Oxford Dolphin Readers
Level Three
Things
That Fly
Richard Northcott
DESCRIPTION
A factual book about different types of things that fly, from kites and
balloons to jumbo jets. Large coloured photographs accompany interesting
texts about the history and development of flight.
CROSS CURRICULAR
Social science: transport. History: development of air travel through the
ages. Science: How things work.
VALUES
Diversity: Pupils are encouraged to value both the old and the new.
1
Level Three
LANGUAGE
Vocabulary: Airship, backpack, balloon, basket, bat, dragon, hang-glider,
heart, helicopter, jumbo jet, kite, parachute, plane, seaplane, skydiver,
spacecraft, star.
Structures: Present simple (We use them for …), past simple – regular and
irregular verbs (looked, carried, flew)
Lesson Plan
BEFORE
1 Write on the board Things That Fly. Now brainstorm ideas to build up a list of things that fly (including
animals). Write their ideas in a list on one half of the board. Help the pupils with pictures or mime if
necessary. Make sure that the main vocabulary in the book is included on the list.
2 On the other half of the board, draw a picture of one of the things from the list. As you draw, invite
pupils to guess what it is. Then invite individual pupils to come to the board and do the same.
3 Talk about chronological order. First dictate these words for pupils to copy into their notebooks: jumbo
jet/hot-air balloon/spacecraft/kite/small plane/airship. Pupils check together in pairs to see if they have the
same spelling, and then check in the dictionary section of the book on pages 22 and 23. Ask pupils to
suggest a chronological order for these things. ‘What came first – a balloon or a kite ?’ Try to come to an
agreed chronological order, with pupils numbering their lists.
4 If you can, take the pupils outside to look at the sky to see what they can see.
DURING
1 Look at the front cover. Ask ‘How many balloons can you see ?’‘What are they doing?’‘Flying’.
2 Look at page one. Put the pupils into pairs. One covers up the words with a sheet of paper, the other
points and asks ‘What’s this?’ The pairs take turns to ask and answer.
3 Look at the pictures on pages two, three and four. Ask ‘What’s this?’‘A paper plane’‘How many kites can you
see?’‘How many balloons can you see?’ Now pupils read the text on pages two, three and four. Help with
vocabulary if necessary and then ask the questions that appear in the text (Can this paper plane fly that
high? / Can you fly a kite? / Can you see people in the baskets under the balloons?)
4 Look at the pictures on pages five and six and ask ‘Is this a modern invention?’ and discuss the answers.
Then pupils scan the text on each page to find the two dates (1900 and 1903). Now write on the board
‘Which flew faster – an airship or a hot-air balloon ?’ and ‘Which flew further – an airship or the first planes?’
Pupils now read the text in more detail to find the answers.
5 Look at the pictures on pages six, seven, eight and nine. Explain that the word ‘aircraft’ refers to all sorts
of planes. Ask ‘What do we use aircraft for?’‘How many people can travel on a jumbo jet?’‘What is the
helicopter doing?’ Accept any reasonable answers. Then ask pupils to read the text to find the answers.
6 Ask ‘How can people fly without a plane?’ Now look at the pictures on pages ten and eleven. Ask ‘How
does a hang-glider fly?’ and ‘What do skydivers do?’ Pupils read the text to find out the correct answers.
7 Look at the picture on page twelve. Ask ‘What planet is this?’ Pupils scan the text to find out the answer.
Ask them if they know any other planets and how far away they are from us. Ask ‘Will people fly to Mars
in the future?’ Pupils read the last page.
AFTER
1 Pupils read the whole text for homework and complete the activities on pages thirteen and nineteen. Check in class.
2 Divide the class into groups of four or five. Each is given a name from a list of things that fly (for
example: The Bats, The Seaplanes, The Kites). Explain that you are going to have a mini Olympic games
with four stages. The stages are i) activity on page fourteen ii) activity on page fifteen iii) activity on
page sixteen iv) activity on page seventeen. Set a time limit for each stage, check each team’s answers
and award points after each activity. Keep the scores on the board. At the end, congratulate the winning
team and ask the class to give them a round of applause.
3 Write on the board The Wright Brothers and if anyone remembers who they were. If not, look at page six
again. Ask if anyone knows the first names of the Wright brothers (Orville and Wilbur - see page 20).
Now pupils read the text and answer the questions. Fast finishers could try to write the full form of the
questions. (Who were they? When did they fly the first plane? etc)
4 Pupils look at the dictionary section to make sure they understand all the vocabulary,
then complete the activity on page eighteen. Page twenty-one can be done
as homework or as an extra activity for fast finishers.
5 Pupils make their own quiz for each other based on the book.
Put the pupils into small groups and help them to formulate questions.
(Who made the first kites? Does hot air go up or down?)
EXTRA PROJECT IDEA
Pupils make their own paper planes and decorate them. Have a paper plane
competition (outside if possible.) Bring a tape measure to class and find out
whose plane can fly the furthest. Nominate judges to measure how far the best
planes can fly.