Complete Comprehension Book 3

Complete Comprehension A structured programme for teaching reading comprehension skills

Year 3 21 inspiring texts, with lesson plans and photocopiable practice

Downloadable resources Visit www.schofieldandsims.co.uk/completecomprehension to access a wealth of downloadable resources, including: O

Teaching unit Modelling slides

O

Printable Comprehension texts

O

Child-friendly Skills graphics

O

Skills deskmats for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

Use the unique code below to access printable versions of the comprehension texts in this book. This code is for one-time use only so please ensure that you save the materials for future reference.

By redeeming the code above, you agree to safeguard the downloadable materials for your own use only, including studying, classroom teaching, lesson planning and in-school training. No part of any of the texts in Complete Comprehension may be uploaded to the internet, to an internal website (intranet or Virtual Learning Environment/VLE), or to another computer.

Complete Comprehension Year 3 Contents Year 3 overview

2

Introduction

4

Skills guide

14

Word meaning

14

Prediction

22

Retrieval

16

Relationship

24

Summarising

18

Word choice

26

Inference

20

Comparison

28

Teaching units and Progress checks

30

Unit 1

The Pebble in My Pocket

Unit 2

Stone Circles

Unit 3

My Brother Is a Superhero

Unit 4

The Magic Finger

Unit 5

Sugar: The Facts

Unit 6

Prawn Pizza

Unit 7

The Iron Man

2

Summarising

page 30

by Meredith Hooper Non-fiction Retrieval

page 38

by Dawn Finch Non-fiction Relationship

page 46

by David Solomons Fiction Inference

page 54

by Roald Dahl Fiction Summarising

page 62

by The NHS Non-fiction Retrieval

page 70

by Jane Sowerby Non-fiction Word choice

page 78

by Ted Hughes Fiction

The Selfish Giant

Mixed skills

page 86

by Oscar Wilde

Unit 8

The Ice Palace

Unit 9

A House of Snow and Ice

Unit 10

Fiction

The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends)

Inference

by Shelley Fu

Fiction

Unit 11

Progress check 1

Year 3 overview

Year 3 overview

New Year Celebrations

Comparison

Inference

page 90

by Robert Swindells Fiction Retrieval

page 98

by Stephen Whitt Non-fiction page 106

page 114

by Jane Sowerby Non-fiction

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Unit 14

The Story of Tutankhamun

?

page 122

by James Berry Poetry page 130

Inference

by Philippa Pearce Fiction Word meaning

?

page 138

by Patricia Cleveland-Peck Non-fiction

Secrets of a Sun King

page 146

Mixed skills

by Emma Carroll

Unit 15 Unit 16

Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government

Unit 17

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Unit 18

The Madhatters

Unit 19

Stig of the Dump (Extract 1)

Unit 20

Stig of the Dump (Extract 2)

Unit 21

Fiction

The Butterfly Lion

Norse Mythology

Progress check 3

Word meaning

Year 3 overview

Unit 12 Unit 13

Tom’s Midnight Garden

Progress check 2

Night Comes Too Soon

page 150

Word choice

by Michael Morpurgo Fiction Retrieval

by The Independent

Non-fiction Word meaning

page 158

?

page 166

by Lewis Carroll Fiction Inference

page 174

by Aoife Mannix Poetry Inference

page 182

by Clive King Fiction Prediction

page 190

by Clive King Fiction Retrieval

page 198

by Neil Gaiman Fiction

Discover the Vikings: Warriors, Exploration and Trade

Mixed skills

by John C. Miles

Non-fiction

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

page 206

3

Introduction

Introduction Reading is one of the most important outcomes of a primary school education, and one of the most powerful skills we will ever master, as it is crucial for understanding the world around us. It is no exaggeration to say that the benefits of being an effective reader last a lifetime.

Complete Comprehension is a whole-school programme designed to equip pupils with everything they need to become strong, successful readers. The series, which comprises a book of lesson plans, teaching guidance and photocopiable resources for every year group from Year 1 to Year 6, breaks down the complex process of comprehension into separate Comprehension skills (see page 5).

The comprehension skills are signposted throughout the series through the use of child-friendly logos and graphics. Each teaching unit includes a photocopiable Comprehension text and a set of Skills focus questions that target a single skill, along with detailed guidance to support you, the teacher, to model the relevant skill in context using the Let’s try… questions.

In addition, a Skills guide is provided at the end of this introduction (see page 14). It includes an in-depth description of each skill, and explains how the skills relate to each other. It also lists strategies to help you develop your pupils’ familiarity with each skill and offers advice on how to deal with common difficulties. A selection of resources are also available to download from the Schofield & Sims website (www.schofieldandsims.co.uk/completecomprehension), including a selection of child-friendly Skills graphics, which explain the skills in simple terms, and Skills deskmats, which function as a reminder of the different skills.

In addition to this skill-specific instruction, Complete Comprehension prioritises vocabulary expansion, specifically the pre-teaching of vocabulary, as another prerequisite for successful comprehension. Every teaching unit includes a Language toolkit, which contains a set of Key vocabulary words from the comprehension text and accompanying activities to boost understanding in advance of reading.

The features outlined above are integrated into each Complete Comprehension teaching unit alongside enjoyable activities and discussion opportunities. These have a dual function: first, they promote reading for pleasure; second, they support pupils to engage with the text’s features and build their background knowledge by exploring the themes in each text. Children are also encouraged to make comparisons with other texts and to reflect on their personal reactions to the text as readers. See pages 6 to 11 for a complete guide to the teaching unit.

The 21 teaching units in this book are designed to be completed at regular intervals over the course of a year: it is recommended that you work through seven units a term, leaving the remaining weeks free to spend on other reading work.

Series overview

The comprehension skills

4

Each Complete Comprehension teaching unit targets one of the following skills, which are all essential for meaningful reading. In particular, word meaning, retrieval and inference are seen as cornerstones of comprehension, as children must be confident in these areas before they can master the remaining skills.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Word meaning

Prediction

Understand the meaning of vocabulary in the text.

?

Wo

This symbol is used to represent word meaning in the teaching units.

Go to page 14 to read more about word meaning.

This symbol is used to represent prediction in the teaching units.

Go to page 22 to read more about prediction.

Word meaning is the target skill in Units 12, 14 and 17.

Prediction is the target skill in Unit 20.

Retrieval

Relationship

Recall key details from the text.

Comment on the way the text has been structured.

R e la ti o n s hi p

Re trie v al

This symbol is used to represent retrieval in the teaching units.

This symbol is used to represent relationship in the teaching units.

Go to page 16 to read more about retrieval.

Retrieval is the target skill in Units 2, 6, 9, 16 and 21.

Summarising Identify and comment on the text’s main points.

P re d i c ti o n

Go to page 24 to read more about relationship.

Relationship is the target skill in Unit 3.

Word choice .............. ..

Discuss the effect of words and phrases used in the text.

... ............. ......... ..................

Sum

m a risin

g

This symbol is used to represent summarising in the teaching units.

Wo r d c h o i c e

This symbol is used to represent word choice in the teaching units.

Go to page 18 to read more about summarising.

Go to page 26 to read more about word choice.

Summarising is the target skill in Units 1 and 5.

Word choice is the target skill in Units 7 and 15.

Inference

Comparison

Use details from the text and background knowledge to make judgements about aspects of the text.

Make comparisons about events, characters and structure in the text.

I n fe re n c e

This symbol is used to represent inference in the teaching units.

Go to page 20 to read more about inference.

Inference is the target skill in Units 4, 8, 10, 13, 18 and 19.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

C o m p ris o n a

This symbol is used to represent comparison in the teaching units.

Go to page 28 to read more about comparison.

Comparison is the target skill in Unit 11.

Series overview

?

rd m e a n i n g

Use details from the text and background knowledge to make plausible predictions based on the text.

Introduction

Key Stage 2 Comprehension skills

5

Introduction

Structure of the teaching unit Every Complete Comprehension teaching unit contains the same four components, which are explained below.

A short Introduction gives a synopsis of the text and highlights links to other texts in the book or to other curriculum subjects.

Teaching is split into five steps.

Lesson plan The first two pages of the teaching unit allow you to see the content of the lesson at a glance. Teaching is divided into five steps to give you the flexibility to make the lesson longer or shorter according to your needs (see Teaching with Complete Comprehension, page 8). Taught as a whole, each unit provides the ideal balance of a holistic reading experience and discrete practice of reading skills.

The Language toolkit identifies vocabulary terms for pre-teaching and includes a bank of supporting activities.

The Target skill is clearly signposted.

The Reading list offers a selection of related texts across a range of genres to encourage comparison and the strengthening of background knowledge.

The Modelling panel provides detailed guidance for the Let’s try… questions on the target skill. These questions are also included in the downloadable Modelling slides.

Structure of the teaching unit

Skills focus

6

These pages support you to model the target skill for your class using the Let’s try… questions, which are also included in the downloadable Modelling slides for easy display. The mark schemes for the Pupil questions, which the children can attempt after the modelling session, are also found here.

Mark schemes are provided for all pupil questions, and offer guidance on common areas of difficulty.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

A short, child-friendly Introduction helps pupils to access the text. This can be read aloud to pupils before reading the text.

Each comprehension text is available online in a downloadable format.

Introduction

The final two parts of each unit are aimed at the pupil. These resources may be photocopied for each child.

Comprehension text The text for each unit is designed to be photocopied, or downloaded and printed, and distributed to each pupil. The children should be encouraged to make their own highlights and annotations.

Some of the texts include an illustration, which can be discussed before reading the text.

The Target skill is clearly signposted.

The Mix it up! questions can be used to practise a range of skills.

Each unit includes a set of five Target-skill questions to enable the children to practise applying the target skill, as well as a set of Mix it up! questions that offer practice in a range of comprehension skills. The resources can be photocopied for each child.

The Target-skill questions can be used to practise the skill after modelling the Let’s try… questions for your class.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

The Mix-it up! questions would work well as a homework task, if desired.

Structure of the teaching unit

Pupil resources

7

Introduction

Teaching with Complete Comprehension There are 21 teaching units in this book. They can be used flexibly, but it is recommended that they are taught consecutively, as they have been arranged in a specific order to promote discussion and build progression. There are seven units to complete each term, leaving the remaining weeks free to spend on other reading work. Each term’s teaching units are followed by one of the three optional Progress checks (see Assessment, page 11).

Each teaching unit is divided into five steps, which are shown in the diagram below. These could be taught as separate sessions over the course of a week; alternatively, multiple steps could easily be combined into a single session.

The Get ready, First steps and Skills focus steps form the backbone of each teaching unit and should be completed in order. The optional Explore and Where next? steps are intended to be adapted as necessary to fit the time you have available and the needs of your cohort.

1

2

3

4

5

Get ready

First steps

Explore

Skills focus

Where next?

Prepare the children to engage with the text

Read the text together and check understanding

Discuss and appreciate the text’s themes and features

Model a comprehension skill and answer test-style questions

Round off teaching with a related activity or further reading

1 Get ready

Teaching with Complete Comprehension

The Get ready session is designed to be carried out verbally as a class.

8

Start by introducing pupils to the Key vocabulary terms in the Language toolkit. These are words from the text passage that are unusual or that the children may find difficult to read or understand.

Use the Vocabulary discussion questions to encourage the children to use the words in context, referring to related or opposite words if desired. You could then use the Vocabulary activities to reinforce understanding.

Once your pupils are comfortable with the language in the toolkit, display the comprehension text and accompanying illustration(s) and use the Get ready questions to encourage the children to access their existing knowledge of the genre and subject matter. This will ensure that their minds are fully engaged when you come to read the comprehension text together.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

O

discuss word meanings, linking new meanings to those already known

O

draw on what they already know or on background information provided by the teacher

O

link what they have read or heard to their own experiences.

Introduction

In the Get ready session, the children will:

2 First steps Like the Get ready session, the First steps session is intended to be conducted verbally as a class.

Begin by reading the comprehension text with your class. The First steps questions, which should be discussed after reading the text, follow the order of the text and help you to ensure that the children have grasped the basic outline of the passage. The work done in this part of the teaching unit will prepare them to answer more complex questions in the Skills focus session (see page 10).

In the First steps session, the children will: O

listen to and discuss a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction

O

check that the text makes sense to them as they read, and correct inaccurate reading.

3 Explore This optional session can be adapted to the needs of your cohort. It offers opportunities for further discussion and enrichment activities to bring the text to life.

The Explore enrichment activities might include using imperative verbs to guide their partner after reading an instructional text. These activities, which represent an enjoyable change of pace within the lesson, will help to build positive attitudes to reading.

In the Explore session, the children will: O

learn to appreciate and recite rhymes and poems

O

become very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, retelling them and considering their particular characteristics

O

participate in discussion of what is read to them, taking turns and listening to what others say.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Teaching with Complete Comprehension

The Explore discussion questions highlight key themes or literary features of the text. They support the development of analytical skills and encourage the children to express their opinions and listen to the views of their peers, promoting a culture of active reading.

9

Introduction

4 Skills focus This is the skills-based session of the teaching unit. From Year 2 onwards, the teaching unit is always structured around three sets of questions: modelled target-skill questions (the Let’s try… questions), practice target-skill questions and mixed skill questions.

1 Model the target skill First, introduce or recap the target skill, perhaps using one of the downloadable Skills graphics to focus the children’s attention. The strategies suggested in the relevant pages of the Skills guide (see pages 14 to 29) may also be helpful at this point.

Once you have explained the skill, display the Let’s try… questions (also available as a downloadable resource). Using the answers and modelling guidance provided on the Skills focus pages of each unit (see page 6), model the questions for your class. The modelling process is intended to be an interactive experience for the children. The Modelling panel contains prompts to help you keep them engaged and highlight the steps in your method.

2 Practise the target skill Once the Let’s try… questions have been discussed and completed, the children increase their familiarity with the target skill by working through the Target-skill questions. The children could work in small groups to complete these questions, with adult supervision as required. Answers and guidance can be found on the Skills focus pages of each teaching unit.

3 Practise a range of comprehension skills The session ends with a set of Mix it up! questions, which offer practice in a range of the Key Stage 2 comprehension skills. These questions are a good way to build the children’s confidence in recognising questions from different skill areas. They would also work well as a homework task, if desired.

Teaching with Complete Comprehension

In the Skills focus session, the children will:

10

O

discuss the significance of the title and events

O

make inferences on the basis of what is said and done

O

predict what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far

O

explain clearly their understanding of what is read to them.

5 Where next?

This optional session includes two useful resources that encourage further engagement with the text.

The Reading list offers a selection of related texts, categorised by genre, which could be used alongside the main unit text to build background knowledge or provide some interesting contrasts. (See The comprehension texts, page 12, for guidance on making contrasts between the texts within this book.)

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

In the Where next? session, the children will: O

listen to and discuss a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction

O

develop pleasure in reading and motivation to read.

Introduction

The Speaking and listening task and the Writing task can be used to help you round off the unit.

Both tasks are closely linked to the themes in the comprehension text, and act as a bridge to other areas of the English curriculum. They also represent an opportunity for the children to apply and strengthen the background knowledge they have gained in the course of the teaching unit.

Assessment Each Complete Comprehension book contains three Progress checks designed to be used at the end of each term. These are informal assessments, in which the children work more independently (without the support of the full teaching unit structure) to answer a set of questions that cover a range of comprehension skills. The Progress checks can be used to boost the children’s confidence and provide introductory practice for the reading component of the national tests (SATs). They are designed to be used as a helpful transition towards more formal assessment resources. Full marking guidance is provided for each question.

Running the Progress checks 1 Give each child a copy of the comprehension text and spend a few minutes looking at it together, discussing the title and any illustrations. Read the pupil introduction aloud and discuss any questions the children have. You could also consider dividing the text into shorter sections if some children require further scaffolding.

3 Encourage the children to reread the text before answering the questions independently. There should be no set time allotted to this activity; allow the children to spend as long as they wish on the Progress check and encourage them to review their answers when they have finished. If they find a question challenging, support them to identify the target comprehension skill and provide them with the relevant Skills graphic to remind them what they need to consider when thinking about their answer.

Please note that the Progress check is a tool designed to give a brief snapshot of pupils’ comprehension.

It should not be used as a formal assessment but can give you an indication of areas your class are finding more challenging, which you can then use to guide your teaching.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Teaching with Complete Comprehension

2 Once all the children have read the text, you could briefly remind them of the different comprehension skills they have worked on and discuss how they can identify the questions in each skill area. You may wish to use the downloadable Skills graphics or refer to the Skills guide (see pages 14 to 29) to help with this. You could also clarify some of the vocabulary that the children have found tricky during reading, but this discussion should be brief.

11

Introduction

The comprehension texts This book contains 24 text passages in total. The texts are arranged in themed pairs, linked by either author or subject matter. These pairings have been planned to facilitate discussion and comparison of related texts as you move through the book. They can be used alongside the external resources in each unit’s Reading list (see page 10).

In addition to discussing the units in their intended pairs, there are many other links you can make between the texts in each book, including discussing texts of the same genre. As many of the links are crosscurricular, these extra class discussions can be a useful way to strengthen the children’s background knowledge. The Curriculum links chart below uses shading to show the text pairs and the cross-curricular links for the texts in this book.

Curriculum links in Complete Comprehension 3 Unit

Title

Author

Genre

Curriculum links

1

The Pebble in My Pocket

Meredith Hooper

Non-fiction Narrative non-fiction

Geography: Human and physical geography

2

Stone Circles

Dawn Finch

Non-fiction Information text

History: Stone Age

3

My Brother Is a Superhero

David Solomons

Fiction

4

The Magic Finger

Roald Dahl

Fiction Classic fiction

PSHE: Describing feelings

5

Sugar: The Facts

The NHS

Non-fiction Information text

Science: Nutrition

Non-fiction Instructional text

Science: Nutrition

The comprehension texts

6

12

Prawn Pizza

Jane Sowerby

7

The Iron Man

Ted Hughes

Fiction Classic fiction

Progress check 1

The Selfish Giant

Oscar Wilde

Fiction Traditional tale

8

The Ice Palace

Robert Swindells

Fiction

9

A House of Snow and Ice

Stephen Whitt

Non-fiction Information text

PSHE: Healthy lifestyles

PSHE: Healthy lifestyles

Geography: The Arctic

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Title

Author

Genre

Curriculum links

10

The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends)

Shelley Fu

Fiction Mythology

Geography: Chinese culture

11

New Year Celebrations

Jane Sowerby

Non-fiction Information text

Geography: Chinese culture

12

Night Comes Too Soon

James Berry

Poetry

Geography: The Caribbean

13

Tom’s Midnight Garden

Philippa Pearce

Fiction Classic fiction

14

The Story of Tutankhamun

Patricia ClevelandPeck

Non-fiction Information text

History: Ancient Egypt

Progress check 2

Secrets of a Sun King

Emma Carroll

Fiction

History: Ancient Egypt

15

The Butterfly Lion

Michael Morpurgo

Fiction

16

Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government

The Independent

Non-fiction Newspaper article

17

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll

Fiction Classic fiction

18

The Madhatters

Aoife Mannix

Poetry

19

Stig of the Dump (Extract 1)

Clive King

Fiction Classic fiction

20

Stig of the Dump (Extract 2)

Clive King

Fiction Classic fiction

21

Norse Mythology

Neil Gaiman

Fiction Mythology

Progress check 3

Discover the Vikings: Warriors, Exploration and Trade

John C. Miles

Non-fiction Information text

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Introduction

Unit

History: Stone Age

History: Vikings

The comprehension texts

PSHE: Caring for living things

13

Skills guide Word meaning

?

Word meaning Understanding word meaning Without an understanding of words, effective reading is impossible. As Lemov (2016)1 remarked, ‘Successful reading relies on a reader’s capacity to understand both a large number of words as well as the subtleties and nuances of those words, even when words change their meaning according to the setting’. Learning to define words in context is an important skill, and one that confident readers use regularly.

It is crucial that children do not simply learn to ‘define’ individual words, like a dictionary, but that they understand the vocabulary they encounter in the context in which it appears. The National Curriculum (2014) requires children in Key Stage 1 to understand texts by ‘drawing on what they already know or on background information or vocabulary provided by the teacher’, while children in Key Stage 2 must check that a text makes sense to them by ‘explaining the meaning of words in context’. Developing this skill helps children to make links between known and unknown words and teaches them to use the context of a word to interpret its meaning.

Word meaning in Complete Comprehension The teaching of vocabulary can be divided into two key types: explicit and implicit instruction.2 Explicit instruction is the teaching of specific words and phrases that are necessary to either comprehend a specific text or comprehend meaning more generally in advance of reading.

Implicit instruction is the teaching of strategies that help learners assess their understanding of words as they read.

Word meaning is the target skill of several teaching units in each Complete Comprehension book. In addition, both types of vocabulary instruction are addressed in every teaching unit: explicit instruction is the focus of the Get ready session, in which Key vocabulary terms are taught before reading the comprehension passage. Implicit instruction underlies the work done in the subsequent Explore and Skills focus sessions (see pages 8 to 11 for a full description of the teaching sequence).

14

See Units 12, 14 and 17

?

Word meaning questions usually require children Wo to make links between rd m e a n i n g synonyms. In Complete Comprehension, questions may be worded as follows: O

Which word is closest in meaning to…? Tick one.

O

Explain what the word(s) … tell(s) you about…

O

What does the word … mean in this sentence/line?

O

Underline the word which tells you that…

O

Draw lines to match each word to its meaning.

O

Find and copy one word/a group of words that means the same as…

Often, questions that assess the skill of word meaning only require the child to find out one piece of information. However, this information does not usually come directly from the text but must be deduced using vocabulary knowledge. Word meaning questions thus sometimes require the use of other comprehension skills, such as inference (see page 20) to reach the correct answer.

Key challenges As they read, many children skip over words they do not understand, losing meaning in the process. Teaching children to note down and ask about any vocabulary they do not understand when reading is therefore crucial.

Many children have relatively shallow vocabulary knowledge, only understanding a word when it appears in a familiar context. For example, many will have no trouble with ‘It was raining’ but will struggle with ‘The money was raining down’. It is important to provide opportunities for children to deepen their knowledge by investigating words in a range of contexts.

Children with less secure vocabularies may also struggle to generate linked vocabulary (e.g. knowing that ‘repeat’, ‘redo’ and ‘recycle’ are all connected by the prefix ‘re–’, which refers to doing something again). Incorporating the etymology and categorisation strategies described on page 15 when you are teaching will support the children to make these connections.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

O

O

O

Context clues: Reading around the target word or sentence to gain a general idea of the context can help children make an educated guess about the word’s meaning. However, it is important to note that using context clues can also lead to confusion, as authors generally do not write with the primary aim of supporting readers to make meaning. When you use this strategy, the children should only be directed to words with a helpful context. When teaching vocabulary explicitly, it is a good idea to introduce a new word within multiple contexts before modelling how to use the specific context to construct meaning. The vocabulary discussion questions in each unit’s Language toolkit (see page 6) help the children to understand the Key vocabulary terms in context.

Substitution: Encourage the children to make substitutions to help them check the meaning of a word. If the target word is replaced by a new word, does the sentence still make sense? Is the new word a synonym, or has the meaning of the sentence changed? If the sentence still ‘works’, how does this information help the children to answer the question?

Shades of meaning: When the children are investigating possible synonyms for unfamiliar vocabulary, ensure that they understand that a synonym is similar to, but not the same as, the original word. Asking the children to place a group of synonyms on a scale from the weakest to the strongest can help them to appreciate nuances.

Etymology: Children need to be taught the meanings of root words, prefixes and suffixes, and should be encouraged to use these to help them make educated guesses about word meaning.

Throughout Complete Comprehension, and especially at Key Stage 2, etymology activities are included in the Vocabulary activities section of the Language toolkit.

Skills guide

O

O

Modelling word meaning When modelling word meaning for your class using the Let’s try… questions (see page 6), the steps below may be useful. Specific modelling guidance is also provided in the relevant teaching units.

1 Read aloud. Model reading the whole question carefully.

2 Identify and underline the key words in the question.

3 Model scanning the text efficiently to locate each key word, or related key words, from the question.

4 Demonstrate reading the sentences before and after each key word to look for context clues.

?

Word meaning

Strategies for developing word meaning

5 Make links aloud between the key words and their synonyms. Model using this knowledge to help you gauge the meaning.

6 Formulate an answer. Model checking that it answers the question.

Categorisation: For vocabulary knowledge to become deeper and more securely embedded, the children need to be able to categorise vocabulary.

For example, knowing that ‘zebra’ and ‘mongoose’ both refer to animals, and that ‘angry’ and ‘exasperated’ both describe negative feelings, will support the children to make essential links as they read. Providing them with word cards to sort into categories can help to build up this understanding.

1 Lemov, D. (2016) Reading Reconsidered. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, p. 251.

2 Lemov (2016), pp. 253–256.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

15

Skills guide

Retrieval Understanding retrieval Retrieval is the act of efficiently locating, and reproducing, important details in a text. Other reading skills cannot be mastered without a knowledge of retrieval, which is often seen as the most important reading skill.

Retrieval

The National Curriculum (2014) requires children in Key Stage 1 to ‘identify/explain key aspects of fiction and non-fiction texts’, while children in Key Stage 2 must ‘retrieve and record information/identify key details from fiction and non-fiction’. Strong retrieval skills are essential for effective comprehension.

Retrieval in Complete Comprehension Retrieval relies on a secure understanding of the information in a text. The key to successful retrieval is remembering that the information required to answer the question is always stated explicitly in the text. The children must be encouraged to focus on the text rather than relying on memory or on their extrinsic knowledge (in contrast to other comprehension skills, such as inference – see page 20).

Because it is so important, retrieval is the focus skill in many of the units in each Complete Comprehension book. This allows the children to practise retrieval in many different contexts. In addition, further retrieval practice is built into every teaching unit through the questions in the First steps session (see page 9) of the lesson. These straightforward questions encourage the children to develop the habit of looking back at the text after their initial reading to pick out key details. This helps them to generate a ‘mental model’ of the text, which will give them a better idea of where to look for answers when they encounter more formal questions in the Skills focus session (see page 10).

16

See Units 2, 6, 9, 16 and 21

In Complete Comprehension, retrieval questions often begin Re trie v al with a ‘question word’, such as ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’, ‘how’ or ‘which’, that relates to the target information (e.g. ‘who’ for a character; ‘when’ for a time). Often, some of the words used in retrieval questions are taken from the text, which provides an important signpost to readers of where in the text the answer is likely to be found. The children should be encouraged to pay attention to the number of details they have been asked to give, as retrieval questions will often ask for more than one piece of information.

In Complete Comprehension, retrieval questions are often worded as follows: O

Who…/What…/When…/ Where…/How…/ Which…?

O

Give two…

O

According to the text…

O

Find and copy two examples of … from the text.

O

Draw lines to match each statement…

O

Tick to show whether the statement is true or false.

O

Tick to show whether the statement(s) below is/are fact or opinion.

It is important to note that retrieval questions will sometimes require the children to draw on other comprehension skills, such as inference (see page 20), to reach the correct answer.

Key challenges Some children find retrieval difficult; they try to remember the information or use their extrinsic knowledge to answer questions, instead of referring back to the text. When teaching retrieval, you must emphasise the fact that the information will always be found in the text.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

O

O

Identify key words: To retrieve information, the children need to be able to identify key words in the question before locating them in the text.

This should be modelled explicitly by looking at the question, removing any extraneous information, and then deciding on the key words needed.

Sometimes, the key words in the question will be synonymous with words in the text. It is important to model discussing possible synonyms that the text may use instead of the key words.

Scanning: Scanning is the process of rapidly searching the text for specific information, such as a key word. This is a fundamental reading skill that should be prioritised and practised. It is important to model a systematic approach by scanning every line of the text, perhaps using your finger or a ruler on the page. Activities that do not require the children to decode may be helpful for developing scanning skills. The children could use ‘search and find’ texts, such as the Where’s Wally? books, to practise scanning. Alternatively, you could provide a section of text and challenge the children to see how many words, letter strings or punctuation marks they can find in it within a given time.

When modelling retrieval for your class using the Let’s try… questions (see page 6), the steps below may be useful. Specific modelling guidance is also provided in the relevant teaching units.

1 Read the question aloud. Remind the children that they should resist the temptation to draw conclusions based on their own knowledge, and model focusing your attention back to the words in the text.

Skills guide

O

Modelling retrieval

2 Locate the key words in your concept or question.

3 Scan the text for those key words, or related key words, and highlight or underline them.

4 If necessary, read around the key words to look for context clues.

5 Find the information you need in the text and highlight or underline it.

6 Check that the information you have found answers the question.

Retrieval

Strategies for developing retrieval

Point out the evidence/Fastest finger first: To emphasise the importance of always referring to the text rather than falling back on extrinsic knowledge, challenge the children to ‘point out the evidence’ for their answer, for example by highlighting, circling or underlining the text. You could also play games such as ‘Fastest finger first’, in which players race to physically place their finger on the word(s) in the text that answer a question or provide a relevant detail.

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Skills guide Summarising 18

Summarising

See Units 1 and 5 .............. .. ... .............

Understanding summarising Once the skill of sequencing has been embedded in Key Stage 1, the children can progress to the Key Stage 2 skill of summarising. To sequence, the children use their knowledge of the whole text to order the events within it. To summarise, they use their knowledge of the whole text and its sequence to identify the most important points and reformulate them concisely.

The National Curriculum (2014) requires children to be competent at ‘summarising the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph’ and ‘identifying key details that support the main ideas’. A confident reader will automatically summarise key information, retaining the most important information and discarding extraneous details.

Summarising in Complete Comprehension Summarising requires a secure understanding of the content of separate sections of a text as well as the text as a whole. Summarising is the target skill for several teaching units across the Complete Comprehension series for Key Stage 2. In addition, the First steps questions that appear in every unit (see page 9) provide extra summarising practice, as they prompt the children to think about the main events in a text immediately after they first read it. These questions focus on the type of details that the children should look for when attempting to summarise a text (e.g. the number of characters in the extract; their relative importance; main events and their chronology).

In Complete Comprehension, summarising questions are often worded as follows:

......... ..................

Sum

m a risin

g

O

What…?/Which…?/Who…?/When…?/Where…?

O

Which word best describes…? Tick one.

O

Which subheading best summarises the content of paragraph X? Tick one.

O

Look at paragraph X. What is the main point of this paragraph?

O

Find and copy/Underline a group of words to summarise the content of paragraph X.

O

Which of the following would be the most effective (alternative) title for the whole extract? Tick one.

O

What is the overall theme of the text?

O

Look at the last paragraph. Summarise why…

O

Summarise what the first verse tells us about…

O

Match each verse/paragraph to its idea/topic.

O

What does this sentence tell you about the content of the paragraph?

O

Number the statements/events to show the order in which they happen in the text.

Key challenges Children tend to find summarising a challenge for two main reasons. First, because it requires a good understanding of the entire text: for those who have poor working memories, or who find decoding a challenge, the cognitive load of summarising this much material can be too heavy. Some children also find it difficult to sum up the key points concisely once they have identified them because they struggle to eliminate extraneous detail.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

O

O

Skim-reading: Skim-reading means reading a text quickly to assimilate the main ideas. It enables the children to gain an overview of what each paragraph of a text is about. This helps them to generate a mental map of the text and predict where information is most likely to be found.

This strategy is particularly helpful when reading non-fiction. You could introduce skim-reading by showing the children the text with most lines blacked out, so that only the title and the first sentence of each paragraph are visible. Discuss what this content tells the reader about the paragraph. Encourage the children to use the first line of a paragraph to ‘get the gist’ of the text before reading it in more detail. It is also worth reminding them to look at titles, subheadings, illustrations, captions and words that are formatted in bold or italics.

Captions: Children often struggle to retain the sequence and content of a text while reading. Model annotating each paragraph with a brief caption.

This method will support the children to summarise as they read and help them to order events and information.

‘Somebody Wanted But So Then’: This is a useful structure to use when summarising the events in a story, because it is easy to remember. Model the technique using a well-known story, as in the example below: O

Somebody: Cinderella.

O

Wanted: To go to the ball and escape her evil stepmother.

O

But: The magic ran out before she could live happily ever after.

O

So: She went back to her ordinary life.

O

Then: The prince found her and they lived happily ever after.

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Cut it down: Once the children have learnt how to write a summary, challenge them to make it more concise by removing all unnecessary information.

Using a summary you have prepared yourself or one written by a pupil, work as a group to remove any extraneous detail. As you read through, make sure that you also draw attention to any examples of particularly concise writing.

O

Limits: When the children have developed some confidence in using this skill, you could add another level of challenge by giving them a limit to the number of words or characters they can use to summarise a text or concept.

Skills guide

O

O

Modelling summarising When modelling summarising for your class using the Let’s try… questions (see page 6), the steps below may be useful. Specific modelling guidance is also provided in the relevant teaching units.

1 Read the question aloud.

2 Model deciding whether the question is asking you to give a summary of the whole text or of a specific part of the text.

Summarising

Strategies for developing summarising

3 If the question asks for a general summary, model skim-reading the whole text to remind yourself of the key points. If you are summarising part of a text, model scanning the text to find that part, using the key words and/or the locator from the question, and reminding yourself of the main points.

4 Model formulating a concise summary or answering the question using your summarising skill.

5 Model checking your summary for non-essential details and removing them.

6 Finally, model checking that your final answer matches the question.

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Skills guide

Inference

See Units 4, 8, 10, 13, 18 and 19

Understanding inference Inference skills are essential for understanding our world: we use them whenever we gauge other people’s emotions using their facial expressions or tone of voice.

Children will therefore have some ability to infer even before they learn to decode.

Inference

Inference is often described as the ability to ‘read between the lines’ or ‘find clues’ in a text. However, it can be more helpfully defined as the skill of using both evidence from the text and our background knowledge to come to a reasonable conclusion.

Academics have separated inference-making into a number of distinct categories (Kispal, 2008).3 However, most recognise two main categories of inference: Coherence inferences are necessary for basic comprehension. They can be formulated from understanding a text’s cohesive devices, such as pronouns, or from linking background knowledge to the text. For example, from the sentence ‘Maggie loved playing catch but sometimes she refused to bring the ball back’, we could infer that ‘Maggie’, ‘she’ and ‘her’ are the same (using cohesive devices), and that Maggie is probably a dog (using background knowledge).

Elaborative inferences are not necessary for basic comprehension, but they make a text more interesting.

An elaborative inference might be a prediction or speculation that the reader makes about a character or the consequences of an action. For example, from the sentence ‘Maggie loved playing catch but sometimes she refused to give the ball back to her owner’, we could infer that, because she sometimes refused to bring back the ball, Maggie might be a puppy. Elaborative inferences depend on background knowledge and are thus more demanding than coherence inferences.

The National Curriculum (2014) requires pupils in Key Stage 1 to be ‘making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done’. At Key Stage 2, learners must rely on their background knowledge, ‘drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives’.

Inference in Complete Comprehension Inference is the focus skill in a high proportion of the units in each Complete Comprehension book, to allow the children to practise inference in different contexts.

20

In Complete Comprehension, inference questions often include I n fe re n c e the phrase ‘How/Why do you think…?’. It is a good idea to draw the children’s attention to this wording to help them remember that they need to make a judgement using their own knowledge in addition to the text, rather than limiting themselves to details explicitly mentioned in the text, as they would when answering a retrieval (see page 16) or summarising (see page 18) question. Once the children’s inference skills have begun to embed, most questions will require them to provide evidence to support their inferences. You should explore the expectations of these questions with the children.

In Complete Comprehension, inference questions are often worded as follows: O

Why…/How…/Which…?

O

Why/How/What do you think…? Explain your answer.

O

How can you tell…?

O

Explain why…

O

Give two reasons…

O

True or false…

O

Think about the whole text. What impression do you get of…? Give one impression and one piece of evidence.

More demanding inference questions are sometimes structured using a grid format to support children’s responses. It is also important to note that inference questions always require the use of other comprehension skills, such as retrieval (see page 16), to reach the correct answer.

Key challenges For many children, inference is a real challenge. This is because they are required to make an intuitive leap to move from what they know (direct evidence that they can see in the text) to what they think (the conclusion they come to after locating and assessing the evidence).

An understanding of the text, robust vocabulary skills and strong background knowledge are essential prerequisites for successful inference-making. The skills of word meaning (see page 14) and retrieval (see page 16) must therefore be embedded before inference skills can fully develop.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

O

Think-alouds: Confident readers make inferences automatically as they read. However, when teaching children to infer, you should slow down and model your thought process. ‘Think-alouds’ (statements that verbalise your thought process) can be useful.

For example, you could think aloud to model dividing your thoughts into two types: ‘what I know’ and ‘what I think’ (e.g. ‘From the text, I know that… This makes me think…’). Think-alouds can also be used to model refining an inference (e.g. ‘I thought that… because… but… so…’), and can be incorporated into the strategies below.

Inference check: Marzano (2010)4 suggested that teachers could support inference-making by modelling asking the following four questions:

O

Graphic organisers: These are especially helpful when the children are asked to provide evidence or an explanation for their inferences. For example, the children could complete a ‘I can see…I know…I think’ chart: a table with three columns in which they first record what they can see in the text or image.

They then record what they know from the text, and use this to write what they think (the inference). It is important to explicitly model the thinking process behind this strategy.

1 ‘What is my inference?’

2 ‘What did I use to make my inference?’

3 ‘How good was my thinking?’

4 ‘Do I need to change my thinking?’

Modelling inference When modelling the skill of inference for your class using the Let’s try… questions (see page 6), the steps below may be useful. Specific modelling guidance is also provided in the teaching units.

Skills guide

O

Inference

inferences about people’s preferences, location or relationship. For instance, you could listen to a conversation or watch a video clip showing two people and ask the children what they can infer about their relationship (e.g. ‘Do you think these people are friends or enemies? How can you tell from what they do and what they say?’).

Strategies for developing inference

These questions could be used in the strategy above.

1 Read the question aloud.

O

O

Objects and visual representations: Using objects and images that relate to the text can be helpful when exploring inference, as this eliminates the need to decode and therefore reduces cognitive load. You could use images to represent characters or scenes from the text, and model inference by adding thought or speech bubbles to them.

Alternatively, you could assign objects to characters from a text. For example, if you were reading ‘The Three Bears’, you could provide different porridge bowls and ask the children to decide which character each bowl is most likely to belong to.

Real-life scenarios: Many children will need prompting to connect the inferences they make in everyday life with inferences made while reading.

One strategy is to use models such as ‘think-alouds’ to explore real-life scenarios, using clues to make

2 Locate the key words in the question. Scan the text for those key words, or related key words, and highlight or underline them.

3 Read around the key words to look for context clues.

4 Discuss what the text tells you about the key words.

5 Model using this information to make an inference.

This might involve relating the ideas in the question to your own experiences to model the use of background knowledge.

6 Model justifying your inference with evidence from the text.

7 Check that the information answers the question.

3 Kispal, A. (2008) ‘Effective Teaching of Inference Skills for Reading’. Literature Review. Research Report DCSF-RR031, National Foundation for Educational Research.

4 Marzano, R.J. (2010) ‘The Art and Science of Teaching/Teaching Inference’. Educational Leadership, 67(7), 80–81.

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Skills guide Prediction

Prediction Understanding prediction Prediction is the skill of being able to make inferences (see page 20) about what is likely to happen later in a text. In a fiction extract, this might relate to a character’s actions; in a non-fiction extract, it might be about the type of information that will be found in the next part of the text. A skilled reader makes predictions automatically, finding links between known and new information as they read. The National Curriculum (2014) requires pupils in Key Stage 1 to predict ‘what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far’ while Key Stage 2 children need to predict ‘what might happen from details stated and implied’.

The ability to make predictions requires a thorough understanding of a passage. To make a plausible prediction, the reader must be able to select details from the text and use these, and their own background knowledge, to decide what is likely to happen.

Prediction in Complete Comprehension One teaching unit in each Complete Comprehension book focuses on prediction. In addition, the children’s prediction skills are engaged in the Get ready session of every unit. These questions encourage the children to use the title and any subheadings, illustration(s) and their own background knowledge to help them predict what a passage will be about. Following on from this, the Mix it up! questions in the Skills focus session offer frequent opportunities to practise and refine this important skill. (See pages 6 to 11 for a complete guide to the teaching unit.)

As prediction requires the use of inference skills, it is not surprising that prediction questions are often worded similarly to inference questions. Once the children’s prediction skills have begun to embed, most questions will require them to justify their predictions using the text. In Complete Comprehension, prediction questions may be worded as follows:

22

O

Who…/What…/When…/Where…/How…/Which…?

O

Predict…

O

Imagine…

O

Which is most likely…?

See Unit 20

The skill of prediction is usually assessed through tick-box or extended P re d i c ti o n response questions: however, on occasion, it may also be assessed through other question types, which may require additional teacher modelling.

Key challenges Often, children with poor comprehension skills will be able to formulate a prediction, but their predictions will not be sufficiently plausible, and may not be linked to the original text. You should remind all children to use the text to inform any prediction and underlying inference; this can also help when answering prediction questions that require additional justification, which can be challenging. (For more information on the challenges of teaching and using inference, see page 20.)

Strategies for developing prediction O

O

‘Think-alouds’: One way to support children to predict is to use ‘think-alouds’ (statements that verbalise your thought process). You can use thinkalouds at different points to model prediction: O

Before reading (e.g. ‘I’ve found this book and when I look at the title/illustrations I think… because… so that might mean… I could predict…’).

O

While reading (e.g. ‘I wonder what’s going to happen next. I know… So that makes me think… I could predict…’).

O

After reading (e.g. ‘While I was reading I predicted… I was right because/I was incorrect because…’).

Multiple predictions: Confident readers not only make predictions, but they also constantly re-evaluate and adjust their predictions as they read. One way to help the children develop this skill is to start from a narrow viewpoint: for example, you could show them a small part of an illustration or a phrase from the text and ask them to make a prediction based on what they can see, then show them more of the picture/text and ask them to make another prediction. This will help them to adjust their first prediction as they read.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

O

Graphic organisers: Once the children have started to make predictions, you could use graphic organisers to help them organise their ideas and scaffold their justifications. It is important to explicitly model the thinking process behind this strategy. Examples of useful graphic organisers for prediction include: O

O

‘I predict… because’: The children complete a chart that asks them to record their predictions and their justification.

Modelling prediction When modelling the skill of prediction for your class using the Let’s try… questions (see page 6), the steps below may be useful. Specific modelling guidance is also provided in the teaching units.

1 Read the question aloud. Point out the need to look back at the text rather than making a hasty prediction that does not relate closely enough to the text – the children need to think about what is likely to happen rather than what they want to happen.

Skills guide

Making links: Making plausible predictions involves making links to other known texts, characters and information. Although predictions should be made with reference to a specific text, extrinsic knowledge relating to the wider genre or subject matter of the text is also important. For instance, if you are reading ‘Cinderella’ with your class and the children have read other fairy tales, they will know that in a fairy tale the main character usually lives happily ever after, and this could have a bearing on any predictions they make. As part of the ‘think-aloud’ process detailed above, you could model making links to known texts and different types of text. In Complete Comprehension, each extract has at least one linked text; listed on pages 12 to 13 and often referred to in each unit’s introduction, these links are designed to help you make connections with the children’s existing knowledge. Each unit also includes a Reading list of related texts.

2 Identify the key words in the question. Scan the text for those key words, or related key words, and highlight or underline them.

3 Read around the key words to look for context clues.

4 Discuss what you know already.

5 Discuss what you think may happen next, linking this back to the text.

Prediction

O

6 Model justifying your prediction. This might involve relating the ideas in the question to your own experiences to model using your background knowledge.

7 Check that the information in your answer matches the question.

‘What has happened… What will happen…

What actually happened’: The children complete a chart by recording event(s) from the text and their predictions about what will happen next.

You could then give them copies of the source text and allow them to read beyond the extract and record what actually happened.

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Skills guide Relationship

Relationship Understanding relationship Understanding the relationship between elements of a text and the overall text structure is one of the skills of a confident reader. The children must be able to understand the structure and theme of a text in order to derive meaning from it – for example, through appreciating how the organisation of the text helps the reader to understand its content; or how the author builds up atmosphere in a suspenseful narrative. The National Curriculum (2014) requires Key Stage 2 pupils to read ‘books that are structured in different ways’ to become accustomed to ‘identifying and discussing themes and conventions’ and ‘how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning’. As Oakhill et al. (2015) notes, an understanding of the relationships within a text ‘supports comprehension, especially that of new texts, [and] helps the reader to establish critical relations between information’.5

Relationship in Complete Comprehension This skill of relationship requires a secure overall understanding of the text. Children must possess a deep knowledge of a range of text structures and themes: they need to be able to appreciate that a quest story or a mystery will be structured differently from other fiction narratives, and that a non-fiction, instructional text will have a different effect on the reader than that of a traditional information text. The building blocks for understanding relationship are incorporated into every Complete Comprehension book through regular opportunities for discussing theme and structure in the Get ready and Explore sessions of each unit (see pages 8 to 9). In addition, relationship is the target skill of one unit in each Complete Comprehension book aimed at Key Stage 2.

It is also regularly tested in the Mix it up! questions.

Relationship questions can be structured in a variety of ways. The children should be encouraged to justify their responses with evidence. In Complete Comprehension, relationship questions are often worded as follows:

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O

Who…?/What…?/When…?/Where…?/How…?/ Which…?/Why…?

O

At this point…

See Unit 3

O

At what point in the text…?

O

Who do you think this information is for?

O

Why do you think the first sentence in paragraph X was included?

O

What does this sentence tell you about…?

O

What do you think is the author’s opinion of…?

O

How has the text been written to make you want to find out more? Give one point and one piece of evidence.

O

Why has the author structured the text in this way?

O

Which event in the text led to…?

O

How do X’s feelings change over the course of the story? Give two changes.

O

How does the author encourage you to read on at the end of this extract? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

O

Why do you think this text has been written?

O

Look at the first sentence. What effect do you think the author is trying to create?

R e la ti o n s hi p

Relationship is most often assessed through extended response questions. However, sometimes question types that require additional teacher modelling will be used. It is important to note that relationship questions require the use of other comprehension skills, such as inference (see page 20), to reach the correct answer.

