WA L K E R B O O K S E Te a c h e r s ’ N o t e s
These notes are for:
Fearless by Tim Lott
• Secondary
• Years 7–10
• 13+ years
Fearless (pbk)
Key Learning Areas:
By Tim Lott
ISBN: 9781406308624
ARRP: $16.95
NZRRP: $19.99
No. of Pages: 272
July 2007
• English
Example of:
•
•
•
•
Print Texts
Visual Texts
Spoken Texts
Media & Multimedia Activities
Experience of:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Difference & Diversity
Gender Roles
Allusions/Intertextuality
Social Perspectives – Rules
Images & Symbols
Characters & Setting
Myths & Allegories
Fairytales
Values addressed:
• Understanding,Tolerance & Inclusion
• Justice
• Honesty & Trustworthiness
*Notes may be downloaded and printed for
regular classroom use only.
Walker Books Australia
Locked Bag 22
Newtown, N.S.W., 2042
Ph +61 2 9517 9577
Fax +61 2 9517 9997
For enquiries please contact Melissa Hamilton:
[email protected]
Notes © 2008 Walker Books Australia Pty. Ltd.
All Rights Reserved
‘Fearless is powerful, haunting and utterly original, a
disturbing but ultimately uplifting story of an indomitable
child who will not be crushed by the system. I think it
will become an immediate children’s classic. Fearless is
fabulous in all senses of the word.’
– Jacqueline Wilson
Outline:
Once a little girl was torn from her home…
She is taken to the City Community Faith School for Retraining Opportunity and
Hope, which is really a harsh Institute, where she becomes known to her friends as
‘Little Fearless’.
Told as a dystopian fairytale, Fearless is a model of fine writing which deserves close
study. Its structure, plotting, themes, characterisation and voice are exemplary. Fearless
is an original fairytale which alludes to archetypal fairytale traditions, such as the
importance of names and complements a study of fairytales. Its subtle references to a
futuristic society also welcomes readers to the genre of speculative fiction.
Author Information – Tim Lott
Tim Lott was born in 1956 in Southall, Middlesex, England and studied Politics and
History at the London School of Economics. As well as journalism, he has worked in
publishing and broadcasting, and was editor of the London listings magazine City Limits.
His novel The Scent of Dried Roses, a moving account of his mother’s depression
and eventual suicide, won the J. R. Ackerley Prize. His first novel, White City Blue, a
vivid and comic contemporary portrait of a group of young male friends, won
the Whitbread First Novel Award. It was followed by Rumours of a Hurricane,
the story of a couple living in Britain at the beginning of the 1980s and their
acceptance of Thatcherite values following the British victory in the Falklands.
Fearless is his first novel for younger readers.
Notes prepared by – Joy Lawn
Joy Lawn has an MA in Children’s Literature & Literacy. She is a respected Australian
state and national speaker and writer on Children’s and Young Adult literature. Her
annual book of teacher notes on the CBCA shortlisted books, Inside the Shortlist is
published by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA Queensland Branch
http://cbc.org.au/qld/). Joy has also written teacher notes for many professional
organisations, including Curriculum Corporation (REL: History); and she reviews for
a range of specialist national journals, including Magpies, Reading Time, Viewpoint and
Practically Primary (ALEA).
How to use these notes:
To appeal to a broader curriculum, these teachers’ notes have been categorised into
the areas Viewing, Reading and Writing, and Listening and Speaking. A brief overview of
suggested outcomes have been applied to each section. The activities may appeal to a
broad age range but are geared toward years 7-10.
w w w. wa l ke r b o o k s . c o m . a u / Te a ch e r s
1
WA L K E R B O O K S E Te a c h e r s ’ N o t e s
Viewing
• Through close reading and viewing, students respond to
a wide range of texts.
•
Several aspects of the novel are symmetrical, including the
cover.View the cover and sketch its symmetrical elements.
Find examples of symmetry from the written text eg two
sides or dimensions of some of the characters, aspects of the
plot (such as when the girls at the Institute stop believing in
Little Fearless, people outside start believing), the mention of
the birthmark at both the beginning and end.
How does the use of symmetry add depth to the writing,
shape the structure and increase the impact of Fearless?
