How to be a lion by Ed Vere

Year 2 lesson plan

Text: How to be a lion by Ed Vere

Lesson plan by Andrew Moffat / equalitiesprimary.com

Learning Intention: To have self-confidence

Success Criteria: I know  we are all different / I know sometimes it’s hard to be different / I know what self-confidence means / I know how I help someone feel confident

Starter: Show the children the front cover of the book. How do you think Lions are expected to behave? If this book was an instruction manual for lions, what would be the first three, most important instructions?

Main: Read “How to be a lion” all the way through. At the end discuss: -       How is Leonard different? -       Look at the page where Leonard and Marianne walk together; what can we learn from these animals? -       How do you think Leonard feels when the other lions come prowling around? -       Why are the other lions so angry towards Leonard? -       Look at the page where Leonard walks away in the rain – how is he feeling? Why? -       How do you think Leonard feels when he goes back to speak to the other lions? -       “Why don’t you be you .. and I will be I.” what does Leonard mean?

Role play: Ask children to think of ways they are different to others in the classroom. Perhaps they like different foods or games; good at football, skipping, swimming, catching, maths, art; perhaps they look different or speak different languages. Once each child has found a "different" partner stand the children in a circle and ask each pair to meet in the middle one pair at a time. each pair to explain how they are different, then say together, "You be you and I'll be I - we both belong," and do a high five.

Activity: Show the page where Leonard has doubts; “Must I be fierce? Must I change?” Children draw the image and write their response to Leonard to help him feel confident. Encourage children to give examples in our school of ways we are different or unique, but we work together. Children could explain what No Outsiders means and how it relates to this story.

Plenary: Why does the author end the book with a question? What is the author trying to encourage the audience to do? How would you answer the question?

AFL questions: Why is this story about No Outsiders? If you see someone feeling unconfident or feeling like an outsider, how can you help?

See lesson plans and guidance to build your equality ethos in school: No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in primary schools by Andrew Moffat

Using parent / child workshops to strengthen community cohesion around school: Reclaiming radical ideas in schools: Preparing young children for life in modern Britain by Andrew Moffat

Everybody’s welcome by Patricia Hegarty

 Year 1

Text: Everybody’s welcome by Patricia Hegarty

Lesson plan by Andrew Moffat / equalitiesprimary.com

Learning Intention: To make you feel welcome

Success Criteria: I know we are all different / I know how we are different/ I know why someone might not feel welcome / I know how I can make someone feel welcome

Starter: Show the children the picture of the mouse inside the front cover with the title “everybody’s welcome”. What is the mouse doing? Does the mouse look welcoming? How? If the mouse had hands in its pockets and a frown, would the mouse look welcoming? Who can show me that pose?

Main: Read “Everybody’s welcome” all the way through. -       Why does frog need a home? What does mouse say? Why does mouse welcome frog? -       Why do the animals form a chain to build the house? -       Why aren’t mouse, frog and the rabbits scared of the big bear? -       At the end the animals say everybody in their house “will feel that they belong”- why are they all smiling and holding hands? Would this be a good house to live in? Why?

Role play: Say this book reminds you of our class; we’re all different and yet we’re here together helping each other to learn and to get along. Read through the book again and this time, ask children to take on different roles of animals and of the mouse saying “Come and join us!” By the end of the book you want lots of children role playing hammering and sawing, building their house together. Finish by standing in a circle, holding hands and saying the last line together: Our class will be so happy and everybody in it will feel that they belong”

Activity: Children draw a picture of different animals building their house together. Write a sentence – everyone belongs or we can work together or we are all different, we can work together.

Plenary: What are the animals learning about difference as they build their house? Why is this story like our class? We say there are “No Outsiders” in our class – what does that mean?

AFL questions: Why is this story about No Outsiders? How can you make someone feel welcome?

See lesson plans and guidance to build your equality ethos in school: No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in primary schools by Andrew Moffat

Using parent / child workshops to strengthen community cohesion around school: Reclaiming radical ideas in schools: Preparing young children for life in modern Britain by Andrew Moffat

King of the sky by Nicola Davis

Raising awareness of immigration: Year 6 lesson plan

Text: King of the sky- Nicola Davis

Lesson plan by Andrew Moffat / equalitiesprimary.com

Learning Intention: To consider responses to immigration

Success Criteria: I know what immigration means / I know what empathy means / I can empathise with a person in a different situation to me.

Starter: What does immigration mean? Why might a person immigrate? How can immigration affect a person? What do think it feels like to start a new life in a new town with a different language and culture?

Main: Read “King of the sky” Stop as you go through the book to ask questions and discuss: -       In the first 3 pages (up to Rome) what do we find out about the boy? -       How are Mr Evans and the boy different, how are they similar? -       What do we find out about Mr Evans as the story unfolds? -       Why do you think Mr Evans has such faith in the pigeon with the milk-white head? -       Why do you think Mr Evans enters the milk-white pigeon in to a race from Rome? -       “A part of me was going with him. I wasn’t sure it would come back” what is the boy thinking? -       Why do you think the author chose to create a storm for racing day? -       “Get out there boy AND WELCOME HIM” what is the boy learning? -       “The boy knew at last that he was home” does the author mean the pigeon or the boy?

Activity 1:  Consider how the boy feels throughout the story and what events affect his emotions. Create a story line showing the main events in the text and show how each event impacts on the boy.

Activity 2:  Write a character description for the boy and for Mr Evans. Compare and contrast their characters, experiences and their roles in the story.

Activity 3: Write diary entries for the boy using the major events in the story- his arrival in wales, meeting Mr Evans, learning about pigeons, building up for the bog race, waiting for the pigeon to return, the return of the pigeon. Show the boy developing in confidence through his diary.

Plenary: The boy is an immigrant; he comes from Rome to live in Wales. Why is this difficult for him at first? Why does the description of the town make the boy think, “This is not where you belong”? Why do you think Mr Evans helps the boy? Why doesn’t Mr Evans tell the boy to go away? What was Mr Evans trying to show the boy? What can we learn from Mr Evans? What can we learn from the boy?

AFL questions: What is the message in this story? Why is this story about No Outsiders?

For 35 "No Outsiders" lesson plans EYFS- Y6 based on picture books see "No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools" by Andrew Moffat

For parent / child 'No Outsiders' workshops for schools see "Reclaiming radical ideas in schools: preparing young children for life in modern Britain" by Andrew Moffat