Fiction Level 4-5 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Session 5
Session 5: Review Chapter 2
Sample text: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
(J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, 1997).
The purpose of this session is for students to form an integrated understanding of the chapter; link this with their overall impression of the earlier chapters; and to anticipate what might be said in later chapters. The reading strategies students practise are to do with identifying the key ideas in the chapter and integrating these into an overall impression.
Prior to reading
In small groups the students review the content read over the previous four sessions. They:
- Discuss the main events that they recall in the chapter and show these on an events map.
- Visualise each of the main characters and write down what they know about that character. From this students write a list of adjectives and actions that describe the character and what they did in order to illustrate the features of that character.
- Use the 4W&H (‘who’, ‘what’ ‘when’, ‘where’ and ‘how’) question template to identify the questions to which they now know the answers, having read Chapter 2.
- Note what they think the author wanted them to feel as they read the chapter and evaluate how well the text achieved this.
The students are introduced to their purpose for rereading the chapter: to put together an overall understanding that links together the various events that occurred. Before they begin to read the text in depth in this session the students as a group talk about actions they might use to achieve this. For example, students select the main events in the chapter; they group the paragraphs into events and draw a map of the main events; and visualise the main events in order and talk about the sequence of ideas.
Reading the text
The students in small groups reread the chapter to identify the four aspects noted in the Prior to Reading section (above) and compare what they thought with what their review now indicates. Students read both aloud and silently in the small group activity, changing gear from skimming and scanning the text to more detailed processing when it is required.
Consolidate and review
When students have read the text, the teacher leads students to apply each of the After Reading Strategies to review and consolidate the text as a whole.
Student learning activities
Activity 1
Students describe the main ideas in each chapter in one or two sentences. Example task: students in small groups draw a diagram showing the sequence of events in the story and how the plot and the associated emotion of the novel develops.
The teacher uses activities in which students talk in sentences about the sequence of ideas in the chapter. For example, in small groups, students make the text into a five- part radio serial with students taking different parts. Additionally, students say the type of questions the text has answered and ask other examples of each type.
Activity 2
Students link positive emotional response with the text as a whole. For example, students ask themselves questions such as, ‘How did I like the text? Were ideas useful and interesting? Did I feel happy or sad? How could the story have grabbed me better? How do I think the author wanted me to think or feel? Did she achieve her purpose? Would I recommend this story to other students of my age to read? Why?’
Activity 3
Students review understanding of the text at the various levels. Example task: students ask themselves questions such as, ‘What did the text tell me? The text didn’t say this but if …?’ They examine other inferential and evaluative questions about the chapter using information such as, ‘The chapter is called “The Vanishing Glass”. We use the word ‘vanishing’ when something disappears without our knowing or being able to explain why. Glass is a screen through which we can see but it also acts as a barrier separating things. In this chapter the glass vanishes in the reptile house without our being able to explain why. We observe many other things happening to and around Harry but we don’t know why.’ Students identify these things and decide what they have in common.
Activity 4
Students decide why the text was written. Example task: students ask themselves questions such as, ‘Why was the text written? Did it say what I expected it to say? How well did it achieve its purpose?’ They reflect on why they think the chapter was written: for example, to show how Harry was treated badly by his family and deserved a break; to create an sense of mystery around Harry; or to link him with some unusual or unexpected events. Did what students expect actually happen?
Activity 5
Students decide how the text can be interpreted from different points of view or perspectives and the techniques used to influence the reader to take a particular interpretation. Example task: students respond to questions such as, ‘The events in the chapter are described through Harry’s eyes. How does the language used by the writer lead us to form a particular impression of the main characters?’
Students look at some of emotionally loaded words used, suggest less emotional terms and evaluate how persuasive the text would be in that case. They suggest 'What might have happened if...?' questions; for example, 'What might have happened if the Dursleys had been kinder to Harry?'
Activity 6
Students review and evaluate the reading strategies used, particularly the strategies being learnt at the time. Example task: students respond to questions such as, ‘What reading actions helped you to read and comprehend this chapter?’ Students are encouraged to identify and use the reading strategies mentioned earlier in this level.
Activity 7
Students store in memory what has been learnt. For example, students respond to questions such as, ‘What key new ideas have I learnt? How has my knowledge changed? How does it fit with what I know already? List the key things you want to remember about this chapter?’
Activity 8
Students identify the new language and literacy knowledge that has been learnt. Example task: students respond to questions such as, ‘What new ways of saying things have I learnt? What new words were in the text?’
Students revise new vocabulary learnt in the earlier sessions and suggest synonyms and antonyms for them. They review the emotional loadings for different words that have similar meanings.
Students suggest ways of comprehending some of the similes in the text, for example, ‘His face like a gigantic beetroot with a moustache’ or ‘A gorilla scratching its head and looking remarkably like Dudley…’ They say them in their own words and discuss the use of similes in communicating meaning.
Activity 9
Students automatise and practise reading similar text aloud and silently to achieve increased fluency.