Ready Steady Read Together
Against the Odds: Non-Fiction Lesson 1
What do you think you know?
What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?
Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.
Explore
What do you know and think?
In those days, only men were allowed on naval expeditions.
How might this extract link to the illustration?
Explore
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Today's Question(s)
Teacher Model Question OnlyWhen did the expedition begin?
A) What was Philibert Commerçon’s occupation?
B) What skill from Jeanne’s earlier life helped her on the expedition?
C) Name two challenges that Jeanne had to overcome.
D) Why did Jeanne and Commerçon name the pink-flowering vine Bougainvillea?
Explore
Let me read today's text whilst I show you the illustrations...
Explore
JEANNE BARET
Adapted from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not copy or share.
Adapted from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not copy or share.
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
illiterate labourer
naval expeditions
botanist
hatched a plot
natural resources
commander
Explore
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
I will model the first.
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
illiterate labourer
Explore
Find Read Talk
JEANNE BARET
Reveal Vocabulary
Adapted from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not copy or share.
illiterate labourer
Your turn
botanist
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
naval expeditions
hatched a plot
natural resources
commander
Use your text
Explore
Vocabulary Check & Re-read
Explore
Reveal Vocabulary
Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.
JEANNE BARET
Adapted from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not copy or share.
Reveal Vocabulary
Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.
Adapted from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not copy or share.
Fluency
Explore
Let me use my reader's voice...
In those days, only men were allowed on naval expeditions, so Commerçon and Jeanne hatched a plot in which she would dress as a man – introducing herself as ‘Jean’ – and offer her services just before the ship set sail. This was a crazy idea: if Jeanne’s secret was discovered she would be in serious trouble, or even danger.
What did you notice?
Explore
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
My Turn
Your Turn
Echo Read
In those days, only men were allowed on naval expeditions,
so Commerçon and Jeanne hatched a plot in which she would dress as a man– introducing herself as ‘Jean’
– and offer her services just before the ship set sail.
This was a crazy idea:
if Jeanne’s secret was discovered she would be in serious trouble, or even danger.
Explore
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Sound like a reader!
Stand up!
Choral Read
In those days, only men were allowed on naval expeditions, so Commerçon and Jeanne hatched a plot in which she would dress as a man – introducing herself as ‘Jean’ – and offer her services just before the ship set sail. This was a crazy idea: if Jeanne’s secret was discovered she would be in serious trouble, or even danger.
Explore
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Focus
Explore
Strategy: Look Around & Find and Take
Be a word thief and steal what you've been asked to find...
What's the question asking? Now, what are you looking for?
Teacher Model Question Only When did the expedition begin?
Let me show you
Reveal Text Marks
A MAN IN DISGUISE In 1766, two ships, La Boudeuse and L’Étoile, set sail under the command of explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, attempting to be the first French expedition to sail around the world.
Teacher Model Question Only When did the expedition begin?
The word expedition is a clue. Because it asks when it began, the answer might be a year. I will ‘look around’ for expedition and a year. I will read the sentence and can ‘find and take’ the answer in 1766.
Reveal Explainer
Teach
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?
Teach
Your Turn
A) What was Philibert Commerçon’s occupation?
B) What skill from Jeanne’s earlier life helped her on the expedition?
C) Name two challenges that Jeanne had to overcome.
D) Why did Jeanne and Commerçon name the pink-flowering vine Bougainvillea?
Find the answers
Text mark
Explore
Acceptable Answers
A) What was Philibert Commerçon’s occupation?
Text Mark Evidence As a young adult, she began working as a housekeeper for a botanist called Phillibert Commerçon.
botanist
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Practise & Apply
Acceptable Answers
B) What skill from Jeanne’s earlier life helped her on the expedition?
Text Mark Evidence - Jeanne became skilful at identifying plants and local remedies - Jeanne and Commerçon’s task was to find natural resources like plants
Jeanne knew many different types of plants and her new job was to find new plants
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Practise & Apply
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence her mother died when she was just a baby
C) Name two challenges that Jeanne had to overcome.
