The Explorer - Session 3 - Worksheet

Session 3 of 'The Explorer' worksheet, entitled 'The Den', is a comprehensive resource designed to engage Year 6 students in a variety of discussion questions and reading activities. The discussion questions encourage critical thinking around the fairness of decision-making, character behavior, and the ownership and history of the den within the story. Students are prompted to consider whether the characters should remain in the den and the implications of their choices. The reading activities aim to deepen comprehension and analytical skills, asking students to plot a timeline of events, draw and label diagrams of the den, make predictions about the story, and compare the pros and cons of staying in the den.

The worksheet also offers a range of writing opportunities, including poetry inspired by the rainforest, non-chronological reports on Amazonian flora and fauna, diary entries from a character's perspective, and persuasive writing exercises. Grammar and punctuation are addressed through a 'Grammar Hunt', focusing on semi-colons, colons, expanded noun phrases, sentence structures, direct speech, modal verbs, and a selection of challenging vocabulary words. Cross-curricular links are extensive, integrating science, computing, history, geography, art, design and technology, music, physical education, and personal, social, health, and economic (PSHE) education to enrich the learning experience and provide a holistic approach to the topic.