Lesson Plan
1 of 3
Reading for meaning in fiction texts,
supporting ideas with evidence from
the text
Secure
developing
reader
Cycle A
Duration: 1 hour
Resources needed
Lesson aims
 CD-ROM Cycle A (Secure
developing reader) resource
sheet 1.1: starter activity: ar
sound chart, one copy per pair;
consonant cards to use with ar
sound chart, one copy per pair,
cut into cards
 to be able to read simple unfamiliar texts
accurately
 Student Book pages 34–35: film
 Target area 1: Finding and using textual
reference
images; taglines and plotlines
 to know how to scan a text to locate
Assessment
Focuses
AF2, AF3, AF4,
AF6
relevant information and read ahead
independently
Target areas
 Target area 2: Skimming and scanning
 Target area 3: Understanding text layout
and organisation
Starter (15 minutes)
Show the students all the different letter combinations that make the ar sound: a in fast, mast, last etc. (but
note regional variations where a is pronounced short); al in calm and palm; ar in star, chart, art, jar; ear
in only one word: heart.
Give a copy of the phoneme chart (resource sheet 1.1) to students in pairs (or get them to make a copy on
mini-whiteboards). Give a set of consonant cards per pair (or display on OHT and get students to write
their choices on whiteboards.) Time students to see how many different words they can make containing
the ar sound by adding consonant phonemes in different positions. Get them to say the words as they
decide them and check for the correct sound.
Discuss with students the usual position of the ar sound: most often in the middle or at the end of the
word.
Introduction (15 minutes)
Explain that in the next five cycles of lessons, students will be exploring ideas and texts connected by the
theme of space exploration and imaginary or ‘alien’ worlds beyond the Earth. Give out plain cards and ask
students to draw and label the way they imagine life on other planets. Collect in these cards and then give
them out at random to pairs of students. Ask pairs to discuss the images of life in space that are described
and to say whether or not they agree with these views. Pass on three or four different responses. As a
whole class, using an interactive whiteboard or flipchart, pool students’ ideas about life beyond our own
planet in the form of a concept map (‘Alien worlds’ at the centre) which can be added to in subsequent
lessons.
Development (20 minutes)
Direct the students to pages 34–35 of the Student Book: images from films about ‘alien worlds’. Remind
them what readers do when they skim a text to get an overall impression of it and when they scan a text to
look for specific information.
Encourage students to skim the images in order to decide:
 What kind of texts are these? (film posters and stills)
 What is their purpose? (to advertise the film; to encourage people to go and see it)
 Where would you find them? (at cinemas, in film magazines, on film websites)
Target English Reading Teacher’s File
42
© Harcourt Education 2007
Lesson Plan
1 of 3
Reading for meaning in fiction texts,
supporting ideas with evidence from
the text
Secure
developing
reader
Cycle A
Duration: 1 hour
Explain the term ‘plot outline’ (a summary of the story). In pairs, ask students to scan the images and the
plot outlines in order to decide:
 Which films feature wars or battles?
 Which films feature alien creatures from other planets?
 What special powers do people/creatures in these films have?
 Which alien world or creature sounds the most threatening to humans?
 Which alien world or creature sounds the least threatening to humans?
Working in pairs or small groups, students match the correct film image to the correct plot outline.
Take feedback and encourage students to explain the clues they used in making the match.
Plenary (10 minutes)
Discuss with students other films and books they know that are about worlds beyond the Earth. Why do
they think people are so interested in this topic?
Add a summary of their comments to the ‘Alien Worlds’ concept map.
Extension activity
Ask a range of people about their favourite science-fiction book or film. Which part of it (or quotes from
it) do they most remember?
Target English Reading Teacher’s File
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© Harcourt Education 2007
Lesson Plan
2 of 3
Reading for meaning in fiction texts,
supporting ideas with evidence from
the text
Secure
developing
reader
Cycle A
Duration: 1 hour
Resources needed
 CD-ROM Cycle A (Secure
developing reader) resource
sheets 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3: starter
activity: the or sound
 CD-ROM Cycle A (Secure
developing reader) resource
sheet 2.4: plot of E.T. in correct
order
 Student Book page 34-35: plot
and film still of E.T.
