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Journey to the Heart of Rin

In our text study, students explored the book Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda through a sequence of rich reading, discussion, and writing activities. Students developed comprehension strategies such as predicting, summarising, identifying key ideas, and exploring character motivations. They engaged in collaborative discussions, asked and answered questions, and made connections to personal experiences and broader themes. Through guided reading and modelled writing, students practised analysing text structures, language features, and vocabulary, supporting their development as independent readers and effective communicators.

To further deepen their understanding, students participated in a Google Form reflection activity where they responded to a variety of questions about the novel. One task challenged students to write five or more words that best summarised the story, which were then transformed into a vibrant word cloud displaying their collective thinking. Students also shared who their favourite character was and explained why, as well as rating the novel out of five stars. This engaging activity allowed students to reflect on their reading in a creative way while also celebrating their opinions and insights.

Here are some of the answers to the question, 'Who is your favourite character and why?'

"Star ⭐️ because when the water came rushing down she didn’t stop to drink but she helped Rowan and Strong John out of the stream not caring at how the sticks and twigs scratching her legs."

"My favourite character is the dragon because it is the main reason why Rowan, Strong Jonn, Marlie, Allun, Val, Ellis and Bronden went up the mountain."

"Rowan, because at first when you read the book he’s scared and shy but at the end of the story he’s the bravest out of all of them."

"Rowan and the dragon. Rowan, because he is the main character and the dragon because... well I like dragons."

"My favourite character is Marlie because she tried to face her fear of tight spaces even though she couldn’t I’m happy she tried."

"Rowan because I also would have tried to help the dragon instead of fight it."

"Rowan, because he never gave up and learned what bravery meant. He didn’t leave Strong John to die and tried to help him."