Synopsis: Kensuke's Kingdom is a story written by a young boy called Michael, who sets sail around the world with his parents, following their redundancy. Michael and his dog, Stella Artois, are thrown overboard the Peggy Sue in a storm one night and awake to find themselves marooned on a desert island. After unsuccessfully spending his first day roaming the island trying to locate food and water, Michael and his dog collapse, exhausted in a cave. When Michael awakes the following morning, he's cold, hungry and bitten all over. Overwhelmed by loneliness and the dangers that surround him, he cries in despair until he discovers Stella outside the cave drinking from a bowl of water. Another bowl of water, along with some fruit, was also carefully …show more content…
laid out for Michael's benefit. He was not alone after all. That day, Michael decides to build a fire on the beach in an attempt to signal any passing ships of his whereabouts. It's not until he's returning with his last bundle of wood loaded up to his chin that he meets Kensuke, an old Japanese man who has angrily disposed of his flames. Confusion overwhelms Michael. Kensuke sabotages his efforts to leave the island and yet he keeps Michael alive by providing him with the food and water he is incapable of sourcing himself. One day, in an act of rebellion, Michael deliberately disobeys Kensuke's orders not to swim in the sea and is consequently stung by a poisonous jelly fish. Kensuke nurses Michael back to full health and it is only during this time that both boy and man begin to establish a relationship. Kensuke confides the tragic war story of how he came to live on the island and how he learned to survive by watching the orang-utans. He ate what they did, climbed as they did and even learned to understand their language. He didn't want the outside world to know his whereabouts, not just because he thought his family was dead in Nagasaki, but also because he felt he had a duty to live on the island protecting the orang-utans from poachers. He had a purpose there. The burning desire for Michael to see his parents again dominates his thoughts and he tries one last attempt to contact them. When Kensuke reads a letter that Michael had only intended for his parents viewing, he realises his own selfishness wanting Michael to stay and makes the difficult decision to help him return home. The book then finishes with the Peggy Sue docking on the island while Michael desperately tries to convince Kensuke to leave with him. Michael battles with conflicting emotions, torn between wanting to go home, and wanting to stay on the island with Kensuke, as his adopted son. Eventually he leaves Kensuke behind, promising to keep his experiences on the island secret for at least ten years, so Kensuke can live out the rest of his days in peace. Content: Kensuke's Kingdom is an ideal resource for upper Key Stage 2.
The book is written in the first person, introducing narrative/diary writing, so pupils continue to learn and practice different styles of writing. It also contains examples of the technical language required for years 5 and 6, such as metaphors, similes and analogies helping to create style and effect, 'The forest had eyes' (p.52), 'Spearing a fish for the first time was like scoring a winning goal for the Mudlarks back home' (p.106). As well as covering a variety of technical terms, Kensuke's Kingdom also addresses a range of moral issues, such as friendship, trust, loyalty and relationships (with nature and people). It can be used across almost all subjects in the curriculum, including geography to discuss the countries visited, science to explore the constellations Michael uses, mathematics to look at bearings, and history to study World War Two and the bombing of …show more content…
Nagasaki. KS2 English Story writing Read to the end of chapter 3, which finishes on the cliffhanger, 'We were in the cold of the sea before I could even open my mouth to scream.' Ask the class to unleash their imagination and brainstorm what could happen next.
How will Michael be feeling? What will he be thinking? Can he even swim? Discuss the use of first person in diary writing before asking the class to write their own entry for chapter 4. Extending vocabulary As stated in the National Curriculum, pupils should be able to read 'with good understanding, inferring the meanings of unfamiliar words.' Kensuke's Kingdom is full of language that will test and push pupils of all abilities, allowing them to think about possible content, as well as promoting the use dictionaries and thesauruses. Provide the class with a range of unfamiliar words from the text that will expand their language knowledge and in turn increase their fluency as readers. Ask the pupils to discuss on their table a possible definition for each, then to check it using dictionaries, and finally independently produce a list of synonyms (and antonyms for higher abilities) for each. Model the first example with the class: 1.'He had inculcated in us a healthy respect for the sea'
