TEACHING FANTASY for STAGE 4: Using the Dragonkeeper Series And
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TEACHING FANTASY FOR STAGE 4: using the Dragonkeeper series and Rowan of the Bukshah Mel Dixon, Loreto Kirribilli he following activities are designed to develop Fantastic Worlds: Part 1 — a love of reading and writing as well as close T understanding of texts. Learning About Fantasy Stage 4 Outcomes specifically addressed in this unit !e word fantasy and its adjective fantastic mean a include: product of the imagination. Fantasy is a popular genre with young and old. It captures the imagination, taking • Outcome 1: a student responds to and composes texts the reader to other worlds. Everyday kids with everyday for understanding and interpretation, critical analysis lives suddenly find their lives are transformed by their and pleasure (1.1, 1.2, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 1.15, contact with magic. Harry Potter escapes from his 1.16, 1.17, 1.20). horrible life through a railway platform to a school of • Outcome 2: a student uses a range of processes for magic, Lucy escapes through a wardrobe in the country responding to and composing texts (2.13, 2.14, 2.15). to the land of the wicked witch, and, during a high fever, • Outcome 6: a student draws on experience, Dorothy escapes from Kansas over the yellow brick road information and ideas to imaginatively and to see the Wizard of Oz. interpretively respond to and compose texts (6.2, 6.3, !ey each have different experiences but essentially they 6.4, 6.6, 6.7, 6.10). learn the same lesson. !ey learn about their strengths and they learn to grow up. Language modes: reading and writing, with listening !e following is addressed directly to the student. and speaking in the delivery of a book talk. The conventions of the genre Assessment: paragraph writing; wide reading log; book talk; creative writing. !e pattern usually goes like this: • there’s a hero Texts : wide reading of fantasy books; Carole Wilkinson’s • there’s a villain Dragonkeeper series; Emily Rodda’s Rowan of the • there’s a giver Bukshah . • there’s a wizard • there’s a false hero who lies to the real hero Concept: !e earliest texts with which young children engage are fantasy texts. !ey occupy an important role • there’s a quest with hardships to overcome in many cultures and give great pleasure. !is unit taps • there’s a princess who is the reward. into the pleasure of the text and creating texts while In this unit you will come across many fantasy texts, developing an understanding of analysis. !e aim of the written and visual. Each text will be different but there unit is to make students aware of generic conventions will be elements that are common. You will learn to see while inviting close readings and then allowing them to the patterns (conventions) and then you should try to create their own stories. !e Dragonkeeper exercises are apply these patterns and compose your own fantasy. used to encourage creative writing. !e questions and Every genre has its own identity or set of conventions exercises in Rowan of the Bukshah can be adapted to about characters, setting, plot and themes. War has to other texts. have heroes and soldiers with the good guys winning, !e unit is divided into four sections: comedy has to have a fool who fixes things up and • Part 1: the conventions of the genre makes everyone happy, science fiction has to have the science professor and the global disaster that is averted • Part 2: close reading of a fantasy book ( Rowan of the just in time. !ey have their own settings and their own Bukshah by Emily Rodda) storylines. • Part 3: wide reading Fantasy is just the same. As you have already seen, it • Part 4: creative writing using Carole Wilkinson’s has typical characters, typical plots and typical settings. Dragonkeeper trilogy. As well as this, there is a way that language is used that immediately shows a book is a fantasy. 18 English Teachers’ Association of NSW TEACHING FANTASY FOR STAGE 4: using the Dragonkeeper series and Rowan of the Bukshah Fantastic characters Fantastic plots Have you ever noticed that a fantasy seems to have the Just like any story the fantasy story has an: same sort of characters? !ere’s always: • orientation a hero • • complication a wise man • • climax a companion • • resolution. • a monster or villain A sample storyline • a princess. 1. We are introduced to the character in his/her !e hero isn’t always carrying a sword and looking for setting, orientation . danger. Usually: 2. But there is a problem to be overcome, a • he’s a boy complication. !e hero and his whole way of life will • he’s not too tough be destroyed unless s/he embarks on a mission to • he’s running away from something save his/her world. • he’s forced to go through an adventure he never 3. S/he is frightened but is encouraged by the wise wanted person who arrives in time to tell her/his fortune and gives the girl/boy a gift to help her/him and • He represents goodness and innocence. often sends her/him off with a riddle. Very rarely is he a girl. Can you think of a book where the 4. A companion volunteers to accompany the hero, hero is a girl? trusting her/him. !e wise man can be a woman. Usually she’s old, 5. On her/his way, the hero will overcome many trials usually she has magic powers, usually she gives a gift (climax then new complication ) until s/he wins. to the hero, usually she sees into the future, usually she 6. Eventually the hero is faced with the monster, has knowledge and wisdom. She can appear scary but conquers the monster, climax . whatever the appearance, she is good. 7. S/he returns to a calm life without the presence of !e companion is a good friend who stands by the hero. evil and often with a new partner/wife, resolution . He or she is often sensible and gives good advice, he or she follows and supports the hero whatever the occasion, Fantastic values and attitudes he or she can get into trouble and be saved by the hero, Most fantasies are about growing up but also but most importantly he or she shows the fear that the investigate: hero has to hide. • good versus evil !e monster can be a horrible dragon or just a person past versus present who is evil and monstrous. Whatever the case, the • monster has powers and has lots of helpers and spies. • old versus young Just when the hero feels safe a trap is laid by the monster. • physical strength versus weakness !e hero needs all his/her ingenuity to be saved and to conquer the monster. • thoughtfulness versus impetuosity • knowledge versus ignorance !e princess always waits for the hero. She is passive where he is active. She waits for him to do the rescuing. • giving versus taking. She is usually a higher rank than him and he has to prove Draw three columns. Place these oppositions in a his worth to gain her love. box each and tick which you think fantasies usually Fantastic heroes value and which they don’t. Explain your choices with reference to a fantasy book you know. !e story is usually told from the point of view of the hero. As we read we are positioned to share her/his Fantastic places and maps feelings and even when s/he has a fall we still believe in !e fantasy author often includes a map. !e author her/him. !roughout his/her trials we wait for her/him wants to make the fantastic country real and uses the to win. No-one else’s point of view is important. All other map to prove this. !e hero’s quest can be traced on this silent voices are except those supporting the hero. map. Find maps from fantasy texts. mETAphor • Issue 1, 2008 19 TEACHING FANTASY FOR STAGE 4: using the Dragonkeeper series and Rowan of the Bukshah Fantastic gifts Fantastic riddles Another element of fantasy novels is the gift. Gifts are !e riddle of the sphinx: what walks on all fours in the always important in our everyday lives. We receive morning, two legs in the day and three legs at night? them gratefully, realising that the gift is a sign that we Even in ancient times riddles had magic powers. A person are special in some way. Sometimes a gift like a ring or who could solve a riddle was important. a watch may be passed down generations of families showing the bond between family members. !ese gifts !e answer to this riddle was man: because he crawls as serve to remind us of the giver and create a link between a baby, walks upright as an adult and uses a walking stick the giver and the receiver. as an old man. To understand this riddle you also need to understand that morning, midday and night refer to In a fantasy, the hero receives a gift or gifts early on and different ages. !ey are metaphors. usually has no idea why or how to use this gift. !e reader realises, however, when the hero receives the gift that this Riddles often depend on metaphorical meaning to be will be important. We also realise that the hero is important uncovered; they prove the hero’s intelligence. because the person giving the gift is usually someone who Now that you know the conventions of the genre, try to has power in the community.