Naming and Exploring

8-10 yrs old

11-13 yrs old

Reading and Writing

Gain skill in scanning a text for information and identifying information from maps.

Submitted By: Litcraft

September 26, 2019

Lesson Plan
My Notes

Download Assets

Print Lesson Rework Lesson

Skills

Communication
Critical Thinking

External References

Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson Minecraft world file

Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson world to support lessons.

Litcraft Website

LITCRAFT uses the popular Minecraft gaming platform to build accurate scale models of authorial maps from classic works of literature.

Java World

Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson Minecraft world file for Java editions of Minecraft.

Supporting Files

Naming and Exploring

Full lesson plan and additional activities.

Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson Extracts

Extracts from Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson to support activities.

Learning Objectives

To scan for key information.
To compare a text and a map.
To think about place-naming.

Guiding Ideas

This series of lessons is designed to help teach English Language Arts concepts through the study of "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe, and "The Swiss Family Robinson" by Johann Wyss.

Reading Activity

Have the whole class focus on the extended extract from Robinson Crusoe.

Pupils read the extract with a partner. They then re-read and highlight all the mentions of the places on the island in one colour and, in a different colour, any sentences which mention the direction of travel.

Give pupils a large map of Crusoe’s island with the starting point for his journey in this section of the text already identified. Pupils have to use the text to chart Crusoe’s journey in this extract on the map. Encourage them to annotate the map with extracts from the text to demonstrate why they have mapped the route as they have.

Compare the maps that the pupils have created – there will probably be variations – and ask them to discuss the following in their groups:

How challenging was it to map Crusoe’s journey using the text? What made it challenging? What would have made it easier?
Why do you think the author decided to include a map with his narrative?
In what ways does the map help you to understand the text?

Give feedback and discuss answers.

Conclude with a discussion of other texts that pupils have read, which contain maps.

Reading and Comprehension

Read the extract from Swiss Family Robinson and the map of the island to answer the following:

Why does the family decide to name places on the island? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
What different ideas do the family have for naming the bay where they first landed?
Why do they eventually settle on the name “Safety Bay”?
What do the names that the family chooses tell us about the places? Choose three examples to discuss not including Safety Bay.
Highlight the names of places in the text and identify these locations on the map. In what ways does the map help the reader to understand the setting in the text?
Do you think it is important for the map to be included with the story? If you do, say why. If not, say why not.

Student Activities

Start by loading the Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson Minecraft world file found in the resources section.

Open the chest marked Task 2: Naming

In Game Activity: Naming

Transcript of in-game book:

"Looking at the printed map of Swiss Family Robinson island, can you spot any patterns in the names given to sites?

Use the map to help you travel around the island and locate the place-name signs.

Give each site a suitable re-name from your own perspective or interpretation of that spot.

Take the other journal in this chest with you to write in each new name, and your reason for giving it that."

Use the minecart to travel to Robinson Crusoe's island (or use the slash command /tp 227 64 -168). Open the chest you find there marked Task 2.

Transcript of in-game book:

"Find Robinson Crusoe’s main base in this island (using his description of it from the book to help you). Find his first journal when you do, this will tell you what he called the island. Read his list, as well."

What is his island called? Find his first journal in his base and this will tell you.

FOLLOW UP ACTIVITY:

Evil vs. Good

Read the list that Crusoe makes (this is also found in a chest within his main base).

• Why does this character use good and evil as the categories for the list?

• Some of the items in the evil list could be seen, instead, as positives. Which ones and why?

• Identify at least two things that you think are missing from this list in either of the categories. What did you choose and why?