Pupil Voice KS1: Penguin - Polly Dunbar

I always begin the academic year with Pupil Voice lesson plans. The aim is to lay the groundwork for the coming year of equalities education by promoting an ethos where all children are speaking up. joining in and making their voice heard.

Text: Penguin – Polly Dunbar Lesson plan Andrew Moffat / www.equalitiesprimary.com

Resources: -

LI: To start a conversation

Success criteria: I know why it’s sometimes hard to start a conversation / I know ways to start a conversation

Starter: What is a conversation and how does it begin? In pairs ask children to come up with three ways to get to know someone and start a conversation.

Main : Tell the children this year you want everyone to feel confident joining in class discussions and speaking up. Read “Penguin”. Discuss story – what is Ben trying to get Penguin to do? What strategies does he employ to make penguin speak? Why do you think it does not work? What do you think penguin is saying at the end of the story? Role play: Identify someone to be Penguin; each child has to try and make Penguin speak. Penguin moves around the circle and children follow guidance from the book; “what shall we say?” / “Can’t you talk?”/ “Pulls a funny face” etc. When the lion appears have a child in the circle play the part and have Ben crouch behind the “lion”. Penguin then tweaks the lions nose and Ben jumps back out shouting, “Ow!” At the end of the story, ask children to consider why Penguin never spoke up. Children support Penguin by giving explanations to Ben; “Penguin just wanted a friend / Penguin didn’t know who you were / you never said what your name was” etc. Children identify different ways to begin a conversation to help Ben next time.

Activity: Draw Penguin and around the image write ways to begin a conversation.

Plenary: In the story what are the first words Ben says to the penguin? Is this is a good way to meet someone? What else could he have said? Do you ever feel like you can’t speak in class? When was the last time you didn’t want speak; can you remember why that was? If you keep quiet all the time, what happens? Why is it important to speak up? What happens if only one person in our class speaks up all the time? How can we make sure that in our class everyone has a voice?

AFL questions: What have we learned today/ I should speak up in class because….