Key challenges Although readers automatically make judgements about the relationship between different elements of a text as they read, these can be challenging to articulate, as they require a solid understanding of the content of the whole text. Children often find relationship challenging because they do not understand the text well enough. Overall understanding should therefore be prioritised before attempting to introduce the analysis of relationship. There is also a correlation between poor overall comprehension and a person’s understanding of text structures.6 To remedy this, teachers should explicitly teach and make reference

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Mind maps: The children create a branching diagram to show related ideas in a text.

O

Flowcharts: The children create a diagram to show cause and effect in the text.

O

Top hat diagram: The children complete a hatshaped chart to compare and contrast what they know about two texts. They summarise the differences in the ‘brim’, and then note any similarities in the raised part of the ‘hat’.

O

Genre-specific skeleton: The children create a graphic representation to show the structure of the text (e.g. for a non-chronological report, they might include boxes for the introduction, each subheading and the conclusion).

Strategies for developing relationship O

O

O

Remembering content: In order to make an informed judgement about the relationship between parts of a text, the children must understand the structure of the text itself. Research

by Paris and Paris (2007)7 shows that when pupils are taught techniques to remember the key elements of narrative, such as the ‘five-finger trick’ (thumb – ‘who’, first finger – ‘where’, second finger – ‘beginning’, third finger – ‘middle’, fourth finger – ‘end’), they can retell stories more fully and show improved narrative comprehension. It is important to discuss the structure of narrative and non-narrative texts, both in the Get ready and First steps sessions of Complete Comprehension and whenever you read texts as a class.

Modelling relationship

Plotting points: Relationship questions sometimes focus on a character’s actions at a particular point in the text. While this relies on the ability to sequence and structure the text, you can support the skill of relationship by modelling how to plot key points on a graph. You could plot a character’s emotions throughout the text on an axis of emotion, or use a graph to show how one character’s actions affect another.

3 Scan the text for those key words, or related key words, and highlight or underline them.

Graphic organisers: Once the children can recognise different text structures, they may find it helpful to use a graphic organiser to explore these structures. These can range from the more general (e.g. sequencing story plot points on a storyboard) to the more specific (e.g. making a plan for a nonchronological report). It is important to explicitly model both the thinking process behind this strategy, and the activity itself. Examples of useful graphic organisers for relationship include: O

When modelling the skill of relationship for your class using the Let’s try… questions (see page 6), the steps below may be useful. Specific modelling guidance is also provided in the relevant teaching units.

1 Read the question aloud.

2 Locate the key words in the question. At this point, you could talk about the genre and theme of the text and about how what you know could help you to answer the question.

Skills guide

O

Relationship

to a variety of text structures (e.g. for fiction texts: quest/mystery stories versus fairy tales/comic stories; for non-fiction texts: information texts as compared to instructional texts), both when teaching with Complete Comprehension and elsewhere across the curriculum.

4 Read around the key words for context clues.

5 Discuss how the information relates to the text as a whole. Does it help to communicate a certain theme?

6 Discuss how it relates to the text.

7 Check that the information in your answer matches the question.

Storyboards: The children draw six key events from the story and write captions for them.

5 Oakhill, J., Cain, K. & Elbro, C. (2015) Understanding and Teaching Reading Comprehension. London: Routledge, p. 92.

6 Oakhill et al. (2015), p. 90.

7 Paris, A. & Paris, S. (2007) ‘Teaching narrative comprehension strategies to first-graders’. Cognition and Instruction, 25(1), 1–44.

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Skills guide Word choice

Word choice Understanding word choice Word choice is the skill of understanding why an author has chosen to use specific words or phrases, and of being able to comment on the effect that this language has on the text and the reader. The National Curriculum (2014) requires pupils to be adept at ‘discussing words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination’ and able to ‘discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader’. Understanding word choice is a key reading skill and one that is crucial for developing pupils’ writing abilities.

Word choice in Complete Comprehension Word choice relies on a good understanding of the vocabulary in a text. Once the children have grasped the meaning of the words used in a text, they can then be supported to think about why those particular words were used: what was the author hoping to achieve? This skill can be developed through carefully modelled discussion of the effect of words and phrases in every text you share in the classroom. The children should be encouraged to focus on the effect of the word choice, rather than on the meaning created by that choice (see page 14 for more about the skill of word meaning).

In Complete Comprehension, the Explore and Where next? sessions (see pages 9 to 11) often relate to the author’s use of language. Discussion questions are provided to help you and your class examine the effect of figurative language and atmosphere on the reader.

Often, the words used in a word choice question will be found in the text itself. Sometimes, a quotation will be given for pupils to find in the text. The author or writer is often referred to directly in the question (e.g. ‘Why does the poet use the word … to describe…’).

In Complete Comprehension, word choice questions are often worded as follows:

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O

Give two things this word/group of words tells you about…

O

The author often uses the word … to describe…

Why do you think the author does this?

See Units 7 and 15

O

What impression does the group of words … give you of…? Give one impression and one piece of evidence.

Wo r d c h o i c e

O

Find and copy one word/group of words that tells you…

O

What is the effect of using repetition in this line/ paragraph/text?

O

What does the group of words … tell you about how … is feeling?

O

What does the word/group of words … tell you about the character of…?

O

What does this group of words tell us about…?

Tick one.

O

What effect does this choice of words have on the reader?

O

How does the author’s choice of words here add to the atmosphere at the end of the story?

O

What impact does this sentence have on the reader? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Sometimes word choice questions require the use of other comprehension skills, such as inference (see page 20), to reach the correct answer.

Key challenges The skill of word choice relies on robust vocabulary knowledge: after all, one cannot make a judgement about the effect of the author’s choice of language without understanding its meaning. If the children are finding vocabulary challenging, you could refer to the word meaning strategies on page 15.

Even pupils with large vocabularies often find discussing the impact of language challenging.

However, by reading widely in class and discussing the literary effects in a wide range of texts, you can support them to become more familiar with this kind of analysis.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

O

Discussion and think-alouds: The children need to become comfortable with exploring the effect of words and phrases in the text. Providing regular opportunities to discuss texts, including modelling thinking aloud about why a text is effective and what impact certain word choices have on the reader, will help them to grow in confidence. You can do this with every text you explore as a class, including all the texts in Complete Comprehension.

Categorisation by effect: For vocabulary knowledge to become deeper and more secure, the children need to be able to categorise vocabulary by effect. For example, they might collect adjectives that show that a character is elderly, or vocabulary that builds tension. Providing them with word cards to sort into categories can help to build their understanding.

O

Figurative language: Although word choice questions often deal with the effect of single words, the focus can sometimes be on the effect of figurative language, including alliteration, metaphor, personification and simile. It is crucial that the children are exposed to numerous examples of each of these concepts so that they learn to identify them in new texts.

O

‘What I know’ and ‘What I think’: To reach a conclusion about a word’s impact, the children should always use the sentences before and after the target word or phrase for context. A useful strategy to help with this is the ‘What I know…What I think’ model (similar to the chart mentioned on page 21). When using this strategy to explore word choice, ‘what I know’ refers to the word(s) and who/ what they are about, while ‘what I think’ encourages the children to make an inference about the words’ effect on the text.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

When modelling the skill of word choice for your class using the Let’s try… questions (see page 6), the steps below may be useful. Specific modelling guidance is also provided in the teaching units.

1 Read the question aloud.

2 Identify the key words in your question, including the target word(s).

Skills guide

O

Modelling word choice

3 Discuss what you already know about the word(s), including generating synonyms if applicable.

4 Scan the text for the target word(s) and highlight or underline them.

5 Read the sentences before and after the target word(s) to get a sense of the context.

6 Discuss the effect the words have on the surrounding sentence(s) or paragraph.

7 Formulate your answer, checking that the information in your answer matches the question.

Word choice

Strategies for developing word choice

27

Skills guide Comparison

Comparison Understanding comparison Comparison is the act of identifying the similarities and differences between two things. We make comparisons every day, from comparing the options on a menu to comparing films at the cinema – it is a key life skill. The National Curriculum (2014) requires pupils in Key Stage 2 to know ‘how to compare characters, settings, themes and other aspects’ so they can ‘mak[e] comparisons within and across books’. Comparison is a higher-order thinking skill, and fluent comparison of texts is a key attribute of a confident reader. Moreover, research has shown that teaching comparative thinking leads to significant gains in pupil achievement across the curriculum.8

Comparison in Complete Comprehension Each teaching unit in Complete Comprehension provides a number of opportunities for the children to make comparisons. The Get ready questions encourage them to use their knowledge of texts that may be linked to the unit’s text by subject matter. The Where next? reading list provides related books to allow them to compare texts that share a theme but are generically different. Finally, every text in each Complete Comprehension book is linked to another text in the same book, which enables you to easily build in comparison discussions every time you teach a unit (see The comprehension texts, page 12).

In Complete Comprehension, comparison questions are often worded as follows:

28

O

Who…?/What…?/Where…?/When…?/How…?/ Which…?

O

Compare…

O

Compare and contrast…

O

How does/are/is…?

O

Give one/two way(s) in which … is/are similar to/ different from…

O

What impression does the text give you of…?

Give one impression and one piece of evidence.

See Unit 11

O

Compare how … and … feel about…

Give two points and evidence from the text.

C o m p ris o n a

O

How are … and … different from…?

O

What do … and … have in common?

O

Compare the characters of … and… Give one difference and explain your answer using the text.

O

At first … feels… How do their emotions change straight after that?

O

Look at the first two paragraphs. What was similar about … and…?

O

What is the main difference between … and…?

The skill of comparison is most often assessed through short and open-ended questions. However, on occasion, questions may be structured in other ways, including in gridded formats. These questions may require additional teacher modelling.

Key challenges Comparison is a complex skill to master and must be modelled carefully. Often, children find comparison challenging when they have not understood the content of the text as a whole. Overall understanding should therefore be prioritised before you attempt to introduce comparison. The children also need to be familiar with the concepts of ‘similarity’ and ‘difference’, and be comfortable describing what they can see or have read in two different texts or two parts of the same text. They can then look for similarities or differences between the two.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

O

Spot the difference: One of the best ways to demonstrate the skill of comparison is by using images: you could start by comparing pictures of familiar animals or objects, and then look at more complex images: for example, different depictions of the same events. You could also play games such as ‘spot the difference’. Once the children can confidently compare more complex images, you can move on to written texts. It is often easiest to begin by making comparisons between two very different texts before attempting more nuanced comparisons. For example, if you are working with children in lower Key Stage 2, you could compare hero and villain characters in fairy tales. In upper Key Stage 2, you might progress to comparing two characters’ reactions to the same event, or examining how one character’s mood or behaviour changes throughout a text.

Graphic organisers: Once the children have some understanding of comparison, they may find it helpful to use a graphic organiser to structure their ideas. It is important both to explicitly model the thinking process behind this strategy, and to show the pupils how to complete it. Examples of useful graphic organisers for comparison include: O

Top hat diagram: The children complete a hatshaped chart to compare and contrast what they know about two texts. They summarise the differences in the ‘brim’, and then note any similarities in the raised part of the ‘hat’.

O

Venn diagram: The children complete a diagram composed of two overlapping circles, writing similarities in the overlapping central section and differences in the two outer sections.

When modelling the skill of comparison for your class using the Let’s try… questions (see page 6), the steps below may be useful. Specific modelling guidance is also provided in the teaching units.

1 Read the question aloud.

2 Locate the key words in the question.

Skills guide

O

Modelling comparison

3 Scan the text for the key words, or related key words, and highlight or underline them.

4 Read around the key words and look for context clues.

5 Use the text to describe and discuss each of the elements being compared. Draw attention to any contrasts you notice.

6 Make comparisons between the two elements, thinking about the similarities and differences, depending on the focus of the question.

7 Use your comparison to form a conclusion.

8 Model checking that your conclusion answers the question.

Comparison

Strategies for developing comparison

8 Manzano, R.J., Pickering, D. & Pollock, J.D. (2001) Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. ASCD: Alexandria, VA, pp. 17–19.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

29

Unit 1

The Pebble in My Pocket

by Meredith Hooper

Summarising

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 34 to 37

This extract explains the history of the Earth through the journey of an ordinary pebble found by a young girl.

The pebble device helps to make this information text accessible for children and will build their excitement and engagement. The journey starts with a volcano erupting 480 million years ago and follows the pebble’s journey through the age of the dinosaurs, the last ice age, the appearance of Neanderthal families and, finally, to the present day.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 34 to 35) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 Looking at the illustration, what do you think this text will be about?

The children should be able to suggest that the text is about prehistoric times. However, at this point, before having read it, it may not be clear to them whether the text is fiction or non-fiction.

Non-fiction

2 What do you know about prehistoric times?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. However, most of them should be able to contribute something to the discussion (e.g. information about dinosaurs; volcanoes; ice ages; mammoths). You could show on a timeline when the events in this text occur (between a million years ago and 12 000 years ago). See the Reading list for some suggestions.

30

3 What type of texts would you read to find out more about prehistoric times?

The children should be able to suggest that they would look at non-fiction (illustrated) information texts, or fiction set in prehistoric times. You could introduce the idea that non-fiction texts can have different formats and styles, just like the extract they will read in this unit.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary bison

blizzards

boulders

crevasses

glacier

gouges

graze

lumber

meadows

retreats

sculpting

wallow

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Which animal would be more likely to wallow in the water, a rat or a hippopotamus? Why?

O

Why would a bison graze but a sabre-tooth tiger would not?

O

In what kind of landscape might you find blizzards and a glacier? What about meadows?

O

What are the different meanings of lumber?

O

What is the difference between pebbles and boulders?

Vocabulary activities O

This text mentions several animals that the children may be unfamiliar with (e.g. bison, ‘sabre-tooth tigers’, ‘mammoths’, ‘hippos’).

Show pictures of these animals and discuss their distinctive features.

O

This text uses some unusual verbs (e.g. sculpting, gouges, ‘scouring’) that you may wish to explore with the children, perhaps by acting them out and looking at synonyms.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

2 What are the different animals mentioned in this text?

Mammoths; fish; a rat; hippos; bison; sabre-tooth tigers.

3 There are some people mentioned in the text.

What activities are they doing?

Fishing; hunting; building shelters; cooking meat; throwing pebbles.

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of summarising.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 1 Modelling slides and the Modelling summarising guidance on page 32.

2 The children can then attempt the Summarising questions on page 36.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 37 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 32 to 33.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The extract tells us the ‘life story’ of a pebble. Gather a range of objects (e.g. a cola can; an antique; a pencil; a toy) and display them at the front of the classroom. Split the children into small groups. Ask each group to choose an object and then to research and write its ‘life story’ by using online resources and/or the school library.

Each group could then present their finished story to the class.

O

Writing task: The children could each make an illustrated poster about a period of history (e.g. the Stone Age; ancient Rome/Greece/Egypt) using the same style of writing as the pebble text. The posters should be written with the intention of teaching another class in the school about the subject.

4 The text tells us that ‘the glacier picks up and moves everything in its way’. What kind of things does it pick up?

Boulders; rocks; pebbles; sand; gravel.

3 Explore O

O

This is a non-fiction text but it is in an unusual format. The author takes the reader on a journey through time by following what happens to a pebble, stopping at certain dates to see where the pebble has got to. Discuss the style of writing used in this extract and what effect this has on the reader. You could discuss the descriptive language and repetition used – why do the children think the author has written the text in this way? Do they think the author’s writing style makes it easier to understand and remember what happens at each point in history?

Ask the children to sit in an open space, such as the school hall, and close their eyes. Instruct them to visualise their surroundings as you read the first three paragraphs of the text out loud, then ask them to walk around as though they are walking in the place they have just been hearing about. The children should think about how they would react to the conditions described. They might be trudging through snow; being pushed back by wind; hugging themselves to keep warm and shivering; or slipping and sliding.

Reading list Fiction Running on the Roof of the World by Jess Butterworth Class reads The Ice Monster by David Walliams Non-fiction Stone Circles by Dawn Finch (Linked text: Unit 2) Timelines of Everything by DK and the Smithsonian Institution Poetry ‘I Was Born in the Stone Age’ by Michael Rosen Films Ice Age (20th Century Fox, 2002) Jurassic Park (Universal Pictures, 1993) Poster The British History Timeline poster can be ordered online from the Schofield & Sims website.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Summarising

1 Is this text fiction or non-fiction?

Non-fiction. The children may need help to identify the genre of the text as it is narrative non-fiction.

Discuss the fact that there are some long, descriptive sentences, which we would expect to find in a fiction text, and no subheadings. On the other hand, the text tells us lots of facts, including specific dates, which are given at regular intervals in the text.

See pages 32 to 33

Non-fiction

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

4 Skills focus

Unit 1

2 First steps

31

Unit 1

Modelling summarising

See Unit 1 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 18 to 19) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Look at the first two paragraphs. What is the main point of these paragraphs?

A glacier has formed which moves everything in its way.

Read the question together. Model using the locator to find the relevant part of the text. Discuss what the main ideas in these paragraphs are, and which is most important. Some children may focus on specific facts instead of summarising (e.g. ‘snow falls’). If so, support them to understand that the glacier forming and moving is the primary focus of these paragraphs – draw their attention to the multiple instances of the word ‘glacier’.

2 Which sentence best summarises the content of the fourth paragraph? Tick one.

The weather gets warmer.

The glacier melts.

Rocks form under the crust of the Earth.

People drop boulders, pebbles, rocks and sand on the ground.

There are strong distractors in the answer options, making this a challenging question. You could highlight key words as you read the options and model how to check these concepts against the text. If the children choose the first option, explain that ‘best’ in the question means the sentence that most closely matches the content of the paragraph: the warm weather is only mentioned right at the beginning of the paragraph, but the rest of the paragraph describes what happens when the glacier melts.

3 Write a subheading for the paragraph beginning The cold comes back.

Another ice age Before starting to answer this question, you could discuss what a subheading is. The children need to recognise that a subheading is a summary and should include the key points of the relevant part of the text.

Model using the locator to find the relevant paragraph and read it aloud to help the children focus. Think aloud: This paragraph is about the ice coming back and freezing everything again, and then melting. It also mentions hippos, but I know this isn’t the main point because most of the sentences mention the cold and ice, and only one mentions hippos.

The Pebble in My Pocket, by Meredith Hooper

4 Number the statements to show the order in which they appear in the text.

32

Bison, sabre-tooth tigers and people hunt for food.

4

There are two more ice ages.

3

The glacier moves all the rocks.

1

The glacier melts, leaving boulders and rocks everywhere.

2

This question requires the children to understand the whole text. Model highlighting each event in the text before you add numbers to the boxes. The second statement will need to be discussed, as the phrase ‘ice age’ does not appear in the text. Model scanning the text for mentions of ice and freezing that happen after the first glacier, pointing out that the question wording ‘two more’ means two further instances of ice after the first one.

Summarising questions mark scheme

See page 36

Answer

Guidance

1

If the children need support, discuss the fact that the first paragraph discusses it getting very cold and the second and third paragraphs discuss the glacier moving. Think aloud: This means that the main focus of these paragraphs is on the movement of the glacier, so this should form the basis of the subheading. You could also provide multiple choice options to choose from. Award 1 mark for a plausible subheading that relates to the content of the paragraphs.

The glacier moves

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

2

The glacier begins to melt and releases all the different rocks that were inside it.

If the children’s answers only refer to rocks being dropped on the ground, ask them to verbally extend their answers to explain why this happened. Award 1 mark for reference to the glacier melting.

3

People now exist

4

A second glacier is formed.

4

There are heavy snowstorms.

1

Mountains are created.

2

A boy throws a pebble at a rat.

3

You could ask the children to justify their responses using the text.

This allows you to extend the discussion and check their depth of understanding. If they choose a distractor, prompt them to reconsider by asking whether people are mentioned in any of the previous paragraphs: does this indicate that ‘people existing’ must be the most important point? Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Over millions of years, glaciers created today’s landscape.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Encourage the children to think back to your discussion of Modelling question 4. If necessary, prompt them to highlight each event in the text and number them, before filling in the answer boxes. Award 1 mark for the correct numbers in all boxes.

If the children respond vaguely (e.g. ‘It is about glaciers’) you could encourage them to extend their responses by discussing what impact the glaciers had and over what timescale they existed. Award 1 mark for a plausible summary linked to the text. ?

See page 37

Answer

Guidance

1

monstrous

If necessary, prompt the children to look for an adjective or describing word similar to ‘terrifying’. Please note that the skill of word choice is introduced in Unit 7. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Skill: Word choice.

2

slides OR shifts OR grinds

Some children may answer ‘roaring’ or ‘groaning’. If so, point out that we are specifically looking for two words that describe how the glacier moves: ‘groaning’ does describe what the glacier is doing, but it describes a sound. Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks. Skill: Word meaning.

3

200 000 years ago

4

three

5

sabre-tooth tigers

You may need to remind some children to identify a key word (‘people’) and scan for the first mention of this word before reading around it. Explain that the question stem ‘How long ago’ provides a clue that the answer will be a unit of time (i.e. years). Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Retrieval.

This is a deceptively challenging question because the children must look through the whole text to find the answer. If some struggle, explain that they are looking for references to glaciers forming and melting. They should underline these key words and read around them for context clues. You could provide some children with answer options (e.g. ‘Are two ice ages described in the text or three?’).

Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Some children may tick the first answer option if they are relying on extrinsic knowledge, or if they have not connected the pronoun ‘they’ to the tigers. Support them to understand that being able to hunt whatever they like makes the tigers the most successful. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Inference.

The Pebble in My Pocket, by Meredith Hooper

5

Unit 1

Answer

33

Unit 1

The Pebble in My Pocket, by Meredith Hooper This fascinating text explains the history of the Earth by describing the journey of a small pebble through time. The book starts with a girl asking where the pebble in her pocket has come from, and immediately we are transported back to the earliest days of our planet.

The wind blows colder and colder. Snow falls. Blizzards blot out the light.

The snow packs down, layer on layer. Deep underneath the surface snow, the old snow turns into clear blue glacier ice.

The glacier starts shifting, moving slowly down hill, grinding forward, a monstrous river of ice scraping across the land, scouring out valleys, sculpting mountains. The glacier picks up and moves everything in its way.

It picks up the pebble and freezes it deep in its icy blue depths.

The Pebble in My Pocket, by Meredith Hooper

The glacier grinds on for thousands and thousands of years, roaring and groaning as the ice slides and shifts. Its surface is split with shadowy crevasses.

Gradually the weather begins to warm and the glacier begins to melt. The ice releases its grip. Boulders, rocks, pebbles, sand, gravel, all are dropped on the ground, mixed together in great jumbled heaps. Old rocks, young rocks, rocks made under the sea and rocks formed under the crust of the earth, rocks from close by and rocks from far away, all lie on top of each other.

Everything has been moved from where it used to be.

Mammoths lumber past. A baby mammoth treads on the pebble, pushing it deep into the heap of stones.

It is a million years ago.

Floods leave the pebble high on a river bank. People come to fish and hunt, and build shelters. They stand on the pebble and sleep on it and drop JUHDVH IURP KDOI FRRNHG OXPSV RI PHDW

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

It is 200 000 years ago.

Unit 1

In the night a rat creeps in, sniffing for food. A boy picks up the pebble to throw at the rat. He misses. The pebble rolls under a bush and down a hole.

The cold comes back. People move away. Massive ice sheets cover the land, burying forests and meadows. When warmth returns, the melting ice drops the pebble in a lake. It sinks into the soft mud, while hippos wallow above in the warm water.

It is 125 000 years ago.

A new glacier gouges the pebble out of the bottom of the lake and pushes it, clasped in its clear blue depths, for thousands and thousands of years.

Then the ice retreats, leaving the pebble on the slope of a valley.

Shaggy bison graze the long grass. New people come, hunting for food.

6DEUH WRRWK WLJHUV ZDWFK 7KH\ FDQ KXQW ZKDW WKH\ OLNH

The Pebble in My Pocket, by Meredith Hooper

It is 12 000 years ago.

From The Pebble in My Pocket, written by Meredith Hooper and illustrated by Chris Coady, published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, an imprint of The Quarto Group, copyright © 2015. Text reproduced by permission of Quarto Publishing Plc.

Unit 1

Summarising 1

Name:

Write a subheading for the first three paragraphs.

1 mark

2

Look at the paragraph beginning Gradually the weather … . What is the main point of this paragraph?

1 mark

3

Look at the paragraph beginning Floods leave the pebble high on a river bank.

What would be the best subheading for this paragraph? Tick one.

People are cooking There are lots of floods People now exist

The Pebble in My Pocket, by Meredith Hooper

People are building shelters

4

1 mark

Number the statements to show the order in which they appear in the text.

A second glacier is formed.

There are heavy snowstorms.

Mountains are created.

A boy throws a pebble at a rat.

5

1 mark

Write one sentence to summarise the content of the whole text.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 1

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the second paragraph. Find and copy one word that makes the glacier sound terrifying.

1 mark

2

Look at the third paragraph. Find and copy two words that describe how the glacier moves.

1 2

3

2 marks

According to the text, how long ago did people first appear? Tick one.

200 000 years ago 125 000 years ago

4

1 mark

How many ice ages are described in this text?

1 mark

5

Shaggy bison graze the long grass. New people come, hunting for food. Sabre-tooth tigers watch. They can hunt what they like.

According to the text, which are the most successful hunters? Tick one. people sabre-tooth tigers bison

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1 mark

The Pebble in My Pocket, by Meredith Hooper

12 000 years ago

Unit 2

Stone Circles

by Dawn Finch

Retrieval

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 42 to 45

Prehistoric stone circles are a source of fascination for many people. Most were built between 4000 and 6000 years ago by Stone Age people. No-one really knows why they were built, but they were certainly special places. The most famous and largest stone circle in the United Kingdom is Stonehenge in Wiltshire, which attracts thousands of visitors every year. The large bluestones used in the structure were transported nearly 200 miles, but exactly how this was done remains a mystery. This information text shares the same prehistoric themes as the narrative nonfiction text in Unit 1. You may wish to discuss the links between the two texts when both units have been completed.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 42 to 43) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 What kind of text do you think this is?

Encourage the children to focus on the features they can see in the text (e.g. subheadings; a diagram with a caption). Some children may also notice some of the specialist vocabulary (e.g. ‘excavate’; ‘evidence’; ‘archaeologists’). These all suggest that it is a non-fiction text. You could extend the discussion by asking the children to use these clues to guess what the content and purpose of the text might be.

Non-fiction

2 This text is about ancient monuments. Can you name some famous monuments? Have you visited any?

Answers will vary. Some famous monuments that the children might refer to include Nelson’s Column, the Monument to the Great Fire of London, the pyramids of Egypt and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. You could show some images to reinforce understanding.

The children might also mention cenotaphs or statues that are local to them.

38

3 Stone circles were built at the end of the Stone Age. What do you know about life in the Stone Age? Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. However, they should all be able to make links to what they have learnt about in the history curriculum. Some of the children may have read Stig of the Dump by Clive King: this text is covered in Units 19 and 20. Some of the children may also refer to the film Early Man.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary ancestors

archaeologists

burials

evidence

excavate

landscape

monument

prehistoric

quarries

settlements

sites

theories

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Would you rather walk in a hilly landscape or a flat one? Why?

O

What kind of monument would you want to be remembered by?

O

What do you know about your ancestors?

Who were they and what did they do?

O

What evidence would you look for if you were trying to find out who took the last piece of cake?

Vocabulary activities O

The suffix ‘–ment’ changes verbs to nouns by describing the product of an action (e.g. ‘to settle’ becomes settlement, which describes the place created by the act of settling).

Can the children think of any other words that end in the suffix ‘–ment’ and follow the same rule?

O

The prefix ‘pre–’ in prehistoric comes from the Latin prae, meaning ‘before’. How many words can the children find that use the same prefix?

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 40 to 41.

1 What are stone circles?

They are monuments made up of big stones arranged in a circle.

O

Speaking and listening task: In pairs, the children could discuss what they think life would be like as a child living in Stone Age times. Would they go to school? What would they wear? What would they eat?

Once they have discussed their questions, you could encourage them to research their answers using resources from the Reading list.

O

Writing task: Challenge the children to write a tourist information leaflet to introduce younger children to Stonehenge. They should include illustrations to enhance their work. The Reading list contains some helpful resources.

2 Who built stone circles?

Stone Age people/Neolithic people.

3 How old are most of the stone circles in the United Kingdom?

Over 5000 years old. Also accept anything between 6000 and 4000 years ago.

4 What is the name of a famous stone circle?

Where is it?

Stonehenge. It is in Wiltshire, England.

3 Explore O

O

Display a timeline that shows key points in history (see Reading list for a suggested resource). This will allow the children to visually compare when the Stone Age was in relation to other time periods that they may already be familiar with, such as the Romans or the reign of Elizabeth I. Are the children surprised by how long ago the Stone Age was, now that they can see it in context?

Show the children where their school is on a map and draw their attention to a place that is 200 miles away. Ask them how they would transport building materials today if they wanted to build a monument. Answers will most likely include the use of transportation such as lorries and trains. Discuss the fact that this is necessary because most of the materials for building a monument would be large and heavy. Next, explain to the children that some of the stones at Stonehenge weigh 25 000 kilograms and are 9 metres high: taller than an average threestorey house. Ask the children to work in pairs and work out how they could move the stones without the help of modern modes of transport. You could use some of the video resources in the Reading list to help with this task.

4 Skills focus

See pages 40 to 41

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of retrieval.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 2 Modelling slides and the Modelling retrieval guidance on page 40.

2 The children can then attempt the Retrieval questions on page 44.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Retrieval

5 Where next?

Reading list Fiction Cave Baby by Julia Donaldson Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura Class reads Stig of the Dump by Clive King (Linked texts: Units 19 and 20) Non-fiction DKfindout! Stone Age by Klint Janulis Look Inside the Stone Age by Abigail Wheatley The Pebble in My Pocket by Meredith Hooper (Linked text: Unit 1) The Secrets of Stonehenge by Mick Manning The Stone Age: Hunters, Gatherers and Woolly Mammoths by Marcia Williams Poetry ‘I Was Born in the Stone Age’ by Michael Rosen (available on the poet’s blog and YouTube) Films Early Man (Aardman Animations/BFI, 2018) Websites The English Heritage YouTube channel includes several informative short films, such as ‘How Was Stonehenge created?’, ‘A Mini Guide to Prehistoric Monuments’ and ‘Stonehenge: Clues to the Past’.

Poster The British History Timeline poster can be ordered online from the Schofield & Sims website.

Non-fiction

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Unit 2

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 45 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

2 First steps

39

Unit 2

Modelling retrieval

See Unit 2 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 16 to 17) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 In what period of history were the oldest stone circles put up?

Neolithic period Start by identifying ‘period’ as the key word in the question and explain that it means ‘a length of time’. Model starting at the beginning of the text and running your finger along the lines until you find the key word. Read the whole sentence aloud and model identifying the answer. Remind the children that the answers to retrieval questions can always be found in the text. You could use some of the Skills guide strategies for retrieval, such as ‘Fastest finger first’ (see page 17) to reinforce this idea.

2 How many stone circles are there in the UK? over 1300 Point out that the words ‘How many’ are key words, as they show that you are looking for a number. Model using your finger to scan the text for the key words ‘stone circles’. Each time you find them, model stopping, reading the phrase aloud and looking for a number to answer the question (e.g. explaining that the first instance of this phrase can be discounted because the word ‘oldest’ tells you that this is about the age of the stones, not how many there are). Model continuing to scan until you find the correct reference.

3 What did the nearby landscapes have on them when stone circles were built? Tick one. nothing, it was empty

farmland

forest

busy settlements

Model scanning the text for the key word ‘landscapes’. Ask the children to read aloud the sentence, as well as the preceding and following sentences. You could point out the risk of confusion as the stone circles had been erected in busy settlements originally but were in empty landscapes later on.

4 Look at the section ‘Why were stone circles built?’. Tick to show whether each statement is fact or opinion.

To decide on your answers, explain that you will first need to read the relevant section and locate key words from the

Stone circles were built to mark the edges of land. two statements in the text, then read

Bones and burials are found at some stone circles. around those key words. Ask the children to help you decide whether each statement is fact or opinion. Some will find this question challenging, so you could point out the two relevant sentences, before explaining that the words ‘Archaeologists believe’ indicate that this is an opinion, while the phrase ‘Bones and burials are’ is part of a factual statement. Finally, model completing the table by putting a tick in the correct column.

F

Stone Circles, by Dawn Finch

Retrieval questions mark scheme

40

O

See page 44

Answer

Guidance

1

New Stone Age

Do not accept shorter answers. If the children answer ‘Stone Age’, refocus them on the relevant sentence and encourage them to read the entire sentence to help them understand why their answer is incorrect. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

They kept using them.

They added to them.

Some children may choose the second answer option, which is a strong distractor. Remind them to use the key words ‘Bronze Age people’ to locate the correct part of the text. You could also point out that sometimes retrieval questions use synonyms for the words in the text (e.g. ‘kept using’ is synonymous with ‘continued to use’). Award 1 mark for each correct answer ticked, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

3

The children will need to scan both paragraphs in the section in order to find the correct answers. Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

5

weight of bluestones

(up to) 4000 kilograms

number of bluestones existing today

29

(over) 300 kilometres/186 miles

The children do not need to give both distances; they can answer in kilometres or miles. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme Answer 1

To answer this, the children need to use the key word ‘bluestones’ to locate the correct paragraph in the section. If necessary, provide them with a locator (the last paragraph). There are quite a few numbers and measurements in this paragraph, so they will need to read the question carefully. Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

See page 45

?

Guidance

It is possible that bluestones were transported on rafts.

4

Stone circles are very old monuments.

1

No-one knows exactly why stone circles were built.

2

Stonehenge is a large stone circle.

3

If the children find this question challenging, remind them to scan each statement for key words and highlight them in the text.

This will support them to work out the order of the statements before they write the numbers in the boxes. Award 1 mark for the correct numbers in all boxes. Skill: Summarising.

2

excavate

3

That we don’t have much (written) information about the period, so archaeologists have to come up with ideas to try to explain what happened back then.

If necessary, direct the children to the fourth paragraph. You could discuss what the words ‘evidence’ and ‘theories’ mean, and how they suggest that archaeologists need to look for clues and come up with ideas about what the period was like. Award 1 mark for any reference to there being a lack of information or facts.

Skill: Inference.

4

massive/giant

Accept either answer. Some children may answer with the phrase ‘very large’, which also appears in this paragraph: this should not be accepted. Explain that their answer must be one word only.

Do not accept ‘large’ alone, as this is not a close enough synonym for the target word. Award 1 mark for a correct answer.

Skill: Word meaning.

5

How stone circles were constructed

Vague answers (e.g. ‘Other stone circles’) should be accepted as long as they do not repeat subheadings that are already in the text. Award 1 mark for any plausible subheading that is linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

This is a challenging question as all of the distractors are present in the text. Encourage the children to begin by removing the options they know are incorrect before rereading the first two sections. The children will have encountered the word ‘excavate’ in the Key vocabulary. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Word meaning.

Stone Circles, by Dawn Finch

4

To mark the boundaries of the land.

OR To show that important people lived there. OR As places to bury ancestors.

Unit 2

Answer

41

Unit 2

Stone Circles, by Dawn Finch This text provides information about stone circles, which are very old monuments put up thousands of years ago. Stonehenge is a world-famous stone circle in the south of England.

What are stone circles?

A stone circle is a monument made up of large stones. The stones are arranged so that they are standing in a circle. We call these stones megaliths. The oldest stone circles were put up in a period of history known as the Neolithic period.

Neolithic means ‘New Stone Age’, which means that it was the end of the Stone Age. The Neolithic period in Britain lasted from around 4000 BC to around 2200 BC. This was followed by the Bronze Age. Bronze Age people continued to use the circles and add to them.

It is thought that there are over 1300 stone circles in the United Kingdom. Most of these stone circles are over 5000 years old and were built by Neolithic farmers.

Today, the stone circles are usually in empty landscapes where they can be seen from a long way off. When they were built, however, the stone circles were probably in the middle of busy settlements, where many people lived and farmed.

Stone Circles, by Dawn Finch

Why were stone circles built?

There are lots of different ideas about why stone circles were built. Because we do not have any written information from the Neolithic period, archaeologists have to get information in other ways. They use any evidence they can find at the sites to come up with theories about the stone circles and why they were built. These theories change as archaeologists find out more about the sites as they excavate.

It would have taken a very long time to build the stone circles. Archaeologists believe that stone circles were first built to mark the boundaries, or edges, of land. They may have been placed there to show how important the people in that area were. Bones and burials are often found at stone circles. This suggests that they may have been used as special places to bury ancestors. Archaeologists also believe that the Neolithic people must have planned the building work carefully.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric monuments in the world.

It stands on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. It is in the middle of a landscape full of burial mounds and other Neolithic sites.

Unit 2

Stonehenge

People began to build Stonehenge in around 2800 BC, but it took many hundreds of years to finish. It began with a ditch, or henge, and then a single ring of small stones. After that, Neolithic people put up a ring of very large stones and hundreds of years later another two rings of stones. The last stage of building was the massive ring of stones that people recognize it for today.

The giant stones can be seen from kilometres away.

Stone Circles, by Dawn Finch

Hundreds of people would have worked together to build Stonehenge. The bluestones in the inner ring were brought from quarries over 300 kilometres (186 miles) away. There are 29 bluestones that can be seen today, but there may have been up to 80 at one time. The bluestones weigh up to 4000 kilograms each. They may have been pulled on sledges with wooden rollers, or floated up rivers on rafts.

Stonehenge stands on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England.

Excerpted from the work entitled: Stone Circles © 2018 by Capstone Global Library Limited. All rights reserved.

Unit 2

Retrieval 1

Name:

Find and copy a group of words that means ‘Neolithic’.

1 mark

2

Look at the second paragraph. What did the Bronze Age people do to the stone circles that were put up during the Neolithic period? Tick two.

They kept using them.

They built farms on them.

They added to them.

They destroyed them.

3

2 marks

Look at the section Why were stone circles built?. Give two suggestions why stone circles were built.

1 2

Stone Circles, by Dawn Finch

4

2 marks

Look at the section Stonehenge. Complete the table using information from the text.

weight of bluestones

kilograms

number of bluestones existing today 2 marks

5

Look at the last paragraph. How far did the bluestones travel to get to Stonehenge?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 2

Mix it up!

Name:

Number the statements to show the order in which they appear in the text.

It is possible that bluestones were transported on rafts.

Stone circles are very old monuments.

No-one knows exactly why stone circles were built.

Stonehenge is a large stone circle.

2

1 mark

Which of the following means ‘dig up’? Tick one. bury excavate arrange put up

3

1 mark

There are lots of different ideas about why stone circles were built.

What does this tell you about this period of history?

4

Look at the paragraph beginning People began to build Stonehenge in around 2800 BC, … . Find and copy one word that means ‘enormous’.

1 mark

5

What do you think the next subheading would be if you could read on?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Stone Circles, by Dawn Finch

1 mark

Unit 3

My Brother Is a Superhero

by David Solomons

Relationship

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 50 to 53

David Solomons’ hilarious book tells the story of brothers Luke and Zack. While Luke goes to the toilet, Zack is given superpowers by aliens from a parallel universe and told by Zorbon the Decider that he must save two universes. Luke is appalled – his brother is completely undeserving and will need Luke’s help to do things properly.

In this text Zack, or Star Lad, is getting to grips with his new telekinetic powers while Luke tries to convey the rules of being a superhero.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 50 to 51) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 Look at the title. What type of text do you think this is?

The children should be able to reason that the text is likely to be fiction because superheroes are not real.

2 This is a funny story. What other humorous books do you already know?

You might need to remind the children of books you have read together that were funny.

David Walliams’ books are likely to be familiar to most children.

Fiction

3 The title tells us that this book is about a superhero. What superpowers would you like to have and why?

The children will not be short on ideas for superpowers; make sure you probe them for why they would like a particular superpower and what they would do with it.

46

4 This story is about a boy and his brother.

Do you have siblings? If so, do you get on well with them? How would you feel if they got superpowers and you didn’t have any?

Some of the children won’t have siblings.

In this case, ask them how they would feel if their friend got superpowers but they didn’t.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary abuse

beamed

doubt

extradimensional

figuring

insignia

lure

precautions

responsibility

sheepish

sly

telekinesis

Vocabulary discussion questions O

What would your superhero insignia look like?

Why?

O

Have you ever been given a special responsibility, such as looking after someone on the playground or showing visitors round the school? How did it make you feel?

O

If someone beamed at you, would they be feeling happy or sad?

Vocabulary activities O

In pairs, the children could take turns to pretend to be a kitten while the other tries to lure them into an imaginary cat basket.

O

The word insignia is from the Latin root signum, meaning sign, mark or seal/stamp.

How many words can the children write down which include the root word ‘sign’? How are their meanings related?

O

Use your choice of the vocabulary activities on page 15 to investigate some of the key words above.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 48 to 49.

1 What is the name of the superhero?

Star Lad. Some children may also say Zack.

2 What is the superhero’s special power?

Telekinesis. The children are more likely to explain this than use the word (e.g. He can move objects without touching them, using his mind).

3 In this story, what does the superhero use his powers to do?

Peel the potatoes.

4 According to the story, what are the first two rules of being a superhero?

You can’t use your powers for vegetable preparation and you have to keep your identity secret.

3 Explore O

O

In pairs, ask the children to talk about what makes them laugh, and then come together as a class to create a list of ideas. You might mention some of the following: physical humour (such as when somebody falls over or moves in an exaggerated way, or wears a ridiculous costume); jokes; silly situations; when something happens that does not fit with our expectations. You may wish to show the class some funny video clips to support this discussion.

Superheroes are usually required to use their superpower to do great things like save the world.

Discuss with the class what they feel the world’s most pressing problems are right now and what superpowers would be required to save the world from them (e.g. the children might feel global warming is the biggest threat to the world which could be helped by us all having the superpower of flight, which would mean we wouldn’t have to pollute the world with petrol, diesel and aviation fuel).

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: Ask the children to work in pairs to agree on three more rules of being a superhero. If they can’t agree on which three are the most important, they will have to debate why each idea should be used.

O

Writing task: Give each of the children a piece of paper and ask them to draw a rough table with two columns. ‘Something I find scary’ should be the heading of the first column and ‘Something I find fun’ should be the heading for the second column.

Ask them to fill in each column with one thing they find scary and one thing they find fun. Next, divide the children into small groups and ask them to swap their pieces of paper. Encourage them to discuss what they think of each other’s ideas of scary and fun things. Do they agree with them? Remind the class that the brothers in the story had different characters.

Do the children think they have different characters to one another?

Relationship

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Unit 3

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 53 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

2 First steps

Reading list Fiction The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl (Linked text: Unit 4) Marvel comics Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie Superhero School by Aaron Reynolds Class reads Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo Beowulf: Dragonslayer by Rosemary Sutcliff Films Incredibles (Walt Disney Pictures, 2004) Incredibles 2 (Walt Disney Pictures, 2018) Man of Steel (Warner Bros. Pictures, 2013)

4 Skills focus

See pages 48 to 49

Superman (Warner Bros., 1978)

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of relationship.

2 The children can then attempt the Relationship questions on page 52.

Fiction

1 Model the skill using the Unit 3 Modelling slides and the Modelling relationship guidance on page 48.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

47

Unit 3

Modelling relationship

See Unit 3 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 24 to 25) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Explain why the opening sentences are humorous.

Because the items the brothers are holding are so different, one is really important and one is just a vegetable.

Remind the children about the discussion of humour in the Explore section, then model how to use this knowledge to identify what is humorous about the opening sentences. Any concepts of contrast are acceptable answers (e.g. references to the ridiculousness/silliness/unexpectedness of the situation).

However, you should tell the children that the question is only worth 1 mark, so they should not spend time giving all the possible answers.

2 Why do you think the author has included a scene about peeling vegetables in a story about superheroes?

To help to show the different characters of the two brothers.

Model strategies for summarising the text (see page 19) to help the children think about why the vegetable peeling scene is important to the story. Discuss how the scene is about Zack abusing his superpower and Luke teaching him about the great responsibility of being a superhero. Caution them that this is not yet the answer: the question asks them to think about how the scene relates to the whole story, so they need to work out what the information they have thought about adds to the story. Think aloud: This scene shows the reader how the two brothers’ characters are very different; this must be why the author chose this scene.

3 … with great power comes great responsibility. Why is this idea important to the story as a whole?

Because Zack needs to realise that he has to use his superpowers carefully.

Model finding the target sentence in the text and read it aloud. Discuss what the brothers are arguing about in this sentence and how this relates to the general story. You may wish to remind the children about the definition of the key word ‘responsibility’ (see Language toolkit).

4 What event caused Zack to stop peeling potatoes using his special powers?

Luke reminded him that Zorbon the Decider would not want him using his superpower to peel potatoes.

My Brother Is a Superhero, by David Solomons

Model using your finger to scan the text for the part where Zack decides to stop peeling potatoes. The point at which Zack agrees to stop is when he looks sheepish and says to Luke, ‘“You’re right”’. Explain that in order to answer the question, the children need to read the sentences above this one. Discuss how Luke brings up Zorbon the Decider and it is only after this that Zack agrees to stop.

48

Relationship questions mark scheme

See page 52

Answer

Guidance

1

I think humour/a funny tone because the author starts with a funny sentence/ the story is about how you shouldn’t use superpowers to peel potatoes!

You may wish to redefine ‘tone’ as ‘mood’ for any children who are struggling with this question. Award 1 mark for a correct reference to humour. Award 2 marks for a correct reference and an explanation linked to the text.

2

Zack uses his superpower to peel the potatoes.

You could prompt the children to think about what ‘irresponsible’ means before they answer. If some children struggle, relate it back to ‘responsibility’, from the Key vocabulary. Some children may answer that Zack is focused on having fun, suggesting that he hasn’t thought much about what his powers mean for the good of others. This is also acceptable. Award 1 mark for a plausible answer linked to the text.

