Complete Comprehension Book 6

Complete Comprehension A structured programme for teaching reading comprehension skills

Year 6 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 6 Contents Year 6 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

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Unit 1

Who Let the Gods Out?

Unit 2

To Asgard!

Unit 3

Hidden Figures

Unit 4

The British (serves 60 million)

Unit 5

War Horse

Unit 6

For the Fallen

Unit 7

Sky Song

page 30

Inference

by Maz Evans Fiction page 38

Retrieval

by Rachel Piercey Poetry page 46

Summarising

by Margot Lee Shetterly Non-fiction page 54

Relationship

by Benjamin Zephaniah Poetry page 62

Inference

by Michael Morpurgo Fiction Word meaning

?

page 70

by Laurence Binyon Poetry Prediction

page 78

by Abi Elphinstone Fiction

The Snow Queen

Mixed skills

page 86

by Hans Christian Andersen

Unit 8

Tin

Unit 9

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Unit 10

Fiction

Welcome to Nowhere

Unit 11

Progress check 1

Year 6 overview

Year 6 overview

Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’

Retrieval

by The Guardian

Non-fiction

Inference

page 90

by Pádraig Kenny Fiction Retrieval

page 98

by L. Frank Baum Fiction Inference

page 106

by Elizabeth Laird Fiction

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page 114

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Unit 14

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

by Jennifer Bell Fiction Word meaning

?

page 130

by Peter Bunzl Fiction page 138

Comparison

by Lewis Carroll Fiction

The Hunting of the Snark

page 146

Mixed skills

by Lewis Carroll

Unit 15 Unit 16

Macbeth

Unit 17

Deforestation for Palm Oil

Unit 18

The Explorer

Unit 19

Pig-Heart Boy

Unit 20

Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo

Retrieval

by The Guardian

Non-fiction

Unit 21

Poetry

What’s So Special about Shakespeare?

Evolution Revolution

Word meaning

Progress check 3

page 122

Inference

Year 6 overview

Unit 12 Unit 13

Cogheart

Progress check 2

The Crooked Sixpence

page 150

Summarising

by Michael Rosen Non-fiction page 158

Retrieval

by William Shakespeare Play Word meaning

?

page 166

by Rainforest Rescue Non-fiction page 174

Word choice

by Katherine Rundell Fiction page 182

Inference

by Malorie Blackman Fiction page 190

?

page 198

by Robert Winston Non-fiction

Charles Darwin: History’s Most Famous Biologist

Mixed skills

by Kerry Lotzof

Non-fiction

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page 206

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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 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.

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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 6, 13, 17 and 21.

Prediction is the target skill in Unit 7.

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, 9, 11, 16 and 20.

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 4.

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 3 and 15.

Word choice is the target skill in Unit 18.

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 1, 5, 8, 10, 12 and 19.

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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 14.

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

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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 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.

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

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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.

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

Structure of the teaching unit

Pupil resources

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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: 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.)

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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.

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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.

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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.

The comprehension texts

Curriculum links in Complete Comprehension 6 Unit

Title

Author

Genre

Curriculum links

1

Who Let the Gods Out?

Maz Evans

Fiction Mythology

History: Ancient Greece

2

To Asgard!

Rachel Piercey

Poetry Mythology

History: Vikings

3

Hidden Figures

Margot Lee Shetterly

Non-fiction Information text

PSHE: Recognising discrimination

4

The British (serves 60 million)

Benjamin Zephaniah

Poetry

PSHE: Recognising discrimination

5

War Horse

Michael Morpurgo

Fiction

History: World War I

6

For the Fallen

Laurence Binyon

Poetry Rhyme

History: World War I

7

Sky Song

Abi Elphinstone

Fiction

Progress check 1

The Snow Queen

Hans Christian Andersen

Fiction Traditional tale

8

Tin

Pádraig Kenny

Fiction

9

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

L. Frank Baum

Fiction Classic fiction

10

Welcome to Nowhere

Elizabeth Laird

Fiction

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PSHE: Friendships

PSHE: Human rights

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Title

Author

Genre

Curriculum links

11

Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’

The Guardian

Non-fiction Newspaper article

PSHE: Human rights; Media literacy

12

The Crooked Sixpence

Jennifer Bell

Fiction

13

Cogheart

Peter Bunzl

Fiction

14

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll

Fiction Classic fiction

Progress check 2

The Hunting of the Snark

Lewis Carroll

Poetry Rhyme

15

What’s So Special about Shakespeare?

Michael Rosen

Non-fiction

16

Macbeth

William Shakespeare

Play

17

Deforestation for Palm Oil

Rainforest Rescue

Non-fiction Information text

Introduction

Unit

History: Tudor period

Geography: Natural resources PSHE: Protecting the environment Science: Rainforests

18

The Explorer

Katherine Rundell

Fiction

PSHE: Ourselves, growing and changing; Keeping safe

19

Pig-Heart Boy

Malorie Blackman

Fiction

PSHE: Physical wellbeing

20

Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo

The Guardian

Non-fiction Newspaper article

PSHE: Media literacy

21

Evolution Revolution

Robert Winston

Non-fiction Information text

Science: Evolution and inheritance

Progress check 3

Charles Darwin: History’s Most Famous Biologist

Kerry Lotzof

Non-fiction Information text

Science: Evolution and inheritance

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The comprehension texts

Science: Animals, including humans

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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).

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See Units 6, 13, 17 and 21

?

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.

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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.

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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).

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See Units 2, 9, 11, 16 and 20

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.

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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

Summarising

See Units 3 and 15 .............. .. ............. ...

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).

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

O

O

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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Skills guide

O

O

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 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.

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See Units 1, 5, 8, 10, 12 and 19

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.

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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: O

Who…/What…/When…/Where…/How…/Which…?

O

Predict…

O

Imagine…

O

Which is most likely…?

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See Unit 7

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.

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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: O

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

O

At this point…

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See Unit 4

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

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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.

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.

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

Skills guide

O

Modelling relationship 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.

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.

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.

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

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: 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?

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See Unit 18

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.

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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.

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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

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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: 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.

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See Unit 14

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.

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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.

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Unit 1

Who Let the Gods Out?

by Maz Evans

Inference

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 34 to 37

The first extract is from a popular contemporary fiction text. Who Let the Gods Out? follows Elliot, a young boy who witnesses a shooting star containing the goddess Virgo crash-land on Earth. The relatable themes of this novel make it ideal for introducing readers to different gods and goddesses, and some children may wish to read the next books in the series. This text is linked to Unit 2, a poem about Norse mythology.

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.

Key vocabulary atmosphere

constellation

defensively

feeble

immortal

matter-offactly

oaths

obtain

pollution

solemnly

sophisticated

stove

1 The text is a story about gods and goddesses.

What are they? Can you name any?

Answers will vary here depending on the children’s background knowledge, but they should be able to make links to Key Stage 2 history topics (e.g. Ancient Egypt, Greece or Rome). You may wish to explain that everyone’s religious beliefs are different and in the ancient world there were many more religions with their own gods and goddesses.

Vocabulary discussion questions

2 The text mentions stars and constellations.

What do you know about this topic?

Answers will vary here depending on the children’s background knowledge but should include references to the science curriculum in Year 5 (e.g. planets, stars, the universe).

Vocabulary activities

3 The story begins just after something or someone has crash-landed on Earth. Can you think of any other stories where this happens?

Answers will vary here depending on the children’s knowledge of different texts. You may wish to provide some prompts (e.g. meteors and asteroids; aliens; spacecraft) to support discussion.

Fiction

Language toolkit

4 The text focuses on two characters, who eventually work together. Can you name any other famous partnerships in fiction?

Answers will vary here depending on the children’s prior reading, but they should be able to suggest suitable partnerships (e.g. Hansel and Gretel; Batman and Robin).

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O

If a spy was able to obtain information, would this mean they were good or bad at their job?

O

Is being sophisticated always a good thing?

O

Is the atmosphere something you can see?

O

If someone had a feeble body, would they be physically strong or weak?

O

Are oaths the same as promises?

O

The word immortal is from the prefix ‘im–’ meaning ‘not’ and mortalis which comes from the Latin word mors meaning ‘death’. How many other words can the children identify that share the prefix ‘im–’ or the root ‘mor–’?

O

The author uses a range of adverbs and adverbial phrases to describe how the characters talk to one another (e.g. defensively; matter-of-factly; solemnly).

Encourage the children to role-play speaking in these tones with one another.

O

The text also includes some subject-specific vocabulary (e.g. ‘Elysium’; ‘ambrosia’). It would be useful to spend some time discussing the meaning of these words with the children.

O

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

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1 Who are the characters in this story? How are they different?

Elliot and Virgo. Elliot is a human boy who lives on Earth in a farmhouse. Virgo is a female goddess who comes from Elysium in space.

2 Where has Virgo travelled from? How did she get to Earth?

Virgo has travelled from Elysium to Earth via constellation travel/in a shooting star.

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: Virgo talks about how Earth’s polluted atmosphere caused her to land in the wrong place. The children could conduct a research project about the pollution in their local area and come up with steps to help reduce it (e.g. they could survey how their class travels to school; how many cars idle with their engines on outside the school gates; how much of the school’s waste is burnt at landfill instead of being recycled). They could then use their results to run an assembly to educate their peers or parents and carers about the issue.

O

Writing task: Who Let the Gods Out? refers to many gods and goddesses. The children could research a polytheistic religion of their choice, past or present, and create a guide to their choice of deity.

3 Who is younger, Virgo or Elliot? How old are they both?

Elliot is younger. Virgo is 13 974 years old and Elliot is a child, but the text does not tell us how old he is.

4 Did you enjoy the story? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s own feelings about the text. However, they should be able to justify their response (e.g. I liked the story because it’s funny that Elliot keeps getting all the names wrong).

Inference

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

Unit 1

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

2 First steps

3 Explore

O

O

Most of the extract focuses on the conversation between Elliot and Virgo. The author uses integrated dialogue here to convey the characters of Elliot and Virgo and advance the action of the story. Discuss how Maz Evans uses reporting clauses to add to her character development (e.g. said Virgo huffily; he sighed yet again; too tired to argue).

