Inspired by: The Emperor of Absurdia - Week 3

Inspired by the whimsical tale of "The Emperor of Absurdia," students are invited to dive into the mechanics of direct speech in their English lessons. The objective is to understand and practice punctuating direct speech, including the variations that occur when writing questions, commands, and statements. Through exploration and class discussions, students will identify the similarities and differences in these forms of speech and develop a set of class rules for correct punctuation. This will include looking at the placement of the reporting clause and its impact on the punctuation. To bring the lesson to life, students will role-play characters from the story and write a new paragraph that incorporates direct speech, combining action and dialogue to advance the narrative.

Another aspect of the learning journey with "The Emperor of Absurdia" involves predicting outcomes based on details both stated and implied. Students will examine why the author, Chris Riddell, may have chosen to use ellipsis in a particular scene and discuss their predictions for what might happen next, considering whether the events will be ordinary or extraordinary. After sharing different ideas, the class will agree on a favourite prediction and write their own versions of the unfolding story. Additionally, students will organize paragraphs around a theme, narrating the Emperor's unexpected adventure as he embarks on a quest to find a dragon that hatched from his breakfast egg. They will describe the setting, the surprise hatching, the Emperor's journey on a tricycle chair, and his arrival at a cave, all the while focusing on the Emperor's changing emotions and thoughts.