•
What might the white rose on the cover symbolise? There
are other symbols in the novel but this has been selected for
the cover. Why do you think this symbol was chosen?
Students list some of the other symbols and complete a
sketch of the cover by replacing the rose with another
symbol, such as a tear. Then justify why they think this symbol
is important enough to be on the cover.
•
The main setting of Fearless is the City Community Faith
School for Retraining, Opportunity and Hope, also called
the Institute. Students view the plan of this at the start of
the book. In pairs or small groups, students select one part
of the Institute and contrast this with an equivalent area in
the students’ own school. Use a T-Chart (see Example 1) to
complete this activity.
•
View Salvador’s Dali’s representations of clocks. Read the
quote on page 113 about time as a melting clock. Students
represent time as a melting clock using their choice of media.
This could include technology or the visual and creative arts.
• Students graphically represent aspects of the text to
further their understanding.
• Students connect texts to their own experiences.
• Students look at visual representation through the use
of symbols and icons.
•
•
Little Fearless is distinguished by her eyes – each is a different
colour. They reflect her feelings; she could be recognised by
them and they show her genetic inheritance.
How has the importance of eyes and ‘looking’ and ‘seeing’ in
the novel been emphasised on the cover? Why may the pupils
be large?
Discuss why the author has created a character whose eyes
are two colours? Discuss the phrase; ‘Why won’t the people
see when they have a million eyes?’ Draw this as a cartoon.
The illustrations are in the style of lino prints.View these at
the beginning of each chapter.
How does this style of illustration complement the story? If
possible, use the lino-print technique to illustrate part of the
story that hasn’t already been depicted visually.
What alternative illustrative style could be used? If possible,
students also use their suggested style to re-draw one of the
illustrations.
Reading & Writing
• Through close reading and viewing, students respond to
and compose a wide range of texts.
•
Why is ‘being real’ and ‘being remembered’ so important to
Little Fearless? How is this threatened in the novel? To help
answer this read;
1. Little Fearless’s response to the policeman’s suggestion that she is not a proper girl, page 100
2. The priest’s comment that she doesn’t seem like any
girl he’s even seen, page 148
3. Becoming a ‘minus’, not even a ‘zero’, page 233
•
The girls at the Institute are called by numbers, not names.
They give each other nicknames based on their appearance
or character.
What else could Little Fearless have been called?
Do her two names ‘Little Fearless’ and her real name suit her? Which describes her better? Why?
How is Little Fearless a hero?
How is Little Fearless an antihero?
•
Read and respond to the image of the Institute’s camouflage
peeling away (on page 53 and at the end of the story) when
even more camouflage has been used but is then destroyed.
Represent this as an animation, a cartoon that progresses
through the stages, or a descriptive passage.
• Students graphically represent aspects of the text to
further their understanding.
• Students use ICT to compose and study texts.
• Students identify the structures and features of texts.
• Students use diagrams to organise information.
• Students connect texts to their own experiences.
• Students study myths, allegories and rhymes and how
they have influenced the text.
•
Read descriptions of the setting. What colour best describes
the school setting? Discuss.
2
WA L K E R B O O K S E Te a c h e r s ’ N o t e s
Reading & Writing Continued . . .
•
Research ‘Slave Children’ using ICT, and print material.
Students can show findings in point form. Could Little
Fearless and the other girls be regarded as slaves? Find
examples from the text to support this (e.g. page 252, 253).
Discuss.
•
From the point of view of someone who profits from
‘childhood slavery’, write an explanation or defence of why
children are working in these conditions, using euphemisms.
Write a letter criticising childhood slavery. Deliberately
replace the euphemisms used in the ‘defence’ explanation,
with literal terms. Read some of these to the class or larger
groups.
•
What can students as a class do to improve the plight of
children who are working as slaves?
As a joint construction (written together) and also for
assessment, the class votes for the best letter read aloud in
the step above. Which letter is the most powerful, articulate
and likely to affect, make an impact or cause change?
With the permission of the writer, jointly construct an edited
version of the selected letter by making changes or additions.
•
When Little Fearless goes to Angel Square she sees the
statues of three angels; Truth, Courage and Compassion.
