Darwin's Dragons - Session 5 - Reading Comprehension

In "Darwin's Dragons", Session 5 of the Reading Comprehension series, students delve into the narrative to answer specific questions about the text. The first question asks where Farthing leads Covington in their quest for fresh water. As the session progresses, students explore Covington's sensations, like the shiver he experiences when recalling Darwin's preserved specimens. They analyse descriptive language, such as the comparison of Farthing's scales to 'overlapping fingernails', to infer details about their appearance and texture.

The session continues to probe Covington's emotions, investigating his reaction to the silhouette of a 'beast' and why he chooses to place his trust in Farthing. Another key moment occurs when Covington identifies the beast as a dragon; students examine how he reassures himself that he is not caught in a dream. Additionally, the exercise asks pupils to consider the impact of the phrase 'the earth swallowed me' and to articulate its effect within the text. The session concludes with a task that challenges students to condense the essence of Session 5 into a concise summary of no more than 50 words, demonstrating their understanding and synthesis of the material covered.