three double pages to ‘..you |and any additional information they have found. |

|To respond to issues raised in a text. |Show the class the illustration opposite the title page in |are the wisest of them all’ and mark up the text by |What new problems have arisen for the Tirio people? |

|To read for information |The Shaman’s Apprentice and tell them they’re going to think|highlighting words and phrases that provide | |

| |more carefully now about the way deforestation affects the |information. For example, they could use the | |

| |lives of people who live in the Amazon. What clues does the|highlight tool in a word-processor if reading the | |

| |picture provide about the characters they will meet in this |text onscreen or a large format, or use a | |

| |book? |highlighter pen with an acetate over each page of | |

| | |the text. | |

| |Show the front cover and invite children to suggest what |EXAMPLE | |

| |they think the story might be about. Why is the little boy |And they welcomed traders who arrived in airplanes | |

| |looking so intently at the flower? Who might the man be and |and exchanged metal pots and pans, rice... | |

| |what is he doing? Check children’s understanding of shaman |Using 2 colours of highlighter (or 2 sets of | |

| |and apprentice. |post-its) children find information from the | |

| | |villagers and the missionaries. | |

| |Missing out the birds-eye view illustration of Kwamala | | |

| |village, read the first 5 double pages to the class, to ‘and|How are the missionaries changing life in the | |

| |Natalah could not cure it.’ using the illustrations to help |village? | |

| |you support children’s understanding of the text. | | |

| | | | |

| |Make a few shared notes to briefly record key information | | |

| |points about life in the village, referring to examples from| | |

| |the text, e.g. | | |

| | | | |

| |Shaman uses plants to cure illness. | | |

| |Grow cotton to make clothes. | | |

| |Make bread from cassava root. | | |

| | | | |

| |TfW Book talk: Extending response | | |

| |Discuss children’s responses to the issues raised so far for| | |

| |the villagers. What is traditional life like for them? How | | |

| |do they deal with illness? What are the new problems they | | |

| |are facing now? How can the villagers deal with these | | |

| |problems? | | |

| |What does the text make you wonder? Puzzles, patterns, | | |

| |likes, dislikes – children record thoughts on post-its and | | |

| |stick onto quadrant diagram. | | |

|Session 11 |Whole class |Suggested independent and guided activities |Plenary |

|Objectives |Show the class the birds-eye view illustration of Kwamala |Split the class into groups, mothers, daughters, |Meeting |

|To use information and vocabulary gathered |village inside the front cover of the book and explain that |fathers, sons. Each group re-reads the text to |In role as the Shaman, call a village meeting. |

|from the text to explore characters and the |they are going to take part in a village drama over the next|identify the sorts of things they do during the day.|Children sit in a circle around you as the |

|relationships between them. |few lessons, set in this village deep in the Amazon | |villagers. |

| |rainforest. They will take the roles of Tirio villagers. The|Jigsaw the groups to form ‘family groups’ These |Tell them you want to make sure that the whole |

| |picture shows the place where they live, Kwamala village. |will be the family in which they do the village |village has attended your important meeting. Ask |

| | |drama. |them to tell you in turn, in role, who they are and |

| |If children are not familiar with village dramas you may | |to tell you something about their day. What have |

| |wish to explain further how they will each take a role as a |Role on the wall |they been doing? Model the first contribution |

| |member of the village community that they can develop over |Children independently create a role on the wall for|yourself, e.g. I am Nahtahlah your village shaman. |

| |several drama sessions. The drama will give them a chance to|their own character in the village drama. You could |Today I have been searching near the river for roots|

| |think about their own life in character and also about |give them role cards to use as starting points if |and special bark I can use for healing. |

| |issues that affect them as a group. |they need additional support or if you want to |You may wish to give each child a small prop, such |

| | |ensure that a good range of village life is |as an armband or a string necklace, to use for |

| |Revisit the information about the Tirio that children have |represented. |working in role, to help them differentiate between |

| |already collected from the text and discuss what life in the| |working in and out of role during the drama |

| |village is like. How do people spend their days? What kind | |sessions. They can use the same prop in Phase 4 when|

| |of jobs do they take part in? How do the young and old | |writing in role to support reflection and maintain |

| |contribute to the community? | |an authentic voice. |

| | | |Support and encourage each child to take their turn,|

| |Demonstrate how to create a role on the wall for the | |speaking for the first time in the role they will |

