The Explorer - Session 20 - Worksheet

Session 20 of 'The Explorer' worksheet offers a comprehensive learning experience for KS2 students, blending reading comprehension with critical thinking and creative expression. The session begins with discussion questions that encourage students to reflect on teamwork dynamics within the story, the motivations behind the explorer sharing personal information, the influence of love on sanity, and the author's pacing choices in the narrative. These questions aim to deepen students' understanding of the characters' interactions and the storytelling techniques employed in the book.

In terms of reading activities, students are tasked with continuing a timeline to track the story's events and updating the explorer's character analysis, which they began in an earlier session. They also compare two characters, Con and Lila, using additional resources provided. A drama activity involves creating freeze frames from key points in the chapter, taking photographs, and annotating these with the characters' thoughts and feelings, further exploring the emotional landscape of the story. Grammar and punctuation are reinforced through a 'Grammar Hunt,' focusing on direct speech, clauses, expanded noun phrases, and ellipsis. The 'Words to Workshop' section introduces a variety of vocabulary words for students to learn and integrate into their language skills.

Writing opportunities presented in the worksheet encourage creative output, such as composing a letter from the children to the explorer, discussing the prudence of accepting food and drink from the explorer, penning a diary entry as Fred, and beginning a narrative about the explorer's backstory leading up to his arrival in the rainforest. These activities help students to engage with the text on a deeper level and develop their writing skills.

Cross-curricular links are abundant in this session, with connections to science topics like animals, habitats, and evolution; computing through creating a database of Amazonian flora and fauna; history and geography with explorations of the Amazon Rainforest and Inca cities; and art, design and technology, music, physical education, and personal, social, health, and economic (PSHE) education. These links provide a rich and varied educational experience, allowing students to explore the themes of the book through multiple lenses and activities.