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'A Medal for Leroy' First Impressions

Read this extract from pp.97-98. Here, Jasper the dog has accidentally knocked over and smashed a picture of Michael’s father.

not through glass. He was already somehow more real to me, closer and more alive without the glass in between us. The photo was loose in the frame now, and had slipped down. I noticed there was one small piece of broken glass still trapped there in the bottom corner of the frame. I tried to prise it out with the

there was something else there, a writing pad

point of my pencil, but I couldn’t do it. I’d

about the same size as the photo. On the

have to open up the frame at the back if I was

front it said, ‘Basildon Bond’, in fancy printing,

going to get it out.

and below it, written in pencil, in large capital

I hadn’t really noticed, not until now,

letters:

but the back of the frame was nothing but a piece of cardboard, held in place by a few rusty-looking pins. All I had to do was to pull these out one by one and the cardboard came away easily enough. I had expected to see simply the back of the photograph, but

there was something else there, a writing pad about the same size as the photo. On the 97

front it said, ‘Basildon Bond’, in fancy printing, and below it, written in pencil, in large capital letters: MFL _revisedHB for PB.indd 97

08/08/2013 16:53

MFL _revisedHB for PB.indd 98

08/08/2013 1

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Quick Warm-Up Activity Work with a partner. You have two minutes to find and copy one word from the extract that has a similar meaning to…

corroded force presumed elaborate Challenge: Add another synonym that the author could have used.

Discussion Activity Conscience Alley

Should Michael read the hidden notebook? What will be the effects of him reading the notebook? Why was it hidden?

Challenge: Hot Seating Adopt Michael’s perspective in this situation. Work with a partner to ask and answer questions in the role of Michael. Justify your answers.

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Work in a group to debate why Michael should read the notebook and why he should not. Think about the positive and negative effects of him doing this.

'A Medal for Leroy’ Adult Guidance

This resource contains potentially sensitive and/or upsetting topics that may emotionally impact on students you use it with due to their experiences in their past. It is your responsibility to consider whether it is appropriate to use this resource with your students. If you do use this resource, it is your responsibility to ensure that appropriate support is available for anyone affected.

The ‘A Medal for Leroy’ activity pack contains an adult guidance sheet which includes an overview of the story and key skill questions that can be used to target pupils’ understanding as you are reading the book. Additionally, there is an activity sheet for children who may have not read the whole text before. This contains an extract from the text, a warm-up synonym task and a discussion activity.

Overview Michael doesn’t remember his father who was a pilot who had lost his life during war. His mother finds it difficult to talk about him as she is so heartbroken so Michael grows up knowing very little about his father. However, everything changes when Auntie Snowdrop gives Michael some important items that start to reveal a fascinating hidden history about the family’s life. A beautiful story of love, loss and identity.

‘A Medal for Leroy’ was inspired by the true story of Walter Tull, the first Black British officer in the British army.

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‘A Medal for Leroy’ Key Skills Questions

Predict

p.9: What do you think they are going to do when Jasper stops?

p.11: Why do you think Michael may have been called ‘Poodle’?

p.26: How does the author suggest that Maman is nervous?

Infer

Discuss Authorial Choices

p.33: Which word is a synonym for secretively?

Explain Vocabulary

Compare and Contrast

After reading the chapter, ‘Rock Cakes and Snowdrops’, compare Auntie Snowdrop and Auntie Pish. What similarities and differences do they have?

p.51: Auntie Pish silenced. It was a rare and wonderful moment. It cheered me up no end.

Infer

Why do you think Michael was so happy when Auntie Pish stopped talking?

p.76: How did Auntie Pish know about Auntie Martha’s nickname?

p.79: What do you think Auntie Pish will send Michael?

p.100: I knew even as I began to read – and I have no idea how I knew – that my life would be changed forever, that after I’d read this I would never be the same person again.

Infer

Retrieve

Predict

Infer

What do you think Michael means by this?

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p.56: Why do you think the boy keeps the snowdrops from previous visits?

‘A Medal for Leroy’ Key Skills Questions

Discuss Authorial Choices

p.107: Every time he came into the room it seemed that a cold draught came in with him.

What impression is given about Auntie Snowdrop’s father?

p.139: Why did Leroy become known as ‘The Wizard’?

Retrieve

pp.149-162: How do you know that Jasper was a loyal companion to Leroy?

Infer

Compare and Contrast

After reading the chapter, ‘I called him Roy’, have your feelings towards Auntie Pish changed at all? Discuss.

Retrieve

p.196: Why did Michael feel like he had been left with a dilemma?

pp.207-212: Why do you think that Auntie Snowdrop felt that she had to hide her story in the photograph?

Compare and Contrast

Discuss Authorial Choices Why do you think that the author chose to give lots of the characters nicknames throughout the book? What effect did this have on the story?

What themes were present in ‘A Medal for Leroy?’ What message did you learn?

Summarise

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Why do you think the author chose to structure the book through the different characters’ voices?

Infer

Quick Warm-Up Activity Answers Work with a partner. You have two minutes to find and copy one word from the extract that has a similar meaning to… Example Answers

corroded

rusty

tarnished

force

prise

wrench

presumed

expected

assumed

elaborate

fancy

decorative

Discussion Activity Answers Conscience Alley

I think Michael should read the notebook because it is addressed to him and was written for him by his Auntie Snowdrop. I don’t think Michael should read the notebook because if it could reveal some information that could be difficult for him to hear. I don’t think it would be hidden unless it contained a big secret. Challenge: Hot Seating Why do you think your Auntie Snowdrop chose to write the notebook to you rather than tell you in person? I think she did this because she may have been worried about what I would think and was scared to tell me in person.

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Accept any reasonable responses, provided an explanation is given, such as: