Lesson video

Hello! It's really lovely to see you all, and thank you for coming to join me for today's reading lesson where we will be reading and discussing "The Sheep-Pig." My name's Ms. Clarke.

I'm really, really excited to learn with you today.

Now, very importantly for today's lesson, you will need a copy of the book "The Sheep-Pig." This is what the front cover looks like.

Have a look.

I need you to pause the video and go and get your copy of "The Sheep-Pig" now.

Pause the video and go and find it.

Off you go.

Okay, I am pleased to see you all with your books in front of you now, so now we can get started with today's lesson.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can discuss a turning point in the story.

Let's have a look at our keywords for today.

My turn, your turn.

I'll say them, you say them back.

Plot.

Turning point.

Structure.

Stereotype.

Well done.

Let's have a look at the definitions of these words.

So the plot is the sequence of events that make up the main storyline of a narrative.

So it's essentially what happens in the story.

A turning point in a narrative is a pivotal moment that significantly alters the course of the story or a character's journey.

So pivotal, an important moment that might alter, change the direction of the story.

Story structure refers to the order of events within a narrative that gives it a coherent and engaging flow.

So a clear structure.

And stereotype refers to a generalised and often unfair or untrue belief about a particular group of people or things.

So there might be a stereotype about what a pig can and cannot do.

In today's lesson, we are going to be reading the story first of all, and then the second learning cycle we will be discussing a turning point.

So let's get started with our first learning cycle, reading the story.

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

What do we know so far about this story? We know that Babe has formed positive relationships with the other animals on the farm due to his politeness and kind nature.

Fly, the border collie, is an experienced sheepdog on the farm who has become Babe's mum.

He refers to her as his mum.

Babe has decided he wants to learn to become a sheep-pig, and he shows a unique obedience and willingness to learn.

So a really kind of special obedience, doing the right thing, following instructions, and an eagerness to learn.

And Babe has told us that he thinks being polite will be an effective way to herd sheep, but Fly the sheepdog was not so sure.

So you now need to read Chapter Five.

Can you all find your book, "The Sheep-Pig"? I know you've got it in front of you 'cause you already found it earlier in this lesson.

Can you find your book and read from the start of Chapter Five all the way to the end of Chapter Five? Maybe your teacher will be reading to you, maybe somebody at home will be reading to you, or maybe you will be reading yourself or with a partner.

Either way, read Chapter Five.

Pause the video now.

Okay, great reading, everybody.

Well done.

I've got a little task for you to do with a partner.

I would like you to summarise Chapter Five in just one sentence.

Summarise means give the key events, key ideas from what you've read, and I've asked you to do that just in one sentence.

Can you pause the video and have a go now? Okay, well done.

Here's my summary of Chapter Five in just one sentence.

In Chapter Five, Babe was a hero and saved all the sheep on the farm from being stolen by squealing so loudly and scaring the sheep-stealers away! Well done if you managed to summarise that chapter in one sentence.

Such an exciting chapter where a lot happens, but you did a really, really good job putting the main events, the key ideas into that one sentence.

Great job.

So let's check your understanding on that chapter.

What name is given to the people who were trying to steal the sheep? Was it A, burglars, B, rustlers, or C, farmers? Pause the video and answer now.

Okay, well done.

Well done if you said B, it was rustlers.

That was the term used in the book that they used to describe the people, I think they were farmers, but coming to steal the sheep.

And one more check for understanding.

True or false, Mrs. Hogget's opinion of Babe changed at the end of Chapter Five.

Is that true or is that false? Pause the video and make your choice.

Okay, well done if you said true.

Her opinion of Babe did change.

But let's justify that answer.

Which is the best justification? Is it A, Mrs. Hogget was amazed at how Babe saved the sheep, or B, Mrs. Hogget initially only wanted to fatten Babe up in time for Christmas! After he rescued all the sheep, she now wants to save him too.