Discuss what Virgo represents and how she fits into the zodiac. The children could use their birthdays to find out their zodiac sign and research the god or goddess it relates to.

Elliot is very kind and caring to a complete stranger.

He invites Virgo into his home and gives her tea, biscuits and a place to sleep. Discuss how we can help people in need while staying safe. You may also wish to encourage the children to find a local charity or cause to support together.

4 Skills focus

See pages 32 to 33

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 8 Modelling slides and the Modelling inference guidance on page 32.

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Reading list Fiction The Girl of Ink & Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave Simply the Quest by Maz Evans The Tale of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green Treasury of Greek Mythology by Donna Jo Napoli Class reads Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Non-fiction Groovy Greeks by Terry Deary Meet the Ancient Greeks by James Davies Myth Atlas by Thiago de Moraes Mythology by Philip Wilkinson and Neil Philip Poetry Great Greeks by Paul Perro ‘To Asgard!’ by Rachel Piercey (Linked text: Unit 2) Films Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (20th Century Fox, 2010)

Fiction

O

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Unit 1

Modelling inference

See Unit 1 Modelling slides

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

1 Read from “So let me … to … cow dung?”. How do you think Elliot is feeling at this point in the text? Why? Confused and frustrated because he doesn’t understand what Virgo is telling him and he is not sure whether to believe Virgo because he has never heard of Elysium or constellation travel.

Read the question together. Use the locator to find the correct part of the text and identify key words. Some children may equate ‘sighed’ with Elliot being sad or angry. If so, spend additional time unpicking the clues you can take from the text (e.g. for the umpteenth time).

2 Read from “That was unfortunate,” … to … seventy-four”. Do you think Elliot is making a good impression on Virgo? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

No, because he keeps saying the wrong thing, he makes fun of her mode of transport and the pollution on his planet is bad.

Read the question together. Use the locator to find the correct part of the text and identify key words. You may wish to explain that, as the question is worth three marks, you need to find three pieces of information.

Some children may find locating the evidence easier than deciding on an impression. If so, you could model the question the opposite way, finding evidence first and then deciding on what impression the evidence gives you. If some struggle, draw their attention to words that describe Virgo’s reactions, such as defensively, impatiently and huffily.

3 Why didn’t Elliot want Virgo to leave?

Because he thought she was mad and wouldn’t be safe alone.

Read the question together and identify key words. This question has no locator, so it is important to model scanning the text for the key words to identify the correct section. Some children may answer with a vague response such as ‘he’s a caring person’. If so, refocus them on the text and ask them to relate their answer back to a specific part.

4 What impressions do you get of Elliot? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

He’s caring, because he takes a stranger back to his house because she is in need.

He’s sensible, because he does not believe Virgo’s stories about space.

Who Let the Gods Out?, by Maz Evans

Model identifying the key words and the expectations of the question. This question does not have a grid to support the children so you may need to discuss and model how best to structure the answer. You could use a graphic organiser to model structuring your response. Answers will vary depending on the children’s personal responses to Elliot.

Inference questions mark scheme

See page 36

Answer

Guidance

1

He had spent half an hour trying to find out something. OR He sighed.

OR He keeps getting mixed up.

Responses are correct whether quoted from the text or paraphrased. Award 1 mark for any relevant reference to the text. The children may also answer with key words that refer to Virgo’s reaction (e.g. ‘huffily’; ‘impatiently’; ‘defensively’).

2

No, because a sophisticated system would not have crashed Virgo into a pile of dung.

Accept references to sarcasm. Less fluent readers may answer ‘yes’ and refer back to the quoted line. If so, discuss sarcasm and how we can use clues from the text to understand the hidden meaning of Elliot’s words. Award 1 mark for ‘no’ with an appropriate explanation.

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Guidance

3

frustrated/impatient/unsettled

Some children may focus on Elliot’s exhaustion. If so, remind them that we are focusing on emotion rather than physical feelings. You could ask the children to justify their responses to their peers after the questions are completed to check understanding. Award 1 mark for any reference to a plausible emotion. Do not accept ‘tired’.

4

She is immortal. OR She travelled in the constellation not a rocket. OR She’s 13 974. OR She’s going to give something to a daemon. OR She has no parents.

Some children may use points such as ‘She’s wearing robes’.

In this case, discuss who else may wear robes (e.g. monks) and how this means that it doesn’t tell us she’s not human.

Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

5

Impression: rude

It is a good idea to check that the children are comfortable with this tricky question format before they attempt this question.

Award 1 mark for an appropriate impression. Award 2 marks for one impression plus supporting evidence. Award 3 marks for two impressions plus at least one piece of supporting evidence.

Evidence: She says Elliot has a feeble mind.

Impression: confident Evidence: She keeps correcting him.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 37

?

Guidance

1

many times

2

Virgo was annoyed/upset and wanted to defend herself.

Some children may only quote the text (e.g. ‘She speaks defensively’). In this case, refocus them on the word ‘snapped’ – what does this tell us about Virgo’s mood? Award 1 mark for references to Virgo being annoyed/upset and wanting to defend herself. Skill: Word choice.

3

feeble

Some children may respond with more than one word; this should not be accepted. In this case, remind them of the steps for ‘find and copy’ questions. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Word meaning.

4

Elliot asked her to promise not to leave.

Some children may provide a plausible response linked to the text (e.g. ‘She thought she’d like somewhere safe to stay since it was night-time’). In this case, remind them they must use the text to find the key turning point rather than merely using inference.

Award 1 mark for any reference to Elliot asking Virgo to promise not to leave. Skill: Relationship.

5

Elliot will help Virgo to take the flask to Thanatos. I think this because Elliot has been trying to keep Virgo safe all the way through the story.

If some children find making their justification challenging, you could provide a graphic organiser to support them to structure their ideas. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction.

Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction plus an explanation linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

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Some children may choose the second distractor if they are unsure of the meaning of ‘umpteenth’. In this case, discuss the definition before they answer this question. Before starting this question, you could discuss the locator and ensure the children know the meaning of ‘dialogue’. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Retrieval.

Who Let the Gods Out?, by Maz Evans

Answer

Unit 1

Answer

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Unit 1

Who Let the Gods Out?, by Maz Evans This book tells the story of a boy named Elliot who has his life changed by a shooting star. In our extract, Elliot is coming to terms with meeting Virgo, a young goddess, whom he has just witnessed crash-landing on Earth inside the shooting star.

An hour later, the two strangers were in front of the cosy fire in a dark IDUPKRXVH (OOLRW JDYH 9LUJR D SDLU RI KLV ROG FRPEDWV WUDLQHUV DQG D 7 VKLUW to replace her ruined robes and offered her the bathroom to remove the worst of the dung from her long hair. He made them both a cup of tea on the gas stove and had spent the last half an hour trying to obtain any information that might explain where she came from. It wasn’t going well.

“So let me get this straight,” he sighed for the umpteenth time. “You’re an immortal Goddess who lives in Ilium?”

“Elysium,” corrected Virgo.

“Right, there,” said Elliot, “and you travelled to Earth from the sky in your big VWDU EDOO"§ “Constellation,” said Virgo, who was fascinated by how soggy she could make her biscuit before it plopped into her tea. “Constellation travel is one of the most sophisticated transport systems in the immortal world.”

Who Let the Gods Out?, by Maz Evans

“So sophisticated it landed you in a pile of cow dung?”

“That was unfortunate,” snapped Virgo defensively. “I haven’t visited Earth before and got a little lost in all the pollution you humans have created. Your atmosphere is filthy.”

“And now you have to go and give that flask to this Thermos bloke?”

“Thanatos.”

“Yeah, him, and then you’ll just turn back into stars and whizz back up to Elision?”

“Elysium,” Virgo repeated impatiently.

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“Actually,” said Virgo huffily, as the last of her biscuit fell into her tea. “I’m WKLUWHHQ WKRXVDQG QLQH KXQGUHG DQG VHYHQW\ IRXU §

Unit 1

“Yes, there. And you’re like, a million years old?”

This was getting silly. Elliot knew girls were funny about their ages – his Maths teacher, Mrs Goodwinge, had been 38 for the past five birthdays – but this was ridiculous.

“Are you sure I can’t call your parents?” he sighed yet again.

“How many times, child – I don’t have parents. I am a Goddess of the Zodiac Council, sent here to deliver ambrosia to an imprisoned death daemon. But if WKDW©V WRR PXFK IRU \RXU IHHEOH KXPDQ EUDLQ WR FRPSUHKHQG § VKH VDLG PDWWHU RI IDFWO\ ULVLQJ WR OHDYH ¦WKHQ ,©OO EH RQ P\ ZD\ § Elliot didn’t know what to do. He really couldn’t let this mad girl leave on her own, but if she wouldn’t let him call anyone … it was better if she stayed here tonight. At least that way she was safe and tomorrow he could take her into the village and find her some help.

“No, don’t go,” he said, “please stay. But it’s late, we both need some sleep.

We’ve got loads of rooms here, I’ll find you a bed.”

“Thank you kind Elliot, but immortals don’t require sleep.”

“I swear it on the River Styx,” she said solemnly. “Immortals cannot break their oaths.”

“Marvellous,” said an exhausted Elliot. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Sleep well, human child,” said Virgo.

“Stay awake, loony star girl,” mumbled Elliot as he climbed the stairs and hauled his exhausted body off to his bed.

Who Let the Gods Out?, by Maz Evans

“Of course you don’t,” said Elliot, too tired to argue with this crazy girl anymore. “Well if you change your mind, there’s a quilt on the sofa and you can sleep under that. Promise me you won’t run off in the night?”

From Who Let the Gods Out? by Maz Evans, copyright © Maz Evans 2017. Reproduced with permission of Chicken House Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Unit 1

Inference 1

Name:

It wasn’t going well.

What else in the text tells you that Elliot’s conversation with Virgo wasn’t going well?

1 mark

2

“So sophisticated it landed you in a pile of cow dung?”

Does Elliot think constellation travel is sophisticated? Explain why using the text.

1 mark

3

“Stay awake, loony star girl,” mumbled Elliot as he climbed the stairs and hauled his exhausted body off to his bed.

