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Year 5

Reflecting on key events in 'How To Train Your Dragon'

I can reflect on events within a Chapter.

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Year 5

Reflecting on key events in 'How To Train Your Dragon'

I can reflect on events within a Chapter.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Characterisation is the way an author describes and develops the personalities and traits of the characters in a story
  2. Characterisation can be understood by looking at actions, thoughts, dialogue and characters' interactions with others
  3. Reader's Theatre is an activity where participants read aloud from a script to convey part of a story to an audience
  4. Reader’s Theatre is a really enjoyable way to read a text aloud and can help develop fluency when reading

Keywords

  • Characterisation - Characterisation involves revealing information about characters through their actions, thoughts, dialogue and interactions with others.

  • Reader's Theatre - Reader's Theatre is an activity where readers bring characters and scenes to life through reading aloud.

  • Expression - Expression is reading with feelings and emotion to bring the story to life.

Common misconception

Pupils may not know how to divide up the extract for Reader's Theatre.

Explain that all members of the group should share in the process of reading aloud. Smaller sections could be highlighted for less confident readers (for example, Fishlegs).


To help you plan your year 5 english lesson on: Reflecting on key events in 'How To Train Your Dragon', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Pupils will benefit from having their own copy of the extract for Reader's Theatre (Task B). Highlighters are helpful to mark specific parts/roles. Before the following lesson, read the remainder of Chapter 10 to the end of Chapter 12. Children can read independently or have this read to them.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You need a copy of the 2017 Hodder Children’s Books edition of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ written and illustrated by Cressida Cowell, for this lesson.

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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 the name of Hiccup's dragon?
Torch
Correct answer: Toothless
Garffiljorg
Q2.
What is the name of the leader of Hiccup's tribe?
Correct Answer: Chief Stoick, Stoick
Q3.
Order the following events from the text so far.
1 - Hiccup enters the dragon nursery and chooses a dragon. He gives it to Fishlegs.
2 - Hiccup speaks to Old Wrinkly. He is unsure what to do.
3 - Toothless wakes up. Hiccup tries to train his dragon. Toothless is not obedient.
4 - Hiccup protects and cares for Toothless, saving him from his father's dragons.
Q4.
What is a suitable definition of the word initiation?
Correct answer: Joining a group or organisation.
A temporary stop to fighting.
Rules set by the government.
Q5.
What is a suitable definition of the word exile?
Feeling joyful or content.
Being united or close with others.
Correct answer: Forced to leave one's country or home.
Unhappy or dissatisfied with something.
Q6.
What are the neighbours of the Hooligan tribe called?
Correct Answer: The Meatheads, the meatheads, meatheads, Meatheads

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their definition.
Correct Answer:Reader's Theatre,a reading aloud activity which bring characters and scenes to life
tick

a reading aloud activity which bring characters and scenes to life

Correct Answer:characterisation,the way an author describes and develops a character in a story
tick

the way an author describes and develops a character in a story

Correct Answer:expression,reading with feelings and emotion
tick

reading with feelings and emotion

Q2.
True or false? Characterisation can be conveyed through a character's actions, thoughts, dialogue and interaction with others.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q3.
What tells the reader that Chief Stoick thinks Hiccup and Toothless will do well?
Stoick asks people to move out of his way.
Stoick shouts encouragement from the touchline.
Correct answer: Stoick bets on his son and his dragon to bring the most fish back.
Q4.
What tells the reader that Chief Mogadon thinks Hiccup and Toothless will not do well?
Compared to the others, Hiccup looks brave and confident, ready for the test.
Correct answer: Compared to the other boys, Hiccup does not look as strong or tough.
Compared to other dragons, Toothless is intimidating and scary.
Correct answer: Compared to other dragons, Toothless is very small and does not have any teeth.
Q5.
What impression might a reader make of Thuggory through how he is portrayed in the text?
Correct answer: Thuggory is stronger than the other boys
Thuggory is weaker than the other boys
Correct answer: He is respected due to his dragon
He is disrespected due to his dragon
Q6.
Order the following steps for performing a successful 'Reader's Theatre'.
1 - Listen to reading role model
2 - Readers split the text into smaller parts (including narration)
3 - Readers begin to look at characterisation to help add expression to speech
4 - Groups rehearse their performance
5 - Groups perform their performance
6 - Groups reflect on how their performance went