Which best justifies the fact that Mrs. Hogget's opinion of Babe has changed? Pause the video and make your choice.

Okay, well done if you said B.

A, Mrs. Hogget was amazed at how Babe saved the sheep, but B gives a really clear justification of how her opinion has changed, because originally she only wanted to fatten him up for Christmas, but now she wants to save him.

She doesn't want to eat him anymore.

Well done.

Some more reading to do now.

Whoever is reading to you, maybe somebody is reading to you, maybe you are reading yourself, you need to read the whole of Chapter Six.

So everybody get your book.

Have you got your book now? Find your book and read Chapter Six.

Pause the video and off you go.

Okay, great reading, everybody.

Well done.

So a lot happened in that chapter.

Babe went to try and herd the sheep, went to see what Fly was doing with Farmer Hogget, he was invited up, and quite a lot happens in that chapter.

And in the end of the chapter, the sheep listen to Babe and they follow his instructions.

My question is, why do you think the sheep listen to Babe? Can you talk to your partner and answer that question now? Pause the video and have a go.

Some great ideas coming from all of you.

Well done.

Some of you said similar things to this: I think the sheep listen to Babe because he shows respect and politeness towards them.

And if you are polite and kind, generally you receive a positive response, that's right.

If you're kind and polite to people, generally people will want to do as you ask, and that's really true in life and you've probably found that as well.

So that's probably why they listened to him, because he respects them and he asks them really kindly, really politely.

Well done.

So let's check your understanding on that chapter.

How did Fly make the sheep move? So initially they didn't respond to her, they weren't responding to her, they weren't moving, but then she did manage to get them to move in the end.

How did she make them move? Was it A, she asked them politely, B, she jumped at one of the sheep with aggression, causing the rest of the flock to follow her instructions, or C, she ordered them rudely to move? Can you have a think? Pause the video, have a think, and make your choice.

Okay, welcome back.

Well done if you said B, she did.

She jumped at one of the sheep with quite a lot of aggression, and then the rest of the flock thought, "Well, we better do as she says, we don't want to be jumped at like that and hurt at all." She had tried ordering them to to move, but rudely, which she normally does, but that hadn't worked, and she definitely doesn't think asking them politely is a good idea.

Okay, so I've got some questions for you for your practise task today.

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

Remember, inference means reading between the lines, looking for clues, thinking about what that tells you.

You will need to refer to Chapter Six.

You don't need to read the whole chapter again, but just have your book with you, have your book with you just so you can flick through and look for some ideas for some evidence.

Question one, why did Farmer Hogget think himself daft? So quite near the beginning of the chapter, he says he thinks he might be daft.

Why? Daft means a bit crazy or mad.

Two, why does Farmer Hogget decide to take Babe with him? Why? Why did he take a pig with him to go and do the sheep herding? And three, why won't the sheep move for Fly? For all of these answers, you need to search for clues within the text and ask, what does this clue tell me? So think carefully about these questions, you can flick through Chapter Six to help you, and discuss these answers with your partner.

Pause the video, off you go.

Amazing, some really, really great answers going on.

Well done.

But why did Farmer Hogget think himself daft? He probably thought he was going a bit crazy by thinking that a pig might actually be able to herd sheep, as this was unheard of.

Never before has a pig been a sheep-pig.

It's always been left to the sheepdogs.

So he probably was thinking, "Oh, I must be daft.

I must be going a bit mad thinking this might actually work." Number two, why did Farmer Hogget decide to take Babe with him? Well, Farmer Hogget had noticed some unique qualities in Babe.

He'd noticed that he was different to other pigs, that he was obedient, that he followed instructions, and he wanted to see whether this obedience and determination may actually work in him becoming a sheep-pig, so he just wanted to try it out.

And three, why didn't the sheep move for Fly in the start? Why didn't they move for her? The sheep did not want to respond to Fly's rudeness and sharpness.

And instead they were asking for Babe, they wanted Babe to move them because he was polite and respectful.

