You Will Need
Texts
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
Fiction
English Year 5 Summer Modern Fiction
Kensuke's Kingdom
Michael Morpurgo's Kensuke's Kingdom provides inspiration for developing higher level language skills and for cohesion within and between paragraphs, modal verbs/adverbs and commas.
Start with the core unit to introduce key texts. Then select from comprehension, SPAG and composition units.
Unit 1 Core: Introducing Kensuke’s Kingdom and analysing the first half
(suggested as 4 days)
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Read Chapter 1 of Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. Track how the characters’ feelings change through the chapter.
Activity
Role-play each of the characters, hot-seating their responses and feelings at different points of the chapter. Write sentences that explain the characters’ feelings. Hot-seat the character of Gran, then read Chapter 2.
Day 2 Teaching
Read the journal entries from Chapter 2 of Kensuke’s Kingdom. Discuss this style of writing and analyse how the author builds tension.
Activity
Read and answer questions about further journal entries. Read to the end of Chapter 3 and make predictions about what could happen.
Day 3 Teaching
Look at a picture and video of a wild sea and start to generate descriptions. Read Michael Morpurgo’s description of being in the sea in chapter 4.
Activity
Write poems on the theme of being alone and lost in the sea. Read poems aloud. Read more of chapter 4.
Day 4 Teaching
Discuss the settings so far in Kensuke’s Kingdom. Read the descriptions of the island in Chapter 4. Model how to make an illustrated map from these descriptions.
Activity
Work in groups to produce illustrated maps having read extracts from chapter 4. Compare maps and their differences. Read to the very end of the Chapter 4, ending with the cliff-hanger: ‘He was a man.’
Unit 2 SPAG: Using modal verbs and adverbs to indicate degrees of possibility
(suggested as 3 days)
You Will Need
Texts
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
Websites
Top Tips on How to Survive on a Desert Island from www.YouTube.com
Survive on a Deserted Island With Nothing from www.wikihow.com
Presentation
Grammar PowerPoint: Modal Verbs
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Read about Michael landing on the island and start to imagine what he should do. Watch and take notes about a video about Desert Island Survival. Use a Powerpoint to introduce modal verbs.
Activity
Complete sentences using modal verbs and sort these into certainty, ability and obligation. Introduce modal adverbs.
Day 2 Teaching
Read more from Chapter 4 and think about Michael’s feelings as he is first on the island. Explore extended vocabulary about emotions. Use a Powerpoint to consolidate teaching about modal verbs.
Activity
Read about Michael’s Feelings. Identify the modal verbs that have been used and sort these into certainty, ability and obligation. Write own thoughts about Michael’s feelings, using modal verbs.
Day 3 Teaching
Read some advice that has been written for Michael, identifying the modal verbs and adverbs that have been used.
Activity
Write own advice for Michael suggesting what he must do and recognising his likely feelings. Use modal verbs and adverbs in writing.
SPaG: Grammar and Punctuation
Modal Verbs PowerPoint
Learn how modal verbs modify verbs to indicate possibility, ability or obligation. Look at how modal verbs can be used to express shades of meaning.
Unit 3 Comprehension: Exploring narrative and characters in Kensuke’s kingdom
(suggested as 4 days)
You Will Need
Texts
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
Websites
Amazing DIY Orangutans from www.YouTube.com
Green Turtle's Battle For Survival from www.YouTube.com
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Read the start of Chapter 5 of Kensuke’s Kingdom and begin to discuss the character of Kensuke. Discuss Michael’s thoughts and imagine giving him advice.
Activity
Think about the different advice that could be given in answer to Michael’s questions. Write about this advice. Read Chapter 6 and make predictions about how the story will develop.
Day 2 Teaching
Read Chapter 7 and add to notes about the character of Kensuke. Read the start of Chapter 8 together or as a group-read activity.
Activity
Talk and then write about the character of Kensuke. Read the end of Chapter 8 and talk about Michael and Kensuke’s relationship.
Day 3 Teaching
Watch short videos about orangutan and turtles and discuss the role of animals in Kensuke’s Kingdom and Michael Morpurgo’s other books. Read Chapter 9.
Activity
Map and write about the relationship between humans and animals in Kensuke’s Kingdom. Speculate about how the book would be different if there were no animals included.
Day 4 Teaching
Read imagined Log entries written by Michael’s parents after his disappearance. Talk about their feelings.
Activity
Role play a conversation between Michael’s parents and make notes of the key phrases used. Write a dialogue using correct speech conversation. Read Chapter 10 and the Postscript.
