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'Mudpuddle Farm: Martians At Mudpuddle Farm' First Impressions

Read this extract from chapter seven of ‘Martians At Mudpuddle Farm’ (p.324).

Farmer Rafferty has opened up the farm so people can come and see the corn circle. He believes martians have made the corn circle with their flying saucer. The animals believe that they have seen a real martian. Here, Albertine the goose is reading Farmer Rafferty’s sign.

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Quick Warm-Up Activity

If this is the answer, what is the question? Question: Answer: two pounds

Question: Answer: strawberry jam

Writing Activity Farmer Rafferty really wants to buy a new tractor with the money he is making from the visitors. He needs some new posters to advertise what is going on at his farm so that even more people will come. Can you make a poster to encourage people to visit the corn circle at Mudpuddle Farm? Mudpuddle Farm: Six Animal Adventures: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995; Illustrations © Shoo Rayner 1983, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2017

What do you think you need to include? What information could be on your poster?

How can you make it stand out?

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‘Mudpuddle Farm: Martians At Mudpuddle Farm' Adult Guidance

This ‘Martians At Mudpuddle Farm’ 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 Farmer Rafferty discovers a corn circle in the middle of his field but how has it got there? He believes it was made by martians who landed in a flying saucer and the animals think they have seen an actual martian with a ray gun.

Albertine, the clever goose, seems to be the only one who knows what’s going on.

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‘Mudpuddle Farm: Martians At Mudpuddle Farm' Key Skills Questions

Explain Vocabulary Look at the title of this story. What is a martian?

Predict

Can you predict what might happen in this story?

Explain Vocabulary

p.276: Can you spot any adjectives used to describe the stream?

Explain Vocabulary

p.280: What directions did Mossop give to Little Bee. Which way did he say to go first? Where next? What was the final direction?

Sequence

Retrieve

p.284: Where did Little Bee go to sleep?

p.286: Can you find a word that means the same as ‘laughed’?

Explain Vocabulary

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p.277: What did the author use the word ‘solo’ to describe? What does it mean?

‘Mudpuddle Farm: Martians At Mudpuddle Farm' Key Skills Questions

Retrieve p.294: What is making the roaring sound?

Infer

p.295: Why do you think the bees are angry?

p.299: Can you predict why Albertine is telling all the animals to run around in a circle?

Sequence

Predict

p.305: What do you think would happen if Mossop woke up?

p.307: Can you predict how Farmer Rafferty will react when he sees the circle of flattened corn?

p.310: Can we work out how Farmer Rafferty feels about the corn circle?

p.311 Where were the animals as they ‘were watching and listening to every word’?

p.314: How do you think the animals are feeling at this point? Why?

Predict

Infer

Retrieve

Infer

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p.297: What route did Albertine take to the cornfield? What did she do first? What did she do next?

‘Mudpuddle Farm: Martians At Mudpuddle Farm' Key Skills Questions

p.325: How can we find out the meaning of the phrase ‘financial genius’?

Explain Vocabulary

p.330: What is Farmer Rafferty dreaming of buying when he has made enough money?

Retrieve

Sequence

Which character appears at the end of the story?

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Quick Warm-Up Activity Answers Example Answers Question: How much does it cost to park your car? Answer: two pounds

Question: What is not served with the Martian Cream Tea? Answer: strawberry jam

Writing Activity Example Answers

It must have a bold title. It must stand out. It needs to say what is happening. It has to have the prices of things on. It could have pictures. The writing could be in different styles and colours. It could have a question on it like, ‘Would you like to see where a real martian ship has landed? Come to Mudpuddle Farm and see for yourself’. ‘Have you ever wondered how big a flying saucer is? Come and look at the corn circle at Mudpuddle Farm. ONLY £1 A TICKET.’

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Examples of what the children might say when they are discussing creating their posters: