TEACHERNET Education Webspace - RPS

By Kenneth Oppel (2005)

Summary

In this sequel to Airborn, Matt Cruse, the main character, is now a student at the Airship Academy, hoping to become an Airship pilot. While he is on a training flight, the crew spots the Hyperion, an airship that has been lost for forty years. The Hyperion is rumoured to have a valuable treasure on board. Matt alone knows the geographical co-ordinates. He combines forces with his friend, Kate, a young gypsy woman and the pilot of a sleek, Skybreaker airship to go in search of the Hyperion. High altitudes seem to be the least of their problems, as they meet with other adventures.

Strategies

The following activities are designed as independent practice. If students have not had modeled and guided practice, these activities could be done in groups with the teacher or with peers.

Synthesis

Reading Response Journals (Individual)

A Reading Response Journal is not simply a summary of the plot, but rather a response to what students have read. Their response may contain connections; questions to clarify what they have read; discussion of particular passages; as well as a brief summary (only what is important and necessary). Middle years students often need guidelines for response journals.  Sentence starters can include phrases like:

• I noticed a connection with.......
  
• I wonder about.......
• I don't understand......
• I want to find out more about......
  
• This passage from the book makes me.....

Discussion (face to face or small group)

Readers need the opportunity to interact. Small group or partner work allows students to discuss their ideas. Cris Tovani offers some suggestions for partner discussions:

• Mark one quote in the text and have a conversation about the quote
• Write a question that doesn't have a simple answer
• Ask your partner's opinion about your ideas
• Make a statement or recommendation on what you have read. Don't be wishy washy.

(2004. Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? p. 69)

Strategies used in the Activities from the Willow Awards Site

2007 Snow Willow Award Nominee - Skybreaker

from http://www.willowawards.ca/nomdescribe/skybreaker.htm

• Using magazines and drawings, create a collage of the mysterious creatures from the Hyperion. Synthesis
• Research the real use of airships. Begin by checking out the following website: 21st Century Airships. Inference, Determining Importance
• Create a plot graph. At the bottom of the graph list the main events in the story. Then decide how exciting each event was. Fill in the bar graph by rating each event from 1 - 10, 10 being the most exciting and 1 the least exciting. Connections
• Matt's escape from the airship is reminiscent of the mythical Icarus. Find out more about Icarus and create an acrostic using the letters in Icarus. Connections, Synthesis