[T4R] Let’s Build a Boat: L10 Summarising

The Book

Let’s Build A Boat

Written by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Meg Rennie, published by Little Hare Books

This inspiring picture book celebrates teamwork, creativity, and determination. As a group of children come together to build a boat for their picnic on an island, the story naturally lends itself to discussions about the purpose of a boat in general and context of the text (AC9TDE2K01 – Years 1 and 2, Design and Technologies). The story also highlights the importance of preparation before they begin (AC9TDE2P01 – Years 1 and 2, Design and Technologies), innovation and problem-solving when they face the challenge at sea (AC9TDE2P03 – Years 1 and 2, Design and Technologies).

Throughout their journey, they experience challenges and moments of joy, allowing students to reflect on how they manage emotions in different situations (AC9HP2P03 – Years 1 and 2, Health and Physical Education). The story also supports children in understanding how teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving help them to achieve shared goals (AC9HP2P01 – Years 1 and 2, Health and Physical Education).

Let’s Build a Boat is a perfect launchpad for hands-on STEM or creative projects, as well as social-emotional learning discussions around collaboration, effort, and celebrating differences.

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Resource creator

Steven Huynh

Subject

English Language and Literacy,

Level

Year 1, Year 2,

Description

Students reflect on Let’s Build a Boat by Jane Godwin through guided summarising using a narrative structure. They recall the most important parts of the story, share ideas, and complete a summarising worksheet. Any unfinished raft building is also finalised.

Learning Intentions

• We are learning to summarise the story.

Successful Criteria

• I can remember what happened in the story.
• I can name the most important parts of the story.
• I can use the story structure (problem, resolution, beginning, middle, end) to help me summarise.
• I can tell the story in a short and clear way.

Curriculum Alignment

AC9E1LE05 9.0 (English Language and Literacy Year 1): Orally retell or adapt a familiar story using plot and characters, language features including vocabulary, and structure of a familiar text, through role-play, writing, drawing or digital tools

• writing character descriptions
• imitating a characteristic piece of speech or dialogue, or the attitudes or expressions of favourite characters in texts
• retelling key events in stories using oral language, visual arts, digital tools or performance

AC9E1LY05 9.0 (English Language and Literacy Year 1): Use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising and questioning when listening, viewing and reading to build literal and inferred meaning by drawing on vocabulary and growing knowledge of context

• identifying information and details from spoken informative texts
• building topic knowledge and learning new vocabulary before and during reading
• making predictions from the cover, from illustrations and at points in the text before reading on, and confirming and adjusting understanding after reading
• drawing inferences and explaining inferences using clues from the text
• making connections with existing knowledge and personal experiences

AC9E2LE05 9.0 (English Language and Literacy Year 2): Create and edit literary texts by adapting structures and language features of familiar literary texts through drawing, writing, performance and digital tools

• inventing some speech, dialogue or behaviour for a favourite character, which may include the use of video and audio tools, for an alternative event or outcome in the original text
• reviewing and developing sentences; for example, adding prepositional phrases such as “with a long tail” to improve descriptions

AC9E2LY05 9.0 (English Language and Literacy Year 2): Use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning

• listening for specific information and providing key facts or points from an informative or persuasive text
• listening and responding to detailed instructions
• integrating information from print, images and prior knowledge to make supportable inferences
• identifying the main idea of a text
• predicting vocabulary that is likely to be in a text, based on the topic and the purpose of the text; for example, predicting that “station” and “arrive” would be in a text recounting a train journey
• using prior knowledge to make and confirm predictions when reading a text
• using graphic organisers to represent the connections between characters, order of events or sequence of information

Materials

Let’s Build a Boat by Jane Godwin
Narrative structure chart on butcher’s paper
Summarising worksheet
Raft materials for finishing touches

Instructions

Warm-up

Ask: What do you remember about the story?
Prompt students to recall: What happens at the beginning, middle, and end?

Reading

Read Let’s Build a Boat together as a whole class, chunk by chunk for the final time.

Summarising

Guide the class in summarising the story using the narrative structure chart.
Focus first on the problem and resolution.
Students help construct one sentence per part: opening, build-up, problem, resolution, closing.
Model this process on the board before giving the sheet.

Activity

Students complete a summarising sheet using short sentences based on the story structure.
Support students as needed to phrase their ideas clearly.

Finishing Off Rafts

Allow time for children to complete their rafts if they haven’t already.

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