Text Mark Evidence only men were allowed on naval expeditions
Text Mark Evidence Commerçon’s health got much worse, so Jeanne had to do much of the heavy work
Click on the boxes to reveal acceptable answers
Practise & Apply
Acceptable Answers
D) Why did Jeanne and Commerçon name the pink-flowering vine Bougainvillea?
Text Mark Evidence ...they discovered a wonderful pink-flowering vine. They named it Bougainvillea in honour of the expedition commander.
in honour of the expedition commander (Louis-Antoine de Bougainville)
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Practise & Apply
Quiz Time
Start
Picture Me
Which image is the closest match to ‘commander’?
Which One's Right?
Why did Jeanne have to do much of the heavy work?
A She was the strongest of the ship’s crew.
B Commerçon’s healthgot worse.
D She wanted to maintain her disguise as a man.
C The commanderordered her to do it.
Tick Me
How did having a private cabin help Jeanne?
Tick two
A) It provided enough space for the scientific equipment she and Commerçon used.
B) It gave her a quiet space to study the plants in peace.
Check
C) It allowed her to keep her identity as a woman secret.
Click if correct
D) It gave her a place to go to avoid doing any work on the ship.
Match Me
Match each person with their occupation:
4 Louis-Antoine de Bougainville
3 Philibert Commerçon
1 young Jeanne Baret
2 Jeanne’s father
C housekeeper
B labourer
A commander
D botanist
Click if correct
Check
Feedback: Who did what well?
FindRead Talk
EchoRead
ChoralRead
ReadingStrategy
Answers & Text Marks
Other...
To be a book lover, you could...
ask questions.
Reveal
Think of questions as you read and look for answers in the text.
Copyright Notice
This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced and adapted for accessibility from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai, © 2023 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.
RSRT Y5 L1 Against the Odds
Literacy Counts
Created on April 1, 2025
Start designing with a free template
Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:
View
Big Data: The Data That Drives the World
View
Momentum: Onboarding Presentation
View
Urban Illustrated Presentation
View
3D Corporate Reporting
View
Discover Your AI Assistant
View
Vision Board
View
SWOT Challenge: Classify Key Factors
Explore all templates
Transcript
Ready Steady Read Together
Against the Odds: Non-Fiction Lesson 1
What do you think you know?
What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?
Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.
Explore
What do you know and think?
In those days, only men were allowed on naval expeditions.
How might this extract link to the illustration?
Explore
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Today's Question(s)
Teacher Model Question OnlyWhen did the expedition begin?
A) What was Philibert Commerçon’s occupation?
B) What skill from Jeanne’s earlier life helped her on the expedition?
C) Name two challenges that Jeanne had to overcome.
D) Why did Jeanne and Commerçon name the pink-flowering vine Bougainvillea?
Explore
Let me read today's text whilst I show you the illustrations...
Explore
JEANNE BARET
Adapted from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not copy or share.
Adapted from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not copy or share.
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
illiterate labourer
naval expeditions
botanist
hatched a plot
natural resources
commander
Explore
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
I will model the first.
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
illiterate labourer
Explore
Find Read Talk
JEANNE BARET
Reveal Vocabulary
Adapted from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not copy or share.
illiterate labourer
Your turn
botanist
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
naval expeditions
hatched a plot
natural resources
commander
Use your text
Explore
Vocabulary Check & Re-read
Explore
Reveal Vocabulary
Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.
JEANNE BARET
Adapted from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not copy or share.
Reveal Vocabulary
Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.
Adapted from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Adapted for accessibility under CLA Licence. Do not copy or share.
Fluency
Explore
Let me use my reader's voice...
In those days, only men were allowed on naval expeditions, so Commerçon and Jeanne hatched a plot in which she would dress as a man – introducing herself as ‘Jean’ – and offer her services just before the ship set sail. This was a crazy idea: if Jeanne’s secret was discovered she would be in serious trouble, or even danger.
What did you notice?
