Overview

Duration: 60 minutes
Class: Year 4 (ages 8-9)
Class size: 30 students
Unit: Journey Through Farther (Lesson 1 of 7)
Book: Farther (by Grahame Baker-Smith)

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National Curriculum Links

English – Reading: Word Reading and Comprehension (Year 4):

• Understand what they read, in books they can read independently, by identifying themes and main ideas
• Predict what might happen from details stated and implied
• Retrieve and record information from non-fiction

English – Spoken Language:

• Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates
• Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions

Reading Domains Addressed:

• Prediction
• Retrieval from visuals
• Inference (deducing meaning from images)

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Learning Objective

Students will make thoughtful predictions about the story Farther based on the front cover illustration and title, articulating their ideas clearly and justifying them with visual evidence.

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Success Criteria

• Students explain at least two predictions about the story’s themes or emotions.
• They use specific elements from the front cover (imagery, colours, expressions, title) to support their predictions.
• Students contribute to class discussion confidently, listening and responding to others respectfully.

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Resources

• Copies of Farther front cover (printed or projected large)
• Whiteboard and markers or digital board
• Prediction template worksheet (includes space for drawing and writing)
• Sticky notes
• Colour pencils

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Starter: Show the front cover of Farther large and clear. Ask: “What can you see?” “What do you notice first?”
• Explain the day’s activity: “Today, we are detectives exploring the front cover to guess what the story might be about. The cover is the first clue!”
• Set ground rules for discussion - encourage listening and building on classmates’ ideas.

2. Guided Group Discussion (15 minutes)

• Whole-class interactive discussion, focusing on:
  • Imagery: What characters or objects stand out? What are they doing?
  • Colours and mood: Are colours bright or dark? How does this make you feel?
  • Title: What does the word "Farther" suggest?
• Model prediction: “I think the story might be about a journey because the figure seems to be looking far away. The colours are soft and misty, which makes me feel calm but curious.”
• Write key vocabulary on the board (‘journey’, ‘emotion’, ‘mystery’, ‘explore’, ‘distance’, etc.) for pupils to reference.

3. Paired Work: Prediction Templates (15 minutes)

• Pupils work in pairs to:
  • Draw a symbol or part of the cover that stands out to them.
  • Write one or two sentences predicting something about the story.
  • Include at least one reason linked to the cover evidence.
• Circulate, questioning to extend thinking (“Why do you think that?” “Is there another way to read this image?”).

4. Sharing and Justifying Predictions (15 minutes)

• Invite several pairs to share their predictions with the class.
• Encourage others to ask questions or add on.
• Write strong examples of predictions + justifications on the board.

5. Plenary and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Reflective question: “How did looking carefully at the cover help you think about the story before reading?”
• Ask students to write on a sticky note:
  • One thing they are curious to find out from the story
  • One new word or idea they learned today
• Collect sticky notes for review.

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Assessment

• Informal assessment during paired work and discussion based on pupils’ ability to link predictions with evidence.
• Use the prediction templates to assess understanding of inference and ability to justify ideas.
• Note participation levels and the quality of reasoning during sharing session.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters on worksheets for pupils who need writing assistance.
• Challenge: Ask higher-attaining students to consider multiple interpretations of the cover imagery or to speculate on emotions behind characters.

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Extension Ideas

• Create a “front cover gallery” where pupils design alternative covers based on their predictions.
• Document pupils’ initial predictions to revisit after completing the unit, comparing early predictions to actual story elements.

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WOW Factor

Mystery Object Reveal: Before showing the cover, present a small, sealed box containing a related symbolic item (e.g. a compass or toy boat). Invite pupils to speculate about the box’s contents and meaning, linking this anticipation to their engagement on analysing the cover. This tactile and intriguing start stimulates curiosity and taps into multimodal learning styles.

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Teacher Notes

• Encourage expressive vocabulary and concrete reasoning.
• Model curiosity and uncertainty to show it’s ok not to know everything yet — the story will reveal more.
• Keep the atmosphere supportive so pupils feel confident sharing diverse ideas.

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End of Lesson 1 - Exploring Front Cover