New
New
Year 5

Understanding the context of 'Front Desk'

I can develop my understanding of the authorial context, plot and themes of ‘Front Desk’.

New
New
Year 5

Understanding the context of 'Front Desk'

I can develop my understanding of the authorial context, plot and themes of ‘Front Desk’.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Understanding where and when a story is set enhances our understanding of characters and events.
  2. Understanding the authorial context enhances our understanding of why authorial choices are made.
  3. 'Front Desk' is a fictional story, but the plot of the narrative is based on real events from the author's childhood.
  4. Kelly Yang is the author of ’Front Desk’.
  5. 'Front Desk' was published in 2018 and it has won many book awards.

Common misconception

Pupils may confuse the author's life experience with those of the protagonist.

Learning cycle 1 draws explicit comparisons and discussion around the similarities between the two.

Keywords

  • Protagonist - the main character in a story

  • Immigrant - a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country

  • Motel - a hotel designed mainly for motorists; they usually have rooms with parking directly outside

  • Plot - the series of events that make up a story

  • Theme - a central idea that the author intends the audience to engage deeply with

Before beginning this writing unit, complete the Year 5 Reading unit 'Front Desk' so that pupils have a clear understanding of the story.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who is the author of 'Front Desk'?
Mia Tang
Correct answer: Kelly Yang
Elle McNicoll
Q2.
True or false? Kelly Yang based all of 'Front Desk' on her own childhood.
Correct Answer: false
Q3.
'Front Desk' is which of these?
an information text
Correct answer: a children's fictional story
a biography
Q4.
Match the terms to their definitions:
Correct Answer:author,the person who writes a text

the person who writes a text

Correct Answer:illustrator,the person who creates the drawings for a text

the person who creates the drawings for a text

Correct Answer:protagonist,the main character of a text

the main character of a text

Q5.
Where is 'Front Desk' is set?
China
Correct answer: United States of America
England
Q6.
Select the appropriate age group for readers of 'Front Desk'.
5-7 years olds
2-3 year olds
Correct answer: 9-11 year olds
6-7 year olds

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their definitions:
Correct Answer:protagonist,the main character in a story

the main character in a story

Correct Answer:immigrant,a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country

a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country

Correct Answer:motel,a hotel designed mainly for motorists

a hotel designed mainly for motorists

Correct Answer:plot,the series of events that make up a story

the series of events that make up a story

Correct Answer:theme,a central idea that the author intends the audience to engage with

a central idea that the author intends the audience to engage with

Q2.
The protagonist of 'Front Desk' is ...
Correct answer: Mia
Kelly
Lupe
Mr Yao
Q3.
Mia and her family immigrated from _____ to America.
England
Correct answer: China
Australia
Q4.
Are Mia's experiences in 'Front Desk' the same experiences faced by all immigrants?
yes
Correct answer: no
maybe
Q5.
Which of the following are themes within the text 'Front Desk'?
life and death
Correct answer: resilience and determination
Correct answer: identity and belonging
war
Q6.
Order the events from the author, Kelly Yang's, life:
1 - immigrated to the US from China, aged six
2 - lived in three different motels
3 - attended Harvard Law School
4 - became a writing teacher
5 - began writing books