Saffys Angel: Lesson 4 17

Lesson 4: Dialogue and Character

Teachers Prompt Page: The Wheelchair Girl
Framework objectives for the unit: Word 14 dene and deploy words with precision Sentence 11 vary sentence structure to lend pace, variety and emphasis Reading 12 comment on how writers convey setting, character and mood S & L promote, justify or defend a point of view Introduction: Objectives explained/Integrated starter Lesson outline Teacher reads pp.4648 and draws attention to the use of dialogue to create and develop character. Pupils do exercise, listing alternatives to said. Learning objectives for the lesson: To give pupils insight into how dialogue can create character. To ensure pupils are fully involved with PSHE and Citizenship issues.

Development (incl. Guided seminars) Teacher initiates discussion of limitations on Sarah. Independent group work on novels impact and the on-going project.

Plenary

Homework (if applicable) Pupils complete the reading of Chapter Four.

Class read out from their dialogue Sarahs last speech and discuss how society could better help the physically challenged.

Resource pages

RS 10: Dont Use Said, Use Something Else Instead exercise (p.18) RS 11: Lets Chat dialogue writing frame (p.19)

Teaching and learning advice: Teacher explains to pupils that this lesson looks closely at the way character is created and developed through dialogue, and specically focuses on Sarah. Teacher reads aloud pp.4648, and then, using an OHT, focuses on section beginning The girl in the wheelchair (p.47) to Yes, all right, said Saffron and she felt happier than she had for ages. (p.48) drawing attention to the natural ow of conversation, the sparing use of the speakers names and the way information is interspersed in authorial commentary to create and develop character. Distinguish between stating and showing. Pupils are given 5 minutes to complete chart Dont Use Said, nding as many alternatives as possible. Teacher initiates a discussion, with Citizenship and PSHE implications of the limitations imposed on Sarah by her physical condition and her attempts to overcome them. Pupils in pairs do the empathetic exercise Lets Chat, creating further dialogue. Differentiation can be achieved by having the G&T groups create the dialogue without the aid of the writing frame.* In the plenary, pupils begin the discussion of motor-impairment by reading out from their dialogue Sarahs last speech on her feelings. The discussion is broadened by the teacher to speculate on how we view physically-challenged people and what improvements, emotional and practical, society could introduce to help them. Chapter Four summary: Saffys minor accident has been caused by a collision with the wheelchair of her neighbour, Sarah, and a friendship now develops between the two girls. The strong-minded Sarah encourages Saffron to search for the stone angel that she remembers having stood in the garden of her home in Italy.

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Resource Sheet 10

Saffys Angel: Lesson 4 18

Dont Use Said, Use Something Else Instead

Dont say said! the teacher screeched.
Dialogue can get quite boring if every time a character speaks the writer uses the word said. See how many alternatives you can nd in 5 minutes.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Barked

Growled

Muttered

Uttered Volunteered

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Resource Sheet 11

Saffys Angel: Lesson 4 19

Lets Chat
I dont know your name, she said, as they went along the road together. Sarah, said the girl, and Saffy said, Oh yes, as if it was a name she had known all along, but forgotten for a moment. (page 48)
Without reading pages 50 and 51, imagine how the above conversation might carry on. Use the writing frame to help you. Set the conversation out using speech marks. Sarah asks about Saffrons name

Saffy replies, explaining the reason behind the colourful names in her family

What might Sarah say in return?

Saffy mentions again that she is adopted

Sarahs reply has been done for you So were you shocked when you found out you were well, you know, a bit of an outsider? asked Sarah, suddenly coming to a halt in her wheelchair. Saffys answer (youre on your own here!)

Sarah says she too feels a bit of an outsider because of her wheelchair, and explains her feelings

Now read through the whole of your conversation. Does it all hang together? Now read pages 50 and 51.

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Saffys Angel: Lesson 5 20

Lesson 5: Numinous Qualities

Teachers Prompt Page: Do Squirrels Go to Heaven?
Framework objectives for the unit: Word 14 dene and deploy words with precision Sentence 11 vary sentence structure to lend pace, variety and emphasis Reading 12 comment on how writers convey setting, character and mood S & L promote, justify or defend a point of view Introduction: Objectives explained/Integrated starter Lesson outline Text-prompted discussion of reincarnation. Spelling exercise on words of a religious nature. Learning objectives for the lesson: To reect on religious viewpoints. To provide interactive group works. To explore in role.

Development (incl. Guided seminars) Extract from The Upanishads prompts discussion of reincarnation. Attempts at dening an angel, and why a stone angel should be important to Saffy.

