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Year 3 - English

Exploring themes in 'Mulan'

'Mulan': reading

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and explore the legend of 'Mulan'. They discuss folklore as a genre and build comprehension around the text. Finally, pupils will explore the key themes and the moral of the text.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explore the themes within 'Mulan' to infer a moral from the story.

Key Notes

  • A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story.
  • Identifying the themes within 'Mulan' helps us understand the deeper meaning behind the story.
  • A moral is a lesson that can be learnt from a story or experience.
  • Key themes such as gender roles and the character traits Mulan shows to become a trailblazer help us infer a moral.
  • Readers may have different interpretations of a text, its meaning or the moral drawn from it.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • theme: a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story
  • moral: a lesson that can be learnt from a story or experience
  • gender roles: ways in which girls and boys might be expected to behave differently
  • trailblazer: a person who is the first to do something; an innovator

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Children may find it hard to infer or justify an appropriate moral for the tale.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story. Identifying the themes within 'Mulan' helps us understand the deeper meaning behind the story.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'theme'

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

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Children may find it hard to infer or justify an appropriate moral for the tale. Correction: Ask the children to consider what they think is 'right vs wrong' in the story. Use prompt questions such as, "Do you think that girls should be allowed to do the same things as boys?" or "Do you think that lying is always the wrong thing?".

More Lessons In This Unit

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