Lesson video

Hi, everyone.

My name's Ms. Clarke and I'm really, really pleased that you've made the decision to come and join me for this reading lesson.

In today's reading lesson, we are going to be exploring the relationships between the different characters in the book "The Sheep-Pig".

For today's lesson, you will need a copy of the book in front of you.

Have a look at my copy of the book, "The Sheep-Pig" by Dick King-Smith.

Can you pause the video now and go and find your copy of the book that looks exactly like mine? Pause the video, go and find your book now.

Okay, show me your book, brilliant.

I'm so pleased you all now have a copy of the book in front of you.

So, now we can get started with our learning.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can understand the relationship between the characters in "The Sheep-Pig".

Here are our keywords for today's lesson.

My turn, your turn.

Are you ready? Characterization, character traits, evidence, relationship.

characterization is the way an author describes and develops the personalities and traits of the characters in a story.

So, the traits are the particular qualities or characteristics that someone shows.

Character might show.

Character traits are the special qualities that make a character in the story unique and interesting.

What makes them who they are.

So, we'll look at specific character traits coming up later in the lesson.

Evidence is the information from a text that can support or justify our reasoning, our idea.

So, it's really important to back up our ideas using evidence from the text.

Character relationships refer to the connections and interactions between individuals within a narrative.

So, how they communicate and engage with each other.

Our lesson today, has two learning cycles.

In learning cycle one, we are going to be exploring character and in learning cycle two we are going to be exploring the relationships.

So, let's get started with exploring character.

We are reading "The Sheep-Pig" by Dick King-Smith.

We know a little bit so far from our reading already.

What we know so far is Farmer Hogget won a piglet at the fair and brought him back to his farm.

Fly, the sheepdog looked after the piglet, Babe.

So, they gave the piglet a name he's now called Babe.

The piglet said he wanted to become a sheep-pig and so Fly started to train him on the ducks.

Babe became friends with Ma, the lame sheep, who was in the stables.

And Babe started to understand the complex relationship between the sheep and Fly.

Complex means quite complicated, a bit of a difficult relationship that Fly, the sheepdog, has with the sheep.

What is characterization? Characterization is the way an author describes and develops the personalities and traits of the characters in a story.

Authors and illustrators use a range of methods to convey characterization.

So, they will use a character's appearance.

So, how a character looks might give you an idea as to their personality.

A character's words, what the character says in the story, a character's actions, so what they do.

All of these things can help us to understand that character better.

Let's check your understanding.

What is the definition of characterization? Is it A, how fictional characters interact with one another, B, the way an author describes and develops the personalities and traits of the characters, or C, a conflict between characters in the story.

A, B, or C.

Pause the video and have a go now.

Okay, well done for having a go at that question, and well done.

If you've said B, it is characterization as the way an author describes and develops the personalities of the characters.

Character traits, another one of our key words there.

are the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting.

Here are some examples of character traits.

Thoughtful, so these are words you might describe a character as.

Funny, shy, determined, meaning they really, really want to succeed at things.

Greedy, bossy, friendly, quiet, confident, polite, mean, strong, caring and curious.

Curious means you want to find out, you are interested in things.

I am going to describe Babe's character using what we know so far.

So, from our reading so far, I am going to describe Babe's character.

So, what character traits would I use to describe Babe and what evidence can I use to back up my idea? Hmm, let me think about the story so far.

How would I describe Babe? I would describe Babe as friendly.

That's one of our character traits, he's friendly.

I think he's friendly, because he's really friendly and chatty with the other characters in the story.

He's friendly towards the puppies and to Fly, the sheepdog.

He's also friendly and ask questions to Ma, the lame sheep, who comes into the stables.

I also think Babe is very curious.

He's curious, because he asks lots of questions and he wants to find out about what the other animals do.

He's interested in Fly's job of herding the sheep.

And he's also curious, he asks Ma questions as well.

So, he wants to find things out.

Now, it's your turn to describe Babe's character.

What character traits would you use to describe Babe and what evidence can you use to back up your idea? Pause the video, and tell your partner now.

