The Hero Game
Pete Johnson
Introduction
New Windmills titles are supported by a full scheme of work, including a medium-term
study plan, 15 individual lesson plans, and Student, Teacher and OHT resource sheets.
These resources help students to engage with the novel and assist with your planning.
Each set of resources includes a set of self-contained lessons which can be used to
supplement your own teaching plans, or to provide extra support for specific teaching
points. Each activity is individually mapped against the Framework Objectives and
Assessment Foci. There are also guided reading and reading journal activities, plus
suggestions for further study areas including speaking and listening, writing, reading and
drama activities. If your students have enjoyed reading this novel, there are ideas for
other New Windmills they may like to read for pleasure.
Resources for The Hero Game:
Synopsis
Activate prior learning
Activity sheets (Student sheets and OHTs)
Teacher’s notes
Reading journal
–
General reading journal
–
The Hero Game reading journal prompts
Further study areas
Reading for pleasure
Medium-term study plan
Individual lesson plans
2
2
3
22
25
25
28
32
32
33
36
Activities by Mike Royston
The following pages can be downloaded and printed out as required.
This material may be freely copied for institutional use. However, this material is
copyright and under no circumstances can copies be offered for sale.
The publishers gratefully acknowledge permission to reproduce copyright material.
The Hero Game
Synopsis
Eleven-year-old Charlie Marriott is sick of everything. His parents have separated and he
has no close friends. But a move to the countryside to live near his grandad marks a fresh
start for Charlie and gives him an all-consuming new interest.
Grandad was one of the élite Spitfire pilots in World War II. Before long, Charlie has
made a hero and a role model of him. For Grandad’s eightieth birthday, he arranges a
surprise reunion with an old friend from the RAF. He also contacts on the internet a
boyhood acquaintance, Maurice Perkins.
When Charlie goes to visit him, however, Perkins recalls Eddie Marriott not as a war hero
but as a school thug who went on to join the fascist Blackshirts. Through Eddie, Perkins
also became a Blackshirt – and he shows Charlie a photograph of himself and Grandad to
prove it.
Charlie’s world falls apart. In playing the hero game, he has put Grandad on a very high
pedestal. Now his hero is tarnished. To make matters worse, Grandad lies when Charlie
confronts him about his murky past.
Charlie turns the blame for shattering his idol onto Perkins, who is still a fascist
sympathiser. As an act of revenge, Charlie tries to sabotage one of Perkins’s political
meetings at which further violence breaks out from a group called the Fighters Against
Fascism. Without realising it, Charlie is starting to relive a twisted version of Grandad’s
political past.
Meanwhile, Grandad has distanced himself from Charlie. He is still unable to share the
truth with a grandson whose hero-worship he was happy to enjoy. Charlie can think of
only one way out of the impasse: to borrow the Blackshirt photograph from Perkins, face
Grandad with it, and hope it will force him to admit the past – to both of them.
Charlie gets caught breaking into Perkins’s house. The police are called. Grandad,
realising he is at the centre of Charlie’s tangled web, finally brings himself to explain his
two years as a Blackshirt. Doing so takes as much courage as flying Spitfires ever did.
Shortly afterwards, Grandad dies, but Charlie is consoled by the knowledge that the rift
between them has been healed. He has got his hero back.
Activate prior learning
Some knowledge of the Blackshirts (the ‘British Union of Fascists’, BUF) formed under
Oswald Mosley in the 1930s will help set the context for Grandad’s early life. Chapter 9
gives adequate information about the BUF: teachers are advised to consult it in advance.
Students need to be aware of the role of RAF Fighter Command in shaping the outcome
of World War II, particularly at the Battle of Britain (1940). In the scheme of work that
follows, Preparation Activity 1 is devoted to this.
2
Teacher’s
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
1
The Battle of Britain,
September 1940
My engine screamed as I went down in a steeply banked dive on to the
tail of a forward line of Heinkels. I knew the air was full of aircraft flinging
themselves about in all directions, but, hunched and snuggled down
behind my firing-sight, I was conscious only of the Heinkel I had picked
out. As the angle of my dive increased, the enemy plane loomed larger in
the sight field, heaved towards the red dot, and then he was there!
I pressed the button. There was a smooth trembling of my Hurricane as
the eight-gun squirt shot out. I gave him a two-second burst and then
another. Cordite fumes blew back into the cockpit, making an acrid
mixture with the smell of hot oil and the aircompressors.
I saw my first burst go in and, just as I was on top of him, I noticed a
red glow inside the bomber. I turned tightly into position again and now
saw several short tongues of flame flick out along the fuselage. Then he
went down in a spin, blanketed with smoke and with pieces flying off.
I left him plummeting down and, horsing back on my stick, climbed up
again for more. The sky was clearing, but ahead toward London I saw a
small, tight formation of bombers completely encircled by a ring of
Messerschmitts. They were still heading north. As I raced forward, three
flights of Spitfires came zooming up from beneath them in a sort of
Prince-of-Wales’s-feathers manoeuvre. They burst through, upward and
outward, their guns going all the time. They must each have got one,
for an instant later I saw the most extraordinary sight of eight German
bombers and fighters diving earthward together in flames.
Pilot Officer John Beard
From Their Finest Hour, edited by Allan Machie and Walter Graebner,
published by Allen & Unwin UK 1941.
3
OHT
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
2
Hero chart
Name:
Date:
A hero of mine
Name:
Best known for:
Personal details:
Best qualities:
A good role model because:
4
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
3
Character chart about Grandad
Name:
Date:
Grandad’s character
Quotations from chapter 2
well-mannered
kind and caring
an interesting talker
brave
modest
5
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
4
Headings for recording the
changes in Charlie’s life
moving house
moving school
becoming confident
becoming popular
finding an interest in life
finding a best friend
6
OHT
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
5
Smiler in action
Name:
Date:
‘Scramble, scramble!’ shouts a voice. That’s the signal that means a
battle in the skies against Hitler’s Luftwaffe.
‘Looks like Hitler wants to play,’ says eighteen-year-old Smiler. It’s his
first mission and he’s very scared. Not that anyone could ever guess that.
Smiler races to his Spitfire. His parachute is hanging on the wing tip. He
puts it on. The ground crew start up the engine. He runs his hand along
the wing of the Spitfire.
‘Hello there, how are we tonight?’ He always speaks to his Spitfire as if
she’s a beautiful woman. His mates do too. Vibrations start humming all
through the Spitfire as if she’s coming alive. The door is closed. He sits
trapped in his cramped, tiny cockpit.
He is one of a squadron of twelve Spitfires. Smiler eases the throttle
open. It is take-off. ‘You’re a wonderful girl,’ he murmurs to the Spitfire.
He talks to her all the time.
The first time he flew a Spitfire, he’d been terrified, though. She went
off like a rocket and he couldn’t get the airspeed down again. Took him
a few times to get used to her. But now, he thought, she was a magical
plane.
The airport is left far behind now as twelve Spitfires climb away on full
power. Then control is calling. The controller’s voice is calm. But his
news is terrifying. ‘OVER A HUNDRED ENEMY PLANES ARE
APPROACHING.’
And then Smiler sees them in the far distance: a great plague of German
bombers. They’re really putting on a show tonight. ‘Twelve against a
hundred. Not the greatest odds,’ murmurs Smiler. Yet he knows they
have a to win.
So there is nothing for it but to get stuck in. He remembers he must
never fly straight for longer than fifteeen seconds. If he does, he’ll
almost certainly be shot down. He’s got to hurl his plane across the sky.
