The Railway Children - understanding the novel

We went for a course in teaching the Form 3 Novel last month. The course was quite helpful and I've learned a few techniques in teaching the novel, The Railway Children.

Among the best technique that I have applied in the class was to use strips of sentences containing descriptions of events from each chapter. The students have to read the descriptions and identified the sentences that are found in the chapters that they have been assigned to.

Activities :
A)Prepare strips of sentences containing descriptions of events from each chapter. Teachers then can cut the strips and jumble them up. Divide students into groups of 3, the groups are given names - group 1 to 8. The group will then read the chapters according to their group name. ie. group 1 will be reading chapter 1 etc. (assuming there are around 23 to 24 students in a class) The strips of sentence are then jumbled up and put on the table. Students are then asked to come forward and choose the strips of sentence that relate to their chapter assigned to them. The groups are then asked to paste the strips onto a mahjong paper under the corresponding chapter (Teacher will have to write the chapter no and also the title of the chapter)
 B) Discussion of the sentences that describe the chapter will be done when all the students finish identifying the correct strips and paste them on the mahjong paper. Teacher will have to go over the chapter - highlighting the important events that happen in each chapter. Teacher should also point out the moral values related to the event. Teacher explains the difference between moral values and themes - The technique in answering both questions. C) Task 3 : Ask students, in their group , to list the moral values found/lesson learnt in/from the novel.Underneath each moral value, list the evidence found in the novel. Make sure students write at least 2/3 evidence.

In brief, I think by doing this students who really listen should be able to understand the novel and answer the exam question. However, before carrying out this activity, make sure students have read the novel at least once.

 Thank you to the group of teachers who have conducted the course and Curriculum Division in particular.

Moral values - The Railway children

Below are the summary of the what I was able to gather when I attended a course on the techniques in teaching the Form 3 novel, The Railway Children.in February 2012.  Thank you to all who have contributed to this course. Hopefully all of us will benefit from this.
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1. To be responsible - responsible for their action of stealing the coal - Peter admitted that it was him who stole the coal, but the rest of the siblings also came out and wanted to be responsible too for that act .

Bobbie was also responsible when they first arrived at the white house, she went to find some coal and lit  the fire..

2. to be benevolent & generous - the old gentleman was quite generous when he donates food and medicine to the family whom he barely knew...

3. To show our appreciation - by giving gold watch to the kids for saving the passengers on the train

4. To be truthful - eg when they steal the coal

Themes in The Railway Children

Before you do this in your class, make sure:
1. Students have really read the book
2. Students knows all the characters in the book...

Themes in the novel
1. The importance of family ties
    There is a strong bond in the family : eg Mother is always at home , Birthday of the family members are celebrated....etc

2. Being helpful and optimistic
    Eg. Bobbie  and her siblings are very helpful- they were willing to help eg. when they realised that there was a landslide occuring and might be fatal to the train passengers, they risked their life to stop the train. Bobbie even stepped on the railway lines/track to wave the flags made from their own petticoat in order to make sure the train driver see her and stop the train.

   Perk was also helpful when he helped to deliver the food and medicine to Bobbie's family.
   Old Gentleman was helpful when he send them the food and medicine that Bobbie and her siblings asked for.
   
   Bobbie was very optimistic that her father was not guilty and will be released..

3. The joys of childhood

4. Act of bravery

5. Coping with hardship

6. Resourceful and innovative - when they use their petticoats as flags to stop the train.

Task: Choose one theme. Then discuss in group one scene that best illustrate the theme. Role play the scene.

This is quite a task for the children - to act out the scene... would definitely be interesting to watch but might take a long time to complete : Suggestion as afternoon activities.

Credits to the team of teachers who have worked hard to produce the materials and also to those who have conducted the course. I would also like to say thank you to the Curriculum Development Division for the materials and courses organised.
Thank You .

The Railway children - important events

1) Ask students to identify them most important event or the event that changes where the story is leading to / or the climax...
Among the possible events would be :
1. When the father is taken away
2. Moving to the white house in the  country
3. Meeting the old gentleman
4. Mother falls sick
5. Saving the boy in th tunnel

.... but the most important event agreed upon was after the landslide, and when the children used their petticoat to stop the train from colliding with the rubble from  the landslide.After this incident, they met the old gentleman, face to face when they were given the gold watch as an appreciation for having stopped the train before anything bad happens to the train passengers.

This lesson is quite suitable for HEP students - Ask the students to report the events that happened during the event; Write in a way that would make the newspaper saleable.

Teaching ideas - The railway children

How do you start teaching The Railway Children. Well, here are a few tips to help you started.

1. Teaching the plots (series of events)
 a) Divide the class into 5 groups (eg).
 b) Group 1 is asked to read chapter 1&2; Group 2- chapters 3 & 5; group 3 - chapters 4&7; group 4 - chapter 6; and group 5 - chapters 8&9.
 c) Teacher will have to prepare strips of events; The groups of students are asked to find the strips of events that relate to their assigned chapters.
 d) After the students find the related strips, they have to paste it on board under the respective chapters.
 e) Teacher check their work.


2. Introducing the train
a) Jazz chants - students whisper " The train is coming..", .. group by group and each group ends with the sound of train complete with whistles...; the sound continues ... and starts after one another...

b) Then , teacher brainstorm for word cluster. words like train, railway track, railway lines, station.
     Teacher then provides more difficult words related to train like : locomotive, engine , or even pictures of a train engine with its parts labelled.