Okay, great job.

Really good ideas.

Using lots of different character traits to describe him.

Maybe you said, I think Babe's polite.

That's a really good character trait you could have used, because he listens to people and speaks nicely to them, absolutely.

I think Babe is determined.

Oh, I love that.

That's a really, really good word.

Because he really wants to learn how to be a sheep-pig.

Yeah, and he's not gonna let being a pig stop him from doing what he wants to do.

Showing real determination.

Great job.

So, we are going to do a little activity now.

I'm first going to explain a bit about it.

We're gonna do an activity called role on the wall.

And this is a reading activity that helps us to develop our understanding of characters in a story or text.

So, using an outline of a character, you can see the human outline here, we jot down ideas of character traits.

So, those words, honest, friendly, kind, polite, mean.

We jot down them on the inside along with their thoughts, what we think they might be thinking or feeling, and what their motivations are, why they want to do things, and any fears they might have.

So, inside we want to get into their heads a little bit.

Think about what they're thinking, what they're feeling, what they're scared of, and why they want to do things? On the outside of the outline, we note down their outer characteristics.

So their physical appearance, what they look like and their actions and interactions with other characters, how they interact with the other characters in the text.

And we can support our ideas with evidence from the text.

One of our keywords.

So, backing up our ideas with evidence from the text.

So, on the inside, their thoughts, their feelings, and on the outside their appearance and how people see them, how they interact.

So, I have done an example of role on the wall for Babe with evidence from the text.

So, instead of a human outline, I have a pig outline here, 'cause obviously Babe is a pig.

So, on the inside, their inner thoughts, their inner feelings, their character traits, I've said, I really want to become a sheep-pig.

That's what I think Babe is thinking.

How can I get the sheep to listen to me? They're his thoughts, his questions.

Kind, that's a character trait.

Polite, that's another character trait.

Determined, another one that you came up with earlier.

So, that's the inside of my role on the wall.

On the outside, we are thinking about his outer appearance.

I've said Babe does not look like a sheepdog.

He is a small pink piglet.

I've described what he looks like.

Now, thinking about his interactions with others.

Babe takes the time to listen to people, he listens to Ma and asks her how she is feeling.

Babe wants to learn and does not worry about what other people think.

So, on the outside a few ideas of his interactions with other people, what he is like on the outside.

So, let's check your understanding.

Which of the following features are included on the inside of the character, the inside, when completing a role on the wall? Is it A, physical appearance, B, actions they perform in the story, C, thoughts and feelings, D, fears.

Which ones would we include on the inside? Pause the video, and have a go.

Okay, well done.

Let's have a look.

Well done, if you said C and D.

Thoughts and feelings and fears go on the inside.

Physical appearance and actions they perform in the story go on the outside.

Okay, so it's your turn now and this is your first practise task for this lesson.

I would like you to complete a role on the wall for Babe.

So, I've put some hints here on the side of what goes on the inside and what goes on the outside.

Note down Babe's character traits, his thoughts, feelings and motivations on the inside of your outline.

And note down Babe's outer characteristics, including physical appearance, actions and interactions with other characters on the outside.

Pause the video, and have a go at your task now.

Okay, well done, everyone.

And you might want to have a look at your partners or someone near you and compare and see what you've got and what they got and how they're similar, and how they're different.

So, can you have a look at your role on the wall now and just check you have done these things.

On the inside, have you included a thought Babe might have? Have you included a thought? Oh, why aren't the sheep listening to me? Have you included a range of emotions that Babe might feel? Oh, I feel frustrated the ducks weren't listening.

Have you included some character traits? Maybe you said determined or kind in there? Can you check you've done those things now.

Well done.

And on the outside, have you included these things, actions that Babe performs? What does he do? He asks Ma lots of questions for example.

An interaction Babe has with another character.

Can you think of an interaction he's had with Fly or with Farmer Hogget or with Ma? Did you do all of those things? If you haven't, pause the video and see if you can add some additional notes now.

Amazing work, everyone.

Well done.

