Bits of an autobiography I may not write

1. Bits of an autobiography I may not write Morris Gleitzman

2. Key objectives • Identify the main points, processes or ideas in a text and how they are sequenced and developed by the writer. • Infer and deduce meanings using evidence in the text, identifying where and how meanings are implied.

3. 'It was a proud moment. I'd just...' • Using your Think, Pair, Share grids, consider possible proud moments this text could be about. • Feedback

4. Examine page 2 of the Reading Booklet • Read around the room. • Any difficult vocabulary? • What is the story about?

6. Group focus questions, give details • Who is the speaker in the text? • What kind of text is it? • What is the relationship between the different characters? • What is the time of the piece? Look at the vocabulary choices and sentence structures. • Has the writer tried to make the reader laugh/ smile at any points? Using humor in his writing?

7. How do we know that the children don't want to hurt their father's feelings? • A question using the word 'how' requires an explanation • Refer to the text in your answer • The children clearly don't want to hurt their father's feelings because they speak "gently" to him. It seems as though the kids are used to their father's strange behavior because they "sighed" as this isn't the first time he has done something silly.

8. Annotating the text • Working in pairs, annotate the text for examples of: • First person • Characterisation • Informal tone • Humour • How the writer attempts to solve his problem • The way the writer’s problem is resolved in an amusing and unexpected way at the end.

9. Examining the structure of the text Try to complete the table, filling in the right hand column with information from the text.

10. Completed table

11. Recapping Text 1

12. Independent reading and supporting • In pairs, label yourselves 2 & 3. • Number 2s read Text 2 and number 3s read Text 3 – You should not read both texts. • Alternatively, we will dramatise these texts as a class. • Write a sentence summarising what your text is about. • Feedback. • What are the obvious similarities between Text 1, Text 2 and Text 3.

13. Working through the answer booklet • Read all 3 texts again before tackling the questions. • Read questions twice to ensure you understand what the question is asking. • We will go through the questions together. • Ask if you are unsure.

14. Explain why the writer hides under his desk and cries at the end. P = The writer hides under his desk and cries because he received a lot of inspirational ideas to the extent that he had too much to write about. Q = “This morning when the postman came I hid under my desk. He found me. I was sobbing.” A= The word “sobbing” indicates that the writer cried a lot and “hiding under his desk” shows that he struggled to cope with the amount of letters he received and needed to escape from the pressure of his fans suggestions.

15. Question 3 Q = ‘I was still able to keep an eye on my baby’ A = ‘baby’ indicates that the writer is very protective over his precious possession, just like a parent would be over a newborn baby. When the writer says ‘keep an eye on my baby’ he shows he feels concerned about his book and will struggle to let it out of his sight.