Brightstorm - Session 8 - Chapter 11 - Worksheet

Session 8 of the 'Brightstorm' series dives into Chapter 11, titled "What Goes Up," and offers a variety of engaging activities for students. The session begins with thought-provoking discussion questions that encourage students to explore the motivations behind characters' actions, such as Mr and Mrs Beggins' pursuit of Arthur and Maudie, Harriet's assistance to Arthur, and Welby's perceptions of the characters. Students are prompted to continue updating their timelines with significant events and to predict future plot developments using additional resources provided.

Reading activities are designed to deepen comprehension and engagement with the text. Students are tasked with identifying unanswered questions from earlier chapters, participating in drama exercises to explore character emotions, and completing a reading comprehension exercise. The session also focuses on grammar and punctuation, with a 'Grammar Hunt' activity that covers expanded noun phrases, the use of colons, cohesive devices, prepositions, and prefixes 'ex' and 're'. Vocabulary is also a key element, with a 'Words to Workshop' section that lists words such as 'exchanged', 'extraordinary', and 'lunged' for further exploration.

Writing opportunities are abundant, with creative tasks such as scripting a news report for the Polaris Challenge, narrating the next chapter, and writing diary entries from the perspective of Mr and Mrs Beggins or Felicity. Discussions on whether Harriet should have helped Arthur board the sky ship also provide a platform for critical thinking and debate.

Cross-curricular links extend the learning into various subjects. In science, topics like forces, evolution and inheritance, and states of matter are connected to the story's themes. History lessons can delve into the exploration of the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as the history of flight. Geography activities involve mapping and understanding climate zones, while computing offers creative projects such as animating a sky-ship or creating a game. Design and Technology (DT) tasks include building a model of Harriet's house as a sky ship, and Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education focuses on values such as perseverance, cooperation, and trust. These activities are designed to provide a comprehensive and immersive educational experience linked to the 'Brightstorm' narrative.