So they were a bit fed up of being spoken to rudely and they thought, "No, we're all gonna make a stand and say no and ask for Babe instead." Well done if you've got some similar answers to those there.

Great job! So now we are moving on to our second learning cycle, discussing a turning point.

Story structure refers to the order of events within a narrative that gives it a coherent and engaging flow, so a clear structure.

It is important for stories to have a clear structure to present the narrative in a meaningful way so that readers can understand and enjoy it.

It's got to have a kind of logical flow to it, a beginning, a buildup, a climax, a resolution, to keep the story going, to keep the story moving and to help us to understand it.

So there are four main parts of a story structure, the opening, the buildup, the climax, and the resolution.

A turning point in a narrative is a pivotal moment that significantly alters the course of the story or a character's journey.

So it really changes the direction of the story.

A turning point typically occurs somewhere in the middle of the narrative, but there may be multiple turning points that happen at different points in the story.

And it leads the story into a new, a different, and an unexpected direction.

So it's kind of key moment that changes the direction of the story.

Some people might confuse the terms turning point and climax, and they're similar and they're definitely related, but they're not exactly the same thing.

The climax is a type of turning point that is considered the highest point of tension, excitement, and drama in the story.

All climaxes can be considered turning points, but not all turning points are climaxes.

So a climax might be the really, really exciting point of the story where something happens and you're left on a cliffhanger and then there's a resolution.

But there may be other turning points that aren't necessarily climaxes, that aren't the most kind of highest tension point of the story.

So what does the turning point in a story do? Is it A, leads the story in a different direction, B, tells the most exciting part of the story, or C, explains the outcome of the story? Can you pause the video and answer the question now? Okay, well done if you said A, it leads the story in a different direction.

B, sometimes the turning point might tell the most exciting part, but that's called a climax.

And it doesn't explain the outcome of the story, that would be the ending, the resolution.

So Chapter Six could be considered the turning point in the story "The Sheep-Pig." Babe, despite being a pig and not a traditional sheepdog, demonstrates his intelligence and herding instincts.

The turning point is when Babe successfully herds the sheep, gaining the respect and admiration of the farmer and others who initially doubted his abilities.

So it's a really key point in the story, because he's really earnt that respect and he's kind of changing the direction of where the story is going.

So people doubted him, but he's proved everybody wrong.

This achievement marks a crucial moment in the narrative, as it challenges stereotypes, one of our keywords there, and expectations about what animals can and cannot do based on their species.

So if you remember, a stereotype is a view that's often unfair and not true that people have, a view or opinion people have on a particular group of people or group of things.

So a stereotype of a pig might be that pigs cannot herd sheep.

Well, Babe has challenged this stereotype by showing that actually he can herd sheep.

So let's check your understanding.

Why is Chapter Six considered the turning point in the story? Is it A, Farmer Hogget changes his opinion on pigs and decides they are useful animals around the farm, B, Mrs. Hogget changes her opinion of Babe and decides she no longer wants to eat him at Christmas, or C, Babe's success challenges conventional expectations about pigs and their abilities and sets the stage for Babe to transform into a sheep-pig? Which one best summarises why this chapter is a turning point in the story? Pause the video, make your choice.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you said C.

Absolutely.

His success does challenge the conventional expectations, challenges stereotypes, and it kind of sets the stage, leads the story into this new direction of Babe transforming into a sheep-pig.

Well done! So time for a task now.

We have identified the turning point of the story.

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

A, what qualities or abilities do you think Babe displayed that made the sheep respond differently than they did to Fly? B, how do you think Fly felt when the sheep listened to Babe instead of her? How might this have changed Fly's perspective on Babe? So perspective means what you think or how you view someone.

So how might Fly view Babe differently now? And C, how do you think this moment will impact Babe's role on the farm and his relationships with the other animals? Have a think carefully about these questions and discuss them with your partner.

Listen to your partner's point of view as well.

Maybe you'll think different things.