A voice on his earphones says, ‘OK, boys, in we go.’
A new power surges through him. He’s flying into deadly combat. He’s
flying for his life …
7
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
6
Planning sheet for your
descriptive writing
Name:
Date:
Event
Descriptive language:
notes and try-outs
An enemy plane (a Messerschmitt)
attacks …
Smiler banks steeply to dodge the
tracer bullets …
The engine of his plane catches
fire …
8
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
7
Spidergram for Charlie’s hero
Name:
Date:
he was one of Britain’s
Spitfire pilots in
World War II
Grandad:
Charlie’s hero
he treats Charlie as
an adult on the same
level as himself
9
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
8
Questions about Charlie’s hero
Name:
Date:
Look carefully at chapter 3 and then answer the questions below.
1
How do you know Grandad was a courageous fighter pilot who often risked his life
for his country?
2
How does Grandad make it easy for Charlie to settle into his new school?
3
What do Charlie’s schoolmates think of Grandad?
4
Why does Grandad become famous in his community?
5
What souvenirs of the war does Grandad give Charlie? How does Charlie treat
them?
10
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
9
Box diagrams for analysing the
passage in chapter 12
Name:
Date:
?
?
sinister atmosphere
?
the bedroom is ‘dark and dingy’ (page 47)
?
?
11
Student
Sheet
feeling of being trapped
?
the ‘heavy brown curtains’ stay drawn (page 47)
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
10
Questions on the passage in
chapter 12
Name:
Date:
1
Find three adjectives describing the smell in Mr Perkins’s room. What impressions of
him do they give you?
2
Mr Perkins sits behind a heavy desk lit by a ‘small green lamp’ (page 47). Charlie sits
opposite him on ‘the hardest chair ever made’ (page 47). Does this remind you of a
typical scene in war films?
3
Why do you think the author chooses to make Mr Perkins have ‘gloved hands’
(page 48) to hide a chronic skin disease?
4
The car alarm in the distance is compared with a ‘banshee wailing a warning’
(page 48). What impression does this give you of the situation Charlie is in?
5
‘He was making me wait, making it worse’ (page 48). What impression of Mr
Perkins does this give you?
12
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
11
Notes for Grandad’s letter to
the council
Name:
Date:
Grandad’s attitude to the statue
FOR
AGAINST
it will keep alive the memory of
it will make him seem ‘a vain old
those who ‘never came home’
man snatching glory from his dead
(page 60)
comrades’ (page 60)
13
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
12
Planning sheet for your web
page
Name:
Name of action group:
Date:
____________________________________________
Slogan:
Logo:
Website address:
Group’s aims:
Action timetable:
How to join:
14
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
13
Charlie and Grandad
Name:
Date:
The worsening relationship between Charlie and Grandad
EVENT
CONSEQUENCE
Ch sees the photo of
Ch is now forced to believe
G as a Blackshirt (page 48)
Mr Perkins’s story
Ch looks at G and sees
The shadow of the past
‘a fifth person: … Grandad’s
comes between Ch and G
teenage self’ (page 60)
G tells Ch a ‘big, fat
lie’ about his past (page 63)
G postpones an interview
for Ch’s book: ‘so tired’ (page 66)
G rows with Ch like a
‘raging madman’ (page 92)
Ch removes all photos of
G from his bedroom wall
(page 98)
15
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
14
Planning sheet for your essay
Name:
Date:
Paragraph 1
How does the shadow of the past first come between Charlie and Grandad in
chapters 12–14?
– The Blackshirt photo:
– The ‘fifth person’ (page 60) present:
Paragraph 2
Show how Grandad lies, and what the effects of this are, in chapters 14–15.
– Grandad denies having been a Blackshirt:
– The ‘invisible wall all round him’ (page 66) is built:
Paragraph 3
Why and how do Grandad and Charlie fall out in chapter 20?
– Grandad behaves like a ‘raging madman’ (page 92):
– ‘it was my turn to give him the boot’ (page 98):
16
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
15
The debate about Yolande
’Yolande is an important
character in the story.
The author has put her in
to help explore the central
themes of the book from
a girl’s viewpoint.’
17
OHT
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
16
Yolande and Charlie: friendship
chart
Name:
Date:
Yolande: Charlie’s loyal friend
WHAT SHE SAYS
ITS EFFECT ON HIM
Phone call after Charlie
shows him that not all
has been to Mr Perkin’s
Blackshirts were evil
(pages 57–58)
Phone call after
Grandad has lied to
Charlie (pages 64–65)
Conversation after
Yolande gatecrashes
Mr Perkin’s meeting
(pages 84–85)
Conversation before
going to the clinic
(pages 99–100)
18
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
17
Quick questions about Grandad
1
How old is he when he dies?
2
What is the illness that leads to his death?
3
How does the local community mark his death?
4
What happened to his mother when he was still a boy?
5
Why did his father find life so hard?
6
Why was he rebellious at school?
7
What attracted him to the Blackshirts?
8
What did he think about the violence the Blackshirts got
involved in?
9
Why did he leave the Blackshirts?
10
What did he do next?
19
OHT
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
18
Planning sheet for your new
covers
Name:
Date:
Rough sketch of front
Rough sketch of back
BLURB
20
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
19
Rating chart for the book
Name:
Date:
Rating chart
PLOT
Exciting
CHARACTERS
Believable
SETTINGS
Varied
STYLE
Gripping
Dull
Unconvincing
Not varied
Flat
21
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
Teacher’s Notes referred to in the
individual lesson plans
Lesson 1
Key points about the Battle of Britain
It lasted from August to November 1940.
It was the decisive air battle of the war, determining which side controlled the
English Channel and frustrating Hitler’s invasion plans.
The German Luftwaffe under the command of Goering outnumbered RAF Fighter
Command by four to one.
The battle was fought out mainly between German Messerschmitts and Heinkels
and British Spitfires and Hurricanes.
The skill and bravery of the pilots on both sides is legendary. Spitfire pilots often
flew two or more sorties in succession, landing at airfields in south-east England
only to refuel and reload.
Further information
The Battle of Britain: Air Defence of Great Britain
Ed. Sir Peter Squire et al.
Publisher: Frank Cass
Spitfire: RAF Fighter
Dan Patterson and Ron Dick
Publisher: Howell
Lesson 5
Guided reading questions
1
How do you know Grandad was a courageous fighter pilot who often risked his life
for his country?
2
How does Grandad make it easy for Charlie to settle into his new school?
3
What do Charlie’s schoolmates think of Grandad?
4
Why does Grandad become famous in his community?
5
What souvenirs of the war does Grandad give Charlie? How does Charlie treat
them?
22
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
Lesson 6
Suggested questions about the Blackshirts
1
How close to Hitler’s brand of fascism was Mosley’s?
2
Did Mosley’s supporters treat him as a führer?
3
Why did Mosley advocate the ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Jews?
4
How did newspapers of the time respond to the Blackshirts’ activities?
5
Was it legal to belong to the Blackshirts?
6
What happened to Mosley during the war?
Further information
Fascists and Fascism in Britain Between the Wars
Martin Pugh
Publisher: Pimlico
Suggestions for the class display
Bear in mind that this is a sensitive area. Display material needs to be carefully
contextualised.
Newspaper archives on the web abound with photographs, reports and editorial
comment about the BUF. This can provide the basis of the display.
Original work by students might include:
–
a cartoon gallery about Mosley and his followers
–
personal response writing such as argued items, poems and news reports
–
a photographic montage (with or without captions) compiled from
documentary material, conveying a personal opinion of the British fascists
–
evidence of far right activism drawn from present-day media.