Time to move on to our second learning cycle where we will be exploring relationships between the characters.

So, who are the characters in "The Sheep-Pig"? Tell me now.

Well done.

So, we have Babe who's the main character, which we sometimes refer to as the protagonist.

We have Farmer Hogget, the Farmer, and Mrs. Hogget, his wife.

We have Fly, the sheepdog, Ma, the lame sheep.

Character relationships refer to the connections and interactions between individuals within a narrative.

So, how they interact with each other and how they form bonds or relationships.

We are going to explore the relationships that Babe has developed with the other characters so far.

So, I need you, first of all, to read the first paragraph on page 15.

All of you need to get your copy of the book.

Pause the video, and go and get your copy now.

Okay, I'm glad you all have your copy of the book in front of you.

Can you turn to page 15, and read the first paragraph on page 15.

Pause the video, and read that paragraph now.

Okay, well done.

Using what you've read so far and that paragraph you just reread, how would you describe the relationship between Babe and Fly? You'll need a talk partner to answer this question, maybe somebody at home or somebody at school.

Can you tell them what is Fly and Babe's relationship like? Pause the video, off you go.

Wow, amazing discussions, everybody.

Great job.

Some of you said they have a caring relationship.

Yes, Fly feels sorry for Babe.

She does, doesn't she? She sees him on his own and she feels like she wants to mother him.

She feels sorry for Babe and she takes care of him.

Babe calls Fly "Mum".

Yes, he begins to call Fly "Mum".

So, that gives you an insight into what their relationship is like.

It's like a mother-son relationship.

Some of you said Fly takes on the role of teacher for Babe.

Yeah, so like a teacher or a mentor.

Sharing her wisdom about sheep herding and encouraging him to believe in himself, because teachers should do that.

They shouldn't knock you down and say, "You can't become a sheep-pig, Babe." They should pick you up and say, "Yes, okay, I am gonna teach you everything I know and you should believe in yourself." Well done for all your amazing answers.

So, let's check.

What do we know about Babe and Fly's relationship? A, they live in the same stables, B, they have a mother-son relationship and care for each other, C, Fly supports Babe and helps him to learn the skills of a sheepdog.

Which one best describes their relationship? How they interact together? Pause the video, make your choice.

Hey, well done, everybody.

Well done, if you said B, absolutely they have a mother-son relationship and care for each other.

And C, Fly supports Babe and helps him to learn the skills of a sheepdog.

Both describe their relationship.

They live in the same stables, just tells us where they live.

It doesn't describe what they're like together.

So, their relationship goes beyond the traditional roles of pig and sheepdog evolving into a genuine friendship.

You wouldn't usually expect the sheepdogs and the pigs to become friends, but they really have developed a really, really nice relationship.

You will need your book again.

So, can you all make sure you have your book in front of you? I would like you to turn to page 36 and read from page 36 from paragraph two starting with the word "Good" up to the end of paragraph four.

So, count your paragraphs from paragraph two up to the end of paragraph four.

Can you pause the video, and do your reading now? Okay, great job.

Now, using what you've read so far and those additional paragraphs you just read, how would you describe the relationship between Babe and Ma? Pause the video, and talk to your partner.

Amazing discussions.

Well done, everyone.

I heard some of you say they have a friendly relationship.

Babe is respectful towards Ma.

That's a great word to describe it.

He really shows respect, and he's interested to learn about her.

Yes, curious to find out.

And Ma finds Babe polite and she likes that he treats her with respect and kindness.

Yes, she's not used to be treated with that same level to being treated with that same level of respect, because she says that Fly kind of barks orders at her and can be quite aggressive, but Babe is very polite to her and she really likes that.

So, she's warming to him.

Brilliant, well done.

So, let's check your understanding.

What do we know about Babe and Ma's relationship? A, they live in the same stables, B, they have a mothers-son relationship and care for each other, or C, they treat each other with respect and kindness.

Pause the video, and answer now.

Okay, welcome back.

Well done, if you said C.

Absolutely, they don't have a mothers-son relationship.

