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Year 3

Developing responses to 'Swallow's Kiss' through rich discussions

I can develop my own response to 'Swallow's Kiss'.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 3

Developing responses to 'Swallow's Kiss' through rich discussions

I can develop my own response to 'Swallow's Kiss'.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Swallow's Kiss has themes of empathy, friendship and respect.
  2. Blessing demonstrates lots of positive emotions and character traits in the story.
  3. Throughout the story, Blessing makes a wish for others by touching the mark on her lip, made when she was a baby.
  4. Making connections and recommendations can enhance the reading experience and widen the reader’s understanding of texts.

Common misconception

Pupils may make a wish for themselves personally in Task A.

Ask pupils to consider the impact that they could have on their local community and wider world when discussing their wishes.

Keywords

  • Character traits - Character traits are the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting.

  • Empathy - Empathy is the ability to experience and understand other people’s feelings and points of view.

  • Connection - How a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world can be called a connection.

  • Recommendation - A recommendation is a suggestion for a text that is well-suited to a reader’s age and their interests.

Children could discuss the wishes made in Task A, in other lessons (such as PHSE). They could compare and contrast key themes and discuss how they could action these wishes. A display could be made in an art lesson to mirror the text.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2021 Pop Up Projects edition of ‘Swallow’s Kiss’, written by Sita Brahmachari with illustrations by Jane Ray, for this lesson.

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).

Video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who is the author of 'Swallow's Kiss'?
Correct Answer: Sita Brahmachari, sita brahmachari
Q2.
Which bird is the free verse novel about?
swan
geese
pigeon
Correct answer: swallow
Q3.
From whose perspective is the story told?
Correct answer: Blessing
Ely
Hani
Mama
Q4.
Match the character's name to their relationship to Blessing.
Correct Answer:Ely,Blessing's baby brother

Blessing's baby brother

Correct Answer:Mama,Blessing's mother

Blessing's mother

Correct Answer:Hani,a friend Blessing meets at a refugee centre

a friend Blessing meets at a refugee centre

Correct Answer:Papa,Blessing's father

Blessing's father

Correct Answer:Miss Afia,an adult who walks Blessing to her mother's work

an adult who walks Blessing to her mother's work

Q5.
True or False? Every time Blessing makes a wish she touches the mark left on her lip as a baby.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q6.
From reading the text, which of the following are true?
Blessing's father does not return.
Correct answer: Blessing's mother sings Lingala lullabies to both her children.
Blessing does not care for anyone else.
Correct answer: Blessing supports Hani who has a similar wish to her.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the following keywords with their definitions.
Correct Answer:empathy,the ability to understand other people’s feelings and point-of-view

the ability to understand other people’s feelings and point-of-view

Correct Answer:connection,how a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world

how a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world

Correct Answer:recommendation,a suggestion for a text that is suited to a reader’s age and interests

a suggestion for a text that is suited to a reader’s age and interests

Q2.
Which of the following character traits does Blessing demonstrate in the text?
rudeness
Correct answer: kindness
Correct answer: hope
disrespect
Q3.
What vehicle does Blessing's father drive?
Correct Answer: Lorry, lorry, a lorry, A Lorry, A lorry
Q4.
Order the following events from the resolution of the story.
1 - Blessing notices Hani entering a blue door.
2 - Blessing and Hani are invited by a woman to make a wish bird.
3 - Hani makes Blessing smile.
4 - Both children make their birds 'fly' around the centre.
5 - Blessing's father arrives.
Q5.
Which form of text is 'Swallow's Kiss'?
Correct answer: illustrated verse novel
magazine
newspaper
Q6.
True or False? All of Blessing's wishes come true.
Correct Answer: False, false