Skellig Lesson 12: Mina's Diary Part Two - PowerPoint

Lesson Twelve of the "Skellig" study series, based on David Almond's novel, is designed to deepen students' understanding of the characters through an engaging and empathetic writing activity. In this lesson, students are tasked with consolidating their grasp of character development and exploring the emotional depth of the story's figures. The primary objective is to complete a writing task that requires them to step into the shoes of Mina, one of the novel's key characters, and articulate her experiences and emotions in a diary entry format.

The lesson begins with an interactive exercise where students match quotes to the correct character, including Michael, Skellig, Michael’s mum, Mina, and Arthur Itis. This activity serves to review and reinforce their knowledge of the characters and their distinct voices. Afterward, students are instructed to read up to the end of Chapter 21 and engage in a discussion focusing on the plot, character development, imagery, and themes of the text. For the main activity, students imagine themselves as Mina, composing a second diary entry that vividly describes her first encounter with Skellig, as witnessed by Michael. They are reminded to employ the key features of effective diary writing, such as the first-person perspective, personal pronouns, imaginative description, and the inclusion of Mina's thoughts and feelings. The lesson concludes with a plenary where students read their diary entries aloud to the class and receive constructive feedback.