Private Peaceful

By Michael Morpurgo
 Lesson One
Introduction and Context
 Learning Objectives:
• To explore and understand the context for our
new class reader ‘Private Peaceful’.

• To analyse the front cover of the novel and

make informed predictions about its plot and
setting.
 Connotation
What are the A idea or feeling
suggested beyond a
connotations of the word literal meaning.

Private?

Military
Private
Alone Hushed
Independent
Confidential Secretive Soldier
Write down your connotations of the word
Peaceful.

PeacefulStretch Challenge!
Consider how the two words link together. What does
this tell us about the book?
Can you make any predictions about the text from the
words ‘Private Peaceful’.
Has this changed what you
think the book is about?

What does the front cover

suggest the book is about?
Why has the cover got blue
as its main colour?

Why does the front cover

have butterflies on it?
 You have two minutes to
discuss the following
questions with your partner.

1) What do we learn about

the book from the front
cover?
2) What do the butterflies
represent?
3) Why is the title written in
lowercase letters?
4) What do the words
‘Innocence and love,
courage and cowardice’
suggest?
Make a prediction in your book based on the above
extract from the blurb. Try to address the 5 Ws:

Where? Who? Where? When? Why?

Writing about connotations

I think the book ‘Private

Peaceful’ is about.......

I think this because on the

front cover it has .........

........ has connotations

to ........ and ....... which
suggests that ............
could happen.
 What does war mean to you?
 Mind-map any knowledge, ideas or feelings you
have about war.
Put the word ‘war’ in the centre of the page, and
then draw links to any words which you can think of.

Extension: Think of some adjectives (describing words) to describe war. Example:

Horrific
What do you know about World War I?

The novel is set during WWI.

• Mind-map what you know about WWI.

• Put ‘WWI’ in the centre of the page and

draw links to words and ideas you have
about it.
 World War I – The facts
• WWI started on July 28th 1914 and ended on
November 11th 1918.
• The main countries involved were Britain,
France, Russia and Germany.
• The total number of military and civilian
casualties in World War I was over 37 million:
over 17 million deaths and 20 million
wounded, ranking it among the deadliest
conflicts in human history.
 Life then and now
TASK: Make a table comparing life at the time of WWI (1914-
18) and life now.
Divide it into two columns; one with features of what life was like then, and the
other with a comparison of how life is now.

Fill it in with as many different things you can think of about how life was
different in each time period. Example below:

Life during World War I Modern day life

Little technology: only books Much technology: digital TV +

and radio for entertainment at radio, games consoles,
home. internet, iPhones, etc.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=P92guhd7d-8
Impressions of WWI

After seeing the footage of what life was like fighting in World
War I you should have some distinct ideas and impressions:

1. Put the heading: ‘Impressions of WWI’:

2. Come up with TEN words or short sentences that describe

your impressions and ideas about what it was like for
soldiers during WWI.
 Homework: planners out
This week I have shown you footage of WWI and what life was like for a soldier.

• Imagine you are a soldier fighting in WWI.

• Write a diary entry describing what happened on a bad day of fighting.
• Describe what happened and how you feel.
• You need to spend 30 mins on it.

DUE Tuesday 6th September