Lesson 7
Guided reading questions
1
Find three adjectives describing the smell in Mr Perkins’s room. What impressions of
him do they give you?
2
Mr Perkins sits behind a heavy desk lit by a ‘small green lamp’. Charlie sits opposite
him on ‘the hardest chair ever made’. Does this remind you of a typical scene in war
films?
3
Why do you think the author chooses to make Mr Perkins have ‘gloved hands’ to
hide a chronic skin disease?
4
The car alarm in the distance is compared with ‘ a banshee wailing a warning’. What
impression does this give you of the situation Charlie is in?
5
‘He was making me wait, making it worse.’ What impression of Mr Perkins does this
give you?
23
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
Lesson 9
Aspects of issue-based newspaper writing
When analysing your chosen local newspaper story, focus on:
which aspect of the story is prioritised and how this is achieved
how the editorial viewpoint is conveyed through the choice of headline,
interviewees and language
the balance between fact and opinion, including opinion disguised as fact
whether photographic captions are ‘neutral’ or slanted.
Lesson 10
Web page: style and content
Discuss styles most likely to attract teenagers who are merely surfing. Interactive
styles are probably the best: consider variations on question-and-answer.
The ‘action timetable’ should signpost three or four events which establish and give
publicity to the group, for example: a leaflet campaign, a public meeting, a Saturday
morning demonstration in town, an interview on local radio, a guest appearance at
school assembly, etc.
Lesson 13
Speaking and listening objectives
Use the three objectives below for S&L assessment. Recast them in suitable language for
your particular students before announcing them:
1
Successfully adopting, and staying in, a role.
2
Giving relevant replies to the questions asked/asking questions relevant to the
subject.
3
Developing questions, follow-up questions or responses to questions in a confident
and convincing way.
24
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
20
Reading journal
This reading journal is designed to help you record your thoughts about the
book you are reading. It is not intended to include only polished pieces of
writing, but rather a collection of your developing responses to a text. To become
a better reader, it helps to write an entry at the end of each reading session in
class or at home, noting:
The strategies you have been using as you read, e.g. reading backwards and
forwards, skimming, inferring.
Your responses to what happens/what characters do and say, and ask what
the writer has done to make you feel this way.
The questions in your mind as you read, e.g. what you are wondering about
at the moment.
The themes and patterns that you notice in the plot or the language used.
Similarities and connections to other books you have read.
Parts of the book (words, lines) that you have enjoyed.
How what happens in the book relates to your own experiences and feelings.
The notes you make will be useful to look back on, especially before writing
about the book. For example, it will show how the author has made a character
change and affected your feelings about him/her as the book progresses.
Before starting to read …
Ask yourself:
What can I tell about the book from its front cover and the blurb on the
back cover?
Have I read any other books by this writer? What were they about?
It is often useful to make a very brief timeline like the one below to track the
main events, changes in narrator, scenes and characters. When you write about
the book in the future, this time-chart will remind you where things that happen
are described.
End of
book
Beginning
of book
While reading …
Ask yourself:
What does the opening tell me about the themes and ideas, characters and
setting of the book?
In what ways does the writer grab my attention?
How many points of view on events am I given?
What would I like to ask the author if I met him/her?
25
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
20
Reading journal
(continued)
Name:
Year:
Text title:
Text type:
Author:
Date started:
Date finished:
26
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
20
Reading journal
(continued)
As soon as you have finished reading a book …
Ask yourself:
Can I sum up the main idea of the text in three sentences?
Which characters have changed and why? Which have stayed the same?
Who would I recommend this book to and why?
Award a book rating (between 1 and 5 stars,
where ★ = poor and ★★★★★ = excellent).
Write a review below summarising your thoughts about the book.
27
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
21
The Hero Game reading journal
prompts
Name:
Date:
Use the questions below to help you fill in your English reading journal.
What you write will not be ‘marked’ by your teacher, only read.
Before starting the book, jot down your thoughts about:
why people seem to need heroes
why teenagers often get on extremely well with their grandparents.
Chapter 1
Why is Charlie ‘sick of everything’ (page 3) at the end of this chapter?
Do you feel sorry for him? Give two reasons for answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Chapter 2
Do you like Grandad?
Why do you think Charlie gets on with Grandad so well that he says ‘in a way,
I was him’ (page 6)?
Chapter 3
How does Grandad turn Charlie’s life around?
Charlie thinks Grandad was a hero in the war. Does Grandad agree?
What do you think Charlie’s plan to surprise Grandad is?
Chapter 4
Why does Grandad enjoy his surprise so much?
What impression does Geoff Hays give of Grandad in his RAF days?
Chapter 5
What idea do you get of Yolande’s character in this chapter?
Charlie is keen to have her for his girlfriend. Is Yolande equally keen?
28
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
21
The Hero Game reading journal
prompts (continued)
Chapter 6
Why is Charlie worried about Grandad?
How does he reassure himself?
How does Charlie’s graphic novel draw him closer to Yolande?
Chapter 7
Why does Charlie ring up the local radio station?
Why is he pleased with the outcome?
Chapter 8
Why is Charlie shocked when he interviews Mr Perkins?
What impression does he form of Mr Perkins’s character?
Chapter 9
Had you heard of the Blackshirts before?
Does anything surprise you about what you learn in this chapter?
Chapter 10
Why do you think Grandad and Nan warn Charlie off Mr Perkins?
Does Charlie take any notice?
Chapter 11
Why does Charlie need to visit Yolande at the start of this chapter?
What further information does he find out on his second visit to Mr Perkins?
Chapter 12
How would you describe the atmosphere of the room where Charlie is shown the
Blackshirt photo?
Do you think Mr Perkins is still a fascist?
What mistaken idea has Mr Perkins got about Grandad?
29
Student
Sheet
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
21
The Hero Game reading journal
prompts (continued)
Chapter 13
Who is Raymond? Why do you think the author introduces him into the book at
this half-way point?
Do you agree with Yolande’s explanation for Grandad being a Blackshirt?
Chapter 14
Who is the ‘fifth person’ (page 60) in Charlie’s family?
What lie does Grandad tell Charlie?
What effect does it have on both of them?
Chapter 15
Why do you think Mr Perkins sends Charlie the newspaper cutting?
In this chapter, Charlie says ‘the very best part of my life was falling to pieces’
(page 65). What does he mean?
Chapter 16
Why does Charlie go to the political meeting at Mr Perkins’s?
Why is he allowed in?
Chapter 17
Do you agree with Charlie that Gerald’s remarks are ‘racist ravings’ (page 76)?
How and why does Yolande interrupt the meeting?
Chapter 18
Why has Raymond gone to the meeting?
What do you find out in this chapter about why Yolande has been cool towards
Charlie?
Chapter 19
What is Yolande’s solution to her problem?
30
Student
Sheet
Do you think Charlie has any chance with Yolande now?
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
21
The Hero Game reading journal
prompts (continued)
Chapter 20
Why does Grandad behave like a ‘raging madman’ (page 92) in this chapter?
Why does Charlie tear down his photographs of Grandad?
Chapter 21
What favour does Yolande ask Charlie to do?
Why is she so angry at him when he follows her to the clinic?
What does Charlie now decide he has to do about Grandad?
Chapter 22
‘Mission accomplished’ (page 110). Is it?
What difficulties do you forsee for Charlie at the end of this chapter?
Chapter 23
What news about Grandad does Mr Perkins give Charlie?
Why do the police visit Charlie’s home?
