The Breadwinner Exploration

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Overview

Duration: 45 minutes
Class size: 8 students
Year Group: 7
Subject: English (KS3 SEN)
Text: The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

National Curriculum Links:

• Reading – comprehension (England KS3 English Programme of Study)
• Writing – composition & vocabulary
• Spoken Language – participating in discussions
• Developing inference and deduction skills from texts
• Understanding thematic links and author’s purpose
• Building spoken and written vocabulary

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Learning Objectives

Overarching Objective:

• To explore and understand key themes, characters, and vocabulary in The Breadwinner through differentiated reading, discussion, and writing activities appropriate for SEN learners, fostering comprehension and expression skills.

Differentiated “I can” objectives:

• Support: I can recall main events and characters from The Breadwinner.
• Core: I can explain the main themes and describe how the character changes.
• Challenge: I can analyse the author’s language choices and discuss their impact.

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Word Bank (Key Vocabulary for Accessibility and Reference)

Theme Words	Character Descriptions	Literary Techniques
Courage	Parvana	Simile
Family	Father	Metaphor
War	Mother	Imagery
Identity	Shauzia	Personification
Resilience	Taliban	Symbolism
Freedom	Determination	Dialogue

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Resources Needed

• Copies of The Breadwinner excerpts (adapted for reading level)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Visual aids showing key vocabulary and images related to Afghanistan’s setting
• Differentiated worksheets (comprehension and vocabulary focus)
• Sticky notes or mini-whiteboards for quick feedback
• Audio recording of a short passage from the book for auditory learners

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Lesson Structure

Engage (10 minutes)

• Activity: Show images related to Afghanistan (markets, traditional clothing, war-torn areas). Use these to prompt a class discussion: “What do you think life is like here?”
• Purpose: Build background knowledge and empathy. Connect visually to themes of The Breadwinner.
• Speaking: Encourage students to use the word bank to express thoughts. Write key vocabulary on the board together.

Share (10 minutes)

• Activity: Read aloud a short, adapted excerpt from The Breadwinner (preferably the opening scene). Play an audio recording to support different learning preferences.
• Purpose: Focus on developing listening and comprehension skills.
• Support: Pause to explain unfamiliar words with visual clues. Highlight key phrases expressing emotions or situations (e.g., Parvana’s feelings).
• Discussion: Ask “How do you think Parvana is feeling? Why?”

Practice (15 minutes)

• Differentiated Tasks:
  • Support: Match characters to descriptions and key words using a worksheet; complete simple sentences using the word bank.
  • Core: Write a short paragraph describing Parvana’s character and one theme from the story using new vocabulary.
  • Challenge: Identify and explain a simile or metaphor used in the excerpt; discuss its effect on the reader.
• Group Work: Students pair up according to their objectives to support peer learning.

Review (10 minutes)

• Activity: Circle time to share outcomes of the practice phase. Use a “thumbs up/down” or traffic light system to gauge confidence with new vocabulary and concepts.
• Self/Peer Assessment: Students summarise “I can...” statements aloud reflecting what they achieved today. Teacher provides positive, specific feedback.
• Plenary Question: “Why is it important to understand other people’s stories like Parvana’s?” Linking back to empathy and cultural awareness.

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Thematic Links

• Resilience and Courage: Understanding how Parvana and her family cope with hardship.
• Family and Identity: Exploring the role of family bonds and personal identity under difficult circumstances.
• Cultural Awareness: Learning about life in Afghanistan during Taliban rule to foster global empathy.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative assessment through observation of participation during discussions and paired work.
• Marking of differentiated worksheets focusing on comprehension and use of key vocabulary.
• Oral contributions during review phase to assess understanding and vocabulary acquisition.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Use of multimodal resources (audio, visual, written) to suit various SEN needs.
• Pairing and small group work for peer support and scaffolding.
• Task choice based on ability levels tied directly to “I can” objectives to promote inclusion and challenge.
• Visual Supports: Word banks, images, charts for vocabulary and comprehension support.

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Reflection for Teachers

• Pay attention to student engagement with cultural themes to support global citizenship education.
• Use responses to plenary to plan next steps: focus more on inference, vocabulary, or discussion skills as needed.
• Adjust pace or provide additional scaffoldings such as sentence starters for students struggling with writing.

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This lesson plan aligns precisely with the KS3 National Curriculum (English) requirements for reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and spoken language skills while meeting the needs of SEN learners through clear differentiation and multimodal input. The thematic and cultural approach also enhances SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural) development as mandated.