-NiE ,
INTERMEDIATE Graphic novel
21 JUNE 2017
The legend lives on
IN the year 650, England was without a king, thus, trouble and fighting increased. Merlin the magician had an unusual dream in which he saw a “wonderful” king for England whose name was Arthur. He found Arthur when the boy succeeded in pulling a sword out from a magic stone in a trial. With Merlin’s advice and guidance, Arthur grew up to be a strong, good and wise king. Under his rule, England flourished and defeated her enemies. Trouble began when Arthur disregarded Merlin’s advice and married a beautiful woman named Guinevere. Merlin predicted “a dark future” for them. Shortly after, Merlin felt he was
losing his magic and knew that it was time for him to leave. Arthur then looked for the strongest and best knights in England for the Round Table. Lancelot, the first knight to be appointed, fell in love with Guinevere. When Arthur discovered this, he banished Lancelot from his castle. Subsequently, Arthur lost interest in his country and his people started fighting again. Meanwhile, Arthur’s evil half-sister Morgan and her son Mordred plotted to kill Arthur and take over the kingdom. Would they succeed? Read the book King Arthur retold by Janet Hardy-Gould to find out what happened in the end.
NiE Activity 1 Critical thinking ● Identify
● Reason
Creative thinking ● Brainstorm ● Connect
Problem solving ● Question
Communicating
● Present
● Oral ● Written
● Aural
Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute
● Attain goal
respectfully
Example
Arthur was only a young boy when he became the king of England. At first, he was unsure about his role but with Merlin’s help, he became a good and strong king. Here is a conversation between Merlin and Arthur from the graphic novel. Arthur: But I don’t know how to be king… Who are you? Merlin: Don’t be afraid, Arthur! My name is Merlin. With my help you can be king. Merlin teaches every day, and after four years he is a strong, good king. In groups of four, look in The Star for four people whom you can learn from. (Each group member should find a picture.) Cut out their pictures and paste them on a sheet of A4 paper. Then, write down what you can learn from these individuals. Take turns presenting your work in class.
NiE Activity 3
NiE Activity 2 Creative thinking
Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason
● Measure
In the graphic novel, Merlin advised Arthur not to marry Guinevere.
● Brainstorm ● Connect
Problem solving ● Question ● Recreate
Communicating ● Oral ● Written
● Aural
● Present
Creative thinking
Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason
● Organise
● Imagine
Communicating
Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully
● Attain goal
Merlin: I see a dark future for you and Guinevere. Don’t marry her! Arthur: I am King and I choose my Queen! Parents often give their children advice because they want to prevent them from making the wrong choices. In groups of four, discuss the kinds of advice most commonly given by parents to their children. On a sheet of A4 paper, write down eight pieces of such advice. Which of these do you agree and disagree with the most? Discuss and then, take turns presenting your views in class.
● Brainstorm
● Oral ● Written
● Aural
Problem solving ● Question ● Research
● Recreate ● Present
Collaborating ● Listen ● Contribute respectfully
● Attain goal
Guinevere gave Arthur a large round table. He began to find the strongest and best knights in England to sit at the table. The first man to be chosen was Lancelot. King Arthur: Lancelot is the strongest man in all England. He can be the first knight of the Round Table. If you have been given the task of finding the best people for your Round Table, who would you choose and why? In groups of four, sketch a picture of a round table on a sheet of A3 paper. Then, look in The Star for eight people whom you think are the most suitable to sit at the round table. Cut them out and paste them around it. Write a reason for your choice next to each person. Finally, display your work on your classroom wall and do a gallery walk.
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