Oliver the Quiet Firefighter by Sophie Paine
Oliver is a firefighter. He is shy, quiet, and very willing to help others. He does all types of jobs at the fire station. He cooks, he cleans, he tidies up, he takes care of the dogs, he fixes things and operates the switchboard. Oliver smiles and nods to everyone and never says a word.
However, one day, everything changes when he needs to go and help put out a fire. Oliver has to save a boy from a burning building. He is not shy and quiet anymore. He shouts as he helps the boy and they are both not scared any more.
A wonderful story for young readers about being shy and being brave, with delightful collage illustrations by Maxim Lo, a graphic designer and illustrator from Hong Kong.
About the author
Sophie Paine moved from her native France to sunny Italy, snowy Minnesota, and the monsoons of Hong Kong, and married an Englishman. On her way, Sophie left behind accounting and financial reports, taught English to Somali refugees, picked up paintbrushes and crayons, and loved reading books to her two bilingual boys. Beside writing, Sophie educates people around the world about finance.
Unit lesson plan
Book Title: Oliver the Quiet Firefighter
Author: Sophie Paine
Illustrator: Maxim Lo
ISBN: 978-988-99843-3-5
Publisher: MCCM Creations, Hong Kong, 2010
Reading Level*: Lexile 510L / Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level reading Test 2.4
Suitable for Ages: 6 to 7 years
Proposed grade level: P1
Themes: Shyness, firefighting profession
Connection to Hong Kong Curriculum - English Language, Language Education KLA:
Values: Responsibility
Modules: Caring and Sharing
General Studies Curriculum: Community and Citizenship
Lesson duration: 30 minutes per lesson
Skill Allocation
Reading
L4 (Timetable)
L7 (Firefighters)
L10 (Boardgame)
Listening
L2 (Collage)
L8 (Fire safety)
Writing
L3 (Chores)
L5 (Connectives)
L10 (Boardgame)
Speaking
L4 (Timetable)
L10 (Boardgame)
Grammar
L5 (Connectives)
Literature
L6 (Character traits)
Vocabulary
L1 (Firefighter vocabulary)
Phonics
L9 (Phonics)
KWL
L7 (Firefighters)
Visual literacy
L2 (Collage)
Download complete set of lesson plan and teaching materials
( Please email to engl.rcpce@polyu.edu.hk for the ZIP decompression password. )
Download individual lesson plan and teaching materials
( Please email to engl.rcpce@polyu.edu.hk for the ZIP decompression password. )
Lesson plans and teaching materials
Lesson 1 - Firefighter vocabulary
Aims:
To be able to organize learnt vocabulary under different categories.
To be able to identify the key vocabulary through listening.
Focused skill: Vocabulary
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to identify and classify vocabulary under different categories.
Students are able to collect requested number of items.
Lesson 2 - Collage
Aims:
To be able to practice listening skills for instructions.
To be able to follow steps to make a collage.
Focused skills: Listening and craft
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to complete the instructions.
Students are able to make a collage.
Lesson 3 - Chores
Aims:
To learn vocabulary related to chores.
To be able to write about the chores done at home.
To identify and practice the grammatical structure of third person singular in simple present tense.
Focused skill: Writing
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to match the vocabulary with the pictures.
Students are able to write about the chores they do following the pattern from the book.
Lesson 4 - Timetable
Aims:
To practice reading skills on the text type – timetables.
To understand the use of present simple tense for describing habits or routines.
Focused skills: Reading and speaking
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to answer reading comprehension questions correctly.
Students are able to talk about their routines using present simple tense.
Lesson 5 - Connective (and, but)
Aims:
To learn the functions of ‘and’ and ‘but’.
To be able to use ‘and’ and ‘but’ correctly.
Focused skills: Grammar and writing
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to rewrite sentences using ‘and’ and ‘but’ correctly.
Students are able to complete sentences with ‘but’ correctly.
Lesson 6 - Character traits
Aims:
To be able to infer character traits beyond the words presented by the author.
To be able to learn and use trait adjectives.
Focused skill: Literature
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to use adjectives to describe Oliver’s actions.
Students are able to relate the mentioned traits to people they know.
Lesson 7 - Firefighters
Aims:
To practice constructivist learning strategy KWL (what they know, want to learn and what they learned) to learn about firefighters.
To practice reading comprehension skills such as making inferences and locating key information.
Focused skill: Reading comprehension
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to answer comprehension questions about firefighters correctly.
Students are able to reflect on what they have learnt about firefighters after the lesson.
Lesson 8 - Fire safety
Aims:
To practice listening skills including listening for gist and listening for details.
To learn about fire safety.
Focused skill: Listening
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to answer listening comprehension questions about fire safety correctly.
Lesson 9 - Phonics
Aims:
To practice and reinforce the phonemes /p/ and /b/.
Focused skills: Listening, speaking and writing
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to differentiate the sounds /p/ and /b/.
Students are able to articulate the target phonemes using correct mouth positions.
Lesson 10 - Broadgame
Aims:
To consolidate students’ understanding of the story
Focused skills: Reading, speaking and writing
Assessment Criteria:
Students follow the instructions and play the boardgame correctly.
Students will answer questions about the book to reinforce their understanding of the story.