Inspired by: Toys in Space - Week 2

Inspired by the book "Toys in Space" by Mini Grey, a lesson plan encourages children to engage their imaginations and predict what might happen next in a story. The toys, for the first time, have been left outside at night, and the students are tasked with exploring the possibilities of what could occur. They are prompted to draw on their own experiences of being outside as darkness falls, reflecting on the emotions and senses that come into play. The discussion is steered towards understanding the genre of the story, whether it might be humorous, scary, or a blend of both, and how the book's title might hint at future events. Children are then asked to record their predictions and reasoning, later revisiting their ideas to see if they were correct.

Another activity focuses on enriching vocabulary and sentence composition, inspired by the toys' amazement upon seeing the night sky. The students consider why the author chose to emphasise "THIS" in the narrative and the silence that follows. This leads to a discussion about moments of awe and astonishment, with children sharing words that describe these feelings. They also explore verbs that capture the movements of stars and delve into the solar system and planet names. Role-play allows the children to express what the characters might see and feel, further enhancing their understanding. The lesson extends into poetry with the study of Van Gogh's "Starry Night" and Moira Andrew's "Star Shapes," encouraging children to prepare poems for reading aloud and to use fronted adverbials, thus deepening their appreciation of language and imagery.