(p.13) 2.'She could be a bit of a tyrant if we didn't keep the boat shipshape' (p.14) 3.'We were ready at last to set sail on our grand adventure, our great odyssey' (p.15) 4.'An escort of porpoises perhaps, diving in and out of the waves' (p.19) 5.'The shiver of leaves, the cracking of twigs, sudden surreptitious rustlings' (p.56) 6.'The howling had started up again far away in the forest, a last mellifluous evensong, a chanting that went on and on' (p.58) 7.'Suddenly the forest was alive again with noise, a great cacophony of signing and hooting' (p.62) 8.'I was always disappointed of course, often dejected, but not completely despondent' (p.81) Debate Kensuke Michael Divide the class into two halves. One half imagines and discusses how Kensuke felt when Michael came to live on the island. How do they know? What language supports this? Pull out examples from the text and note down key emotions and feelings on one half of the whiteboard. Other half of the class to carry out the same activity but in Michael's shoes, from when he wakes to find himself stranded on the island. Class to discuss viewpoints, considering the very different accounts of the same event. Look for any similarities between the two characters' feelings and/or any opposing thoughts, justifying them with evidence. KS2 Art Cross curricular: English, ICT Kensuke enjoys painting and teaches Michael how to paint. He praises all of Michael's work, saying he is a fine painter, like Hokusai. Japanese postcards Ask the class to research Hokusai and other Japanese artists, then print out one of their favourite images, explaining to a talk partner why they've selected it. Using their chosen artists' style and colour palette, paint a scene from the island which can be used as a postcard to send to Michael's best friend, Eddie. They could choose to paint a part of the island itself using the descriptions from the text, the turtles on the beach, Kensuke, the jellyfish that stung Michael, the orang-utans, anything from Michael's adventures on the island. Once the painting is complete, ask the class to write a short account to Eddie describing the event/meaning behind the picture they've drawn. They need to use the space given on the reverse effectively, using rich language and vivd descriptions. KS2 Science (living things and the environment) Cross curricular: Geography, English, ICT Debate Would Kensuke and Michael have been able to survive on the island without the forest? What would they have eaten without fruit and coconuts? How would they have found shelter and shade from the sun? How would they have lit fires without trees for wood? Why do we need wood and what do we use it for? Talk about the fact that some forests are being chopped down illegally in some parts of the world and why this is (to clear roads, make way for crops etc.) Discuss the implications of what happens to the animals in these areas. Orang-utans are in danger, not just because of hunters, but also because their homes are disappearing. Reinforce the importance of recycling and being resourceful to minimise waste. Produce a poster for the school, using recycled materials, to help us live in a way that creates zero waste, (for example, remembering to practice the 3 R's: reduce, reuse and recycle.) Using the computers, create an article that shows the benefits of recycling, for example, to help prevent deforestation, loss of species, (link with geography, explaining where in the world this is happening) pollution and other environmental problems. Have the children plant a tree in the schoolyard. Ask their parents to plant a tree in their garden. KS2 Geography Cross curricular: English Chapter 3 describes the route Michael and his parents sailed, without going into much detail about the countries they visited (Spain, Portugal, Canaries, Brazil, South Africa and Australia.). Split the class into 4 or more groups and have each group focus on one of the key countries mentioned in the book. Each member of the group must research a specific topic for their country, for example, one member of the group looks at the capital, another member looks at climate zone, another at rivers, another at mountains, etc. Then they must feedback to the rest of the group their findings, teaching one another what they've learnt. Together, the group then condenses all of the key information they've collected and puts together a 5 minute presentation, to present to the rest of the class and broaden everyone's understanding of physical geography.
The Kingdom of Matthias is a collection of history that seeks to inform on the story of Robert Matthews, who later adopted the name Matthias the Prophet. The story also sets forth to describe the socioeconomic state of the United States during which the rise of cults was rampant. It also lays the groundwork and establishes the framework for which modern day cults are viewed.
Ken is the main character in the book “The Tattoo”. Ken is brought up by a twisted code of samurai traditions. His life is an odyssey in which he has to battle the world and himself. Ken has a really rough life when he was younger. At the age of six, Ken's mom died because of sickness. He doesn't have much memory of his mom since she died when Ken was really young. After his mother's death, his father started to drink a lot. Ken had a rough life when he was growing up. In his teenage years, he met Koa Pauhi Puana. They both met in Junior year and became best friends, more like brothers. In Ken's adult years, he got a job as a bartender and he met his girlfriend/wife Claudia Choy. As he got older, Ken somehow ended up in prison. In prison he met a guy named Matthew "Cal. Brodsky. He got a tattoo that
While the reading assessment will be different for all students I learned that I must be attentive to the student and what they say, also I learned that even if the student gets frustrated I should not aid in the reading that is in front of them. Instruction for the students should be clear and precise; I believe that every student should have their own Vocabulary Dictionaries in the classroom. I believe that this will aid the students so much in the way that they will be able to acquire harder words and each students will be different, they will be able to have fun with it as well as learn at the same
As I read this article by John Guillory, I thought he sounded like a pompous, condescending know it all, but when I read the article again it made me begin to think about reading skills. In elementary school, we read books about faraway lands of make b...