Chapter 24
How have Charlie’s lies affected Yolande?
Why is Charlie given a stern lecture by his mother?
How does Grandad help get Charlie off the hook?
Chapter 25
Why did Grandad join the Blackshirts?
Why did he keep it secret from Charlie?
Why are Charlie and Grandad reconciled by the end of this chapter?
Chapter 26
What view of Mr Perkins does Charlie take in this chapter? Why has it changed?
31
Student
Sheet
Do you think the book has a happy ending?
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
Further study areas
The following study areas provide opportunities for creating interesting and stimulating
activities:
Writing to imagine, explore and entertain: The secret Grandad keeps from Charlie
clouds both their lives for most of the book. In trying to keep his secret, Grandad has to
tell lies. Explore the theme of ‘Secrets and Lies’ in a story of your own, either one from
real life or one you make up.
(Writing to imagine: Yr7 Wr5, Wr6, Wr9; Yr8 Wr5, Wr6, Wr7; Yr 9 Wr2, Wr5)
Drama-focused speaking and listening (pairs): Improvise a conversation between
Yolande and her mother about what to do in the future (see page 135). Her mother will
claim to have Yolande’s best interests at heart.
(Drama: Yr7 S&L15, S&L16, S&L17; Yr8 S&L14, S&L15, S&L16; Yr9 S&L11, S&L12,
S&L14)
Personal view: ‘Racism is the biggest evil our multi-cultural society faces.’ Write your
views on this subject.
(Personal view: Yr7 Wr15, Wr16; Yr8 Wr13, Wr14; Yr9 Wr13, Wr14)
Independent research/Information writing: Search the internet and/or reference books
for information about the life of a fighter pilot in World War II. Then write about this in
the first person, using the format of ‘A life in the day’.
(Writing to inform: Yr7 R1, R2, Wr7, Wr10; Yr8 R2, R3, Wr8, Wr10; Yr9 R1, R4, Wr7, Wr11)
Author’s craft: The Hero Game is written in the first person – Charlie himself tells a story
that has already happened. In group discussion, consider three advantages of writing a
novel in this way. Refer to the text to illustrate your ideas.
(Author’s craft: Yr7 S&L11, S&L14, R15, R16; Yr8 S&L10, S&L11, R10, R13; Yr9 S&L2,
S&L10, R11, R12)
Reading for pleasure
If students have enjoyed reading The Hero Game and its themes of true and false heroism
in wartime, they may also enjoy Spies by Michael Frayn, and Heroes by Robert Cormier.
32
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 6 Lesson 5+
Teacher’s
Notes
Lesson 2 Lesson 1+
Year 7: S&L1, S&L7, R2, R5, R10
Year 8: S&L1, S&L6, R2, R5, R16
Year 9: S&L1, S&L7, R2, R4, R11
R2, R3, R6, R7
Searching the internet for information
Forming a considered opinion about a citizenship issue
Contributing to a class display of researched material
Chapter 9 and
information about
the Blackshirts
+ Denotes suggested written homework where this is integral to the learning achieved in the lesson.
Other homework/follow-on options are given to maximise teacher choice.
Year 7: S&L1, S&L5, R8, R12, Wr12, Wr19
Year 8: S&L1, S&L10, R5, R13, Wr16, Wr17
Year 9: S&L1, S&L2, R5, R11, Wr 16, Wr17
R2, R3, R5, W2, W3,
W4, W6
Year 7: R7, R12, R14, Wr5, Wr6, Wr7
Year 8: R4, R8, R10, Wr5, Wr6, Wr7
Year 9: R5, R11, R12, Wr4, Wr5, Wr6
Identifying and explaining conflicting views of a character
Making brief, clearly organised notes to plan an essay
Writing a literature essay using the PEE method
Analysing the language and structure of part of a graphic
novel
Writing a continuation of a graphic novel extract
Writing to imagine, explore and entertain
Reading through the novel: Chapters 3–9
Chapters 3–8
Passage in chapter 6
Week of study: 2
R1, R4, R5, W1, W4,
W7
Year 7: S&L4, R8, R12, Wr10, Wr19
Year 8: S&L1, R5, R10, Wr10, Wr17
Year 9: S&L2, R1, R5, Wr9, Wr16
R2, R3, R6, W2, W3,
W4
Reading inferentially to understand a character
Supporting points about character with textual evidence
Writing to explain how a character changes over time
Chapters 1–3
Year 7: S&L1, S&L3, S&L7, S&L14, Wr3
Year 8: S&L1, S&L3, S&L5, S&L9, Wr3
Year 9: S&L1, S&L2, S&L5, S&L10, Wr2
The novel’s central
theme
W2, W7
Analysing the style of a narrative passage
Locating and retrieving information from reference sources
Writing to inform and explain for an audience of peers
Information about
the Battle of Britain
Talking in groups to recount and reflect on personal
experience
Using analagous experience to empathise with the novel’s
main character
Planning and delivering a formal talk to classmates
Framework objectives
Year 7: S&L1, R1, R2, R12, Wr10, Wr11
Year 8: S&L10, R1, R2, R4, Wr10, Wr11
Year 9: S&L2, R1, R2, R4, Wr9, Wr12
Reading through the novel: Chapters 1–3
Week of study: 1
Assessment foci
R1, R2, R3, W1, W2,
W12
Objectives and lesson outcomes
Coverage
Medium-term study plan for The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
The Hero Game
33
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
Lesson 9+ Lesson 8
Lesson 10
Lesson 12 Lesson 11+
Teacher’s
Notes
Lesson 7
Year 7: S&L1, S&L5, S&L7, R16
Year 8: S&L1, S&L5, S&L10, R10
Year 9: S&L2, S&L5, S&L9, R5
R2, R5, R6
Considering the importance of the book’s main female
character
Justifying a personal viewpoint in debate
Writing to argue and express opinion (optional)
Whole novel
+ Denotes suggested written homework where this is integral to the learning achieved in the lesson.
Other homework/follow-on options are given to maximise teacher choice.
Year 7: R6, R8, R9, Wr2, Wr4, Wr19
Year 8: R3, R5, R10, Wr2, Wr10, Wr17
Year 9: R2,R3, Wr1, Wr3, Wr16, Wr17
R1, R2, R3, R6, W3,
W4, W6, W7, W8
Year 7: S&L1, S&L8, S&L12, Wr11, Wr17
Year 8: S&L1, S&L5, S&L10, Wr10, Wr14
Year 9: S&L2, S&L5, S&L10, Wr9, Wr12
Tracing the changes in two characters’ relationship over time
Making diagrammatic notes to assist essay planning
Writing a literature essay using the PEE method
Exploring a citizenship issue in the local community
Examining techniques of promotion and advertising in media
texts
Creating a web page for an audience of peers
Chapters 8–20
Passage from
chapter 18 and
community issues
W2, W3, W5, W6, W7
Year 7: R8, R9, R10, Wr10, Wr11
Year 8: R5, R6, R8, Wr10, Wr12, Wr17
Year 9: R4, R6, R8, Wr9, Wr11, Wr12
R4, R5, R6, R7, W3,
W4, W5, W6
Commenting on key characteristics of journalistic writing
Planning a newspaper report
Writing a controversial newspaper report
Chapters 17–18
Reading through the novel: Chapters 19–26
Year 7: S&L15, S&L16, R9, Wr15, Wr16
Year 8: S&L14, S&L15, R6, Wr13, Wr14
Year 9: S&L11, S&L12, Wr13, Wr14
R3, W2, W3, W6, W8
Role playing a text-based situation with a partner
Comparing the attitudes of two characters to the same issue
Writing a formal letter in role
Chapter 14 and
earlier parts of
the book
Week of study: 4
Year 7: R12, R14, Wr7, Wr10, Wr14
Year 8: R10, R13, Wr5, Wr7, Wr10
Year 9: R12, R13, Wr5, Wr13
R4, R5, R6, W1, W4,
W5, W7
Framework objectives
Analysing the language and structure of a passage through
shared reading
Evaluating the effectiveness of the author’s style
Planning and writing to describe
Reading through the novel: Chapters 10–18
Week of study: 3
Assessment foci
Passage in
Chapter 12
Objectives and lesson outcomes
Coverage
Medium-term study plan for The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
The Hero Game
34
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
Lesson 15+ Lesson 14
Teacher’s
Notes
Lesson 13
Year 7: S&L1, S&L5, R10, R15, W18, W19
Year 8: S&L10, S&L11, R8, R10, W17, W18
Year 9: S&L4, S&L5, R8, R10, W16, W17
R3, R6, R7, W1, W3,
W4, W7
Establishing criteria for making judgements about novels
Making a personal judgement of the book’s effectiveness
Evaluating the book’s filmic qualities
Whole novel
+ Denotes suggested written homework where this is integral to the learning achieved in the lesson.