Unit 4 SPAG: Using commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity
(suggested as 3 days)
You Will Need
Texts
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
Websites
The Birmingham Stage Company presents Kensukes Kingdom from www.YouTube.com
Punctuation: Using commas to clarify meaning from www.YouTube.com
Presentations
Grammar PowerPoint: Punctuation
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Watch a trailer for a stage adaptation of Kensuke’s Kingdom. Use extracts from reviews of this production and a PowerPoint to revise end of sentence punctuation and to teach the use of commas for separating clauses in sentences.
Activity
Practise using commas to separate clauses. Read further reviews, looking for examples of how commas have been used. Read and discuss a negative review of the production.
Day 2 Teaching
Read a book review of Kensuke’s Kingdom exploring the interesting vocabulary that has been used. Highlight the use of commas and use a PowerPoint to teach the use of commas in lists.
Activity
Practise using commas in lists. Read an extract from Kensuke’s Kingdom looking for examples of the use of commas.
Day 3 Teaching
Discuss the structure of the book review of Kensuke’s Kingdom. Use a PowerPoint to revise learning about commas.
Activity
Follow a brief to write a review of Kensuke’s Kingdom. Keep a particular focus on the use of commas and end of sentence punctuation.
SPaG: Grammar and Punctuation
Punctuation PowerPoint
Revise the use of use of punctuation to indicate questions, statements and exclamations. Look at using commas in lists and to clarify meaning. Practise inserting commas and correctly punctuating sentences.
Unit 5 SPAG: Building cohesion with and across paragraphs
(suggested as 4 days)
You Will Need
Texts
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
Presentations
Grammar PowerPoint: Pronouns and determiners
Grammar PowerPoint: Cohesive devices
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Read May 28, one of Michael’s log entries. Use a Powerpoint to revise Pronouns and Determiners and then identify these in the log entry.
Activity
Re-write another log entry adding pronouns so that it is more cohesive. Check children’s understanding of the difference between pronouns and determiners.
Day 2 Teaching
Look at and discuss pictures chosen to portray Michael’s family. Read a description of Michael’s dad and identify the adverbs and conjunctions that have been used. Do the same with a description of the Peggy Sue.
Activity
Write a description of Michael using adverbs and conjunctions. Listen to writing and discuss how it flows.
Day 3 Teaching
Use a Powerpoint to teach about cohesion within paragraphs. Re-read descriptions of Michael from Day 2 and discuss the cohesive devices used. Discuss the character of Michael’s mum.
Activity
Write descriptions of Michael’s mum using some of the cohesive devices from the Powerpoint.
Day 4 Teaching
Read an extract from Chapter 10 of Kensuke’s Kingdom. Notice how cohesive devices can be used to make links between paragraphs. Use a Powerpoint to teach about cohesion between paragraphs.
Activity
Work with a partner to edit and improve a piece of writing about Michael’s journey home, making it more cohesive. Listen to these pieces of writing and make a list of cohesive devices for the working wall.
SPaG: Grammar and Punctuation
Pronouns and Determiners PowerPoint
Review the types of pronoun and how they are used in a sentence. Learn the difference between pronouns and determiners and how to identify them.
Cohesive Devices PowerPoint
Look at the different devices which can be used to create cohesion in a text: determiners and pronouns, conjunctions, adverbs and ellipsis. Learn how adverbials link ideas across paragraphs.
Unit 6 Composition: Writing a new chapter for Kensuke’s Kingdom
(suggested as 4 days)
You Will Need
Texts
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Recap the key events of the book and make a story-map. Talk about the themes in the book and find events on your story-map that are important for these particular themes.
Activity
Work in small groups to role play some of the key events. Make notes about these, linking themes with events and the emotive language used. Watch and evaluate the publisher’s trailer for Kensuke’s Kingdom.
Day 2 Teaching
Read and discuss the Post-Script of Kensuke’s Kingdom and begin to imagine the meeting between Michael and Michiya. Role-play the start of that meeting and talk about how characters might be feeling.
Activity
Role play further parts of Michael and Michiya’s meeting using a briefing sheet and making notes about key phrases and pieces of action. Watch one another’s work.
Day 3 Teaching
Model how to start to write a draft from the notes from Day 2. Remind children of the grammar studied in this block and talk about how it can be used in their writing.
Activity
Work individually to draft new chapters for Kensuke’s Kingdom. Share and evaluate these with a partner. Look at the illustrations from Kensuke’s Kingdom and talk about what illustration could accompany their writing.
Day 4 Teaching
Model improving and checking a draft from Day 3. Discuss ideas for illustrations and how writing will be shared.
Activity
Complete first draft, make improvements and proof-read writing. Create illustrations to accompany it and prepare it for publication. Reflect on this writing and on Kensuke’s Kingdom.