What mood was Elliott in when he went to bed?

1 mark

4

Virgo tells Elliot she has never visited Earth before. Give two other ways you can tell she is not human.

2 marks

Who Let the Gods Out?, by Maz Evans

5

What impressions do you get of Virgo? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Impression

Evidence

3 marks

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1

Unit 1

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the first line of dialogue. How many times had Elliot sighed? Tick one. one time thirteen times a couple of times many times

2

1 mark

“That was unfortunate,” snapped Virgo defensively.

What does the group of words snapped … defensively tell you about Virgo?

1 mark

3

Look at the paragraph beginning “How many times, … . Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘weak’.

1 mark

What made Virgo change her mind and stay at Elliot’s house?

1 mark

5

Look at the whole text. What do you think will happen to Virgo and Elliot next?

Explain your prediction using evidence from the text.

Who Let the Gods Out?, by Maz Evans

4

2 marks

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Unit 2

To Asgard!

by Rachel Piercey

Retrieval

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 42 to 45

Ask any child about their favourite films and many will mention Thor or the Avengers. What they may not know is that Thor and many other characters that appear in these films have their origins in Norse mythology. The poem in this unit also focuses on these gods and is a fantastic introduction to the myths surrounding them. This text is linked with Unit 1, which focuses on the zodiac and Ancient Greek mythology.

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 This is a poem. How many different features of poems can you recall?

Answers will vary. Most of the children should be able to name features such as lines, verses (or stanzas), and explain that some poems rhyme or use repeated phrases. Some may refer to descriptive language.

2 The poem is called To Asgard! Have you ever heard of Asgard? What do you think it is?

Answers will vary. Some children should be able to relate it to the Key Stage 2 history curriculum if the Vikings topic has been covered. If the children do not have any background knowledge to share, you could discuss whether they think Asgard is a place on Earth or a magical or mythical place.

Poetry

3 The poem’s title ends with an exclamation mark.

Does this tell us anything about the tone of the poem?

The children are likely to say it makes it sound exciting. Discuss when an exclamation mark is used: to indicate strong feelings such as joy, surprise, anger, excitement and shock; to emphasise something; and to suggest volume, such as a speaker shouting.

4 The poem features some of the gods from Norse mythology. Do you know anything about them?

Answers will vary. Many children will have studied the Vikings and therefore should, as a minimum, be able to make a link between the Vikings and Norse mythology.

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary boar

far and wide

fate

feast

flirt

roams

serpents

trickster

wily

Vocabulary discussion questions O

If your fate was to defeat Thor, what would that mean?

O

Can a boar be a bore? Why? Why not?

O

If someone roams, is this the same as travelling far and wide?

O

Are all serpents snakes? Explain your answer.

O

Is a feast the same as a fancy meal? How would it differ?

Vocabulary activities O

The poem uses the word boar to describe a male pig. Challenge the children to think of other animals that have different names for male and female (e.g. ‘cow’ and ‘bull’; ‘buck’ and ‘doe’; ‘mare’ and ‘stallion’).

O

Far and wide and roams both describe travelling over a large area. Ask the children how many other synonyms they can find that describe travelling in different ways.

O

The suffix ‘–ster’ is used in trickster. It means ‘a person who…’ and is used to create derivative nouns (e.g. ‘youngster’; ‘prankster’).

Ask the children to mind-map as many words as they can that use ‘–ster’ in this way.

O

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

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4 Skills focus

See pages 40 to 41

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 The narrator of the poem tells us about five named gods. Who are they?

Odin, Frigg, Thor, Freya and Loki. The children may mention Freya’s husband, but the poem does not name him.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 9 Modelling slides and the Modelling retrieval guidance on page 40.

2 What is the theme of the poem?

It is an introduction to Asgard and the gods, goddesses and creatures that live there.

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

4 Did you enjoy the poem? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s feelings about the text, but they should all be able to justify their responses (e.g. I liked the poem because it tells you about lots of the different gods and goddesses and what they are known for).

3 Explore O

The text introduces five of the most important Norse gods and goddesses. Discuss what the text reveals about each god, using nouns, adjectives and phrases from the poem to justify each point. You could then mind-map synonyms for these words and phrases.

For example, Loki is called a ‘trickster’; ‘trouble’; ‘wily’ and ‘wicked’ in the poem. Synonyms for these words might include ‘naughty’; ‘prankster’; ‘sly’; ‘clever’.

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

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

Retrieval

3 According to the poem, how can people get to Asgard? Do you think anyone could go there?

They travel across the rainbow bridge. Encourage the children to discuss whether they think Asgard is a place that they could visit, and to refer to details in the poem to support their views.

Unit 2

2 First steps

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The children could research their favourite god or goddess from the five mentioned in the poem. The class could then be divided into five groups, with each group working together to create an argument as to why their group’s deity is better than all the rest. This could culminate in a class debate between the five groups.

O

Writing task: The children could research other deities and creatures from Norse mythology and use their new-found knowledge to create their own suits of cards inspired by the Top Trumps® game, detailing each god’s powers and what they are best known for.

Reading list Fiction Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan Myths of the Norsemen by Roger Lancelyn Green She Wolf by Dan Smith

O

Discuss the idea of the rainbow bridge separating Earth (Midgard) from the realm of the gods, Asgard.

Do the children know any other religions or belief systems that have another name for where their god(s) live(s)? The children are likely to make links to heaven and possibly also to Mount Olympus if it has been discussed alongside the Unit 1 text, Who Let the Gods Out? Remind the children of the general features of poetry that you discussed in the Get ready section. Ask them to annotate their copies of the poem with any features that they can see. Things they might identify include the repeated refrain (‘Come across the rainbow bridge/to Asgard, where the Norse gods live!’), the verses and examples of descriptive language (e.g. ‘wily, wicked god’; ‘feathered cloak’; ‘crushes mountains’).

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Who Let the Gods Out? by Maz Evans (Linked text: Unit 1) Class reads Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland Non-fiction 50 Things You Should Know about the Vikings by Philip Parker Vicious Vikings by Terry Deary Vikings in 30 Seconds by Philip Steele Poetry Falling Out of the Sky by Rachel Piercey and Emma Wright (eds) Films Thor (Marvel, 2011) (Please note that this has a Certificate 12 rating and clips should be chosen carefully.)

Poetry

O

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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 Each of the gods has one or more powers. Which power does Frigg have?

She can see people’s futures/fate.

This question does not include a locator so you may wish to discuss where in the text the information is likely to be found. Some children may say Frigg ‘tells people’s futures’. In this case, reread the verse together and discuss how she cannot ‘tell’ their futures as the text specifically says she does not tell anyone.

2 The poem says that Thor is the strongest god of them all. Name one thing he can do which shows this.

He crushes mountains.

This question does not include a locator, so you may need to prompt the children if they struggle. Some children may respond using Thor’s hammer as the basis for their answer. In this case, refocus them on the word ‘strongest’ – does having a hammer that causes thunderstorms mean that you are strong?

3 Who travels with an animal around the worlds?

Freya Again, this question does not include a locator. Some children may assume that Odin or Thor are the correct answers here, as the poem mentions Odin’s horse and Thor’s goats. In this case, it is important to draw attention to the other key words in the question: ‘travels’ and ‘around the worlds’. Thor and Odin both travel with their animals, but it is only Freya who is accompanied by an animal around the worlds.

4 Draw lines to match each god with the statement describing them.

Thor

is the queen

Frigg

likes to flirt

Odin

wears a cloak

Loki

rides a horse

Freya

is a trouble-maker

You may wish to discuss the strategies needed when responding to a matching question. When modelling, it is important to physically model matching the statements using a clear line. Some children may benefit from attempting the question in a different order (e.g. finding a statement they are confident with and matching that one first, leaving any statements they are unsure about to last when there will be fewer options available).

To Asgard!, by Rachel Piercey

Retrieval questions mark scheme

See page 44

Answer

Guidance

1

Odin

Some children may find this deceptively challenging as the word ‘king’ is not present within the poem. In this case, remind them that often key words are synonyms of the words in the question.

You could discuss possible synonyms together before attempting the question. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

He is the ruler. OR He strokes his beard.

OR He shakes his spear. OR He has pet wolves. OR He flies on a horse. OR He tries to get Loki to behave.

Responses are correct whether quoted from the text or paraphrased, unless the whole sentence is quoted from the text without a choice being made. In this case, you should encourage the children to explain their response in their own words.

Award 1 mark for any two correct answers.

3

Her husband is away all the time.

Responses are correct whether quoted from the text or paraphrased. Some children may assume she cries because she cannot find her husband. In this case refocus them on the relevant verse and encourage them to look for the key word ‘cries’ to locate the answer. Award 1 mark for any reference to her husband being away/roaming the world.

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Guidance F

Frigg is the queen.

Thor is the strongest god.

Thor uses goats to get to work.

Loki is wily.

5

The children may not yet be confident with the strategies for ‘fact or opinion’ questions. You could discuss how often opinions include adjectives that give the writer’s viewpoint of the character (e.g. ‘Thor is the strongest god’ has a superlative adjective).

Award 1 mark for three statements correctly ticked.

Award 2 marks for all four statements correctly ticked.

O

T Thor is in charge of Asgard.

The gods never fight.

Freya sometimes leaves Asgard.

Frigg never tells people their future.

‘True or false’ questions are not as commonly seen as other question types. You could discuss the strategies for these types of question with the children before asking them to attempt this question. Award 1 mark for three statements correctly ticked.

Award 2 marks for all four statements correctly ticked.

F

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 45

?

Answer

Guidance

1

Odin sounds more powerful because he is the ruler of Asgard. Thor has his hammer but the poem says he has to go to work so he’s not in charge.

If the children only achieve 1 mark, you could discuss the concept of comparison and how they are expected to look at and mention both sides of a comparison when answering.

Award 1 mark for Thor or Odin plus an explanation that references one god. Award 2 marks for Thor or Odin plus an explanation that references both gods. Skill: Comparison.

2

frustrated OR embarrassed because Loki is always being a trouble-maker and Odin can’t stop him.