Other homework/follow-on options are given to maximise teacher choice.
Year 7: R6, R12, R15, W10, W15, W19
Year 8: R4, R10, R13, W11, W12, W16,
Year 9: R2, R5, W9, W12, W16
R3, R6, R7, W2, W5,
W7, W8
Year 7: S&L3, S&L8, S&L15, S&L17, W2
Year 8: S&L2, S&L8, S&L14, S&L15, W1
Year 9: S&L2, S&L3, S&L11, S&L12, W2
Framework objectives
Developing an overview of the book
Relating the book’s title to its characters and theme
Summarising the plot and theme in the form of a blurb
R3, R6, R7, W2, W5,
W7, W8
Assessment foci
Whole novel
Forming a summative view of one of the book’s central
characters
Finding material for a drama-focused activity by backtracking
through the book
Role playing a radio interview
Reading through the novel: Whole novel
Week of study: 5
Whole novel with
particular
reference to
chapter 25
Objectives and lesson outcomes
Coverage
Medium-term study plan for The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
The Hero Game
35
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 1
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Information about the Battle of Britain
1 To analyse the style of a narrative passage
2 To locate and retrieve information from reference sources
3 To write to inform and explain for an audience of peers
Experience of searching reference sources for information
Experience of writing for a real audience
Preparation: Activity 1 – Researching the historical background to the
novel and writing a factual booklet for peers
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: S&L1, R1, R2, R12, Wr10, Wr11
Year 8: S&L10, R1, R2, R4, Wr10, Wr11
Year 9: S&L2, R1, R2, R4, Wr9, Wr12
Assessment Foci:
R1, R2, R3
W1, W2, W12
Starter:
(15 minutes) Tell the class that a major character in the book has been a
fighter pilot in World War II. Briefly contextualise the Battle of Britain.
Relevant facts are printed in the Teacher’s Notes, page 22. Then display
OHT 1 – ‘The Battle of Britain, September 1940’ – on an OHP and read it
aloud.
Introduction:
(15 minutes) Take responses to the passage. Ask: what makes it a vivid
piece of description? How does the writer’s choice of: i verbs,
ii figurative language contribute to its effect? Annotate the OHT. End by
asking: on the evidence of this passage, did the Battle of Britain pilots
deserve Churchill’s accolade ‘Knights of the air’?
Development/
Plenary:
(30 minutes) Tell students that, working independently, they are to
research and produce an information booklet about the Battle of Britain
for their own age group. It will be four pages long and make strong use
of presentational features. This should be planned during this stage and
undertaken for homework.
Divide the class into small groups to discuss the contents of the booklet
and where to find information. Advice on this is printed in the
Teacher’s Notes, page 22. Finally, confirm that all students are clear
about the project and set a completion date.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students research and create their booklets.
Resources:
OHT 1, Teacher’s Notes page 22.
Personal teaching notes:
36
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 2
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
The novel’s central theme
1 To exchange ideas with and question classmates
2 To empathise with the novel’s main character by drawing on
analagous experience
3 To plan a formal talk for an audience of peers
Experience of working collaboratively in groups
Experience of making a formal presentation in class
Preparation: Activity 2 – Planning and preparing a five-minute talk to a
small group
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: S&L1, S&L3, S&L7, S&L14, Wr3
Year 8: S&L1, S&L3, S&L5, S&L9, Wr3
Year 9: S&L1, S&L2, S&L5, S&L10, Wr2
Assessment Foci:
W2, W7
Starter:
(15 minutes) Establish with the class that in this novel Charlie makes a
hero of his grandad. Ask students about their own heroes. Are they all
entertainers or sports people? Does every hero become famous? Why
do we have heroes?
Introduction:
(15 minutes) Distribute Student Sheet 2 – a chart for students, working
individually, to fill in with details about someone they regard as a hero.
Explain the kind of information required for each box, particularly the
one specifying ‘A good role model because: …’. Students can use note
form as they work.
Development:
(20 minutes) Divide the class into small groups. Students read each
other’s charts and ask questions about the entries made. Encourage
them to be robust in their questioning, pressing classmates to be
detailed and precise as they justify their choices.
Plenary:
(10 minutes) Tell students they are to prepare and deliver a five-minute
talk to a small group. Nominate a lesson in the near future for this. End
by highlighting the aims printed in Book Activity: Preparation 2. These
will form the success criteria when the talks are given.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students prepare and rehearse their five-minute talks.
Resources:
Student Sheet 2
Personal teaching notes:
37
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 3
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Chapters 1–3
1 To read inferentially to understand a character
2 To support points about character with textual evidence
3 To write an explanatory account of how a character changes over
time
Pre-reading of chapters 1–3
Experience of using the PEE method of analysis
Exploration: Activity 1 – Exploring how Charlie’s life is transformed by
Grandad in chapters 1–3
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: S&L4, R8, R12, Wr10, Wr19
Year 8: S&L1, R5, R10, Wr10, Wr17
Year 9: S&L2, R1, R5, Wr9, Wr16
Assessment Foci:
R2, R3, R6
W2, W3, W4
Starter:
(15 minutes) Tell students they are to describe and explain the changes
brought about in Charlie’s life by Grandad. Read chapter 1 (very short)
around the class. Ask for three reasons why Charlie is shy and
withdrawn before he meets Grandad. Write them up on the board.
Introduction:
(15 minutes) Divide the class into small groups. Distribute Student
Sheet 3 – a character chart about Grandad. The students’ task is to find
textual evidence for the five points made. They enter brief quotations
from chapter 2 on their sheets.
Development:
(20 minutes) Skim chapter 3 to establish that Charlie’s life changes
radically when he moves to Grandad’s village. Display OHT 4 – six
headings under which students can list these changes – on an OHP.
Annotate the OHT as they offer responses. This is straightforward,
requiring only basic inference, but give generous praise to motivate
students for the homework. They should copy the main OHT
annotations before this lesson ends.
Plenary:
(10 minutes) Set the homework/follow-on below. Suggest three
paragraphs, which can follow the a, b, c structure of the Book Activity.
Insist on textual evidence in the form of quotation. Briefly revise the
P(Point)
E(Evidence)
E(Explanation) (PEE) method.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students write an account of how and why Charlie’s life changes for the
better in chapters 1–3.