Students read excerpts from the novel that relate to the
angels and their values, including pages 111, 154, 199, 245,
251, 267. What are the traits of the angels? Define these
three values.
•
Use mind mapping to brainstorm ‘values’ (see Example 2).
Why do you think the three values; Truth, Courage and
Compassion, were selected and highlighted by the author?
Discuss why the author may not have selected some other
values. How do these values represent or clarify wider
concepts outside the text? Discuss.
•
Read The Good Samaritan online or in the Bible in the book of
Luke, Chapter 10,Verses 29-37.
Are there any similarities between this story and Fearless
e.g. characters, morals? Read page 256. How does the line
‘wash your sins away’ support this possibility? Find other
examples of Biblical language from this section of the novel.
How may the title of the last chapter, ‘Atonement’ also
support this possibility?
Read pages 150, 196 and 223. Discuss the three men Little
Fearless met when she sought help in the city. Who were
they? Discuss this in relation to The Good Samaritan.
•
Fearless could be described as an original fairytale, with
similarities or allusions to a traditional fairy tale such as
Cinderella, or The Little Match Girl. Read these fairytales. How
do the tales and protagonists of either Cinderella or The Little
Match Girl compare to Fearless? Students put their findings
into an Affinity Diagram (see Example 3).
3
•
What elements of Fearless are similar to a fairytale? Look at
the following points.
Characters:
Some of the characters in Fearless have similarities to
fairytale-like characters. For example, Little Fearless is a
storyteller and hero. Find examples of other fairytale-like
characters in the novel. This would be approached most easily
by listing the characters, then analysing them to see if they
are similar to character types in fairytales.
Numbers:
The number three is often represented throughout Fearless.
Find groups of 3 in Fearless. List fairytales that feature the
number 3.
Talismans:
In fairytales and other literature a talisman is a significant
object, possibly with magical power.
Students read some fairytales and find other talismans e.g.
Jack and the Beanstalk and the use of magic beans. What could
be regarded as a talisman in Fearless? View the front cover as
well as skimming the written text. Find other talismans or
significant objects in Fearless.
•
Students rewrite the story of Fearless (or some elements of
it) as a fairytale for young children. Consider how to make
it age appropriate by omitting, for example, Little Fearless
hiding in the rubbish with a dead animal, and by changing the
ending. Keep some of the characteristics of fairytales, e.g.
‘numbers’ as outlined above.
•
Nursery rhymes are a related genre to fairytales. One of the
‘X girls’, the Whistler, whistles nursery rhymes, such as Who
Killed Cock Robin?, Pop Goes the Weasel and Wee Willie Winkie.
These whistled rhymes signal danger. Find the nursery rhymes
in the novel. Expand one of these into a short story or short
graphic novel. Maintain the ‘dark’ atmosphere.
•
After his wife died and he was captured, the Controller
lost hope and devoted the rest of his life to rules and order
because the authorities ‘love the rules – because they love
power. Like all governments.’ – page 215.
Does the Controller really believe that rules and order are
so important? Read pages 31-32.
Do all governments really love rules and power and think
that these are the most important things? Give examples.
Read pages 211 and 260. Discuss what these pages say about
rules and freedom.
Compose a description of an ideal society where freedom
and order are balanced.
•
Oroborous is a mythological hero and mastermind of the
terrorist attacks. ‘They say he has a tattoo of Oroborous
the snake, the ancient symbol of the pagans. Oroborous was
always shown curled in a circle, eating its own tail.’ – page 45.
Little Fearless wondered about him: ‘Did he even exist? No
one seemed to know what he looked like, and no one knew
where he was. Was he evil? Or was he a hero …’ page 90.
Answer Little Fearless’s questions before reading the novel
and then again when you have finished reading the novel.
WA L K E R B O O K S E Te a c h e r s ’ N o t e s
Listening & Speaking
•
•
•
Students represent their own point of view orally.
•
Students identify different methods for speaking
about or discussing a text.
•
Students identify effective ways to orally discuss a text.
•
Students identify different points of view and ideas.
What is the difference between being brave and a fool? Read
page 21. Use the ‘Fishbowl’ method to discuss this.
Fishbowl Method:
Fishbowl is a strategy for discussion. A number of students are
engaged in the discussion, debate or activity with ‘observers’
(the rest of the class) sitting behind and around in a fishbowl arrangement. They observe, think about and give feedback on the
progress of the participants.
•
Rehearse and orate either of the following speeches:
The City Boss’s speech, page 141.
Stargazer’s speech, pages 250-251.
After reading these, write your own speech about one of the
issues raised in this novel.
A possible topic is ‘The importance of being real’.
•
What is an aphorism? Research in the dictionary and on the
internet.
Discuss the following line on page 142. ‘Good words make
history; bad works made misery’.
Find some other examples from the novel, such as ‘it’s work that
makes us real people’, page 134; and from other sources, such as
the words of Oscar Wild.
In small groups say or declaim some of the aphorisms in the
novel in a dramatic way.Your agreement or disagreement with
the sentiment should be shown by your voice modality.
Slow Motion Laundry Performance: The girls at the Institute
spent much of their time doing the laundry for the people of
the City. Split the class into small groups. In each group, one or
more players perform the actions involved as the girls do the
laundry. Perform this in mimed slow motion.
The remainder of the group prepares, then delivers a rapid
‘sports style’ commentary while the mime is performed. The
commentary will provide a contrast to the mime.
Cross Curriculum Connections
Art:
History:
Using the template provided in Example 4, construct a mask
of Little Fearless. Emphasise features such as Little Fearless’s
eyes. Add images or symbols or use a combination of these and
students’ own ideas.
Students then write an explanation of what the images represent
and why they were chosen.
Oroborous’ true identity is told in the chapter ‘Oroborous
Unmasked.’ We discover that he is actually the Controller,
the boss of the Institute. It is possible that this dual-sided
character is based partly on the mythological Roman god,
Janus. Janus is the two-faced god of beginnings and endings, of
gates and doorways. He is often represented on Roman coins
with a different face on each side of the coin.
Find out more about Janus and how this symbol is used in
modern culture.
Represent the two sides of Oroborous and the Controller
on a coin made of modelling clay or thick cardboard.
Create a watercolour wash showing the drab ‘sameness’ of
the Institute setting and the girls, including Beauty, Soapdish,
Stargazer, Tattle (pages 21-22 and elsewhere) after the
punishments. Then sketch the characters onto this grey wash in
black pen. Show their unique characteristics; possibly by marking
details also in black ink. Do not use colour.
Music
In small groups select one character from the novel and draw
a life-size figure of them on large paper or cardboard. Include
characteristics that match their name. For example, Soapdish
could be holding soap and have her hair in a shower cap to show
how important cleanliness is to her.
Find song lyrics to suit the Angels of Angel square and each
of their values: truth, courage and compassion. Listen to
different types of music to find songs that show something of
the essence of each value.
Use a digital camera to take photos of the students’ own
classroom and digitally manipulate the photos so that the colour
and hair-cutting changes listed above occur. Students talk about
how these changes make them feel.
4
WA L K E R B O O K S E Te a c h e r s ’ N o t e s
Websites
Search www.surlalanefairytales.com for versions of fairytales (e.g. Cinderella and The Little Match Girl)
View Tim Lott’s personal website www.timlott.co.uk
Ideas for the Library
Encourage further reading and create a display of other texts that feature strong female protagonists.
Some examples of other Walker Books titles include:
Apache by Tanya Landman
The Goldsmith’s Daughter by Tanya Landman
Daughter of Venice by Donna Jo Napoli
Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples
Blackthorn by Elizabeth Pulford
Example 1 – T-Chart: Use the chart to organise data that represents two facets of a topic.
School in Fearless vs Own school
Similarities
Differences
Example 2 – Mind Map: Use the mind map to quickly think of ideas and topics that are related to one central
theme.
Loyalty
Truth
Compassion
Values
Courage
5
Honesty
WA L K E R B O O K S E Te a c h e r s ’ N o t e s
Example 3 – Affinity Diagram:
To help students organise data and identify similarities and relationships amongst texts.
Fearless
Example 4 – Mask template:
Use the following template to create a mask representing Little Fearless.
6