Lockdown Insights

Context and Year Level

This two-day reading plan is designed for Year 5 students in New Zealand schools, supporting 8 students over two 30-minute sessions. The focus is the story Lockdown by Nan Blanchard — a text suited for exploring narrative comprehension, vocabulary, inference, and critical thinking aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum's English learning area for years 4-6.

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Links to New Zealand Curriculum (English Learning Area)

Learning Objectives

• Reading for Meaning: Students make connections, predictions, and inferences based on their prior knowledge and text clues (Cur. ref: Understanding texts, Years 4-6).
• Vocabulary Development: Students explicitly learn and use precise, relevant vocabulary including abstract concepts, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs for describing characters and events (Cur. ref: Vocabulary and Grammar, Years 4-6).
• Making Inferences: Students infer implicit meaning and justify their ideas using evidence from the text and illustrations (Cur. ref: Inferring Using Evidence, Years 4-6).
• Comprehension and Critical Thinking: Students identify main ideas, summarise key details, ask and answer comprehension questions, and discuss perspectives in text (Cur. ref: Comprehension Monitoring, Critical Analysis, Years 4-6).
• Communication Skills: Encouragement of thoughtful discussion, justification of opinions, and listening with respect to peers’ ideas (Cur. ref: Interpersonal Communication, Years 4-6).

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Day 1: Unlocking Lockdown

Duration: 30 minutes

Group Size: 8

Materials: Copies of Lockdown by Nan Blanchard, vocabulary cards, chart paper, markers

1. Warm-up & Motivation (5 minutes)

• Introduce the story Lockdown. Ask:
  • “What do you think a lockdown is?”
  • “Have you experienced a lockdown or heard about one? How did it make you feel?”
• Activate prior knowledge by sharing short personal or hypothetical lockdown experiences.

2. Vocabulary Introduction (7 minutes)

• Introduce 5-7 key vocabulary words from the story with student-friendly definitions and examples:
  • Lockdown, Quarantine, Isolation, Community, Resilience, Uncertain, Hopeful
• Use visuals (drawings or images) and sentence stems like “I think the word ‘quarantine’ means…” to support understanding.
• Students say each word aloud and use it in a sentence.

3. Guided Reading & Making Inferences (12 minutes)

• Read the story aloud with the class (teacher models fluent, expressive reading).
• Pause at key moments to ask inferential questions:
  • “Why do you think the character feels this way?”
  • “What might happen next?”
  • “How does the setting affect the story?”
• Encourage students to support their answers with evidence from the text or illustrations.
• Record key student inferences on a chart.

4. Group Comprehension Discussion (6 minutes)

• Use comprehension questions such as:
  • “Who is the main character?”
  • “What was the main problem in the story?”
  • “How did the character solve or respond to the problem?”
  • “What is the story’s main message or theme?”
• Prompt students to express their personal connections or feelings about the story.

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Day 2: Deepening Understanding & Independent Activity

Duration: 30 minutes

Group Size: 8

Materials: Story copies, graphic organiser worksheets, art materials (optional)

1. Quick Recap & Vocabulary Quiz (5 minutes)

• Quick oral quiz or game with the vocabulary words introduced on Day 1.
• Example: “Who can use ‘resilience’ in a sentence about lockdown?”

2. Making Inferences Practice (8 minutes)

• In pairs, students answer inference questions written on cards related to the story.
• Examples:
  • “Why did the family have to stay inside?”
  • “How did the character’s feelings change throughout the story?”
• Students share answers with the group, explaining their thinking.

3. Summarising & Drawing Conclusions (7 minutes)

• Teacher models summarising the story using a think-aloud.
• Students fill in a graphic organiser with:
  • Main idea
  • Key events in sequence
  • The lesson or message of the story
• Discuss summaries and clarify ideas as a class.

4. Independent Follow-up Activity (10 minutes)

• Creative response: Students write a short diary entry or letter from the point of view of the character during the lockdown.
• Encourage use of new vocabulary and emotional expression.
• Alternatively, students illustrate a scene showing how the character felt or what they did during the lockdown.

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Differentiation and Engagement Ideas

• Use sentence stems for students needing language support.
• Provide oral storytelling options or scribing support for writing task.
• Use paired reading or reader’s theatre for fluency practice.
• Integrate digital media (e.g., audio recording students reading) to motivate learners.

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Assessment & Reflection

• Informally assess students through discussion contributions and answers.
• Review graphic organisers and independent writing for comprehension and vocabulary use.
• Encourage students to reflect on what they've learned about lockdowns and storytelling.

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This plan supports deep literacy skills in alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum, nurtures critical thinking, empathy, and communication, and keeps students motivated and engaged through varied, interactive tasks.