Thank You For The Rain: 14-16 English

Thank You For the Rain - Doc Academy
Thank You For the Rain - Doc Academy

Ages

14–16

Duration

Medium (5-11 activities)

Thank You for The Rain offers an engaging and moving non-fiction text for pupils, aged 11-14, as a means of exploring a range of writing approaches through a Kenyan farmer's first-hand experience of climate change. The lessons work as stand-alone pieces for teachers looking to target individual assessment objectives, or can be taught as one cohesive unit as an imaginative and current non-fiction text.

Lesson One - Story and Structure 

Students use film analysis skills to develop their narrative writing, whilst learning about Kisilu's life and his quest to fight against climate change. 

Lesson Objective:  

  • To use a range of structural features to create a narrative.

Clip(s) to Use - Clip 2: Seeking a Loan

Lesson Two - Powers of Persuasion 

Focusing on persuasive techniques, students examine how Kisilu influences other farmers to combat climate change. 

Lesson Objective:  

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of persuasive techniques.

Clip(s) to Use - Clip 3: Planting Trees, Clip 4: Climate Change

Lesson Three - Stormy Weather 

Students, through group and individual work, develop sensory writing skills to write descriptively, using Kisilu's experience of a storm as a stimulus. 

Lesson Objective: 

  • To write creatively about a dramatic event.

Clip(s) to Use - Clip 5: The Rain Comes 

Lesson Four - Leading with Language 

Highlights the importance of emotive language in achieving effects and influencing readers, using Kisilu's experience of a vital COP conference as a basis for learning. 

Lesson Objective: 

  • To analyse language choices in emotive speech.

Clip(s) to Use - Clip 7: Kisilu Gets News

Lesson Five - Voting with our Feet 

Students take the matter into their own hands. Using their language skills to form powerful arguments as part of a class debate, students will discuss how to combat climate change. 

Lesson Objective: 

  • To debate some of the topics raised in the documentary.

Clip(s) to Use - Clip 9: Buying a Suit, Clip 10: Forging Ahead

This resource includes

Doc Academy

This Resource Supports

  • Citizenship
  • English
  • Geography
  • Media Studies
  • Politics
  • PSHE Education

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