Lesson aims
 to be able to read simple unfamiliar texts
accurately
Assessment
Focuses
AF2, AF3, AF4
 to be able to give a balanced retelling of
a story and to retell clearly
Target areas
 Target area 1: Finding and using textual
reference
 Target area 3: Understanding text layout
and organisation
Starter (15 minutes)
Show students the different letter combinations that make the or sound by underlining and identifying the
letters that represent the phoneme in the following words: wall, walk, crawl, law, haul, August, more,
door, for, four, war, caught. Emphasise how many different spellings of the phoneme there are. With
students working in pairs or threes, give out copies of the phoneme chart (resource sheet 2.1) or display
one on a projector. Give out sets of word cards or use a class set for students to arrange on a projector
(resource sheet 2.2). Students sort the words by placing them in the correct column, according to the
spelling of the sound. Using blank cards, students then add their own examples of words with the or sound
– aim to get two or three in each column.
Check answers, using the teaching pages (resource sheet 2.3) on a projector. Together, generate strategies
for remembering which spelling of the phoneme is needed in the following words: awful, thought,
caught/court, four, talk. Stress that as well as getting the word looking right, students might need to use a
mnemonic or to highlight the difficult part of the word. You could draw up strategies together and record
them.
Introduction (15 minutes)
Explain the purpose of the lesson, which is to sequence the events of a story in the correct order and to
retell the story clearly. Write the following sentences on the whiteboard: An alien is stranded on earth. A
young boy finds him and they become friends. After many adventures, the alien returns home. Ask
students how they know that this story is told in the correct order and together highlight the “clues” that
readers use to check logical sequence, e.g. main characters introduced (an alien, a young boy) then
pronouns used which refer back to these characters (him, they); logical order of actions (is stranded, is
found, returns home); time connectives (after). Ask students if they recognise this story and direct them to
pages 34–35 of the Student Book, looking together at the image and plot outline for E.T. Give the students
the story extracts, jumbled up from Resource Sheet 2.4. Ask them to scan the jumbled events of the story
and see how quickly they can locate the first sentence (A family of aliens land on earth) and the last
sentence (E.T. is reunited with his family and has to say goodbye to his earth friends) Highlight the clues
they used to decide e.g. first mention of characters (family of aliens); repetition of family and earth; the
word reunited.
Development (20 minutes)
Students work in pairs to sequence the rest of the sentences. Encourage them to re-read frequently and to
think about the clues they are using to decide the correct order for the events in the story. Show Resource
2.4 to establish the correct sequence. You may prefer to cut up this resource on acetate strips and use them
to model the sequencing activity, rehearsing with students the clues you are using. Once sequenced,
Target English Reading Teacher’s File
44
© Harcourt Education 2007
Lesson Plan
2 of 3
Reading for meaning in fiction texts,
supporting ideas with evidence from
the text
Secure
developing
reader
Cycle A
Duration: 1 hour
encourage students to retell the story, this time adding more detail to events and characters. Model this for
them first, then divide students into pairs or threes and give each group one of the sentences to expand. It
would be helpful to give them a time limit e.g. one minute, so they can practise adding enough detail and
rehearsing their telling.
Plenary (10 minutes)
Hear the whole story told in sequence round the class. Reflect and take feedback: was the order of events
clear and easy to follow? Did the story hold your interest?
Extension activity
Practise telling the story of another science fiction film you know. Your aim is to sequence events and
retell them in a clear and logical order.
Target English Reading Teacher’s File
45
© Harcourt Education 2007
Lesson Plan
2 of 3
Reading for meaning in fiction texts,
supporting ideas with evidence from
the text
Secure
developing
reader
Cycle A
Duration: 1 hour
Target English Reading Teacher’s File
46
© Harcourt Education 2007