Playscripts Persephone

Playscripts Assessment Task 6 Persephone

Teacher notes: Persephone

Curriculum references: Years 5–6 Programme of study: Reading comprehension Children should be taught to: • maintain positive attitudes to reading and –– drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ understanding of what they read by: feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, –– continuing to read and discuss an increasingly and justifying inferences with evidence wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction –– predicting what might happen from details stated and reference books or textbooks and implied –– preparing poems and plays to read aloud and • explain and discuss their understanding of to perform, showing understanding through what they have read, including through formal intonation, tone and volume so that the meaning presentations and debates, maintaining a focus on is clear to an audience the topic and using notes where necessary • understand what they read by: • provide reasoned justifications for their views.

Running the task

• The children should have had experience of reading • Ask the children to complete the task sheet a range of playscripts, with different layouts and independently. some variation in conventions. It is important that the • As a plenary, put the children into groups of three. children understand the concept of a scene. Remind More able readers may cope better with the role of them that this is where there is a change of place or Apollo. After allowing time for rehearsal, encourage time in a play or film. the children to perform for each other. Deploy • Explain that this scene is from a play by Julia adults to support any groups you feel may struggle. Donaldson. Make sure the children are able to Talk about what may have happened in Scenes 1 to pronounce the names properly before they start 6, and what may happen next. reading. • Allow the children time to read the extract to themselves.

Assessment guidance

Use the list below to identify the content domains that the children are working on in this task.

Typically, children working at the expected standard will: • retrieve key details and quotations from fiction and non-fiction to demonstrate understanding of 2b character, events and information • make developed inferences drawing on evidence from the text 2d • explain and justify inferences, providing evidence from the text to support reasoning 2d • make developed predictions that are securely rooted in the text 2e • identify/explain how the sequence of events in narrative fiction contributes to meaning as a 2f whole.

26 © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2016 Persephone • Task 6

What to expect

1. What impression do you get of Apollo’s personality from the play? Give examples from (2d) the text. The children should be able to infer that Apollo is selfish and vain. Children working at the expected standard should notice that he says “have you just come to admire me?” Children working at greater depth within the expected standard may also refer to the fact that he doesn’t seem to care about Demeter losing her daughter.

2. Which character sees the gloomy or dark side of situations? Give examples from the text. (2d) Most children should see that this is Hecate. They should be able to pick out that she suggests Persephone has fallen off a cliff or been pecked by vultures. Some children may give more than one example, or explain that she is a pessimist.

3. Draw lines to link the gods with what we know about them from the extract. (2b) Children working at the expected standard should be able to find the information from the text to answer this question correctly.

4. How would you describe the tone of this play? Explain why you think that. (2f) The children should see that this scene is light-hearted. Children working at the expected standard may focus on some of the funny things that are said, and the characters being funny; children working at greater depth within the expected standard may identify more specific aspects, e.g. the use of comic verse and the contrast between characters.

5. Why do you think Apollo keeps breaking into verse, and what does that show about him? (2d) Children working at the expected standard may see that delaying answering Demeter’s anxious enquiries like this shows he doesn’t care about her feelings or about Persephone. Children working at greater depth within the expected standard may suggest that it is part of Apollo’s tendency to show off.

6. Does Demeter think the same as Apollo about Persephone and Pluto? Support your answer (2d) with reference to the text. The children should be able to explain that Demeter is not happy about it, although Apollo thinks it’s a good thing. Some children may pick out either that Demeter says Persephone was “stolen” or that she is going to “complain”; children working at greater depth within the expected standard should include both clues.

7. How do you think Demeter feels during the play? Do her feelings change between the start (2d) and the finish? Explain your answer. Children working towards the expected standard should realise that Demeter is cross with Apollo at the end (“GET ON WITH IT!”). Children working at the expected standard should recognise her anxiety at the start and that she thinks her daughter may be dead.

8. What do you think Demeter might say to Zeus? (2e) Most children should be able to give a suitable prediction for Demeter’s conversation with Zeus. Those working at greater depth within the expected standard are likely to give a more creative and detailed prediction.

From Persephone by Julia Donaldson

Scene 7: Apollo [Enter Demeter and Hecate.]

Demeter: It’s Apollo, the sun god. Hecate: Oh horrible brightness! Oh hideous light! Apollo: Good morning, ladies. What can I do for you? Would you like a suntan or a few freckles, or have you just come to admire me? Demeter: No, Apollo, I have come to seek news of my daughter, Persephone. Hecate: I keep telling you, she’s probably fallen off a cliff. Demeter: Do be quiet, Hecate. Apollo, you see everything that happens by day. Tell me, what has happened to Persephone? Hecate: She’s been pecked by vultures. Apollo: No such thing. Demeter: So you have seen her! Is she alive? Apollo: Certainly, madam, and doing very well for herself. Congratulations. Demeter: What do you mean? Apollo: Your daughter is seated on a throne beside the ruler of the Underworld. Demeter: Pluto! Hecate: I knew it! Apollo: An excellent match. Allow me to congratulate you in verse. Oh what a conquest! Oh what a catch! Oh what a fortunate, fabulous match! Oh what a triumph! Oh what – Demeter: Do stop making up poetry and tell me what happened exactly. Apollo: Your daughter was picking flowers in the meadow… Pretty maiden Making posies, Picking poppies, Plucking roses… Demeter: GET ON WITH IT! Apollo: Pluto spotted her and … er, whisked her off to the Underworld. Demeter: In other words, he’s stolen her. We’ll see what the king of the gods has to say about that! Come, Hecate, let’s go and complain to Zeus.

28 © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2016. You may photocopy this page. Persephone • Task 6

Name: Date:

Read the text, then answer the questions.

1. What impression do you get of Apollo’s personality from the play? Give examples from the text.

2. Which character sees the gloomy or dark side of situations? Give examples from the text.

3. Draw lines to link the gods with what we know about them from the extract.

Apollo King of gods

Pluto God of sun

Zeus Ruler of the Underworld.

4. How would you describe the tone of this play? Explain why you think that.

5. Why do you think Apollo keeps breaking into verse, and what does that show about him?

6. Does Demeter think the same as Apollo about Persephone and Pluto? Support your answer with reference to the text.

7. How do you think Demeter feels during the play? Do her feelings change between the start and the finish? Explain your answer.

8. What do you think Demeter might say to Zeus?