Power and Resilience Connections

Overview

In this lesson (7 of 12), students compare how power and resilience are portrayed in Thank You, Ma’am and Mother to Son. They will use Venn diagrams and a comparison chart to form and justify opinions, then share perspectives in mixed-ability pairs.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• compare characters, settings and events in the two texts to identify similarities and differences in how power and resilience are shown
• explain how characters’ actions and choices create meaning across the narratives
• form an opinion about which character or event demonstrates resilience more effectively and justify it with evidence from the texts
• use discussion norms and sentence stems to agree, disagree, and respond to others’ views respectfully

Success criteria

Students can:

• complete a Venn diagram with clear, text-based points for each overlap and each separate circle
• fill a comparison chart using at least two examples per category (power and resilience)
• justify an opinion using evaluative language and references to specific moments from the texts
• participate in pair discussion by making a claim, giving evidence, and linking to resilience/power

Curriculum links

• Literature: form an opinion about characters, settings and events, identify agreement/difference with others’ opinions, and justify responses - Literature: identify and explore ideas/points of view/characters/events from texts - Literature: explain how characters, settings and events combine to create meaning in narratives - Literacy: use comprehension strategies such as connecting, questioning and inferring to analyse and summarise information ## Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Retrieval hook. Teacher draws two headings on the board: “Power” and “Resilience”, and asks: “Where do we see power in each text—who has it, and how is it used?” Students quick-write 2–3 words or phrases under each heading.

2. 5–12 min · Model and set criteria. Teacher displays a partially completed Venn diagram and comparison chart (power/resilience columns), modelling how to sort evidence into: Thank You, Ma’am, Mother to Son, and Both. Students highlight two provided statements as “fits only one” or “fits both”.

3. 12–30 min · Pair comparison work (mixed-ability). Teacher forms mixed-ability pairs and assigns roles: Speaker (reads evidence), Evidence Checker (finds the moment/line), and Timekeeper. Students complete:

• Venn diagram: 4–6 similarities/differences total (at least 2 about power and 2 about resilience)
• Comparison chart: 2 categories (Power; Resilience) with 2–3 examples per text plus 1 overlap example Teacher circulates, prompting students to connect evidence to meaning: “What does this show about resilience when power is unequal?” Students use sentence stems to support discussion inside the pair:
• “I agree/disagree because…”
• “This moment shows power when…”
• “I think resilience is strongest here because…”

4. 30–40 min · Whole-class share (agreement and difference). Teacher invites 4–5 pairs to share one similarity and one difference. After each share, teacher asks the class to respond using a “claim–evidence–reason” quick check: “What text detail supports that?” Students show agreement/difference by using thumbs-up/sideways/down and then adding one justification sentence.

5. 40–48 min · Opinion mini-write (individual accountability). Students choose ONE focus option and write 6–8 sentences:

• Option A: “Which text portrays resilience more strongly, and why?”
• Option B: “How does power affect resilience differently in the two texts?” Students must include: one evaluative statement (e.g., “In my view…”, “I think…”), one piece of evidence, and one comparison link.

6. 48–50 min · Exit ticket. Students complete a one-line exit ticket: “One similarity/difference about power or resilience that I can justify is…” Teacher collects for next lesson grouping.

Resources

• Printed copies of Thank You, Ma’am and Mother to Son excerpts (or class texts)
• Venn diagram worksheet (clearly labelled circles)
• Comparison chart template (Power/Resilience categories)
• Sentence stem cards for pair discussion
• Highlighters (2 colours) or pens for sorting evidence
• Timer on board (or projected)
• Individual mini-write sheet / lined paper

Assessment

• Formative during circulation: teacher checks that students’ evidence is text-based and sorted correctly (Venn + chart).
• Discussion checks: teacher listens for at least one “agreement or difference” with justification in whole-class share.
• Exit ticket: verifies each student can justify a similarity/difference about power/resilience.

Differentiation

• Support for emerging literacy/EAL: provide a “bank” of evidence statements to choose from; allow underlining evidence in the text rather than full copying; offer sentence starters for claims and reasons.
• Support for SEN: pre-fill one Venn section (e.g., one power point) so students add remaining points; use a checklist for “2 examples + 1 overlap + justification”.
• Extension for advanced learners: require an additional layer—“How does the setting influence resilience?” and “What does the author want the reader to feel about power?”
• Pairing structure: assign roles so all students contribute; allow time to swap roles midway for equity.
• Christmas Island context: prompt students to connect the idea of respect, authority, and perseverance to lived experiences carefully (no forced sharing); focus on textual justification.