Engaging with the opening chapter of 'The Iron Man'

I can engage with the opening chapter of ‘The Iron Man’.

Engaging with the opening chapter of 'The Iron Man'

I can engage with the opening chapter of ‘The Iron Man’.

Slide deck

Lesson details

Key learning points

1. ‘The Iron Man’ is a contemporary science fiction novel written by the author Ted Hughes.
2. Science fiction is a genre of fiction that involves imaginative & futuristic concepts linked to science and technology.
3. The opening chapter introduces a mysterious robot named the Iron Man as the protagonist.
4. Ted Hughes creates a mysterious atmosphere in the opening chapter, which leaves the reader with many questions.
5. A variety of linguistic techniques are used to create vivid imagery and convey a mysterious atmosphere.

Common misconception

Pupils may be uncertain of the different elements of a science fiction text.

You may wish to have a selection of science fiction texts available in the classroom for pupils to explore. Spend time talking through the different features of this genre.

Keywords

• Science fiction - a genre of fiction that involves imaginative and futuristic concepts linked to science and technology
• Protagonist - a main character or central figure in a story or narrative
• Atmosphere - the tone or mood created in a section or whole of a text
• Linguistic technique - a language device used to have a desired impact on the reader
• Imagery - a writer’s use of highly descriptive and vivid language to paint a picture

You may wish to read the chapter to pupils ahead of this lesson, so you can spend more time in the discussion part of the lesson. Pupils can have the text read to them as a class text, or read to themselves or in pairs, depending on reading ability.

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2005 Faber and Faber edition of ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes for this lesson.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited ( 2024 ), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).