3

how superheroes should behave

All the distractors are referenced in the text, so the children need to understand that they are looking for a theme that sums up the entire text. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

5

people who want to read a funny story

If the children choose one of the wrong options, encourage them to think back to the earlier discussion about the genre of the text. Is the text trying to teach people things like a non-fiction book would? Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

It makes me want to know the other rules of being a superhero.

You should award a mark for any plausible answer, provided it is grounded in the text. If the children’s predictions are unusual, encourage them to verbally justify them by referring back to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible answer linked to the text.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme Answer

Guidance

1

future

2

SL

This is a challenging question because each answer option makes sense when replacing the word ‘fate’ in the sentence. If the children are struggling, you could discuss synonyms of ‘fate’ before looking at each answer option to find the one that most closely matches. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Skill: Word meaning.

He rejected the name ‘Starlad’ because ‘S’ was already taken (by Superman).

3

He gave Luke a sly look. OR He shuffled into a corner of the kitchen.

4

L takes the use of superpowers very seriously

knows a lot about the rules of superpowers needs to be reminded of his duty

Z

wants to use superpowers to make things easier for himself

5

See page 53

?

If the children read around the key words, they may use inference to answer that it was the fact that Zack ‘beamed’ and was happy to peel the potatoes that made Luke suspicious. This answer is also acceptable. Award 1 mark for a correct answer.

Skill: Retrieval.

If some children need help, encourage them to use their answer to the previous question to start thinking about the differences in Luke and Zack’s behaviour. Award 1 mark for at least two statements correctly ticked. Award 2 marks for all statements correctly ticked. Skill: Inference.

I think Zack will forget about Luke’s warnings and use his powers to have fun because he is not as sensible as Luke.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Some children may tick ‘S’ if they choose their answer based on personal preference or if they rely on memory. If so, provide them with a locator to help them determine the correct answer and remind them that the question asks them to explain their choice. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Award 2 marks for the correct answer ticked plus a plausible explanation linked to the text. Skill: Inference.

Any plausible prediction should be accepted as long as it is linked to the events or characters in the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction. Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction plus an explanation linked to the text.

Skill: Prediction.

My Brother Is a Superhero, by David Solomons

4

Guidance

Unit 3

Answer

49

Unit 3

My Brother Is a Superhero, by David Solomons In this text, Luke can’t believe that his brother, Zack, has been given a superpower instead of him. Luke tries to guide Zack to understand how superheroes should behave.

The fate of two universes lay in my brother’s hands. In my hands was a cauliflower.

It was the day after Zack became Star Lad – he’d rejected Starlad, figuring if at some point he needed an insignia to put on a shirt, ‘S’ was already taken. We were in the kitchen helping with dinner.

“Zack, darling, peel the potatoes.” Mum handed him a large bag.

I caught his eye and grinned. Even superheroes have to peel potatoes.

My Brother Is a Superhero, by David Solomons

“Of course,” he beamed. “It’d be my pleasure.”

He gave me a sly look and shuffled off to a corner of the kitchen. He was up to something. I crept up behind him. His eyes were narrowed at the potatoes, one hand extended towards them. The potato skins were falling off in perfect, unbroken spirals. They were peeling themselves. I was shocked.

“You can’t do that,” I hissed.

“Why not?”

“First rule of being a superhero: you can’t go round using your powers for vegetable preparation.”

He screwed up his face. “I doubt that’s the first rule. Or any rule.”

“No, well, maybe not, but with great power comes great responsibility.

Gordon the Dishwasher–” “Zorbon the Decider,” Zack sighed.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Unit 3

For some reason I had a mental block about the name. I think it was because I was massively miffed about what he’d done and couldn’t bring P\VHOI WR UHPHPEHU KLV VWXSLG DOLHQ H[WUD GLPHQVLRQDO QDPH “Yes, Whatsisname the Whatever. He didn’t give you telekinetic abilities so you could help in the kitchen.”

Zack looked sheepish. “You’re right.”

“Of course I’m right. Trust me, you don’t want to abuse your powers.

It’s a slippery slope from superhero to supervillain. Sure, it starts innocently enough peeling potatoes with telekinesis, but the next thing you know you’re holed up in a secret volcano base with an army of evil minions and plans for world domination.”

Just then Mum called across the kitchen. “What are you two plotting, hmm?”

“Nothing,” we said at the same time.

My Brother Is a Superhero, by David Solomons

Of course we couldn’t tell her what had happened to Zack. Second rule of being a superhero is that you have to keep it a secret. If the villains find out your real identity then they lure you into a trap by kidnapping your loved ones. It’s pretty basic stuff, and easily avoidable if you take simple precautions.

From My Brother Is a Superhero, by David Solomons. Text copyright © David Solomons, 2015. Reproduced with permission of Nosy Crow Ltd.

Unit 3

Relationship 1

Name:

What tone is the author trying to create in this story? Explain your answer.

I think

because .

2

2 marks

Look at the whole text. How does the author show that Zack is irresponsible?

1 mark

3

Which of the following options best describes the theme of this text? Tick one. how to save two universes how to peel potatoes how superheroes should behave

My Brother Is a Superhero, by David Solomons

how to choose superhero insignia

4

1 mark

Who do you think this book has been written for? Tick one. people who want to read a funny story people who want to save the world people who want to learn about the world people who want to learn some new facts

5

1 mark

How does the last paragraph encourage you to read on?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Name:

The fate of two universes lay in my brother’s hands.

Which word is closest in meaning to fate? Tick one. past

future

2

Unit 3

Mix it up!

life

power

1 mark

What would Star Lad’s insignia be if he needed one? Tick one.

S

SL

Z

L

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

3

How could Luke tell that Zack was up to something?

1 mark

4

The following table shows Luke and Zack’s different feelings about how superpowers should be used. Tick one name for each statement.

Luke

Zack

wants to use superpowers to make things easier for himself knows a lot about the rules of superpowers needs to be reminded of his duty 2 marks

5

What do you think might happen next in the story? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

I think

because .

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

2 marks

My Brother Is a Superhero, by David Solomons

takes the use of superpowers very seriously

Unit 4

The Magic Finger

by Roald Dahl Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 58 to 61

Inference

The Magic Finger is a Roald Dahl classic about an eight-year-old girl who has special powers. When people make her cross, a kind of electric flash comes out of her finger and touches them. Then things begin to happen.

In this extract, we find out what happens when the girl’s teacher calls her ‘stupid’.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 58 to 59) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 The title of this story suggests it is about magic.

What other books have you read that are about magic?

As magic is a common theme in children’s literature, the children should be able to contribute some ideas. You could refer to traditional tales (e.g.

‘Cinderella’; ‘Sleeping Beauty’) to discuss the theme of magic from a familiar viewpoint. Some children might also refer to Zack’s magic superpowers in the Unit 3 text, if this has been completed.

2 What other books do you know by Roald Dahl?

The children may mention some of Dahl’s most popular children’s books, such as The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches and Matilda.

If the children have worked through the first two books in the Complete Comprehension series, they will already have encountered Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes and George’s Marvellous Medicine.

Fiction

3 Are there any themes or patterns that you have noticed in Roald Dahl’s books?

Support the children to notice that lots of Roald Dahl’s stories are about weird and wonderful goings on, magic, and unpleasant things happening to people who are nasty.

54

Language toolkit Key vocabulary blackboard

bushy

cross

flash

forefinger

happen

see red

terribly

tingle

tip

upon

whiskers

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Would you see red if you missed your playtime? Is this the same as feeling cross?

O

How do you feel when you see a flash of lightning or hear thunder?

O

Which animals have whiskers?

O

Is a tingle a feeling or a sound?

Vocabulary activities O

How many synonyms can the children think of for bushy? Ask them to rank the words they find in order of how close they are in meaning to the original.

O

Forefinger uses the prefix ‘fore–’. Ask the children if they can think of any other words starting with ‘fore–’. What do they think ‘fore–’ might stand for?

O

Use your choice of the vocabulary activities on page 15 to investigate some of the key words above.

4 What do you think this story will be about?

Based on the illustration and what they have just discussed about the author, the children should be able to identify that the story is about magic and strange things happening to people.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

O

Speaking and listening task: Have a closer look at other magical powers in Roald Dahl’s stories (e.g. Matilda’s visual power where she can move objects with her eyes). Ask the children to work in pairs to make audio recordings describing what they would do with these powers if they had them. You could upload these recordings to your school website.

O

Writing task: The children could create a list of all the things that make them cross. They could then work in pairs to create solutions (e.g. Problem: no football rule at lunchtime. Solution: suggest a rota; use soft balls; identify a special space for football; request to meet the head teacher to discuss possible solutions).

Have the children record their work in a table with problems down one side and solutions on the other.

1 Who are the characters in this story?

The girl, Mrs Winter, the class.

2 Why did Mrs Winter call the girl stupid?

She spelt ‘cat’ with a ‘K’ not a ‘C’.

3 Which finger is the girl’s Magic Finger?

Forefinger of right hand.

4 What happened to Mrs Winter when the girl put the Magic Finger on her?

She started to turn into a cat with whiskers and a bushy tail.

Unit 4

5 Where next?

Inference

2 First steps

3 Explore O

O

O

Discuss how the girl uses her Magic Finger in the extract. Ask the children to think about what the ‘Magic Finger’ consequences might be in some other scenarios (e.g. for someone who drives dangerously fast past a school; someone who steals things from old people; someone who is cruel to animals; someone who tells scary stories and frightens people). Scribe the children’s ideas on the board in a table with two columns titled ‘behaviour’ and ‘consequences’, so that the children can use this as a visual prompt for later discussion.

Draw attention to the moral of the story: when people say or do bad things, bad things happen to them. Discuss with the children whether they think this is right or wrong. Ask them to explain their reasoning. You could extend the discussion by exploring some of Aesop’s fables – see Reading list.

Ask the children what the girl could have done instead of using her Magic Finger. How would they have reacted in her situation?

Reading list Fiction I Feel Angry by Brian Moses.

Illustrated Stories from Aesop by Susanna Davidson My Brother Is a Superhero by David Solomons (Linked text: Unit 3) The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy Class reads Matilda by Roald Dahl Non-fiction The Life of Roald Dahl by Emma Fischel Poetry A Kid in My Class by Rachel Rooney ‘The Mrs Butler Blues’ by Allan Ahlberg Poems About Emotions by Brian Moses Films Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Walt Disney Productions, 1971) Matilda (TriStar Pictures, 1996)

4 Skills focus

See pages 56 to 57

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of inference.

Websites The official Roald Dahl website has a child-friendly biography of the author, as well as lists of all his characters and short summaries of his books.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 4 Modelling slides and the Modelling inference guidance on page 56.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 61 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 56 to 57.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Fiction

2 The children can then attempt the Inference questions on page 60.

55

Unit 4

Modelling inference

See Unit 4 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 20 to 21) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Then I got cross, and I saw red, … . What made the girl cross?

The teacher called her stupid and made her stand in the corner.

Decide on a key word (e.g. ‘red’ or ‘cross’). Run your finger along the lines of the text to find the key word and highlight or underline it. Read the text around the word to see what can be learnt. Model looking back at the story up to this point. Think aloud: What happened to the girl to make her angry?

2 Whiskers began growing out of her face! Why do you think the Magic Finger made Mrs Winter look like a cat?

Mrs Winter insulted the girl for not being able to spell the word ‘cat’, so as a punishment she ended up looking like one.

Point out the phrase ‘Why do you think’. This tells the children that the answer will not be given in the text – they will need to use their extrinsic knowledge as well as information from the text. It may be helpful to remind them of the scenarios discussed in the Explore section. Explain that they need to justify their thinking, but emphasise that they should not give too long an explanation, as the question is only worth 1 mark.

3 Of course the whole class started screaming with laughter, … . How do you think Mrs Winter felt at this point? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Embarrassed because it is awkward when everyone starts laughing at you and you don’t know why, especially if you are the teacher.

Ask the children to put themselves in Mrs Winter’s shoes. How would they feel if they were a teacher and all of the children were laughing at them? Point out that this is a two-part question for 2 marks. Explain that they need to identify two things: an emotion followed by a reason. The children may come up with several ideas.

Decide on one answer as a class and model writing both parts of the answer connected by ‘because’.

4 … if any of you are wondering whether Mrs Winter is quite all right again now, the answer is No. And she never will be. What does the girl suggest has happened to Mrs Winter?

Mrs Winter will have cat whiskers and a tail for the rest of her life.

Model finding the target sentences in the text. The question requires the children to think about what has happened to Mrs Winter and understand the implication that this is a permanent change. They may also infer that Mrs Winter fully turns into a cat; any references to her not returning to normal are acceptable.

Inference questions mark scheme

The Magic Finger, by Roald Dahl

Answer

56

1

She feels sorry for Mrs Winter.

2

Impression: brave/confident

See page 60 Guidance

Evidence: She knows Mrs Winter might punish her for speaking up but she does it anyway.

Some children may tick the third option if they do not understand the meaning of ‘poor’ in this context. You could prompt them by asking why someone might say ‘Poor you!’ Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Some children may struggle with this new question format.

Explain that they need to think of a word or group of words to sum up what we learn about the girl’s personality in the extract, based on the things she says and does, and choose a piece of evidence to support their idea. Some children may find it easier to choose a piece of evidence first, before deciding what impression this gives them. Award 1 mark for a plausible impression. Award 2 marks for a plausible impression with appropriate evidence from the text.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

3

The girl is naturally able to do magic.

OR She was born being able to do it.

Some children may give a vague response about the girl not knowing how she got her power. If so, encourage them to be more specific. Focus them on the first sentence and ask what this tells us about when the girl’s special power started.

Award 1 mark for any reference to the talent being natural.

4

Because she says it always happens when she gets cross. OR She says she’s been able to do it all her life.

If necessary, provide the children with a locator (e.g. Read from ‘I cannot begin to tell you what happened after that’ to the end of the extract). Award 1 mark for a correct answer.

5

I think unpleasant because something bad happened to Mrs Winter when the Magic Finger was pointed at her/the text says Mrs Winter will never be all right.

Plausible answers based on extrinsic knowledge should also be accepted (e.g. ‘I think unpleasant because nice things don’t normally happen when a person is cross with you’). Award 1 mark for the answer ‘unpleasant’. Award 2 marks for the answer ‘unpleasant’ plus an explanation linked to the text.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 61

?

Guidance

1

She grew whiskers and a tail.

2

What happened next was unbelievable.

OR There aren’t any words to describe what happened next.

This phrase is written colloquially and the children may rewrite it in a similar style or more formally. You should accept any answer that suitably reflects the original meaning. Award 1 mark for any plausible rewording. Skill: Word meaning.

3

She gets very hot. OR Her finger tingles.

OR A flash comes out of her.

Some children may refer to the feelings that prompt the girl to use the Magic Finger (e.g. ‘She gets cross’). Encourage them to reread the sentence beginning But it always happens when I get cross … and support them to understand that being cross is a cause rather than a result of the Magic Finger. Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Skill: Retrieval.

4

It’s about a little girl with a magic finger that makes bad things happen when she gets cross. OR It’s about a little girl who uses her magic finger to punish a teacher who is mean to her.

Emphasise that the children need to think about the text as a whole. Some may provide a response that focuses too much on the detail rather than summarising (e.g. ‘The magic finger sends out a flash’; ‘The teacher grew whiskers and a tail’).

If so, recap the steps for summarising found in the Skills guide (pages 18 to 19). Award 1 mark for a plausible summary linked to the text. Skill: Summarising.

5

Mrs Winter starts miaowing. OR The head teacher comes into the classroom to see what all the noise is about.

Answers will vary. To check their understanding, encourage the children to justify their predictions using the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Some children may tick an incorrect option if they are relying on their memory of the text. If so, encourage them to reread from the sentence Then I got cross, and I saw red … . Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Retrieval.

The Magic Finger, by Roald Dahl

Answer

Unit 4

Answer

57

Unit 4

The Magic Finger, by Roald Dahl In this extract we discover that the girl in the story has magical powers.

When someone makes her cross, her finger starts to tingle and an electric flash jumps out and touches them. Then she waits to see what will happen… and it’s never good!

Poor old Mrs Winter.

One day we were in class, and she was teaching us spelling. “Stand up,” she said to me, “and spell cat.”

“That’s an easy one,” I said. “. D W.” “You are a stupid little girl!” Mrs Winter said.

“I am not a stupid little girl!” I cried. “I am a very nice little girl!”

“Go and stand in the corner,” Mrs Winter said.

Then I got cross, and I saw red, and I put the Magic Finger on Mrs Winter good and strong, and almost at once…

The Magic Finger, by Roald Dahl

Guess what?

Whiskers began growing out of her face! They were long black whiskers, just like the ones you see on a cat, only much bigger. And how fast they grew! Before we had time to think, they were out to her ears!

Of course the whole class started screaming with laughter, and then Mrs Winter said, “Will you be so kind as to tell me what you find so madly funny, all of you?”

And when she turned around to write something on the blackboard we saw that she had grown a tail as well! It was a huge bushy tail!

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Unit 4

I cannot begin to tell you what happened after that, but if any of you are wondering whether Mrs Winter is quite all right again now, the answer is No. And she never will be.

The Magic Finger is something I have been able to do all my life.

I can’t tell you just how I do it, because I don’t even know myself.

But it always happens when I get cross, when I see red…

Then I get very, very hot all over…

Then the tip of the forefinger of my right hand begins to tingle most terribly…

And suddenly a sort of flash comes out of me, a quick flash, like something electric.

It jumps out and touches the person who has made me cross…

The Magic Finger, by Roald Dahl

And after that the Magic Finger is upon him or her, and things begin to happen…

From The Magic Finger, by Roald Dahl. Copyright © The Roald Dahl Story Company Limited, 1966. Published by Penguin Books Ltd.

Unit 4

Inference 1

Name:

In the first sentence the girl says, Poor old Mrs Winter. What does this suggest about how she feels about Mrs Winter? Tick one.

She thinks Mrs Winter is old.

She feels sorry for Mrs Winter.

She thinks Mrs Winter does not have any money.

She thinks Mrs Winter is cold.

2

1 mark

What impression do you get of the girl’s character? Give one impression and one piece of evidence from the text.

Impression

Evidence

2 marks

3

The Magic Finger is something I have been able to do all my life. I can’t tell you just how I do it, because I don’t even know myself.

What does this tell you about how the girl got her special power?

1 mark

The Magic Finger, by Roald Dahl

4

How can you tell that the girl has used the Magic Finger before?

1 mark

5

And after that the Magic Finger is upon him or her, and things begin to happen … .

Do you think the things that begin to happen are pleasant or unpleasant? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

I think because .

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 4

Mix it up!

Name:

What happened to Mrs Winter after the girl put the Magic Finger on her? Tick one.

She grew whiskers and a tail.

She turned into a cat.

She forgot how to spell.

She got very cross.

2

1 mark

I cannot begin to tell you what happened after that, … .

Rewrite this group of words in your own words.

1 mark

3

Read from I can’t tell you just how I do it, … to the end of the text. Give two things that happen to the girl when she uses her Magic Finger.

1 2

Write one sentence to summarise the content of the whole text.

1 mark

5

What do you think might happen next in the story?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

The Magic Finger, by Roald Dahl

4

2 marks

Unit 5

Sugar: The Facts

by The NHS

Summarising

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 66 to 69

Public information leaflets, such as this one from the NHS website, are useful sources of information about how to stay safe and healthy. This text looks at sugar in our diet and provides important healthy eating messages for the children. Although some of the language is quite scientific, the key messages are clear: that it is a good idea for everyone to monitor their sugar intake and reduce it if necessary. This unit is paired with another non-fiction text related to nutrition – an instructional recipe text (Unit 6). You could compare the two texts once both units have been completed.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 66 to 67) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 What type of text do you think this is?

Based on the table, subheadings and bullet points, the children should be able to identify this as non-fiction. They may also be able to work out that it is some form of informational document or leaflet.

Non-fiction

2 What does it mean to eat healthily? If you are trying to eat healthily, what sort of things should you eat and drink, and what sort of things should you mostly avoid?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. You could ask them to work in pairs and discuss their answers, before asking them to feed back to the class.

62

3 Who do you think has written this leaflet?

The children may suggest that doctors or nurses have written the leaflet. Introduce them to the concept of public health information, which can be created by the government, public health bodies, doctors, or anyone else who has responsibility for keeping people healthy. Discuss why it is important that public health messages are shared with the community.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary cereals

decay

energy

equivalent

limit

manufacturer

naturally

nutrition

occur

reduces

syrups

weight

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Do you prefer chocolate or fruit? Which is a better source of nutrition for your body?

O

Where do you keep your fruit and vegetables so that they don’t decay?

O

When do you have more energy, in the morning or in the evening?

O

If I decide to limit the amount of junk food I buy, will I be buying a little or a lot?

Vocabulary activities O

Ask the children to use scales to weigh and record the weight of some everyday items.

Are the children surprised by any of the weights?

O

Ask the children to think of a packaged snack that they like to eat. Can they name the manufacturer that makes it? If the children struggle with this, you could have some examples of popular food packaging ready to show and discuss.

O

Use your choice of the vocabulary activities on page 15 to investigate some of the key words above.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

O

Speaking and listening task: Ask the children to each complete a survey of what their classmates have had for breakfast. They should find out exactly what each child ate and drank. In small groups, they could then talk about their findings. What were the most popular types of food and drink? Which of these do they think contain the most sugar? Can they think of healthier options to replace them with? You could use the online resources in the Reading list to help the children with this task.

O

Writing task: As a class or in small groups, the children could write a persuasive letter to their head teacher asking them to offer a healthy eating breakfast club at their school. If your school already has a breakfast club, they could suggest other ideas (e.g. making a display of healthy eating tips that each class can take turns updating). Support the children to use persuasive language and encourage them to include facts from the leaflet in their letters, to support their arguments for why the school needs to take action.

1 What type of sugars do people eat too much of?

Free sugars.

2 Name three types of food or drink that have free sugars in them.

Answers will vary. The children could name any three of the following: biscuits; chocolate; flavoured yoghurts; breakfast cereals; fizzy drinks; honey; syrups; fruit juice and smoothies.

3 How many cubes of sugar are found in one can of cola?

Nine.

4 How much of your daily intake should be free sugars?

No more than 5%.

3 Explore O

O

Talk about the increase in child obesity in this country. Ask the children to share ideas about why more children might be overweight now than in previous years. Are children getting less exercise than they did 20 years ago? Are children eating fewer home-cooked meals? What might have caused these changes over the years? Think about the impact that technology, social media, fast food and convenience food have had on eating habits.

Look at your school’s lunch menu for the week.

How would the children make it healthier? What sort of food would they add? The children could work in small groups to design their own healthy menu for the week. They could use some of the non-fiction resources in the Reading list to help them.

Unit 5

5 Where next?

Summarising

2 First steps

Reading list Fiction Handa’s Surprise by Eileen Browne Oliver’s Fruit Salad by Vivian French Oliver’s Vegetables by Vivian French Class reads The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull Non-fiction All About Teeth by Mari C. Schuh Good Enough to Eat by Lizzy Rockwell Prawn Pizza by Jane Sowerby (Linked text: Unit 6) What’s on My Plate by Jennifer Boothroyd

See pages 64 to 65

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of summarise.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 5 Modelling slides and the Modelling summarising guidance on page 64.

2 The children can then attempt the Summarising questions on page 68.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 69 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 64 to 65.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Poetry The Brownielocks and The 3 Bears website hosts a food-themed collection of ‘Silly Dumb Crazy Fun Poems for Kids’.

Films Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Warner Bros.

Pictures, 2005) Websites The British Nutrition Foundation website offers a range of teaching resources.

The ‘Eat Well’ section of the NHS website has a useful list of the top sources of added sugar in most people’s diets.

Public Health England has a range of cross-curricular healthy eating resources aimed at schools.

Non-fiction

4 Skills focus

63

Unit 5

Modelling summarising

See Unit 5 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 18 to 19) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Summarise the main problems caused by eating too much sugar.

You can get tooth decay and gain weight.

This question doesn’t include a locator, so it is important to model identifying the key words in the question (e.g. ‘too much sugar’) and locating them in the text. It is a good idea to draw the children’s attention to the fact that the question mentions ‘problems’ in the plural: this means that their answer will need to include at least two points.

2 Write one sentence to summarise what free sugars are.

Free sugars are sugars that are added to food and drink, as well as some naturally occurring sugars.

Model how to locate the key words from the question in the text, showing the children how to run their fingers along the lines until they find ‘free sugars’. Explain that they need to read the sentences around the key words. Point out that they need to read all of the information about free sugars or they could easily miss the part about naturally occurring sugars. Model deciding which points are needed in your answer before you write your sentence.

3 Look at the table in the text. What is the maximum amount of sugar young children should have each day?

19 grams/5 cubes Explain that the children should approach this type of question by first locating the table and then eliminating irrelevant information such as the recommended sugar intake for adults. The children need to have a clear understanding of what ‘young children’ means before answering this question – discuss this if necessary.

4 Draw lines to match each part of the text to its content. section 1

recommended daily sugar intakes

section 2

explanation of free sugars

section 3

reducing sugar in food

section 4

reducing sugar in drinks

Read the question aloud and discuss that ‘section’ is another word for ‘part’. Remind the children that subheadings are used to divide up a text to make it easier to read. Identify the four sections – the introductory paragraphs and the three subheadings – and highlight them. Next, identify the key words in the first content description and scan the text for them, before identifying what number section it is. Repeat this process, explaining that you could leave any tricky options and come back to them at the end.

Sugar: The Facts, by The NHS

Summarising questions mark scheme

64

See page 68

Answer

Guidance

1

a bar of chocolate and a fizzy drink

The children’s answers must include both a food and a drink item.

If necessary, provide them with a locator. Award 1 mark for both a correct food and a correct drink taken from the text.

2

The younger you are, the less sugar you should have. OR Adults can have more sugar than children. OR The sugar intakes for adults and children are different.

This is a difficult question. It may be helpful to suggest that the children first focus on the difference between adult and children’s sugar intake. Can they now write a sentence that sums up this difference? Award 1 mark for a plausible summary of the table.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

4

5

Find alternative foods with less added sugar.

Some of the children may guess the answer based on their reading of the entire text. In this case, refocus them on the last section. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Add fruit to unsweetened cereals.

4

Reduce the amount of sugar you add to hot drinks.

2

Limit the amount of unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies you have.

1

Avoid having jam, syrup or chocolate spread on your toast.

3

You could encourage the children to highlight each statement in the text before ordering these statements. Award 1 mark for the correct numbers in all boxes.

It is not healthy to go over the daily sugar recommendation.

Some of the children may copy from the introductory text or provide a vague answer based on their general knowledge.

These answers should not be accepted. Award 1 mark for a plausible answer.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 69

?

Answer

Guidance

1

decay

Summarise the steps for answering word meaning questions (e.g. reading around the target word; thinking of possible synonyms). If the children answer with two words (e.g. ‘tooth decay’), remind them that the question asks for one word.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Word meaning.

2

Maple syrup contains free sugars.

You could replace the syrup with anything that doesn’t contain free sugars, like fruit.

This question tests the children’s comprehension of the whole text and relies on the understanding that, although maple syrup is natural, it still contains a lot of sugar. Award 1 mark for a reference to maple syrup containing free sugars. Award 2 marks for a reference to maple syrup containing free sugars with a suitable replacement suggested. Skill: Inference.

3

5%

Some of the children may try to locate ‘maximum’ in the text.

If so, explain that ‘maximum’ is not actually a locator in this question, as the synonym ‘not … more than’ is used in the text.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

4

H fruit in juice

5

LH

toast with chocolate spread

frosted cereals

fruit in syrup

Examples of healthy meals and snacks

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

This question requires close reading. Encourage the children to scan for each food choice within the section. You could draw their attention to the repeated use of ‘rather than’, which signals an unhealthy choice followed by a healthier one. Award 1 mark for at least two choices correctly ticked. Award 2 marks for all choices correctly ticked. Skill: Retrieval.

The children’s answers are likely to be influenced by their familiarity with information leaflets and their background knowledge of the subject matter. Award 1 mark for a plausible subheading linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

Sugar: The Facts, by The NHS

3

Guidance

Unit 5

Answer

65

Unit 5

Sugar: The Facts, by The NHS This text is taken from a website that gives advice about healthy eating. Eating healthily and getting the right nutrients is very important. This text explains how much sugar adults and children should have in their diet.

Eating too much sugar can make you gain weight and can also cause tooth decay.

The type of sugars most adults and children in the UK eat too much of are ‘free sugars’.

These are:

•

Any sugars added to food or drinks. These include sugars in biscuits, chocolate, flavoured yoghurts, breakfast cereals and fizzy drinks. These sugars may be added at home, or by a chef or other food manufacturer.

•

Sugars in honey, syrups (such as maple) and unsweetened fruit juices, vegetable juices and smoothies. The sugars in these foods occur naturally but still count as free sugars.

Sugar found naturally in milk, fruit and vegetables does not count as free sugars.

How much sugar can we eat?

The government recommends that free sugars should not make up more than 5% of the energy (calories) you get from food and drink each day.

This means:

Sugar: The Facts, by The NHS

Age group

Amount of sugar

Adults

no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to 7 sugar cubes)

Children aged 7 to 10

no more than 24g of free sugars a day (6 sugar cubes)

Children aged 4 to 6

no more than 19g of free sugars a day (5 sugar cubes)

For example, a can of cola can have as much as 9 cubes of sugar – more than the recommended daily limit for adults.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

These tips can help you to cut down your sugar intake from drinks:

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Unit 5

Reducing sugar in drinks

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•

Even unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies are sugary, so limit the amount you have to no more than 150ml a day.

• ,I \RX SUHIHU IL]]\ GULQNV WU\ GLOXWLQJ QR DGGHG VXJDU VTXDVK ZLWK sparkling water.

•

If you take sugar in hot drinks or add sugar to your breakfast cereal, gradually reduce the amount until you can cut it out altogether.

Alternatively, switch to a sweetener.

Reducing sugar in food These tips can help you to cut down your sugar intake from food:

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Check nutrition labels to help you pick the foods with less added sugar, RU JR IRU WKH UHGXFHG RU ORZHU VXJDU YHUVLRQ

• •

Choose tins of fruit in juice rather than syrup.

•

Choose unsweetened wholegrain breakfast cereals that aren’t frosted or coated with chocolate or honey.

Choose unsweetened cereal and try adding some fruit for sweetness, which will contribute to your 5 A Day. Sliced bananas, dried fruit and berries are all good options.

From the NHS ‘Live Well’ website: www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Sugar: The Facts, by The NHS

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Unit 5

Summarising 1

Name:

Look at the first section of the text. Name an unhealthy snack and drink. and

2

1 mark

Look at the section How much sugar can we eat?. Write one sentence to summarise the information in the table.

1 mark

3

Which of the following sentences best summarises the section Reducing sugar in food? Tick one.

Brush your teeth to avoid tooth decay.

Some free sugars are naturally occurring.

Find alternative foods with less added sugar.

Choose fruit in juice, not in syrup.

4

1 mark

Look at the last two sections about reducing sugar in drinks and food. Number the following suggestions to show the order in which they appear in the text.

Add fruit to unsweetened cereals.

Sugar: The Facts, by The NHS

Reduce the amount of sugar you add to hot drinks.

Limit the amount of unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies you have.

Avoid having jam, syrup or chocolate spread on your toast.

5

1 mark

Write one sentence to summarise the main message of this text.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 5

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the first sentence. Find and copy one word that means ‘become rotten’.

1 mark

2

Look at the first section. Why is it best to avoid adding natural maple syrup to porridge? What could you use instead of maple syrup?

2 marks

3

What is the maximum percentage of free sugars we should have each day? %

4

1 mark

Look at the section Reducing sugar in food. Tick to show whether each food choice is healthy or less healthy.

Healthy

Less healthy

fruit in juice

frosted cereals fruit in syrup 2 marks

5

What do you think the next subheading would be if you could read on?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Sugar: The Facts, by The NHS

toast with chocolate spread

Unit 6

Prawn Pizza

by Jane Sowerby

Retrieval

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 74 to 77

Recipes are a non-fiction genre that is very familiar to adults but much less so to children. Pizza is a food most children will have tried and probably enjoyed, but how many of them have made their own pizza from scratch?

Eating healthily and understanding the benefits of cooking at home are the themes of both this unit and Unit 5, but these texts do not share the same structure, and were written for different purposes. You may wish to compare and contrast the two texts once both units have been completed.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 74 to 75) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 What type of text do you think this is? Why? Encourage the children to focus on the title and subheadings as well as the layout to identify that this is a recipe. If the children only identify the text as non-fiction, you may need to explain what a recipe is and where we find recipes. Have some recipe books available to show the children.

See the Reading list for some suggestions.

Non-fiction

2 Have you ever cooked/baked anything at home?

What did you cook/bake?

Answers will vary. You could make a class list to show the things the children have cooked or baked. If they haven’t done any cooking themselves, they might have seen family members or friends cooking, or they might have watched cookery programmes on television, such as The Great British Bake Off.

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3 Why do you think it is important to cook at home?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s experiences and opinions. Discuss how it is healthier and cheaper to cook meals at home, rather than eating at a restaurant or ordering a takeaway. It can also be an enjoyable thing to do and cooking is an important life skill.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary activate

combined

diced

dough

from scratch

indent

knead

sachet

simultaneously

temperature

tepid

yeast

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Would you prefer to shower in tepid water or water at a higher temperature? Why?

O

Some people like to bake cakes at home.

Have you ever made a treat from scratch?

O

Which would you carry your schoolbooks in, a satchel or a sachet? Why?

O

What things do you do simultaneously when you’re getting ready for school?

O

Why is it important to activate your brain at the beginning of your lessons?

Vocabulary activities O

Challenge the children to think of as many words as they can for ‘hot’ and ‘cold’. Then ask them to rank them from hottest to coldest by placing them on a thermometer graphic.

Where would tepid go?

O

Diced is a cooking verb. How many more cooking verbs can the children think of?

O

Use your choice of the vocabulary activities on page 15 to investigate some of the key words above.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

See pages 72 to 73

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of retrieval.

1 What is the purpose of this text?

To tell you how to cook pizza.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 6 Modelling slides and the Modelling retrieval guidance on page 72.

2 What are the two parts of the pizza that you have to prepare?

Base and topping.

2 The children can then attempt the Retrieval questions on page 76.

4 What should the dough look like when you turn it out on to your work surface?

A sticky ball.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 77 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 72 to 73.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: Have a class debate about whether it should be compulsory for children in primary schools to have cooking lessons. To begin with, the children could work in pairs to prepare the pros and cons. Next, hold a debate in groups of four, with the rest of the class listening to the speakers and deciding who has been the most persuasive.

O

Writing task: Each child could write a persuasive letter to the school meal supplier or school cook to ask them if they would consider making their own pizzas and to explain the benefits of making pizza from scratch. The children could share the recipe in this unit and offer to go to the kitchens to show the school meal supplier how to make it. They could also give some suggestions for possible pizza toppings.

5 What should you do with the dough while you make the topping?

Put it in a bowl and cover with a clean damp cloth.

3 Explore O

Explore the history of the pizza. Where do pizzas come from? (It is thought that pizza originally came from Naples in Italy as street food for poor people, but in 1889 the restaurant owner Raffaele Esposito created the ‘Pizza Margherita’ for the Italian Queen, Margherita. It contained only tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to represent the colours of the Italian flag.)

You could use some of the resources in the Reading list to support your discussion.

O

You could arrange to visit a local pizza restaurant to see how they make pizza, or perhaps ask a local pizza chef to come and talk to the children about their work. Alternatively, you could watch a cookery programme to see a cook preparing pizza. Discuss the steps they go through. Are they the same as in the text?

O

Collect examples of other national dishes from around the world, drawing from the children’s own experiences and consulting recipe books as required (e.g. jerk chicken with rice and peas from the Caribbean; samosas from India; deep-fried plantain from the Ivory Coast; falafel from Israel; sushi from Japan; couscous from Algeria; and, of course, fish and chips from the UK). It is important to encourage the children to notice that, while these are national dishes, they are not the only foods eaten in these countries. You could demonstrate this by exploring how often the children in the class eat fish and chips.

This could lead into a discussion about national stereotypes and how inaccurate they can be.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Reading list Fiction Curious George and the Pizza Party by H.A. Rey Class reads Cookie by Jacqueline Wilson Non-fiction Nadiya’s Bake Me a Celebration Story by Nadiya Hussain The Silver Spoon for Children by Amanda Grant Sugar: The Facts by The NHS (Linked text: Unit 5) The Usborne Beginner’s Cookbook by Fiona Watt Who Wants Pizza? by Jan Thornhill Websites The Epicurious recipe website hosts a short video called ‘The Secret History of Pizza’ on their YouTube channel.

Non-fiction

3 Name four ingredients that are needed for this recipe.

Answers will vary. The children should be able to name at least four of the following: yeast; sugar; flour; olive oil; salt; pepper; tomatoes; paprika; prawns; cheese; coriander.

Unit 6

4 Skills focus

Retrieval

2 First steps

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Unit 6

Modelling retrieval

See Unit 6 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 16 to 17) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Does the author’s family prefer shop-bought or homemade pizza? homemade pizza To answer this question, the children need to understand that it is asking about the author’s family. The author speaks to the reader at the beginning of the recipe about her family, so model your understanding of this first paragraph. The children also need to understand that the word ‘homemade’ means the opposite of ‘shop-bought’. Pretend you don’t know the word ‘homemade’ and show how you work out the answer by knowing what ‘from scratch’ means and noticing the phrase ‘prefer it to shop-bought’.

2 Why does the oven need to be preheated?

To make sure that the pizza cooks right through.

Model how you use your finger to scan the text for the key words ‘preheat[ed]’ and ‘oven’. Put your finger on the words when you find them and then read the whole sentence aloud. Show how you notice the answer right at the end of the sentence.

3 What is the main ingredient in the pizza base? flour Model how you use your finger, as for the previous question, to find the key word ‘ingredient’ in the text. It is easy to find because it is one of the subheadings. Then find the section about the pizza base. Explain that you need to be careful to look at the right set of ingredients (i.e. those for the base, not for the topping). Next, model how you work out what the word ‘main’ is asking in the question. The ‘main ingredient’ is the one there is most of and that is flour. Model how you work this out by looking at the quantities for all the ingredients.

4 Which ingredient is needed for the pizza topping? Circle one. pepper

sugar

yeast

olive oil

Remind the children to carefully check each answer option against each of the pizza topping ingredients.

Remind them again that they should use the key words from the question (e.g. ‘topping’) to make sure that they are not using the wrong list.

Prawn Pizza, by Jane Sowerby

Retrieval questions mark scheme

72

See page 76

Answer

Guidance

1

Turn the oven on/preheat the oven.

Some of the children may overlook the first paragraph because it comes before the main recipe. If so, remind them that the first paragraph and the ingredients lists are part of the recipe even though they come before the method. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

Mix sugar with water, then pour over the yeast and swirl.

Some children may rely on memory to answer. If so, remind them that they are retrieving information and so they must take their response from the text. They should locate the relevant sentence by scanning for the key word ‘activate’, then reword it as simply and accurately as possible. Award 1 mark for any reference to mixing the sugar with water, then swirling it with the yeast.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

3

10 minutes

If necessary, remind the children to use the key words ‘knead’ and ‘dough’ to find the correct answer within the text.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

4

25cm (circle)

This is a tricky question because the answer is in the section about making the pizza topping rather than the pizza dough.

If the children are struggling, encourage them to focus on the word ‘size’. This gives them a clue that their answer should include a unit of measurement (e.g. mm, cm). If necessary, prompt them to scan the text for units of measurement to retrieve their answer. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

5

It will make the pizza soggy.

Some children may benefit from being given a locator (the penultimate paragraph) to support them here. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

See page 77

?

Answer

Guidance

1

sachet

If the children find this question challenging, you could discuss what a ‘packet’ is and think of possible synonyms. The children will have encountered the word ‘sachet’ when you discussed the Key vocabulary. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Skill: Word meaning.

2

200g

If necessary, remind the children to scan for the key word (‘cheese’). The question is asking ‘How much’ of the cheese we need to use, so the answer will be a quantity and is likely to be found in the ingredients list. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

3

Activate the yeast.

3

Turn on the oven.

1

Knead the dough.

4

Mix in the flour.

2

4

5

squeezing

It needs to be elastic so that it can be shaped into a circle and it needs to be strong so that it will hold all the ingredients without tearing or breaking.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Encourage the children to find, highlight and number each of the possible answers in the text before filling in the answer boxes. Award 1 mark for the correct numbers in all boxes.

Skill: Summarising.

The children should be familiar with the word ‘knead’ from the Key vocabulary. However, you may need to support some children to locate the key word in the text, and to read the paragraph it is in for context clues. Draw their attention to the description of kneading: ‘press[ing] the heels of your hands into the dough while simultaneously pushing forward slightly’.

Would ‘stroking’, ‘slapping’ or ‘scratching’ have the same effect? Award 1 mark for the correct answer circled.

Skill: Word meaning.

Some children may not provide a reason for the dough needing both qualities. If so, remind them that the question is for 2 marks and that it asks about two things (emphasised by the use of ‘both’ and ‘and’). Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks. Skill: Inference.

Prawn Pizza, by Jane Sowerby

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 6

Answer

73

Unit 6

Prawn Pizza, by Jane Sowerby This text is a pizza recipe. It tells you what ingredients you will need and what you need to do in order to make a pizza. If you decide to have a go, make sure you ask an adult to help you.

I like to make pizza from scratch for my family – they prefer it to VKRS ERXJKW RU WDNHDZD\ SL]]D 7KHUH DUH WZR SDUWV WR WKLV UHFLSH making the base and making the topping. But before doing anything, preheat the oven to the hottest temperature, and leave time for it to heat up properly, otherwise your pizza won’t cook all the way through.

Ingredients For the pizza base:

For the topping:

7g sachet dried yeast

\HOORZ SHSSHU GH VHHGHG

250ml tepid water

and sliced

2 teaspoons sugar

225g can chopped tomatoes

500g strong white bread flour

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

150g raw, peeled prawns

1½ teaspoons salt

200g grated mozzarella cheese 1 handful of chopped coriander

Prawn Pizza, by Jane Sowerby

Method To make the pizza base: 1.

First you have to activate the yeast. To do this, mix the sugar with tepid water, pour the mixture over the yeast and swirl. Put the activated yeast aside and allow it to foam for 10 minutes.

2.

Then mix together the flour and salt and add the oil. Add the foaming yeast and mix with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined to make a dough.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Turn the dough out on to your work surface. It will look like a sticky ball.

4.

Knead the dough for 10 minutes. To knead, press the heels of your hands into the dough while simultaneously pushing forward slightly. This helps gluten to form which makes the dough strong and elastic. After 10 minutes of kneading, the dough should be shiny and smooth.

5.

Place the dough into a bowl and cover with a clean damp cloth while you make the topping.

Unit 6

3.

1.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the pepper for 5 minutes. Stir frequently, until softened.

2.

Add the tomatoes and paprika and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Take off the heat and add the prawns. Leave to cool.

3.

Now it’s time to shape your pizza dough into a 25cm circle.

Stretch and press the pizza dough with your fingertips to flatten it, leaving an indent of thicker crust around the edges. It should be about 1cm thick at the edge and about half that in the centre.

4.

Spread the tomato and prawn mix on to the base and then sprinkle with the cheese and coriander.

Don’t add too much topping, or you’ll end up with a soggy pizza.

Bake for 10 minutes.

5.

Slice and serve with a green salad.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Prawn Pizza, by Jane Sowerby

To make the pizza topping:

Unit 6

Retrieval 1

Name:

What is the first thing the recipe asks the reader to do?

1 mark

2

Look at the method. Explain what you need to do to activate the yeast.

1 mark

3

Look at the method. How long should you knead the dough for?

1 mark

4

What size should the pizza base be?

1 mark

Prawn Pizza, by Jane Sowerby

5

Which statement best explains why you shouldn’t use too much topping? Tick one.

It will make you too full.

It will make the pizza soggy.

It will not taste nice.

It will make the pizza elastic.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 6

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the ingredients list. Find and copy one word that means ‘packet’.

1 mark

2

How much cheese is needed for the topping?

1 mark

3

Number the following tasks for making a pizza to show the order in which they appear in the text.

Activate the yeast.

Turn on the oven.

Knead the dough.

Mix in the flour.

Which word best describes the meaning of kneading? Circle one. squeezing

5

slapping

stroking

scratching

1 mark

This helps gluten to form which makes the dough strong and elastic.

Why do you think the dough needs to be both strong and elastic?

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Prawn Pizza, by Jane Sowerby

4

1 mark

Unit 7

The Iron Man

by Ted Hughes

Word choice

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 82 to 85

The Iron Man was written by Ted Hughes in 1968 and has become a classic children’s book. Ted Hughes wrote fiction, poems and plays for children and adults, and was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom until his death in 1998. This extract is taken from the beginning of The Iron Man in which Hughes skilfully hints at the menace that lies ahead while simultaneously conveying the vulnerability of the Iron Man as he steps off a cliff. This text is linked with The Selfish Giant (Progress check 1).

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 82 to 83) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 The story you will read is about a giant made out of iron: he is called the ‘Iron Man’. What other giants have you read about or seen in films?

The children are likely to talk about the Marvel character, Iron Man, and the film trilogy of the same name. Encourage them to tell you about other stories or films that include giants. You could remind them of Jack and the Beanstalk (from Unit 16 in Complete Comprehension 1). You may wish to extend the discussion by explaining that every country has its own traditional stories, many of which feature giants (e.g. Kumbhakarna from Hindu folklore, or Polyphemus the Cyclops from Greek mythology).

Fiction

2 How do you think you would feel if you saw an enormous iron man?

Answers will vary. Focus the children by asking them to close their eyes and imagine that they are looking up at a giant man made out of iron: how would they feel in that moment? Encourage them to use as many descriptive words as they can (e.g. scared; dumb-struck; worried; panicked; fearful).

78

3 Now imagine that you are a giant iron man who has travelled to Earth for the first time. How would you feel?

This question will encourage the children to think from another perspective. Answers may range from the positive (e.g. powerful; superior; strong) to the negative (e.g. confused; uncertain; alone).