| |character that you will take in the drama, the Shaman, | |maintain during the village drama. Use the |

| |Nahtahlah. You could do this by drawing/writing on a | |opportunity to strengthen role-play by adding detail|

| |whiteboard or using a prepared file with an IWB, showing a | |if necessary: ‘I know that you are also a very |

| |stick person or picture at the centre and adding text around| |skilled hunter. Have you brought back any meat to |

| |it. | |the village today, my friend or have you been |

| | | |sleeping lazily in the shade?’ |

| | | |Conclude the meeting in role by telling the |

| | | |villagers that you have called the meeting to tell |

| | | |them you are afraid – you believe that change is |

| | | |coming to their lives and it may not be good. |

| | | | |

| | | |Out of role, tell the children they’ll be able to |

| | | |bring the village to life again in the next session |

| | | |and find out more about the problems faced by the |

| | | |Tirio. |

|Session 12 |Whole class |Suggested independent and guided activities |Plenary |

|Objectives |Explain that village life in the rainforest always depends |Drama |Display the Group Role cards used so that the class |

|To develop children’s individual roles in |on people helping one another and working together. The |Small group roleplay |can read and check the words being used by each |

|the drama and create empathy they can draw |children are going to create some short ‘video clips’ of | |group as they occur. |

|on as and writers. |life on a typical morning to show the wide variety of |Groups plan and rehearse their action and decide how|Each group presents their ‘video clip’ in turn. |

| |activities going on in and around Kwamala. |they will include their three key words in the |Use a digital video recorder to film each ‘video’ to|

|To reinforce key vocabulary from the text | |dialogue. |replay. |

|that children can apply during discussion |Ask the children to work in groups of four and give each | | |

|and writing. |group a Key Words card as follows, using as many as you |Guide one or more groups in using their key words | |

| |require for the whole class to work in a group of four: |creatively, for example by using them in conjunction| |

| |A fever hammock sickness |with other words for effect: I’ve gathered some | |

| | |berries → I’ve gathered some juicy, purple berries | |

| |B river swim fishing |that taste just like honey. | |

| | | | |

| |C bread cotton berries | | |

| | | | |

| |D shaman healing plant | | |

| | | | |

| |E fire pot water | | |

| | | | |

| |F village canopy snake | | |

| | | | |

| |G canoe strangers riverbank | | |

| | | | |

| |H hunting tapir silent | | |

| | | | |

| |Explain that each group will plan, rehearse and present a | | |

| |short role play, using the four roles they have already | | |

| |adopted. Their scene can take place anywhere in or around | | |

| |the village but they must use the three key words on their | | |

| |Key Words card at least once during their ‘video clip’. | | |

|Session 13 |Whole class |Plenary |

|Objectives |Shared reading | |

|To extend children’s understanding and |Read the Authors’ Note, which explains in more detail the problems faced by the people of the Amazon. |Whole class discussion |

|response to issues raised in a text, through| |Share children’s responses to their experience of |

|the use of drama conventions. |The information children have already gathered about the Tirio is a collection of facts, not fiction. Are the |working in role. |

| |children surprised to learn now that the book is based on a true story? | |

|To use role-play as preparation for | |How did they feel as villagers when they realised |

|children’s own authorial choices about voice|Drama |that strangers were taking away the wildlife around |

|and purpose as writers in Phase 3. |Still-image with Thought-tracking |them? |

| |Read again the text on the 7th double page (The missionaries gave...) and tell the class they are going to use | |

| |drama to recreate the scene where traders are taking birds and animals away from the forest to sell them in other| |

| |parts of the world. Ask the children to work in role and create a still image of village life, one hot afternoon | |

| |just before the traders arrive in an airplane. | |

| | | |

| |Allow a few moments for children to decide what their character might be doing in the scene and support children | |

| |in coming up with ideas if necessary. Try out their first ideas for the still image and check that they’ve | |

| |adopted a position that can be maintained for a few moments without discomfort or a lot of wobbling! Does the | |

| |scene look realistic? How might they change it to improve the effect of looking at a genuine moment in time, for | |

| |example by repositioning or grouping characters together? | |

| | | |

| |Tell the class that when they re-create the still image, you will ask them each to speak aloud the thoughts their| |

