'Mudpuddle Farm: Albertine, Goose Queen' First Impressions
Read this extract from the fourth chapter of ‘Albertine, Goose Queen’ (p.98). Here, the animals of Mudpuddle Farm have come face to face with the sneaky fox who has been hiding in a bramble hedge. They’re shocked and scared and huddle together as he speaks to them.
Mudpuddle Farm: Six Animal Adventures: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995; Illustrations © Shoo Rayner 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2017
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Quick Warm-Up Activity
If this is the answer, what is the question? Question: Answer: sly, clever, cunning, crafty
Question: Answer: because they feel scared
Writing Activity Look at the picture of the farm animals. What do you think they are thinking now that they have come face to face with the sneaky fox? Write each character's thoughts inside their thought bubble.
terrified
nervous
worried
scared
hope
protect
forgive
wreck
doubtful
thought
taste
eat
carnivore
dinner
meal
disgusting convince
canine
Mudpuddle Farm: Six Animal Adventures: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995; Illustrations © Shoo Rayner 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2017
Useful Words
troubled
persuade frightened
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‘Mudpuddle Farm: Albertine, Goose Queen’ Adult Guidance
This ‘Albertine, Goose Queen’ 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. The answer sheet contains example answers for the questions but pupils may have varied responses for some of the questions. 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 task and a writing activity.
Overview Serene Albertine, the farmyard goose, is happy on her island in the middle of the pond. Panic has set in amongst all the other animals as a fox is loose on Mudpuddle Farm. As all the animals scramble for safety, Albertine remains calm amidst all the fuss and believes she is safe on her island… until the fox starts swimming towards her!
Mudpuddle Farm: Six Animal Adventures: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995; Illustrations © Shoo Rayner 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2017
High up in a tree, Mossop the farmyard cat can see the drama unfolding beneath him and shouts to Albertine to ‘Run for it!’ but she does not hear him. Brave Albertine must face the fox alone.
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‘Mudpuddle Farm: Albertine, Goose Queen’ Key Skills Questions
Explain Vocabulary p.77: Can you find a word that tells us it is the morning?
p.78: Why do you think that none of the animals spoke until after breakfast?
Infer
Explain Vocabulary
?
p.83: What is the meaning of the phrase ‘running for cover’?
Retrieve
p.87: Can you think of another way of saying ‘serenely’?
p.98: What do you think the animals are thinking at this point?
p.101: Why does the author use the word ‘sneaky’ to describe the fox’s tear?
Explain Vocabulary
Infer
Explain Vocabulary
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Mudpuddle Farm: Six Animal Adventures: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995; Illustrations © Shoo Rayner 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2017
p.86: What are the names of the ‘dreamy-eyed’ cows?
‘Mudpuddle Farm: Albertine, Goose Queen’ Key Skills Questions
Retrieve
p.104: How many babies has Peggoty got?
p.107: What is the second ingredient that the fox asks the animals to get? What is the last ingredient?
Sequence
p.107: What do you think the fox is planning to make with the ingredients?
Predict
Explain Vocabulary
p.109: ‘Mossop watched in horror’. How does this phrase make you feel?
p.120: Why has the fox changed his mind about eating the goose? What does this point in the story tell us about him?
p.124: ‘No good asking that silly old goose, is it?’
Infer
Infer
Why does the huntsman laugh and say this?
p.132: What did the fox do before he vanished over the hedge?
Sequence Infer
Why do you think Albertine helped the fox?
How do you think the story would have ended if Albertine had not helped the fox? Can you predict what might have happened?
Predict
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Mudpuddle Farm: Six Animal Adventures: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995; Illustrations © Shoo Rayner 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2017
Predict
p.113: What do you think will happen next?
Quick Warm-Up Activity Answers Example Answers Question: What other words can you use to describe the sneaky fox? Answer: sly, clever, cunning, crafty
Question: Why do all the animals jump and cling onto each other when they see the fox? Answer: because they feel scared
I hope that fox knows that I taste disgusting!
I feel nervous but I’ll try not to let him see it.
Maybe he’ll disappear if I close my eyes!
Oh no! How can we persuade him not to eat us for dinner?
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Mudpuddle Farm: Six Animal Adventures: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995; Illustrations © Shoo Rayner 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2017
Writing Activity Example Answers