Language toolkit Key vocabulary booming

brink

clanging

cliff

glided

headlamps

infra-red

scattered

swayed

toppling

tugging

tumbling

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Where might you find headlamps?

O

Can you think of an item in your living room that uses an infra-red signal?

O

If you are on the brink of something, are you close to it or far from it?

Vocabulary activities O

Ask the children to work in pairs to discuss a time when they, or someone they were with, went toppling or tumbling. Where did this happen?

O

This extract includes a lot of vocabulary connected to the seaside (e.g. cliff, ‘crab’, ‘seagulls’). How many can the children find in the text? How many others can they think of?

O

Clanging and booming are examples of onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeic words incorporate sounds that are similar to the noises the words refer to (e.g. ‘hiss’; ‘thud’; ‘woof’). Challenge the children to think of their own examples of onomatopoeic words.

O

Swayed, glided and scattered are all verbs that describe a particular type of movement.

Can the children act out these movements to demonstrate how they differ?

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

1 Where did the Iron Man come from?

Nobody knows where he came from (or how he was made).

2 What does the Iron Man look like?

Encourage the children to use the text, rather than the illustration, to form their answer. Descriptions could refer to the Iron Man’s huge size (he is ‘taller than a house’ and his head is ‘as big as a bedroom’); the fact that he is made from metal; his ‘dustbinshaped’ head; his eyes being like headlamps.

3 Where is the Iron Man standing and what can he see from there?

He is standing on the top of a rocky, high cliff and he can see the sea. Some children may expand further to tell you that it is night-time and that it is very windy.

4 What happened to the Iron Man after he stepped off the cliff?

He crashed on to rocks until every piece of his body came apart and lay unmoving on the beach at the bottom.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 85 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 80 to 81.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: Split the children into pairs and explain that one of them will role-play the Iron Man while the other will interview him.

(The children could swap roles halfway through the activity.) The interviewer can ask the Iron Man any questions they like (e.g. where did you come from?; why did you step off the cliff?; were you scared when you fell?). The Iron Man could answer in a robot-like voice.

O

Writing task: The children could each write a paragraph from the seagull’s perspective, describing the moment they saw the pieces of the Iron Man on the beach at the bottom of the cliff. They should copy some of the techniques that Ted Hughes used (e.g. short sentences; onomatopoeia; capital letters for emphasis; repetition; simile; metaphor; one-line paragraphs).

Word choice

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Unit 7

2 The children can then attempt the Word choice questions on page 84.

2 First steps

3 Explore O

O

O

The start of this text immediately captures our attention. Explore how the author achieves this (e.g. the mystery surrounding where the Iron Man came from; the dramatic setting on top of a cliff; the description of the windy, dark weather).

The author of this story, Ted Hughes, also wrote poems. Discuss how a lot of this text is laid out like a poem, even though it is fiction. The children might notice that there are many short sentences and one-word lines; repetition of certain words; words in capitals (e.g. ‘CRASH!’).

Explore the contrast between the noisy and busy first two-thirds of the text (where the Iron Man is falling down the cliff) and the final third of the text when everything is quieter. Discuss how the language changes and what effect this has on the reader.

4 Skills focus

See pages 80 to 81

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of word choice.

Reading list Fiction Cogheart by Peter Bunzl Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde (Linked text: Progress check 1) The Wild Robot by Peter Brown Class reads The Iron Man by Ted Hughes The Iron Woman by Ted Hughes Non-fiction National Geographic Kids: Robots by Melissa Stewart Poetry Collected Poems for Children by Ted Hughes The Iron Wolf (Collected Animal Poems Volume 1)

by Ted Hughes Films The Iron Giant (Warner Bros., 1999) Robots (20th Century Fox, 2005)

Fiction

WALL-E (Walt Disney Pictures, 2008)

1 Model the skill using the Unit 7 Modelling slides and the Modelling word choice guidance on page 80.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

79

Unit 7

Modelling word choice

See Unit 7 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 26 to 27) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 How far had he walked? Nobody knows. Where had he come from? Nobody knows. How was he made?

Nobody knows. How does the author’s choice of words here add to the atmosphere at the beginning of the story?

By repeating the words ‘Nobody knows’ the author makes the story more mysterious. The question marks help to show that no-one knows anything about the Iron Man. Model finding the target sentences in the text. Point out that this question is worth 2 marks and that the children must use the text to comment about the effect of the words. Encourage them to look at the punctuation and the words that are repeated across these sentences.

2 His eyes, like headlamps, glowed white, then red, then infra-red, searching the sea. Give two ways in which the language in this sentence shows that the Iron Man is like a machine.

His eyes are compared to headlamps and he can see in infra-red.

Model finding the target sentence in the text and read it aloud. Ask the children to help you look for words in the sentence that are connected to machines. Some may identify the phrase ‘glowed white, then red’ as something that a machine such as a lamp can do but a human can’t. This is also acceptable.

3 There are some unusual descriptions of nature in this story: the wind sang and the sea was chewing.

What effect do you think the author is trying to create? Explain your answer.

The author is trying to show that this story is set in a wild place where nature is very powerful, so he describes nature as behaving like a person.

Work with the children to find the target phrases in the text. Discuss how the verbs ‘sang’ and ‘chewing’ would normally be used, i.e. to describe actions of living things. Talk about why the author is treating nature like a living thing. Some children may suggest alternative answers (e.g. ‘The author is trying to create a magical setting’). These are acceptable as long as they can link their ideas back to the text.

4 Only one of the iron hands, lying beside an old sand-logged washed-up seaman’s boot, waved its fingers for a minute, like a crab on its back. Why do you think the author chose to use the group of words crab on its back to describe the Iron Man’s broken hand? Explain your answer.

It makes the reader think how a crab would look lying on its back – it would be helpless and at risk. This would make the reader feel sorry for the Iron Man because he is broken and alone.

Model finding the target sentence in the text. Discuss whether crabs normally lie on their backs and what it might mean when they do. Refocus the children on the rubric – why do they think the author chose the group of words? What does this make the reader feel about the Iron Man?

The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes

Word choice questions mark scheme

80

See page 84

Answer

Guidance

1

Houses and bedrooms are big things, so it helps the reader to understand just how big the Iron Man is.

Some children might also answer that houses and bedrooms are things that everyone can imagine, which helps the reader picture the size of the Iron Man. Award 1 mark for reference to emphasising the huge size of the Iron Man.

2

swayed OR pressed OR forward OR brink

Some children may underline ‘high’ and ‘cliff’. If so, explain that these words describe the Iron Man’s current location. Support them to identify that the key words in the question are ‘about to fall off’. Encourage them to scan the sentence for verbs and other words that suggest the Iron Man’s location is about to change.

Award 1 mark for each correct word underlined, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

You could remind the children of your discussion of the key word ‘toppling’ in the Language toolkit. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

He was falling.

4

It makes the reader think that the Iron Man is going to die because the pieces are falling a long way. The author has used a lot of verbs in a row to show that the pieces were falling fast and making a lot of noise as they fell.

5

The water was rough.

You could read the sentence aloud with the children to help them identify the onomatopoeia. Award 1 mark for a plausible effect. Award 2 marks for a plausible effect plus an appropriate explanation using evidence from the text.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

If the children choose the third answer option using their extrinsic knowledge of ‘boiling’, ask them to think about whether seawater is likely to be boiling hot. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

See page 85

?

Answer

Guidance

1

Because he didn’t know what the cliff was/what would happen if he stood on nothing – he might come from a different world.

Some children may suggest alternative reasons (e.g. Because he knew he could put himself back together at the bottom’). This is acceptable as long as it is linked to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible reason linked to the text. Skill: Inference.

2

his (iron) head

As this question does not include a locator, you could discuss the key words in the question and model scanning the text for them. It is also worth discussing synonyms for the word ‘part’.

If necessary, encourage the children to scan from the paragraph beginning ‘From rock to rock, snag to snag …’. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

3

tugging

Some children may answer with more than one word. If so, remind them of the rules of ‘find and copy’ questions. Do not accept ‘tugging at’. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Skill: Word meaning.

4

The Iron Man’s Fall

5

I think the seagulls will fly down to take a look at the pieces of the Iron Man on the beach because they might want to peck at him to see if he is food.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

This question is challenging, as all of the distractors are present in the text. Encourage the children to highlight the relevant parts of the text and think about which is the most important to the whole text. If they answer incorrectly, discuss the fact that the main event here is the Iron Man’s fall from the cliff.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Skill: Summarising.

The children may also suggest that the seagulls attract the attention of other animals and humans, leading to the discovery of the Iron Man, or that the seagulls see that the Iron Man has been put back together. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction. Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction plus an explanation linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes

3

Unit 7

Answer

81

Unit 7

The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes This text is taken from the beginning of a book about a giant iron man who has appeared at the top of a cliff. The author, Ted Hughes, also wrote poetry, and you will notice that this text has a lot of interesting words and some short lines, just like poems often have.

The Iron Man came to the top of the cliff.

How far had he walked? Nobody knows. Where had he come from? Nobody knows. How was he made? Nobody knows.

Taller than a house, the Iron Man stood at the top of the cliff, on the very brink, in the darkness.

The wind sang through his iron fingers. His great iron head, shaped like a dustbin but as big as a bedroom, slowly turned to the right, slowly turned to the left. His iron ears turned, this way, that way. He was hearing the sea. +LV H\HV OLNH KHDGODPSV JORZHG ZKLWH WKHQ UHG WKHQ LQIUD UHG VHDUFKLQJ the sea. Never before had the Iron Man seen the sea.

He swayed in the strong wind that pressed against his back. He swayed forward, on the brink of the high cliff.

And his right foot, his enormous iron right foot, lifted – up, out, into space, and the Iron Man stepped forward, off the cliff, into nothingness.

CRRRAAAASSSSSSH! Down the cliff the Iron Man came toppling, head over heels.

The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! From rock to rock, snag to snag, tumbling slowly. And as he crashed and crashed and crashed His iron legs fell off.

His iron arms broke off, and the hands broke off the arms.

His great iron ears fell off and his eyes fell out.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

All the separate pieces tumbled, scattered, crashing, bumping, clanging, down on the rocky beach far below.

Unit 7

His great iron head fell off.

A few rocks tumbled with him.

Then Silence.

Only the sound of the sea, chewing away at the edge of the rocky beach, where the bits and pieces of the Iron Man lay scattered far and wide, silent and unmoving.

2QO\ RQH RI WKH LURQ KDQGV O\LQJ EHVLGH DQ ROG VDQG ORJJHG ZDVKHG XS seaman’s boot, waved its fingers for a minute, like a crab on its back.

Then it lay still.

While the stars went on wheeling through the sky and the wind went on WXJJLQJ DW WKH JUDVV RQ WKH FOLII WRS DQG WKH VHD ZHQW RQ ERLOLQJ DQG ERRPLQJ Nobody knew the Iron Man had fallen.

Just before dawn, as the darkness grew blue and the shapes of the rocks separated from each other, the two seagulls flew crying over the rocks. They landed on a patch of sand. They had two chicks in a nest on the cliff. Now they were searching for food.

One of the seagulls flew up – Aaaaaark!

He had seen something.

He glided low over the sharp rocks.

From The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes. Copyright © The Estate of Ted Hughes, 1968. Published by Faber and Faber Ltd.

The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes

Night passed.

Unit 7

Word choice 1

Name:

The author writes that the Iron Man is taller than a house and his head is as big as a bedroom. Why do you think he has chosen these comparisons?

1 mark

2

Look at the sentences below. Underline two words that suggest the Iron Man is about to fall off the cliff.

He swayed in the strong wind that pressed against his back. He swayed forward, on the brink of the high cliff.

2 marks

3

The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes

4

Down the cliff the Iron Man came toppling, head over heels.

What does this sentence suggest about the way the Iron Man was moving down the cliff? Tick one.

He was falling.

He was climbing.

He was gliding.

He was leaping.

1 mark

All the separate pieces tumbled, scattered, crashing, bumping, clanging, down on the rocky beach far below.

What impact does this sentence have on the reader? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

5

… the sea went on boiling and booming.

What does this group of words tell you about the conditions at sea? Tick one.

The water was rough.

The water was hot.

The water was calm.

The water was salty.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 7

Mix it up!

Name:

… the Iron Man stepped forward, off the cliff, into nothingness.

Why do you think the Iron Man stepped off the edge of the cliff?

1 mark

2

What was the last part of the Iron Man’s body to fall off?

1 mark

3

While the stars went on wheeling through the sky and the wind went on tugging at the grass on the cliff-top and the sea went on boiling and booming.

Find and copy one word that means ‘pulling’.

1 mark

4

Which of the following would be the most effective title for this extract? Tick one.

The Seagulls’ Hunt The Iron Man’s Head The Iron Man’s Fall The High Cliff

The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes

5

1 mark

Look at the last two sentences. What do you think might happen next in the story?

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

I think

because .

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

2 marks

Progress check 1

The Selfish Giant

by Oscar Wilde Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 87 to 89

The Selfish Giant is a short story with a strong moral message. A giant chases children out of his beautiful garden only to find that by banishing them he has prevented spring from ever returning to the garden. This extract is taken from the beginning of the story when the giant returns, after seven years away, and is furious to find the children playing on his land. The Iron Man by Ted Hughes (Unit 7), which also features a giant figure, is linked to this text.

After reading both texts, you could explore their similarities and differences with the children. For guidance on running this task, see page 11.

Progress check questions mark scheme Answer

Guidance

1

fragile

2

grass OR flowers OR peach trees OR birds

If necessary, remind the children to use the locator to find the relevant part of the text. Some may answer ‘blossom’ or ‘fruit’ (i.e. of the peach trees), which are also acceptable answers.

Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks. Skill: Retrieval.

3

Giants don’t need to work because they have time to visit friends for a long time.

OR Giants live for a long time because seven years is a long time to visit a friend.

OR Giants don’t have any family because they wouldn’t leave their family for seven years.

Answers will vary. You may wish to remind the children that the question is for 2 marks and encourage them to extend their answer to provide the reason behind their thinking. Award 1 mark for any plausible answer. Award 2 marks for any plausible answer with an explanation linked to the text.

Skill: Inference.

4

The giant put up a sign to keep children out.

4

The giant returned home.

2

The giant built a wall.

3

Children played in the garden.

1

If the children find this challenging, encourage them to identify key words from each statement and then scan the text and highlight them. Explain that they will sometimes need to look for synonyms of the key words (e.g. ‘notice-board’ for ‘sign’).

Award 1 mark for the correct numbers in all boxes.

Skill: Summarising.

5

Yes

Support the children to think of their own synonyms for ‘delicate’ before looking at the answer options to find the most appropriate choice. Remind them that they could cross out the words they know are incorrect before selecting their answer. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Word meaning.

Winter might go if the giant starts being kind to the children and lets them play in his garden.

OR

Fiction

No

86

?

The children’s background knowledge and prior reading is likely to influence their predictions. Any plausible prediction should be accepted as long as it is linked to the events or characters in the text. Award 1 mark for an answer ticked plus one piece of appropriate evidence. Skill: Prediction.

Because the giant is being punished for being selfish.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

1

… delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, … .

Which word is closest in meaning to delicate? Tick one. fragile

2

Name:

bold

strong

fruity

Look at the description of the garden in the second paragraph. Name two things that could be found in the garden. and

3

1 mark

Progress check 1

Progress check 1

2 marks

He had been to visit his friend the Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for seven years.

What might this tell you about the life of a giant? Explain your answer using the text.

2 marks

4

Number the events to show the order in which they happen in the text.

The giant put up a sign to keep children out.

The giant returned home.

Children played in the garden.

5

1 mark

Do you think spring and summer will ever come back to the garden? Tick one.

Yes

No

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde

The giant built a wall.

Progress check 1

The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde This text is from a short story about a giant who stops children from playing in his beautiful garden. In this extract, the giant realises that there are consequences to his selfish actions.

Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant’s garden.

It was a large lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here and there over WKH JUDVV VWRRG EHDXWLIXO IORZHUV OLNH VWDUV DQG WKHUH ZHUH WZHOYH SHDFK WUHHV WKDW LQ WKH VSULQJ WLPH EURNH RXW LQWR GHOLFDWH EORVVRPV RI SLQN DQG pearl, and in the autumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them. “How happy we are here!” they cried to each other.

One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for seven years. After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived he saw the children playing in the garden.

The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde

“What are you doing here?” he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away.

“My own garden is my own garden,” said the Giant; “any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.”

6R KH EXLOW D KLJK ZDOO DOO URXQG LW DQG SXW XS D QRWLFH ERDUG

TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED He was a very selfish Giant.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde

Then the Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was still winter.

The birds did not care to sing in it as there were no children, and the trees forgot to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put its head out from the JUDVV EXW ZKHQ LW VDZ WKH QRWLFH ERDUG LW ZDV VR VRUU\ IRU WKH FKLOGUHQ that it slipped back into the ground again, and went off to sleep. The only people who were pleased were the Snow and the Frost. “Spring has forgotten this garden,” they cried, “so we will live here all the year round.” The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted all the trees silver. Then they invited the North Wind to stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped in furs, and he roared DOO GD\ DERXW WKH JDUGHQ DQG EOHZ WKH FKLPQH\ SRWV GRZQ

Progress check 1

The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road, but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones, and they did not like it. They used to wander round the high wall when their lessons were over, and talk about the beautiful garden inside. “How happy we were there,” they said to each other.

From The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde.

Unit 8

The Ice Palace

by Robert Swindells

Inference

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 94 to 97

The Ice Palace is a beautiful but chilling story about a boy, Ivan, and his brave journey through the snow to confront Starjik, an evil child-catcher who has stolen his little brother. In the full story, Ivan is helped on his way by characters who appear out of nowhere just at the right time. Ivan kills Starjik, finds his brother and brings him home, along with other missing children. It is an enchanting winter story that recalls a Russian folk tale in its themes and content. This extract is taken from the start of the book. The text is linked by its wintry setting to Unit 9, a non-fiction text about how igloos are built.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 94 to 95) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 What type of text do you think this is?

Based on the illustration, the title and the vocabulary discussion, the children should be able to suggest that the text will be a fiction text/ story. Some children may be able to suggest that it is likely to be a folk or fairy tale, like The Snow Queen.

2 What other stories do you know that are about palaces or houses made of ice?

The children may refer to the fairy tale The Snow Queen or to the Disney film Frozen. Some children may refer to non-fiction books about ice houses such as igloos.

Key vocabulary blacksmith

celandine

crisp

gazing

greasing

great

runners

shutters

sifted

sled

wept

whined

Vocabulary discussion questions O

If a recipe for a cake says that the flour should be sifted, what does this mean?

O

Not many people are blacksmiths now, but it used to be a common job. A blacksmith would have made railings like those we see outside buildings. What other things would a blacksmith have made?

O

What do the runners do on a sled?

O

Why do some houses have shutters at the windows?

Vocabulary activities O

Wept uses a ‘–t’ at the end for past tense instead of ‘–ed’. Ask the children if they can think of any other past tense words ending in ‘–t’.

O

Discuss the two different meanings of the word great. How many synonyms can the children think of for each meaning?

O

Explain that a celandine is a type of spring flower. Can the children think of any other flower names?

Fiction

3 Looking at the title and the Key vocabulary, what do you think this story might be about?

The children should be able to use the title and the word ‘sled’ to identify that the story might have a wintry setting. Discuss what you might expect the story to include (e.g. if there is a sled, what might be pulling it, and who might be riding in it?). Challenge them to tell you what the words ‘wept’ and ‘whined’ suggest about what might lie ahead.

Language toolkit

90

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 92 to 93.

1 In which season is this story set?

Winter.

O

Speaking and listening task: Split the children into pairs and ask them to imagine what the character of Starjik, the villain in the text, is like. Discussion topics could include: what he likes doing; how he spends his time; what makes him angry; what his friends are like; what he is good at. Each group should then choose a representative to act out the role of Starjik.

The actors should introduce themselves as Starjik and tell the class a bit about themselves.

O

Writing task: Ask the children to each write a job description for Starjik. You could guide them to provide a summary of the job and to outline what someone needs to do to be a villain, as well as what skills and experience they would need to do a good job.

3 What type of animals pull Starjik’s sled?

Wolves.

4 What does Starjik do?

He steals children. OR He takes Ivan’s brother.

3 Explore

O

Ivan’s journey to rescue his little brother from the evil Starjik calls to mind other stories such as The Snow Queen. If your class is not familiar with this fairy tale, share a simple version of the story with them and discuss any links to the extract from The Ice Palace.

Use this discussion to review common features of fairy tales (e.g. they take place long ago in the past; they have enchanted settings such as castles and magic forests; there are clearly defined good and evil characters who are often either royalty or peasants).

You could discuss fairy tale plots, which often incorporate a problem that needs to be solved and a moral ending in which good characters live happily ever after. Bring the discussion back to The Ice Palace and discuss which of these fairy tale features it shares.

Discuss how snow makes travel difficult. Can the children remember the last heavy snowfall they experienced? Perhaps school closed? What happened to road vehicles on that day? Discuss how colder countries overcome these problems by using different modes of transport on snow (e.g. sleds; snowshoes; skis; snowmobiles). Show pictures of each of these adaptations (e.g. you could show a diagram of a sled that shows the runners and the number of animals that make up a ‘team’). See the Reading list for resources about dogsledding.

4 Skills focus

See pages 92 to 93

Inference

5 Where next?

2 When does this story take place?

A long time ago.

O

Unit 8

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 97 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

2 First steps

Reading list Fiction The Ice Monster by David Walliams Polar Bear Son: An Inuit Tale by Lydia Dabcovich Winter Magic by Abi Elphinstone (ed) Class reads The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen Non-fiction Amazing Arctic Animals by Jackie Glassman Arctic Life by Sean Callery Dog Sledding and Extreme Sports by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce A House of Snow and Ice by Stephen Whitt (Linked text: Unit 9) Living in the Arctic by Allan Fowler Films The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures, 2005) Frozen (Walt Disney Pictures, 2013)

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of inference.

2 The children can then attempt the Inference questions on page 96.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Fiction

1 Model the skill using the Unit 8 Modelling slides and the Modelling inference guidance on page 92.

91

Unit 8

Modelling inference

See Unit 8 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 20 to 21) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 … if you could see for ever you would see Ivan’s land. What does this tell you about Ivan’s land?

That it is a long way away.

Read the question aloud. Remind the children that inference questions are about piecing together meaning, rather than seeing the answers in the text word for word. Model thinking about the key words ‘see for ever’.

Explain that these words encourage you to imagine looking into the distance and for your eyes to keep moving beyond the horizon: this conjures up the idea of Ivan’s land being so far away you could never go there.

2 Look at the first paragraph. Where is Ivan now?

Ivan is dead. OR He died a long time ago.

Model using your finger to scan the first paragraph for mentions of Ivan. The first two sentences are about his land, but the third sentence is about how Ivan does not live there any more. Discuss how the text says that Ivan ‘grew old long ago’ and ‘is gone’. Explain that in this context ‘gone’ means that he has died. Reinforce the point by reading the next two sentences, which explain that the people from Ivan’s village remember him all year round.

3 They remember him all the time, but most of all they remember him in winter because they are not afraid of winter any more. What does this sentence tell you about the story? Tick one.

The story is sad.

The story has a happy ending.

The story includes magic.

The story is about winter.

Model a process of elimination by discussing each statement in turn. Think aloud: The story is sad but this specific sentence does not include any sad details so it can’t be the first one. The fact that the villagers are not afraid of winter any more suggests that the story has a happy ending, so it could be the second one.

The sentence doesn’t say anything about magic so it can’t be the third one. The sentence mentions winter but there is more to the story than that, so it can’t be the fourth one. The best answer is the second one.

4 Look at the third paragraph. Why was Starjik greasing the runners on his sled?

He was getting ready to come to the villages and take the children.

The Ice Palace, by Robert Swindells

Model identifying the key words in the question: ‘greasing’, ‘runners’ and ‘sled’. The children should be familiar with these words from the Key vocabulary, but you could explain how putting grease on the runners will make them slide better on the snow and so the sled will move faster. Model scanning the paragraph for the key words. Read the relevant sentence aloud and point out that it doesn’t explain why Starjik was preparing his sled to move fast. Model reading further in the paragraph to discover that Starjik travels by sled to villages to kidnap children.

92

Inference questions mark scheme

See page 96

Answer

Guidance

1

He is travelling on a sled. OR He is being pulled by wolves.

Some children might answer ‘It tells us that he was moving very quickly along the snow’. If so, explain that they need to refer to the mode of transport in their answer. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

So that he didn’t notice them/ take their children.

Accept any similar answers (e.g. ‘So that they don’t draw attention to themselves’). However, do not accept vague answers (e.g. ‘Because they are afraid’). Award 1 mark for reference to avoiding Starjik.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

3

He was thinking about where his brother had been taken. OR He was thinking about how he might be able to bring his brother back.

Draw attention to the phrase ‘What do you think’, which indicates that the answer will not be stated explicitly in the text. Do not accept vague answers (e.g. ‘his brother’). Award 1 mark for a plausible inference linked to the text.

4

He wanted to take it on his journey to find his brother, but he didn’t want his parents to know as they would stop him from going.

Remind the children that they need to make two points to gain 2 marks. They need to explain both how Ivan planned to use the bread and why he took the bread in secret. Award 1 mark for reference to taking the bread with him on his journey.

Award 2 marks for reference to taking the bread plus reference to hiding his plan from his parents.

5

candle OR flame

Some children may underline ‘lighted’ as it is an old-fashioned word and they are more familiar with the form ‘lit’. Ask them to reread the sentence and look for another word that describes something used in the past. Award 1 mark for a correct answer underlined.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme Answer

Unit 8

Answer

See page 97

?

Guidance

enormous

2

The Evil Starjik Steals a Child OR Ivan Decides to Rescue His Brother from Starjik

If the children answer vaguely, emphasise that they need to think about the text as a whole. Prompt them to think about who the main characters are and what the main event is.

Award 1 mark for a title that refers to Starjik stealing Ivan’s brother. Skill: Summarising.

3

It makes the wintertime seem more unhappy.

This is a tricky question as it requires the children to comment on the impact the second paragraph has on the rest of the extract. If some are struggling, provide some extra instruction (e.g. ‘Look at the second paragraph and then look at the third paragraph; how does the mood change?’). Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Relationship.

4

It is the noise a snake makes and snakes are often mean characters in stories, so the author is telling us that something bad is about to happen. OR Because it describes the noise of the sled moving across the snow and helps the reader to imagine it better.

You could read the sentence aloud to help the children identify that ‘hissing’ is onomatopoeic. If necessary, prompt them to think about the sound of the word, to guide them to an answer related to either snakes or sleds moving over snow.

Award 1 mark for any plausible answer linked to the text.

Skill: Word choice.

5

Ivan will look for his little brother.

OR Ivan will try to get his brother back.

If the children answer vaguely (e.g. ‘He will leave the village’), check their understanding by asking them to verbally justify their predictions. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

The Ice Palace, by Robert Swindells

The children should remember the two meanings of ‘great’ from the Vocabulary activities. ‘Famous’ is a distractor because ‘great’ can be used as an adjective for important/powerful people. If some tick this option, explain that they must find the meaning that best matches the use of ‘great’ in this sentence. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Word meaning.

1

93

Unit 8

The Ice Palace, by Robert Swindells The main character in this story is a boy called Ivan. A terrible thing happens to him: his little brother is taken away by Starjik, the evil child-taker. The village weeps but Ivan is determined that Starjik will not succeed this time.

Turn your face into the east wind, and if you could see for ever you would see Ivan’s land. It is a land where summer is short and pale like a celandine; winter long and cold as an icicle. Ivan does not live there now IRU KH JUHZ ROG ORQJ DJR DQG LV JRQH %XW WKH SHRSOH RI WKH SLQH ZRRGV remember him. They remember him all the time, but most of all they remember him in winter because they are not afraid of winter any more.

They have no need to be afraid, because of something Ivan did when he was very small.

The Ice Palace, by Robert Swindells

Ivan and his brother lived in the house of their father the blacksmith, in a village in the shadow of the great, dark forest. The people of the village were poor, but in the summertime they were mostly happy, so that the pale, warm air rang with their laughter and their singing as they worked.

But as the short summers gave way to autumn their songs became sad songs, and their laughter thin. For they knew that far away to the north, Starjik was greasing the runners of his sled and rounding up his wolves.

Starjik! Whisper his name and it was winter in your heart. Hissing over crisp snow in the black of night came Starjik behind his hungry team.

Their eyes were yellow and their fangs were white. When Starjik was in a village the people lay very still behind their shutters but always, in the PRUQLQJ D FKLOG ZDV JRQH )RU 6WDUMLN ZDV NQRZQ LQ HYHU\ SLQH ZRRGV YLOODJH DV WKH FKLOG WDNHU DQG WKRVH KH WRRN ZHUH QHYHU VHHQ DJDLQ One night when an icy wind whined through the black trees, and powdery snow sifted under everybody’s doors, Starjik came to Ivan’s house, and when Ivan awoke in the morning his little brother was gone.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Unit 8

All the village wept for the blacksmith and his wife, and for little Ivan who PXVW QRZ SOD\ DORQH $QG OLWWOH ,YDQ ZDONHG LQ 6WDUMLN©V VOHG WUDFNV WR WKH end of the village and stood there a long time, gazing into the north.

That evening, at suppertime, while his mother and father were not looking, Ivan took some of the dark bread from the big wooden board on the table, and slipped it into his pocket. Then he said, “Mother, I am very tired. I will sleep now.” His mother lighted a candle for him and he carried the little flame into his room.

The Ice Palace, by Robert Swindells

For a long time he sat on his bed, listening to the small noises his parents made beyond the door of his room, and to the wind outside.

The wind made a sad, lonely sound, and as he listened it seemed to Ivan that something was crying out there in the night; something small and frightened that touched his window and moved away along the wall. And KH OLIWHG D FRUQHU RI WKH ZLQGRZ FXUWDLQ DQG SUHVVHG KLV IDFH WR WKH FROG glass and whispered, “Wait, little brother. I will not leave you. I am coming.”

From The Ice Palace, by Robert Swindells (Puffin, 1992). Text copyright © Robert Swindells, 1977. Reproduced by permission of Penguin Books Ltd.

Unit 8

Inference 1

Name:

Hissing over crisp snow in the black of night came Starjik behind his hungry team.

What does this sentence tell you about Starjik’s mode of transport?

1 mark

2

Why did the villagers lie very still behind their shutters when Starjik was in their village?

1 mark

3

Look at the paragraph beginning All the village wept … . What do you think Ivan was thinking about when he stood in the sled-tracks?

1 mark

The Ice Palace, by Robert Swindells

4

… at suppertime, while his mother and father were not looking, Ivan took some of the dark bread from the big wooden board … .

Why did Ivan take the bread when his parents weren’t looking? Explain your answer.

2 marks

5

Look at the sentences below. Underline one word that suggests that this story took place a long time ago.

His mother lighted a candle for him and he carried the little flame into his room.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 8

Mix it up!

Name:

Ivan and his brother lived in a village in the shadow of the great, dark forest.

Which word is closest in meaning to great? Tick one. handsome famous enormous royal

2

1 mark

Write a title for this extract that summarises what happens in it.

1 mark

3

The second paragraph describes the summertime and how happy it is. Why do you think the author includes this paragraph? Tick one.

It makes the wintertime seem more unhappy.

It tells us about the summertime.

The summertime is important to the story.

4

1 mark

Hissing over crisp snow in the black of night came Starjik behind his hungry team.

Why do you think the author uses the word hissing in this sentence?

1 mark

5

What do you think Ivan will do next in the story?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

The Ice Palace, by Robert Swindells

It tells us where Ivan’s brother can be found.

Unit 9

A House of Snow and Ice

by Stephen Whitt

Retrieval

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 102 to 105

In this unit, the children will read about the Inuit people of Northern Canada who are skilful igloo builders.

Although most Inuit families now live in modern houses, they still build igloos occasionally when they are on long hunting trips. This informative but accessible text explains why and how igloos are built. It is linked with the text in the previous unit, The Ice Palace (Unit 8).

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 102 to 103) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 Looking at the Key vocabulary, what kind of text do you think this might be?

The children should be able to identify that the words are mainly scientific or technical (e.g. ‘tilt’; ‘arch’; ‘dome’; ‘collapse’; ‘insulator’). This suggests that the text will be non-fiction.

2 Where would you go to find information about a building such as a house?

The children should be able to identify some likely sources, such as the non-fiction section of the school library or online research. If possible, you could let them explore the school/local library for relevant books, which could then be discussed alongside this text.

Non-fiction

3 As in the previous unit The Ice Palace, the title of this extract tells us that this text is about somewhere very cold. What does the illustration tell you about this text?

The illustration confirms that this is a non-fiction text, as it is drawn in the style of an illustration that you would find in a reference book or an instruction manual. Some children may answer that the text will tell them how to build an igloo.

98

Language toolkit Key vocabulary arch

Arctic

capturing

collapse

dome

inhabitants

insulator

Inuit

permanent

produced

sheltered

tilt

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Would you feel more sheltered in a cave or on top of a hill?

O

Do you think all decisions should be permanent or is it OK to change your mind?

Explain your reasoning.

O

Wool is a good insulator. Why does this make it a good material to use for blankets?

O

Which is more likely to collapse: a house made of firm bricks or a house made of soft cushions?

Vocabulary activities O

The prefix ‘per–’ means ‘through’. Permanent means ‘staying through the years’. Ask the children to think of words beginning with ‘per–’. Can they work out their literal meanings (e.g. ‘permission’ is the ‘sending through’ of a request; to ‘perspire’ means ‘to breathe through’ your skin; ‘perforate’ means ‘to punch holes through’ something)?

O

Dome and arch are both names of structures found in buildings. Challenge the children to point out these features in a picture of a building. Can they name any of the other parts?

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 100 to 101.

2 Do Inuit people live in igloos all year round?

No – igloos are temporary shelters.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The children could work in pairs or small groups to research and discuss the impact of climate change on the Arctic Circle.

They should discuss the effect this could have on the way of life of the Inuit people. Encourage each pair/ group to share their ideas and discussion points with the class.

O

Writing task: Working in small groups or as a class, the children could write a menu of ideas for their school leadership team to help them to reduce the school’s carbon footprint. It might include some of the following: have a weekly ‘no cars’ day where everyone has to walk to school or come on public transport; grow fruit and vegetables at school; recycle as much as possible and only buy things in recyclable packaging.

3 What are the three things you need to build an igloo?

(Well-packed) snow, a level patch of ground and a knife.

4 What is the secret to igloo-building?

Tilting the blocks, so that fewer blocks are needed for the second row than for the first.

3 Explore O

Look at an online map of the Arctic Circle to locate regions where Inuit people live – Canada, Alaska, Russia and Greenland. Discuss the features these countries have in common (e.g. they are very far north; they are vast flat spaces; they are not very populous; they contain large areas of coastline and large expanses of snow and ice).

O

Ask the children to research traditional Inuit life and find five facts about how the Inuit used to live.

The children could use the school library or online research. They are likely to discover that everything the Inuit did was linked to the harsh environment they lived in (e.g. they were unable to grow their own food; they mainly ate meat and fish that they caught; they used harpoons to hunt seals and whales).

Some useful resources about Inuit life are listed in the Reading list.

O

As in Unit 8, The Ice Palace, this text explores a very cold climate. Discuss the challenges faced by people who live in cold climates. Ask the children which challenges might affect them the most if they lived in a cold climate (e.g. not being able to play football; no internet). Make two lists to record positive and negative points (e.g. Negative: the cold would mean you would want to eat hot food all the time, which would be time-consuming to prepare; Positive: Food would not go off as quickly as in warmer places).

4 Skills focus

See pages 100 to 101

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of retrieval.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 9 Modelling slides and the Modelling retrieval guidance on page 100.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Retrieval

1 What is an igloo?

A house made from snow and ice/a house built by Inuit people.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 105 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Reading list Fiction The Ice Palace by Robert Swindells (Linked text: Unit 8) Immi’s Gift by Karin Littlewood Class reads Race to the Frozen North: The Matthew Henson Story

by Catherine Johnson Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone Non-fiction Igloos by Jack Manning The Inuit by Kevin Cunningham Super Structures by Ian Graham

Non-fiction

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Unit 9

2 The children can then attempt the Retrieval questions on page 104.

2 First steps

99

Unit 9

Modelling retrieval

See Unit 9 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 16 to 17) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Tick to show whether each statement is true or false.

Remind the children that ‘true or false’ questions require them to pay careful attention to the text. Model reading each

All the people of the Arctic build igloos. statement and locating the area of the text

The Inuit used to live in igloos all the time. where the answers are. Read aloud the first statement, then model checking it against

Today most Inuit people live in wooden houses. the text. Point out that in the text, the Sometimes igloos housed more than one family. word ‘not’ at the beginning of the sentence changes the meaning so that it has the opposite meaning to the first statement in the question. This means that the first statement must be false.

Repeat this process for each statement.

T

F

2 Why do some Inuit still build igloos today?

They use them when they are hunting far away from home.

Remind the children that they should choose a key word or group of words in the question and use it/them to locate the section of text where the answer will be found. Model using ‘today’ or ‘still build’ as locators and use them to find the relevant sentence before formulating your answer.

3 Give two reasons why a house made from ice works surprisingly well.

It blocks out the wind and traps in the heat.

Model using key words from the question to locate the relevant section of text, then model writing an answer.

Remind the children that the question is asking for two pieces of information.

4 Name two sources of heat that can keep igloos warm, according to the text. a candle OR body warmth of the people OR a lamp

A House of Snow and Ice, by Stephen Whitt

Again, draw the children’s attention to the fact that two pieces of information are required. Explain that we know the igloos do not have electricity or gas, so they need to search the text for mentions of natural heat sources, such as fire. Encourage the children to help you establish that there is no mention of fire but there is a reference to a candle in the third paragraph. Model checking for a second heat source in the same paragraph. Some children may also suggest ‘heat from a lamp’, which is mentioned in the fifth paragraph.

100

Retrieval questions mark scheme

See page 104

Answer

Guidance

1

It keeps you warm by trapping your body heat.

You may need to remind some children that even though the question asks them to explain ‘In your own words’, the first step is to locate the part of the text that discusses a blanket.

Award 1 mark for a plausible explanation.

2

The walls of the igloo turn to ice.

3

A man can stand on top of it and it doesn’t break.

Some of the children may tick an incorrect answer because they have not referred to the text and have made an assumption.

Remind them that they should always locate the relevant part of the text and check each answer option against it to see which one is correct. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

If some children are struggling, remind them to identify a key word (‘strong’) and scan the text for that, before reading around it. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

4

(well-packed) snow

Some children may use their extrinsic knowledge and answer ‘ice’, which is not accurate. Remind them that in a retrieval question they must be able to point to the answer in the text.

Encourage them to scan the text for the key word ‘blocks’.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

5

The blocks tilt inwards (so the circle of the igloo gets smaller).

Encourage the children to scan the text for the key word ‘fewer’.

Accept any plausible answer including either or both parts of the sample answer. Award 1 mark for a correct answer.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

1

2

See page 105

?

Guidance

Igloos were never permanent houses for the Inuit.

explains how the walls of an igloo are strengthened

This colder snow and ice cause the water to refreeze.

gives information about the history of igloos

The Inuit builder knows how to tilt the second row inward.

summarises key information about how igloos are built

Cut a hole in the igloo to let the smoke out.

4

Cut the compacted snow into blocks.

1

Tilt the ring of blocks inward.

3

Place the blocks in a ring on the ground.

2

The children will be less familiar with this question type and may need extra guidance. Use the matched example to explain that they should identify the key word(s) in each quotation and use these to locate the quotation in the text. Encourage them to read around the quotation. Keeping what they have just read in mind, they should then look at the possible functions and select the one that matches most closely. Award 1 mark for both lines correctly drawn. Skill: Relationship.

Remind the children to scan each statement for key words and then find, highlight and number them in the text before they write the numbers in the answer boxes. Award 1 mark for the correct numbers in all boxes. Skill: Summarising.

3

flat/even

Some children might find this question challenging. Encourage them to say whether ‘level’ is used here as a noun, verb or an adjective. Is it the same as a video game ‘level’? How about a ‘level’ of a building? Or does it have a similar meaning to ‘flat’?

Award 1 mark for a correct answer. Skill: Word meaning.

4

animal furs

This is a tricky question because ‘door’ is not used in the text.

Encourage any children who are struggling to use other key words in the question and think of synonyms for ‘door’. You could ask them where doors are found in buildings (to make them think about ‘entrances’ and ‘openings’). Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

5

Because it was the only building material available.

This question requires the children to use their knowledge and understanding of the whole text to infer the correct answer.

Award 1 mark for any reference to snow and ice being readily available. Skill: Inference.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

A House of Snow and Ice, by Stephen Whitt

Answer

Unit 9

Answer

101

Unit 9

A House of Snow and Ice, by Stephen Whitt This text is about the Inuit people’s tradition of building igloos as winter shelters to protect against the harsh Arctic climate. Igloo building requires great skill and uses scientific rules to create strong structures that can keep families warm in the snow and ice.

Not all the people of the Arctic built igloos, but the Inuit people of Northern Canada became known as skilful igloo builders. Igloos were never permanent houses for the Inuit. Instead, a large igloo might house one or more families LQ WKH FROG ZLQWHU PRQWKV 7HQW OLNH KRXVHV VKHOWHUHG WKRVH VDPH IDPLOLHV LQ the summer.

Today the Inuit live mostly in wooden houses. But Inuit hunters, travelling far from their homes, still build igloo shelters. Igloos raise an interesting question.

Why a house of ice?

A House of Snow and Ice, by Stephen Whitt

There are several reasons that an ice house works surprisingly well. First of all, the ice blocks out the chilling wind. Second, ice is good at trapping heat.

We say that ice is a good insulator. A small igloo with a candle inside, or even just the body warmth of the inhabitants, can stay surprisingly warm.

Have you ever wondered why a blanket can keep you warm? After all, a blanket doesn’t make its own heat. By wrapping yourself in a blanket, you are capturing the heat made by your own body. That heat can keep you warm even if the air outside the blanket is very cold.

An igloo works in the same way. By trapping body heat, or the heat produced by even a small burning lamp, the inside of the igloo can stay much warmer than the outside.

This heat starts to melt the inside of the igloo. That might seem like a bad thing. In fact, as the inside walls of the igloo start to melt, they come into contact with the snow and ice closer to the outside of the igloo. This colder snow and ice cause the water to refreeze. In this way the walls of the igloo start to change from snow, which can be weak, to ice, which is much stronger.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

6R KRZ GRHV RQH EXLOG DQ LJORR" 6WDUW ZLWK EORFNV RI ZHOO SDFNHG VQRZ 7KH Inuit builder cuts these blocks using a sharp knife. The knife might be made of bone, stone, or metal. Next, the builder places the first ring of blocks on a firm, level patch of icy ground. When the first ring is complete, the builder starts on the second ring.

Unit 9

$ ZHOO EXLOW LJORR LV VWURQJ $ JURZQ PDQ FDQ VWDQG RQ WRS RI WKH LJORR without causing it to collapse.

Now the real magic happens. The Inuit builder knows how to tilt the second row inward, just a little, so that fewer blocks are needed for the second row than for the first. Think about a circular race track. If you race on the inside of the track, you run a shorter distance than if you race on the outside of the track. In the same way, as the walls grow upward, and as the ‘circle’ of the igloo gets smaller, fewer blocks are needed.

As the wall grows, the blocks begin to arch together, forming the igloo’s dome shape. By carefully fitting the blocks together, the skilled Inuit builder keeps the blocks from falling in. Finally, the builder places the final block on the very top of the igloo. He might cut a hole in this block to let out smoke from a fire.

A House of Snow and Ice, by Stephen Whitt

The opening to the igloo is large enough to crawl through. Animal furs across the opening keep out the cold wind.

From A House of Snow and Ice, by Stephen Whitt. Text copyright © Ohio State University, December 2009. Licensed under an Attribution – Share Alike 3.0 Creative Commons License.

Unit 9

Retrieval 1

Name:

Look at the fourth and fifth paragraphs. In your own words, explain how an igloo is like a blanket.

1 mark

2

Look at the paragraph beginning This heat starts to melt … . What happens when the inside of the igloo starts to melt? Tick one.

The igloo falls apart.

The igloo needs to be repaired.

The walls of the igloo turn to ice.

It is a bad thing.

3

1 mark

Find one piece of evidence in the text that tells you that igloos are very strong.

A House of Snow and Ice, by Stephen Whitt

1 mark

4

What are the building blocks of an igloo made from?

1 mark

5

Look at the paragraph beginning Now the real magic happens. Why do you need fewer blocks for each row of the igloo?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

2

Unit 9

Mix it up!

Name:

Draw lines to match each quotation from the text to its function. One has been done for you.

Igloos were never permanent houses for the Inuit.

explains how the walls of an igloo are strengthened

This colder snow and ice cause the water to refreeze.

gives information about the history of igloos

The Inuit builder knows how to tilt the second row inward.

summarises key information about how igloos are built

1 mark

Number the following instructions to show the order in which they appear in the text.

Cut a hole in the igloo to let the smoke out.

Cut the compacted snow into blocks.

Tilt the ring of blocks inward.

3

1 mark

Next, the builder places the first ring of blocks on a firm, level patch of icy ground.

What word could be used to replace level in this sentence?

1 mark

4

What do the Inuit use instead of a door in their igloos to keep out the cold?

1 mark

5

Why do you think the Inuit made their winter houses out of snow and ice?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

A House of Snow and Ice, by Stephen Whitt

Place the blocks in a ring on the ground.

Unit 10 Inference

The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends) by Shelley Fu Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 110 to 113

Chinese folk tales are over 1000 years old and were built into historical accounts which were widely believed, and later formed the backbone of Chinese literature. This story is an extract from the legend of The Heavenly River, one of China’s most famous folk tales. ‘Heavenly River’ is the Chinese name for the Milky Way, and this is the story of how it was created. The text also shares a strong moral message about the importance of doing one’s duty over individual desires. This unit is linked to Unit 11, which compares New Year customs in China and the UK.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 110 to 111) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 This text is from a Chinese myth. What are myths?

