Developing understanding of 'When Stars are Scattered' through rich discussions | English

Starter quiz

Match the following words with their definitions.
- family
  
  ⇔
  
  a close-knit group sharing bonds of kinship and support ✓
- education
  
  ⇔
  
  learning and skill development in academic or practical contexts ✓
- community
  
  ⇔
  
  a group sharing common interests, values, or location ✓
- humanitarian aid
  
  ⇔
  
  assistance and support provided for the well-being of people in need ✓
Which features are commonly found in memoirs?
- first-person perspective ✓
- imaginary events
- focus on personal experiences ✓
- invented settings
- chronological or thematic order ✓
Which of the following are forms of children's texts?
- chapter books ✓
- song lyrics ✓
- fantasy
- blogs ✓
- fairy tales
True or False? A theme of a text can be identified using retrieval skills.
- True
- False ✓
Which is the most suitable definition for a graphic novel text?
- a narrative told through poetry, blending prose and poetic elements
- a text combining words and images in long-form, sequential art panels ✓
- a longer fictional text with illustrations to support understanding
- a text that contains multiple poems by one author on a particular subject
From the front cover, which of the following are likely to be graphic novel texts?
- The Crossover ✓
- Celebrate
- Cloud Busting
- The Breadwinner ✓

Exit quiz

Match the keywords to their definitions.
- graphic novel
  
  ⇔
  
  a text combining words and images in long-form, sequential art panels ✓
- refugee
  
  ⇔
  
  people who have fled war, violence or conflict to find safety ✓
- theme
  
  ⇔
  
  a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story ✓
Order the following events from Omar's life.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  Omar and Hassan have been at Dadaab Refugee Camp for 7 Years
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Omar attends school
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Omar takes a test to move on to Secondary school
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  After 15 years at Dadaab, Omar and Hassan are resettled in the United States
True or False? Comics and graphic novels are the same form of literature.
- True
- False ✓
How can you discover themes within a text?
- noticing if something is just mentioned once
- considering actions and characteristics of people within the text ✓
- identifying repetition (actions, emotions, traits) ✓
- considering a character's name
Match the following graphic novel features with their role in the text.
- speech bubble
  
  ⇔
  
  represents what/how something is said ✓
- thought bubble
  
  ⇔
  
  represents inner thoughts and feelings ✓
- narration
  
  ⇔
  
  represents the character's perspective through storytelling ✓
Which of the following themes can be found in the text 'When Stars are Scattered'?
- supernatural
- romance
- survival ✓
- hope ✓
- loss ✓

Worksheet

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Presentation

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

'When Stars are Scattered' is a graphic novel memoir of Omar Mohamed's experience of living in a refugee camp in Kenya.
Omar and his brother, Hassan, have lived in Dadaab refugee camp for seven years.
Omar's brother, Hassan, has complex needs which are depicted and handled sensitively.
Gender inequality is noted in the early chapters; inequality is an important theme of the text.

Common misconception

Pupils may consider the text as telling Omar's story in one continuous narrative.

The graphic novel has two significant jumps in time, page 114 (two years later) and page 221 (four years later). The afterword and author's note both describe what happened to Omar after arriving in the United States.

Keywords

Graphic novel - A graphic novel is a type of text combining words and images in long-form, sequential art panels.
Refugee - Refugees are people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country.
Theme - A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story.