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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We have developed a large catalogue of educational resources since launching in 2013, and some references and terminology will inevitably have dated as society and language evolves. We are aware of this and will be updating resources when our production schedule allows.

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