If the children have not encountered myths before, you could use the explanation above and make links to genres that they are familiar with, such as traditional tales or moral stories.

2 Can you name any other myths?

Answers will vary. The children may suggest some of the ancient Greek myths, or refer to Aesop’s Fables (e.g. ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’). Some might mention some of Kipling’s Just So Stories, or other folk and fairy tales.

Fiction

3 This text is from a legend about how the Milky Way was created. What do you know about the Milky Way? Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. If necessary, briefly explain terms such as ‘galaxy’ and ‘solar system’.

It might be helpful to show some pictures of the Milky Way to demonstrate why it is referred to as ‘milky’ and to help the children see how it could be compared to a river when they come to answer the next question.

106

Language toolkit Key vocabulary appointed

bellowed

celestial

dire

dutifully

frolicked

fulfilled

imposing

scarce

shirked

torrent

trickle

Vocabulary discussion questions O

How would you react if your favourite foods became scarce?

O

Do you do chores around the house? If you shirked your chores rather than completing them dutifully, how would it make you feel?

O

Would you rather live in an imposing palace or somewhere friendlier? Why?

O

What is the difference between a trickle of water and a torrent of water?

Vocabulary activities O

Fulfilled and shirked are antonyms in this text. Challenge the children to find antonyms for some of the other words above.

O

Bellowed is a verb that is used when something is spoken very loudly. How many synonyms can the children find for it?

O

The children could use dictionaries to investigate the meanings and origins of celestial and ‘heavenly’ (which appears in the text title). Discuss the fact that both can refer to the gods and the stars/outer space.

4 The Milky Way is known as ‘The Heavenly River’ in Chinese myths. Why do you think this is?

Discuss why the word ‘heavenly’ might be used.

Why might people thousands of years ago have interpreted the Milky Way as a river in the heavens?

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

1 Who are the three characters in this story?

The cowherd, the weaving maid and the Celestial Ruler. It would be helpful to establish that all the characters are gods or god-like, entrusted with watching over the humans on Earth.

2 What did the cowherd and the weaving maid do wrong?

They didn’t do their work/neglected their duties because they wanted to spend time together.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 113 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 108 to 109.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: Working in pairs, the children could choose another Chinese myth to research and present to the class. These might include characters such as The Monkey King, Pan Gu and Hou Yi. They could use some of the resources in the Reading list to help them with this. Alternatively, if you have any Chinese-heritage parents in school, they could be invited to talk to the class about their culture and to share their favourite Chinese myth.

O

Writing task: The children could make two lists of words to describe the personalities of the characters in the myth. One list could be for the cowherd and the weaving maid and the other for the Celestial Ruler.

3 What happened on Earth as a result of this?

Chaos, there was no milk or meat or cloth.

4 How did the Celestial Ruler react?

He banned them from seeing each other except for one night a year and a wide river separated them.

5 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary. The children should be able to justify their responses (e.g. I liked the text because it made me think about how it’s important for people to take their responsibilities seriously, but I felt bad for the maid and cowherd being kept apart).

Inference

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Unit 10

2 The children can then attempt the Inference questions on page 112.

2 First steps

Reading list O

O

There is a strong moral message in this text: if you only think of yourself and neglect your duty to others then you will be punished. Ask the children to discuss this moral message in small groups. Do they agree with this idea? Challenge them to come up with other moral messages that are important. They could use the school rules and values to give them some ideas. Ask them to discuss why they think it was useful for stories from many years ago to have moral messages.

Remind the children that this story is about how the Milky Way was formed. Use the internet and the non-fiction sections of the class or school library to find out more about the stars and the planets.

The children may already have some background knowledge about this topic from work done in other areas of the curriculum.

4 Skills focus

See pages 108 to 109

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of inference.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 10 Modelling slides and the Modelling inference guidance on page 108.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Fiction Chinese Myths and Legends by Shelley Fu A Collection of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling Greek Myths by Marcia Williams Illustrated Stories from Aesop by Susanna Davidson Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats by Nina Simonds Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin The Willow Pattern Story by Allan Drummond Class reads The Firework-Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman Non-fiction All About China by Allison Branscombe New Year Celebrations by Jane Sowerby (Linked text: Unit 11) Poetry Falling Out of the Sky by Emma Wright and Rachel Piercey Websites The National Geographic Kids website has an illustrated list of ‘30 Cool Facts About China!’.

Fiction

3 Explore

107

Unit 10

Modelling inference

See Unit 10 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 20 to 21) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Look at the first sentence. What do the words At first tell you about how the cowherd and the maid will behave in this story?

That they aren’t going to keep up with their duties.

Model using the locator to find the first sentence and read it aloud, asking the children to think about how it sounds. Explain that this phrase suggests something isn’t going to last and that it is used to contrast what happens at the beginning with what happens later on. You could read on further and point out that the use of ‘However’ at the beginning of the third sentence also signals a contrast.

2 At the end of the day the cowherd and the maid could barely tear themselves apart. What does this tell you about how the characters feel about each other?

That they love each other and want to be together all the time.

Model using the locator to find the relevant part of the text. Read the previous sentence to look for clues: this sentence tells us that the couple were ‘so much in love that each moment they spent apart was torture’.

Encourage the children to use this information to formulate an answer. Think aloud: The couple find it painful to be separated – they love each other, so much so it’s like they are stuck together and the only way they would leave each other is if they were violently pulled apart.

3 In your own words, explain why there was chaos on Earth.

The cowherd and the weaving maid stopped doing their duties so that they could spend all their time together. As a result, everything started to go wrong on Earth.

The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends), by Shelley Fu

As this question does not have a locator, encourage the children to scan the text for the key words in the question (e.g. ‘chaos’, ‘Earth’) and skim-read around them. Explain that this question would be worth 2 marks. The first mark is straightforward – they simply need to identify that the couple neglected their duties.

Point out that in order to gain the second mark, they need to connect this with everything going wrong for the earthly cowherds and weaving maids.

108

4 The Celestial Ruler commanded the cowherd and the weaving maid to appear before him in his imposing palace. Find and copy two words that tell you this was not going to be a friendly meeting. commanded and imposing Model reading the question. Establish that you are looking for two words that prove that the Celestial Ruler’s mood was ‘not … friendly’. Model using the locator and discuss how the sentence would sound different with a word like ‘invited’ instead of ‘commanded’. Model running your finger along the line to look for another word. The children will have encountered ‘imposing’ as part of the Key vocabulary. Explain that the sentence sounds less threatening without this word.

Inference questions mark scheme

See page 112

Answer

Guidance

1

They couldn’t wait to be with each other.

If necessary, refer back to your discussion of Modelling question 2. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

They had behaved like this before.

Some children may choose the fourth option, ‘They were in love.’, as they will be aware that this is a motive for the characters’ actions elsewhere in the text. If so, draw their attention back to the target word and explain that by itself this word does not have any links to love. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

3

He wanted to punish them by giving them a really short amount of time together.

Encourage the children to locate the relevant part of the text (you could direct them to the paragraph beginning ‘“Silence!!” bellowed the Celestial Ruler.’) and to read around it for clues.

Ask them to think of the couple’s likely reaction to the Celestial Ruler’s orders – will they be pleased or upset? Why would the Celestial Ruler want to make them feel that way? Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

4

Because they were so upset that they weren’t going to be allowed to see each other that they wouldn’t separate on their own.

Some children may answer vaguely (e.g. ‘Because they were in love’). If so, encourage them to extend their answer to explain why this was a problem for the guards. Award 1 mark for any reference to the couple refusing to separate voluntarily.

5

They were ashamed of what they had done. OR They didn’t want to be punished again.

Some children may lift their answer directly from the text (e.g.

‘Because they couldn’t see or hear each other’). If so, encourage them to verbally extend their answer: why would this mean they now did their duties well? Award 1 mark for a plausible explanation linked to the text.

See page 113

?

Answer

Guidance

1

If some children are struggling, prompt them to look for the key word ‘duties’ in the text. There is still a challenge because ‘dutifully’, not ‘duties’, is used in the relevant sentence. You could discuss how an alternative form of key words can be used in texts. Award 1 mark for any reference to watching over their counterparts on Earth. Skill: Retrieval.

2

They had to keep a watchful eye on all the cowherds and looms of the maids on Earth.

‘Loneliness’ is a strong distractor here. Encourage the children to read around the target word to remember that the feeling the couple have is more intense than loneliness – separating them is almost a violent act. Award 1 mark for the correct answer circled. Skill: Word meaning.

pain

3

It shows how thin the flow of water is at the beginning, because a thread is hardly visible. It also provides a contrast with the size of the river later on.

If the children struggle to extend their answers, prompt them to read on and look at the different descriptions of the river: it is called a ‘thread’, then a ‘torrent’, and at the end is ‘fathoms deep’. What is the author trying to show by using these different descriptions in this order? Award 1 mark for reference to thread being very fine or thin. Award 2 marks for reference to the thread being thin plus a reference to the contrast created. Skill: Word choice.

4

It shows how powerful the Celestial Ruler was.

If the children choose the second or third answer options, point out that neither describes a specific effect. If some select the first option, ask them to look at the couple’s behaviour in the relevant part of the text. Does running away from each other and being scared prove that they are in love? Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Relationship.

5

Don’t neglect your responsibilities as the consequences for people can be very bad.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

You could refer back to your discussion in Explore to help the children with this question. Award 1 mark for any reference to avoiding being selfish or negligent. Skill: Summarising.

The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends), by Shelley Fu

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 10

Answer

109

Unit 10

The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends),

by Shelley Fu This text is an extract from an old Chinese myth about how the Milky Way was formed. The Chinese call the Milky Way ‘The Heavenly River’. Like many myths and legends, this is a story that warns of the dangers of being selfish.

The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends), by Shelley Fu

At first, the weaving maid and the cowherd tried to obey the Celestial Ruler and dutifully spent each day overseeing their responsibilities. The cowherd kept a watchful eye on the activities of all the earthly cowherds, and the weaving maid did the same with the looms of earthly maidens. However, they were so much in love that each moment they spent apart was torture.

When they were finally allowed to be together, they could barely tear themselves apart from each other.

One day they decided to cut their daily duties down by one hour so that they could spend one hour more together. Soon, they each spent less and less time at their appointed activities. It was not long before they agreed not to show up at work at all and instead to spend the entire day together. Predictably enough, they soon abandoned their posts entirely and frolicked all day and all night together without giving a thought to the consequences.

On earth, chaos struck. Cowherds began losing their animals, which wandered off or fell ill, and weaving maidens had huge tangles in their looms, making the production of cloth impossible. People suffered because they could get no meat or milk from their lost livestock, and their clothes became very shabby indeed when cloth became scarce. In desperation, they sent up piteous prayers to the Celestial Ruler.

When the Celestial Ruler heard their pleas, he was furious. He commanded the cowherd and the weaving maid to appear before him in his imposing palace.

“You have shirked your duties! I warned you that your actions would have dire effects. People everywhere are suffering because of your selfish laziness!” he roared at them.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Unit 10

Frightened and ashamed, they hung their heads and turned red. The weaving maid pleaded, “Please Father, do not punish my husband too severely. It is my fault. I love him too much and–” “No!” the cowherd interrupted. “It’s my fault entirely. You see, I am the one who persuaded my wife to spend the day at home instead of–”

He waved his hand, and they were transported into the starry blackness of the night sky. The Celestial Ruler summoned guards to hold the lovers apart, but soon they were not needed. A thread of water appeared between the couple. At first it was only a trickle, but it grew until it was a rushing torrent.

The terrified couple each scrambled back from it and away from each other and had to keep scrambling as the river grew wider and wider.

Soon, the river was so wide that it was fathoms deep and impossible to see the other bank. When the river stopped growing, the lovers couldn’t see or hear each other.

Heartbroken, they sadly turned away from the river and went back to their duties, which thereafter they fulfilled admirably.

From Chinese Myths and Legends, by Shelley Fu. Copyright © Shelley Fu, 2018. Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends), by Shelley Fu

“Silence!!” bellowed the Celestial Ruler. “Can’t you see that you are only enraging me more with your pathetic excuses?! Your love has blinded you to the needs of others, and you think only of yourselves. You must be punished for your thoughtlessness. I decree that you shall see each other only one night a year, and that night shall be the shortest night of the year, the Summer Solstice, which is on the seventh day of the seventh month.”

Unit 10

Inference 1

Name:

When they were finally allowed to be together, … .

What does the word finally tell you about how the cowherd and the maid felt about seeing each other?

1 mark

2

Predictably enough, they soon abandoned their posts entirely … .

What does the word predictably tell you about the two characters? Tick one.

They had behaved like this before.

They were well behaved.

They were worried about leaving their posts.

The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends), by Shelley Fu

They were in love.

3

1 mark

Why did the Celestial Ruler choose the shortest night of the year for the couple to meet?

1 mark

4

Why do you think the guards needed to hold the couple apart?

1 mark

5

Why do you think the cowherd and the weaving maid carried out their duties properly after they had been separated?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 10

Mix it up!

Name:

What duties did the cowherd and the weaving maid have to do?

1 mark

… each moment they spent apart was torture.

Which word is closest in meaning to torture in this sentence? Circle one. happiness

3

loneliness

pain

anger

1 mark

A thread of water appeared between the couple.

Why do you think the author chose to use the word thread here? Explain your answer using the text.

2 marks

4

At first it was only a trickle, but it grew until it was a rushing torrent. The terrified couple each scrambled back from it and away from each other and had to keep scrambling as the river grew wider and wider.

What effect do you think this event has on the story? Tick one.

It shows how much the couple loved each other.

It is interesting.

It shows that the author likes to write.

It shows how powerful the Celestial Ruler was.

5

1 mark

What is the moral of this story?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends), by Shelley Fu

2

Unit 11 Comparison

New Year Celebrations

by Jane Sowerby Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 118 to 121

This non-fiction text, which contrasts customs for celebrating the New Year in different cultures, is the perfect vehicle for introducing the skill of comparison. It describes the traditional elements of both New Year in the UK and Chinese New Year, encouraging the children to think carefully about a well-known celebration and about the importance of tradition more generally. It also allows them to expand their knowledge of another culture, building on what they have learnt in Unit 10. The structure of the text makes it easy to identify similarities and differences, which will support the children to gain confidence in this new skill.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 118 to 119) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 Look at the text. What type of text is this?

How do you know?

Non-fiction, information text. The ‘Did you know?’ boxes and subheadings should help the children to identify the text as an example of non-fiction.

Non-fiction

2 From the subheadings you can already see that the text is about New Year in two different places – the UK and China. Are you expecting the celebrations to be different or the same?

Explain why.

Answers will vary. Most children are likely to expect the celebrations to be different, either because they already know something about Chinese New Year or Chinese culture, or because they know that China is very far away. Some children may point out that the fact that the two celebrations are given separate subheadings in the text means they are probably different in some ways.

114

3 Fireworks are a very important part of New Year celebrations in the UK and China. When have you seen fireworks before? What does your favourite firework look and sound like?

Answers will vary. You could show some images or video clips of different fireworks to aid discussion.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary common

custom

eve

fortune

lunar

parades

passed away

represents

reunion

symbol

tradition

turn over a new leaf

Vocabulary discussion questions O

If you were going to turn over a new leaf, what changes would you make?

O

My favourite custom is blowing out the candles on my birthday cake every year.

What is yours?

O

I had some good fortune today – I found a pound in the street. What lucky things have happened to you?

Vocabulary activities O

Challenge the children to design a symbol for each of the lessons that they will have this week.

O

The prefix ‘re–’ in reunion means ‘again’ or ‘back’. Ask the children to come up with a list of other words that use this prefix. In most cases, if they remove the prefix, they will be left with a common word (e.g. ‘reunion’ becomes ‘union’). Are there any where this isn’t the case (e.g. ‘reflect’)?

O

Use your choice of the vocabulary activities on page 15 to investigate some of the key words above.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

2 How long does it last?

One day and one night in the UK; up to two weeks in China/there are seven days of holiday in China.

3 Name two things that people do to celebrate New Year.

Accept any details given in the text (e.g. countdown to midnight; stay up late; sing a Scottish song; have fireworks; give red envelopes to children; dragon dance).

4 According to the text, who invented fireworks, and when?

The Chinese people, over a thousand years ago.

3 Explore O

O

O

In pairs, ask the children to talk about what they do in their family to celebrate New Year. Ask them to share their customs with the whole class and record them.

Are there any customs that are different from the ones in the extract? Which of these customs are things that their parents and even grandparents used to do?

Explain that customs that have been passed down the generations become traditions. Are there any new customs that the children would like to introduce?

Every year has a Chinese zodiac sign represented by an animal. There are 12 zodiac animals. Look up the animal for this year and for the year the children were born in. Compare the characteristics of the zodiac animals using a table, then discuss any similarities and differences. Point out that tables are a useful way to organise a large set of facts so that they are easy to read.

You could use video to bring the text to life, perhaps by watching a clip of people performing a dragon dance at Chinese New Year and then showing people in the UK singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Compare the two – which tradition would the children rather take part in?

4 Skills focus

See pages 116 to 117

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of comparison.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

2 The children can then attempt the Comparison questions on page 120.

Unit 11

1 When is New Year?

1st January in the UK; between late January and the third week of February in China.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 121 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 116 to 117.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The children could talk in pairs about how they celebrate their birthday or their favourite celebration. They should find out which things they do that are the same and which are different. Is there anything their partner does that they would like to do?

O

Writing task: Working in small groups, the children could design a poster advertising a New Year’s event – it could be part of a traditional UK New Year (e.g. a ceilidh or a fireworks party) or a Chinese New Year celebration (e.g. a lantern parade or a dragon dance).

Their posters should include a short description of what the event will entail.

Comparison

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 11 Modelling slides and the Modelling comparison guidance on page 116.

Reading list Fiction Chinese Fables by Shiho S. Nunes The Great Race by Christopher Corr The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends)

by Shelley Fu (Linked text: Unit 10) Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution by Pat Miller The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin Class reads The Firework-Maker’s Daughter by Philip Pullman The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean Non-fiction All About China by Allison Branscombe Celebrate Chinese New Year by Carolyn Otto Chinese New Year by Saviour Pirotta Poetry Poems About Festivals by Brian Moses (ed) Websites The CBeebies YouTube channel has a video about celebrating Chinese New Year.

Non-fiction

2 First steps

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Unit 11

Modelling comparison

See Unit 11 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 28 to 29) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 What is different about the dates of Chinese New Year and New Year in the UK? In the UK the date is always 1st January; in Chinese New Year it is on a different date each year depending on the cycle of the moon.

Ask the children if they can tell you which subheading the answer will be under (When is New Year?). Model scanning the paragraph for the word ‘date’ and then skim-reading around it. Discuss that there is no fixed date for Chinese New Year. Model writing an answer based on this discussion.

2 Compare the amount of time people spend celebrating New Year in the UK and Chinese New Year.

Explain your answer using the text.

People spend more time celebrating Chinese New Year, because they get seven days off and there are lots of different events. In the UK, the celebration only lasts one night.

Draw the children’s attention to the fact that this question would be worth 2 marks. Explain that you first need to decide which country spends more time celebrating New Year, before explaining your answer using examples from the text. Model scanning the subheadings to find the relevant part of the text: How long does New Year last?. Encourage the children to skim-read the section looking for evidence of which celebration lasts the longest. Finally, model writing a detailed answer.

3 Give two ways that Chinese New Year is similar to New Year in the UK. 1 People stay up until midnight.

2 People think the New Year brings good luck.

Model using the subheadings to find the relevant parts of the text: point out that there are subheadings for both New Year in the UK and in China. Encourage the children to skim-read both sections and help you choose two details that are common to both: they may find additional details (e.g. both celebrations involve fireworks) but remind them that the question asks for two things. Finally, model writing your answer.

4 Why is the back door important in Chinese and British New Year celebrations? Tick one.

In both you need to clean the back door.

In both you get rid of the old year through the back door.

In both you let the new year come in through the back door.

New Year Celebrations, by Jane Sowerby

In both the back door is lucky.

116

Model finding the key words in the question. Before scanning both the UK and Chinese New Year traditions sections for ‘back door’, explain that the UK paragraph is shorter, so you will scan this one first. Then look at each answer option in turn and decide which sentence best matches the text (the second). Model doublechecking your answer by scanning the Chinese New Year paragraphs for ‘back door’ and skim-reading around it.

Comparison questions mark scheme

See page 120

Answer

Guidance

1

They are both linked to the cycles of the moon. OR The date changes every year.

Some children may need help with the meaning of ‘have in common’. They should be able to find the answer by scanning for the word ‘Easter’. They will have encountered the word ‘lunar’ in the Key vocabulary. Award 1 mark for a correct answer.

2

New Year in the UK is shorter than Chinese New Year.

If the children are finding this tricky, explain that the question is asking them to compare how long each celebration lasts and encourage them to scan the text for the word ‘day’. You could also supply them with a locator (How long does New Year last?).

Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

3

Chinese New Year is longer. OR Chinese people visit the graves of relatives. OR lucky red envelopes/lantern festival/ dragon dance

If the children require support, remind them of the steps you followed to answer Modelling question 2. Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

4

Chinese New Year, because there are more events/celebrations for the whole family OR because children get money/ a week of holiday.

If some children answer with ‘New Year in the UK’, prompt them to explain their answer and remind them that they must use the text rather than their own experiences. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Award 2 marks for the correct answer plus a plausible explanation linked to the text.

The UK

China

dark-haired man

(the colour) red/ dragons

Mix it up! questions mark scheme Answer 1

Yes

Encourage the children to scan the whole text for the key word ‘luck’. There are two possible answers for China but remind them that the question only asks for one. Do not accept ‘lucky money’ as an answer. Accept alternative wording for the answers (e.g. ‘dark-haired men’; ‘red envelopes’; ‘red decorations’). Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

See page 121

?

Guidance

It is a positive time because people think things will get better/you can start again/you can make your life better.

The children will have encountered the phrase ‘turn over a new leaf’ in the Key vocabulary. Discuss synonyms for ‘positive’ if they require further support. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Award 2 marks for the correct answer ticked plus a plausible explanation linked to the text. Skill: Inference.

2

by using tables OR boxes OR bullet points OR charts

You could support the children by recapping the features of non-fiction texts or showing some examples from the class library. You could also remind them about the table you made in the Explore activity to organise the information about the zodiac animals and how this made it clearer. Award 1 mark for each plausible answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Skill: Relationship.

3

Auld Lang Syne

The children must give all three words of the song’s title to gain the mark. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Skill: Retrieval.

4

a time for families to celebrate

5

Because the performers are twisting/ weaving/turning/winding/moving like a snake/in the shape of a snake.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

If some children tick the second or third answer options, encourage them to go back to sections of the text that are about Chinese New Year and highlight or point out the evidence for their answer. Remind them that they are looking for a sentence that sums up all of the content in the section. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Summarising.

If the children struggle, remind them of the clip you watched in Explore. You could remove the word ‘snake’ from the sentence and ask which word would need to go in the gap for the sentence to make sense, and establish that they need to think of a verb.

Then relate this back to the word ‘snake’ – how does a snake move?

Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Word choice.

New Year Celebrations, by Jane Sowerby

5

Unit 11

Answer

117

Unit 11

New Year Celebrations, by Jane Sowerby How do you celebrate New Year? This text explains the similarities and the differences between traditional New Year celebrations in the UK and in China.

The beginning of a new year is an exciting time all over the world. It brings the promise of better things and offers us the chance to turn over a new leaf.

When is New Year?

For most of the world, the first day of January marks the beginning of the year, but Chinese people celebrate New Year at a completely different time.

Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, as it is also called, takes place between late January and the third week of February. The exact date changes every year, because it follows the traditional Chinese calendar, which is linked to lunar cycles.

Did you know?

The date of Easter is also linked to the cycles of the moon.

New Year Celebrations, by Jane Sowerby

How long does New Year last?

In the UK, New Year is celebrated for one day and one night. People throw parties on New Year’s Eve and the first day of January is a public holiday. If you live in Scotland, the second day is a holiday as well. In China, New Year lasts up to two weeks and the whole country has seven days’ holiday.

New Year traditions in the UK Just before midnight on New Year’s Eve in the UK, people count down the seconds to midnight, hold hands, and sing an old Scottish song called ‘Auld Lang Syne’. Children are sometimes allowed to stay up to celebrate the New Year with their families.

Traditionally, people open the back door to let the old year out. They then ask D GDUN KDLUHG PDQ WR EH WKH ILUVW SHUVRQ WR FRPH WKURXJK WKH IURQW GRRU WR EULQJ good luck for the year ahead.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

The most important step in getting ready for Chinese New Year is cleaning the house. The custom is to sweep dust out of the back door, which represents sweeping away last year’s bad luck. Red decorations are also put up in houses and in the streets, as red is thought to be a lucky colour.

Unit 11

Chinese New Year traditions

On New Year’s Eve, the whole family traditionally gathers for a large meal, which is called the ‘reunion dinner’. They stay up until midnight to welcome the New Year in.

People spend the holiday with their families. During this time, it is also common to remember any family members who have passed away by visiting their graves. Another common tradition involves giving gifts of red envelopes that contain ‘lucky money’, usually to children.

On the last day of the celebrations, people celebrate the Lantern Festival. There are parades, dances and displays of all kinds of lanterns. This is when you’re likely to see a dragon dance, in which chains of performers snake through the streets under a colourful dragon costume. The dragon is a symbol of good fortune.

Did you know?

New Year Celebrations, by Jane Sowerby

Fireworks are a feature of New Year celebrations worldwide. They are thought to have been invented in China over a thousand years ago. The Chinese came to believe that the explosions would keep evil spirits away.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Unit 11

Comparison 1

Name:

Look at the section When is New Year?. What do Easter and Chinese New Year have in common?

1 mark

2

Compare the length of the two New Year celebrations. Tick one.

New Year in the UK is shorter than Chinese New Year.

New Year in the UK is longer than Chinese New Year.

New Year in the UK and China are the same length.

3

1 mark

Looking at the text, give two ways in which Chinese New Year is different from New Year in the UK. 1 2

New Year Celebrations, by Jane Sowerby

4

2 marks

Which New Year celebration offers more exciting customs for children to get involved with? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

5

Complete the table to show the different symbols of good luck in the UK and in China. Give one symbol for each country.

The UK

China

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 11

Mix it up!

Name:

The New Year brings the promise of better things and offers us the chance to turn over a new leaf.

Is New Year a positive time? Tick one.

Yes

No

Explain your answer.

2 marks

2

How could the text be presented differently to make it clearer? Give two ways.

1 2

3

2 marks

Find and copy the name of the song that is sung in the UK on New Year’s Eve. 1 mark

4

Which of the following options gives the best description of Chinese New Year?

Tick one.

a time to celebrate the dragon a big party lasting one night children receive money

5

1 mark

… chains of performers snake through the streets under a colourful dragon costume.

Why do you think the author has used the word snake in this sentence?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

New Year Celebrations, by Jane Sowerby

a time for families to celebrate

Unit 12 Word meaning

?

Night Comes Too Soon

by James Berry Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 126 to 129

James Berry grew up on a farm in Jamaica but moved to the UK in 1948, settling in London. He was part of the ‘Windrush generation’ of West Indian migrants who were invited to emigrate to the ‘mother country’ to rebuild post-war Britain. Berry, who died in 2017, is remembered for poems that feature a combination of standard English and Jamaican patois. This poem is about the moment when night comes in and brings an end to daytime activities, signalling bedtime for children. It is linked to the Unit 13 text, another evocative description of night-time as experienced by the protagonist in Tom’s Midnight Garden.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 126 to 127) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 What kind of text do you think this is? How can you tell?

It is a poem because it is arranged in verses/it has short lines/there are rhyming words. You may wish to discuss in more detail what a poem is. Ask the children for their suggestions before giving a clear definition.

2 What other poems do you know? Have you come across James Berry before? Or have you read a poem by any other poet of Afro-Caribbean heritage, such as John Agard or Benjamin Zephaniah?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s wider reading. You could share a couple of other poems with the children and discuss them as a class – see Reading list for suggestions.

Poetry

3 From the title and the illustration, what do you think the poem will be about?

The end of the day/a tropical country/children playing.

122

4 What would your perfect day be like? What would you be doing? How would you feel when the day came to an end?

Encourage the children to provide as much detail as possible about their ideal day and their feelings about it. If they struggle to come up with ideas, you could lead a visualisation of a perfect day.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary assembles

cease

clusters

dusk

embryos

muffled

muzzled

paled

settle

swarms

tethered

veto

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Would you run away from swarms and clusters of bees? Why?

O

Why might an animal be muzzled? Do you agree with this treatment?

O

If a sound is muffled, is it loud or quiet?

How could you muffle a noise?

O

Which happens earlier in the day, dawn or dusk?

O

If your teacher says that the noise in the classroom must cease, what do they want the class to do?

Vocabulary activities O

Encourage the children to think of synonyms for settle. You could use the sentence ‘Sometimes when it snows, snowflakes settle on the ground’ to help them.

O

Veto is from the Latin verb meaning ‘I forbid’.

Explore the meaning of ‘forbid’ with the children. What is forbidden in your school?

Can they come up with a synonym and an antonym for this verb?

O

Use your choice of the vocabulary activities on page 15 to investigate some of the key words above.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 124 to 125.

1 Which animals are mentioned in the poem?

Fowls; pigs; goats; cows; donkeys; bats.

O

3 How many times does the poet say ‘Children go a little sad’?

Four.

4 Which animals are coming out at the end of the poem?

Bats.

O

3 Explore O

Discuss the fact that there are more references to animals than to people in the poem. What might this suggest about the community and the setting?

You could show the children some pictures of farms and rural landscapes in Jamaica. Work together to create a vocabulary map of adjectives inspired by the images and details from the poem (e.g. hot; dusty; noisy; beautiful).

O

Listen to an online recording of James Berry reading one of his poems and talk about his accent and the way he delivers the poem. See the Reading list for a website suggestion.

O

Discuss the mood of the poem – a combination of melancholy and contentment – and the feeling of having had a lovely day in the sun with nothing to worry about but the sadness of it ending. Discuss how the author maintains the mood by repeating the line ‘Children go a little sad’. Encourage them to share memories of summer days when they have had a lot of fun and not wanted to go to bed.

4 Skills focus

See pages 124 to 125

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of word meaning.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 12 Modelling slides and the Modelling word meaning guidance on page 124.

2 The children can then attempt the Word meaning questions on page 128.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Speaking and listening task: Ask the children to identify their favourite verse in the poem and explain why they have chosen it. They could think about the choice of words used; the way the verse makes them feel; the sound or rhythm. Encourage them to practise reading their chosen verse out loud to help them with this activity. You could make your own class recording of the poem and then compare it to James Berry’s.

Writing task: Ask each child to jot down some ideas for a new verse for the poem. The new verse could give a further description of what happens at night or describe more things that go on in the day that will need to stop. You could challenge them to think about what the adults in the poem might be doing as the day ends. They could then use the jottings to write the new verse. Alternatively, the children could write their own poem with the title ‘Night Comes Too Soon’, thinking about the activities that the children in their neighbourhood will be sad to stop when it’s time for bed.

?

Word meaning

2 Which animals are making noises in the second and third verses?

Fowls; goats; cows.

5 Where next?

Reading list Fiction Caribbean Dream by Rachel Isadora Down by the River by Grace Hallworth (ed) My Caribbean Grandma by Sandra Notice-Campbell Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce (Linked text: Unit 13) Class reads Whale Boy by Nicola Davies Non-fiction Jamaica by Michael Capek My Life in Jamaica by Patience Coster Poetry A Caribbean Dozen by John Agard and Grace Nichols ‘Talking Turkeys’ by Benjamin Zephaniah Under the Moon & Over the Sea by John Agard and Grace Nichols Websites The CLPE website hosts a number of videos of James Berry reading his poems, including this unit’s poem.

Poetry

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Unit 12

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 129 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

2 First steps

123

Unit 12

Modelling word meaning

?

See Unit 12 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 14 to 15) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Look at the first verse. Find and copy one word that means the light is fading. paled OR dusk Model finding the first verse and scanning for possible synonyms of ‘fading’. Establish that ‘windowless’ is not the right word because it suggests that the room is already completely dark, whereas ‘paled’ and ‘dusk’ are the two possible answers because they show that there is still a little bit of light. Model choosing one word of these two, pointing out that the question asks for only one.

2 Look at the line beginning Tethered pigs are lounging … . Which word is closest in meaning to lounging?

Tick one. sitting standing lazing

sleeping Ask the children to consider what a person is doing if they are lounging. Where might they be lounging?

You could explain that ‘lounge’ as a noun is another word for sitting/living room, where people often relax on comfy sofas. Once they have a good idea of what ‘lounging’ means, model the steps of considering each word in turn (e.g. ‘sitting’ could be sitting upright and is not relaxed enough; ‘standing’ is even less relaxed than sitting; ‘sleeping’ is too relaxed). Finally, model ticking one answer only.

3 What does lovable embryos refer to?

The part-made toys (such as the bats and balls or the wheels and tops) that were being made when night fell.

Model using the locator to find the relevant part of the text. Recap the meaning of the word ‘embryos’, which the children will have encountered in the Key vocabulary, as things that are growing or in progress. Model skim-reading the rest of the verse and establish that the embryos are kept on shelves and left on the floor at the end of the day. Point out that the words ‘and’ and ‘these’ in this verse suggest that the poet is referring back to the previous verse. Can the children help you skim-read this previous verse to look for examples of things that were in progress?

4 Look at the last verse. What does the group of words palmtree village suggest about the setting for this poem? Circle one.

Night Comes Too Soon, by James Berry

It is set in a city with lots of trees.

124

It is set in the countryside.

Model locating the target phrase in the last verse and ask the children which option they would circle. Some may say the first option as it contains the word ‘trees’. In this case, refocus them on the word ‘village’, and point out that the first option has the word ‘city’ in it, so this cannot be the correct choice. Remind them that when a question includes a group of words, we need to look at all of the words in the group.

Word meaning questions mark scheme

?

See page 128

Answer

Guidance

1

As this question does not have a locator, encourage the children to scan for the target word in the text and read the whole second verse. They should underline clues in the text that tell them what ‘fowls’ are (e.g. the text tells us they can fly, cry out and sit in tree branches). Award 1 mark for a correct answer.

birds/chickens/hens

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

If necessary, remind the children of your discussion of the target word from the Key vocabulary. Prompt them to look at each answer option in turn and start by eliminating those they know are incorrect. Award 1 mark for the correct answer circled.

faint

3

People are making the bats and balls.

The children should use the locator to find the correct part of the text and read the verse around it to look for clues. You could prompt them by asking whether bats and balls usually grow naturally like plants – where do they come from? Award 1 mark for any reference to the toys being created.

4

The work must stop because it is night-time.

If necessary, remind the children of your discussion of the Key vocabulary. Award 1 mark for any reference to the work having to stop because it is night-time.

5

Lights are coming on.

Some children may choose one of the distractors if they are relying on their extrinsic knowledge of ‘glowing’. Refocus them on the poem’s title and ask them to use the key words in the title to remind themselves of its main theme. Which of the answer options is most suited to this time of day? Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 129

?

Answer

Guidance

1

I think it means the sky has turned red/ orange/the colour of fire because the sun is about to set.

Some children may struggle with ‘assembles’. If they need help, focus them on the key words ‘skyline’ and ‘fire’. Why might the sky look like fire? Encourage them to think about the poem’s title if they need a further prompt. Award 1 mark for any reference to the colour of the sky. Award 2 marks for reference to the colour of the sky plus any reference to the sun setting.

Skill: Inference.

2

knives OR kites OR bats OR balls OR wheels OR tops

As this question does not include a locator, you could remind the children to look for the key words in the question (e.g. ‘making’) and scan for them in the text. Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks. Skill: Retrieval.

3

To keep them safe and warm.

4

The feeling when the day ends and it feels just a bit too soon to go to bed.

5

No

They will not be sad because it will be a new day and they can play/ make things again.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

The children need to understand that ‘calves’ are baby cows.

Share this information if necessary. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Inference.

If the children require extra support, you could encourage them to use the title and the repeated refrain ‘Children go a little sad’ as a starting point. Award 1 mark for any plausible reference to feeling sad that the day is ending. Skill: Summarising.

If any children tick ‘Yes’, talk to them about why the children were feeling sad, using the poem’s title as a clue. Would they still be feeling sad for this reason the next day? Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Award 2 marks for the correct answer ticked plus a plausible explanation linked to the text.

Skill: Prediction.

Night Comes Too Soon, by James Berry

2

Guidance

Unit 12

Answer

125

Unit 12

Night Comes Too Soon, by James Berry In this poem the poet is thinking back to when he was a child and remembering how he felt towards the end of the day as night falls.

Here now skyline assembles fire.

The sun collects up to leave.

Its bright following paled, suddenly all goes. Dusk rushes in, like door closed on windowless room.

Children go a little sad.

Night Comes Too Soon, by James Berry

Fowls come in ones and groups and fly up with a cry and settle, in warm air branches.

Tethered pigs are lounging in dugout ground.

Muzzled goat kids make muffled cries. Cows call calves locked away. /DVW GRQNH\ ULGHUV FRPH KRPHZDUG calling “Good night!”

Children go a little sad. .QLYHV PDNLQJ IURP IODWWHQHG big nails must stop. Kite ribs of tied sticks must not develop.

Half shapes growing into bats and balls, into wheels and tops must cease by night’s veto.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Unit 12

And alone on shelves, in clusters on the ground in corners, on underhouse ledges, these lovable embryos don’t grow in sleeptime.

Children go a little sad.

Night Comes Too Soon, by James Berry

Bats come out in swarms.

Oil lamps come up glowing all through a palmtree village.

Everybody’ll be indoors like logs locked up.

Children go a little sad.

‘Night Comes Too Soon’ by James Berry, from A Story I am In: Selected Poems (Bloodaxe Books, 2011). Reproduced with permission of Bloodaxe Books. www.bloodaxebooks.com

Unit 12

?

1

Word meaning

Name:

Look at the second verse. Write one word that the poet could have used instead of fowls.

1 mark

2

Look at the third verse. Which word is closest in meaning to muffled? Circle one. shrieking

3

loud

warm

faint

1 mark

Half shapes growing into bats and balls, into wheels and tops … .

Explain what is happening to the bats and balls at this point in the poem.

1 mark

Night Comes Too Soon, by James Berry

4

… must cease by night’s veto.

Explain the meaning of this line.

1 mark

5

Oil lamps come up glowing … .

Which of the following options best describes the meaning of this line? Tick one.

Oil lamps are being cleaned.

Lamps are shiny.

Lights are coming on.

Oil lamps are warm.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 12

Mix it up!

Name:

Here now skyline assembles fire.

What do you think this line means? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

I think

because .

2

2 marks

Name two things that people were making in the poem.

1 2

4

Cows call calves locked away.

Why do you think the calves have been locked away? Tick one.

To punish them.

So that they can be milked.

To keep them safe and warm.

Because they are noisy.

1 mark

Write one sentence to explain what this poem is about.

1 mark

5

The poem ends with the line Children go a little sad. Do you think the children will still be sad the next morning? Tick one.

Yes

No

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Night Comes Too Soon, by James Berry

3

2 marks

Unit 13 Inference

Tom’s Midnight Garden

by Philippa Pearce Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 134 to 137

Tom’s Midnight Garden is a children’s classic from 1958, about a boy staying with his aunt and uncle as his brother has measles. They live in a house without a garden, or so they think …. When Tom discovers that their grandfather clock strikes 13 after midnight, he unlocks an extra secret hour, during which he travels back to Victorian times, when the house had a garden, and becomes playmates with one of its former inhabitants. This extract, in which Tom is the only one awake at midnight, provides some interesting contrasts with the night-time scene in the poem in Unit 12. You could compare the two once both units have been completed.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 134 to 135) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

Fiction

Key vocabulary admiration

dozing

expectant

flaw

imprisoned

jeered

midst

proclaimed

reasoning

sullen

taken for granted

wakefulness

1 What type of text do you think this is?

The children should be able to use the title and the illustration to identify that this is a fictional text.

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Which celebrities or people that you know fill you with admiration? Why?

2 Looking at the illustration and the Key vocabulary, do you think this is a modern story or one that was written quite a long time ago?

The children should be able to identify that the words are not often used today, and the illustration should help them to work out that this is not a contemporary story. You could ask them whether they have ever seen a grandfather clock before – does anyone in their family own one, or have they ever seen one in a museum or on TV?

O

Is there anyone that you have taken for granted? What could you do to show them that you appreciate them?

O

What do you think is your best quality, and what is your biggest flaw?

O

If you are dozing, are you asleep or awake?

3 There is a garden in this book. What does the title Tom’s Midnight Garden suggest about the garden?

The children may say that because it is a night garden it is unusual and that perhaps unusual things happen in it. They may think that it only appears at midnight and that it sounds mysterious.

130

Language toolkit

Vocabulary activities O

The prefix ‘pro–’ normally means ‘forward’ (as in proclaimed) but can also mean ‘for’.

Challenge the children to make a list of words beginning with ‘pro–’ and decide which meaning they belong to.

O

How many synonyms can the children find for sullen? Can they think of an antonym?

4 Have you ever been awake past midnight?

What kept you awake? Are you allowed to be out of bed late at night? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary. Allow the children to share some of their experiences of being awake in the middle of the night. You could challenge them to come up with some adjectives to describe what it feels like to be up very late (e.g. exciting; mysterious; confusing; strange).

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 132 to 133.

1 What time of day is it in this extract?

Night-time/after midnight/the early hours of the morning.

O

Speaking and listening task: With a partner, the children could discuss what they would do if they had an extra hour in their day. Would they use the time to do something fantastical or something very ordinary? Who would they spend it with – people they know or famous/imaginary people? You could bring the whole group together after a few minutes and encourage the children to share their ideas.

O

Writing task: The children could write an advertisement to sell the grandfather clock from the extract on an online auction site. Ask them to think about the unique features of the clock and how they would describe these to make it more attractive to buyers than a conventional clock. They could mention the extra time the clock creates and how it can help its owner travel to a special place, like Tom’s garden.

2 Where is Tom? What is he doing?

He is lying in bed, listening to the clock striking.

3 Is Tom at home?

No, he is at his uncle’s house.

4 What strange thing does Tom hear?

He hears the grandfather clock strike 13.

3 Explore O

O

O

Turn the lights down, ask the children to be very quiet and put their heads down on their desks, and then play an audio clip of a grandfather clock ticking to evoke Tom’s lonely wakefulness at the beginning of the story. Ask them to think about how it makes them feel, and about how Tom must have felt lying in bed, unable to sleep. Next, play a clip of a grandfather clock striking. Explain that a grandfather clock can tell people the time even if they can’t see it, because it strikes the hour. Can the children tell you what the maximum number of strikes could be?

The author uses the striking of the grandfather clock to build suspense and tension in the extract.

Reread the second paragraph and draw attention to the way that the strikes interrupt the narrative.

Discuss the effect this has on the atmosphere of the text. You could use this technique to create your own ‘countdown’ story as a class (e.g. it might be about the last few minutes of a football match or a character waiting to see the dentist).

You could read on in the story so that the children learn how a mysterious garden appears during the extra midnight hour. They could write descriptions or draw pictures of what they think the midnight garden looks like.

4 Skills focus

See pages 132 to 133

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of inference.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 13 Modelling slides and the Modelling inference guidance on page 132.

2 The children can then attempt the Inference questions on page 136.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Inference

5 Where next?

Reading list Fiction The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs The Longest Night of Charlie Noon by Christopher Edge The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Stig of the Dump by Clive King (Linked texts: Units 19 and 20) Class reads The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis Non-fiction About Time by Bruce Koscielniak Poetry ‘I Like to Stay Up’ by Grace Nichols ‘Night Comes Too Soon’ by James Berry (Linked text: Unit 12) Films Tom’s Midnight Garden (Hyperion Pictures, 1999) Music The children might enjoy listening to the song ‘My Grandfather’s Clock’. There are several recordings available on YouTube.

Fiction

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Unit 13

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 137 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

2 First steps

131

Unit 13

Modelling inference

See Unit 13 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 20 to 21) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Look at the first paragraph. What do the words Slow silence tell you about how Tom is feeling at the beginning of the story?

Tom is bored/grumpy because time is going really slowly/he is the only one awake.

Remind the children that inference questions are about piecing together meaning rather than seeing the answers in the text word for word. After reading the paragraph together, encourage them to sit in silence for a minute. Discuss how this seems to make time slow down. Think aloud: How would we feel if we had to wait like this by ourselves for hours?

2 What do the words imprisoned in wakefulness tell you about how Tom feels about being awake? Tick one.

Tom went to prison.

Tom was wide awake.

Tom was sleepy.

Tom felt he couldn’t escape being awake.

Model a process of elimination by discussing each statement and deciding if it is plausible. Think aloud: Tom didn’t go to prison, so it is not the first one. Tom was wide awake, but this does not tell us how he feels about being awake so it can’t be this one. We know Tom wasn’t feeling sleepy because the text says he ‘lay … open-eyed’. The only answer left is the last one, so let’s check it makes sense. You could draw the children’s attention to the link between ‘imprisoned’ and ‘couldn’t escape’.

3 Even in his irritation, Tom could not stop counting; it had become a habit with him at night. Seven! Eight!

Underline one word that tells you that this is not the first time Tom has been unable to sleep at night. habit Model running a finger along the text looking for a word that shows something has happened a lot of times.

Some children may suggest ‘irritation’ because Tom feels fed up. Point out that this tells us his feelings about what is happening, rather than how often it has happened. If necessary, explain that a habit is something that someone does a lot of times. If counting the strikes of the clock in the night is a habit of Tom’s, this must mean that he is often awake at night.

4 Look at the second paragraph. How many times should Tom have heard the clock strike at one o’clock? one

Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce

Model finding the paragraph. Explain that the group of words ‘the present hour’ means that the time is now one o’clock. Remind the children that grandfather clocks strike to show the hour.

132

Inference questions mark scheme

See page 136

Answer

Guidance

1

That time is moving slowly.

If the children struggle, remind them of your discussion of Modelling question 1. Does Tom think the night is passing quickly or slowly? You could also discuss when and why people normally say ‘At last!’. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

Because the clock was the only thing that talked to him at night.

