Skellig Lesson 17: Dr Death - Lesson Plan

In Lesson 17 of the "Skellig" study plan, the learning objective is to deepen students' understanding of William Blake and to delve into character analysis. The lesson aims to achieve this by engaging students in discussions about character motivations and by conducting research on the life and works of William Blake, the renowned poet and artist whose themes resonate with the novel "Skellig" by David Almond. The assessment of progress will be based on the students' research findings and their ability to convey their understanding.

The expected outcomes for the lesson are tiered to accommodate different levels of comprehension and engagement. At the basic level, students must be able to demonstrate a fundamental understanding of character motivation within the novel and some knowledge of William Blake. Moving a step further, they should be able to exhibit a sound understanding of these concepts. The most advanced outcome is for students to convey insightful connections between character motivation in "Skellig" and William Blake's work. To cater to the varying abilities within the classroom, the lesson plan includes differentiation opportunities. These include editing the PowerPoint presentation to better suit the class, personalising tasks, and finding the right balance between teacher-led guidance and independent learning. The starter activity is a "True lies discussion" lasting 10 minutes, followed by main teaching activities that include reading, discussing, and researching, culminating with a plenary where students feedback their initial findings on Blake.