Resources:
Student Sheet 3, OHT 4.
Personal teaching notes:
38
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 4
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
The passage from Charlie’s graphic novel in chapter 6
1 To analyse the language and structure of part of a graphic novel
2 To write a continuation of the passage in a similar style
3 To write to imagine, explore and entertain
Pre-reading of chapter 6
Some understanding of the concept of a graphic novel
Exploration: Activity 2 – Examining the style of a graphic novel and
developing the extract from it further
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: R7, R12, R14, Wr5, Wr6, Wr7
Year 8: R4, R8, R10, Wr5, Wr6, Wr7
Year 9: R5, R11, R12, Wr4, Wr5, Wr6
Assessment Foci:
R1, R4, R5
W1, W4, W7
Starter:
(15 minutes) Discuss with the class what a graphic novel is. Compare it
with a storyboard: a linked sequence of ‘snapshots’ with descriptive
captions, normally in the present tense. Then distribute Student Sheet 5
– a clean copy of the passage for students to annotate in the next stage
of the lesson. Ask several expressive readers to perform it aloud as if it
were a playscript.
Introduction:
(25 minutes) Divide the class into small groups. Students annotate
their sheets by: i writing instructions for the illustrator against the first
and last paragraphs, ii underlining four Subject
Verb
Object
(S
V
O) sentences, iii highlighting four passages of direct speech
and identifying the speakers. Then devote ten minutes to comparing the
results in whole class discussion.
Development/
Plenary:
(20 minutes) Distribute Student Sheet 6 – a planning sheet for students
to write an outline of how they will continue the passage – and display
it as an OHT. Explain that this will be started now and finished for
homework.
Ask for ideas. Enter a selection of them on the OHT. Then allow ten to
fifteen minutes for the writing to get under way. Support individuals in
adopting a suitable style: simple sentence structures, present tense, a
balance between description and direct speech, fast-paced action.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students write a continuation of the graphic novel passage in five or six
paragraphs. They illustrate two or more of these.
Resources:
Student Sheet 5, Student Sheet/OHT 6.
Personal teaching notes:
39
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 5
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Chapters 3–8
1 To identify and explain two conflicting views of a character
2 To plan for an essay by making brief, clearly organised notes
3 To write a literature essay using the PEE method
Pre-reading of chapters 3–8
Familiarity with PEE-based analysis
Exploration: Activity 3 – Comparing two views of Grandad’s character,
first in note form and then in a formal essay
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: S&L1, S&L5, R8, R12, Wr12, Wr19
Year 8: S&L1, S&L10, R5, R13, Wr16, Wr17
Year 9: S&L1, S&L2, R5, R11, Wr 16, Wr17
Assessment Foci:
R2, R3, R5
W2, W3, W4, W6
Starter:
(15 minutes) Skim chapter 8 with the class. Then brainstorm the main
impressions of Grandad given by Maurice Perkins. List at least three
points on the board. Ask: how do they show Grandad in a bad light?
Why is Charlie taken aback?
Introduction:
(20 minutes) Divide the class into small groups or pairs. Distribute
Student Sheet 7 – a partly completed spidergram for recording why
Grandad becomes Charlie’s hero in chapters 3–8. Groups add four
points to it. Guided reading questions for weaker groups are printed in
the Teacher’s Notes, page 22, and reproduced on Student Sheet 8. End
this stage by taking feedback and agreeing on key points.
Development:
(15 minutes) Create a second spidergram, this time on the board and as
a class, to show how totally opposite Mr Perkins’s view of Grandad is
to Charlie’s (and Geoff Hays’s in chapter 4). Refer back to the Starter for
this. Concentrate on bringing out contrasts. Emphasise how the
spidergram is a useful tool for doing so.
Plenary:
(10 minutes) Review the ground covered in this lesson. Ask students to
explain how two such different views of the same character can be held.
Then set the homework/follow-on below.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students use both spidergrams to plan and write a literature essay:
‘Describe and explain the two different views of Grandad given in
chapters 3–8’. Use the P(Point)
E(Evidence)
E(Explanation)
(PEE) method.
Resources:
Student Sheet 7, Student Sheet 8, Teacher’s Notes page 22.
Personal teaching notes:
40
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 6
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Chapter 9 and information about the Blackshirts
1 To search the internet for information
2 To form a considered opinion about a citizenship issue
3 To contribute to a class display of researched material
Experience of using an internet search engine
Some awareness of the rise of fascism in the 1930s
Exploration: Activity 4 – Researching the social background to part of
the novel and creating a class display around it
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: S&L1, S&L7, R2, R5, R10
Year 8: S&L1, S&L6, R2, R5, R16
Year 9: S&L1, S&L7, R2, R4, R11
Assessment Foci:
R2, R3, R6, R7
Note: This lesson depends on access to the internet.
Starter:
(20 minutes) Tell students that they are to search the internet for
information about the Blackshirts in the 1930s. Then read chapter 9
(very short) around the class. Ask students for questions raised by the
chapter to which they genuinely want answers. A list of possibilities is
printed in the Teacher’s Notes, page 23. Write four or five on the board:
these will guide the research in the next stage of the lesson.
Introduction/
(30 minutes) Suggest web sites to visit for the required information.
Then ask students to work independently on screen using appropriate
strategies to select the information they want: highlighting, merging,
cutting and pasting, etc. At the end of this stage, they print out their
work.
Plenary:
(10 minutes) Nominate a future lesson in which the class display based
on this research and the homework/follow-on will be assembled. Each
student should provide at least one item. Some will, ideally, be joint
efforts. There is a list of suggestions in the Teacher’s Notes, page 23.
Ensure that everyone is clear about their contribution by the end of the
lesson.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students continue their research and prepare their contributions to the
class display.
Resources:
Teacher’s Notes page 23
Personal teaching notes:
41
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 7
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Chapter 12, pages 47–48
1 To use shared reading to analyse the language and structure of a
passage
2 To evaluate the effectiveness of the author’s style
3 To plan and write a descriptive piece using similar techniques
Pre-reading of chapter 12
Experience of commenting on an author’s style
Exploration: Activity 5 – Reading a passage analytically and writing to
describe
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: R12, R14, Wr7, Wr10, Wr14
Year 8: R10, R13, Wr5, Wr7, Wr10
Year 9: R12, R13, Wr5, Wr13
Starter:
Assessment Foci:
R4, R5, R6
W1, W4, W5, W7
(15 minutes) Ask students in pairs to imagine themselves trapped
underground. They discuss the precise circumstances of this, then write
down two sentences which convey their physical feelings.
Have volunteers read their sentences aloud. Invite comment. End this
stage by asking: what do we mean by ‘atmosphere’ in a piece of
writing? How do good writers create it?
Introduction:
(25 minutes) Read aloud the passage from chapter 12. Tell students to
think about its atmosphere as you do so. Then distribute to the pairs
Student Sheet 9 – two box diagrams for recording during discussion
how the author creates: i a sinister mood, ii a feeling of being trapped.
Guided reading questions to support weaker students are printed in the
Teacher’s Notes, page 23, and reproduced on Student Sheet 10. End this
stage by taking feedback for ten minutes.
Development:
(10 minutes) Ask the class to find uses of language and imagery in the
passage which suggest: a decay, b secrecy, c captivity. How do these
impressions help us identify with Charlie’s situation here?
Plenary:
(10 minutes) Summarise the main learning points of the lesson.
Emphasise that atmosphere in descriptive writing is most strongly
evoked by a combination of small sensory details. Then set the
homework/follow-on below.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students plan and write a three-paragraph description on one of the
topics listed in Book Activity: Exploration 5.
