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Year 5 - English

Developing responses to 'The Unforgotten Coat' through rich discussions

'The Unforgotten Coat': book club

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils explore and discuss the novella, 'The Unforgotten Coat'. They will share their opinion on the text and explore the themes of identity, empathy and immigration. Finally, pupils will discuss the characters in the text, as well as making personal connections and recommendations.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to develop your own response to 'The Unforgotten Coat'.

Key Notes

  • Readers can form impressions of characters based on what they say, the actions they perform and their appearance.
  • During the story, characters and their relationships change and evolve.
  • Making connections and recommendations can significantly broaden a reader's understanding of literature.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • character trait: the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting
  • impression: initial feelings about a person, place or thing, gained from reading a text
  • Polaroid: a brand of instant film camera that produces self-developing photos
  • connection: how a text relates to a reader, another text or the wider world
  • recommendation: a suggestion for a text that is well-suited to a reader's age and their interests

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may find it challenging to provide two contrasting impressions of a character.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Readers can form impressions of characters based on what they say, the actions they perform and their appearance. During the story, characters and their relationships change and evolve.

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

the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may find it challenging to provide two contrasting impressions of a character. Correction: It may be helpful to visually mind map how readers might describe a character (using adjectives). Impressions can also be modelled verbally to develop pupils' understanding of character.

More Lessons In This Unit

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