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Year 5

Introducing the text and author of 'Mirror'

I can make predictions about a text.

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New
New
Year 5

Introducing the text and author of 'Mirror'

I can make predictions about a text.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. ‘Mirror’ is a dual narrative text: two stories that are made to be read side-by-side.
  2. 'Mirror' can be considered a wordless or silent text.
  3. Different readers may interpret a text in different ways.
  4. Jeannie Baker uses collage artwork to tell the story.
  5. Predictions can be based on what readers have explored within a text or personal experience.

Keywords

  • Wordless text - narratives which are conveyed almost entirely through illustrations; they can also be known as silent texts

  • Dual narrative - a storytelling technique where there are two distinct but interconnected storylines or perspectives presented simultaneously within the same text

  • Collage - an artistic technique where images are created by assembling various materials to form a piece of artwork

  • Word explosion - a vocabulary-building activity designed to encourage mind-mapping and creativity in generating words related to a specific topic or theme

  • Prediction - an educated guess, based on evidence in the text or prior knowledge

Common misconception

Pupils may not have encountered many wordless or silent texts.

Have a range of wordless or silent texts accessible in the class or school library.


To help you plan your year 5 english lesson on: Introducing the text and author of 'Mirror', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Pupils could use technology to research the two locations (to help identify their location on a world map). Interactive maps (such as street view) can allow pupils to explore some similarities and differences.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2010 Walker Books edition of ‘Mirror’ created by Jeannie Baker, for this lesson.

copyright

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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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a suitable definition of a picturebook?
a traditional tale explaining a culture's beliefs and customs
a summary of a story which highlights key events and details
Correct answer: a form of text where images and words work together to create meaning
Q2.
Which of the following are genres of text?
picturebook
Correct answer: fantasy
reference text
Correct answer: science fiction
Q3.
Match the following terms to their definition.
Correct Answer:rural,countryside or small towns
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countryside or small towns

Correct Answer:urban,cities or densely populated areas
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cities or densely populated areas

Correct Answer:city,a densely populated and organised human settlement
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a densely populated and organised human settlement

Q4.
True or False? Illustrations have to be drawn with a pencil.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q5.
Match the words to their definitions.
Correct Answer:character,a person or an animal in a story
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a person or an animal in a story

Correct Answer:setting,where the story takes place
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where the story takes place

Correct Answer:plot,what happens in the story
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what happens in the story

Q6.
A prediction can be informed by which of the following?
Correct answer: the words in the text
Correct answer: the illustrations in the text
imagined events
Correct answer: personal experience

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:wordless texts,narratives which are conveyed almost entirely through illustrations
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narratives which are conveyed almost entirely through illustrations

Correct Answer:collage,a technique where images are created by assembling various materials
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a technique where images are created by assembling various materials

Correct Answer:prediction,an educated guess, based on evidence in the text or prior knowledge
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an educated guess, based on evidence in the text or prior knowledge

Q2.
What is a suitable definition of the term dual narrative?
a language device used to have a desired impact on the reader
Correct answer: a technique where there are two distinct but interconnected storylines
the first section of a story and where the writer describes the setting
Q3.
Which two countries are the focus of the text?
Sweden
Correct answer: Morocco
Correct answer: Australia
New Zealand
Q4.
Which of the following are included in a word explosion?
Correct answer: connections to the word
Correct answer: synonyms and antonyms
Correct answer: a definition of the word
the etymology of the word
Q5.
Which two constellations can be seen on the front cover of 'Mirror'?
Correct answer: Ursa Major / The Big Dipper
Leo
Correct answer: Southern Cross
Orion
Q6.
Which of the following is true about Jeannie Baker?
As a child, she did not like art.
Correct answer: Jeannie studied at art college.
Jeannie's first published book was called 'Grandmother'.
Jeannie was born in Australia.