Good luck, pause the video now, and off you go.

Okay, great discussing, everybody.

Well done.

So let's have a look at some answers, things you might have said.

What qualities or abilities do you think Babe displayed that made the sheep respond differently than they did to Fly? Babe showed compassion, respect, and kindness, and asked the sheep to move rather than bossing them around like Fly did.

He also showed patience and good communication skills, which proved to be successful.

Absolutely.

So he was respectful, he was kind, but he communicated really well to the sheep as well.

And he wasn't bossing them around in a rush, charging them around.

He was showing patience, he waited for them, and the sheep responded really well to that.

Great answer.

How do you think Fly felt when the sheep listened to Babe instead of her, and how might this have changed Fly's perspective on Babe? Maybe you said Fly might have felt a bit jealous that Babe experienced immediate success with the sheep.

Yeah, she's been doing this all her life, and actually for someone to come out and to experience success so easily, maybe she was a bit jealous.

But lots of you I heard say she may have been proud of the way Babe herded the sheep because she'd been the one teaching him and talking about it with him.

And she's a bit of a mother to him as well, so she probably felt a sense of pride that he was able to do this.

And in terms of how it might have changed her perspective, well it may lead her to have even more respect for him now.

You know, initially she was unsure about a pig's abilities, but now she probably has quite a lot of respect for the pig and what he could do.

C, how do you think this moment will impact Babe's role on the farm and his relationships with the other animals? Maybe you said, I think Babe will now be well respected and admired on the farm and will be given different roles and responsibilities as the rest of the animals will listen to him.

So yeah, maybe his role on the farm will change, he'll be given jobs to do, given responsibilities to do, because he clearly communicates well and can get animals to respond to him.

And he will continue to form positive bonds with the other animals.

It seems that all of his relationships are developing in a really, really positive way.

Well done! So a turning point in a story is a pivotal moment or event that significantly alters the direction or outcome of the narrative.

It leads the story into a new, different, and unexpected direction.

Another question for you now to discuss with your partner, your last practise task in today's lesson.

Can you explain how Babe challenges stereotypes and how this might alter the direction of the story? How does he challenge the stereotypical view of a pig and how might the direction of the story change? Pause the video and discuss this question with your partner.

Amazing discussions, everybody.

I really enjoyed hearing all of those ideas.

Wow! Some of you said, despite expectations and preconceived ideas about pigs, Babe displays intelligence and good herding skills.

So that's how he challenges a stereotype there.

Babe's success challenges the idea that animals should adhere strictly to traditional roles and may lead to animals being given different roles on the farm.

So it challenges this idea, the stereotype that certain animals fit certain expectations and roles of what they should do, and maybe this might change the direction of the story because they might be given different roles to do now on the farm.

Great idea.

Some of you said Babe's success is due to his kindness and ability to communicate effectively with the sheep.

This challenges stereotypes by highlighting the importance of qualities beyond what is traditionally expected.

This may lead to a new focus on kindness and respect in how jobs are done on the farm.

So yeah, traditionally, the expectation is that the dog goes out, the sheepdog goes out and barks orders at the sheep and they move because they're being forced to.

But Babe is challenging this stereotype and actually showing that there are better qualities like communication and kindness that could be used really effectively, and maybe this will change the direction of how everybody acts on the farm and how jobs are done on the farm.

Some really, really thoughtful and interesting ideas there.

Well done.

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

We have learnt that a turning point in a narrative is a pivotal moment that significantly alters the course of the story or a character's journey.

The turning point is when Babe successfully herds the sheep, gaining the respect and admiration of the farmer and others who initially doubted his abilities.

Babe successfully herds the sheep and impresses Farmer Hogget and Fly, and Babe challenges stereotypes and expectations about what animals can and cannot do based on their species.

Some really, really interesting and high-level discussions today.

You worked really, really hard, so well done, and thank you everyone for joining me for this lesson today.

Bye for now.