Iron Man Introduction

Context

This is Lesson 1 of 8 in the unit "Exploring Iron Man Adventures" for Year 3 students (ages 7-8) in New Zealand. The lesson introduces students to the character of Iron Man from Ted Hughes' story, developing initial impressions and predictions about the story’s themes.

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Curriculum Links

Social Sciences (NZ Curriculum)

• Learning area: Social Sciences
• Strand: Social Studies
• Level: Year 3 (Level 2)
• Achievement Objective: Understand how people participate individually and collectively in response to challenges or opportunities (Level 2)
• Key Competencies: Thinking, Using language, symbols, and texts, Relating to others

English (Oral Language & Reading)

• Oral Language: Give descriptions and recounts with specific details to engage listeners; use narrative language (Te Mataiaho English, Year 3)
• Reading: Engage with fiction texts, make predictions, and discuss characters and themes to build comprehension and vocabulary

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify and describe the character Iron Man using clues from the text and illustrations.
• Share initial impressions and predictions about the story “Iron Man” by Ted Hughes.
• Engage with peers in respectful discussion, expressing ideas clearly and listening to others.
• Make connections between the story and their own experiences or prior knowledge.

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Resources

• Ted Hughes’ Iron Man picture book (appropriate edition for Year 3)
• Character image or illustration of Iron Man for visual support
• Story mapping worksheet with sections for character, setting, and predictions (simple visuals included)
• Chart paper or whiteboard for teacher notes
• Sentence starters on cards for discussion (e.g., "I think Iron Man might...", "I wonder if...")

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Lesson Outline (45 minutes)

1. Warm-up and Context Setting (5 minutes)

• Activity: Brief whole-class discussion:
  • Ask: “Have you heard of Iron Man before? What do you think he is like?”
  • Show an illustration of Iron Man.
  • Elicit and record students’ prior knowledge or ideas about Iron Man on chart paper.
• Purpose: Connect new learning to prior knowledge and spark curiosity.

2. Read-Aloud of the Story Opening (15 minutes)

• Activity: Teacher reads aloud the first part (approx. 2-3 pages) of Ted Hughes’ Iron Man.
• Use expressive intonation and show illustrations to support understanding.
• Pause at key points to ask:
  • “What do you see in this picture?”
  • “What do you think Iron Man is doing?”
  • “How do you think Iron Man feels?”
• Purpose: Model fluent reading and guide active listening and comprehension.

3. Small Group Discussion and Predictions (15 minutes)

• Activity: In groups of 4 (6 groups in total):
  • Students use the story map worksheet to note:
    • What they know about Iron Man so far (appearance, actions).
    • What they think might happen next (predictions).
  • Encourage use of sentence starters to support oral language.
• Teacher and aides circulate to support expression and clarify ideas.
• Purpose: Encourage collaborative sense-making, considering different viewpoints.

4. Whole Class Sharing and Reflection (8 minutes)

• Activity: Each group shares one interesting thing about Iron Man or a prediction.
• Teacher records key points on the whiteboard under headings:
  • “What do we know?”
  • “What do we wonder?”
• Encourage respectful listening and turn-taking.
• Purpose: Develop oral communication skills and collective knowledge building.

5. Wrap-Up and Home Connection (2 minutes)

• Explain that over the next lessons, we will find out more about Iron Man’s adventures.
• Ask students to think about one question or wonder they have about Iron Man to share next time.
• Optional: Send a simple note or prompt for families to talk about favourite heroes or characters at home.

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Assessment and Reflection

• Formative Assessment:
  • Teacher observes student participation in discussions — ability to share ideas clearly and listen to peers.
  • Review story map worksheets for engagement with character description and prediction.
• Success Criteria:
  • Students describe Iron Man using details from the story.
  • Students make logical predictions about the story.
  • Students participate respectfully in group and class discussions.

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Teaching Tips and Differentiation

• Use visuals liberally to support understanding for English Language Learners and diverse learners.
• Scaffold discussion with sentence starters and prompts.
• Provide extension by asking more able students to explain their predictions and reasoning.
• Use formative feedback immediately after group discussions to model expressive language or clarify ideas.

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This plan aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum’s emphasis on language development, social interaction, and understanding social worlds through stories, encouraging a rich introduction to the Iron Man narrative and its characters within a supportive, collaborative classroom environment .