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Year 2

The theme of belonging in 'Leaf'

I can explore the theme of belonging in the story.

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Year 2

The theme of belonging in 'Leaf'

I can explore the theme of belonging in the story.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Re-reading a story helps to build deeper understanding and identify underlying themes and messages.
  2. A theme is a big idea, topic or message that appears within a story.
  3. In "Leaf", the themes of belonging, kindness, environment and climate change are explored.
  4. A sense of belonging is essential for the survival of all living things.
  5. Leaf may help the reader to reflect on respect for the environment and how to support others' sense of belonging.

Keywords

  • Theme - a big idea, topic or message that appears in a story

  • Interpret - to infer meaning from something

  • Climate change - the changes in global temperatures and weather patterns

  • Belonging - the feeling of being safe and protected within an environment or group

  • Empathy - the ability to understand and share the feelings of another

Common misconception

Children may not understand what they are able to do to protect the environment and animal habitats.

Explain to the children the different ways in which humans can make positive choices to combat climate change.


To help you plan your year 2 english lesson on: The theme of belonging in 'Leaf', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Offer students an opportunity to brainstorm ways in which they can support others' sense of belonging, ranging from initiatives to protect the environment to small daily acts for one another.
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a verb?
Correct answer: a doing or being word
a word that describes a noun
a person, place, thing or idea
Q2.
What is an adjective?
a doing or being word
Correct answer: a word that describes a noun
a person, place, thing or idea
Q3.
What is a noun?
a doing or being word
a word that describes a noun
Correct answer: a person, place, thing or idea
Q4.
What happens at the beginning of the story 'Leaf'?
Leaf jumps off a cliff, flies into the sea and washes up on the shore.
The crows fly Leaf home.
Correct answer: Leaf drifts across the sea and ends up far away from home in a forest.
Q5.
What happens at the end of the story 'Leaf'?
Leaf jumps off a cliff, flies into the sea and washes up on the shore.
Correct answer: The crows fly Leaf home.
Leaf drifts across the sea and ends up far away from home in a forest.
Q6.
What does the story 'Leaf' teach us?
Correct answer: about the impact that climate change is having on animals
that all animals are kind
Correct answer: not to judge somebody by their appearance
that polar bears and crows can't be friends

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which statement is the best summary of the story 'Leaf'?
It is about a polar bear who learns to live in a forest.
Correct answer: It is about a polar bear who is displaced due to climate change.
It is about a polar bear that uses leaves to try and fly.
Q2.
What are the key themes explored in the story of 'Leaf'?
friendship, good vs evil, environment and celebrations
Correct answer: environment, climate change, belonging and kindness
belonging, good vs evil, family and adventure
Q3.
Match the vocabulary to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:environment,the surroundings or conditions in which a living thing lives
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the surroundings or conditions in which a living thing lives

Correct Answer:climate change,the changes in global temperatures and weather patterns
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the changes in global temperatures and weather patterns

Correct Answer:belonging,the feeling of being safe and protected in an environment
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the feeling of being safe and protected in an environment

Correct Answer:kindness,the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate
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the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate

Q4.
How do the other creatures in the story support Leaf and increase his sense of belonging?
They ignore him and stay away from him.
Correct answer: They listen to his story and show him empathy.
They play games with him.
Correct answer: They promise to share his story with others and fly him home.
Q5.
What lesson can we learn from how the other creatures treated Leaf?
Correct answer: It is important not to judge somebody because they are different.
You should always be scared of people who seem different to you.
It is important to stick with the group you know.
Q6.
What are we, as the readers, encouraged to reflect on through reading the story of 'Leaf'?
ways in which we could learn how to fly
Correct answer: what it means to belong and how we can support others in belonging
Correct answer: how important it is to tackle climate change and protect the environment
how to stay away from things that scare us