Darwin's Dragons - Session 8 - Reading Comprehension

During Session 8 of "Darwin's Dragons" reading comprehension, students delve into the character Covington's experiences on an island. The session poses a series of questions designed to assess the students' understanding of the text. Questions range from the practical, such as the number of days Covington has spent on the island and his reasons for visiting the flamingo lake, to the more analytical, such as how he reacts to the volcano's activity and his emotional response to lighting a fire. The queries also explore the dynamics between Covington and Farthing, examining how Farthing persuades Covington to accompany her and why Covington decides to leave behind his fiddle case.

Students are encouraged to engage with the text at a deeper level, considering Covington's motivations and feelings, as well as the cause-and-effect relationships that drive the narrative forward. The final task challenges students to condense their understanding of the session into a succinct summary of no more than 50 words, demonstrating their ability to distil the essence of the reading material. This exercise not only checks comprehension but also hones the students' skills in summarisation and concise writing.