Introduction - quigley-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com · Night Sky Dragons Yazul loves making ... such...

More Brilliant Books - Milestone 2 © 2018 Chris Quigley Education 3

Introduction

Teacher notes

Following the huge success of our first series of Brilliant Books, we are very proud to presentMORE BRILLIANT BOOKS!

We selected fifteen different, inspirational books that we know teachers will love to use with theirclasses. A new and updated format has been created to help motivate, engage and actively promotechildren to acquire, retrieve, retain and explain their understanding of reading.

It is our goal to motivate children to think differently and positively about books, making readingirresistible.

We hope you love these books as much as we do.

Alex Bedford Chris Quigley


Three cognitive domains

You may increase the depth of children’s understanding by ensuring the learning experience demands cognitive challenge. Children can learn the same objective but the depth at which they access it is dependent on the prior experiences and evidence of success. Here is our depth of learning approach to get you started:

BASIC ADVANCING DEEP

Low level cognitive demand. Involves following

instructions.

Higher level of cognitive demand. Involves mental processing beyond recall. Requires some degree of

decision making.

Cognitive demands are complex and abstract. Involves problems with multiple steps or more than

one possible answer. Requires justification of answers.

fluency, application, understanding


The FIVE essential features included in each book:

1. KNOWLEDGE of the world vital information about the people, places, time, setting and culture within the book.

2. VOCABULARY in context essential words and phrases you need to know, use and apply throughout the book.

3. S.M.S.C. philosophical activities and questions to inspire and integrate Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education within each book.

4. Introductions & finishes Brilliant Beginnings help acquire knowledge and interest whilst Fabulous Finishes promote the ability to recall, retain and explain their understanding.

5. Depth activitiesBasic, Advancing and Deep activities, are designed around the book that stimulate and promote different types of thinking. All depth activities are cross-referenced to the Essentials and National Curriculum expectations.


Resources

THINKING TEMPLATES

We have created over 50+ unique templates to encourage children to explore and be active with a book. It is our intention that children think critically about reading.

These are called the THINK-it maps. Each one is referenced against individual depth activities.

Like the words we use to illustrate the types of activities - Basic, Advancing and Deep, the THINK-it templates are not always exclusive to just these cognitive domains.

They are flexible and can be used to teach directly (instruction), as reminder prompts or through coaching techniques.

Use them to encourage critical thinking and develop understanding of reading and writing with the children you teach.

EXAMPLES

We have also included a few examples of pupils work, showing how Brilliant Books comes to life in classrooms. We hope these inspire you and your pupils.


Night Sky DragonsAuthor: Mal Peet & Elspeth Graham


Night Sky Dragons

Yazul loves making kites with his grandfather, but all he truly desires is the approval of his father.Yazul’s father is a powerful Lord of the protective camp called a ‘han’. These were places of safetyalong the Silk Road in Mongolia. Yazul’s love of kite-making only seems to bring aboutdisappointment from his father.

When the “han” is attacked by bandits, Yazul has an idea. With the help of his grandfather, hemight just be able to use his kite-making skills to scare the bandits away and save the day. Findout if Yazul’s courage and creativity make his father proud.


Knowledge of the World

PeriodThis tale is set at the time of early medieval trade routes. The modern name given to this route is the ‘Silk Road’ or Sichou Zhi Lu, where trade was rich in precious things, such as: silk, horses, spices, ceramics and precious metals.

It is thought that the Silk Road was responsible for the development of the civilisation of China.

Historians believe it to have begun during the Han dynasty, 207 BC. The Chinese believed in the safety of this route and extended the Great Wall of China to protect it.

Many civilisations used the Silk Road, such as: Chinese, Arabs, Indian, Somalis, Syrians, Jews, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Georgians and Turkmens.

ContinentAsia

CountryMongolia (one of the highest countries in the world).

ReligionMajority Buddhist with a lesser percentage being Muslim.

PlaceMongolia, is bordered by China and Russia and is best known for its awe inspiring, rugged expanses and nomadic traditions. Ulaanbaatar is the capital city built around Genghis Khan Square, named after the infamous leader of the Mongol Empire.

Extreme temperatures ravage this country, which is at high altitude. It can get as hot as 33°C in the summer and -40°C in the winter.

The Gobi desert is a significant physical feature of Mongolia and is the 5th largest desert in the world. It was once a sea and today the desert is filled with marine fossils.

Known as the land of eternal blue sky; Mongolia enjoys more than 250 days of sunshine a year. Despite that, Ulaanbaatar has an average temperature of -1.3°C, making it the world’s coldest capital.

Mongolia should be called Outer Mongolia, as inner Mongolia belongs to China. It has a very low population: 4.3 people per square mile.