The children can use appropriate quotations from the text or paraphrase to provide justification for their answers. Award 1 mark for a plausible emotion. Award 2 marks for a plausible emotion plus an explanation linked to the text. Skill: Inference.

3

clever

4

what happens on Asgard

5

No.

Because it says that ‘even Asgard has to end’.

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The children may assume that either of the first two distractors is correct as ‘wily’ is followed by ‘wicked’ in the verse. In this case, discuss how someone who is wily might act. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Word meaning.

Some children may provide a response that focuses too much on the detail rather than summarising (e.g. ‘It is about creatures, wars, feasts and fights’). In this case, recap the steps for summarising found in the Skills guide (pages 18 to 19). Award 1 mark for any appropriate summary. Skill: Summarising.

If the children find making their justification challenging, you could provide them with a simple locator (e.g. the last two verses). Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked plus a plausible explanation linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

To Asgard!, by Rachel Piercey

4

Unit 2

Answer

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Unit 2

To Asgard!, by Rachel Piercey This is a poem by Rachel Piercey that explores the exciting world of the Norse gods in the kingdom of Asgard. In the poem, the reader is introduced to some of the most famous gods. It describes the gods’ lives and the adventures they have across the rainbow bridge that divides Asgard from Midgard (Earth).

Come across the rainbow bridge to Asgard, where the Norse gods live!

Odin is the ruler here, he strokes his beard, he shakes his spear, he keeps a pair of wolves as pets and flies a horse who has eight legs.

Come across the rainbow bridge to Asgard, where the Norse gods live!

Frigg is queen, and she can see what every person’s fate will be, and whether it will turn out well or badly, though she’ll never tell.

To Asgard!, by Rachel Piercey

Come across the rainbow bridge to Asgard, where the Norse gods live!

The strongest of them all is Thor whose hammer causes thunderstorms.

He crushes mountains, likes to flirt, has two goats pull his cart to work.

Come across the rainbow bridge to Asgard, where the Norse gods live!

Freya’s husband roams the worlds, so she cries tears of solid gold.

In feathered cloak, boar at her side, she goes to seek him far and wide.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Loki is the trickster god: he causes trouble, then he’s off, and even Odin cannot make this wily, wicked god behave.

Unit 2

Come across the rainbow bridge to Asgard, where the Norse gods live!

Come across the rainbow bridge to Asgard, where the Norse gods live!

Their world is full of beasts and swords, serpents, giants, magic wars.

They feast and fight and feast again but even Asgard has to end …

To Asgard!, by Rachel Piercey

So while there’s still a rainbow bridge: to Asgard! where the Norse gods live …

‘To Asgard!’ by Rachel Piercey, from Falling Out of the Sky: Poems About Myths and Monsters, edited by Rachel Piercey and Emma Wright, published by the Emma Press. Poem © 2015 Rachel Piercey (www.rachelpierceypoet.com) and used with permission.

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Unit 2

Retrieval 1

Name:

Who is the king of Asgard?

1 mark

2

Give two things Odin is known for.

1 mark

3

Why does Freya cry?

1 mark

4

Tick to show whether each statement is fact or opinion.

Fact

Opinion

Frigg is the queen.

Thor is the strongest god.

Thor uses goats to get to work.

Loki is wily.

To Asgard!, by Rachel Piercey

2 marks

5

Tick to show whether each statement is true or false.

True

False

Thor is in charge of Asgard.

The gods never fight.

Freya sometimes leaves Asgard.

Frigg never tells people their future.

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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1

Unit 2

Mix it up!

Name:

Compare the descriptions of Odin and Thor. Who sounds more powerful?

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

2

Look at the verse about Loki. How do you think Odin feels about Loki? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

3

Look at the verse about Loki. What does the word wily mean in this verse?

Tick one. naughty

4

evil

clever

playful

1 mark

Look at the verse beginning Their world is full … . Summarise the content of this verse.

5

To Asgard!, by Rachel Piercey

1 mark

Will Asgard survive forever? Tick one.

Yes

No

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 3

Hidden Figures

by Margot Lee Shetterly

Summarising

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 50 to 53

Ask any child about NASA, astronauts or spacecraft and they are likely to talk about famous space explorers such as Neil Armstrong. Few, if any, will know about the trailblazing African-American women who worked behind the scenes. Hidden Figures is the story of four of these remarkable women. You could discuss this text alongside that of Unit 4, which emphasises the importance of equality and justice for all.

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 This is a non-fiction text about the achievements of some remarkable women. Can you name any remarkable women? What are they known for?

Answers will vary. The children should be able to name some women. Encourage them to think about famous women and women they know, emphasising that there are many different ways to be remarkable.

Non-fiction

2 What do you know about humans exploring the moon and the ‘space race’?

Answers will vary. The children should be able to share some knowledge about space from their previous science learning. However, if they are not familiar with the ‘space race’ between the USA and the USSR, you may wish to spend some time discussing this topic.

3 In the 1960s, much of the United States of America was subject to racial segregation, where people of colour were not given the same freedom or respect as white people.

Have you ever heard of this?

Answers will vary. However, it is likely that few children will have knowledge of this period of American history so you may wish to explore this topic further.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary accomplishments computers

deprived

discrimination

distinguished

enlisted

generation

loyalty

patriotism

pioneer

segregation

supersonic

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Are computers always electronic? Why? Why not?

O

If you are deprived of something, do you have access to it?

O

What are your accomplishments? How have you distinguished yourself in these areas?

O

What kinds of discrimination can people face?

Vocabulary activities O

Loyalty and patriotism are two attributes that people sometimes associate with soldiers.

Can the children name other qualities that soldiers might have?

O

The word supersonic starts with the prefix ‘super–’, a word which means ‘above’ or ‘beyond’ in Latin. How many other words can the children find with the same prefix?

O

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

4 Can you think of any other texts where discrimination is a key theme?

Answers will vary. Most children should be able to suggest some ideas (e.g. The Girl, the Cat and the Navigator by Matilda Woods).

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1 The text focuses on the careers of four women.

Who were they? What were they working on?

Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden. They were African-American mathematicians who worked for the NACA during the mid-20th century/they contributed to the ‘space race’.

2 What time period does the text focus on? Which major events does the text mention?

The text focuses on what was happening in America during the mid-20th century. The text mentions the Great Depression, World War II and segregation.

3 Why do you think this text has been written?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s opinions. They should be able to justify their responses by referring to the features of non-fiction texts or to the theme of the text (e.g. I think it’s been written to inform the reader because it includes lots of facts/because people might not know that AfricanAmerican people were segregated back then).

4 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s feelings about the text. Encourage them to justify their responses (e.g. I liked the text because it was great to learn about the mathematicians, but I didn’t like the fact that people in America were segregated).

See pages 48 to 49

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 3 Modelling slides and the Modelling summarising guidance on page 48.

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

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

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

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The children could discuss discrimination around the world (e.g. apartheid in South Africa) and in the United Kingdom, and what we can do to fight against it.

O

Writing task: The children could work in pairs to research the lives of the four remarkable women mentioned in the text (see the Reading list for some useful resources). They could use this information to write biographical sketches of the women to share with another class.

Summarising

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

4 Skills focus

Unit 3

2 First steps

Reading list O

O

O

Discuss the text title: Hidden Figures. Can the children explain why this is a good title? Discuss the fact that even though women such as Mary Jackson were instrumental to the success of the USA in the space race, their contributions have been largely forgotten.

Discuss why the children think that some people’s contributions to important events or inventions have been forgotten. The children could research other forgotten pioneers (see Reading list).

Discuss the theme of discrimination and, within this, segregation. The children could think about whether they have ever been the target for discrimination, or whether they have seen someone being discriminated against. Can the children suggest how this treatment would make a person feel? This conversation will need to be handled sensitively.

Investigate the role of a ‘computer’ in the text. You may wish to show a film clip (see Reading list) to illustrate the type of work the women did. Discuss whether this job still exists today, and why.

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Fiction The Girl, the Cat and the Navigator by Matilda Woods The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng Class reads When We Walked on the Moon by David Long Non-fiction Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Gregory Mone Dr Maggie’s Grand Tour of the Solar System by Maggie Aderin-Pocock The People Awards by Lily Murray Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky Poetry ‘The British’ by Benjamin Zephaniah (Linked text: Unit 4) The World’s Greatest Space Cadet by James Carter Films Hidden Stories: Dorothy Vaughan (Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 2018)

Non-fiction

3 Explore

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Unit 3

Modelling summarising

See Unit 3 Modelling slides

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

1 Which word best describes the careers of the four women? Tick one. revolutionary

dull

effortless

typical

Read the question together. This question does not include a locator so it is important to discuss the key words and model locating them in the text. You may wish to discuss synonyms for the key word ‘career’ and each of the four answer options before relating them to the text.

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

This paragraph explores how the achievements of the women were even more impressive because of the discrimination they faced.

Read the question together. Model using the locator. Identify the main ideas in the paragraph and discuss which is the most important. Some children may focus on specific facts rather than summarising (e.g. ‘The women were accomplished’). In this case you may wish to model focusing on the second sentence, which relates the women’s achievements to the social climate.

3 What would be an effective subheading for the seventh and eighth paragraphs?

Segregation in the USA Read the question together. Model using the locator; this is especially important as it is given at the end of the question rather than the beginning. You may wish to discuss what a subheading is and does. Some children may suggest ‘segregation’ – this is correct, although you could ask them to help you extend the response and make it more specific to the text.

4 What is the overall theme of the text?

It focuses on four female mathematicians overcoming the challenges of racial segregation to participate in the space race.

Read the question together. You could draw attention to the fact that this question deals with the whole text. Encourage the children to skim-read the content of each paragraph, noting down a caption about each section’s content. From this, model spotting a pattern in the captions and construct your summary. Some children may only focus on one aspect of the text (e.g. ‘It’s about some mathematicians who helped us get to space’). In this case, support them to expand their response into a more general summary.

Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly

Summarising questions mark scheme Answer 1

2

See page 52 Guidance

Some extraordinary women worked at the NACA.

during the 1800s

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Some children may choose the third option as it is true that women worked at the NACA. If so, refocus them on the question wording ‘best summarises’, explaining that ‘best’ means the sentence that most closely matches the text. Encourage them to look back at the text to see that the third option is too vague.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Some children may choose an incorrect option if they have skimmed the text quickly. This text includes several dates and events which makes this question trickier than it first appears.

If the children are finding it challenging to differentiate between the dates, you could suggest that they use a timeline to order the events before answering. You may need to remind them of the dates of World War II. Award 1 mark for the correct answer circled.

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Guidance

3

Black men were allowed to join the army and some women were able to get different jobs.

Some children may respond ‘Black men and women joined the army’. If so, encourage them to find another point to ensure they achieve the 2 marks. Award 1 mark for one positive point.

Award 2 marks for two positive points.

4

They were the first African-American women to work as mathematicians and engineers at the NACA and they did it even though people were segregated then.

Some children may focus on their own opinions (e.g. ‘The women were interesting’). If so, support them to relate their opinions to the text. Award 1 mark for an appropriate reason for the women’s importance. Award 2 marks for two appropriate reasons for the women’s importance.

5

Forgotten Pioneers

Work through each title and discuss what makes it effective or ineffective (e.g. ‘The first into space’ is effective because the women were the first African-American women to work at the NACA but it’s ineffective because the women in this extract never went into space; ‘Hidden’ in ‘Hidden scientists’ reflects the title and theme, but the women were not scientists). Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

See page 53

?

Answer

Guidance

1

computer

Some children may refer to Dorothy Vaughan being a mathematician. This is technically correct, but they should be encouraged to find the exact job title as this is a retrieval question.

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

2

They were both involved with supersonic flight.

Some children may provide a vague response (e.g. ‘They were both experts’). If so, ask them to find another, more specific, similarity to achieve the mark. Award 1 mark for any reference to supersonic flight. Skill: Comparison.

3

It means her work was really revolutionary and different.

Accept any appropriate synonym of ‘groundbreaking’ related to Christine Darden’s work. A synonym alone should not be accepted. Award 1 mark for any reference to Christine Darden’s work being revolutionary/innovative.

Skill: Word choice.

4

struggle OR decreased OR dramatically OR suffered OR serious OR challenges

Some children may respond with two words that are found together in the text (e.g. ‘economic struggle’). This should not be accepted as two separate points. ‘Difficult’ is used within the question stem and should not be accepted as a response.

Award 1 mark for two correct answers. Skill: Word meaning.

5

frustrated/upset because they were kept separate from white people OR because they weren’t allowed to do what white people could OR because they couldn’t have some of the best jobs

The children may benefit from having a grid or graphic organiser to organise their response here. Award 1 mark for a plausible emotion. Award 2 marks for a plausible emotion plus supporting evidence. Award 3 marks for two plausible emotions plus at least one piece of supporting evidence OR one plausible emotion plus two pieces of supporting evidence. Skill: Inference.

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Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 3

Answer

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Unit 3

Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly This text tells the true story of four remarkable African-American women who were key to America’s success in the ‘space race’ during the 20th century.

Over the years, hundreds of women worked as mathematicians for the federal agency called the NACA – the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics – which researched and promoted the study of flight. But these women were among many who distinguished themselves with their talents and hard work.

Dorothy Vaughan was a pioneer. She joined the NACA in 1943, the first year WKH DJHQF\ EHJDQ KLULQJ $IULFDQ $PHULFDQ ZRPHQ DV FRPSXWHUV DQG VKH ZDV WKH first to be promoted into a management position. She was a role model for other women, and she helped to steer the careers of many talented women who were joining the NACA. 0DU\ -DFNVRQ ZDV WKH ILUVW $IULFDQ $PHULFDQ ZRPDQ WR PRYH XS WKH UDQNV DQG become an engineer at the NACA. She was a fighter, standing up for herself and for other women who deserved the chance to prove themselves. Her work helped to make supersonic aircraft fly higher and faster.

Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly

.DWKHULQH -RKQVRQ ZDV DQ $IULFDQ $PHULFDQ ZRPDQ ZKR EHFDPH DQ HVVHQWLDO member of the team that put the first American in orbit around the Earth. She was a dreamer and an independent thinker who was unafraid to imagine what others considered to be impossible. She helped do the math that was required to send the first men into space – and to bring them home safely. &KULVWLQH 'DUGHQ ZDV DQ $IULFDQ $PHULFDQ ZRPDQ ZKR EHFDPH RQH RI WKH world’s leading experts on supersonic flight. She became the face of the next generation of female space scientists. Her groundbreaking research on predicting sonic booms is still used today.

The accomplishments of these four women were remarkable. But their work was even more impressive because it was achieved while living and working in the South during a time when racial discrimination was commonplace, and when most women with an interest in math were expected to become math teachers.

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Unit 3

In the 1800s, after the Civil War, the government passed laws that ended slavery and granted full citizenship and voting rights to African Americans. Later, however, many state and local governments passed other laws that legalised racial segregation. These regulations, which were most common in the South, kept black people and white people apart in many situations.

They could not eat in the same restaurants. They could not drink from the same water fountains. They could not use the same restrooms. They could not attend the same schools. They could not ride in the same parts of buses. They could not live in the same neighbourhoods. They could not receive care at the same hospitals. They could not visit the same beaches. They could not compete on the same sports teams. They could not sit in the same sections in movie theatres.

They could not marry someone of a different race. They could not even be buried in the same cemeteries.

Technically, African Americans had the right to vote. However, many local laws made it impossible for them to do so. Some communities levied, or charged, poll taxes, or enforced literacy requirements or imposed other restrictions that made it difficult or impossible for black people to register and vote. And since people who were not registered to vote weren’t allowed to sit on juries or run for political office, many African Americans were deprived of these civil rights as well.

For many African Americans, World War II was an opportunity to make a better life for themselves and their families. Black men enlisted in the military in large numbers. Even though they served in separate black infantry regiments, usually overseen by white officers, they believed that their loyalty and patriotism would help blacks to earn rights that white citizens had. Women also enlisted in the army, where they were called WACs (for Women’s Army Corps), and they served LQ DOO IHPDOH XQLWV LQ WKH QDY\ WRR $QG IRU ZRPHQ OLNH 'RURWK\ 9DXJKDQ 0DU\ Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, World War II opened the door to a career as a professional mathematician. Each of them found their way to the Langley Laboratory, where they met one another, and women like them: smart, brave, confident, and good at math. The war was changing the world, and it would change their lives as well.

Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly

During the 1930s, the United States experienced the Great Depression, a GHFDGH ORQJ SHULRG RI HFRQRPLF VWUXJJOH -REV EHFDPH GLIILFXOW WR ILQG DQG ZDJHV decreased dramatically. All Americans suffered, but African Americans faced the most serious challenges in finding work.

From Hidden Figures – Young Readers’ Edition by Margot Lee Shetterley. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd © 2016

by Margot Lee Shetterley.

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Unit 3

Summarising 1

Name:

Which statement best summarises the main point of the first paragraph? Tick one.

No women worked at the NACA. Only mathematicians worked at the NACA. Women worked at the NACA. Some extraordinary women worked at the NACA.

2

When did segregation begin? Circle one. during the 1800s

3

1 mark

after World War II

before the 1800s

during World War II

1 mark

Look at the last paragraph. Summarise why World War II was positive for some African-American people.

2 marks

Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly

4

Why were the four women important? Explain your answer using the text.

2 marks

5

Which of the following would be the most effective title for the extract? Tick one.

Forgotten Pioneers The First into Space Mathematicians on the Moon Hidden Scientists

1 mark

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1

Unit 3

Mix it up!

Name:

What was Dorothy Vaughan’s first job at the NACA? 1 mark

2

What did the careers of Mary Jackson and Christine Darden have in common?

1 mark

3

Her groundbreaking research on predicting sonic booms is still used today.

What does the word groundbreaking tell you about Christine Darden’s work?

1 mark

4

Look at the penultimate paragraph. Find and copy two words that tell you the Great Depression was difficult.

1

5

1 mark

Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly

2

Look at the whole text. How do you think people like Katherine Johnson felt during segregation? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

3 marks

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Unit 4

The British (serves 60 million)

by Benjamin Zephaniah

Relationship

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 58 to 61

Recognised as one of the UK’s most celebrated poets, Benjamin Zephaniah writes powerfully about issues such as racism, immigration and animal cruelty. ‘The British’, which is written in the style of a recipe, is a celebration of the diversity of cultures found in Britain. The poem ends with a warning about the importance of equality. You could discuss this text alongside that of Unit 3, as both are about the struggle for unity and justice.

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 This is a contemporary poem. What does ‘contemporary’ mean? How many contemporary poets can you name?

The children may be able to explain that ‘contemporary’ means ‘modern’ or ‘recent’. They should also be able to give several examples of contemporary poets, such as Michael Rosen, Rachel Rooney and Brian Moses.

2 This poem is written like a recipe. What are the features of a recipe?

The children should be able to contribute some features of an instructional recipe text (e.g. ingredients and equipment list; method; numbered instructions; modal and imperative verbs).

Poetry

3 Who is British? What does it mean to be British?

Answers will vary. All children should be able to connect the idea of being British with the countries of Great Britain/the United Kingdom. Some children may also refer to British values, depending on how your school delivers this part of the curriculum.

4 Benjamin Zephaniah is a political poet, which means his poems try to get people to change their thinking about important issues. Can you think of any other texts you have read which try to do this?

The children should be able to contribute to this discussion. As a minimum, they should be able to link this text to the text in Unit 3, which focuses on segregation and inequality in the USA during the 1960s.

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary approximately

conquerors

equality

flourish

justice

melting pot

overrun

unity

vigorously

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Would you be more likely to move vigorously when you’re fit and healthy or when you’re feeling unwell?

O

What is the difference between invaders and conquerors? Who has conquered Britain? Who has invaded Britain? Is conquerors a positive or a negative word? What about ‘invaders’?

O

Do we all have equality at school? What makes us equal or unequal?

Vocabulary activities O

Explain to the children that the phrase ‘throw something into the melting pot’ does not have a literal meaning. You could explore the origins of the phrase, which first developed as ‘melting together’ in the 18th century.