If the children struggle to find the necessary clue in the text, refocus them on the sentence beginning ‘Even in his irritation … ’ and encourage them to read to the end of the paragraph.

Award 1 mark for any reference to the clock keeping Tom company while he was awake at night.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

He feels that he should do something about it.

The fourth answer option is a strong distractor. Remind the children of the need to read the sentences before and after the locator to look for clues in the text. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

4

Because normal clocks only go up to 12/ don’t strike 13.

You could remind the children of your discussions in the first Explore activity. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

5

Because he can get out of bed during this hour without disobeying his uncle.

OR He can go and play for this hour and still be in bed for 10 hours.

If necessary, encourage the children to reread the last two paragraphs. Award 1 mark for reference to Tom being able to get out of bed during this hour. Award 2 marks for reference to Tom being able to get out of bed plus reference to doing so without breaking his promise to his uncle.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme Answer

See page 137

?

Guidance

1

T Tom was amused when the clock struck the wrong hour.

Tom had a habit of counting the strikes of the clock at night.

The clock struck 12 times and then stopped.

F

If necessary, remind the children to find a sentence in the second paragraph that matches (or almost matches) each statement by scanning for the statement’s key words. Award 1 mark for at least two statements correctly ticked. Award 2 marks for all three statements correctly ticked. Skill: Retrieval.

2

It sounds more important/more official.

OR It makes you take notice of it.

3

twitch

4

He had taken for granted that there were 24 hours in a day.

If necessary, remind the children of your discussion of the word ‘flaw’ and the phrase ‘taken for granted’ in the Key vocabulary.

Award 1 mark for reference to Uncle Alan being wrong about the number of hours in a day. Skill: Retrieval.

5

I think he will go downstairs and find out what is going on with the clock because it has struck 13. OR I think he will go downstairs and explore because he has got an extra hour of time.

If the children answer briefly (e.g. ‘He will get out of bed’), encourage them to expand their answers to say what they think Tom intends to do. Accept alternative answers as long as they are linked to the text (e.g. ‘Tom will stay in bed because he will want to think about what he could do in his hour of freedom.’).

Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction. Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction plus an explanation linked to the text.

Skill: Prediction.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

The children will have already encountered the word ‘proclaimed’ in the Key vocabulary. Award 1 mark for a correct answer.

Skill: Word choice.

Some children may need help to understand the meaning of ‘jerk’: explain that it suggests a sudden movement. Some may choose one of the distractors if they are thinking about Tom’s feelings at the time. Encourage them to focus on the target word only. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Skill: Word meaning.

Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce

3

Guidance

Unit 13

Answer

133

Unit 13

Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce Tom is staying with his uncle because his brother has the measles. As Tom could be infectious, he is not allowed to go outside, so he finds it hard to sleep.

After being found wandering around the house late at night, Tom has promised to stay in bed. Then something unexpected happens and suddenly things don’t seem quite so bad.

Slow silence, and then the grandfather clock struck for twelve. By midnight his uncle and aunt were always in bed, and asleep too, usually.

2QO\ 7RP OD\ VWLOO RSHQ H\HG DQG VXOOHQ LPSULVRQHG LQ ZDNHIXOQHVV And at last – One! The clock struck the present hour; but, as if to show its independence of mind, went on striking – Two! For once Tom was not amused by its striking the wrong hour: Three! Four! “It’s one o’clock,” Tom whispered angrily over the edge of the bedclothes. “Why don’t you strike one o’clock, then, as the clocks would do at home?” Instead: Five!

Six! Even in his irritation, Tom could not stop counting; it had become a habit with him at night. Seven! Eight! After all, the clock was the only thing that would speak to him at all in these hours of darkness. Nine!

Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce

Ten! “You are going it,” thought Tom, but yawning in the midst of his unwilling admiration. Yes, and it hadn’t finished yet: Eleven! Twelve!

“Fancy striking midnight twice in one night!” jeered Tom, sleepily.

Thirteen! proclaimed the clock, and then stopped striking.

Thirteen? Tom’s mind gave a jerk: had it really struck thirteen? Even mad old clocks never struck that. He must have imagined it. Had he not been falling asleep, or already sleeping? But no, awake or dozing, he had counted up to thirteen. He was sure of it.

He was uneasy in the knowledge that this happening made some difference to him: he could feel that in his bones. The stillness had Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

darkness pressed up to him, pressing him with a question: Come on, Tom, the clock has struck thirteen – what are you going to do about it?

Unit 13

become an expectant one; the house seemed to hold its breath; the

“Nothing,” said Tom, aloud. And then, as an afterthought: “Don’t be silly!”

What could he do, anyway? He had to stay in bed, sleeping or trying to sleep, for ten whole hours, as near as might be, from nine o’clock at night to seven o’clock the next morning. That was what he had promised when his uncle had reasoned with him.

Uncle Alan had been so sure of his reasoning; and yet Tom now began to feel that there had been some flaw in it… Uncle Alan, without JUDQWHG WKDW WKHUH ZHUH WZHQW\ IRXU hours in a day – twice twelve hours.

But suppose, instead, there were twice thirteen? Then, from nine at night to seven in the morning – with the thirteenth hour somewhere between – was more than ten hours: it was eleven. He could be in bed for ten hours, and still have an hour to spare – an hour of freedom.

From Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce. Text copyright © Oxford University Press, 1958. Reproduced with permission of the Licensor through PLSclear.

Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce

discussing the idea, had taken for

Unit 13

Inference 1

Name:

And at last – One! What do the words at last tell you about how time is passing?

1 mark

2

Look at the second paragraph. How do you know that Tom is lonely during the night?

1 mark

3

Look at the paragraph beginning He was uneasy in the knowledge … . How does Tom feel when the clock strikes 13? Tick one.

He feels that he should do something about it.

He feels out of breath.

He is very still.

Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce

He feels that something is about to happen to the house.

4

1 mark

Why does Tom find it so hard to believe that the clock has struck 13?

1 mark

5

Why is the 13th hour an hour of freedom for Tom? Explain your answer.

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 13

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the second paragraph. Tick to show whether each statement is true or false.

True

False

Tom was amused when the clock struck the wrong hour.

Tom had a habit of counting the strikes of the clock at night.

The clock struck 12 times and then stopped.

2 marks

2

Thirteen! proclaimed the clock, … .

Why is the word proclaimed more effective than ‘struck’ in this sentence?

1 mark

Tom’s mind gave a jerk: had it really struck thirteen?

What word could be used instead of jerk in this sentence? Tick one. twitch

4

alarm

reminder

shriek

1 mark

Look at the last paragraph. According to Tom, what was the flaw in Uncle Alan’s reasoning?

1 mark

5

What do you think Tom will do next? Explain your answer using the text.

I think

because .

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

2 marks

Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce

3

Unit 14 Word meaning

?

The Story of Tutankhamun

by Patricia Cleveland-Peck Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 142 to 145

The Ancient Egyptian process of mummification fascinates and captures the imagination of many children. This text is taken from a book about Tutankhamun, Ancient Egypt’s boy king and one of the most famous mummies in history. The text explains the grisly but fascinating process of mummification and its importance to Ancient Egyptian culture. It is linked to the text in Progress check 2, Secrets of a Sun King. You may wish to compare the two texts once the unit and Progress check have been completed.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 142 to 143) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 What do you think this text is about?

From the illustration and the title, the children may answer mummies, the Egyptians, or Tutankhamun (if they already know that he is the most famous mummy).

2 What do you know about Ancient Egypt?

Encourage a broad discussion based on the children’s own knowledge and interests, as well as what they have learnt as part of history teaching.

See the Reading list for suggested resources to aid your discussion. You may also wish to create a graphic map for the class, to summarise and highlight key points.

Non-fiction

3 What do you know about what happened to Ancient Egyptians when they died?

Use this opportunity to explore the subject of mummification. You could discuss mummification as an ancient tradition and a way of honouring the dead – just like we use funerals/flowers today.

Be mindful that there may be a child who has suffered a bereavement and that this discussion could be difficult for some children.

138

4 Are you a bit scared by mummies? Why? Why not?

Mummification can be a frightening and gruesome idea, so it is useful to let the children explore their feelings and thoughts about this ancient process.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary afterlife

amulets

complex

deceased

intestines

jackal

preserved

purification

rituals

supple

underworld

ward off

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Can you give some examples of preserved foods?

O

If something is complex, is it simple or complicated?

O

Why is the purification of drinking water important?

O

How many intestines do humans have?

Where in the body are they found and what is their job?

O

Regular movement keeps your body supple.

How would your body start to feel if you never moved around?

Vocabulary activities O

Underworld is a compound word. Afterlife is another. Ask the children to think of some other compound words. How many of the words they’ve found begin with prepositions?

O

To introduce the children to the Ancient Egyptian themes of this text, you could show images of amulets, papyrus and a jackal. Can the children think of modern equivalents?

O

Use your choice of the vocabulary activities on page 15 to investigate some of the key words above.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

2 What happened to organs like the intestines and lungs?

They were washed, packed in salt and then put in special jars called canopic jars.

3 What happened to the body after it had been stuffed and sewn up?

It was wrapped up in linen.

4 What did the priest do?

Read a spell to keep evil away.

5 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary. The children should be able to justify their responses (e.g. I liked the text because I enjoyed learning about all the different steps it took to make a mummy, but I didn’t like the bit about removing the brain!).

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of word meaning.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 14 Modelling slides and the Modelling word meaning guidance on page 140.

2 The children can then attempt the Word meaning questions on page 144.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 145 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 140 to 141.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: Divide the children into pairs. Ask them to look at texts in the school library or a topic box about Ancient Egypt and choose an object that interests them (e.g. a sarcophagus; canopic jars; tools; ornaments). Ask each pair to find five facts about their object and present their item to the class.

O

Writing task: The children could research the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon and then write a newspaper headline and opening paragraph about it. They may write from the point of view of either an Egyptian newspaper or the British press.

3 Explore O

O

Sometimes non-fiction texts feature glossaries.

A glossary is usually at the end of a book and is an alphabetical list of unusual and difficult words found in that book. Show the children a glossary in a non-fiction book and identify the features together.

If the children were to create a glossary for the text in this unit, which words would they choose to put in it? These might include names of places, such as the Place of Purification or the river Nile; gods such as Anubis; names of ingredients used in the mummification process (e.g. natron); and subjectspecific words such as ‘mummification’, ‘papyrus’ and ‘pharaoh’.

About a hundred years ago a famous archaeologist called Howard Carter finally found the tomb of Tutankhamun after searching for it for more than 10 years. It was world news. However, rumours of a ‘curse’ soon spread. Lord Carnarvon, who funded Carter’s search for the tomb, died soon after it was found and a lot of bad things started happening to people associated with the find. Ask the children if they believe in the curse. Why do they think the rumours might have spread in the first place?

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Unit 14

1 How long did the mummification process take?

70 days.

See pages 140 to 141

?

Word meaning

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

4 Skills focus

Reading list Fiction Tutankhamun’s Tomb (I Was There) by Sue Reid Class reads Secrets of a Sun King by Emma Carroll (Linked text: Progress check 2) Non-fiction Awesome Egyptians by Terry Deary The Legend of Tutankhamun by Sally Jane Morgan So You Think You’ve Got It Bad? A Kid’s Life in Ancient Egypt by Chae Strathie Websites Simple History has an interesting video about mummification on their YouTube channel.

Non-fiction

2 First steps

139

Unit 14

Modelling word meaning

?

See Unit 14 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 14 to 15) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Look at the first paragraph. Find and copy two words that mean ‘kept in its original state’. mummified and preserved Read the question aloud, then discuss what ‘kept in its original state’ means. Model finding the first paragraph and run your fingers along the lines to search for two words that mean the same as the target phrase – underline the words you find. Explain that it is important to continue reading to the end of the paragraph to make sure there aren’t better words.

2 Anubis was responsible for conducting the dead through the underworld. Which of the following words is a synonym for conducting? Tick one. guiding

stopping

jumping

swimming

Ask the children what a person is doing if they are conducting something. They may think of someone moving their hands (e.g. conducting an orchestra). Point out that this definition doesn’t make sense here and discuss other meanings (e.g. someone who does tours in a museum would be ‘conducting’ people around the exhibit). Next, model reading the target sentence with each of the options and checking if it makes sense (e.g. think aloud: Anubis was responsible for swimming the dead through the underworld. Does that make sense? No, it is not grammatical, you can’t ‘swim people’.) Finally, model ticking one answer only.

3 Tick to show whether each statement is true or false.

Model your thinking process, reading aloud each sentence in turn. Read the first sentence and think aloud: No, it wasn’t quick, it took 70 days and there

Mummification was quick and easy. were lots of different bits to it. That must be false. Do

Mummification took place in a tent. the same for each sentence. For the third sentence, you could model a different process based on

The heart was put in a jar. self-correcting. Think aloud: The heart was put in

The body was washed with wine. a jar. Yes, that’s right, they were called canopic jars.

I will read the text to check my answer. Model scanning the text for the key word ‘heart’ and skim-read around it to check whether it is correct. Notice that it is not the heart that goes in a jar and mark this option as false.

The Story of Tutankhamun, by Patricia Cleveland-Peck

T

140

F

4 Next, the brain was removed. A long hook was used to smash it up … . What does the word smash tell you about what the Egyptians thought of the brain?

They didn’t think it was very important.

Model locating the target phrase in the fifth paragraph. Then model thinking about what ‘smash’ means (e.g. think aloud: If you smash something, you break it into pieces with a lot of force. This tells me that the Egyptians were not very careful with the brain and didn’t think it was an important part of the body). Use these thoughts to formulate an answer to the question.

Word meaning questions mark scheme

?

See page 144

Answer

Guidance

1

Encourage the children to carefully read the whole of the target sentence to look for clues that might help them define ‘vast’.

The sentence says that mummification was ‘extremely important’ to the Egyptians. Does this mean they were likely to pay a little or a lot of money for it? Award 1 mark for any plausible synonym. Do not accept ‘lots’ as this is not the correct word form. Accept ‘big’ but explain that ‘vast’ calls for a stronger adjective.

large/huge/enormous

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

2

supple

Some children may choose ‘reshape’ because they know that flexibility is related to moving easily. Remind them that they need to underline an adjective or describing word. Award 1 mark for the correct answer underlined.

3

amulets

Encourage the children to locate the relevant part of the text (paragraph 7) and to run their fingers along the lines until they find the target word. They should know this word from the Vocabulary activities. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

4

paper

5

ceremonies

Remind the children to look at each answer option in turn and to start by eliminating the options that they know are incorrect.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Encourage the children to check their answer makes sense in the target sentence. Variations such as ‘special service’ are also acceptable. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

See page 145

?

Answer

Guidance

1

Because it was a religious ceremony.

You could remind the children of your discussion of ‘conducting’ in Modelling question 2. If necessary, prompt them to think about the work that a priest does (e.g. ‘Why do you think the process was conducted by a priest and not someone else?’; ‘What job does a priest do?’). Award 1 mark for reference to the process being part of a religious ceremony. Do not accept ‘because Anubis was the god of the dead’. Skill: Inference.

2

Because the body was washed/ prepared for the afterlife there.

This question requires the children to first locate the relevant section of text (the sentence after the first paragraph) and then read around it for clues. Explain that ‘To begin with’ suggests that more detail will follow. Award 1 mark for a reference to the body being washed or prepared. Skill: Inference.

3

liver OR lungs OR intestines OR stomach OR brain

If necessary, support the children by providing a locator.

Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks. Skill: Retrieval.

4

It was a type of salt used for drying out the body/body parts.

If the children only answer one part of the question, encourage them to verbally extend their answer. Remind them of the importance of reading each question carefully and checking their answer matches the question. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

5

Spells from the Book of the Dead were put in the deceased’s hands.

4

The body was washed with sweet-smelling wine.

1

The body was stuffed with dry material.

3

If the children find this challenging, remind them to scan each statement for key words and find them in the relevant paragraphs.

If they highlight the key words, this will support them to work out the order before they write the numbers in the boxes.

Award 1 mark for the correct numbers in all boxes.

Skill: Summarising.

The liver, lungs, intestines and stomach were stored in jars.

2

The Story of Tutankhamun, by Patricia Cleveland-Peck

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Unit 14

Answer

141

Unit 14

The Story of Tutankhamun,

by Patricia Cleveland-Peck This text describes the process of creating mummies around 3000 years ago in Ancient Egypt. The process took a long time and involved many stages.

Preserving the bodies of the dead was an important religious ceremony for the Ancient Egyptians because they believed that the dead would need their bodies in the afterlife.

All Ancient Egyptians, including pharaohs, were mummified when they died. The process of mummification was extremely important to the Ancient Egyptians, who paid vast amounts of money to have their bodies properly preserved. It was a complex procedure and took 70 days to FRPSOHWH ,W ZDV FRQGXFWHG E\ D SULHVW ZHDULQJ WKH MDFNDO KHDGHG PDVN of Anubis, the god of the dead. Anubis was responsible for conducting the dead through the underworld.

The Story of Tutankhamun, by Patricia Cleveland-Peck

To begin with, the body was taken to a tent known as the Place of Purification.

7KH ERG\ ZDV ZDVKHG ZLWK VZHHW VPHOOLQJ ZLQH DQG 1LOH ZDWHU 7KHQ D cut was made in the left side of the body and the liver, lungs, intestines and stomach were removed. They were washed and packed in a type of salt called ‘natron’ to dry out.

They were then placed in special jars called canopic jars. The heart was not removed during this process because it, rather than the brain, was believed to be the centre of man’s intelligence and so would be needed in the afterlife.

1H[W WKH EUDLQ ZDV UHPRYHG $ ORQJ KRRN ZDV XVHG WR VPDVK LW XS DQG the bits were then pulled out through the nose. The body was covered with natron to dry it out.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Unit 14

After 40 days the body was washed again, then covered with oils to keep it supple. It was then stuffed with dry material, such as leaves, to reshape it. The cut in the left side of the body was sewn up and sealed with resin.

Finally, the body was wrapped up, using hundreds of yards of linen.

First the head and neck, then the fingers and toes, and then the arms and legs. Amulets were placed between each layer to keep the body safe.

During this process the Priest read a spell to ward off evil. The arms and legs were tied together, and papyrus with spells from the Book of the Dead (this contains magic spells to help the deceased journey to the afterlife) were placed between the hands. More bindings were wrapped over the body and liquid resin was used to glue them together.

The Story of Tutankhamun, by Patricia Cleveland-Peck

Religious rituals were performed at the funeral. The most important of these was the ‘Opening the Mouth’ ritual, during which various parts of the body were symbolically touched to ‘open’ them.

© Patricia Cleveland-Peck, 2017. The Story of Tutankhamun, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Unit 14

Word meaning

?

1

Name:

The process of mummification was extremely important to the ancient Egyptians, who paid vast amounts of money to have their bodies properly preserved.

What word could be used to replace vast in this sentence?

1 mark

2

Look at the sentences below. Underline one word that means ‘flexible’.

After 40 days the body was washed again, then covered with oils to keep it supple. It was then stuffed with dry material, such as leaves, to reshape it.

1 mark

3

Look at the paragraph beginning Finally, the body was wrapped up, … .

Find and copy one word that means ‘charms’.

The Story of Tutankhamun, by Patricia Cleveland-Peck

1 mark

4

Which of the following modern-day materials is most similar to papyrus? Tick one. wood resin gold paper

5

1 mark

Religious rituals were performed at the funeral.

What word could be used to replace rituals in this sentence?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 14

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the first paragraph. Why do you think the mummification process was conducted by a priest?

1 mark

2

Why do you think that the tent was called the Place of Purification?

1 mark

3

Name two things that were taken out of the body during mummification.

1

4

2 marks

What was ‘natron’ and why was it used?

1 mark

5

Look at the whole text. Number the following statements to show the order in which they happen in the text.

Spells from the Book of the Dead were put in the deceased’s hands.

The body was washed with sweet-smelling wine.

The body was stuffed with dry material.

The liver, lungs, intestines and stomach were stored in jars.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1 mark

The Story of Tutankhamun, by Patricia Cleveland-Peck

2

Progress check 2

Secrets of a Sun King

by Emma Carroll Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 147 to 149

Secrets of a Sun King is set in London in 1922, a time when many British people were fascinated by Ancient Egypt.

Lillian Kaye is a 13-year-old girl who finds a package on her grandfather’s doorstep from a famous Egyptologist and realises that it holds the key to a story about a king whose tomb everyone is searching for. Lil and her friends must return the package to its resting place to break the pharaoh’s deadly curse. This extract is about the first time the three friends look inside the package, which includes a canopic jar containing the mummified heart of Tutankhamun. It is linked by theme with the Unit 14 text, The Story of Tutankhamun by Patricia Cleveland-Peck.

For guidance on running this task, see page 11.

Progress check questions mark scheme Answer

?

Guidance

1

explained

2

It felt wrong because it is rude/ disrespectful to Tutankhamun/the dead.

OR It felt wrong because she felt close to Kyky even though he died thousands of years ago.

Some children may answer ‘said’ as it makes sense and would be a plausible alternative. Remind them that they must consider all the possible answers and choose one that matches best, so ‘explained’ must be the correct answer. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Word meaning.

If some children are struggling, encourage them to find the target sentence in the text and read the whole of the paragraph for clues. How would they feel if they were in Lil’s shoes?

Award 1 mark for each correct inference, up to a maximum of 2 marks. Skill: Inference.

It felt wonderful because it was such an exciting item.

3

flaky OR mottled OR brown OR rusty

Some children may answer ‘mottled-brown’. This is also acceptable. Do not accept ‘size of a hen’s egg’, or ‘clod of earth’ as the question asks for two words only. Award 1 mark for each correct answer underlined, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Skill: Retrieval.

4

incredible

Encourage the children to think of synonyms for ‘amazing’ before they skim-read the text. This should help them to scan for an appropriate word. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Skill: Word meaning.

5

Oz

Tulip says they should put it back to be respectful.

You could remind the children that this question is for 2 marks, so they should provide two points in their answers. They need to mention Oz’s reaction for 1 mark and Tulip’s reaction for a second mark. Award 1 mark for a plausible comment about Oz’s reaction. Award 1 mark for a plausible comment about Tulip’s reaction. Skill: Comparison.

Fiction

Oz wants to hold it.

Tulip

146

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

1

“Won’t know until you look,” Tulip reasoned.

Which of the following words is closest in meaning to reasoned? Tick one. said

2

Name:

sulked

explained

shouted

1 mark

It felt wrong and wonderful to be poring over a dead person’s heart.

Explain why looking at Tutankhamun’s heart felt wrong and wonderful to Lil.

Progress check 2

Progress check 2

It felt wrong because

It felt wonderful because 2 marks

3

Look at the sentences below. Underline two words that describe what the heart looked like.

There was Kyky’s heart, sitting in the palm of my hand, the size of a hen’s egg. It looked like a clod of earth – flaky and mottled-brown – or the rusty tip of a centuries-old spear.

2 marks

Look at the paragraph beginning There was Kyky’s heart, … . Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘amazing’.

1 mark

5

Compare how Oz and Tulip react to seeing Kyky’s heart.

Oz

Tulip

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Secrets of a Sun King, by Emma Carroll

4

Progress check 2

Secrets of a Sun King, by Emma Carroll It is 1922. Howard Carter and other famous archaeologists are in a race to be the first to find the tomb of Tutankhamun (or ‘Kyky’ as his friends called him).

Lil and her friends are on an important journey to return a mysterious package that turned up at her grandfather’s house. In this extract they discover what is in their mystery parcel.

Tulip was the first to speak. “Cripes almighty! What Howard Carter would give to read all this!”

Never mind Howard Carter – I felt so giddy and shaken, I was glad to be sitting down.

“Kyky’s heart can’t have survived, can it?” I asked. It was mad to think it had.

Yet hadn’t Professor Hanawati mentioned something wrapped in linen, jammed in the bottom of the jar?

“Won’t know until you look,” Tulip reasoned.

7KH YHU\ LGHD WKDW D WKUHH WKRXVDQG \HDU ROG KHDUW ZDV VWLOO LQVLGH WKH MDU PDGH me feel strange in a different way. To think that part of Kyky might be here with us – his blood, his cells.

Secrets of a Sun King, by Emma Carroll

I took a very deep breath. The jar lay between us on the bunk, the lid still off.

I picked it up. Braced myself. As I slid my hand deep inside I half expected to touch something slippery and bloody – it wasn’t, of course. It was dry and came away fairly easily so what I now had in my hand was a piece of linen, neatly folded like a handkerchief.

“Open it!” Tulip urged.

I hesitated. The fabric looked frail.

“I don’t think we should,” I said. “What if it falls apart?”

Oz was sitting closer than usual. “I’d really like to see it, Lil.” Truth was, so would I. “I’ll do it slowly, then – and if it looks like it’s going to crumble or tear, I’ll stop, all right?”

The others nodded.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

“Careful!” Tulip whispered at my shoulder as I peeled back the final layer.

My breath stopped.

There was Kyky’s heart, sitting in the palm of my hand, the size of a hen’s egg. ,W ORRNHG OLNH D FORG RI HDUWK ¤ IODN\ DQG PRWWOHG EURZQ ¤ RU WKH UXVW\ WLS RI D FHQWXULHV ROG VSHDU <RX FRXOG DOPRVW VHH IURP WKH ZD\ LW WDSHUHG DW RQH HQG that it was the shape of a heart. It was incredible.

Progress check 2

Ever so gently, I unfolded a corner. Then another. Amazingly, with care, the IDEULF VWD\HG LQ RQH SLHFH $V LW FDPH RII OD\HU E\ WLVVXH WKLQ OD\HU , EHJDQ WR feel something solid underneath. Much as I was desperate to see what, I was wary too. It felt wrong and wonderful to be poring over a dead person’s heart.

And all the time that familiar prickly, chilly sensation crept down my backbone.

“Wow,” Tulip breathed. “That’s got to be the most astonishing thing I’ve ever seen.”

Oz shuffled even closer. “I wonder, Lil, could I just–” He put his hand out to take the heart.

“No, Oz,” Tulip said. “It’s not respectful to pass it around. Let Lil put him back now we’ve all had a look.”

Secrets of a Sun King, by Emma Carroll

Gently rewrapping the heart one fragile layer at a time, I returned it to the jar and replaced the lid. Tulip, I realised, had just called the package ‘him ’. This was what it had become: Kyky was someone we felt we almost knew.

From Secrets of a Sun King, by Emma Carroll. Copyright © Emma Carroll, 2018. Published by Faber and Faber Ltd.

Unit 15 Word choice

The Butterfly Lion

by Michael Morpurgo Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 154 to 157

The Butterfly Lion is a beautiful novel by Michael Morpurgo about an eight-year-old boy’s bond with a lion. The lion ends up in a French circus, under the ownership of Monsieur Merlot. This extract is taken from the middle of the book when Bertie, now a World War I hero, is reunited with his lion. This text is linked to Unit 16, a newspaper article about banning wild animals from circuses in England.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 154 to 155) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 What type of text do you think this is?

The children should be able to use the title to identify that this is a fictional text.

2 Have you ever been reunited with someone or something that you loved very much but hadn’t seen for a while?

The children might talk about a much-loved lost cuddly toy; seeing a pet when they return from holiday; meeting up with a friend that has moved away, or perhaps a relative who is visiting from abroad. Most children will be able to identify with at least one of these experiences. Ask them to describe their emotions at the time (e.g. joyful; nervous; tearful; relieved; loving; overwhelmed).

Fiction

3 This story is about a boy who rescues and becomes friends with a lion. What unusual animal would you like to become friends with?

The children are likely to have a lot of ideas.

Encourage them to explain the reasons why they would choose a particular animal.

150

Language toolkit Key vocabulary eyed

gritted teeth

hip

mane

padding

propped up

ribs

rumble

skin and bone

terrible

warmly

yowling

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Which is noisier: padding around in slippers or stomping around in boots?

O

What would you do if you were messing around and then a teacher eyed you?

O

What type of animal would make a yowling sound? Could a person make this sound?

O

How would you greet someone warmly?

Vocabulary activities O

Discuss the two possible meanings of terrible (e.g. ‘awful’ and ‘scary’) and encourage the children to come up with synonyms and antonyms for each meaning.

O

Discuss the onomatopoeia of yowling and rumble. Encourage the children to think of other onomatopoeic words and collect their suggestions in a class list. You could also encourage them to find more onomatopoeic words in the text once they have read it.

4 In this story, a woman meets a lion for the first time – it goes right up to her and licks her hand.

How would you feel meeting a lion?

Answers will vary. Focus the children by asking them to close their eyes and imagine that they enter a room and there is a lion there: how would they feel in that moment? Encourage them to use as many descriptive words as they can (e.g. surprised; scared; worried; fearful).

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

O

Speaking and listening task: Show the children the video of Michael Morpurgo answering five questions – see the Reading list. In this video, he explains how the ideas for his books come from the things he sees, hears, learns and feels around him. Split the children into pairs and ask them to use the same method to plan a story about an animal. They should use something they have read, seen or experienced as the basis of their story (e.g. an encounter with a pet; a picture book; a news story). Each pair should then carefully explain their story’s plot to another pair.

O

Writing task: The children could use the text to write a paragraph from the point of view of the lion.

How did he feel about being reunited with Bertie?

What memories might the lion have of playing with Bertie when he was a child? What did the lion think of Millie? What might the lion miss from his old life in Africa, back when Bertie was a boy?

1 What is the French man’s name?

Monsieur Merlot.

2 Which other characters are in the story?

Bertie, Millie and the lion. Some children may be able to tell you that the lion’s name is Le Prince Blanc.

3 How does Bertie know the French man?

The man went to Bertie’s farm many years ago and bought a white lion cub.

4 Who is Bertie talking about when he says ‘We’re old friends’?

The lion (and himself).

3 Explore O

O

Explore the mood of the extract. The children could work in pairs to tell each other how the story made them feel. The children should be able to notice that the mood is initially one of anticipation, as Bertie wonders whether the man still has the lion. They should then pick up on the bittersweet tone of the rest of the extract: Bertie is happy that the lion is still alive and remembers him, but sad that the lion is starving.

Discuss how the author uses language to show Millie and Bertie’s contrasting reactions to the lion.

Ask the children to find examples of their different physical reactions in the text (e.g. Mille ‘froze’; ‘kept my distance’; ‘gritted my teeth’; Bertie ‘smoothed his mane’; ‘put his arms around the lion’s neck’).

Discuss what this tells you about their emotions (e.g. Millie is terrified; Bertie is delighted).

4 Skills focus

See pages 152 to 153

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of word choice.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 15 Modelling slides and the Modelling word choice guidance on page 152.

Reading list Fiction The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Andy Shepherd Bright Star by Jenny Oldfield Little Foxes by Michael Morpurgo Class reads The Butterfly Lion by Michael Morpurgo Shadow by Michael Morpurgo The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting Non-fiction Lions by Laura Marsh ‘Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government’ by The Independent newspaper (Linked text: Unit 16) Films Born Free (Columbia Pictures, 1966) Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (Walt Disney Pictures, 1993) The Lion King (Walt Disney Pictures, 2019) Websites The Born Free Foundation’s website has useful information about lions and conservation efforts.

2 The children can then attempt the Word choice questions on page 156.

An interview with Michael Morpurgo (‘5 Most Asked Questions’) can be found on the Harper Collins Children’s Books YouTube channel.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 157 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

A recording of Michael Morpurgo reading the first chapter of The Butterfly Lion is available on the author’s website.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 152 to 153.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Unit 15

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Word choice

5 Where next?

Fiction

2 First steps

151

Unit 15

Modelling word choice

See Unit 15 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 26 to 27) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 A man was lying there, propped up on a pile of cushions. What does the use of the group of words propped up suggest about the man?

That the cushions were holding him up. OR He couldn’t support himself without the cushions because he was too ill/weak.

Model finding the target sentence in the text and highlighting the target phrase. As the children will have already encountered the target phrase in the Key vocabulary, they should be able to think of some synonyms for it that you can then use to model making a conclusion (e.g. think aloud: Why might you need to rest and be supported by/lean against pillows?).

2 … the white blanket at the end of the bed became a lion, rose from the bed, sprang down and was padding towards us, a terrible rumble in his throat. How does the author’s choice of words here suggest that Millie is shocked and terrified? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

She is shocked because she says that the blanket ‘became’ a lion which shows that it happened quickly.

She is terrified because she says that the lion’s rumble is ‘terrible’.

Model reading the question carefully. Point out that the question is asking for a detailed answer as you need to give evidence for both ‘shocked’ and ‘terrified’. Scan the target quotation looking for evidence that Millie is shocked. Think aloud: I would be shocked if something I thought was a blanket was in fact a lion and started moving towards me! Next look at ‘terrified’ and continue: I know that one of the meanings of ‘terrible’ is ‘scary’.

Model referring back to the text in your answer.

3 Why do you think the author uses the word padding to describe the lion’s movements?

It shows that the lion is making a soft sound when he walks.

Model noting that the question has no locator. Think aloud: I will scan for ‘padding’ in the part where Millie first sees the lion – there are a lot of movement words there. The children will have already encountered the target word in the Key vocabulary, so they should be able to contribute some synonyms. Establish that ‘padding’ suggests the soft movements of a furry animal walking on all fours.

4 … the lion turned his attention on me, licking my hand with his rough warm tongue. I just gritted my teeth … . What does the group of words gritted my teeth tell you about how Millie feels when the lion licks her hand? Tick two.

She is enjoying it.

She is trying to be brave.

Her teeth are chattering.

The Butterfly Lion, by Michael Morpurgo

She is not enjoying it.

152

Model reading the question carefully, noting the need to tick two answers. Recap the meaning of ‘gritted my teeth’. Establish that Millie is trying to be brave although she is very scared. Model reading the answer options carefully to distinguish between the first and fourth options, which are very similar.

Word choice questions mark scheme

See page 156

Answer

Guidance

1

If the children struggle, ask them what a blanket and a lion have in common in terms of their appearance. Award 1 mark for reference to the lion’s fur or the fact that he was lying on the bed.

The lion is furry like a blanket. OR He is lying on the bed to be near Monsieur Merlot.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

2

pleasure

If necessary, explain why the answer accompanied by other words (e.g. ‘groan with pleasure’) is incorrect, as the question asks for one word only. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

3

skins and bones

Accept longer answers up to the whole of the relevant sentence, provided that it includes the phrase ‘skins and bones’.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer underlined.

4

The lion is precious to him.

The lion is his last remaining animal.

It is long/thick.

Some children may answer more vaguely (e.g. ‘It is big’). If so, encourage them to refine their answer by choosing a more specific adjective. Award 1 mark for any reference to the mane being voluminous.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme Answer 1

If necessary, clarify the meaning of ‘precious’ before the children attempt this question. If any tick the fourth option, ask them to read around the target sentence to look for more evidence in Monsieur Merlot’s speech of him being bored. They could also look at Bertie’s response. Award 1 mark for each correct answer ticked, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

See page 157

?

Guidance

It was dark.

It was near a river.

If some of the children tick the second option, refocus them on the target sentences: is the room quiet or is it just Monsieur Merlot who is quiet? Award 1 mark for each correct answer ticked, up to a maximum of 2 marks. Skill: Retrieval.

2

leapt

3

A man called Bertie is reunited with the lion he loved when he was a child.

Remind the children that they need to write a sentence that describes the main theme or event of the extract. What was the most important thing that happened in the story? Award 1 mark for any reference to Bertie reuniting with his beloved lion.

Skill: Summarising.

4

He is friendly to him because he shakes his hand warmly. OR He feels sorry for him/wants to help him because he says he will get him some food.

If some children require extra support, encourage them to scan the text for where the names ‘Bertie’ and ‘Monsieur’ appear in the same sentence, and to base their answer on these sentences.

Award 1 mark for a plausible emotion. Award 2 marks for a plausible emotion plus appropriate evidence from the text.

Skill: Inference.

5

Yes, because she will get used to him like Bertie (and Monsieur Merlot) did. OR No, because the lion only loves/trusts Bertie (and Monsieur Merlot).

If necessary, remind the children that they cannot answer only ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ because they need to link their opinion back to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Remind the children to consider all four answer options.

If necessary, ask them what tense ‘sprang’ is – present or past?

Explain that their answer needs to be in the same tense.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Skill: Word meaning.

The Butterfly Lion, by Michael Morpurgo

5

Unit 15

Answer

153

Unit 15

The Butterfly Lion, by Michael Morpurgo This text is taken from a book that is set before and during World War I. The story is told by Millie, who is the wife of Bertie, a soldier. Bertie grew up in Africa, where he was best friends with a white lion that he rescued, but when Bertie was sent to boarding school in England, his beloved lion was sold to a French circus. This extract describes what happens when he finally sees his lion again, years later.

“Qui est là?” said a voice from the darkness of the room. “4X©HVW

ce que vous voulez?” He spoke so quietly you could hardly hear him over the rush of the river outside. I could just make out a large bed under the window at the far end of the room. A man was lying there, propped up on a pile of cushions.

“Monsieur Merlot?” Bertie asked.

“Oui?” As we walked forward together, Bertie went on: “I am Bertie Andrews. Many years ago you came to my farm in Africa, and

The Butterfly Lion, by Michael Morpurgo

you bought a white lion cub. Do you still have him?”

As if in answer the white blanket at the end of the bed became a lion, rose from the bed, sprang down and was padding towards us, a terrible rumble in his throat. I froze where I was as the lion came right up to us.

“It’s all right, Millie. He won’t hurt us,” said Bertie, putting an arm round me. “We’re old friends.” Moaning and yowling, the lion rubbed himself up against Bertie so hard that we had to hold on to each other to stop ourselves from falling over.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

he began to grunt and groan with pleasure as Bertie smoothed his mane and scratched him between the eyes. “Remember me?” he said

Unit 15

The lion eyed Bertie for a few moments. The yowling stopped, and

to the lion. “Remember Africa?”

“You are the one? I am not dreaming this?” said Monsieur Merlot.

“You are the boy in Africa, the one who tried to set him free?”

“I’ve grown a bit,” said Bertie, “but it’s me.” Bertie and Monsieur Merlot shook hands warmly, while the lion turned his attention on me, licking my hand with his rough warm tongue. I just gritted my teeth and hoped he wouldn’t eat it.

“I did all I could,” Monsieur Merlot said, shaking his head. “But look at him now. Just skins and bones like me. All my animals they are gone, except Le Prince Blanc. He is all I have left. I had to shoot my elephants, you know that? I had to. What else could I do? There was no food to feed them. I could not let them starve, could I?” Bertie sat down on the bed, put his arms around the lion’s neck and kept looking at me. I kept my distance, I can tell you. I just could not get it out of my head that lions do eat people, particularly if they are hungry lions. And this lion was very hungry indeed. You could see his ribs, and his hip bones too.

“Don’t worry, monsieur,” said Bertie. “I will find you food. I will find food enough for both of you. I promise.”

From The Butterfly Lion, by Michael Morpurgo. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd © Michael Morpurgo, 1996.

The Butterfly Lion, by Michael Morpurgo

buried his head in his mane. The lion rubbed up against him, but he

Unit 15

Word choice 1

Name:

As if in answer the white blanket at the end of the bed became a lion, … .

Why do you think the lion is described as a white blanket here? Explain your answer.

1 mark

2

Look at the paragraph beginning The lion eyed Bertie … . Find and copy one word that shows that the lion is happy to see Bertie.

1 mark

3

Look at the sentences below. Underline the group of words that tell you that the lion is starving.

“I did all I could,” Monsieur Merlot said, shaking his head. “But look at him now. Just skins and bones like me. All my animals they are gone, … .

1 mark

4

All my animals they are gone, except Le Prince Blanc. He is all I have left.

What do these sentences suggest about Monsieur Merlot’s feelings for the lion?

Tick two.

The Butterfly Lion, by Michael Morpurgo

The lion is precious to him.

The lion is his least favourite animal.

The lion is his last remaining animal.

He is bored with the lion.

5

2 marks

Bertie sat down on the bed, put his arms around the lion’s neck and buried his head in his mane.

What does this sentence suggest about the lion’s mane?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 15

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the first paragraph. What does this tell you about Mr Merlot’s room?

Tick two.

It was dark.

It was quiet.

It was large.

It was near a river.

2

The lion rose from the bed, sprang down and was padding towards us, … .

Which word could be used to replace sprang in this sentence? Tick one. spring

3

2 marks

leapt

jump

fell

1 mark

Write one sentence to summarise the content of the whole extract.

4

Think about the whole text. How does Bertie feel about Monsieur Merlot? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

5

Do you think Millie’s feelings about the lion will change in the next part of the story? Explain your answer.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

The Butterfly Lion, by Michael Morpurgo

1 mark

Unit 16

Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government by The Independent

Retrieval

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 162 to 165

The children will have encountered the issue of wild animals being sold into circuses in a fictional context in Unit 15 (The Butterfly Lion). This text is a short newspaper article about how travelling circuses will be banned from using wild animals in 2020. Once the children have completed this unit, you may wish to make links between the two texts. Although this article does not go into too much detail about the poor treatment of circus animals, be aware that some children could find the topic upsetting and exercise caution as you work through the activities and questions in this unit.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 162 to 163) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 This text is a newspaper article. What features would you expect to find in a newspaper article?

Ask the children if anyone in their family reads newspapers at home. It would be useful to have a newspaper to show them in class. Encourage discussion about the typical features of newspaper articles (e.g. headlines; paragraphs; columns; quotations; pictures).

Non-fiction

2 This text is about circuses. Have you ever been to a circus and, if so, what did you see there?

The circuses the children may have been to are unlikely to have included wild animals. If the children haven’t been to a circus, they may have seen circuses such as Cirque du Soleil on the television, or they might have watched the films Dumbo or The Greatest Showman. You could show some photos of traditional circuses to support the discussion.

158

3 What sort of animals might you have seen in a circus in the past?

The children are likely to name some of the bigger animals, such as elephants, tigers, bears, sea lions and monkeys. You could use the opportunity to explain how wild animals in circus acts used to be commonplace but are now rare.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary accommodation

activists

ban

campaign

confirmed

express

imminent

licences

opposed

outlaw

pledged

welfare

Vocabulary discussion questions O

If you had the power to ban people from doing something, what would you choose?

O

If someone has pledged to do something, does that mean that they are serious about doing it? Why?

O

A caravan and a house are both types of accommodation. How many other types can you think of?

O

Why do activists campaign against climate change? Does this mean they are opposed to climate change?

Vocabulary activities O

This text contains some technical language (e.g. ‘Government’; ‘ministers’; ‘consigning’; ‘opinion poll’; ‘documented’; ‘veterinary’; ‘non-domesticated’; ‘association’; ‘macaw’; ‘zebu’). You could discuss some of these words and provide simpler synonyms where applicable.

O

Explain that if something is imminent, it is going to happen soon. Challenge the children to think of some synonyms (e.g. ‘close’; ‘near’; ‘coming’; ‘on the way’; ‘approaching’).

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

1 How does the article say that the law will change for circuses in 2020?

Using wild animals will no longer be allowed.

2 How long have government ministers been promising to ban the use of wild animals in circuses?

Five years.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 165 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 160 to 161.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The children could work in small groups to plan and practise persuasive speeches about whether or not animals should be used in circuses. They could then deliver their speeches to the class, with the aim of persuading other children to agree with them.

O

Writing task: Ask the children to imagine that the Government changes its mind about the ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.

Working individually or in groups, the children could write to their local MP to encourage them to reopen discussion in Parliament about animal use in circuses.

3 Why are wild animals being banned from circuses?

Circuses are cruel to animals and they are kept in small spaces.

4 How many wild animals were used in circuses in the UK when the article was written?

19.

5 What do most people think about using wild animals in circuses?

They disagree with it/they think it is wrong.

Retrieval

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Unit 16

2 The children can then attempt the Retrieval questions on page 164.

2 First steps

3 Explore

O

Animal welfare is a serious subject and people tend to have strong opinions about it. Show the children a video clip of healthy lions in the wild. Ask them to think of words or groups of words that describe the life of these lions (e.g. ‘natural’; ‘free’; ‘plenty of space’; ‘healthy-looking’). Then show a clip of an animal circus act. Encourage the children to think about the contrast between the lions in the wild and those in the circus. How did they feel when they watched each video? Discuss the children’s reasons for and against using wild animals in circuses. Have a vote to find out whether there is general agreement within the class.

Ask the children to identify difficulties with using the following wild animals in a travelling circus: lions; elephants; reindeer; a macaw. Encourage the children to find out what country and type of environment each animal usually lives in and what the animals eat in their natural habitat. What sort of things would the animals need to live well? Do the children think it would be easy for a travelling circus to provide the animals with these things?

4 Skills focus

Fiction The Butterfly Lion by Michael Morpurgo (Linked text: Unit 15) Circus in the Sky by Nancy Guettier Little Foxes by Michael Morpurgo Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones Class reads Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo Non-fiction The Animal Book: A Visual Encyclopedia of Life on Earth by DK National Geographic Animal Encyclopedia

by Lucy Spelman Films Dumbo (Walt Disney Pictures, 2019). (Please note that this has a Certificate 15 rating and clips should be chosen carefully.)

The Greatest Showman (20th Century Fox, 2017)

See pages 160 to 161

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of retrieval.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 16 Modelling slides and the Modelling retrieval guidance on page 160.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Reading list

Non-fiction

O

159

Unit 16

Modelling retrieval

See Unit 16 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 16 to 17) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Look at the paragraph beginning, Activists have long accused … . According to the activists, what do circuses do to animals? Give two things. beat OR starve OR keep their animals in unclean conditions Model reading the question and using the locator to find the relevant paragraph. Model scanning for the key word ‘animals’ and explain that you will look for two bad things that are done to them, because the word ‘accuse’ is normally linked to committing bad deeds. Encourage the children to help you. If they suggest ‘made to perform in front of a crowd’, explain that the other things threaten the animals’ welfare even more, so the activists are more likely to focus on these things.

