Appendix 4.2.1d Lesson 1 Workshop
Reading Circle 3: Reading Detectives
After reading Grounded to Earth, let’s complete the diagram with the information we found from the story.
Who
Who were in the story?
Why
Why did Zorb want to do these things?
Appendix 4.2.1e Lesson 2 Pre-reading Review
Reading Circle 1
Objectives:
• To get students prepared for advanced work at levels based on their mastery of reading skills/levels of intellectual demand.
Activities:
Steps 1. Students stand up and form a bigger circle.
2. Play a game: Read aloud the sentences in Appendix 4.2.1c. Students step forward if they think the sentences are true, and step backward if the sentences are not true. Go to the centre of the circle if they think the sentence just read aloud is true and not so true.
3. Students explain their judgments.
4. Praise students for their attempts to elaborate on the accuracy of the sentences.
Checkpoint:
Parallel Curriculum Model
• Core Curriculum
• Curriculum of Practice
• Curriculum of Identity
Appendix 4.2.1f Lesson 2 Pre-reading Review
Reading Circle 3: What Is And What Is Not About Zorb?
(Adapted Version)
1. Zorb was a human. (False) Explain: Zorb was an alien boy.
2. Zorb’s father forbade him to control the spaceship because he was too young to do so.
(False)
Explain: His father thought that they might be more powerful, it didn’t mean that they should take over Earth.
3. Zorb wanted to take over the Earth because he thought he was more powerful. He did not know much about the humans. (True)
4. Zorb did not like Earth. (True & False)
5. The kids laughed at Zorb because Zorb was just a kid. (False) Explain: It was because Zorb said he was the ruler of Earth.
6. The kids taught Zorb how to play kickball and follow the rules of the game. (True)
7. Zorb was furious when he could not manage the game. (False)
8. Zorb thought that humans were not so bad. (True)
9. Zorb wanted to take over the ball game more than the Earth in the end. (True)
Checkpoint:
Parallel Curriculum Model
• Core Curriculum
Appendix 4.2.1g Lesson 2 Workshop
Reading Circle 1: Jigsaw Reading – Mixed Salad
Objectives:
• To guide students to build skills and strategies as they analyse the complexity of characterisation through the protagonist, Zorb, with evidence from the story independently and collaboratively.
Activities:
1. Students read the quote cards. Match the quote cards with adjectives/personality cards as in Appendix 4.2.1a from Lesson 1. You may choose eight out of the 16, and give the students eight blank cards for them to analyse the quote cards in their own words.
2. Guide students to come up with their views about “Do you think Zorb has a simple or multi-faceted personality?” Have them explain their points of view.
3. Ask or introduce to students the meaning of the number in the brackets in each quote card (Hint: This is how we use re-reading as a strategy to find evidence for making inferences throughout a text/a story).
4. Have students put the adjective/personality cards, together with the text quotes, on a wall/
on a table/on the floor depending on your classroom. Find from the story how the different personality traits of Zorb are presented (Suggested answer: Zorb’s different personality traits are expressed through other supporting characters and in different events).
Checkpoint:
Parallel Curriculum Model
• Core Curriculum
• Curriculum of Identity
Quote Cards (Examples)
Quote Card 1 (p.3, 4)
“We have blasters!” Zorb screamed, jumping up and down.
“We have spaceships and robots, though,” Zorb whined.
Zorb leaped past his parents and grabbed the spaceship’s controls.
He turned the ship and raced at full speed toward Earth.
“Earth is mine!” Zorb yelled.
Quote Card 2 (p.4, 5)
Zorb leaped past his parents and grabbed the spaceship’s controls.
He turned the ship and raced at full speed toward Earth.
“Earth is mine!” Zorb yelled.
“Son,” his father said, “you need to learn a lesson about the humans.”
Before Zorb could speak, his father pushed a large red button.
Zorb was instantly teleported to a park on Earth.
Appendix 4.2.1h Lesson 2 Workshop
Reading Circle 2: Jigsaw Reading -- Character Tracker
What kind of person is Zorb? Find evidence from the story and classify it into the words he said, the things he thought and did. Discuss with your classmates about the traits of Zorb. Draw conclusions about whether Zorb is a pleasant or unpleasant boy. Support your conclusion with evidence. Ask your teacher for supplementary sheets, if needed.
A. Zorb is a pleasant/an unpleasant person.
B. Zorb is a pleasant/an unpleasant person.
What did Zorb do?
What did Zorb see?
What did Zorb say?
What did Zorb say?
Character Trait
Character Trait What did Zorb think?
What did Zorb think?
C. Zorb is a pleasant/an unpleasant person.
D. Zorb is a pleasant/an unpleasant person.
What did Zorb feel?
What did Zorb change?
What did Zorb say?
What did Zorb say?
Character Trait
Character Trait What did Zorb think?
What did Zorb think?
Checkpoint:
Parallel Curriculum Model
• Core Curriculum
• Curriculum of Connections
Appendix 4.2.1i Lesson 2 Workshop
Reading Circle 3: Is Zorb A Pleasant Or Unpleasant Person?
How much do you know about me now?
1. From the story, can you tell why Zorb behaved as quoted in the following bubbles?
2. Compare the behaviour of Zorb on different occasions. Put the behaviour strips under the two headings, “Zorb is a pleasant person” and “Zorb is an unpleasant person” appropriately.
3. Can your group draw a conclusion about the personality of Zorb with reasons and evidence?
Zorb was an alien boy.
Where and why did Zorb behave in this way?
Zorb jumped over his dad and grabbed the spaceship’s controls.
Where and why did Zorb behave in this way?
Checkpoint:
Parallel Curriculum Model
• Core Curriculum
• Curriculum of Connections
• Curriculum of Practice
• Curriculum of Identity
Zorb wanted to take over the Earth because he thought he was more powerful. He did not know much about the humans.
Where and why did Zorb behave in this way?
Zorb was very angry when he did not how to play the game.
Where and why did Zorb behave in this way?
Zorb told the children that he was the ruler of Earth.
Where and why did Zorb behave in this way?
Zorb had never played kickball before and wanted to learn how to play this game.
Where and why did Zorb behave in this way?
Zorb wanted to take over the ball game more than the Earth in the end.
Where and why did Zorb behave in this way?
Zorb thought that kickball was a strange alien game and it was very difficult. Humans were also aliens to him. However, Zorb enjoyed playing the game and being with humans in the end.
Where and why did Zorb behave in this way?
I think Zorb is:
Our group thinks that: