For this unit of work you and your class are going to be reading 'The Sheep-Pig' by Dick King-Smith. It is very likely that you have heard a lot about this book and indeed may have seen the film. Over the next six weeks you will be learning about;
Diary writing
Script writing
Role-playing presentations
Newspaper articles
Revising for a quiz
You will share the reading of the novel with your teacher and your class. Your teacher will guide you through this unit with the help of this booklet.
As a class, discuss what you already know about the book.
Have any of you seen the film?
Did you know the film was based on a book?
Did any of you know who the book was written by?
Read chapters 1 and 2.
As a class, decide on six key (important) points which tell the basic story of what you have read so far. Choose three points for each chapter. Copy the six points into your exercise book under the title 'Babe's Diary'. You will be using the points in your next English lesson.
Your teacher will explain the most effective way of writing a diary entry. It is vital that you put yourself in the person's (or animal's!) position. Use the points you made last lesson to help you. Being able to understand how someone else is feeling is called empathy .
Now write your diary entry.
Once you have completed the written entry, draw a picture of one of the events that you have written about.
HOMEWORK - complete your diary entry including the picture.
Look at the question sheet for chapter 1 (at the back of this booklet).
You are going to answer these questions in your exercise book. However, you are going to use the book in order to answer them. An important skill to learn is that of using the tools you have got. The book can be used as a tool and it's much easier than trying to do it from memory.
Answer each question in a full sentence . At the end of each answer, write the page number for where you got the information. Once you have completed this task, you teacher will go over the answers with you.
Now you have got the hang of using the book as a tool for reference, turn to the question sheet for chapter 2 and do the same as you did for chapter 1.
Again, your teacher will go over the answers with you.
It's time for some more reading, read chapter 3.
Read chapter 4.
You are now going to practice your diary writing skills again. As a class come up with six key points for chapters 3 and 4 (three for each chapter). Copy the points into your exercise book.
Write your diary using the six points to help you show empathy. Again, once your written entry is completed, draw a picture of one of the events you have written about.
HOMEWORK - complete your diary entry including the picture.
It's time for some more research practise, look at the question sheet for chapters 3 and 4 (at the back of this booklet).
You learnt to use the book as a tool last time you did this sort of task. You are going to do this again.
Answer each question in a full sentence . At the end of each answer, write the page number for where you got the information - just like you did before.
Read chapters 5 and 6.
As a class, brainstorm what you think Ma would think of Babe. Write the brainstorm in your exercise book. Now do the same type of brainstorm for a young lamb and write that in you book.
Your next task is going to be a script writing task. Your teacher will explain to you how a script should be set out.
You are going to be working in pairs. You are going to write short scripts of a conversation between Ma and a young lamb. In this conversation they are going to be discussing Babe and what they think of him. Decide who you are going to be working with and start discussing what you are going to say. It's important that you work hard on this because you are going to be presenting it to the rest of the class.
You are going to spend these lessons writing and rehearsing your script. Make sure that both you and your partner write your script in your books.
HOMEWORK - Learn your lines and practise your performance. You are going to be showing it to the rest of your class during your next English lesson.
This lesson is the presentation lesson. Good luck!
Read chapters 7 and 8.
As Farmer Hogget climbs the hill and comes across Babe with a bloody snout a lot of things must be going through his mind. Write these thoughts down, not as a diary, but as they are actually happening.
HOMEWORK - complete your writing about Farmer Hogget's thoughts.
Read chapters 9 and 10.
As a class, discuss why the password is so important to the sheep.
In pairs, think of passwords which other animals might use. Try to make them rhyme if possible.
You will finish reading the book this lesson. When you have finished reading it, discuss what you thought of it with the rest of your class.
Was it different to what you expected it to be?
If you have seen the film, which do you think is better? Why?
Which were your favourite characters?
Now you are going to write a newspaper article. There are lots of things which you need to think about when you are writing a newspaper article. Some of these are:
Headline
Sub-heading
Pictures
Presentation
There are a number people who would be interviewed about the story so it is important that you include comments from;
Farmer Hogget
Mrs Hogget
The Vicar
The Commentator
Spend this lesson writing your article. Do the actual writing in rough first. Once you have worked out what you are going to say, think about how your article will be presented.
HOMEWORK - Complete your newspaper article.
This scheme of work by Felicity Gibson was found free at www.englishresources.co.uk
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