2 How long have Animal Defenders International been campaigning to stop circus suffering?

Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government, by The Independent

(for) over 20 years

160

Explain that the key words ‘How long’ mean that the answer should be a length of time. Model noticing that there is no locator and scanning for ‘Animal Defenders International’. When you find it, explain that the sentence doesn’t give you your answer but that the next paragraph is a quote from ADI. Model scanning the quote for a length of time. Draw attention to the need to retrieve this information accurately – the text tells us it is more than 20 years, so ‘20 years’ by itself is not acceptable.

3 This article tells us that England is going to ban wild animals in travelling circuses. Which two other countries have already done this?

Ireland and Scotland Model reading the question and highlighting the key word ‘countries’. Model noting that you are looking for two countries in your answer. Point out that you can only refer to countries that are named in the text. Model scanning the text for country names and think aloud: This sentence has three countries: Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Model reading the sentence carefully and selecting the correct two countries.

4 When the article was written, which type of animal could still be found in circuses in England?

Tick one. elephants

foxes

lions

sea lions

This question has no locator, so ask the children to help you look for the sentence about which animals are kept in circuses. Think aloud: There are a lot of mentions of the key word ‘animal’ in this text, but the key word ‘type’ tells us we are looking for a list of animals. Model finding the relevant sentence and checking which of the answer options appear in the list.

Retrieval questions mark scheme

See page 164

Answer

Guidance

1

They want to outlaw the practice.

Remind the children that when answering retrieval questions, the answer is always given in the text. Some may paraphrase the answer (e.g. ‘They want to ban it’). This is also acceptable.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

Animal living space in circuses is too small.

This question is quite challenging, as there is no locator and all of the distractors are referenced in the text. Remind the children to use the key words ‘Animal Defenders International’ to find the right part of the text, directing them to the quote from ADI if necessary. Ask them to scan this paragraph for key words from the answer options. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

3

Circus Mondao and Peter Jolly’s Circus

This question has no locator and requires a bit of unpicking.

If necessary, support the children by providing them with a locator. Award 1 mark for both names.

4

rabbits

5

The housing of the animals is bad.

The animals cannot behave normally/ express themselves.

Encourage the children to read the question thoroughly and look at the answer options very carefully. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Some children may need to be directed to the last paragraph.

They may benefit from discussing the phrase ‘meet the needs’ with you beforehand. You could ask them to look for two things that animals aren’t getting or aren’t being allowed to do.

Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

See page 165

?

Answer

Guidance

1

Travelling circuses will be banned from using wild animals from

19 January 2020.

If necessary, direct the children to the first two sentences in the text. Encourage them to read each answer option in turn, before checking them against the text to see whether they are correct and eliminating the incorrect answer options. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Summarising.

2

out of date/old-fashioned/unfashionable

If the children struggle, or if they answer based on the themes of the text (e.g. ‘cruel’; ‘horrible’), encourage them to look at the phrase ‘the past where it belongs’ and ask them if they can think of a word for something that belongs in the past. Provide them with multiple choice options if necessary. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Word meaning.

3

No, because it says there are only two circuses with animal licences/there are only 19 wild animals in circuses in the UK.

Some children may benefit from clarifying the meaning of ‘common’ with you beforehand. If necessary, support them to find the line beginning ‘Just two circuses … ’, thinking particularly about the meaning of ‘just’. Award 1 mark for any reference to the small number of circuses and animals in the UK. Skill: Inference.

4

opposed OR against

If the children spot both answers, remind them that the question asks for one word only. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Skill: Word meaning.

5

Yes, because most people are against animal acts. OR No, because it takes longer to change the laws in other countries/people in other countries might not agree.

If the children answer vaguely, or with opinions only (e.g. ‘Yes, because it is wrong’), encourage them to extend their answers using the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government, by The Independent

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 16

Answer

161

Unit 16 Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government, by The Independent

Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government, by The Independent This text is an article from The Independent newspaper. It tells us about the Government’s plan to stop animals from performing in circuses in England from 2020.

Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government “Circuses cannot meet the needs of animals in small, mobile accommodation.”

The use of wild animals by travelling circuses will be banned from WKH *RYHUQPHQW KDV SOHGJHG IROORZLQJ D ORQJ UXQQLQJ campaign by animal welfare supporters to outlaw the practice.

Ministers have been promising to bring in a ban for five years and it was confirmed that one will come into place by 19 January 2020.

Activists have long accused circuses of beating, starving and keeping their animals in unclean conditions while they are made to perform for crowds.

Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International, congratulated the Government for keeping their promise.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

for over 20 years, we’re delighted that a ban is finally imminent,” she said. “Circuses cannot meet the needs of animals in small,

Unit 16

“Having campaigned to stop circus suffering around the world

mobile accommodation and we have repeatedly documented suffering and abuse. We congratulate the UK Government on

Similar bans have recently been passed in Ireland and Scotland, and are under discussion in Wales.

Just two circuses in the UK have wild animal licences – Circus Mondao and Peter Jolly’s Circus.

Together they have 19 animals between them: six reindeer, four zebra, three camels, three racoons, a fox, a macaw and a zebu. %XW RSLQLRQ SROOV FRQVLVWHQWO\ VKRZ WKH SXEOLF UHPDLQV RYHU whelmingly opposed to wild animal acts, with many people saying they are against all animal acts.

Wild animal circus acts are opposed by veterinary associations, RQH RI ZKLFK VWDWHG ¦7KH ZHOIDUH QHHGV RI QRQ GRPHVWLFDWHG wild animals cannot be met within a travelling circus – in terms of housing or being able to express normal behaviour.”

Adapted from ‘Wild animals to be banned from circuses in England by 2020, says Government’, by Lucy Pasha-Robinson, published on Independent.co.uk, Tuesday 27 February 2018. © The Independent. Reproduced with permission.

Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government, by The Independent

consigning this outdated act to the past where it belongs.”

Unit 16

Retrieval 1

Name:

Look at the first sentence. What do animal welfare supporters want to do about the use of wild animals in travelling circuses?

1 mark

Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government, by The Independent

2

Why is Animal Defenders International pleased with the ban? Tick one.

Ministers have been promising it for a long time.

Animal living space in circuses is too small.

People don’t like animals in circuses.

There are only two circuses that still use animals.

3

Only two circuses in the UK have wild animal licences. Find and copy their names. and

4

1 mark

1 mark

When the article was written, which animals were not found in UK circuses?

Tick one. zebus zebras raccoons rabbits

5

1 mark

“The welfare needs of non-domesticated, wild animals cannot be met within a travelling circus – in terms of housing or being able to express normal behaviour.”

Why do vets think that circuses do not meet the needs of wild animals?

Give two reasons.

1 2

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 16

Mix it up!

Name:

Which sentence gives the most effective summary of the ban? Tick one.

Travelling circuses will be banned from using wild animals for five years.

Travelling circuses will be banned from using wild animals because they are dangerous.

Zoos will be banned from using wild animals from 19 January 2020.

2

1 mark

“We congratulate the UK Government on consigning this outdated act to the past where it belongs.”

What does outdated mean in this sentence?

1 mark

3

Was it common for UK circuses in the UK to keep wild animals before the ban?

Explain your answer using the text.

1 mark

4

Look at the sentence beginning But opinion polls … . Find and copy one word that tells you that people do not agree with wild animals being used in circuses.

1 mark

5

This article is about the UK. Do you think wild animals will be banned from circuses all over the world in a few years? Explain your answer.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government, by The Independent

Travelling circuses will be banned from using wild animals from 19 January 2020.

Unit 17 Word meaning

?

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

by Lewis Carroll Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 170 to 173

Lewis Carroll’s imaginative tale of the curious young Alice has been made famous by numerous children’s films and animations. Alice falls down a rabbit hole and ends up in a fantasy world of weird and wonderful people and animals. This is nonsense literature, popularised in the 19th century, and this extract is one of the most iconic of the genre: the Mad Hatter’s tea party. This text is linked with the Unit 18 poem: ‘The Madhatters’ is a modern-day poem about a girl and her brother who are regularly invited into their elderly neighbours’ house to eat cake, listen to stories of Africa and dream of fantastical tea parties, just like in Alice in Wonderland.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 170 to 171) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 Looking at the title and illustration, what kind of text do you think this is?

After looking at the illustration, the children should be able to suggest that this is a story/a fictional text. Some children may be familiar with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – if so, they might say it is a silly/nonsense/funny story.

Fiction

2 This text comes from a story that plays with language and includes a lot of silly songs and poems. Can you think of anything similar that you have read or listened to?

Answers will vary. If the children struggle, you could encourage them to share any nursery rhymes they know, such as ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’.

You could also discuss any funny poems or limericks that the children are familiar with.

You could read a few poems from a collection of nonsense literature to help them recognise the genre (see the Reading list for suggestions).

166

3 Do you enjoy nonsense stories and poems?

Why or why not?

Answers will vary. The children could discuss in pairs how these types of stories and poems make them feel and whether they enjoy them or not.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary civil

curiosity

encouraging

exactly

hastily

indignantly

laid

meekly

personal remarks

raven

severity

tone

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Do you think it is rude to make personal remarks about people? Why?

O

Would you rather someone spoke to you meekly or with severity? How would each sound?

O

When was the last time you laid the table at home? What things did you put out?

O

When was the last time curiosity got the better of you? What happened?

O

If an answer is exactly right, does that mean it is almost right or completely right?

Vocabulary activities O

Indignantly, meekly and hastily are all adverbs ending in the ‘–ly’ suffix. Can the children add this suffix to any of the other key words? Can they think of any other words with this suffix?

O

Ask the children to work out the adjectives that the abstract nouns severity and curiosity come from. How many synonyms can they generate for these adjectives?

O

Use your choice of the vocabulary activities on page 15 to investigate some of the key words above.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

2 Can you name all of the party guests?

The March Hare, the Hatter, the Dormouse. Some children may also include Alice as a party guest.

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of word meaning.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 17 Modelling slides and the Modelling word meaning guidance on page 168.

2 The children can then attempt the Word meaning questions on page 172.

3 What was on the table for the tea party?

Tea.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 173 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

4 Alice thought the Hatter was quite rude. What was the first thing the Hatter said to Alice?

‘Your hair wants cutting’./You need a haircut.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 168 to 169.

3 Explore O

O

O

Discuss the characters that Alice meets in this extract.

Explore the reasons behind the Hare and the Hatter’s names, and check that the children understand what a dormouse is. Explain that wearing hats used to be much more common than it is today, so being a hatter was a regular occupation. You could explore why this character is called ‘mad’: in the past, hatters often went mad due to the toxic chemicals used in the hat-making process. ‘March’ in ‘March Hare’ refers to the excitable and unpredictable behaviour of hares in the spring mating season, so the March Hare is also a mad character.

Afternoon tea is an old tradition. Share an experience of when you have been for afternoon tea as an adult or a child. Talk about how it felt, what you ate, why you went and if it was part of a family tradition.

Alternatively, you could collect some afternoon tea menus to share with the children, or go online and look at those of famous hotels such as Claridge’s, The Ritz or The Savoy. Discuss what type of food and drink are served (e.g. scones with jam and cream; cake; sandwiches) as well as how it is presented (e.g. tiered cake stands). Ask the children to share their experiences of afternoon tea, if they have any.

You could host an afternoon tea at school and invite parents; you could even ask the children to dress up as Alice in Wonderland characters.

Explain that this story forms part of Victorian nonsense literature, which is why so much of the text might seem a bit silly. Explain that Edward Lear was another nonsense writer who was writing at the same time as Lewis Carroll and read some of his limericks to the children (see Reading list).

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: Split the children into pairs and ask them to choose their favourite limerick and rehearse performing it for the class. Hold a class limerick recital and vote on which was the funniest.

O

Writing task: Research the history of afternoon tea and tea parties. Tea originally came from China to Britain in the 1660s. It wasn’t until the 1840s that the Duchess of Bedford started taking tea, bread and cakes in the late afternoon because she was hungry in the long gap between lunch and the evening meal.

Ask the children to write an invitation or poster for an afternoon tea party which needs to include the venue, time, menu and a reason for why someone would want to come.

Unit 17

1 How many characters were already at the table when Alice arrived?

Three.

See pages 168 to 169

?

Word meaning

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

4 Skills focus

Reading list Fiction Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston Class reads The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Poetry ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll ‘The Madhatters’ by Aoife Mannix (Linked text: Unit 18) Nonsense Limericks by Edward Lear The Puffin Book of Nonsense Verse by Quentin Blake (ed) Films Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney Pictures, 2010) Riddles The Big Book of Riddles by Lisa Regan

Fiction

2 First steps

167

Unit 17

Modelling word meaning

?

See Unit 17 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 14 to 15) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Look at the first sentence. Find and copy one word that tells you the characters are sitting very near to each other. crowded Model how to focus on the first sentence only by marking the beginning and end of it with a pen and then moving your finger along it to check for a suitable word. Choose your answer and then model doing an extra check within the sentence to make sure you haven’t missed a better word.

2 “Have some wine,” the March Hare said in an encouraging tone. Which word tells you that the March Hare is trying to persuade Alice to have some wine? encouraging Model how to consider each word in the sentence and how to eliminate words (such as names of characters) so that you only have two or three left (e.g. ‘have’; ‘encouraging’; ‘tone’). Underline the remaining words and think aloud: I know that ‘encouraging’ has got something to do with getting you to do something; ‘tone’ is something to do with sound or music; and it can’t be ‘have’. So it must be ‘encouraging’.

3 “It wasn’t very civil of you to sit down without being invited,” said the March Hare. Which word or group of words has the same meaning as civil? Tick one. grown up

kind

rude

polite

Here you could make a deliberate error to emphasise the need to avoid rushing. Think aloud: Alice was rude to sit down uninvited so I need to tick the word ‘rude’. (The overall meaning is that Alice was rude but the word ‘civil’ doesn’t mean ‘rude’.) Just as you are about to tick ‘rude’, remind yourself of the correct strategy to consider each word and read the sentence with the replacement word in it to help decide which is the right answer. Model this and act out realising that you nearly ticked the wrong word.

4 … he had taken his watch out of his pocket, and was looking at it uneasily, shaking it every now and then, and holding it to his ear. Underline one word that tells you that the Hatter was worried about his watch.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

uneasily

168

Encourage the children to scan the sentences for the key words in the question (e.g. ‘worried’; ‘watch’).

Remind them that they might need to look for synonyms of these words. Can they find a word that expresses how the Hatter was feeling in relation to his watch? If the children answer ‘shaking’, explain that this word refers to the Hatter’s actions rather than his feelings. Model underlining one word only.

Word meaning questions mark scheme

?

See page 172

Answer

Guidance

1

indignantly

The question asks for ‘one word’ so answers containing any additional words should not be accepted. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

pleased

Some children may respond with ‘annoyed’ if they are thinking about Alice’s mood. If so, remind them to read the question carefully and identify the key words, before scanning the text for them. You could draw their attention to the phrases ‘we shall have some fun’ and ‘I’m glad’. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

3

Yes./That’s right.

The children will have encountered the word ‘exactly’ in the Key vocabulary, so they should be able to deduce that Alice is giving a positive response. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Also accept anything reasonable (e.g. ‘definitely’, ‘precisely’).

4

To make a noise or talk.

If the children struggle, encourage them to read the previous paragraph for context clues. If necessary, draw their attention to the phrases ‘the conversation dropped’ and ‘the party sat silent’.

Award 1 mark for any plausible reference to making a noise or talking.

5

gloomily

Some children may need to be reminded to use the locator provided in the question to find the relevant part of the text.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

See page 173

?

Answer

Guidance

1

Some children may use weaker adjectives such as ‘sad’.

Encourage them to reread around the relevant phrase to look for clues. Draw their attention to the word ‘indignantly’ and to the way Alice responds to what the other characters say, pointing out that an exclamation mark suggests strong feelings. Award 1 mark for a plausible feeling. Award 2 marks for a plausible feeling with appropriate evidence from the text. Skill: Inference.

Cross/angry, because she could see that there were a lot of empty places at the table.

2

T Alice thought the Hatter was very polite.

Alice liked solving riddles.

The dormouse was asleep.

The Hatter’s watch was broken.

F

This is a tricky question as it requires some inference as well as retrieval. If necessary, model finding and highlighting the key words from the first statement and looking for evidence.

Encourage the children to point to words and phrases in the text which support or disprove each statement. Award 1 mark for at least two statements correctly ticked. Award 2 marks for all four statements correctly ticked. Skill: Retrieval.

3

She was trying to solve the riddle.

Draw the children’s attention to the question word ‘Why’, which shows that they are expected to give a reason. To answer this question, they will need to scan the text for the key words (e.g. ‘raven’; ‘writing-desk’). Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Inference.

4

He got (bread)crumbs in it from the butter knife.

Draw the children’s attention to the question word ‘how’, and the fact that the answer lies in something the Hatter said to the Hare. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

5

curious

strange

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

If the children tick ‘frightening’, referring to the fact that Alice meets talking animals such as the Hare, challenge them to find evidence in the text that Alice is scared. Award 1 mark for both correct answers ticked. Skill: Summarising.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 17

Answer

169

Unit 17

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll This text describes a mad tea party attended by Alice and some of the crazy characters she meets in Wonderland. Everyone apart from Alice talks nonsense a lot of the time, and Alice finds her new friends don’t have very good manners either.

The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it: “No room! No room!” they cried out when they saw Alice coming.

“There’s plenty of room!” said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large DUP FKDLU DW RQH HQG RI WKH WDEOH “Have some wine,” the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.

Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. “I don’t see any wine,” she remarked.

“There isn’t any,” said the March Hare.

“Then it wasn’t very civil of you to offer it,” said Alice angrily.

“It wasn’t very civil of you to sit down without being invited,” said the March Hare.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

“I didn’t know it was your table,” said Alice; “it’s laid for a great many more than three.”

“Your hair wants cutting,” said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.

“You should learn not to make personal remarks,” Alice said with some severity; “it’s very rude.”

The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he said was, “Why LV D UDYHQ OLNH D ZULWLQJ GHVN"§ “Come, we shall have some fun now!” thought Alice. “I’m glad they’ve begun asking riddles – I believe I can guess that,” she added aloud.

“Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?” said the March Hare.

“Exactly so,” said Alice.

“Then you should say what you mean,” the March Hare went on.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

“Not the same thing a bit!” said the Hatter. “You might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’ is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see’!”

Unit 17

“I do,” Alice hastily replied; “at least – at least I mean what I say – that’s the same thing, you know.”

“You might just as well say,” added the March Hare, “that ‘I like what I get’ is the same thing as ‘I get what I like’!”

“You might just as well say,” added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, “that ‘I breathe when I sleep’ is the same thing as ‘I sleep when I breathe’!”

“It is the same thing with you,” said the Hatter, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute, while Alice thought over all VKH FRXOG UHPHPEHU DERXW UDYHQV DQG ZULWLQJ GHVNV ZKLFK ZDVQ©W PXFK The Hatter was the first to break the silence. “What day of the month is it?” he said, turning to Alice: he had taken his watch out of his pocket, and was looking at it uneasily, shaking it every now and then, and holding it to his ear.

Alice considered a little, and then said “The fourth.”

“Two days wrong!” sighed the Hatter. “I told you butter wouldn’t suit the works!” he added looking angrily at the March Hare.

“Yes, but some crumbs must have got in as well,” the Hatter grumbled: “you shouldn’t have put it in with WKH EUHDG NQLIH § The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily: then he dipped it into his cup of tea, and looked at it again: but he could think of nothing better to say than his first remark, “It was the best butter, you know.”

From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

“It was the best butter,” the March Hare meekly replied.

Unit 17

?

1

Word meaning

Name:

Look at the first paragraph. Find and copy one word that means ‘angrily’.

1 mark

2

Which of the following words best describes how Alice felt about solving riddles?

Tick one. bored pleased annoyed uninterested

3

1 mark

“Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?” said the March Hare.

“Exactly so,” said Alice.

Write a word or a group of words that could be used instead of exactly so.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

1 mark

4

Look at the paragraph beginning The Hatter was the first to break the silence.

What does the group of words break the silence mean?

1 mark

5

Look at the last paragraph. Find and copy one word that tells you the March Hare was sad.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 17

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the first paragraph. How did Alice feel when the characters cried, “No room! No room!”? Explain your answer using the text.

2 marks

2

Tick to show whether each statement is true or false.

True

False

Alice thought the Hatter was very polite.

Alice liked solving riddles.

The dormouse was asleep.

The Hatter’s watch was broken.

2 marks

… Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks, which wasn’t much.

Why was Alice thinking about ravens and writing-desks?

1 mark

4

According to the Hatter, how did the March Hare break his watch?

1 mark

5

Think about the whole text. Which words could be used to summarise Alice’s experience at the tea party? Tick two. frightening

cheerful

curious

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

strange

1 mark

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

3

Unit 18 Inference

The Madhatters

by Aoife Mannix Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 178 to 181

‘The Madhatters’ is a contemporary poem based on the poet’s own childhood experiences. As a child, Aoife Mannix moved from the suburbs of Dublin to the inner city and lived next door to three mysterious old ladies. In the poem, the ladies invite Aoife and her younger brother round for squash and cake. The children are enthralled by their strange, cluttered house and their promises that one day they will invite the children to a magical tea party, just like the one featured in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Unit 17).

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 178 to 179) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 Does the title – ‘The Madhatters’ – remind you of any characters you know?

Remind the children of the previous unit and the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Explain that books and poems often refer to other books and poems, even though in this case the texts were written about 150 years apart.

2 What type of text do you think this is? What do the title and illustrations make you think this text will be about?

The children should notice from the layout of the text that this is a poem. Support them also to notice that there are a few weird and wonderful things going on in the illustrations, as there were in the previous unit on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Key vocabulary ancient

animation

ball gown

confined

don

faint

romance

rustling

sport

stacks

tuxedos

whiff

Vocabulary discussion questions O

How would you feel if you had stacks of homework to do?

O

Why wouldn’t you and your friends wear tuxedos to do PE?

O

When did you last sport a fancy outfit?

Where were you going?

O

What subjects get you and your friends talking with animation?

O

If a sound is faint, is it loud or quiet?

Vocabulary activities O

The word ancient comes from the Latin word ante meaning ‘before’. Explore other words beginning with the same root. You could look at the abbreviation a.m. (antemeridian, or ‘before midday’) used for describing time.

O

Whiff is a synonym for ‘smell’. How many other synonyms can the children come up with?

O

Use your choice of the vocabulary activities on page 15 to investigate some of the key words above.

Poetry

3 What do you think this poem will be about?

Based on the genre, the illustrations and the link to the Mad Hatter’s tea party, the children might hazard a guess that this poem will include an element of nonsense.

Language toolkit

174

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

4 Skills focus

See pages 176 to 177

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of inference.

1 How are the old ladies next door related to each other?

They are sisters.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 18 Modelling slides and the Modelling inference guidance on page 176.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 181 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 176 to 177.

4 How do the old ladies light their house?

With candles.

5 What kind of pets do the old ladies have?

Budgies/birds.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: In pairs, the children could practise reading and reciting the poem. Then, working in larger groups, the class could perform the poem as part of a school assembly. They could come up with some actions to go with the words for their part of the poem. You could even enter a poetry recitation competition or run one in school at the summer fair.

O

Writing task: Look at some invitations to parties.

Ask the children to each write an invitation to a ‘fantasy’ party, describing some of the amazing and wonderful things that guests will see. The invitations need to be really exciting to make the guests want to come! You could read out some examples and have the class vote on the most exciting one.

3 Explore O

O

O

Explain that poems are a very efficient platform for exploring ideas. This is a good opportunity for the children to explore difference and our relationships with people that are different from us. Ask the children if they know anyone (not a relative) on their street or in the community who is very old. How do they feel about this person? They might be a little bit afraid; or they might feel sorry for them; they might even feel hostile towards them. Explain that these feelings can arise if you don’t know the person well.

You could ask the children to contrast how they feel about older people they know well, such as (great) grandparents. Discuss the relationship between the children in the poem with their older neighbours.

Based on the poem, how do the children feel about the three sisters?

Discuss the similarities and differences between the fantasy tea party in this poem and Alice’s tea party with the Hatter, Hare and Dormouse in Unit 17.

Which one seems sillier?

Point out that this poem does not rhyme. Discuss why some poetry uses rhyme (e.g. to make it more musical, more powerful, easier to predict and remember) and why some poetry doesn’t (e.g. instead focusing more on the words being used and the structure conveying meaning through different line and verse lengths). You could look at some of the verses in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (e.g. the ‘Mock Turtle’s Song’) or another rhyming poem to support your discussion.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Inference

3 What do the children have for tea at the old ladies’ house?

Orange squash and cake with pink icing.

2 The children can then attempt the Inference questions on page 180.

Reading list Fiction Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Linked text: Unit 17) The Apprentice Witch by James Nicol The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill Me and Mrs Moon by Helen Bate The Truth About Old People by Elina Ellis Class reads Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling Films Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney Pictures, 2010) Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Walt Disney Productions, 1971) Websites The CLPE website has some interesting videos of Aoife Mannix introducing and reciting some of her poems, including ‘The Madhatters’.

Poetry

2 Who does the poet take next door with her?

Her brother.

Unit 18

2 First steps

175

Unit 18

Modelling inference

See Unit 18 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 20 to 21) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Find and copy a group of words in the first three lines that tells you this poem is written from a child’s perspective. us kids Model the strategy for ‘find and copy’ questions by reading the first three lines carefully in full a few times before looking for the answer, emphasising that the answer will include more than one word. The use of the word ‘us’ before ‘kids’ is the key clue. Explain that the word ‘us’ means the speaker in the poem is talking to the reader directly and letting them know that she is a kid too. If the phrase was ‘you kids’ or just ‘kids’, it wouldn’t have the same meaning.

2 … their front room remains continually lost in the romance of candlelight. Why do you think the poet says that candlelight is romantic?

Because candlelight is only used on special occasions.

Point out the phrase ‘Why do you think’. Remind the children that this means the answer is not given in the text – they need to use their background knowledge as well as the information in the text. Read the text around the phrase to see what can be learnt. Model thinking about what candlelight looks like. Maybe they have seen a Valentine’s Day candlelit dinner, candles in a church or their mum lighting candles for a bath?

Discuss why candlelight is used, and model coming to the conclusion that it is used on special occasions, or that it is beautiful/exciting/special.

3 … faded yellow prints … . What does this tell you about the magazines and newspapers?

They are old. OR They have been there for a long time.

Model using the key words ‘faded’ and ‘yellow’ to conclude that the papers are old. Think aloud: I remember finding some newspapers in the loft. They had gone yellowy-brown and some of the ink had rubbed off. I looked at the date and saw that the papers were very old. My mum/dad must have saved them and put them there years ago. The papers in the poem sound like they look the same as the ones I found. I think this means they have been there for a long time.

4 How do you think Sara feels when the children come round? Explain your answer.

Sara enjoys her time with the children because she starts to tell her stories enthusiastically/with animation.

The Madhatters, by Aoife Mannix

Model scanning the poem for the key word ‘Sara’. Ask the children to help you collect words and phrases that tell us about Sara’s everyday life (e.g. ‘confined to a wheelchair’; ‘spends her days sitting in the window’).

Then model looking for evidence of her feelings towards the children (she tells them stories with animation).

Discuss the contrast between these two states and model using this to infer how Sarah feels when the children visit.

176

Inference questions mark scheme

See page 180

Answer

Guidance

1

They are extremely old.

Encourage the children to think back to your discussion of Modelling question 1. Award 1 mark for a plausible answer.

2

Because the old ladies were holding on to memories of the past. OR Because they were old so it was hard for them to move around and tidy up.

Some children may rely on their extrinsic knowledge to answer (e.g. ‘Because they love reading’). If so, draw their attention back to the text, and phrases like ‘stacks of newspapers, magazines everywhere’ and ‘ancient books’. Why might the old ladies want to keep and read so many out-of-date magazines and books?

Award 1 mark for a plausible answer.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

3

You may need to remind some children how to approach this question format. The children’s own opinions are likely to influence their answers here. Accept any plausible impression linked to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible impression.

Award 2 marks for a plausible impression with appropriate evidence from the text.

Impression: kind/friendly/magical Evidence: They invite the children over for cake and tell them wonderful stories/the poet’s little brother thinks they might be witches.

4

Because the guests will be wearing formal evening wear such as hats, tuxedos and ball gowns. OR Amazing food and drink will be served.

If necessary, provide the children with a locator (third verse).

If they refer to other unusual details, such as animals at the tea party, point out that we are looking for evidence of the party being ‘fancy’. Award 1 mark for any reference to formal wear or the cake.

5

Because the ladies would need to have magic powers to have things such as flying birthday cakes. OR Because their house seems mysterious and unusual.

If the children struggle, encourage them to use the text to make a list of the things that are unusual about the old ladies and their home. Can they see any details that link to witches or magic?

Award 1 mark for any plausible answer.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme Answer

See page 181

?

Guidance

discoloured

2

trapped in/unable to leave/escape (her wheelchair)

You may wish to remind the children of your discussion of Modelling question 4. Award 1 mark for any plausible reference to not being able to leave or escape the wheelchair/not being able to move around freely.

Skill: Word meaning.

3

She sits in the window and feeds her pet budgies.

If the children only refer to sitting in the window, encourage them to extend their answer. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

4

an adult remembering their childhood

‘Cake’ is a strong distractor, as the characters in the poem eat cake and dream about a wonderful tea party with a flying cake.

Remind the children that they need to choose the option that sums up the whole of the poem rather than only one of its themes. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Skill: Summarising.

Yes

Because the old ladies are witches and can do magic.

OR No

Because those things don’t exist, they are just in the ladies’ imaginations.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Some children may benefit from verbally explaining their ideas before writing their answers. Award 1 mark for an answer ticked plus one piece of appropriate evidence. Skill: Prediction.

The Madhatters, by Aoife Mannix

You could remind the children of your discussion of Modelling question 3. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Skill: Word meaning.

1

5

Unit 18

Answer

177

Unit 18

The Madhatters, by Aoife Mannix In this poem, the poet remembers being invited to her neighbours’ house for tea, cakes and incredible stories of tea parties.

Next door live three old ladies.

They’re sisters, well into their eighties, but to us kids, they seem beyond time.

They like to ask me and my brother in for cakes on winter evenings.

They have no electricity so their front room remains continually lost in the romance of candlelight.

There are stacks of newspapers, magazines everywhere. Their faded yellow prints paw at us as we stand in the semi darkness breathing the rustling of ancient books, the faint whiff of ghosts.

The eldest sister Sara is confined to a wheelchair.

She spends her days sitting in the window feeding the budgies she keeps in an enormous cage.

We love those birds, their greens and sudden darts of yellow.

The Madhatters, by Aoife Mannix

She tells us stories of their adventures in Africa with such animation, we’re all transported there.

And as we eat the strange sweet squares of pink icing and sip our orange squash, they promise us this is nothing.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

just like Alice in Wonderland, with hats and everything, and there’ll be magic teapots that can talk,

Unit 18

That one day we’ll have a proper tea party,

and a cat that never stops smiling, and the budgies will don their tuxedos, and they’ll wear their ball gowns, and my brother can sport his cowboy suit if he wants.

And we’ll have an enormous birthday cake shaped like an aeroplane that will zoom around the room, and endless cups of tea that can refill themselves.

When we leave, my brother whispers to me, “do you think they really are witches?” I reply, “It’s hard to tell,

The Madhatters, by Aoife Mannix

we’ll have to wait till we get the invite.”

‘The Madhatters’ by Aoife Mannix, from Growing Up an Alien (Tall Lighthouse, 2007). © Aoife Mannix.

Unit 18

Inference 1

Name:

They’re sisters, well into their eighties, but to us kids, they seem beyond time.

Why do the sisters seem beyond time to the children?

1 mark

2

Why do you think the old ladies’ house was full of old newspapers, magazines and books?

1 mark

3

What impression do you get of the old ladies? Give one impression and one piece of evidence from the text.

Impression

Evidence

The Madhatters, by Aoife Mannix

2 marks

4

How do you know that the old ladies want the tea party to be a fancy occasion?

1 mark

5

Why do you think the poet’s brother thinks the ladies are witches?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Name:

Their faded yellow prints paw at us … .

Which word is closest in meaning to faded in this sentence? Tick one. dark

colourful

2

Unit 18

Mix it up!

discoloured

bright

1 mark

The eldest sister Sara is confined to a wheelchair.

What does the word confined mean in this sentence?.

1 mark

3

What does Sara do each day?

1 mark

4

Which of the following best describes what this poem is about? Tick one.

Alice in Wonderland an adult remembering their childhood the poet’s brother cake

The Madhatters, by Aoife Mannix

5

1 mark

“… we’ll have to wait until we get the invite.”

Do you think that an invitation to the party the sisters describe will ever arrive?

Tick one.

Yes

No

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Unit 19 Inference

Stig of the Dump (Extract 1)

by Clive King Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 186 to 189

Stig of the Dump is a children’s classic written in 1963. It tells the story of the unusual friendship between Stig, a cave boy living in the local rubbish dump, and Barney, a bored young boy who is staying with his grandparents in the countryside. Barney’s family think Stig is a pretend friend, but to Barney, Stig couldn’t be more real. They become great friends, learning each other’s ways and getting into adventures together. The text in Unit 20 is another extract from the book. You could encourage the children to compare and contrast the two extracts when both units have been completed.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 186 to 187) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 Looking at the title, what do you think this story might be about?

Answers will vary. Some children may be able to suggest that the text is about someone homeless or living in a rubbish dump. If they are familiar with Stig of the Dump, they will be able to identify Stig as a cave boy and explain that a modern-day boy called Barney befriends him in the story.

Fiction

2 In this story, a modern-day boy becomes friends with a cave boy. What do you know about cave people?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. However, they should all be able to make links to what they have learnt about in the history curriculum, as well as to your discussion of the Stone Age and Stone Age people in Units 1 and 2.

182

3 Have you ever had an imaginary friend or does anyone you know have one?

It is likely there will be some children who will be happy to talk about their experience. Encourage them to share who their imaginary friend was and what adventures they went on together. You may have had an imaginary friend yourself that you can tell your class about.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary anxiously

blunt

bracken

chip

coil

expression

flint

pit

rustle

rusty

shelter

squatted

Vocabulary discussion questions O

If you squatted, would you be raising your body up or lowering it down?

O

What sort of materials rustle when you move them?

O

If someone were to look at you anxiously, what kind of expression would they have on their face?

O

Is it easier to cut with a knife that is sharp or one that is blunt?

Vocabulary activities O

This text contains some unusual and technical vocabulary (e.g. ‘copse’; bracken; ‘dormouse’; ‘iron bolt’; ‘cross-cut saw’; flint) linked to the countryside or to a more old-fashioned way of life, which some children may be unfamiliar with. You could spend some time using images to explore some of these words.

O

Expression uses the prefix ‘ex–’ , meaning ‘out of’. How many other words can the children find that use the same prefix?

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Read the text together and encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

O

Speaking and listening task: Working in pairs, the children could imagine that they had a secret caveperson friend. How did he/she behave at school; at the shops; on a train; in the cinema? The children could devise a short play or sketch to show what happened, with one playing the cave person and one playing the modern child.

O

Writing task: The children could work in small groups to carry out some research into the topic of prehistoric people and create a poster to show to another year group. They could choose a particular topic (e.g. food; tools; clothes; living conditions) or cover a range of topics.

1 What is the weather like in the extract?

Cold, icy, wintry (because the leaves are ‘frozen’ and crunchy).

2 Where is Stig hiding?

In the back of the cave, in a ‘nest’.

3 What is wrong with Stig?

He has a bad cold.

4 What is Stig’s axe made from?

Flint.

Unit 19

5 Where next?

Inference

2 First steps

5 Why do Barney and Stig need to get wood?

To make a fire to keep Stig warm.

Reading list

3 Explore O

O

Fiction The Boy with the Bronze Axe by Kathleen Fidler

The author builds anticipation in this story as we have to wait some time before Barney finds Stig.

We know Stig has a ‘mop of black hair’ but we don’t know anything else about his appearance. Remind the children that we know Stig is a cave boy from the introduction to the text. Source artists’ impressions of cave people from the internet and discuss how they looked. How do they look different from people today?

Following on from the previous point, you could discuss how the text makes it clear that Stig is a different sort of boy (e.g. you could encourage the children to look for phrases in the descriptions of Stig that seem to liken him to a wild animal, such as ‘breathing sounds’; Barney wonders if he ‘goes to sleep all winter’ like a dormouse; he rustles, crawls and uncurls but never speaks). How many examples can the children find?

How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth by Michelle Robinson Stig of the Dump (Extract 2) by Clive King (Linked text: Unit 20) Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age by Raymond Briggs Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver Class reads The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce Non-fiction DKFindout! Stone Age by Klint Janulis Savage Stone Age by Terry Deary The Stone Age Tablet by Andrew Langley Stone Age to Iron Age by Clare Hibbert Films Early Man (Aardman Animations/BFI, 2018) WALL-E (Walt Disney Pictures, 2008)

4 Skills focus

See pages 184 to 185

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of inference.

TV series Stig of the Dump (BBC, 2002)

1 Model the skill using the Unit 19 Modelling slides and the Modelling inference guidance on page 184.

2 The children can then attempt the Inference questions on page 188.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 184 to 185.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Fiction

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 189 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

183

Unit 19

Modelling inference

See Unit 19 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 20 to 21) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Look at the first paragraph. Give two pieces of evidence that suggest that it is extremely cold.

There are frozen leaves and icy tree roots.

Start by discussing some synonyms for ‘cold’ to help the children spot evidence. Then model finding the paragraph and using your finger to scan through it as you read aloud. Encourage them to stop you whenever they hear a word or phrase that proves it is cold. In addition to the answers above, they may identify crunchy leaves, Barney’s sore fingers and lumps of solid ice in the cans.

2 Look at the second paragraph. What did Barney think when he saw the ashes and smelt the wood smoke?

That someone (Stig) had been there recently.

This is a challenging question, so it is a good idea to model your thought process explicitly for the children.

Think aloud: The first sentence tells us that no-one was in the shelter when Barney went in. However, if Barney could see and smell the remains of a fire, that must mean that someone had been there earlier.

3 How did Barney feel when he saw Stig’s strange expression? Tick one. confused nervous

annoyed amused Read the question together and model using the locator and the key words to find the relevant part of the text. Explore the possible answers and establish that they are all feelings. Encourage the children to read the sentences before and after the locator to look for context clues. The first and third answer options are strong distractors, as Barney arguably feels these emotions at other points in this extract. If necessary, refocus them on the key word ‘anxiously’, and the phrase ‘Is he cross?’ How would the children feel if they thought someone was cross with them?

4 Look at the paragraph beginning He looked around the shelter and the cave. Why do you think Stig has not gone to get more wood to make a new fire?

Stig of the Dump (Extract 1), by Clive King

Stig’s axe was blunt and so he couldn’t cut any wood for the fire.

184

Model using the locator to find the relevant paragraph. Think aloud: I know that Stig has a cold so that could be the reason why he doesn’t feel like getting wood. The question says to look at a particular paragraph though, so I will carefully read that paragraph to see whether there is a better answer. Read the paragraph aloud and draw the children’s attention to the last sentence. Discuss how it describes Stig’s axe as ‘crumbled’ and ‘blunt’, and that this must be the reason Stig hasn’t collected more wood (because he wouldn’t be able to chop it up for the fire). You could also model reading the next paragraph to check for additional clues to support your answer.

Inference questions mark scheme Answer

See page 188 Guidance

1

slipped out

If some children find this question difficult, encourage them to gradually remove extraneous words to narrow down their options. Award 1 mark for the correct answer underlined.

2

Stig had a cold because the cave was damp, so he needed the fire to keep him warm.

Some children may benefit from being given a locator.

Encourage them to read from ‘Then he sneezed’. Award 1 mark for any reference to the fire getting rid of the damp in the cave that has caused Stig’s cold.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

3

sharpen the axe

4

You get warm when you cut the wood because it is hard work, and then you get warm when you burn the wood in your fireplace.

If the children struggle, encourage them to read the rest of the paragraph, and to think about what Barney is doing when he says this to Stig. You could also discuss the physical implications of the word ‘puffed’. Award 1 mark for reference to physical labour keeping people warm.

5

He moved as if his joints were rusty.

OR Stig just squatted miserably. OR He looked at the axe sadly and shook his head. OR He huddled on the bank.

If necessary, discuss synonyms for ‘feeling sorry for himself’.

Then encourage the children to find the part of the text where Barney first finds Stig and scan the text from this point to the end of the extract, highlighting words and phrases that describe Stig’s mood. Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

The second and third answer options are strong distractors as they sum up Barney’s main aim in the extract. Encourage the children to read the sentences before and after the locator to look for context clues. What did Barney tell Stig to do before he picked up the iron bolt himself? Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme Answer

See page 189

?

Guidance

old cans

nettles

All of the distractors are referenced in the text, which makes this question challenging. If the children answer incorrectly, encourage them to go back to the text and locate all of the answer options. The three incorrect options are all found ‘at the back of the cave’, rather than in the pit. Award 1 mark for each correct answer ticked, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Skill: Retrieval.

2

It shows that Stig’s sneeze was really big and very loud.

3

Stig got out of his nest.

3

Stig looked at Barney strangely.

2

Barney ran to the shed.

4

Barney went to the shelter.

1

If necessary, discuss the significance of the words ‘cannon’ and ‘echo’ with the children. Award 1 mark for any reference to adding emphasis to Stig’s sneeze. Skill: Word choice.

Although this question is presented in a recognisable format, the children will still need to read the text carefully, as the answer options all use synonyms for the words in the text.

Encourage them to find and highlight each event in the text before writing the numbers. Award 1 mark for the correct numbers in all boxes. Skill: Summarising.

4

curled (up)/hugging himself/crouching/ squatting down with his arms round his legs

If necessary, remind the children to read the sentences before and after the locator to look for context clues, such as ‘uncurled himself’. Award 1 mark for any appropriate explanation.

Skill: Word meaning.

5

He will be angry because Barney didn’t ask him/because the axe is sharp and dangerous. OR He won’t mind as long as Barney takes care of the axe.

Some children may respond with explanations that use extrinsic knowledge. Accept these answers if the explanation is linked to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Stig of the Dump (Extract 1), by Clive King

1

Unit 19

Answer

185

Unit 19

Stig of the Dump (Extract 1), by Clive King Stig of the Dump is a classic children’s story about a young boy, Barney, who makes friends with a cave boy, Stig. In this extract, Barney goes out to look for Stig – but when he finds him, he notices that Stig is not his normal self… .

After breakfast Barney slipped out of the house and went off to the pit. In the copse the frozen leaves crunched like cornflakes under his feet. He climbed down into the pit on the far side, where the cliff was lowest, and it hurt his fingers to hold on to the icy tree roots. The nettles were all dead in the bottom of the pit and the old cans had lumps of solid ice in them.

There was no sign of life in the shelter, though he noticed the ashes of a VPDOO GHDG ILUH DQG D IDLQW VPHOO RI ZRRG VPRNH VWLOO KXQJ DURXQG %XW DW the back of the cave was a kind of nest made of bracken and dead grass and newspaper. He thought he heard breathing sounds coming out of it.

“Stig!” Barney called. Nothing happened. I wonder if he’s like a dormouse, he thought, and goes to sleep all the winter.

He called again. “Stig! Are you there?”

Stig of the Dump (Extract 1), by Clive King

There was a rustle in the nest, and a mop of black hair poked up out of it.

Underneath it was Stig’s face, but it was screwed up in a very strange expression.

Is he cross? wondered Barney anxiously.

His eyes still screwed up and his mouth shut, Stig took a deep breath.

Then he sneezed. It was a sneeze like a cannon going off, and it made the cave echo.

“You did give me a fright!” said Barney. “You’ve got a cold, Stig. No wonder, when you live in this damp place. You need a good fire.”

He looked around the shelter and the cave. There didn’t seem to be any wood to burn. Stig’s heavy flint axe was leaning against the wall and Barney picked it up, but he saw that the edge was crumbled and blunt.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Stig crawled out of his nest, blinking stupidly. He moved as if his joints were rusty and he did not take the axe as Barney held it out to him.

Unit 19

“You’ll have to sharpen this,” said Barney.

“All right, I’ll do it then,” said Barney. “I expect it’s quite easy.” He sat down with the axe between his knees and picked up a heavy iron bolt and tried to remember how he had seen Stig chip the flint. But it was painful holding the cold flint and the cold iron and his fingers were so clumsy that they would not do what he wanted them to.

“Oh, never mind,” said Barney. “Come on, we’ve got to get some wood.”

He stood up with the axe and went out of the shelter. Stig followed, half awake, half frozen, and silent. They climbed up out of the pit and looked around the copse for wood to cut. Barney could see now that someone, probably Stig, had already been chopping and breaking down the dry branches. He chose a fairly thin thorn tree and set to work on it.

The axe swung, the tree shook, the flint bounced off the tough bark, but he didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. Stig just squatted miserably on a bank, with his arms wrapped round his knees.

He handed the axe to Stig, but Stig only looked at it sadly and shook his head. Barney got worried. He really must do something about Stig. Suddenly he had an idea.

“Wait here, Stig!” he said. “I won’t be long.”

Barney ran off through the copse and up the field towards the house. He went to the shed at the back and got his Grandfather’s big steel axe and the long VKDUS FURVV FXW VDZ ¤ DQG ZKDW HOVH GLG KH QHHG" <HV D FRLO RI URSH +H VOXQJ it over his shoulder and made off again down the field to the copse.

“Here you are, Stig!” he called, as he came up to Stig still huddled on the bank.

The sight of the shining steel axe worked like medicine on Stig. He uncurled himself and picked up the axe by its long handle.

From Stig of the Dump, by Clive King. Copyright © Clive King, 1963. Published by Penguin Books Ltd.

Stig of the Dump (Extract 1), by Clive King

“Here, you have a go!” puffed Barney. “It’ll warm you up anyhow. My Grandfather always says wood warms you twice, once when you cut it and once when you burn it.”

Unit 19

Inference 1

Name:

Look at the sentences below. Underline the group of words that suggests that Barney had not asked permission to go to the pit.

After breakfast Barney slipped out of the house and went off to the pit.

1 mark

2

“You’ve got a cold, Stig. No wonder, when you live in this damp place. You need a good fire.”

Why did Barney tell Stig that a good fire would help him?

