English Year 6 lesson

T Sh. If we ((displays information on interactive whiteboard - 'It was right for the dogs to be shot'))… Right, so, using this statement on the board - 'It was right for the dogs to be shot' - I would like you to, hands down, hands down, this is where the oracy leaders will feed back in a few minutes. I am going to give you about five to 10 minutes to discuss this statement. And can I ask for one thing, please? When you put your point across, the other children on your group need to be?
Class Listened to.
T Listening. And can you please back your point up with an explanation, with a reason as to why you think that. Yes? Off you go.
Class ((Start talking))
T ((Moves to front left table))
B19 I think it is right to have the dogs shot as (inaudible) the big priorities are the people. Shackleton (inaudible) keep them safe and keep them people safe, so I think, to survive, they have to eat (inaudible). So I think that's (inaudible).
T Right, so you're saying he made the right choice.
B19 Yeah.
T OK.
B19 The people are a bigger priority than the dogs.
T OK, right. ((Indicates to Ryan))
Ryan I agree with him that it was right, but I don't agree that he said that people are higher priority, because the dogs are helping them anyway and it will just be harder for them. But I think it was right for them to be shot because there wasn't enough food for them and they eat less stuff than humans anyway. But (inaudible) anyway and, if they killed themselves and let the dogs live, the dogs would have died anyway, because (inaudible).
T OK, hold it there, Ryan, hold it there. What do you think, Suad?
Suad I think it was like good for them, just-
T What, it was good for the dogs to be shot?
Suad Yeah, because they would've starved to death anyway, plus it would be a worser death than just being shot. Plus, if they wouldn't have been shot, they would have been doing work and starving and they probably wouldn't have feeded that much.
T OK, OK. ((Indicating to B20))
B20 I think (inaudible) because, even if the dogs were alive, there wouldn't be enough room, and, if you would give the food to the dogs, then you wouldn't have that for yourself. That means you would starve as well. If you starve to death, then (inaudible).
Ryan And it would've been less painful than letting them starve.
T So you think it was better that they were shot than having to just leave them there to starve to death?
Ryan Yeah.
Suad Yeah.
T You think that was a better-
Ryan ((Nods))
T OK.
Suad Miss, I think I know what this picture is ((looking at book)).
T OK, what do you think it is?
Suad Miss, they're like walking and then I think that's his feet and he gets stuck, and then this picture shows that he fell down.
T OK.
Ryan (Inaudible).
T I know. I couldn't make it out.
Ryan It looks (inaudible).
T OK, keep your discussion. Good points. Some good points.
T ((Moves to back middle table))
Hafizil Miss, I'm kind of in the middle because they could use the dogs for transportation, like 'cos it said they built sledges, and in the beginning of the book they built sledges for the dogs to (inaudible).
T Yeah, but if you-
Asha They had them for two days.
T if you read page 40, and where it says ((reading)) 'Due to the rapidly worsening conditions of the men and the drifting of the ice flow, Shackleton made plans to head for land in the'?
Andrea Boat.
T In the?
Shafi Boat.
T Boats. So what-, so they've got some lifeboats-
Asha And they're making (inaudible).
T So they have to get to land. So what's priority?
Shafi (Inaudible)
T You're men?
Hafizil Miss, it would've been quicker if they had the dogs and the sledges, 'cos it would've been quicker for them to go towards the sea.
T But the ice is melting, Hafizil. That's the problem. That's why he needs to get his men into the boats, into land.
Hafizil I still think he did make the right decision as well.
T You still think he was right to shoot?
Asha Yes.
T To order the dogs to be shot. OK, why?
Hafizil Because it was right for them to make more space on the boats for themselves, and they also did need food, otherwise they would've starved.
T What do you think, Andrea? Do you agree with it?
Andrea Yeah, I agree because they wouldn't have space and their food supplies are low, so they needed to shoot them so that (inaudible).
T Yeah. And we know, quite clearly, there are rations, because the food is running?
Group Low.
T Low. What do you think, Saskia? What's your view and opinion? Do you agree or disagree with the statement?
Saskia (Inaudible) because if (inaudible) use the dogs to (inaudible).
Asha Kill the penguins.
Hafizil Yeah.
Saskia (Inaudible).
T OK, hold it there. What do you think, Shafi?
Shafi I think (inaudible) because they haven't got any food (inaudible).
T OK. Are you the oracy leader on this table ((indicating to Hafizil))?
