Rowan of Rin

Table of Contents
Introduction and Sample Lesson Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Getting to Know the Book and the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Suggestions for Using the Unit Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Bloom’s Taxonomy Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Vocabulary Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Quiz: Chapters One and Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Picture This! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Time for a Poem! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Match These! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Sequence of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Quiz: Chapters Three and Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
What to Take? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Create a Secret Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
And Then… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
One-Pager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Quiz: Chapters Five and Six . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
A Letter to Mother… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Rainbow in a Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Mottos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Dramatisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Quiz: Chapters Seven and Eight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Compare Strong Jonn and Rowan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Who Can Walk Through the Mud? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Character Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Significant Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Quiz: Chapters Nine and Ten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
News Flash! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Character Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Sequel to Rowan of Rin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Other Worlds, Other Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Quiz: Chapters Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Objective Test and Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
The Characters and You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

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Rowan of Rin

Introduction and
Sample Lesson Plans
Introduction
This literature unit has been designed to supplement teachers with ideas for use with
the novel Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda. It is aimed at upper primary school students.
The following sample lesson plans suggest ideas for a ten week whole class study.
Photocopying a work package for each student is a good way to study the book.

Sample Lesson Plans

Week 1
✤ Introduce the book using some or all of the ideas listed in ‘Suggestions for Using the
Unit Activities’ (‘Before the Book’).
✤ Introduce the package you may have premade for each student.
✤ Read Section 1 of the book (Chapters One and Two).
✤ The students summarise what has been read (orally or in written form).
✤ The students complete the quiz for Section 1.
✤ The students do some vocabulary work using words from the vocabulary list. The
children can either write dictionary meanings, write their own meanings based on
what was read, or include each word in a meaningful sentence.
✤ The students complete ‘Picture This!’
✤ The students complete ‘Time for a Poem!’

Week 2
✤ Read Section 2 of the book (Chapters Three and Four).
✤ The students summarise what has been read (orally or in written form).
✤ The students complete the quiz for Section 2.
✤ The students do some vocabulary work using words from the vocabulary list.
✤ The students complete ‘What to Take?’
✤ The students complete ‘Create a Secret Map’.

Week 3
✤ Read Section 3 of the book (Chapters Five and Six).
✤ The students summarise what has been read (orally or in written form).
✤ The students complete the quiz for Section 3.
✤ The students do some vocabulary work using words from the vocabulary list.
✤ The students complete ‘A Letter to Mother...’
✤ The students complete ‘Rainbow in a Glass’.

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Rowan of Rin

Getting to Know the

Book and the Author
The Book
Rowan of Rin is the story of a cowardly boy called Rowan who lives in a village called
Rin. One day the stream which flows from the top of the mountain stops flowing and
the lives of the villagers and the Bukshah are at risk. A group of people are selected to
venture up the mountain even though they know that a dragon lives at the top.
Rowan is also selected to go because the magical map, given to them by Sheba the
witch, only appears when it is held by Rowan. As they venture up the mountain, riddles
gradually begin to appear on the map to help them with the obstacles that face
them. As the obstacles are conquered, so are the people, as one by one they return
to Rin because they cannot face their fears. Strong Jonn and Rowan are the only ones
left when they reach the dragon’s lair at the top of the mountain. As Strong Jonn is
badly injured, Rowan is forced to live out his greatest fear and battle the dragon
alone. Rowan discovers that the dragon has a bone stuck in its teeth and is therefore
not hunting. This causes the dragon to lay silent and not roar or breathe fire - the very
thing that causes the ice and snow at the top of the mountain to melt and flow down
the mountain. Rowan removes the bone and the dragon roars. The ice is melted and
Strong Jonn and Rowan are rushed down the mountain in the now gushing stream.
Once in Rin again, Rowan is the hero.

The Author
Emily Rodda’s real name is Jennifer Rowe. Emily Rodda is the name of her
grandmother. She takes on this name when she writes books for children. Jennifer
Rowe was born in Sydney in 1948. She received a Master of Arts in English Literature at
the University of Sydney. Her first job was assistant editor at Paul Hamlyn. Jennifer then
worked for fourteen years as Editor, Senior Editor, Managing Director, Deputy Publisher
and Publisher at Angus and Robertson Publishers. During this time she began writing
books for children under her pseudonym (Emily Rodda). Jennifer Rowe is the only
person to have won the Australian Children’s Book Council Book of the Year for
Younger Readers Award five times. Jennifer then had a career in publishing and was
Editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly for five years. She now devotes her time
between consultancies for book publishers and her own writing. She lives in the Blue
Mountains with her four children and second husband.

