Inspired by: The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate - Week 2

In a surprising twist of fate, the editor of a renowned newspaper finds himself contemplating a life at sea. The lesson focuses on the power of headlines and sub-headings in capturing the essence of a story. The editor's boss, upon learning of his employee's mother's piratical past, daydreams of abandoning his corporate life for the swashbuckling adventures of piracy. Students are encouraged to brainstorm headlines that could encapsulate such a dramatic career change, such as "NEWSPAPER BOSS BECOMES PIRATE!" or "MAN RUNS AWAY TO SEA." They then match appropriate sub-headings to these headlines, such as "Boss of multi-million pound business becomes captain of a ship," exploring how sub-headings provide additional context to the main article.

Another aspect of the lesson involves the use of fronted adverbials, as seen in the works of Margaret Mahy. Students examine the sentence structure and punctuation used to describe the journey of the little man and his mother. They learn how commas are used to separate the fronted adverbial from the main clause, affecting the rhythm and emphasis of the sentence. The activity encourages them to manipulate sentence structures and to complete sentences beginning with fronted adverbials, thereby enhancing their understanding of how authors convey the passage of time. The lesson culminates with a writing task where students create an opening paragraph for a newspaper article, using a heading and sub-heading to set the scene for the old pirate woman's adventure, as she is wheeled towards the sea by her devoted son.