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Year 3

Engaging with the opening chapter of 'The BFG'

I can read aloud and discuss the opening chapter of 'The BFG’.

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New
New
Year 3

Engaging with the opening chapter of 'The BFG'

I can read aloud and discuss the opening chapter of 'The BFG’.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Reading aloud involves using an expressive voice, varying volume, emphasising keywords and using facial expressions.
  2. Roald Dahl uses repetition, ambiguity and a cliffhanger to create a scary atmosphere in the opening chapter.
  3. Inferring is about drawing conclusions or making educated guesses based on information and clues provided in a text.
  4. Evidence from the text is used to support inferences we make about a character or an event in a text.
  5. Precise vocabulary choices, setting descriptions and purposeful sentence structures are used to build suspense.

Common misconception

Pupils may find it difficult to understand elements from the opening due to unfamiliar vocabulary.

Pre-teach unfamiliar vocabulary from the opening, using visual images to support student understanding.

Keywords

  • Evidence - the information from a text that can support or justify our reasoning

  • Inference - a conclusion drawn from information and evidence in a text

  • Atmosphere - the feeling a writer wants their readers to experience, like suspense or fear or joy

Model searching for clues within the relevant pages to answer the question 'How does the author crate a scary atmosphere?' in Learning Cycle 2. Ensure that pupils have access to a copy of the relevant pages for this activity.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of the Puffin Books 2001 edition of 'The BFG' by Roald Dahl 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.
What is a narrative?
writing that is made up or imagined
Correct answer: writing that tells a story
writing that always gives true information
Q2.
Which of the following are examples of genre?
Correct answer: fiction
Correct answer: adventure
cookbook
dictionary
Correct answer: fantasy
Q3.
What is a protagonist in a story?
the narrator of the story
Correct answer: the main character(s) in a story whom the plot revolves around
the person who wrote the story
Q4.
Put the sections of a narrative in a story staircase in chronological order.
1 - opening
2 - build-up
3 - climax
4 - resolution
Q5.
What does it mean to read with expression?
reading aloud quietly
Correct answer: reading aloud with feeling
reading aloud loudly
Q6.
What does it mean to end a chapter on a cliffhanger?
the chapter ends suddenly
the chapter ends in the middle of a sentence
Correct answer: leaving the reader in suspense by ending the chapter with an unanswered question

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each word to its definition.
Correct Answer:dormitory,a large room with many beds

a large room with many beds

Correct Answer:moonbeam,ray of light from the moon

ray of light from the moon

Correct Answer:crooked,bent and twisted

bent and twisted

Q2.
True or false? When reading aloud, you should speak very quietly.
Correct Answer: false, False
Q3.
Why did Roald Dahl choose the name of the opening chapter?
to make the reader laugh
Correct answer: to create a scary atmosphere for the reader
to give the reader general facts
Q4.
True or false? When you infer, you must only use information from the text.
Correct Answer: false, False
Q5.
The atmosphere in the opening chapter of 'The BFG' is which of these?
joyful
exciting
Correct answer: scary
sad
Q6.
What can we infer from the following statement? 'Sophie's eyes widened as she looked out of the window.'
Sophie was feeing sad.
Sophie was amused by what was outside.
Correct answer: Sophie was shocked by what she had seen.