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Year 3

Exploring themes in 'The Moon Dragons'

I can identify and explain the main themes within 'The Moon Dragons'.

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New
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Year 3

Exploring themes in 'The Moon Dragons'

I can identify and explain the main themes within 'The Moon Dragons'.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story and authors use these to convey deeper meaning.
  2. Identifying the themes within ‘The Moon Dragons’ helps us understand the deeper meaning behind the story.
  3. Themes are often communicated through exploring negative and positive character traits.
  4. Key themes such as bravery, protection and morality are conveyed through Alina’s admirable character traits.
  5. The themes within ‘The Moon Dragons’ help us consider the complexities of human morality.

Keywords

  • Theme - a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story

  • Recurring - something that appears repeatedly

  • Convey - to communicate a message to the reader directly or indirectly

  • Morality - the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour

Common misconception

Pupils may think that there is a 'right' or 'wrong' answer when identifying themes within a text.

Explain to the children that different people will identify different themes within the same text. As themes are not explicitly stated within a text, pupils may interpret them differently. Share everyone's ideas.

Teach the children that you may notice similar themes within a genre. Encourage pupils to discuss similar themes across different texts they have read, at school and at home.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need a copy of the 2015 Andersen Press Ltd. edition of ‘The Moon Dragons’ written by Dyan Sheldon and illustrated by Gary Blythe 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).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who is the protagonist in 'The Moon Dragons'?
the King
Correct answer: Alina
the moon dragons
Q2.
What character traits does Alina show in 'The Moon Dragons'?
fear
Correct answer: bravery
selfishness
greed
Correct answer: empathy
Q3.
Order the following events from 'The Moon Dragons'.
1 - The King received news that in the mountains there were ancient moon dragons.
2 - The King instructed his huntsman to retrieve a moon dragon, but they failed.
3 - The King offered a reward of gold to anyone who could find the moon dragons.
4 - Alina said she would embark on the quest and was confident.
5 - Alina pretended she’d failed the quest because she wanted to protect the dragons
Q4.
True or false? 'The Moon Dragons' is a historical fiction text.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q5.
What is inference?
Correct answer: searching for clues within the text and the illustrations to draw conclusions
understanding exactly what the author is saying without having to think about it
guessing what might happen in the story
Q6.
Match the words to their correct definitions.
Correct Answer:retrieve,to find information within the text

to find information within the text

Correct Answer:skimming,to read quickly

to read quickly

Correct Answer:scanning,to search for something specific

to search for something specific

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who is the author of 'The Moon Dragons'?
Gary Blythe
Alina
Correct answer: Dyan Sheldon
Q2.
Which statement best summarises the meaning of the story ‘The Moon Dragons’?
It tells a story about the search for moon dragons.
It tells the story of a young girl who likes to sing.
Correct answer: It tells the story of a girl valuing the beauty of living creatures over money.
Q3.
Match the keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:theme,a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story

a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story

Correct Answer:recurring,something that appears repeatedly

something that appears repeatedly

Correct Answer:convey,to communicate a message to the reader directly or indirectly

to communicate a message to the reader directly or indirectly

Q4.
Select all the themes that may be drawn from 'The Moon Dragons'.
Correct answer: courage
Correct answer: protection
Correct answer: empathy
recycling
family
Q5.
Match the themes from 'The Moon Dragons' to their definitions.
Correct Answer:bravery,having the strength to face fear or danger

having the strength to face fear or danger

Correct Answer:protection,keeping someone safe from harm or injury

keeping someone safe from harm or injury

Correct Answer:morality,the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad

the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad

Q6.
True of false? 'The Moon Dragons' conveys the idea that lying is always wrong.
Correct Answer: False, false