| |own character has when they see the traders arrive and take forest wildlife away in cages. You’ll use whatever is| |

| |the usual signal for them to thought-track, such as placing a hand on their shoulder. | |

| | | |

| |Create the still-image. You may wish to play an audio soundtrack quietly to help create the mood. Hold the moment| |

| |and allow quiet thinking time as you add your own role, the shaman, to the scene. | |

| | | |

| |Walk slowly among the children, still holding their still-image, and invite each to thought-track as the traders | |

| |arrive. For example, “I see the traders now, creeping through the forest that is our home. I hear the cries of | |

| |animals as they are placed in cages. I want to know your thoughts, my people, as this terrible thing happens.” – | |

| |place hand on shoulder of first child to voice their thoughts aloud. | |

|Session 14 |Role-play: Groups |Plenary |

|Objectives |Tell the class that the villagers will soon be asked to pass on their own knowledge about using plants and |Read the rest of the book to the class, from ‘For |

|To use persuasive language and evaluate the |flowers for healing. |four years life went on in this way.’ |

|effectiveness of words and phrases. | |Is this a sad or happy ending for the story? What |

| |Children read in small groups and use the flora illustrations inside both covers to tell one another in role what|do the children think the future holds for the |

| |they each ‘know’ about one particular healing plant. How should it be used? Where can you find it in the forest?|Tirio? |

| |How quickly does it work? |Group discussion and collaborative writing as |

| | |preparation for writing in role, in Phase 4: |

| |Mantle of the expert |purpose, audience, voice, vocabulary, persuasion. |

| |Ask the children to sit in a circle around you, as the villagers of Kwamala. In role as shaman, tell them that |In groups, children discuss the way the villagers |

| |you are old and you have decided to choose who will be the next shaman after you. You need to train an |feel about their future, their hopes and fears. If |

| |apprentice. |the Tirio could make the rest of the world hear |

| | |their voices what would they say? Together they |

| |Invite children to tell you what they know about using one particular plant for healing, using the text |record in large format the key words and phrases |

| |illustrations of flora to support their contribution. Can they persuade you that they have the greatest expertise|from their discussion: HELP US! Why won’t you listen|

| |and most important knowledge in the whole village? Ask questions to support children’s contributions if necessary|and take notice? Losing the rainforest will affect |

| |or to promote the use of persuasive language. EXAMPLE “That’s interesting, but why would you make a good |you life too, don’t you realise that? |

| |apprentice for me?” | |

| |

|Learning link to Phase 4: We understand how they feel about losing their home and lifestyle, but if people who live in the Amazon rainforest could give their own information to the rest of the world directly, |

|like the animals who talked to the sleeping logger, what would they want to say? |

| |Learning outcomes |

|Phase 4 (4 days) | |

| | |

|INFORMING AND PERSUADING |Children can write in role (first person) to present facts that may persuade a reader |

| | |

|Key questions: |Children can shape their text using paragraphs, sentence structure and word choice to enhance the persuasive |

| |effect. |

|In my role as a villager of Kwamala, what can I tell people that will persuade them to support | |

|the conservation of the rainforest? | |

|What information will help them to understand how I feel? | |

| | |

| | |

|‘The village of Kwamala:’ A Poster for the World. | |

|Each child writes in their role as a villager, using The Great Kapok Tree animal contributions | |

|(talking to the sleeping man) as a model for first person grammar. They write in role as the | |

|character they took during the village drama and are able to draw on the orally rehearsed | |

|content, sentence structures and key words/persuasive vocabulary used or modelled in the drama | |

|activities. | |

| |

|Pupil writing targets (SfW) that could be used to differentiate guided and independent activities during Phase 4 |

|Year 3 - Level 2a |

|Year 3 - Level 3c |

|Year 3 - Level 3c |

| |

|9 Creating and shaping texts |

| |

|Select and use vocabulary appropriate to different text types. |

|Use specific vocabulary, varying nouns, verbs and adjectives. |

|Use a developing range of adjectives, adverbs, verbs and nouns in writing to engage the reader. |

| |

|10 Text structure and organisation |

| |

|Demonstrate clear sections in different forms of writing. |

|Group related material into paragraphs. |

|Organise ideas and related points into paragraphs. |

| |

|11 Sentence structure and punctuation  |

| |

|Use interesting vocabulary varying the use of verbs for effect, keeping the tense consistent. |

|Use a range of verbs, nouns and adjectives for impact. |

|Use a range of adjectives, adverbs, verbs and nouns/noun phrases in writing and consider the impact on the reader. |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

|Talk for |Writer talk |

|Writing | |

|Session 15 |Whole class |In each writing session in Phase 4 , identify a PWT |Plenary |

|Objective |Tell the children they are going to write their own |appropriate to improve children’s writing done in |Do they think a poster will be an effective |

| |information text with the purpose of persuading readers how |the previous session(s). Bring together a group of |text-type for persuading their own readers towards a|

|To make informed choices about the |important it is to save the rainforests. The three books |pupils with similar needs. |particular viewpoint? Why? |

|organisation of an information text using |they’ve read all provide information and are based on some | |Ask the children to share some of their individual |

|structure from different text types. |true events, people and places but they are stories. How |Suggested independent /guided activities |planning ideas as examples. |

| |will their own writing be different? |Give each group or pair a different poster to read |Tell them they will begin writing in the next |

|To plan their own writing, deciding how to | |and discuss. Give them a few moments to compare |session. |

|present information for a persuasive |Share a small selection of information texts the children |their poster with the other texts. Share and compare| |

|purpose. |have read before and some new titles, to compare them (not |as a class the range of ways that information is | |

| |including a poster at this stage). |structured, presented and organised on their | |

| | |posters. How is a poster similar or different to | |

| |Discuss their structures and the different ways they |the other information texts they’ve read? Are the | |

| |organise information. What signposts does each text use to |facts provided in a particular order? What features | |

| |help the reader navigate the text? What different choices do|are included to help a reader find information or | |

| |writers have about the way they present and organise |move about within the text? | |

| |information to persuade a reader? | | |

| | | | |

| |Tell the children that their own information text will be a | | |

| |class poster. | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|Session 16-18 |Whole class |Suggested independent /guided activities |Plenary |

|Objective |Provide a bird’s eye view of the village as a very large | |Share children’s ideas for their first drafts by |

| |format for display, based on the one at the beginning of The|Each child drafts their own text for the poster, |reading and discussing some examples. |

|To draft persuasive text, using writing in |Shaman’s Apprentice, as basis for a poster that could be |writing in role. They work with a writing partner |Have they been persuasive enough to make a |

|role to enhance awareness of voice, purpose |used to persuade people to support rainforest conservation |who has the same writing targets, to focus on making|difference? How do the children think readers might |

|and audience. |across the world. |their text as effective as possible for their |be affected by their messages to the world? |

| | |audience and purpose. | |

| |SHARED WRITING |Encourage them to draw on the orally rehearsed | |

| |Tell the class that there is one more thing you need to tell|content, sentence structures and vocabulary used in | |

| |them about the poster they’re going to create. They will be |the drama activities. | |

| |writing in role as the villagers of Kwamala! Model |Using a working wall, display materials and phrases | |

| |writing-in-role, as the shaman of the village, to draft |created in previous sessions – the Wordle, the | |

| |your own personal message to the world that will be added to|persuasive phrases. Allow access to the audio and | |

| |‘The village of Kwamala: A Poster for the World’. |video clips for reference. | |

| | | | |

| |TfW: Writer Talk |Guided writing | |

| |Model how to choose vocabulary at the point of writing for |Identify a PWT appropriate to improve their writing | |

| |emotive effect, particularly to persuade the poster’s |done in sessions 16 - 18. | |

| |readers around the world that the rainforests should be |Bring together a group of pupils with similar needs.| |

| |saved. | | |

| | | | |

| |As you model writing, demonstrate and remind children to use| | |

| |first-person sentence grammar, referring back to examples | | |

| |from the text of The Great kapok Tree. EXAMPLE use of | | |

| |personal pronouns: It is my home./ Where will I find my | | |

| |dinner? | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|Session 19 |Whole class |Suggested independent / guided activities |Plenary |

|Objectives |Display your own example of the shaman’s contribution to the|Independent writing |Display the full-size poster that the class will be |

| |poster and model the way that you edit the text to improve |Working in pairs with their writing partner, |using for their collaborative persuasive text. |

|To demonstrate and use strategies to improve|its quality and effectiveness for purpose. Identify key |children edit their writing to improve it, with an |Explain that each child will present their text |