Plenary

Homework (if applicable) Finish reading Chapter Five. Begin character chart or on-going work on documentary.

Pupils share their insights into Saffys motivation then complete questions on sheet for use in the documentary.

Resource pages

RS RS RS RS RS

12: 13: 14: 15: 16:

Rebirth: An extract from The Upanishads (p.21) R.E. Spellings (p.22) Picture of the stone angel (p.23) The Documentary: Saffy the Stowaway Girl (p.24) Character Chart: Mrs Warbeck (p.25)

Teaching and learning advice: Teacher explains to pupils that this lesson looks at manifestations of religious beliefs, an extract from a Hindu sacred text and a Christian icon, an angel. Teacher reads out rst two pages of Chapter Five and pauses to prompt discussion of Caddys tongue-in-cheek question Do squirrels go to heaven?. Prompts will include: Do animals have souls? What is a soul? What evidence can we nd of a souls existence? Quick spelling exercise on words of a religious nature. To develop the discussion, teacher reads from The Upanishads and the class respond to the concept of reincarnation. What would they most like to come back as and why? The teacher moves on to angels and speculates on what an angel might be. On the sheet provided, pupils to draw and label their own ideas of what the angel might look like, before searching the internet for an image for comparison.* Pupils, in pairs, spend 5 minutes discussing why an inanimate object, the stone angel, might be so important to Saffy as to make her stow away to retrieve it. Pupils should write their reasons on the mini-whiteboards (or plain A4 paper). Pupils share their insights into the stone angels iconic signicance to Saffy. In the nal 20 minutes, pupils need to work on their project, using the chart The Documentary: Saffy the Stowaway Girl. Group/pupils doing Mrs Warbeck should begin the character chart on her and update it in subsequent lessons. Other groups need to devise a similar chart for their character, for on-going use. Teacher works with the upper ability group to extend their understanding of characters and how to use the role of investigator in this process. Chapter Five summary: It may be that in order to cool Caddys interest in him, Michael is fabricating a relationship with a girlfriend. Sarahs mother, Mrs Warbeck, headmistress of a local private school, invites Saffy to a meal after which Sarah again expresses her determination to reunite Saffy with her angel.

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Resource Sheet 12

Saffys Angel: Lesson 5 21

Rebirth
Below is an extract from The Upanishads, composed around the eighth century BCE, and central to the development of Hinduism. In it, Gangyayani, the Guru, is talking to his pupil Gautama.

Gangyayani said, You are worthy of the sacred knowledge, Gautama, for you have not fallen into conceit. Come, I will explain it to you. He said, All those who depart from this world go to the moon. In the former half of the month it waxes by their breaths, and with its latter half it causes them to be born again. This, the moon, is the door to the heaven-world: the one who answers it sends onward, but the one who does not answer becomes rain here, and it rains him down. He is reborn here in one place after another as a worm, a ying thing, a sh, a bird, a lion, a boar, a snake, a tiger, a person, or something else, according to his actions, according to his knowledge.

Reincarnation is the belief that after death some part of the soul can be reborn in a new body, human or animal.

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Resource Sheet 13

Saffys Angel: Lesson 5 22

R.E. Spellings
Circle the correct version. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. SOLL PREIST FUNERRAL CREASION SACCRED MIRICLE PREDJUDICE MARRIAGE CAROL SOLE PRIEST FUNERAL CREASHUN SACRED MIROCLE PREJUDICE MARIAGE CARROL HYMM SOUL PREEST FUNNERAL CREATION SAYCRED MIRACLE PREGUDICE MARIDGE CAROLE HYMN

10. HYM

How many other religious words can you think of in 2 minutes?

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Resource Sheet 14

Saffys Angel: Lesson 5 23

The Stone Angel

In the box below, draw the stone angel as you imagine it to be.

In pairs, you have 5 minutes to discuss why the angel is so important to Saffy. Decide which of your reasons is the best and write it down.

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Resource Sheet 15

Saffys Angel: Lesson 5 24

The Documentary: Saffy the Stowaway Girl

Look at the following list of characters: INDIGO CADDY ROSE SARAH MR CASSON MRS CASSON MRS WARBECK Find out, wherever possible, their full names and list them in the chart below. In the box to the right of the name write a brief description of their status and what aspect of Saffys drama they are in a position to describe. Give them a rank order of who is the most important witness and who is the least by putting a number in the box to the left (1 is highest; 7 is lowest). You may wish to change your opinion as you read the book, so enter the ranks in pencil. Rank Full name Status and what they can tell us about Saffy

If you are a reporter in the documentary, use the space below to write down ve questions to ask a character about how they feel about Saffy stowing away. If you are a character, see if you can anticipate questions and plan your responses. Work as a group. 1 2 3 4 5

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Resource Sheet 16

Saffys Angel: Lesson 5 25

Character Chart: Mrs Warbeck

AGE: ______________________________________ OCCUPATION: ____________________________ ADDRESS: ________________________________ _ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ (Draw a picture of what you think Mrs Warbeck looks like!)

