Exploring and engaging with themes in 'How to Train Your Dragon’ | English

Starter quiz

Which spelling is correct for the main protagonist of 'How to Train Your Dragon'?
- Hicup
- Hiccup ✓
- Hiccuup
- Hiccupp
What strategy does Hiccup try that motivates Toothless the best in the text?
- fear
- being kind and showing gratitude
- telling jokes and riddles ✓
True or False? Toothless is a selfish dragon.
- True ✓
- False
Which of the following are dragon breeds mentioned in the text so far?
- Gronkle ✓
- Glimmerfire Wyrm
- Basic Brown ✓
- Flutterwing Serpent
- Monstrous Nightmare ✓
What is a suitable definition of a theme?
- where the story takes place
- a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story ✓
- an educated guess, based on evidence in the text or prior knowledge
What is a suitable definition of loyalty?
- feeling unhappy about someone else's success
- being a faithful friend who sticks by others through challenges ✓
- always telling the truth

Match the keywords to their definition.
- theme
  
  ⇔
  
  a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story ✓
- convey
  
  ⇔
  
  to communicate a message to the reader directly or indirectly ✓
- hero
  
  ⇔
  
  a protagonist with noble qualities, often saving or helping others ✓
What language does Hiccup use to speak with The Green Death?
- 'Dragonese' ✓
Which of the following characters stand up for Hiccup when Snotlout is picking on him?
- Dogsbreath
- Wartihog
- Fishlegs ✓
- Thuggory ✓
Which of the following are reasons why the larger dragon is nicknamed 'The Purple Death'?
- its wingspan
- the colour of its scales ✓
- the colour of its teeth
- the shade of smoke billowing from its nose ✓
Match the following dragons to their masters.
- Horrorcow
  
  ⇔
  
  Fishlegs ✓
- Fireworm
  
  ⇔
  
  Snotlout ✓
- Toothless
  
  ⇔
  
  Hiccup ✓
Sequence the following events in the order that they happen in the Chapter.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  Hiccup leaves the leaders and finds himself speaking to the rest of the novices.
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Snotlout teases Hiccup for being able to speak Dragonese.
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Thuggory stands up for Hiccup and puts Snotlout in his place.
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  Hiccup comes up with a plan.
- 5
  
  ⇔
  
  The dragons decide to desert their masters if the situation does not look good.

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Hiccup’s character goes on a transformation throughout the text; he begins the text as an unlikely hero
Hiccup’s characterisation does not remain fixed; by the end of the text he demonstrates many heroic qualities
A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story
Themes can leave us with ideas and questions that we reflect on after reading the text

Pupils may find it challenging to think of two distinct similarities and differences.

Pupils could mind map character traits of Toothless and compare these to character studies of Hiccup.

Theme - A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story.
Convey - To convey means to communicate a message to the reader directly or indirectly.
Hero - A hero is a protagonist with noble qualities, often saving or helping others.