Making

8-10 yrs old

11-13 yrs old

Reading and Writing

Demonstrate active reading strategies within the text Kensuke's Kingdom.

Submitted By: Litcraft

September 24, 2019

Lesson Plan
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Skills

Creativity
Critical Thinking

External References

Kensuke's Kingdom World File

Kensuke's Kingdom world in Minecraft to support lessons.

Litcraft Website

LITCRAFT uses the popular Minecraft gaming platform to build accurate scale models of authorial maps from classic works of literature.

Supporting Files

Making

Full lesson plan and additional activities.

Kensuke's Kingdom Extracts

Extracts from Kensuke's Kingdom to support activities.

Learning Objectives

Demonstrate active reading strategies.

Guiding Ideas

This series of lessons is designed to help teach English Language Arts concepts through the study of Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo.

Reading aloud/shared reading of Chapter 5.

Students re-read/listen to/read aloud Michael’s first meeting with Kensuke (pp. 69-72).

Students are going to focus carefully on the character of Kensuke and complete a grid about him: What do we know? What is inferred? What do we want to find out? The first two sections of the grid should be completed with statements, the last with questions. This activity could be done in small groups.

Students re-read/listen to/read aloud the remainder of the chapter (pp. 72-84). See also extracts.

Focus on Michael’s reaction to Kensuke in this section of the text.

What does Michael think about Kensuke?
How does he feel about Kensuke?
What does he do?

Encourage active reading strategies during this discussion. Students start to create a character timeline to chart Michael’s relationship with Kensuke using the information that they have gathered from this section of the text including key quotations.

Focus on the idea of division in the chapter. In what ways are Michael and Kensuke divided?

Read the comprehension passage included in the attached extracts then answer the following questions:

This is the first time that Michael and Kensuke meet face to face. How would you describe their encounter?
What tells you how Kensuke is feeling? Pick out three words that make this clear.
Why do Stella and Michael react so differently?

Student Activities

In-Game Activity: Making

Start by loading the Kensuke's Kingdom Minecraft world file found in the resources section.

Go to Kensuke’s Cave in the North of the island. In his artistic workshop at the front of the cave find his notebook then follow the instructions given there.

IN NOTEBOOK: " You must to go North. Take small boat near outrigger. Go to top of island. Travel North. Find flat sand. Open chest. You make beautiful thing.”

IN CHEST ON ISLAND: Either: Use the coloured blocks in the chest to make an artwork that shows the island in some way – be as imaginative and abstract as you like. Take screenshots of your work to print out later.

OR: Use the sand in the chest and on the island to make a sculpture – a 3D model of the

island or some aspect of it. Take screenshots of your work to print out later.

FOLLOW UP ACTIVITY:

Carry on Michael’s Ship’s Log and write about the meeting with Kensuke and the division of the island.

Performance Expectations

Students are active participants in each activity.
Students demonstrate active reading strategies during discussion.
Students create a character timeline to chart Michael’s relationship with Kensuke using the information that they have gathered from this section of the text including key quotations.