Twinkle Toes by Jane Houng
'Twinkle Toes' (pp. 84 - 129) is one of the three stories included in the collection of short stories Cat Soup and Other Stories.
Twinkle is a ten year old Hong Kong girl of biracial background. She lives with her mother and maternal grandmother in Tin Shui Wai but spends her weekends with her father on Lantau Island. Her parents got separated because they couldn't agree about many things, but primarily about what was best for Twinkle. She got her nickname, Twinkle Toes, because she was born with a foot malformation that prevented her from going to school and caused a lot of pain.
For her tenth birthday her father got her a pony that she rode across Lantau Island, making new friends and discovering new things along the way. She befriended Mrs Potts who rescues abandoned pets, followed a mysterious man with a limp, saw smugglers, and finally brought her family together again.
The story is illustrated by Stephanie Lin.
About the author
Jane Houng has lived in China since 1985. She grew up in the UK and studied music at Cambridge University. Musical performance has been a constant theme of her life but she has also worked in academia, journalism, business and English teaching.
In 2011, she published her first Hong Kong based children's story Lantau Life. Her vampire novel for young adults Bloodswell was published by QX Publishing, an imprint of Commercial Press Hong Kong, in 2012. Jane has also published children's chapter books, children's dramas, a radio play, poems and short stories.
Jane graduated with an MFA (Writing for Children and Young Adults) from Vermont College of Fine Arts, US. She writes reviews for the Asian Review of Books. She is also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and Women in Publishing Society (WIPS).
Unit lesson plan
Book Title: Cat Soup and Other Short Stories – Twinkle Toes
Author: Jane Houng
Illustrator: Stephanie Lin
ISBN: 978-962-255-1169
Publisher: QX Publishing Co., Hong Kong, 2016
Reading Level*: Lexile 600L / Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level reading Test 2.8
Suitable for Ages: 10 to 11 years
Proposed grade level: P5
Themes: family relations, biracial family, disability
Connection to Hong Kong Curriculum
English Language, Language Education KLA:
Values: Identity, Responsibility, Respect for others
Module: Relationships
General Studies Curriculum: Community and Citizenship
Lesson duration: 30 minutes per lesson
Unit Lesson Plan for Cat Soup and Other Short Stories – Twinkle Toes .pdfSkill Allocation
Reading
L4 (Smugglers in Hong Kong)
Listening
L7 (Lion dance)
Writing
L9 (A play script 1)
L10 (A play script 2)
Speaking
L5 (Animal rescue)
L6 (Filial piety)
Literary devices
L2 (Similes)
Vocabulary
L1 (Ponies)
Cultural awareness
L8 (Cultural differences)
Civic education
L3 (Disability awareness)
Critical thinking skills
L6 (Filial piety)
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 - Ponies vocabulary
Aims:
To learn vocabulary related to ponies.
To learn about the form and function of the suffix -er.
Focused skill: Vocabulary
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to match the target vocabulary with the correct pictures and think of words with the target suffix -er.
L1 Lesson Plan - Ponies vocabulary.pdfLesson 2 - Similes
Aims:
To share opinions about the book characters and story plot.
To learn about the form and function of similes.
To practice writing using similes.
Focused skill: Literary device
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to complete description of the new characters and write sentences using similes.
L2 Lesson Plan - Similes.pdfLesson 3 - Disability awareness
Aims:
To understand the character’s feelings as being disabled.
To learn about how to treat disabled people
Focused skill: Civic education
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to identify the character’s feelings from the story and be able to express opinion about treating disabled people.
L3 Lesson Plan - Disability awareness.pdfLesson 4 - Smugglers in Hong Kong
Aims:
To learn about smuggling activities.
To practise reading comprehension skills such as making inference and locating key information.
Focused skill: Reading comprehension
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to answer comprehension questions about smuggling correctly.
L4 Lesson Plan - Smugglers in Hong Kong.pdfLesson 5 - Animal rescue
Aims:
To understand more about animal rescue through the character Mrs. Potts.
To practice speaking skills including showing stance and giving explanation.
Focused skill: Speaking
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to choose and explain their pairing up of abandoned animals and new owners.
L5 Lesson Plan - Animal Rescue.pdfLesson 6 - Filial piety
Aims:
To understand more about filial piety in Chinese culture.
To practice critical thinking skills by thinking from different perspectives.
Focused skill: Speaking
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to discuss and express their opinion about filial piety in the story and in general.
L6 Lesson Plan - Filial piety.pdfLesson 7 - Lion dance
Aims:
To practice constructivist learning strategy KWL to learn about the lion dance.
To practice skills on listening for details.
Focused skill: Listening
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to listen for details to answer the comprehension questions correctly.
L7 Lesson Plan - Lion dance.pdfLesson 8 - Cultural differences
Aims:
To understand how cultural differences can lead to conflicts.
To practice critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills.
Focused skill: Cultural awareness
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to analyse the reasons behind the conflicts in the story and think of ways to cope with cultural differences.
L8 Lesson Plan - Cultural differences.pdfLesson 9 - A play script 1
Aims:
To learn about the format of a play script.
To write a play script based on Chapter 11.
Focused skill: Writing
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to write a play script for Chapter 11 with the essential components.
L9 Lesson Plan - A play script 1.pdfLesson 10 - A play script 2
Aims:
To learn about the criteria of a good play.
To perform a play and give evaluation.
Focused skill: Speaking
Assessment Criteria:
Students are able to perform the play they create and evaluate their own and others’ performance.
L10 Lesson Plan - A play script 2.pdf