Resources:
Student Sheet 9, Student Sheet 10, Teacher’s Notes page 23.
Personal teaching notes:
42
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 8
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Chapter 14 and earlier parts of the book
1 To role play a text-based situation with a partner
2 To compare the attitudes of two characters to the same issue
3 To write a formal letter in role
Pre-reading of chapter 14
Familiarity with the conventions of a formal letter
Exploration: Activity 6 – Role playing a difference of opinion between
Charlie and Grandad, then writing an explanatory letter
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: S&L15, S&L16, R9, Wr15, Wr16
Year 8: S&L14, S&L15, R6, Wr13, Wr14
Year 9: S&L11, S&L12, Wr13, Wr14
Assessment Foci:
R3
W2, W3, W6, W8
Starter:
(15 minutes) Read aloud pages 59–60, where the issue of a statue to
honour Grandad is first raised. Brainstorm with the class two reasons
why Charlie is in favour of it and two reasons why Grandad has
reservations. Which view do students share, and why?
Introduction:
(15 minutes) Tell students that, in pairs, they are to role play a
conversation between Charlie and Grandad about the statue. Charlie
argues strongly for it; Grandad expresses doubts but is open to
persuasion. Allow five minutes’ preparation time, then five minutes for
the performance.
Development/
Plenary:
(30 minutes) Distribute Student Sheet 11 – a partly completed chart for
noting down why Grandad feels torn about the statue. Working by
themselves, students draw on the role play to add two more points to
each column.
Then tell students that Grandad decides to write to the council giving
his decision. They will write this letter for the homework/follow-on,
which you should now set. Reserve ten minutes to revise the
conventions of laying out a formal letter. Suggest it has three main
paragraphs. Emphasise the need for technical accuracy, including
correct spelling.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students write Grandad’s letter to the council explaining his decision
about the statue. It is up to students what this will be.
Resources:
Student Sheet 11
Personal teaching notes:
43
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 9
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Chapters 17–18
1 To identify and comment on some key characteristics of journalistic
writing
2 To work in role as a journalist to plan and structure a newspaper
report
3 To write a newspaper report on a controversial topic
Pre-reading of chapters 17–18
Familiarity with newspaper writing
Exploration: Activity 7 – Writing a newspaper report for the local
newspaper about the disturbances at Mr Perkins’s political meeting
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: R8, R9, R10, Wr10, Wr11
Year 8: R5, R6, R8, Wr10, Wr12, Wr17
Year 9: R4, R6, R8, Wr9, Wr11, Wr12
Assessment Foci:
R4, R5, R6, R7
W3, W4, W5, W6, W7
Starter:
(15 minutes) Skim chapters 17 and 18. Ask the class to put themselves
into role as undercover journalists at the meeting. Which events would
they build their story around? What would be most likely to grab the
headlines? Make a quick list on the board.
Introduction:
(20 minutes) Tell students they are to write in role their report on the
meeting for the local paper. Ask them to rough-draft: a an attentioncatching, emotive headline, b the first paragraph answering ‘wh’
questions, c two interviews, d a strong final sentence.
Take brief feedback. Then distribute copies of a report from your local
newspaper on a controversial topic.
Development:
(20 minutes) Discuss with the class the characteristics of journalistic
writing to be found in the report. Focus on: i emotive language,
ii exaggeration and bias, iii the way interviews are edited to suit the
‘slant’ of the report, iv the impact of presentational devices. Advice on
conducting this stage of the lesson can be found in the Teacher’s Notes,
page 24.
Plenary:
(5 minutes) Use this to set the homework/follow-on below.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students write a report for the local newspaper about the political
meeting at Mr Perkins’s house, making use of the techniques of writing
examined in this lesson. If possible, they should use a computer to
make their work resemble a real newspaper.
Resources:
Copies of a local newspaper report, Teacher’s Notes page 24.
Personal teaching notes:
44
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 10
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Chapter 18, pages 79–85 and community issues
1 To explore a citizenship issue in the local community
2 To examine techniques of promotion and advertising used in media
texts
3 To create a web page for an audience of peers
Pre-reading of chapter 18
Familiarity with the typical format of a web page
Exploration: Activity 8 – Creating a home web page to promote and
explain a newly formed action group
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: S&L1, S&L8, S&L12, Wr11, Wr17
Year 8: S&L1, S&L5, S&L10, Wr10, Wr14
Year 9: S&L2, S&L5, S&L10, Wr9, Wr12
Assessment Foci:
W2, W3, W5, W6, W7
Starter:
(15 minutes) Tell students that, working in pairs, they are to create a
home web page advertising an action group that they have set up.
Provide a context for this by referring to Raymond’s ‘new organization’
in chapter 18. Then give them ten minutes to make a short list of issues
they feel strongly about in their local community or in school.
Introduction/
Development:
(40 minutes) In pairs, students compare lists, then decide on a common
issue. Distribute Student Sheet 12 – a planning document for the
writing task. At your discretion, have copies of a real home web page
available as a model. Most students will be familiar enough with the
typical format, though.
Support pairs as they work. They will need particular guidance on:
i the style of their ‘manifesto’, ii the content of their ‘action timetable’.
Advice on this can be found in the Teacher’s Notes, page 24. Change
periodically to class discussion during this stage when several pairs are
asking for the same help.
Plenary:
(5 minutes) Set the homework/follow-on below and nominate a future
lesson for the completed web pages to be read and evaluated. Pairs
need to arrange to work together out of class.
Homework/
Follow-on:
In pairs, students complete their web pages. They should bring them to
a future lesson when each pair will read another pair’s web pages.
Resources:
Student Sheet 12, copies of a home web page from the internet
(optional), Teacher’s Notes page 24.
Personal teaching notes:
45
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 11
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Chapters 8–20
1 To trace the changes in the main characters’ relationship over time
2 To make notes in the form of a flow diagram to assist essay
planning
3 To write a literature essay using the PEE method
Pre-reading of chapters 8–20
Familiarity with the PEE method of analysis
Exploration: Activity 9 – Explaining how and why Charlie’s relationship
with Grandad deteriorates in the second half of the book
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: R6, R8, R9, Wr2, Wr4, Wr19
Year 8: R3, R5, R10, Wr2, Wr10, Wr17
Year 9: R2,R3, Wr1, Wr3, Wr16, Wr17
Assessment Foci:
R1, R2, R3, R6
W3, W4, W6, W7, W8
Starter:
(20 minutes) Tell students they are to make notes for an essay tracing
the decline of Charlie’s relationship with Grandad up to the end of
chapter 20. Brainstorm explanations for this, for example: Charlie’s
discovery of Grandad’s pre-war past, Grandad’s lies, Mr Perkins’s
revelations about Grandad’s schooldays, etc. Write three or four key
points on the board.
Introduction/
Development:
(25 minutes) Divide the class into small groups. Distribute Student
Sheet 13 – a cause-and-effect chart recording six stages in the worsening
relationship. Students discuss and fill in the ‘Consequence’ column.
Support groups who find difficulty in: i keeping the order of events
clear in their minds, ii empathising with the two characters concerned.
At the end of this stage, devote ten minutes’ class discussion to
comparing points made on the charts.
Plenary:
(15 minutes) Set up the homework/follow-on below and distribute
Student Sheet 14 – a planning frame for the homework essay. Take
students through the sheet. Emphasise the need to: i use textual
quotation to support each major point, ii use a formal style and
accurate punctuation and spelling. Revise the P(Point)
E(Evidence)
E(Explanation) (PEE) method and model an example.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students describe the way Charlie’s relationship with Grandad breaks
down between chapters 8 and 20 and explain why it does so.