|writing by thinking about the effect of |teaching points identified from the writing produced in |emphasis on its persuasive effect. |together with a small illustration that shows them |

|authorial choices on a reader. |Sessions 16-18. | |in the role they took during the village drama. |

| | |Suggested Guided writing |Discuss their ideas for layout and positioning of |

| |For example, change words to add more emotive vocabulary, |TfW: Writing as a reader |their individual texts. |

| |reshape a sentence for emphasis or add more detail to a |Guide the group in editing their writing to enhance | |

| |description by extending a noun phrase. |its effect on the reader. Identify a PWT appropriate| |

| | |to improve their writing done in sessions 16 - 18. | |

| | |Bring together a group of pupils with similar needs.| |

| | | | |

| | |Help them to select which aspects should be changed | |

| | |and to explain why. Model and promote the way a | |

| | |writer can read back and re-read aloud to try out | |

| | |the different effects of alternative authorial | |

| | |choices. | |

| | |Children are guided in making decisions about the | |

| | |organisation and presentation of their complete text| |

| | |for effect. How should the text be presented for | |

| | |maximum effect? Should paragraphs be used to ‘chunk’| |

| | |their main points and make them more persuasive? | |

| | |Should particular words or phrases be emboldened or | |

| | |in italic? | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|Session 20 |Suggested independent and guided activities |Plenary |

|Objectives |Children write or complete their final drafts and draw their personal illustration of the character whose role |TfW: Reading as writers |

| |they developed during the drama. They consider how their own writing and picture will be presented and |Which text do the children think is more effective |

|To apply knowledge about the importance of |positioned. |as a persuasive message for rainforest conservation,|

|whole text layout and presentation. |Their text with illustration is added to the large scale plan of the village on the poster. |their own poster or the author’s message in ‘Why |

| |Referring to the completed persuasive text, ‘The village of Kwamala Poster for the World’ the children summarise |rainforests matter’? Explore the reasons for their |

| |the main reasons for rainforest conservation they have each presented. |choices and support them in giving specific |

| |To enhance the mood and sense of identity and purpose established during the Unit, you could conduct this session|examples. |

| |in role once again, as a meeting, using drama conventions of meeting rituals and formalities. Take the role of |Remind the class of the three books they have read |

| |the shaman again, play background audio for effect, and invite each villager to speak aloud their message for the|during this unit. Each one tells a story about the |

| |world by reading their text in role. As they read it aloud, each ‘character’ places their text on the poster in |rainforest but they are all different. Allow one |

| |turn, at this point. |minute of talk partner time for children to discuss |

| |Ask children to give their views about its fitness for purpose. Encourage them to give examples from the texts |which book they prefer, and why and then share their|

| |they have written in relation to its match for audience (a large group of unknown readers) and text type/purpose |views. |

| |( a persuasive information text). | |

|Optional extension activity allowing children to apply their new learning (rainforest conservation and persuasive language) using a different kind of persuasive writing, or for homework: |

| |

|(Optional Phase 5) |

| |

|REFLECTING AND IMAGINING |

| |

|Key question: |

| |

|What will happen if deforestation continues? |

| |

|Now that we know why rainforests are so important and how they affect life on Earth, can we imagine what the future might be like if rainforests continue to disappear at the same rate? |

| |

|Show the class the video WWF Brazil video on Money and the Environment Treehugger 2 |

| |

|Using familiar models of simple poem types or structures, or a simple writing frame, children write their own persuasive poem that describes what life in the Amazon might be like when rainforests are gone. They|

|use the facts they’ve learned to describe the likely future situation if deforestation continues. They choose topics and use description to persuade. |

| |

|EXAMPLE |

| |

|Demonstrate how to draft a question and answer poem using one question and one answer for each layer of the rainforest structure (forest floor, understory, canopy, emergent). Children work with a writing |

|partner, writing their questions and then adding their answers. Alternatively, children could write their questions and you could use shared, collaborative writing to complete a class poem by adding the |

|answers. |

| |

|Where are the giant kapok trees? |

|All gone. The forest floor is bare of shadows. |

|Where are the jaguars who used to hunt here? |

|Nowhere to be seen. Nothing moves now in the night. |

|Where are the tapirs today? |

|None left. No food to forage and nowhere to hide. |

|Where are the children of Kwamala? |

|No forest, no village, no children, no future. |

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