Vocabulary in context

Great Emperor exceptional leaders or generals of the time. Perhaps the leader of China?

medieval a period of time that describes the Middle Ages.

merchants people who engaged in selling and buying desirable items, such as: spices, silk, metals and ceramics.

ancestors a relative who is older than a grandparent.

Han a Chinese dynasty believed to exist from 206 BC to AD 220. Also thought to be a place of safety for caravans and travellers on the Silk Road trade route.

bandit a robber or outlaw who belongs to a gang.


Great Wall a massive stone wall 1,500 miles across northern China. Built to defend the Chinese border in ancient times.

caravan a group of merchants journeying together to pass through deserts safely using pack animals, such as camels and donkeys.

rampart a defensive wall of a castle or walled city, usually made from stone.

superstition a widely and strongly held belief in good or bad.

dynasty a line of rulers of a country that are related and part of a family.

bamboo a giant, woody grass that grows quickly.

steppe a dry, cold grassland found away from the oceans and seas and near mountain barriers. Mongolia and Siberia and Tibet are famous for their Steppe.


Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education

• An expressive and/or creative impulse

Grandfather nurtured Yazul’s love for kite making and kite flying. How did this help him to win the respect of his father?

• A readiness to challenge all that would constrain the human spirit: for example, poverty of aspiration, lack of self-confidence and belief, indifference, force, fanaticism, aggression, greed, injustice, self-interest, sexism and racism.

Yazul thought creatively and was ready to challenge the bandits without using force. Was this the best course of action?

• Respect for others’ needs, interests and feelings, as well as their own.

Father was a strong leader, but his love for Yazul was a sad and heavy thing. Why was this?

• An ability to think through the consequence of their own and others’ actions.

Yazul paid a heavy price for his mischief, and he lost the respect of his father. Do you think this was fair?

Spiritual Moral


• Understands how societies function and are organised in structures such as the family, the school and local and wider communities.

The han was a safe place where no slaughter would take place. How do you know this? Explain how father kept order within the han.

• Takes advice offered by those in authority or counselling roles.

How did Grandfather help Yazul grieve and lift the sadness of losing his mother?

• Use language and understand images/icons. For example, in music, art, literature - which have significance and meaning in a culture.

The broken dish was an important part of Yazul’s family history. What do you imagine could have been painted on the dish? Read the fragments to tell a broken story...

• An understanding of the influences which have shaped their own cultural heritage.

The dish represented many good memories and troubled times. Remembering your past, what would you put on your dish? Which memories would you choose?

Social Cultural


Sparkling StartAcquire

Fabulous FinishRecall, Explain, Retain

• Discover Mongolia. Find out all about the place, the awe of the mountains, the harshness of the winters, the heat of the deserts and the flat cold biomes, such as steppes.

• Discover and describe the physical features of this place. Explore how humans live in this harsh, unforgiving climate. What do they need?

• Feeling brave? Discover Mongolia’s famous leader - Ghengis Khan. Here’s a fact to start you off: His boy name was Temujin, which meant, “finest steel”.

• What morals and lessons will you take away from this beautiful story? Share with others the messages you think the authors want you to leave with.

• Cause, effect and consequence exist in this tale. Explain to others where you have noticed this and how it affects the story telling. What if one element is removed? Map it out and discuss with others.

• Showcase your own dragon kites. Explain to others how you have composed, designed and made amazing dragon kites in the style of Mongolian tradition.


Basic

MAP-itRecall the events of each chapter, such as: the people, the place and the weather, workshop, father, mischief and consequence. Recall and summarise main ideas.

DRAW-it

Draw what you think each of the main characters look like, such as: the watchmen, Yazul, Father, Grandfather or Grandmother. Ask questions to improve understanding of a text; Draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidences.

DESCRIBE-it

Use the text to help describe the characters’ physical and emotional appearance. Place the illustrations and the descriptions side by side. What do you notice? You could focus on key characters, including: Yazul, Father, Grandfather and the Watchmen. Explain and discuss understanding of reading, maintaining focus on the topic.

ACQUIRE-it

Get to know the words used in this book. Look carefully at their meaning, placement and purpose within the narrative. Write definitions and recall them to others. Create a word wall with useful vocabulary within the story but go further and visualise, connect and tell others what they mean. Test others on these words so they recall and remember them, accurately. Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning.

VISUALISE-itWhat does the sentence, “The low red sun spilled light into the valley and painted shadows on the endless, snow-smothered mountains that surrounded it,” look like? Illustrate it. Discuss words and phrases that capture the imagination.