It became popular after its use in the 1908 play The Melting Pot.

O

How many synonyms for flourish can the children find?

O

The word unity starts with the root word ‘uni–’, meaning ‘one’. How many other words can the children find with the same root word?

O

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

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2 Is the poem written in chronological order?

The first section which focuses on the historical cultures in Britain is in chronological order, but then this changes to become a list of many different cultures coming to Britain at different times.

3 What does the poem end with? What do you think it is trying to teach us?

A warning. It is trying to teach us that it is important to ensure that everyone is treated equally, no matter their culture.

4 Did you enjoy the poem? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s feelings about the text. They should be able to justify their responses (e.g. I liked the poem because the use of the recipe is really interesting and it made me think about the fact that there are so many different cultures all mixed together in the UK).

3 Explore O

O

O

Discuss the different cultures mentioned in the poem.

The children could work in groups to find out which countries these cultures originate from. Some are easy (e.g. Chileans from Chile), but others are more challenging (e.g. Bajans from Barbados). Challenge the groups to locate all of these places on a class map or globe.

Discuss the different cultures of the children in your class. Work together to add the countries their families originate from to the class map or globe.

You could also discuss any foreign languages the children can speak, and invite any children who speak another language to teach the class some basic phrases.

The poem talks about justice, unity and equality for all British people. Talk about what these terms mean. Can the children think of any situations when equality, unity and justice would be particularly important? Are we all equal? Discuss what we can do to support equality, unity and justice for all within school.

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

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

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

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.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The children could work in groups to learn and perform ‘The British’, using clips of the poet, Benjamin Zephaniah, performing poetry to gain inspiration and learn the techniques of dub poetry.

O

Writing task: In groups, the children could create their own versions of the poem to describe the mixture of people in their school or class. They could begin by surveying the children and staff to find out about the different nationalities and cultures that are represented in the school or, alternatively, people’s different interests.

Relationship

1 How many different cultures are mentioned in the poem? Do you think this is representative of Britain today?

Thirty-four different cultures are mentioned altogether.

You could point out that this is just a selection of the cultures in Britain today.

See pages 56 to 57

Reading list Fiction The Arrival by Shaun Tan The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell-Boyce Class reads The Island by Armin Greder Non-fiction Coming to England by Floella Benjamin Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly (Linked text: Unit 3) The Life of Stephen Lawrence by Verna Allette Wilkins My Little Book of Big Freedoms by Chris Riddell The Story of the Windrush by K.N. Chimbiri Poetry A Kid in My Class by Rachel Rooney Wicked World! by Benjamin Zephaniah Websites The BBC Poetry Season websites hosts an excellent performance of ‘The British’.

Poetry

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

4 Skills focus

Unit 4

2 First steps

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Unit 4

Modelling relationship

See Unit 4 Modelling slides

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

1 Why do you think the poet has structured the poem like a recipe?

He wants to show that the different cultures in Britain come together to make something special, just like a recipe.

Read the question together and discuss how it relates to the poem’s themes. The children must have a good understanding of the overall poem to answer this question; if this is not secure they are likely to give vague answers. To boost their understanding, use the concept of a real recipe to explain the message of the poem (e.g. Butter, sugar, eggs and flour are all good, but they become even better once they are cooked into a cake!).

You could draw attention to the line ‘and enjoy’ as evidence that the poet thinks the process is positive.

2 The poet has split the poem into two verses. Why? The first verse deals with the history of Britain, while the second is about the present day.

Read the question together and encourage the children to identify key words (e.g. ‘verses’). Together, skim-read both verses to decide how the content differs in each one. Model writing an answer with the children’s input.

3 The poet uses groups of words such as stir vigorously, add to the … pot and Leave the ingredients to simmer. How do these support the structure and theme of the poem?

They are often used in recipes and they help to show that mixing the cultures together is positive.

Read the question together. Although this question does not have a locator, the target phrases are taken straight from the text. Model locating these and relating them back to the idea that the poem is a recipe.

Some children may assume that a vague response such as ‘they are used in recipes’ will be sufficient.

If so, encourage them to link this idea more explicitly to the theme of the poem.

4 The poem ends with a warning. Why do you think this has been included?

Recipes often include a warning to help keep you safe. This warning is about keeping everyone in the community safe and happy.

The British (serves 60 million), by Benjamin Zephaniah

Read the question together. Model locating the warning section. Some children may answer with a response only relating to the recipe (e.g. ‘Recipes usually have a warning’). In this case, encourage the children to extend their response by linking it back to the theme of the poem.

Relationship questions mark scheme

See page 60

Answer

Guidance

1

There are about 60 million people in Britain and the poem is about all of them.

Some children may use a vague response relating to the recipe only. In this case, explain that ‘60 million’ refers to the population of Britain and encourage them to make a link between that and the poem. Award 1 mark for any reference to the link between the poem and the population of Britain.

2

The poem is about how we should try to mix/live happily together and we need these elements to do this.

Some children may focus just on unity or justice, without reference to mixing happily. Provided that the response links back to the poem, this should be accepted (e.g. ‘Unity is important to a peaceful society’). If not (e.g. ‘Unity is important’), it should not be accepted. Award 1 mark for any plausible reason that links back to the text.

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Guidance

3

The poet is saying that we must treat people equally. He is saying that if we do not treat every culture the same, we will not be happy.

Some children may quote from the text. This should not be awarded a mark unless the explanation links to (the British) people. Award 1 mark for any reference to the fact that equality is important. Award 2 marks for any reference to the fact that equality is important that also links back to the text.

4

Britain is a mixture of many different cultures and is better for it/we need to treat everyone equally.

Some children may include a link to the warning in their answers. This is acceptable where it relates to the idea of Britain being a mix of different cultures. If the point is raised independently, it should not be awarded marks (e.g. ‘Treating people unequally is wrong’). Award 1 mark for any reference to Britain being a mixture of many different cultures.

Award 2 marks for a reference to the above, plus reference to Britain being better for it OR for a mention of the need to treat everyone equally.

5

people wanting to learn about Britain

If some children only tick a box and do not provide a justification, no marks should be awarded. Award 1 mark for an answer ticked plus one piece of appropriate evidence. Award 2 marks for an answer ticked plus two pieces of appropriate evidence.

See page 61

?

Answer

Guidance

1

(when a place is) taken over by lots of people

Some children may respond using the alternative meaning of ‘overrun’ (e.g. ‘The game had overrun by four minutes’). If so, refocus them on the line from the poem and remind them that we are finding the definition in this context. Award 1 mark for an appropriate explanation. Skill: Word meaning.

2

It tells the reader about the history of the British/the early British people.

Some children may provide a vague response (e.g. ‘It tells us about the people in Britain’). If so, ask them whether the Romans are still in Britain. This should provide a clue to support them to extend their response. Award 1 mark for an appropriate summary. Skill: Summarising.

3

A non-fiction text has diagrams and explains all the facts in detail. The poem tells us some facts but because it is short it doesn’t give much explanation.

Some children may benefit from being given a non-fiction text about the history of Britain to help them answer this question.

Award 1 mark for reference to only one text. Award 2 marks for an answer that includes references to both the poem and non-fiction texts. Skill: Comparison.

4

The words give the reader the impression that the different cultures have combined to become ‘The British’.

Some children may refer only to the recipe format in their response (e.g. ‘It shows it is a recipe’). If so, refocus them on the key word ‘effect’. Award 1 mark for any plausible effect.

Skill: Word choice.

5

Impression: blended/varied

If the children find this format challenging, encourage them to find their evidence first before deciding on an impression.

Award 1 mark for an appropriate impression. Award 2 marks for one impression plus supporting evidence. Award 3 marks for two impressions plus at least one piece of supporting evidence. Skill: Inference.

Evidence: It says that the British people ‘mix and blend’.

Impression: multicultural Evidence: The poem talks about lots of different cultures.

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The British (serves 60 million), by Benjamin Zephaniah

because the poem tells us about some British history and also tells us about the different cultures in Britain today

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 4

Answer

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Unit 4

The British (serves 60 million),

by Benjamin Zephaniah This poem tells the story of the British people throughout history to the present day. It is presented in a light-hearted style, in the form of a recipe, but it has an important message at its heart.

Take some Picts, Celts and Silures And let them settle, Then overrun them with Roman conquerors.

Remove the Romans after approximately 400 years Add lots of Norman French to some Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Vikings, then stir vigorously.

The British (serves 60 million), by Benjamin Zephaniah

Mix some hot Chileans, cool Jamaicans, Dominicans, Trinidadians and Bajans with some Ethiopians, Chinese, Vietnamese and Sudanese.

Then take a blend of Somalians, Sri Lankans, Nigerians And Pakistanis, Combine with some Guyanese And turn up the heat.

Sprinkle some fresh Indians, Malaysians, Bosnians, Iraqis and Bangladeshis together with some

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And Palestinians

Unit 4

Afghans, Spanish, Turkish, Kurdish, Japanese

Then add to the melting pot.

Leave the ingredients to simmer.

As they mix and blend allow their languages to flourish Binding them together with English.

Allow time to be cool.

Add some unity, understanding, and respect for the future, Serve with justice And enjoy.

one ingredient better than another will leave a bitter unpleasant taste.

Warning: An unequal spread of justice will damage the people and cause pain. Give justice and equality to all.

The British (serves 60 million), by Benjamin Zephaniah

Note: All the ingredients are equally important. Treating

The British: Twenty-nine (29) lines from Wicked World by Benjamin Zephaniah (Puffin, 2000). Copyright © Benjamin Zephaniah, 2000.

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Unit 4

Relationship 1

Name:

Why do you think the poet has used the words (serves 60 million) in the title?

1 mark

2

Why do you think the poet includes unity and justice among the ingredients?

1 mark

3

Look at the Note at the end of the poem. What do you think the poet means here?

2 marks

The British (serves 60 million), by Benjamin Zephaniah

4

What is the main message of the poem? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

5

Who do you think the poem is for? Tick one. people wanting to learn about Britain people wanting to learn about the different cultures in Britain people wanting to be British Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

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1

Unit 4

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the first verse. What does the word overrun mean?

1 mark

2

Write a sentence to summarise what the first verse tells us.

1 mark

3

This is a poem about the history of Britain. How is it different from a non-fiction text about the same subject?

2 marks

4

As they mix and blend, allow their languages to flourish.

What effect do the words mix and blend have?

5

The British (serves 60 million), by Benjamin Zephaniah

1 mark

What impressions do you get of the British people? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Impression

Evidence

3 marks

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Unit 5

War Horse

by Michael Morpurgo

Inference

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 66 to 69

Ask children to name a contemporary author and many will suggest Michael Morpurgo. This unit’s extract is from one of Morpurgo’s most famous novels. This moving story of Joey the horse and his trials in World War I has introduced many children to the ‘war to end all wars’. This extract includes references to alcoholism and animal cruelty, which you may wish to discuss before reading. This text is linked with our Unit 6 text, ‘For the Fallen’,

by Laurence Binyon. Both deal with the harrowing realities of World War I, witnessing it from two different points of view. You could discuss the links between the texts as you complete the units.

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 This is an extract from a book that has been adapted into a play and a film. Have you seen either adaptation? Can you explain the plot?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s experiences. If none of the children know the story, encourage them to use the title and illustration to discuss what the story may be about.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary bellowed

considering

consolation

nuisance

parish

pay account to someone

recoiled

venture

wrenched

Vocabulary discussion questions O

If you venture away from somewhere, what might you be doing?

O

Has anyone ever been a nuisance to you? How?

O

If you pay someone account, does this mean you are giving them some money for something? Explain your answer.

O

How many people live in a parish?

Vocabulary activities 2 The extract is set over a hundred years ago.

What was different about life back then?

Answers will vary but most children should be able to contribute some differences (e.g. very few cars; no television).

Fiction

3 This story is set just before and during the World War I (1914–1918). Can you think of any other texts that are set during wartime?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s exposure to different texts. Most children should be able to suggest stories that have been a focus in school or in their own reading (e.g. Oranges in No Man’s Land; Private Peaceful).

4 This text is about a horse and takes place on a farm. Can you think of any other texts about animals or farming?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s exposure to different texts, but most should be able to contribute some ideas (e.g. Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White).

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O

The children could use drama to act out some of the strong verbs in the text (e.g. wrenched, recoiled and bellowed) and explore the links between them (e.g. you might recoil if you someone bellowed at you).

O

The words considering and consolation both begin with ‘con–’. However, they do not share the same etymology. Challenge the children to find other words that start with the same prefix and group them by meaning.

O

The text also includes some specialised vocabulary related to farming or horses (e.g. ‘tailboard’, ‘halter’, ‘red-bay’). You may wish to spend some time discussing these words with the children.

O

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

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4 Skills focus

See pages 64 to 65

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 The extract features two horses and three people.

From whose point of view is the story told? How do you know?

The young horse’s point of view. We know this because he uses the personal pronoun (e.g. ‘I was left there with no water…’) and he talks about being shut in a stable and his owner. Please note, some children may be familiar with the story or film adaptation and so may answer ‘Joey’.

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

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.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The main character, Joey, goes on to become a ‘war horse’ supporting soldiers at the front line during World War I. The children could research war horses in groups and hold a debate on the question ‘Should war horses have been used during World War I?’.

O

Writing task: Horses were just one of many different animals who have played important roles in wartime.

The children could research such animals such as Sgt Stubby the dog, Cher Ami the pigeon or Jackie the Baboon, and produce information leaflets about them for other classes. The children could also research the Animals in War Memorial and the Dickin Medal, awarded to animals who show incredible bravery and heroism in wartime today.

3 This text is set just before World War I. What evidence can you find in the text that shows it is set in the past?

They are using horses to pull carts.

4 Did you enjoy the story? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s reactions to the text. Encourage them to justify their responses (e.g. I liked it because it is interesting to read something from an animal’s point of view).

3 Explore O

O

O

Explore what life was like in 1914. Ask the children how life was similar or different. You could compare a map of your local area with a map from 100 years ago – it is likely to show many more fields and farms than today. Discuss whether you would prefer to live 100 years ago or now, and why.

Discuss the character of Albert’s father/Joey’s owner.

He sometimes treats the horses cruelly (e.g. ‘brought his crop down on her side with such a vicious blow’).

Discuss what we can do to protect animals against cruelty (e.g. Ask a trusted adult to contact the RSPCA).

The author uses a variety of verbs, adverbials and prepositional phrases to describe movement and position (e.g. ‘wrenched at my neck’; ‘recoiled once again’; ‘soaked with exhaustion’). Discuss the effect of these words and phrases on the reader. How do they add to the atmosphere and build tension? How are these word choices more effective than weaker ones (e.g. Why is ‘huddled into the corner against the wall’ more effective than ‘stood close to the wall’?).

Reading list Fiction On the Western Front by Gary Jeffrey Oranges in No Man’s Land by Elizabeth Laird Peace Lily by Hilary Robinson Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo War is Over by David Almond Class reads Archie’s War by Marcia Williams Non-fiction The Frightful First World War by Terry Deary The Story of World War One by Richard Brassey Vlad and the First World War by Kate Cunningham Poetry ‘For the Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon (Linked text: Unit 6) Films Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero (Paramount, 2018) War Horse (Walt Disney Pictures, 2011)

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Inference

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

Fiction

2 Who is older, Zoey or Joey? How do you know?

Zoey, because their owner calls her an ‘old ragbag’ and says ‘I don’t want you teaching this young ’un your old tricks’.

Unit 5

2 First steps

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Unit 5

Modelling inference

See Unit 5 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 two sentences. How do you think Joey feels at this point in the story? Explain your answer using evidence from the text. terrified because he’s being hurt all the way to the farm Read the question together. Model using the locator and identifying key words. Some children may focus on physical feelings (e.g. ‘sore’). In this case, remind them that when we talk about feelings we are thinking about emotions. You could discuss how they would feel if they were hurt in this way (e.g. scared; terrified; panicked; upset). Model choosing the best emotion for your answer. Then encourage them to help you compose an explanation to describe what is causing Joey’s reaction.

2 Look at the first paragraph. What impression do you think Joey has of his new owner? Give one impression and one piece of evidence from the text.

He is cruel because he pulls Zoey along OR hits Zoey OR calls Zoey names.

Read the question together. Model using the locator and identifying key words. Emphasise that you need two pieces of information for your answer. Discuss Joey’s owner’s actions in the paragraph. You may wish to spend some time exploring synonyms for ‘vicious’ to support the children’s vocabulary. If desired, you could display this question in a grid format, as seen in previous units (see page 61).

3 There was the sound of slamming doors and raised voices. Who was making the noise?

Albert’s father (and mother) Read the question together. Model using the locator to find the relevant part of the text. You may wish to make explicit the link between ‘raised voices’ and noise. Some children may respond with ‘Albert’s parents’.

Although this is correct, you could spend some time looking at the clues the text gives us that it is probably Albert’s father starting the argument due to his drunken behaviour.

4 Albert likes horses. Explain how you know using evidence from the text.

He beams at Joey and he wants to rub him down/take care of him.

Read the question together and identify the key words. From this, model finding the correct sections (paragraphs 2 and 4). You may wish to explain to the children that the question is expecting two pieces of information for its answer and would be worth two marks. Some children may respond vaguely (e.g. ‘he goes to see Joey’). In this case, point out that going to see something is not the same as liking something and encourage them to find other reasons in the text (e.g. excited voices; Albert pays Joey compliments; says he wants to ride him/he’ll be the best horse in the parish).

War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo

Inference questions mark scheme

See page 68

Answer

Guidance

1

a glimpse of kindness (and sympathy) OR cooled my panic OR I was not alone

Accept any relevant group of words from the first paragraph.

Do not accept the full sentence or a single word. Instead, refocus the children on the requirements of the question: to find and copy ‘a group of words’. Award 1 mark for a correct answer.

2

scared/worried because his new owner was rough, so he thinks they might hurt him

Some children who choose a positive emotion may find their justification challenging. If so, encourage them to focus on the phrases ‘excited voice’ and ‘beaming smile’. Some children may not provide a written justification. In this case, ask them to explain their response verbally. Award 1 mark for a plausible emotion. Award 2 marks for a plausible emotion plus an explanation linked to the text.

OR curious because they are new people OR happy because Albert is smiling at him/he thinks they will bring him food and water.

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She is scared of him.

4

Impression: caring

Some children may choose the final distractor if they assume that Albert’s mother is angry after arguing with his father earlier in the passage. If so, refocus them on the locator – looking at this sentence, which of the possible answers is most likely?

Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

If some children find this format challenging, encourage them to find their evidence first before deciding on an impression.

Award 1 mark for an appropriate impression. Award 2 marks for one impression plus supporting evidence. Award 3 marks for two impressions plus at least one piece of supporting evidence.

Evidence: He wants to give Joey a rub down.

Impression: brave/adventurous Evidence: He wants to ride Joey all over the county.

5

His father might get angry with him/ tell him off.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

If some children find this question challenging, ask them what we know about Albert’s father and the fact that he told Albert not to touch Joey. Discuss how Albert’s father might react if he found Albert with Joey. Award 1 mark for any reference to his father being angry/telling him off.

See page 69

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Answer

Guidance

1

Joey was sweating a lot because of all the hard work he had been doing.

Some children may struggle to see the literal link between ‘soaked’ and sweat. You could compare this with when the children exercise hard – what happens to their bodies?

Award 1 mark for any reference to Joey sweating profusely due to the effort he was expending. Skill: Word choice.

2

She looked over the door at him and nickered/made a noise.

Some children may only respond with one action. In this case remind them of the expectations of the question. Award 1 mark for both correct answers. Skill: Retrieval.

3

The friendly boy arrives

4

Albert is caring because he wants to rub Joey down but his father is cruel and hits Zoey.

Some children may need support with the idea of comparison.

Remind them that when they compare, they must make reference to both elements they are comparing (e.g. It would not be sufficient to only say ‘Albert is caring’ as they would only be stating an impression not making a comparison). Award 1 mark for an appropriate difference. Award 2 marks for an appropriate difference and an explanation. Skill: Comparison.