Attitude to Saffy
Find the examples in the book by looking up the page references, and decide what each one tells us about how Mrs Warbeck feels about Saffy. Can you nd other examples? Page 64: You kept her out far too late last night, said Sarahs mother, not smiling.

Pages 8586: The nose stud incident

Page 93: Obviously I am scared of your mother! said Saffron.

Page 117: If you had explained to us about Saffron being born in Siena

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Saffys Angel: Lesson 6 26

Lesson 6: Personal Choices

Teachers Prompt Page: The Nose Stud Question
Framework objectives for the unit: Word 14 dene and deploy words with precision Sentence 11 vary sentence structure to lend pace, variety and emphasis Reading 12 comment on how writers convey setting, character and mood S & L promote, justify or defend a point of view Introduction: Objectives explained/Integrated starter Lesson outline Teacher reads pp.8488, concerning the acquisition of nose studs. Pupils do exercise on sensory descriptions and feelings. Resource pages Learning objectives for the lesson: To give pupils insight into individual feelings. To ensure pupils are fully involved with PSHE and Citizenship issues.

Development (incl. Guided seminars) Discussion of teenage fashion for body-piercing and attitude to it. Pupils in pairs complete sheet Personal Choices.

Plenary

Homework (if applicable) Do the Discussion Tennis part of the sheet. Read rest of Chapter Six.

Feedback from pupils on their Personal Choices emphasising importance of balance.

RS 17: Making Sense of It exercise (p.27) RS 18: Personal Choices exercise (p.28) RS 18: Discussion Tennis exercise (p.28)

Teaching and learning advice: Teacher explains to pupils that this lesson looks at personal feelings and choices. Teacher reads aloud pp.8488, the episode in which Saffy and Sarah go to town and acquire nose studs, and asks for pupils experiences of the same. Teacher prompts the issue of pain (Saffy went sick and grey and dizzy (p.86)) and ties this in with discussion of sensory apprehension and the improvement to descriptive writing made by the inclusion of feelings. Pupils complete the Making Sense of It exercise. The teacher initiates a spontaneous class debate of the nose stud question, prompting among other things what school rules are; what parents attitudes are likely to be; why Saffy succumbs to peer group pressure and had to have one; and the dangers involved. Pupils in pairs complete the Personal Choices exercise. Pupils feed back their answers to Personal Choices. There is potential for discussion of Citizenship issues about the importance of individuality and choice whilst bearing in mind the need to balance these with respect for rules of society, in the school and workplace. Teacher goes briey over the Discussion Tennis extension exercise. Chapter Six summary: Caddys feelings for Michael persist notwithstanding his revelations about a girlfriend. Saffron and Sarah go into town and on the spur of the moment have nose studs inserted. Mrs Warbeck is furious and wrongly blames Saffy for her daughters actions.

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Resource Sheet 17

Saffys Angel: Lesson 6 27

Make Sense of It
When writing descriptions, people often write just about what can be seen. To make descriptions fresher and more lively you should APPEAL TO THE SENSES. List below the ve senses in order of what you consider their importance. The rst one could be SIGHT. 1 2 3 4 5 Now imagine you are having a nose stud or body-piercing. Which sense would be used to describe the experience? Write your description in three parts: My feelings before the operation SIGHT

My feelings during the operation

What I felt like afterwards

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Resource Sheet 18

Saffys Angel: Lesson 6 28

Personal Choices
Why do people have a nose stud (or similar body-piercing jewellry)? What are your personal feelings on it? Why is Saffy at rst reluctant to have one? Do you think she was right to simply do what Sarah told her? Why did Sarahs mum have such strong objections? What would you say to Sarahs mum to convince her that it was Sarahs right to choose to have one and that it was a good thing?

Discussion Tennis
I have thought of everything, said Sarah.
Write down three good points that Sarah might not have thought of; points which Saffy could have made had she really and truly been determined not to go along with the plan. Then add Sarahs counter-points, i.e. what she would say to get round Saffys objection. Saffys 1st objection Sarahs counter Saffys 2nd objection Sarahs counter Saffys 3rd objection Sarahs counter

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