Explore
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
My Turn
Your Turn
Echo Read
In those days, only men were allowed on naval expeditions,
so Commerçon and Jeanne hatched a plot in which she would dress as a man– introducing herself as ‘Jean’
– and offer her services just before the ship set sail.
This was a crazy idea:
if Jeanne’s secret was discovered she would be in serious trouble, or even danger.
Explore
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Sound like a reader!
Stand up!
Choral Read
In those days, only men were allowed on naval expeditions, so Commerçon and Jeanne hatched a plot in which she would dress as a man – introducing herself as ‘Jean’ – and offer her services just before the ship set sail. This was a crazy idea: if Jeanne’s secret was discovered she would be in serious trouble, or even danger.
Explore
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Focus
Explore
Strategy: Look Around & Find and Take
Be a word thief and steal what you've been asked to find...
What's the question asking? Now, what are you looking for?
Teacher Model Question Only When did the expedition begin?
Let me show you
Reveal Text Marks
A MAN IN DISGUISE In 1766, two ships, La Boudeuse and L’Étoile, set sail under the command of explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, attempting to be the first French expedition to sail around the world.
Teacher Model Question Only When did the expedition begin?
The word expedition is a clue. Because it asks when it began, the answer might be a year. I will ‘look around’ for expedition and a year. I will read the sentence and can ‘find and take’ the answer in 1766.
Reveal Explainer
Teach
From: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?
Teach
Your Turn
A) What was Philibert Commerçon’s occupation?
B) What skill from Jeanne’s earlier life helped her on the expedition?
C) Name two challenges that Jeanne had to overcome.
D) Why did Jeanne and Commerçon name the pink-flowering vine Bougainvillea?
Find the answers
Text mark
Explore
Acceptable Answers
A) What was Philibert Commerçon’s occupation?
Text Mark Evidence As a young adult, she began working as a housekeeper for a botanist called Phillibert Commerçon.
botanist
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Practise & Apply
Acceptable Answers
B) What skill from Jeanne’s earlier life helped her on the expedition?
Text Mark Evidence - Jeanne became skilful at identifying plants and local remedies - Jeanne and Commerçon’s task was to find natural resources like plants
Jeanne knew many different types of plants and her new job was to find new plants
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Practise & Apply
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence her mother died when she was just a baby
C) Name two challenges that Jeanne had to overcome.
Text Mark Evidence only men were allowed on naval expeditions
Text Mark Evidence Commerçon’s health got much worse, so Jeanne had to do much of the heavy work
Click on the boxes to reveal acceptable answers
Practise & Apply
Acceptable Answers
D) Why did Jeanne and Commerçon name the pink-flowering vine Bougainvillea?
Text Mark Evidence ...they discovered a wonderful pink-flowering vine. They named it Bougainvillea in honour of the expedition commander.
in honour of the expedition commander (Louis-Antoine de Bougainville)
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Practise & Apply
Quiz Time
Start
Picture Me
Which image is the closest match to ‘commander’?
Which One's Right?
Why did Jeanne have to do much of the heavy work?
A She was the strongest of the ship’s crew.
B Commerçon’s healthgot worse.
D She wanted to maintain her disguise as a man.
C The commanderordered her to do it.
Tick Me
How did having a private cabin help Jeanne?
Tick two
A) It provided enough space for the scientific equipment she and Commerçon used.
B) It gave her a quiet space to study the plants in peace.
Check
C) It allowed her to keep her identity as a woman secret.
Click if correct
D) It gave her a place to go to avoid doing any work on the ship.
Match Me
Match each person with their occupation:
4 Louis-Antoine de Bougainville
3 Philibert Commerçon
1 young Jeanne Baret
2 Jeanne’s father
C housekeeper
B labourer
A commander
D botanist
Click if correct
Check
Feedback: Who did what well?
FindRead Talk
EchoRead
ChoralRead
ReadingStrategy
Answers & Text Marks
Other...
To be a book lover, you could...
ask questions.
Reveal
Think of questions as you read and look for answers in the text.
Copyright Notice
This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced and adapted for accessibility from: Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys & Pola Mai, © 2023 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.