Literature Unit THE IRON MAN by Ted Hughes - Novel Study Reading Planning

Great planning and activities on the Tron Man.

sample Introduce the book to the children. Highlight the cover of the book. What do you think the book will be about? Discuss with partners, share ideas with the class. Read the blurb. Why do you think the book is described as a modern fairy tale?

Introduce that the author of the book is also a poet. Share that there are many poetic features in the text that are used to describe the characters and setting e.g. similes, metaphors and onomatopoeia. The children will have to take notes of these features.

Read chapter 1 to the children. Ask the children to jot descriptions of Iron Man on their whiteboards while listening to the story. Use a PowerPoint to highlight the description of Iron Man on page 1-2.The children will create a mind maps on Iron Man. They will create a description his movements, his features and his personality.

Focus: Characters
WALT: To create a description of a character from a text. WILF:

• Use of adjectives, verbs and poetic features (i.e. similes, alliteration and onomatopoeia).
• Use neat handwriting.
  Recap on previous lesson. Ask what has happened so far in the text (Chapter 1 describes Iron Man stepping off a cliff and getting his body back together. In then walks into the sea).How has the author kept our interest so far? What have you enjoyed?

Read first half of chapter two to ‘The Iron Man had gone back to the sea.’

Discuss how the boy might felt when he saw Iron Man. How might it have been different if his family didn’t believe him? Why do you think Iron Man went back to the sea? What might happen next?

WALT: To create a description of a character and their actions.
Identify and discuss powerful verbs, adjectives and adverbs which describe the Iron Man’s movement. Create a mind map of those from the text and other suggestions.
Mind map to include similes.
Task: Children are to create a ‘Wanted’ poster for the Iron Man.
They give a detailed account of his description (using similes and metaphors.) They also must provide details for why he is wanted, listing crimes committed, reward, contact number etc.