4). Students will enrich their vocabularies and improve their understanding of these new vocabulary terms in reference to the time period
From the Glass Castle, Jeannette’s mother read picture books with Jeannette and her siblings in their early childhood. This activity established good reading habits for Jeannette and her siblings. When she was older, after dinner, her father read the dictionary with the kids, looked up the words they did not know, and discussed the definitions (Walls 56). Because of the reading habits her parents gave her, every time Jeannette did not understand a word, she looked up the word in the dictionary. The routine of reading dictionary after dinner and the habit of looking up an unknown word in the dictionary helped Jeannette build up her vocabulary. With abundant vocabulary and excellent reading skills, Jeannette did not have problem with her college admission test. Studies show that having good reading habits not only increase the volume of children’s vocabulary but also help them perform well on their exams. In the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Policy Information Center 's report, The Family: America 's Smallest School, the author points out the importance of reading to children:
The girl writing the diary is very concerned with her weight, her crush Roger and has a hard time fitting in in school. She is very relieved at first when she hears that her family is going to move to a new town, due to her father’s new job as a professor at a different college.
Yukio Mishima’s novel The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea is a powerful allegorical novel written in Japan after World War II. It is deeply steeped in Japanese culture, and much of its deeper meaning can be lost to the western audience. One such example is the use of Summer and Winter as the titles for the two parts of the novel. In Japan, kigo and kidai are words and concepts that are traditionally associated with the different seasons. These range from obvious, such as the connection between summer and heat, to obscure, such as autumn and remembrance of the dead. Mishima wrote waka, a form of classical Japanese poetry from a young age and would have been familiar with these connections (“Yukio Mishima - Biography”). Within the novel, Ryuji experiences changes in his characterization, from a honor-bound sailor looking for a good death to a man trying to feel like he belongs with his new lover, to the worst thing of all (in the mind of Noboru), a father. The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea’s division into summer and winter informs Ryuji’s shift in characterization through reference to traditional Japanese seasonal concepts; furthermore, this adds additional allegorical commentary on the cultural changes within Japan.
As students read, the teacher makes notes focusing on the words they struggle with. The teacher indicates which words the student has substituted, repeated, mispronounced, or doesn’t know. These words are called miscues. After the miscues are marked they are classified. “Only the words that students mispronounce or substitute can be analyzed; repetitions and omissions aren’t calculated’ (Tompkins p.85). Once the miscues have been evaluated, the miscue analysis will indicate which cues the reader over relies on and which they need to further develop. Running Records also helps calculate the percentage of miscues to determine whether or not the book is at the students reading level. The goal is to give students appropriate books for their reading levels. After the running record and miscue analysis, the teacher can analyze this information to introduce personalized strategies and lessons to develop a more fluent
The Kingdom of Matthias book is very interesting. It provides an appealing drama but also a satirical sensibility of historical events that happened throughout history. Such as cultural, economic, religion, and social change.
Vocabulary- it is very difficult to understand a given text if a student is stopping at every other word because a student does not know those words. This is a very critical component and will be discussed later in this paper.
In an effort to create a context for learning, one needs to define the language that will be used to teach a subject. So often in schools, from first grade through graduate studies, when teaching a new subject matter or concepts it is necessary to teach the vocabulary that will accompany that subject. However, we often spend little time making sure that vocabulary is learned and consequently without the prerequisite knowledge of vocabulary of learning the learning of information related to it is difficult. This need for definition of relevant language is seen in multiple sources with textbooks being on of the greatest sources of it. The books highlight, bold, or italicize critical words and provide definitions of the word or within the text or margins. This definition of terms gives the reader the knowledge basis to understand the content of what they are reading. If the books authors did not define these terms, then understanding the information they are trying to convey would be difficult.
‘I am going to fail’ was the very first thought that crept into my mind on that very first day of class. Before I stepped into the classroom on the first day, I felt pretty good about my writing. I had done previously well in English, and didn’t think this class would be much of a challenge. This all changed on the first day of school, when my professor talked about the level of reading and writing expected for this class. I remember thinking ‘I don’t read, why couldn’t I have been born someone who likes to read?!’ Since this moment on the very first day of class, I have grown immensely through hard work. In this essay, I will explain what I have learned over the course of this class about myself, and about writing.
A common misconception is that change always equates to progress, yet sometimes change can strip a society of its fundamental characteristics. Japan endured similar events, surrounding World War II that resulted in an increasingly Westernized country that lost it’s integrity and beliefs. In this allegorical novel, The Sailor who fell from Grace with the Sea, Yukio Mishima uses the characters Fusako, Ryuji and Noboru whom symbolize the different states of Japan to illustrate the plague of Westernization and convey the value of tradition in Japan.
To accomplish vocabulary development, before reading the teacher needs to instruct their students on any prerequisites that they need to understand to interpret the text appropriately. This means the teacher has to pull out the most important words as well as those that may be too difficult for the stud...