Resources:
Student Sheet 13, Student Sheet 14.
Personal teaching notes:
46
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 12
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Whole novel
1 To consider the importance of the book’s main female character
2 To justify a personal viewpoint in debate
3 To write to argue and express opinion
Awareness that a character is the author’s creation, not a real person
Experience of exchanging views in class debate
Exploration: Activity 10 – Considering the character of Yolande and
evaluating her role in the book
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: S&L1, S&L5, S&L7, R16
Year 8: S&L1, S&L5, S&L10, R10
Year 9: S&L2, S&L5, S&L9, R5
Assessment Foci:
R2, R5, R6
Starter:
(10 minutes) Tell students they are to prepare for and take part in a
debate about the author’s presentation of Yolande. Display OHT 15 – a
comment on Yolande’s role in the story – to announce the topic. Keep
this displayed throughout the lesson. Brainstorm with the class their
initial reactions to the claim that Yolande is ‘an important character’
who helps the author ‘explore the central themes of the book from a
girl’s viewpoint’.
Introduction:
(20 minutes) Divide the class into small groups. Distribute Student
Sheet 16 – a chart for recording evidence that Yolande acts as a loyal
friend to Charlie. Groups discuss and fill in the right-hand column. End
this stage by asking students to decide where they stand on the issue of
Yolande helping to explore the central themes of the book from a girl’s
viewpoint.
Development:
(25 minutes) Tell the class that you will lead the debate.
Conduct the debate. Ensure that you provoke students to think for
themselves and revisit the text to support what they say. Everyone
should contribute.
Plenary:
(5 minutes) Summarise the balance of opinion about Yolande to have
emerged during the lesson.
Homework/
Follow-on:
If this option is taken, students draw on the class debate to write
discursively about Yolande’s character and role in the story, as in Book
Activity: Exploration 10c.
Resources:
OHT 15, Student Sheet 16.
Personal teaching notes:
47
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 13
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Whole novel with particular reference to chapter 25
1 To form a summative view of Grandad and how he is presented in
the book
2 To backtrack through the book for material required by a dramafocused task.
3 To role play a radio interview
Pre-reading of chapter 25
Experience of unscripted drama
Exploration: Activity 11 – Role playing an interview between Charlie’s
mother and a radio talk show host
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: S&L3, S&L8, S&L15, S&L17, W2
Year 8: S&L2, S&L8, S&L14, S&L15, W1
Year 9: S&L2, S&L3, S&L11, S&L12, W2
Assessment Foci:
R3, R6, R7
W2, W5, W7, W8
Starter:
(20 minutes) Ask students to skim chapters 25 and 26. Then display
OHT 17 – ten quick questions about: i Grandad’s early life, ii the
community’s reaction to Grandad’s death. Some of these will be literal,
some inferential: explain the difference. Then give students fifteen
minutes to write and check their answers.
Introduction/
Development:
(30 minutes) Tell students that, in pairs, they are to plan and act out an
interview on local radio with Charlie’s mother, in which she presents a
tribute to Grandad. Establish that the interview will cover: a Grandad’s
childhood, b his membership of the Blackshirts, c his service in the RAF,
d his relationship with Charlie. Write on the board the three S&L
objectives for the task printed in the Teacher’s Notes, page 24. Then
allow pairs fifteen minutes to draft out questions and answers.
Ask pairs to do a dry run of the interview, then to join up with another
pair. Each pair performs for three to five minutes as the other listens.
Tape-recording can add a sense of occasion.
Plenary:
(10 minutes) Pairs exchange evaluative comments, using the four
S&L objectives.
Resources:
OHT 17, Teacher’s Notes page 24.
Personal teaching notes:
48
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 14
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Whole novel
1 To develop an overview of the book
2 To relate the book’s title to its characters and theme
3 To summarise the plot and theme in the form of a blurb
Some understanding of ‘theme’
Familiarity with the nature and purpose of a blurb
Inspiration: Activity 1 – Considering the significance of the book’s title,
then designing the front and back covers for a new edition
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: R6, R12, R15, W10, W15, W19
Year 8: R4, R10, R13, W11, W12, W16,
Year 9: R2, R5, W9, W12, W16
Starter:
Assessment Foci:
R3, R6, R7
W2, W5, W7, W8
(20 minutes) Tell students they are to consider how the book’s title
applies to the theme and characters, then in the light of this to design
new front and back covers.
Skim the last conversation Charlie has with Grandad (pages 128–132).
Make a class list of the things Charlie learns about him here for the first
time. Ask students about the significance to the novel’s title of ‘Told
myself you needed me to be a complete hero, when really I just didn’t
want you to know’ (page 130).
Introduction:
(15 minutes) Lead class discussion about the reasons for ‘Game’ in the
title. Establish that, throughout the book, both Grandad and Charlie
play up to an image of the former that is too perfect to be true. Cite
three specific examples. Ask: do we criticise Grandad for lying? How
much pressure does Charlie put on him, consciously or not, to be ‘a
complete hero’?
Development:
(20 minutes) Divide the class into small groups. Distribute Student
Sheet 18 – a frame for creating new front and back covers, including a
blurb. Students share ideas about how the new covers might reflect
what they now understand about the title. They then begin drafting.
Plenary:
(10 minutes) Take brief feedback from the group work about designs.
Then set the homework/follow-on.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students design the covers for a new edition of the novel. They should
include a blurb of 60–75 words on the back.
Resources:
Student Sheet 18.
Personal teaching notes:
49
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007
The Hero Game
The Hero Game by Pete Johnson
Lesson 15
60 minutes
Class:
Date:
Period:
Lesson coverage:
Lesson aims:
Prior learning/
knowledge:
Book activity:
Whole novel
1 To establish criteria for making judgements about novels
2 To make a personal judgement of the book’s effectiveness
3 To evaluate the book’s filmic qualities
Expressing a personal response to literature
Experience of comparing fiction with film
Inspiration: Activity 2 – Judging the book’s suitability for being made
into a film
Framework Objectives:
Year 7: S&L1, S&L5, R10, R15, W18, W19
Year 8: S&L10, S&L11, R8, R10, W17, W18
Year 9: S&L4, S&L5, R8, R10, W16, W17
Assessment Foci:
R3, R6, R7
W1, W3, W4, W7
Starter:
(15 minutes) Tell students they are to rate the book’s effectiveness as a
potential TV film for teenagers. Ask them to suggest criteria. List these
on the board. Lead them in the direction of the rating chart printed in
Book Activity: Inspiration 2, but be receptive to any sensible
suggestions.
Introduction:
(25 minutes) Distribute Student Sheet 19 – the rating chart referred to
above – and display it as an OHT. Ask students to work for five
minutes filling in the chart. Then take feedback. Prompt students to
explain their judgements and to question those of others. At the end of
this stage, annotate the OHT to represent a consensus of class opinion.
Development/
Plenary:
(20 minutes) Ask students to begin writing down their views. They
should use five headings: the four listed on the rating chart and
‘Summary’. Emphasise that, as in a literature essay, they should make
explicit reference to the text to support what they say. They complete
this task for the homework/follow-on.
Homework/
Follow-on:
Students write their views about whether The Hero Game would make
a good film for teenagers.
Resources:
Student Sheet/OHT 19.
Personal teaching notes:
50
Teacher’s
Notes
© Harcourt Education Limited, 2007