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Rowan of Rin

Suggestions for Using

the Unit Activities
Use some or all of the following suggestions to supplement you own ideas when
studying Rowan of Rin.

Before the Book

✤ Organise student copies of some or all of the worksheets into a work package.
✤ Set up a display to suit the book, e.g. a mountain with a dragon at the top. This
display can be 3-D using a variety of materials, or painted on a window.
✤ When programming, consider:
- themes such as friendships, teamwork etc.
- topics such as survival, heroes, fantasy etc.
- linking the novel to your spelling and writing activities
✤ Design art activities based on the novel, e.g. pom-pom spiders, making old maps,
making mountains out of sand or plaster.
✤ Discuss friendships, survival, heroism and fantasy with the children.
✤ Read about the author (‘Getting to Know the Book and the Author’).

During the Book

✤ Use the student work packages.
✤ Include related themes and topics in your teaching.
✤ Have the children write chapter summaries or alternatively, keep a diary from
Rowan’s point of view.
✤ Have the children design a mountain on a large sheet of paper and add the
riddles and pictures of the obstacles as they read.
✤ Have the children illustrate different parts of the story.

After the Book

✤ Have the students write a book review or create a book poster for the novel.
✤ Have the students write their own fantasy story. Discuss the elements of fantasy first.

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Rowan of Rin

Bloom’s Taxonomy Activities

For each section in this book there are two literature activities based on successive
levels of of Bloom’s Taxonomy. These may be adapted to different types of literature,
as well as providing the teacher with flexible types of activities to match the differing
abilities, needs and aspirations of students in the modern classroom. Such an overall
scope and framework allows the teacher to plan with assurance that all students are
provided with activities designed to develop the full range of their cognitive abilities.

Knowledge
This level provides the student an opportunity to recall fundamental
facts and information about the story. Success at this level will be
evidenced by the student’s ability to…
✤ Match character names with pictures of the characters.
✤ Identify the main characters in a crossword puzzle.
✤ Match statements with the character who said them.
✤ List the main characteristics of one of the main characters in a
WANTED poster.
✤ Arrange scrambled story pictures in sequential order.
✤ Arrange scrambled story sentences in sequential order.
✤ Recall details about the setting by creating a picture of where a
part of the story took place.

Comprehension
This level provides the student an opportunity to demonstrate a basic
understanding of the story. Success at this level will be evidenced by
the student’s ability to…
✤ Interpret pictures of scenes from the story.
✤ Explain selected ideas or parts from the story in his or her own
words.
✤ Draw a picture showing what happened before and after a
passage or illustration found in the book.
✤ Predict what could happen next in the story before the reading of
the entire book is completed.
✤ Construct a pictorial time line which summarises what happens in
the story.
✤ Explain how the main character felt at the beginning, middle
and/or end of the story.

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Vocabulary Lists
The following words could be useful for learning to spell or for defining.

Section One: Chapters One and Two

consult burden journey depend
forbidden nestled towering shrouded
venture tend heed toil
vat outskirts attic cradling
grateful nuzzle writhing gloated
pronounced placid intended droning

Section Two: Chapters Three and Four

lain oppose presume exasperation
idle appealed persuaded deny
jeering quest loomed progression
hurled parchment discarded rueful
startled gaped dangling dismay
reveal dilemma glimpse success

Section Three: Chapters Five and Six

motionless inhabited resentment direction
vision flung erased gallivant
evidence quavering insisted widened
dissolved gallantly flask craned
retorted advice hauled colony
deafening swathed abide amid

Section Four: Chapters Seven and Eight

keen absence affected ravenous
decreed enclosed plodded endanger
compared tale snare wrench
clump coil billowed regain
departed prevent plunged treacherous
hesitantly wading tempted veering

©2001 Hawker Brownlow Education 9 #6126 Rowan of Rin