Hafizil ((Nods))
T What you need to do now, Hafizil, is summarise what your group is saying, and then you're going to be reporting back, OK? So you need to take key points from all of your group. OK, well done.
T ((Moves to back right table))
Taya And they've got plenty of wood. Because they've got another lifeboat, they can bring this boat and make a new lifeboat and put (inaudible).
Iman That's still-, they're feeding to the dogs so the food supply is rapidly going down, 'cos they keep feeding the dogs. However, if you don't feed the dogs-, shoot the dogs, you could use their fur as clothing and you can use their meat for eating, and you will not use as much as food because the dogs are dead.
Taya But one of the-
T One moment. Sorry, (inaudible). So you think, Iman, it was OK for them to shoot the dogs?
Iman Some of them.
T OK, and they could have used the dogs for?
Iman Clothing, the fur for more clothing and the meat as food.
T OK, so Shackleton could have, yet, made more use of them.
Iman Yeah.
T Well, somebody on the other table, somebody on Ryan's table said it was better that they were shot rather than left there to die of starvation.
Iman That's what we were saying, but Taya disagrees.
T Oh, did you say the same thing?
G8 I disagree.
Taya Well, that was because the dogs came, 69 dogs, and, if they work as a pack, they can kill the penguins, because penguins are not predators. So like-
Iman But penguins will still be more weight. A small amount of (inaudible) in them.
T OK, so you feel, Taya, that had they just been left on the-
Iman Ice.
T ice, which is now melting, they could have survived.
Taya No, they couldn't. You know the sledges? You can't take the sledges on the boat because, 1) it would use extra weight and, if you break the sledges, then the carpenter can build an extra boat for the dogs. Then, in the beginning, where the (inaudible) bit was, there was a rope, and you can just move the boat, and you can take the dogs with you. If it's too much weight, then just go to the nearest civilisation and leave them there, because they (inaudible).
Iman But they don't know where they are.
T They have no idea.
G8 And they don't have time to go.
T What were the words that Shackleton used? 'We are'?
Iman We are-
T Helpless?
Iman helpless strangers on this weird-
G8 (Inaudible).
T We are helpless intruders-
Iman on this weird planet.
Taya In this strange world.
T In this strange world. They have no idea where they are going.
Iman And plus the dogs are useless (inaudible).
T ((Moves to front of class)) ((to class)) OK, right ((claps hands)), 6D, sh, can I just have your attention, please? I think, if I was just (inaudible), I think this discussion could go on longer, because I've picked up some really, really good points from each group. Right, it's time to summarise, get together the gist of your group, and then you need to report back. Right, so, nice and clearly, and take on a point of everybody in your group, and then we'll see how the conversation went. OK, can we start with Hafizil? Stand up, please.
Hafizil ((Stands up)) In my group, Andrea, Asha and Shafi all agreed with it was right to shoot the dogs because, like in the book, they said they needed more space on the ships and they needed more food supplies. Me and Saskia agreed that it was right, and we agreed and also disagreed with the statement, because they could have used the dogs for guard dogs or something like... transportation.
T OK. … OK, right, thank you for your point. Who would like to add or build on what Hafizil's just said? ((Pointing to front left table)) Oracy leader here? Yamin.
Yamin ((Stands up)) Building on what Hafizil said, I disagree because they have guard dogs and, if (inaudible), how will the guard dogs protect the stuff, because, say, for example, some of the men, they were hunting and polar bears came, then the guard dogs wouldn't be enough to guard their belongings.
T OK. But what was the overall view, opinion?
Yamin Overall, we think that it was right for the dogs to be shot because, if they do shoot the dogs, then the humans would starve and the dogs would starve as well because there wouldn't be any food left. So, if they shot the dogs, the humans would have the food and they (inaudible)-
T Priority.
Yamin priority is that the humans (inaudible) survive.
T Survive, OK. Thank you, Yamin. Thank you. Who would like to build on from what Yamin's just said? ((Few hands raised)) OK, Taha.
Taha ((Stands up)) I agree with Yamin. The main priority was that it was right for them to shoot (inaudible). If they hadn't shot the dogs, the dogs (inaudible) will die of starvation, and that's more painful than dying of a shot, because, if you die of a shot, it's only painful for like one second.
T OK. OK. So Taha's table have just said it was better that the dogs were shot rather than left there to die of starvation, because that would have also been a long, painful death. I don’t know. Taya, do you want to add to that?