That's Fly and Babe, but they do treat each other with respect and kindness.

Great job.

Ma is surprised at Babe's politeness as she finds the sheepdogs rude.

So, one final bit of reading today.

You will need your book in front of you again.

Make sure you've got your book please.

Read page 38 and 39 up to the final paragraph that ends with the word "Pig".

Okay, 38 and 39, up to the final paragraph.

Can you do your reading now? Pause the video, and read now.

Okay, well done, everyone.

So, using what you've read so far, we are now going to think about the relationship between Babe and Farmer Hogget.

How would you describe the relationship between Babe and Farmer Hogget? We've looked at the relationship between Babe and Fly.

We've looked at the relationship between Babe and Ma.

Now, we're looking at the relationship between Babe and Farmer Hogget.

Can you pause the video, talk to your partner.

Off you go.

Okay, great discussions, everybody.

Some of you said, "They liked each other right from the beginning at the fair.

Farmer Hogg was gentle with Babe and Babe felt calm with him." Well done, if you referred back to that root that one of those first scenes right at the start of the story.

Absolutely, right from the beginning they seemed to connect, to click, and to bond with each other.

And Farmer Hogget has grown affectionate towards Babe.

Yeah, he has, and does not want to kill him and eat him as Mrs. Hogget plans.

So, it says in the book, doesn't it, that he likes watching Babe.

He's grown in affection towards him.

He kind of enjoys having him on the farm, and he doesn't want to.

He said he doesn't want to kill Babe and eat him, even though that's what his wife is planning to do.

Okay, time for a check.

What do we know about Babe and Farmer Hogget's relationship? A, they're fond of each other, B, Farmer Hogget is keen to have Babe butchered, that means killed for eating, And C, Farmer Hogget is impressed by Babes developing skills in herding the ducks.

What do we know about their relationship? What do we know so far? Pause the video, make your choice.

Well done, if you said A, they are fond of each other.

And C, Farmer Hogget is impressed by Babe's developing skills.

Both of those are correct.

He's not keen to have Babe butchered.

Mrs. Hogget is the only one not fully convinced by Babe yet.

So, we've identified that Babe has many positive character traits, including being friendly, kind, polite, and determined.

Those are some of the ones you came up with.

These have helped him to form unique and positive relationships with the other characters.

All of his relationships that we've just explored are really, really positive.

I would like you to discuss these questions with your partner.

What do you predict will happen? Predict, means making a guess using evidence and what you know.

What do you predict will happen when Babe meets the rest of the sheep? So, think about the relationships he's built so far, and using that knowledge, what do you predict will happen when he meets the rest of the sheep? What relationship will he develop with the flock? The flock is the group of sheep.

And will his relationship with Mrs. Hogget change do you think? Can you pause the video, and discuss these questions with your partner? Off you go.

Well done, everyone.

Loved hearing all of those amazing predictions.

Some of you said, "I predict that Babe will continue to form friendly, respectful relationships with the other characters that he meets.

I think he will be polite to the sheep so they will like him." Absolutely, that's using evidence as well.

He's already formed friendly, respectful relationships, so he'll probably continue to do so.

And he's been talking a lot about being polite, so if he is polite, probably the sheep will like him.

Some of you might have said, "I predict that Mrs. Hogget will change her opinion of Babe once she gets to know him properly.

Hopefully, she won't eat him." So, lots of you predicting that Mrs. Hogget will change her opinion.

Maybe like the other characters, she just needs to get to know him a little bit better and then she'll see all of these amazingly positive characteristics that he has.

Well done.

So, let's look at a summary of our learning together.

Today, we have learned that character traits are the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting.

Babe shows many positive character traits, including kindness, politeness, determination, and friendliness.

Babe's kindness and determination help him to form relationships with the other characters.

Farmer Hogget forms a bond with Babe and Fly accepts Babe and teaches him.

Well done on all of this fantastic learning today.

Exploring Babe's character and exploring the relationships between different characters in the story.

You've done really, really well discussing today, and I hope you've enjoyed yourselves.

See you soon.