1 mark

3

“All right, I’ll do it then,” said Barney. “I expect it’s quite easy.”

What was Barney trying to do with the iron bolt and the flint? Tick one. sharpen the axe light a fire keep warm

Stig of the Dump (Extract 1), by Clive King

lock the door

4

1 mark

What did Barney’s grandfather mean when he said that wood warms you twice, once when you cut it and once when you burn it?

1 mark

5

Look at the whole text. Give two pieces of evidence that show Stig was feeling sorry for himself.

1 2

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 19

Mix it up!

Name:

Which two things could be found in the bottom of the pit? Tick two. old cans bracken nettles dead grass newspaper

2

2 marks

It was a sneeze like a cannon going off, and it made the cave echo.

What is the effect of the author’s choice of words in this sentence?

1 mark

3

Number the events to show the order in which they happened in the story.

Stig got out of his nest.

Stig looked at Barney strangely.

Barney went to the shelter.

4

1 mark

“Here you are, Stig!” he called, as he came up to Stig still huddled on the bank.

What does the word huddled mean in this sentence?

1 mark

5

How do you think Barney’s grandfather will react if he finds out that Barney has taken his axe?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Stig of the Dump (Extract 1), by Clive King

Barney ran to the shed.

Unit 20 Prediction

Stig of the Dump (Extract 2)

by Clive King Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 194 to 197

This unit stays with Stig and Barney but moves on from Unit 19 to pick up events on Midsummer Night when Barney and his sister, Lou, have a strange ‘dream’ about helping an ancient Stone Age tribe build stone monuments thousands of years ago. It is the last time Barney sees Stig. This extract describes in detail how Barney helps the tribe to move the sacred slabs.

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 194 to 195) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 This is another extract from Stig of the Dump.

What can you remember about this story?

Depending on how recently Unit 19 was completed, the children may be able to give a short summary of the action in the previous extract. They should at least be able to say who Stig and Barney are, and may mention Barney’s grandfather.

2 In this part of the story, Barney travels through his dreams to the Stone Age, where Stig comes from. Have you ever dreamt about travelling through time?

Answers will vary. Many children will want to share their dreams with the class. If so, allow a few minutes for them to share their experiences.

Discuss how dreams can seem very real even though strange things are happening.

Fiction

3 What do you know about the Stone Age? Answers will vary but some children will be able to remember material learnt in Units 1 and 2.

Some children may mention Stonehenge, or you could use an image of the monument to jog their memories.

190

4 The action in this part of the story takes place on Midsummer Night. Have you ever heard of Midsummer Night? When does it take place, and what is special about it?

Answers will vary. If the children have never heard of Midsummer, explain that it is the day of the year on which it is light for the longest amount of time, and that it usually falls around 21 June in the UK.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary bounding

encouragement

heaves

humped

jerked

mound

skittles

slab

slanting

sprint

temple

urging

Vocabulary discussion questions O

What is the difference between walking and bounding?

O

If you give someone encouragement, what might you say to them? Is this the same as urging someone on?

O

What activities might take place in a temple?

O

Which is faster, a run or a sprint?

Vocabulary activities O

The text contains a lot of interesting movement vocabulary, some of which suggests fast movement (e.g. sprint; bounding; jerked; ‘knock … flying’) and some of which suggests slow, effortful movement (e.g. heaves; humped). Encourage the children to think of some words of their own to add to each category.

O

You may wish to spend some time discussing some of the more technical vocabulary with the children (e.g. ‘pole-pushers’; ‘standing stones’).

O

Use your choice of the vocabulary activities on page 15 to investigate some of the key words above.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Read the text together and encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

O

Speaking and listening task: Working in small groups, the children could use resources from the Reading list to research the answers to three of the questions you thought of as part of the time-travel activity in Explore, or to think of their own questions for a time period of their choice. Challenge them to use what they learn to act out a short sketch in which some of them play modern people asking questions and the rest play people of the time answering them.

O

Writing task: Encourage the children to have a go at writing the next part of the story. If they are already familiar with the next part of Stig of the Dump, they could write their own version. Provide them with these questions to start them off: Will the men finish moving the stones by sunrise? Will the king be pleased with the men’s work or will he be angry?

What did Lou and Dinah do next? What happens when Lou and Barney wake up from their dream?

1 How far did Barney think the tribesmen had moved the rocks?

Hundreds of miles.

2 Why couldn’t the men take the stone slabs straight up the hill?

It was too steep.

3 What happened to Barney when he tried to stop and speak to Lou? The other people trod on his feet.

4 Why had the men brought the slab up to the top of the hill?

So that it could be placed on top of the standing stones.

Unit 20

5 Where next?

Prediction

2 First steps

3 Explore

O

Discuss the fact that the men in the extract are working well as a team, carrying an extremely heavy stone for hundreds of miles. Ask the children if they can give examples of when they have worked well as a team. Perhaps it was in PE lessons or even working as a group to build a model in art. Encourage the children to think of three reasons why teamwork is important. Can they tell you how the members of a good team behave: what do they do and not do?

Return to the theme of time travel. Using an illustrated timeline or some history books from the class library (see Reading list for some suggestions), discuss as a class the periods of history that you would like to travel back to if you could. Choose a period and make a list of questions that you might ask the people of that time.

4 Skills focus

See pages 192 to 193

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of prediction.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 20 Modelling slides and the Modelling prediction guidance on page 192.

2 The children can then attempt the Prediction questions on page 196.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 197 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 192 to 193.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Reading list Fiction Stig of the Dump (Extract 1) by Clive King (Linked text: Unit 19) Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age by Raymond Briggs Class reads Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome Non-fiction DKfindout! Stone Age by Klint Janulis History Year by Year by DK Look Inside the Stone Age by Abigail Wheatley The Secrets of Stonehenge by Mick Manning The Stone Age: Hunters, Gatherers and Woolly Mammoths by Marcia Williams Timelines of Everything by DK and the Smithsonian Institution Poetry 1066 and Before That: History Poems by Brian Moses and Roger Stevens A Poem for Every Night of the Year by Allie Esiri (ed) Websites The English Heritage YouTube channel includes several informative short films, such as ‘How Was Stonehenge created?’, ‘A Mini Guide to Prehistoric Monuments’ and ‘Stonehenge: Clues to the Past’.

Poster The British History Timeline poster can be ordered online from the Schofield & Sims website.

Fiction

O

191

Unit 20

Modelling prediction

See Unit 20 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 22 to 23) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Do you think Lou will come and help Barney and the rest of the men to move the rock before sunrise?

No, because she says she can’t leave Dinah. OR Yes, if someone else can look after Dinah/if all the women and children decide to join in as well.

Model scanning the text for mentions of ‘Lou’ and finding them in the paragraph beginning They were getting near the camp now. Model reading what Lou says to Barney. You could discuss who or what they think Dinah might be (e.g. a cat/dog or a small child, because Lou is holding her). Do they think Lou will change her mind?

2 Look at the paragraph beginning Now, although it was the steepest part of the track, they seemed to be going quicker. Do you think the men would have sped up if the chief wasn’t there watching them?

Yes, because they don’t want to let the chief down. OR No, because they are very tired from moving the rocks/they wouldn’t be worried about being punished by the chief.

Model relating the question to your own experience to help the children come up with a plausible answer.

Think aloud: If I was really tired from doing something physical, like running around the playground in PE, I might get tired and want to move slowly. But if I saw my PE teacher watching me, I might speed up to show I was trying hard.

3 Can you think of another story about people working together to achieve a difficult task? Do you think this story will go the same way? Explain your answer.

This story will be like ‘The Enormous Turnip’ – if the men carry on working together as a group, they will be able to move the rock for the king.

Read the question together and point out that the question has two different parts. Discuss the first part and think of a number of different stories. Choose one together and then model your thought process for the second part of the question drawing attention to how you justify your prediction with an explanation.

If the children struggle to think of stories, you could use a well-known fairy tale, such as the Russian folk tale ‘The Enormous Turnip’.

4 Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the next chapter in the story? Tick one.

The Men Attack the King The King Falls on His Face Barney and Lou Steal the Slab

Waking from the Dream

Stig of the Dump (Extract 2), by Clive King

Model using a process of elimination to decide on your answer. Emphasise that you are not choosing the one that you want to be the answer, but the one that best matches the information that we know from the text.

192

Prediction questions mark scheme Answer 1

They will continue to work together.

Guidance

They will start to move

the slab downhill.

2

See page 196

Yes, because the rock is huge and heavy.

OR No, because the men are very skilled/ good at moving rocks.

Remind the children to look back through the whole text before choosing their answers. Award 1 mark for each correct answer ticked, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Remind the children that the phrase ‘Explain your answer’ means they cannot just answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but must give a reason linked to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction linked to the text.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

3

Yes

Guidance

If the children struggle, ask them to think about other books they have read. Do the characters usually manage to do difficult things if they try really hard and work together? Award 1 mark for an answer ticked plus one piece of appropriate evidence.

Because the tribesmen are good at working together.

OR No

Unit 20

Answer

Because there is still a lot of work to do.

4

He will punish the men because moving the rock is very important to him. OR He will forgive the men because he knows they have worked very hard.

If necessary, focus the children on the phrase ‘urging on’, which shows that the king felt strongly about finishing the project.

Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction. Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction plus an explanation linked to the text.

5

He will carry on helping the men so that they can move the rock before sunrise.

OR He will stop working with the men because he is really tired.

If a child provides an unusual prediction, check their understanding of the text by asking them to verbally justify their prediction. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction linked to the text.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 197

?

Answer

Guidance

1

They were concentrating on keeping in time/working together to move the stones. OR They knew what they were doing and were getting on with it.

Some children may suggest alternative answers (e.g. ‘They weren’t talking because they were tired from moving the heavy rock a long way.’). These are acceptable as long as they are linked to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible inference linked to the text. Skill: Inference.

2

lumps

3

The rock was laid in front of the king.

4

Barney got trodden on.

3

The men sang.

1

Barney heard Lou’s voice.

2

The second and third events occur closely together. Encourage the children to use the key words in the second event to see that it refers to Barney recognising Lou’s voice and therefore happens before he actually speaks to her/is trodden on. Award 1 mark for the correct numbers in all boxes. Skill: Summarising.

4

They were bowing to the king because he was very important. OR They were giving the king praise/respect.

5

Transporting the Standing Stones

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Some children may suggest that the men fell down out of clumsiness or because they were tired. Point out that it cannot be those reasons because we know the men were very good at moving as a team and that they carried on moving the rock after this. Award 1 mark for a plausible inference linked to the text. Skill: Inference.

Remind the children that they need to look for a title that reflects the main action of the extract, rather than one moment of the story. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Skill: Summarising.

Stig of the Dump (Extract 2), by Clive King

You could ask the children to think about what they know about the size of the slab in the text. Ask them to find the first instance of ‘slabs’ and to substitute their chosen answer option to check it makes sense. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Skill: Word meaning.

193

Unit 20

Stig of the Dump (Extract 2), by Clive King This is the second extract from Stig of the Dump. On Midsummer Night, Barney and his sister Lou have a dream, in which they are transported thousands of years back in time. Barney and Stig are helping some men to move some huge standing stones.

He noticed then that nobody was making suggestions, nobody was arguing, nobody was even giving orders. They just sang their wailing song: “Eeeeyoooooough!” pulled together, walked up a few steps together, rested WRJHWKHU ZKLOH WKH SROH SXVKHUV ZRUNHG ¤ DQG %DUQH\ EHJDQ WR VHH WKDW WKH\ could keep this up for hundreds of miles. And they probably had, because he couldn’t think where they could find slabs of rock like this anywhere near.

Stig of the Dump (Extract 2), by Clive King

Of course they couldn’t go straight up the hill. It was too steep. But there was a grassy track slanting along the hillside, and up it they slowly humped the great rock.

They were getting near the camp now, and the women and children ran out to meet them and shout encouragement. Barney heard a voice he recognised, and turned his head and saw Lou among them, holding an excited Dinah. “What are you going to do with it, Barney?” she was saying.

“I can’t help ’cause I can’t leave Dinah.” But as soon as he paid attention to what Lou was saying he got trodden on and jerked again, so he gave up trying to hear what she was shouting. He thought he heard her say, “Wouldn’t it be better if you had wheels…”, but there didn’t seem to be much he could do about it.

Now, although it was the steepest part of the track, they seemed to be going quicker. Barney had the feeling of being at the end of a race, and making the final sprint. He looked round, and saw the chief standing there alongside the track. Then he thought of Lou’s question, and for the first time wondered what they were going to do with this lump of rock. He supposed it was some kind of present for the king. He hoped he would like it.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

WKH NLQJ RQH PDQ VDLG VRPHWKLQJ VKRUW LQ D ORXG YRLFH DQG DOO WKH URSH PHQ DQG SROH PHQ IHOO RQ WKHLU IDFHV WRZDUGV WKH NLQJ %DUQH\ GLG WRR WKLV WLPH He was too tired to do anything else.

Unit 20

With a last couple of quick heaves, they laid the rock almost at the feet of

The king raised his arm. More speeches, Barney thought. But no, it seemed that the job was not finished.

He sat up and saw that leading away from where the rock lay was a sort of raised mound. This end of it was level with the ground but the far end ran out to the tops of the three other huge stones that were standing upright lower down the hillside. Barney thought he could see, now, what they had brought the slab all the way up the hill for. If they humped it along this mound, they could put it so that it rested on top of the three standing stones. And there it would be – a house for the king, or a temple, or whatever it was that people put big stones across the top of others for.

It seemed a grand idea to Barney.

He could see now that it wasn’t going to be the same as bringing it along the track. Now it was going downhill. If they weren’t careful it could go bounding away down the slope and even knock the standing stones flying

The old king stood speaking to the group of important men. He seemed to be pointing to the eastern sky with one hand and urging them on with the other. Barney looked towards where the king was pointing. Was the sky beginning to get light? Was it nearly morning? Was there something that had to be done before the night came to an end? – before the end of the shortest night! The night that seemed to have been going on for such a long time?

From Stig of the Dump, by Clive King. Copyright © Clive King, 1963. Published by Penguin Books Ltd.

Stig of the Dump (Extract 2), by Clive King

like a lot of skittles.

Unit 20

Prediction 1

Name:

How do you think the men will behave in the next part of the story? Tick two.

They will continue to work together.

They will start arguing.

They will race each other.

They will start to move the slab downhill.

2

2 marks

Look at the paragraph beginning He could see now that it wasn’t going to be the same … . Do you think the men will lose control of the rock when they start to bring it downhill? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

1 mark

3

Do you think the tribesmen will get the stone in position before sunrise? Tick one.

Yes

No

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Stig of the Dump (Extract 2), by Clive King

1 mark

4

What do you think the king will do if the men do not finish moving the rock before sunrise? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

5

Look at the last paragraph. What do you think Barney will do next?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 20

Mix it up!

Name:

He noticed then that nobody was making suggestions, nobody was arguing, nobody was even giving orders.

Why do you think nobody was talking?

1 mark

2

Which word is closest in meaning to slabs? Tick one. lumps

3

mounds

bricks

pebbles

1 mark

Number the events to show the order in which they happened in the story.

The rock was laid in front of the king.

Barney got trodden on.

The men sang.

Barney heard Lou’s voice.

Why do you think the rope-men and the pole-men fell on their faces towards the king?

1 mark

5

Look at the whole text. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for this extract? Tick one.

Moving the Stones Downhill Transporting the Standing Stones Meeting the King Barney Is Exhausted

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1 mark

Stig of the Dump (Extract 2), by Clive King

4

1 mark

Unit 21 Retrieval

Norse Mythology

by Neil Gaiman Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 202 to 205

Norse mythology refers to the body of stories that originated in Scandinavia before it was converted to Christianity over a thousand years ago. This mythological framework was central to the pagan Norse religion and was shared almost exclusively by oral culture. This extract is a description of the Norse creation story. Many of the children will be familiar with at least one of the Norse gods, Thor, who has been made famous as a Marvel comic and film character. This unit is linked with Progress check 3, which gives a fascinating introduction to the Vikings.

You may wish to draw comparisons with the text in Unit 10 (The Heavenly River).

1 Get ready Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial before, during and after reading. Next, display the text (pages 202 to 203) so the children can see the title and any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss the following questions before reading.

1 Looking at the title and Key vocabulary, what kind of text do you think this might be?

Direct the children’s attention to ‘ancestor’, ‘creation’, ‘descended’ and ‘universe’ from the Key vocabulary. These suggest that this could be a non-fiction text about history, science or religion.

Encourage them to then consider words such as ‘mist’, ‘mythology’ and ‘udders’, which imply that the text may be more story- than fact-based.

Use this discussion to develop the children’s understanding of mythology as a collection of traditional stories about particular cultures, religions and people, that are historically based but largely fictional.

Fiction

2 What other myths or stories from the past do you know?

Answers will vary, but the children should be able to recall the discussion about myths, folk and fairy tales from Unit 10. They may also be familiar with the ancient Greeks and be able to share some Greek myths.

198

3 What do you know about Thor?

The children might know about the Marvel character and be able to tell you that Thor is the god of thunder with super-strength and a magic hammer. Once the children have had the chance to share what they know about Thor, make sure they understand that he is a god from Norse mythology.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary ancestor

creation

descended

existence

likeness

mist

mythology

Norse

revealed

udders

universe

void

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Would you rather your ancestor was a king or queen, or a farmer? Explain why.

O

Who are you descended from?

O

Is there a likeness between you and someone in your family? Who?

O

What would the world be like if it were suddenly void of animals?

O

Which animals have udders?

O

When might you expect to see mist in the air?

Vocabulary activities O

Universe comes from the Latin unus meaning ‘one’. How many related words can the children find?

O

Mythology ends in the suffix ‘–ology’. What other words can the children think of that end in ‘–ology’? Can they work out what this suffix means?

O

Use your choice of the vocabulary activities on page 15 to investigate some of the key words above.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

4 Skills focus

See pages 200 to 201

Read the text together and then encourage the children to discuss the following questions.

Use the information from the Skills guide and the relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of retrieval.

1 Is this text fact or fiction?

Fiction – mythology is a particular type of fiction.

The children should recall the discussion about myths from the Get ready section of this unit. They are also likely to understand that the description of events in the text could not really happen.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 21 Modelling slides and the Modelling retrieval guidance on page 200.

4 What kind of people were Odin, Vili and Ve’s ancestors?

Giants.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 205 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 200 to 201.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: In pairs or small groups, ask the children to choose and then research a Norse god, such as Odin. They should prepare five pieces of information and opinion about their chosen god and later present these to the class.

O

Writing task: This text has a distinct writing style that is different from how we write or speak today.

One example is the text’s frequent use of negation (e.g. ‘There was no world, no heaven and no earth’).

The children could each write a short description of the place where they live using a negative structure (e.g. ‘The place where I live is not small. There is no sea, no open space, no sand’). Next, ask them to write the same description using a positive structure (e.g. ‘The place where I live is big, with skyscrapers and people bustling around all day. It is exciting and full of energy’). Ask them to think about what effect the two different writing styles have on how they feel about the place described.

3 Explore O

O

O

Ask the children if they know which countries make up Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark, Sweden – some people include Finland and Iceland). Look at an online world map to locate these Scandinavian countries in relation to the UK and the rest of the world. Have any of the children been on holiday to one of these countries? Discuss how the most famous Scandinavians were the Vikings who lived over a thousand years ago. The children will read about the Vikings in the next text (Progress check 3).

Stories of the Norse gods are mythical, but the Vikings were real people who believed in and worshipped these gods. The Vikings first invaded Britain about 1200 years ago and they had a huge influence on British history and culture. Some of our words for the days of the week come from the names of the Norse gods: Tuesday is named after Tyr the god of war; Wednesday is named after Woden (also known as Odin) the supreme god; Thursday is from Thor the god of thunder; and Friday is from Frigg, Odin’s wife. The children could use the school library or online resources to find out what other influences the Vikings have had on life in Britain.

Talk to the children about the creation myths found in many religions. These myths enable different religions to explain how life was created by a god or gods, but they are not usually believed in literally.

In the Christian faith, the book of Genesis in the Bible describes how all life was created by God, and in Islam, the Qur’an describes how Allah creates all life. After exploring some creation myths, discuss the Big Bang theory. You could ask the children whether there are any similarities between the Big Bang theory and the religious stories.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Retrieval

3 What did the cow lick from blocks of ice?

People/Buri.

2 The children can then attempt the Retrieval questions on page 204.

Reading list Fiction The Dragon’s Hoard by Lari Don The Last Viking by Terry Deary The Secret Viking Adventure by Ally Kennen The Time-Travelling Cat and the Viking Terror by Julia Jarman Class reads Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman Non-fiction A Child’s Introduction to Norse Mythology by Heather Alexander Discover the Vikings by John C. Miles (Linked text: Progress check 3) Vikings in 30 Seconds by Philip Steele

Fiction

2 What or who was Ymir?

An it/both male and female; the ancestor of all giants.

Unit 21

2 First steps

199

Unit 21

Modelling retrieval

See Unit 21 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 16 to 17) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Look at the first sentence. What caused the ice to melt? the fire Remind the children of the strategies for answering retrieval questions and that the answers will always be found in the text. Identify ‘melt’ as the key word in the question and model locating the target sentence at the start of the text. Run your finger along the lines until you find the key word, then read the whole sentence aloud to identify the answer.

2 Look at the first paragraph. Write down three things this paragraph tells you about Ymir.

It looked like a person. It was huge/bigger than worlds. It was (both) male and female.

Draw the children’s attention to the fact that this question is asking for three pieces of information. You could model writing down the numbers 1 to 3 to help you to remember. Locate the first paragraph and read it aloud. Model scanning each line and underlining things that might be useful for the answer. Remember to explain your thought process as you go. Finally, model writing your three answers.

3 Look at the third paragraph. What food and drink did the cow have? salty blocks of ice Remind the children that they should choose a key word or group of words in the question and look for them in the third paragraph of the text. In this case, you are looking for the words ‘food and drink’. Model running your finger along the lines to find these words, then read around them to discover the answer. This is a good opportunity to remind the children that they should always take their answers from the text, rather than any illustration, and that their answer should be as specific as possible (i.e. ‘salty blocks of ice’ rather than ‘ice’).

4 What was the first thing that was revealed when the cow licked the blocks of ice? Tick one. a person Ymir a man’s hair

milk

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman

Identify the key words ‘first’ and ‘licked’ and scan the text for them. Model how you first find a reference to the cow licking the ice for food (in the third paragraph): explain that this does not reveal what things came out of the ice, so you will need to read on. Continue until you find the key words in the sixth paragraph, then read it aloud. Model carefully checking each answer option against the text and selecting the correct answer. The children may answer ‘a person’, especially as it is the first option. If so, encourage them to carefully consider each option against the text.

200

Retrieval questions mark scheme

See page 204

Answer

Guidance

1

in the melting waters

Also accept ‘melting waters’, but encourage the children to extend their answer to include the preposition(s) as the key word ‘where’ means they are looking for a place. Do not accept single-word answers. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

Ymir

The children should be able to use the key word ‘creature’ to locate the part of the text that mentions Ymir. Some may struggle to name the second creature. If so, prompt them to continue reading the text. The sentence starting ‘Ymir was not the only living thing’ tells us that something else was created at the same time. Award 1 mark for two correct answers.

Audhumla/the cow/the hornless cow

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Guidance

3

milk (from the cow/Audhumla)

Some children may be distracted by the reference to the ‘food and drink’ that the cow had (i.e. the blocks of ice). If so, refocus them on scanning the text for what Ymir ate or drank. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

4

Buri

The children should be able to scan the text for the key word ‘ancestor’, which they will have already encountered as part of the Key vocabulary. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

5

Ginnungagap

The children may be daunted by the unusual words they have to choose from. Encourage them to scan the text for each answer option in turn and read around it to gather clues as to what the word might mean (e.g. Vili is one of the sons of Bor, so this doesn’t describe where the brothers live; Muspell and Niflheim are described as ‘place[s] that would be death to them’, so the brothers aren’t likely to live there; the text says the brothers were ‘trapped forever’ in Ginnungagap, so this must be where they live). Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

See page 205

?

Answer

Guidance

1

The ice melted and created the biggest giant there has ever been.

Some children may provide an overly detailed response (e.g. ‘The ice melted when the ice and fire met; the giant was both male and female’). If so, recap the steps for summarising found in the Skills guide (pages 18 to 19). Award 1 mark for any reference to the creation of the biggest giant ever.

Also accept any reference to the beginning of all life.

Skill: Summarising.

2

A male giant, a female giant and a six-headed giant.

As they scan for ‘Ymir’s children’, the children are likely to find the sentence ‘From these, Ymir’s children, all giants are descended’.

This is an unusual sentence structure and some may think that ‘all giants’ is the answer. You may need to prompt them to search for the correct answers in the previous sentence.

Award 1 mark for all three children named. Skill: Retrieval.

3

It adds emphasis and draws attention to what isn’t there. OR It highlights that there was nothing there at the beginning of life.

If the children completed the writing task in the Where next? section, you could suggest that this might help them with this question. Award 1 mark for any reference to the repetition adding emphasis or drawing attention to how little existed.

Skill: Word choice.

4

empty

5

They feel trapped because they would die if they left. OR They feel excited/ ready to act because they can sense that Ginnungagap is ready for life.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

Encourage the children to scan the text for words that are used to describe Ginnungagap and to refer back to the list of possible answers to select the best option. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Word meaning.

If some children struggle, refocus them on the last three paragraphs and encourage them to skim-read for clues. Prompt them to start by thinking about how they would feel if they were living in Ginnungagap. Award 1 mark for any reference to feeling trapped or excited/ready to act. Award 2 marks for a correct reference plus an appropriate explanation using evidence from the text. Skill: Inference.

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 21

Answer

201

Unit 21

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman This text explains how the gods, the world and life began, according to Norse mythology. It describes the first giants and the first gods in Scandinavia and tells us about a time before our world existed.

Where the ice and the fire met the ice melted, and in the melting waters life appeared: the likeness of a person bigger than worlds, huger than any giant there will be or has ever been. This was neither male, nor was it female, but was both at the same time.

This creature was the ancestor of all the giants, and it called itself Ymir.

Ymir was not the only living thing to be formed by the melting of the ice: there was also a hornless cow, more enormous than the mind could hold. She licked the salty blocks of ice for food and for drink, and the milk that ran from her four udders flowed like rivers. It was this milk that nourished Ymir.

The giant drank the milk, and grew.

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman

Ymir called the cow Audhumla.

The cow’s pink tongue licked people from the blocks of ice: the first day only a man’s hair, the second his head, and the third day the shape of a whole man was revealed.

This was Buri, the ancestor of the gods.

Ymir slept, and while it slept, it gave birth: a male and a female giant ZHUH ERUQ IURP EHQHDWK <PLU©V OHIW DUP D VL[ KHDGHG JLDQW ERUQ IURP its legs. From these, Ymir’s children, all giants are descended.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Unit 21

Buri took a wife from among these giants, and they had a son, whom they called Bor. Bor married Bestla, daughter of a giant, and together they had three sons: Odin, Vili and Ve. Odin and Vili and Ve, the three sons of Bor, grew into manhood. They saw as they grew, far off, the flames of Muspell and the darkness of Niflheim, but they knew that each place would be death to them. The brothers were trapped forever in Ginnungagap, the vast gap between the fire and the mist. They might as well have been nowhere.

There was no sea and no sand, no grass nor rocks, no soil, no trees, no sky, no stars. There was no world, no heaven and no earth, at that time.

The gap was nowhere: only an empty place waiting to be filled with life and with existence.

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman

It was time for the creation of everything. Ve and Vili and Odin looked at each other and spoke of what was needful to do, there in the void of Ginnungagap. They spoke of the universe, and of life, and of the future.

From NORSE MYTHOLOGY, by Neil Gaiman. Copyright © 2017, by Neil Gaiman. Used by permission of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Unit 21

Retrieval 1

Name:

Look at the first paragraph. Find and copy a group of words that tells you where life first appeared.

1 mark

2

Which two creatures were formed when the fire melted the ice?

1 2

3

1 mark

Look at the paragraph beginning Ymir was not the only living thing … . What food or drink did Ymir have?

1 mark

4

Who was the ancestor of the gods?

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman

1 mark

5

Look at the paragraph beginning Odin and Vili and Ve, … . Where did Odin and his brothers live? Tick one.

Ginnungagap Muspell Vili Niflheim

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

1

Unit 21

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the first paragraph. Write one sentence to summarise the content of this paragraph.

1 mark

2

Ymir slept, and while it slept, it gave birth … .

Who were Ymir’s children?

1 mark

3

There was no sea and no sand, no grass nor rocks, no soil, no trees, no sky, no stars.

There was no world, no heaven and no earth, … .

Why do you think the author has chosen to repeat the word no in this description?

1 mark

Which of the following words best describes Ginnungagap? Tick one. wet

5

fiery

pleasant

empty

1 mark

How do you think Odin and his brothers feel about living in Ginnungagap?

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman

4

Progress check 3

Discover the Vikings: Warriors, Exploration and Trade by John C. Miles Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 207 to 209

Discover the Vikings complements the text in the previous unit (Unit 21) which introduced the children to Norse mythology. In this text, the author explains what sort of people the Vikings were, tempering their fearsome reputation as bloodthirsty warriors by describing more civilised sides to their way of life. The last paragraph describes the practice of sea burial and the Viking view of the afterlife. You may wish to explore the similarities and differences with the burial practices described in Unit 14. For guidance on running this task, see page 11.

Progress check questions mark scheme Answer

Guidance

1

stealing/robbing

If necessary, prompt the children to read the whole of the first paragraph to look for clues to help them define ‘raiding’ and ‘looting’. You could point out that the Vikings are described as behaving like pirates, to help them work out the answer.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Word meaning.

2

The Vikings were warriors.

3

bone OR wood OR (precious) metal

If some children find this difficult, ask them to think about what subheading the answer might be found under. Who would be most likely to make objects at home: explorers, traders and merchants, farmers and settlers, or craftworkers? Award 1 mark for two correct answers. Skill: Retrieval.

4

Sailing skills allowed them to trade with other countries and to be able to settle in/invade new places.

Draw the children’s attention to the phrase ‘Why do you think’.

This tells them the question requires them to use the text as well as their own knowledge and understanding. If they find this challenging, prompt them to consider the whole text in their answer and rephrase the question for them (e.g. ‘What did sailing allow the Vikings to do?’). Award 1 mark for each plausible reason, up to a maximum of 2 marks. Skill: Inference.

Non-fiction

5

206

?

Evidence Longships were very cramped.

The boats could carry hundreds of warriors.

OR Sailors had to sit on their possessions.

The shallow hulls of the longships made it easier to invade villages.

Hulls were shallow so the ships could go close to land.

Some of the children may answer that the Vikings were good sailors. Remind them that this is a summarising question, so although the Vikings were good sailors, this is not the main point of the information in the first paragraph. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Summarising.

Support the children to think about the best way to approach this question. After locating the relevant section, encourage them to carefully read each statement in turn, identify a key word(s) and then skim-read the text for a possible answer.

The first statement is tricky because the key word ‘cramped’ does not appear in the text – you could provide a locator (the first two paragraphs of the Longships section).

Award 1 mark for each piece of evidence, up to a maximum of 2 marks. Skill: Inference.

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 3

1

Name:

Hundreds of years ago, around CE 800, bands of fierce warriors began raiding and looting in Europe.

Give one word that could be used to replace raiding or looting.

1 mark

2

Look at the first paragraph. Which of the following sentences is the best summary of this paragraph? Tick one.

Progress check 3

Progress check 3

The Vikings were gentle people.

The Vikings were warriors.

The Vikings were only happy when they were fighting.

The Vikings were good sailors.

Name two materials that Vikings used to make objects for their homes. and

4

1 mark

Vikings were expert sailors.

Why do you think good sailing skills were important to the Vikings? Give two reasons using evidence from the text.

2 marks

5

Look at the section Longships. Find evidence from the text to support each statement about the longships.

Evidence Longships were very cramped.

The shallow hulls of the longships made it easier to invade villages.

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Discover the Vikings: Warriors, Exploration and Trade, by John C. Miles

3

1 mark

Progress check 3

Discover the Vikings: Warriors, Exploration and Trade, by John C. Miles The Vikings lived in Scandinavia about 1200 years ago, but they invaded and settled in many other places, including Britain. This text tells us what kind of people the Vikings were and the importance of longships to their way of life.

Who were the Vikings?

Hundreds of years ago, around CE 800, bands of fierce warriors began raiding and looting in Europe. Many arrived by boat and became feared for their ruthless and deadly attacks. These warlike people became known as Vikings, which means ‘sea pirate’. Although fighting and warfare were very important to them, Vikings were so much more than brutal monsters.

Discover the Vikings: Warriors, Exploration and Trade, by John C. Miles

Explorers Viking seafarers set off on some of the most amazing voyages in the history of exploration. They were expert at finding their way across rough, open seas. Their sailing skills meant that they could successfully transport settlers to new lands.

Traders and merchants Viking traders and merchants journeyed far and wide, selling objects from their homelands. They brought home exotic items made in distant places.

Farmers and settlers Many Vikings lived in farming communities, raising crops and animals. Over time, Vikings conquered some of the lands they had raided and began to farm and build towns there too.

Craftworkers At home, Viking craftworkers made beautiful objects in bone, wood and precious metal. Viking shipbuilders crafted vessels able to withstand battles or rough seas and sail up shallow rivers on trading and raiding voyages.

Longships Vikings were expert sailors. Their beautifully crafted ships carried bands of warriors on epic voyages over some of the most challenging seas in the world.

Longships Vikings used longships for both warfare and voyages of trading and exploration. A longship was up to 35 m long and could carry hundreds of warriors. It had one large sail to catch the wind and oars for rowing. Longships were completely open, so a big piece of cloth stretched above the deck offered the only protection from the weather.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 3 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

Fast and flexible Longship hulls were slim, allowing them to slice through the water. They were made of wooden planks fastened with nails or wooden pegs and were ‘clinker built’, which meant that the planks overlapped. This way of building a ship allowed it to flex in rough seas and not be damaged. Gaps between the planks were sealed with tarred rope.

Progress check 3

If you were a Viking warrior…

If you were helping to row a longship you would sit on a chest that held your possessions. You could hang your shield over the side of the ship to gain a little protection from the crashing waves. It would be very wet and cold on the open seas.

Longship hulls were shallow so that Vikings could sail close to coastlines and up river estuaries in search of plunder. Sailing close to a coastline was also safer than trying to navigate across large stretches of open ocean.

Ship burials Viking chieftains were sometimes buried in a longship, surrounded by their possessions. These could include slaves, horses, weapons and armour. Vikings believed that the dead leader needed all these things in the afterlife. Sometimes the ship was set on fire so that the chieftain went quickly to paradise.

From Warriors, Exploration and Trade (Discover the Vikings), by John C. Miles. Reproduced by permission of Franklin Watts, an imprint of Hachette Children’s Books, Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ.

Discover the Vikings: Warriors, Exploration and Trade, by John C. Miles

Figurehead Viking longships often had a figurehead at the bow (front). This could be beautifully carved in the shape of a dragon or some other mythical beast.

Discover Complete Comprehension for Year 4 Unit

Target skill

Title

Author

Genre

1

Summarising

Roman Britain

Ruth Brocklehurst

Non-fiction

2

Retrieval

The Time-Travelling Cat and the Roman Eagle

Julia Jarman

Fiction

3

Retrieval

Volcanoes in Action

Anita Ganeri

Non-fiction

4

Word meaning

Tsunamis on the Move

International Tsunami Information Center, Hawaii, USA

Non-fiction

5

Word meaning

Russian Doll

Rachel Rooney

Poetry

6

Inference

The Little Daughter of the Snow

Arthur Ransome

Fiction

7

Retrieval

The History behind Christmas Traditions

The Telegraph

Non-fiction

Progress check 1

Mixed skills

A Christmas Tree

Charles Dickens

Fiction

8

Relationship

The Moomins and the Great Flood

Tove Jansson

Fiction

9

Inference

For Forest

Grace Nichols

Poetry

10

Retrieval

The Borrowers

Mary Norton

Fiction

11

Prediction

Max and the Millions

Ross Montgomery

Fiction

12

Inference

My Secret War Diary by Flossie Albright

Marcia Williams

Fiction

13

Inference

The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

Michael Morpurgo

Fiction

14

Inference

The Secret World of Polly Flint

Helen Cresswell

Fiction

Progress check 2

Mixed skills

Heatwave Raises Lost ‘Atlantis’ Village from Its Watery Grave

Daily Mail

Non-fiction

15

Retrieval

Threats to African Elephants

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Non-fiction

16

Inference

The Great Elephant Chase

Gillian Cross

Fiction

17

Retrieval

Black Beauty

Anna Sewell

Fiction

18

Word meaning

Charlotte’s Web

E.B. White

Fiction

19

Word choice

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning

Lemony Snicket

Fiction

20

Word meaning

Little Women

Louisa May Alcott

Fiction

21

Comparison

Everything Castles

Crispin Boyer

Non-fiction

Progress check 3

Mixed skills

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Michael Morpurgo

Fiction

For further information and to place your order visit www.schofieldandsims.co.uk or telephone 01484 607080

Discover Complete Comprehension for Year 5 Unit

Target skill

Title

Author

Genre

1

Retrieval

Dragonology

Dugald Steer

Fiction

2

Comparison

How to Train Your Dragon

Cressida Cowell

Fiction

3

Summarising

Life in Tudor Britain

Anita Ganeri

Non-fiction

4

Word meaning

Love Letter from Mary Tudor to Her Husband, Philip of Spain

Brian Moses

Poetry

5

Inference

The House with Chicken Legs

Sophie Anderson

Fiction

6

Prediction

The Wizards of Once

Cressida Cowell

Fiction

7

Inference

The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club

Alex Bell

Fiction

Progress check 1

Mixed skills

A Boy Called Christmas

Matt Haig

Fiction

8

Retrieval

The Wolf Wilder

Katherine Rundell

Fiction

9

Word meaning

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

Joan Aiken

Fiction

10

Word choice

Whale Boy

Nicola Davies

Fiction

11

Relationship

SeaWorld Decides to Stop Killer Whale Breeding Program

The Guardian

Non-fiction

12

Summarising

Beetle Boy

M.G. Leonard

Fiction

13

Word meaning

Beetle Boy: The Beetle Collector’s Handbook

M.G. Leonard

Non-fiction

14

Inference

The Boy at the Back of the Class

Onjali Q. Raúf

Fiction

Progress check 2

Mixed skills

Who are Refugees and Migrants? And Other Big Questions

Michael Rosen and Annemarie Young

Non-fiction

15

Retrieval

The Jamie Drake Equation

Christopher Edge

Fiction

16

Word meaning

Once Upon a Star

James Carter

Poetry

17

Retrieval

Harry Houdini

Laura Lodge

Non-fiction

18

Inference

The Nowhere Emporium

Ross MacKenzie

Fiction

19

Retrieval

Plague!

John Farndon

Non-fiction

20

Inference

The Island at the End of Everything

Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Fiction

21

Inference

The London Eye Mystery

Siobhan Dowd

Fiction

Progress check 3

Mixed skills

The Last Chance Hotel

Nicki Thornton

Fiction

For further information and to place your order visit www.schofieldandsims.co.uk or telephone 01484 607080

Discover Complete Comprehension for Year 6 Unit

Target skill

Title

Author

Genre

1

Inference

Who Let the Gods Out?

Maz Evans

Fiction

2

Retrieval

To Asgard!

Rachel Piercey

Poetry

3

Summarising

Hidden Figures

Margot Lee Shetterly

Non-fiction

4

Relationship

The British (serves 60 million)

Benjamin Zephaniah

Poetry

5

Inference

War Horse

Michael Morpurgo

Fiction

6

Word meaning

For the Fallen

Laurence Binyon

Poetry

7

Prediction

Sky Song

Abi Elphinstone

Fiction

Progress check 1

Mixed skills

The Snow Queen

Hans Christian Andersen

Fiction

8

Inference

Tin

Pádraig Kenny

Fiction

9

Retrieval

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

L. Frank Baum

Fiction

10

Inference

Welcome to Nowhere

Elizabeth Laird

Fiction

11

Retrieval

Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’

The Guardian

Non-fiction

12

Inference

The Crooked Sixpence

Jennifer Bell

Fiction

13

Word meaning

Cogheart

Peter Bunzl

Fiction

14

Comparison

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll

Fiction

Progress check 2

Mixed skills

The Hunting of the Snark

Lewis Carroll

Poetry

15

Summarising

What’s So Special about Shakespeare?

Michael Rosen

Non-fiction

16

Retrieval

Macbeth

William Shakespeare

Play

17

Word meaning

Deforestation for Palm Oil

Rainforest Rescue

Non-fiction

18

Word choice

The Explorer

Katherine Rundell

Fiction

19

Inference

Pig-Heart Boy

Malorie Blackman

Fiction

20

Retrieval

Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo

The Guardian

Non-fiction

21

Word meaning

Evolution Revolution

Robert Winston

Non-fiction

Progress check 3

Mixed skills

Charles Darwin: History’s Most Famous Biologist

Kerry Lotzof

Non-fiction

For further information and to place your order visit www.schofieldandsims.co.uk or telephone 01484 607080

Published by Schofield & Sims Ltd, 7 Mariner Court, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF4 3FL, UK Telephone 01484 607080 www.schofieldandsims.co.uk This edition copyright © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020 First published in 2020 Second impression 2021 Author: Jane Sowerby Jane Sowerby has asserted her moral rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

The Pebble in My Pocket (page 34) is from The Pebble in My Pocket, written by Meredith Hooper and illustrated by Chris Coady, published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, an imprint of The Quarto Group, copyright © 2015. Text reproduced by permission of Quarto Publishing Plc. Stone Circles (page 42) is excerpted from the work entitled: Stone Circles © 2018 by Capstone Global Library Limited. All rights reserved. My Brother Is a Superhero (page 50) is from My Brother Is a Superhero,

by David Solomons. Text copyright © David Solomons, 2015.

Reproduced with permission of Nosy Crow Ltd. The Magic Finger (page 58) is from The Magic Finger, by Roald Dahl. Copyright © The Roald Dahl Story Company Limited, 1966. Published by Penguin Books Ltd. Sugar: The Facts (page 66) is from the NHS ‘Live Well’ website: www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-doessugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The Iron Man (page 82) is from The Iron Man by Ted Hughes.

Copyright © The Estate of Ted Hughes, 1968. Published by Faber and Faber Ltd. The Selfish Giant (page 88) is from The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde. The Ice Palace (page 94) is from The Ice Palace, by Robert Swindells (Puffin, 1992). Text copyright © Robert Swindells, 1977. Reproduced by permission of Penguin Books Ltd. A House of Snow and Ice (page 102) is from A House of Snow and Ice, by Stephen Whitt. Text copyright © Ohio State University, December 2009. Licensed under an Attribution – Share Alike 3.0 Creative Commons License. The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends) (page 110) is from Chinese Myths and Legends, by Shelley Fu. Copyright © Shelley Fu, 2018. Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. Night Comes Too Soon (page 126) by James Berry is from A Story I am In: Selected Poems (Bloodaxe Books, 2011). Reproduced with permission of Bloodaxe Books. www.bloodaxebooks.com. Tom’s Midnight Garden (page 134) is from Tom’s Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce. Text copyright © Oxford University Press, 1958. Reproduced with permission of the Licensor through PLSclear. The Story of Tutankhamun (page 142) © Patricia Cleveland-Peck, 2017. The Story of Tutankhamun, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Secrets of a Sun King (page 148) is

from Secrets of a Sun King by Emma Carroll. Copyright © Emma Carroll, 2018. Published by Faber and Faber Ltd. The Butterfly Lion (page 154) is from The Butterfly Lion, by Michael Morpurgo.

Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd © Michael Morpurgo, 1996. Wild Animals to Be Banned from Circuses in England by 2020, Says Government (page 162) is adapted from ‘Wild animals to be banned from circuses in England by 2020, says Government’, by Lucy Pasha-Robinson, published on Independent.co.uk, Tuesday 27 February 2018. © The Independent. Reproduced with permission. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (page 170) is from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. The Madhatters (page 178) by Aoife Mannix is from Growing Up an Alien (Tall Lighthouse, 2007). © Aoife Mannix. Stig of the Dump (Extract 1) (page 186) is from Stig of the Dump, by Clive King. Copyright © Clive King, 1963.

Published by Penguin Books Ltd. Stig of the Dump (Extract 2) (page 194) is from Stig of the Dump, by Clive King. Copyright © Clive King, 1963. Published by Penguin Books Ltd. Norse Mythology (page 202) is from NORSE MYTHOLOGY, by Neil Gaiman. Copyright © 2017, by Neil Gaiman. Used by permission of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. Discover the Vikings: Warriors, Exploration and Trade (page 208) is from Warriors, Exploration and Trade (Discover the Vikings), by John C. Miles. Reproduced by permission of Franklin Watts, an imprint of Hachette Children’s Books, Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. Except where otherwise indicated, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without either the prior permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd. The pupil resources in each teaching unit are exempt from these restrictions and may be photocopied after purchase for use within your school or institution only.

All registered trademarks remain the property of their respective holders. Their names are used only to directly describe the products.

Design by Ledgard Jepson Ltd Front cover design by Ledgard Jepson Ltd Printed in the UK by Page Bros (Norwich) Ltd ISBN 978 07217 1647 3

Complete Comprehension Written by expert authors, Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension equips you with everything you need to teach the comprehension skills identified in the National Curriculum.

Each teaching unit targets one comprehension skill, which is introduced through a modelling session and then practised using test-style questions.

This book includes: • a Skills guide to explain every comprehension skill • engaging text passages from a range of genres • a Lesson plan for each unit, featuring a Language toolkit to support explicit vocabulary teaching • extensive discussion and enrichment activities to build background knowledge • three informal Progress check assessments.

Comprehension skills covered in Complete Comprehension 3: ?

Word meaning

Prediction

Retrieval

Relationship

Summarising

Word choice

Inference

Comparison

ISBN 978 07217 1647 3 £70.00 (Retail price)

For further information and to place your order visit www.schofieldandsims.co.uk or telephone 01484 607080