SAY-it

Choose important physical or human features from the text, such as: the mountains, the sunrise or the han. Take turns to notice and describe the feature using a correct sentence. Each time improve the sentence. Use digital talk tins to record, listen and improve the description. Write down the improved sentence. Explain and discuss understanding of reading, maintaining focus on the topic.

NOTICE-itThink aloud: use one of the pages, such as when Yazul scares his Grandmother by putting bamboo in the fire. Find and show others where and how the author uses punctuation and similes. Ask questions to improve understanding of a text, discuss words and phrases that capture the imagination.


Advancing

KNOW-it

Write to inform: help others understand more about: Mongolia, The Silk Road, what hans were like and why they were important. Explain why the clothes worn in the story are still like the ones worn today in Mongolia. Explain and discuss understanding of reading, maintaining focus on the topic. Retrieve and record information from non-fiction, using titles, headings, sub-headings and indexes.

SUMMARISE-it

Sequence the story into key events, such as: Welcome to Mongolia, Life in the han, Kite making, Father’s disapproval, Mischief and Disaster, Punishment, Protection, Bandit siege, Despair, A Cracking Plan, Dragons! Summarise each event into paragraphs that are organised around a theme. Identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarise these.

INFER-it

Identify where the authors use inference in their writing. Notice and explain how this creates an image in your mind. Use the text to explain not only WHAT the inference is, but WHY it is good to do that. Annotate the text with, ‘I think this means...’ to explain to others. Draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, justifying inferences with evidence.

COMPARE-it

Notice how Yazul’s father changed his opinion and respect for his son. Find the paragraphs that describe how Lord was disapproving of Yazul’s kite making with his Grandfather. Compare this with the writing that describes Yazul’s father’s feelings now they had frightened off the bandits. Explain how you know. Identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarise these, ask questions to improve understanding of a text.

USE-itMake a list of the punctuation the authors use to help to tell the story. You will see expert use of hyphens, ellipses, speech marks, apostrophes of possession, to name a few. Explain to others why it is good to do that and create examples of your own. Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning.

IMPROVE-itFind a noun or expanded noun phrase. Say a sentence with it in. My turn, your turn. Each time improve the sentence. Use digital talk tins to record, listen and improve the description. Write down the improved sentence. Discuss words and phrases that capture the imagination, predict from details stated and implied.

SENSE-itUse the SENSE-it map to analyse a character’s emotions at a key event in the story. Explain how you know this. Draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings thoughts and motives from their actions, justifying inferences with evidence.


Deep

RECOMMEND-it

Locate and collect sentences that refer to the blue bird throughout the story. Share with others how the blue bird tattoo, on Grandfather’s cheek helps us understand how he is feeling. Why is this an effective technique throughout the story. Explain and discuss understanding of reading, maintaining focus on the topic, recall and summarise main ideas, discuss words and phrases that capture the imagination.

EMOTION-it

Use the summarised version of the story and key events to help map the emotions. Select different characters and justify how you know they are feeling from the text. Provide proof to back up your choices. Draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, justifying inferences with evidence. Identify recurring themes and elements of different stories (e.g. good triumphing over evil). Identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarise these.

COMPOSE-it

What if the caravans hadn’t made it to the han? What if the gate wasn’t closed in time? What if Yazul hadn’t been brave enough to share his kite plan? Compose and write an alternative part within the story. How does this affect the outcome? Predict what might happen from details stated and implied. Explain and discuss understanding of reading and maintaining focus on the topic.

PROVE-it

Find sentences that are simple, complex and compound. How do the authors use these sentence types to build tension, suspense, detailed description and emotion? Explain patterns you see in the types of sentences the authors use. Extrapolate the information you have found and teach others about your findings. Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning, ask questions to improve understanding of a text.

DEDUCE-it

Location, location, location. Now skim read the story to summarise and capture the setting in which events took place. Put them in order in a story board. Now analyse how the story moves from one place to another. Prove how the authors shift smoothly between the scenes is effective. Notice how they use different sentence types to guide you, the reader. Identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarise these, identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning.


EMOTION-it (Single character)

Key event 1 Key event 2 Key event 3 Key event 4 Key event 5

Character emotion

Proof from the text or illustration

Happiness

Sadness

Anger

Fear

Disgust

Surprise

Love

Shame


SENSE-itI am reading, inferring and explaining.

I am explaining what they did.

I am explaining what they saw.

I am explaining what they heard.

I am explaining how they felt.

I am explaining what they felt.

The character


INFER-it - Night Sky Dragons


NOTICE-it - Night Sky Dragons

Introduction - quigley-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com · Night Sky Dragons Yazul loves making ... such...

Documents

Transcript of Introduction - quigley-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com · Night Sky Dragons Yazul loves making ... such...