The Explorer - Session 9 - Worksheet

The Explorer - Session 9, entitled "Sardines," presents an intriguing worksheet that encourages critical thinking and creative expression among KS2 students. The session begins with a discussion segment, prompting students to ponder over who might have left a sardine tin in the river, whether it's advisable for Fred to embark on solo explorations, and which character seems to be handling their circumstances most effectively. These questions aim to enhance the students' reasoning skills and understanding of the narrative.

The worksheet continues with a variety of reading activities that delve deeper into the story's plot, survival themes, and setting. Students are tasked with continuing a timeline of events, assessing the characters' survival strategies against the five basic needs for survival, drawing a map of Fred's journey, and engaging in reading comprehension exercises. Grammar and punctuation skills are honed through a 'Grammar Hunt', focusing on direct speech, modal verbs, hyphen usage, expanded noun phrases, and paragraph structuring. Additionally, a 'Words to Workshop' section introduces vocabulary enhancement with words such as 'coax', 'laden', and 'serrated'. Writing opportunities abound, with suggestions for poetry inspired by the rainforest, instructional writing on carving a pineapple, crafting a note or map for the sardine tin, and exploring biographical writing on the explorer Percy Fawcett. The session also offers cross-curricular links, connecting the themes of the story to subjects like science, computing, history, geography, art, design and technology, music, physical education, and personal, social, health and economic education, thereby providing a comprehensive and immersive learning experience.