5

Albert’s father will shout at him for taking care of Joey because his mother said that Albert had been warned not to touch him by his father.

Some children may have seen the film or play. In this case, remind them that they can only use the extract here to make and justify their prediction. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction. Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction plus an explanation linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

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The children should be encouraged to verbally justify their answer. This will help you to ascertain their depth of understanding and ability to summarise effectively. You could discuss whether the children can come up with another summary which they think is more effective. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Summarising.

War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo

3

Guidance

Unit 5

Answer

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Unit 5

War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo This famous book tells the story of Joey, a young horse who is sent to work on the battlefields during World War I. In this extract, Joey arrives at a new home after being bought at a market. He overhears a conversation between a boy and his mother.

War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo

I was dragged along the lanes tied on a short rope to the tailboard of a farm cart so that every twist and turn wrenched at my neck. By the time we reached the farm lane and rumbled over the bridge into the stable yard that was to become my home, I was soaked with exhaustion and the halter had rubbed my face raw. My one consolation as I was hauled into the stables that first evening was the knowledge that I was not alone. The old horse that had been pulling the cart all the way back from market was led into the stable next to mine. As she went in she stopped to look over my door and nickered gently. I was about to venture away from the back of my stable when my new owner brought his crop down on her side with such a vicious blow that I recoiled once again and huddled into the corner against the wall. “Get in there you old ragbag,” he bellowed. “Proper nuisance you are Zoey, and I don’t want you teaching this young ’un your old tricks.” But in that short moment I had caught a glimpse of kindness and sympathy from that old mare that cooled my panic and soothed my spirit.

I was left there with no water and no food while he stumbled off across the cobbles and up into the farmhouse beyond. There was the sound of slamming doors and raised voices before I heard footsteps running back across the yard and excited voices coming closer. Two heads appeared at my door. One was that of a young boy who looked at me for a long time, considering me carefully before his face broke into a beaming smile.

“Mother,” he said deliberately. “That will be a wonderful and brave horse. Look how he holds his head.” And then, “Look at him, Mother, he’s wet through to the skin. I’ll have to rub him down.”

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 5

“But your father said to leave him, Albert,” said the boy’s mother. “Said it’ll do him good to be left alone. He told you not to touch him.”

“Mother,” said Albert, slipping back the bolts on the stable door. “When father’s drunk he doesn’t know what he’s saying or what he’s doing.

He’s always drunk on market days. You’ve told me often enough not to pay him any account when he’s like that. You feed up old Zoey, Mother, ZKLOH , VHH WR KLP 2K LVQ©W KH JUDQG 0RWKHU" +H©V UHG DOPRVW UHG ED\ you’d call him, wouldn’t you? And that cross down his nose is perfect.

Have you ever seen a horse with a white cross like that? Have you ever seen such a thing? I shall ride this horse when he’s ready. I shall ride him everywhere and there won’t be a horse to touch him, not in the whole parish, not in the whole county.”

War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo

“You’re barely past thirteen, Albert,” said his mother from the next stable. “He’s too young and you’re too young, and anyway father says you’re not to touch him, so don’t come crying to me if he catches you in there.”

War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo. Copyright © Michael Morpurgo, 1982. Published by Egmont.

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Unit 5

Inference 1

Name:

Look at the first paragraph. Find and copy a group of words that tells you Zoey made Joey feel better.

1 mark

2

How did Joey feel when Albert and his mother arrived? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

3

4

Look at the sentence beginning But your father … . How does Albert’s mother feel about her husband? Tick one.

She thinks he is wonderful.

She is scared of him.

She thinks he is smart.

She is angry with him.

Look at the whole text. What impressions do you get of Albert? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Impression

War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo

1 mark

Evidence

3 marks

5

Look at the last paragraph. Why might Albert go crying to his mother if his father catches him?

1 mark

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1

Unit 5

Mix it up!

Name:

What does the group of words soaked with exhaustion mean?

1 mark

2

Look at the first paragraph. What two things did Zoey do when Joey went into the stable?

1 mark

3

Which subheading best summarises the content of the second paragraph?

Tick one.

Making enemies Fighting in the farmhouse Footsteps in the yard The friendly boy arrives

Compare the characters of Albert and his father. Give one difference and explain your answer using the text.

2 marks

5

Predict what will happen next in the story. Explain your prediction using evidence from the text.

War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo

4

1 mark

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 6

For the Fallen

by Laurence Binyon Printable text • Modelling slides

Word meaning

?

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 74 to 77

This unit continues the theme of World War I begun in Unit 5. Laurence Binyon wrote this affecting tribute during the first days of the war, when reports of casualties reached Britain. Many children will recognise the fourth verse from Remembrance services, but few will have experienced the poem in full.

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 do you know about World War I? What books have you read about it?

Answers will vary depending on prior knowledge.

Much of the children’s knowledge may be gleaned from previous Remembrance Day activities depending on how your school has addressed this before. Encourage them to think of texts from a range of genres, offering your own suggestions if necessary.

Poetry

2 World War I was also called the Great War. Why do you think this name was used?

Answers will vary but should relate to the size or scale of the conflict and the difference between the meanings of the word ‘great’. Depending on the children’s knowledge of the war, you could spend some time discussing how many countries and people were involved.

3 How would you feel if your father or brother was fighting at the front in World War I? Answers will vary and will depend on the children’s understanding of the war. Images and film clips (see Reading list) may support their responses to this question. You could give them some options of contrasting feelings to discuss in groups (e.g. proud; joyful; anxious). Care should be taken with this question if any of your cohort have family members serving in the armed forces.

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary august

comrades

condemn

desolation

foe

immortal spheres

innermost

mourns

profound

solemn

staunch

well-spring

Vocabulary discussion questions O

What football team are you a staunch supporter of?

O

Are you more likely to be friendly with a comrade or friendly with a foe? Why?

O

If a book has a profound effect on you, are you likely to remember it for a long time or forget it straightaway?

Vocabulary activities O

Show the children a picture of a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery (e.g. Tyne Cot Cemetery). Ask how they would feel if they visited. Elicit words such as ‘sombre’ and ‘melancholy’, and discuss synonyms, making links to the words above (e.g. mourns; solemn; desolation; profound; innermost).

O

How many synoynms for profound can the children find?

O

Explain that august has two different meanings: it can be used as an adjective or a noun. Read aloud two sentences that demonstrate this (e.g. ‘The soldiers fought bravely during August’; ‘The august soldiers’ medals shone in the sunlight).

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1 How did the poem make you feel? Why? Answers will vary depending on the children’s feelings about the text. They should be able to justify their response, but the quality of their justification will be dependent on their understanding of the topic (e.g. The poem made me feel upset because I thought about all the people who were killed and their families who missed them).

2 From whose point of view is the poem written?

The children should recognise that the narrator is not just one person. However, this is a tricky question and you may need to spend additional time discussing this, pointing out the poet’s use of the pronouns ‘we’ and ‘our’.

3 What is the message of the poem?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s understanding of the poem’s themes. However, they should all be able to comment on the theme of remembrance (e.g. The poem is about remembering the soldiers who have died for England during the war). Some children may be able to discuss the contrasting feelings discussed in the poem (e.g. pride and pain).

4 Did you enjoy the poem? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s feelings about the text. They should be able to justify their response (e.g. I liked the poem because it told me about how the soldiers acted).

See pages 72 to 73

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 6 Modelling slides and the Modelling word meaning guidance on page 72.

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

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: Play the children a video clip of the poem being performed (see Reading list). Discuss the speakers’ performance (e.g. their tone of voice; how they hold the audience’s attention). The children could then create a film featuring their own reading of the poem alongside images from World War I.

O

Writing task: The children could write their own final verse for the poem using some of the features used

by Binyon, perhaps focusing on how, over 100 years later, we still remember World War I. They could generate ideas in small groups before they start.

?

Word meaning

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

4 Skills focus

Unit 6

2 First steps

Reading list O

O

Discuss the features of the poem (e.g. verses; rhyme; alliteration; personification). Can the children point out each of these features? Answers will vary (e.g.

There are seven verses and each one has four lines.

The second and fourth lines rhyme with each other.

The poet uses alliteration such as ‘They fell with their faces to the foe’ . The poet personifies ideas such as death and night by turning them into proper nouns, and describes the country of England as if it were a woman.). If necessary, spend some additional time recapping the features encountered in this text.

Discuss how this poem is used at commemorations such as Remembrance Sunday. Why do the children think this poem is chosen? Answers will vary depending on their personal opinions (e.g. I think the poem is chosen because although it is upsetting, the words make you feel like the soldiers have gone to a better place and will never be forgotten by our country).

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Fiction One Boy’s War by Lynn Huggins-Cooper War Game by Michael Foreman War Horse by Michael Morpurgo (Linked text: Unit 5) Class reads Armistice Runner by Tom Palmer Non-fiction Dear Jelly by Sarah Ridley Line of Fire by Barroux Films They Shall Not Grow Old (BBC/Warner Bros. Pictures, 2018) (Please note that this has a Certificate 15 rating and clips should be chosen carefully.)

Websites The BBC Bitesize website provides a reading of ‘For the Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon.

Poetry

3 Explore

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Unit 6

Modelling word meaning

?

See Unit 6 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 14 to 15) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 The poet describes the men as flesh of her flesh and spirit of her spirit when talking about England and the soldiers. What does this tell you about how England felt about the men?

The soldiers were like parts of England because they were so important to her.

Read the question together. Model using the locator and finding the key words identified in the question.

You may wish to spend some time discussing the meaning of the two target phrases. Some children may make reference to the soldiers being England’s children. If so, explain that this is partly correct, but that when the poem says ‘flesh of her flesh’ it means that the soldiers are an actual part of her, just like her own flesh and limbs, and therefore they are important.

2 There is music in the midst of desolation. What does the word desolation mean in this line? bareness/sadness Read the question together and use the locator to find the correct part of the text. Encourage the children to help you identify key words in the question (e.g. ‘mean’). Some children may already know the meaning of the word ‘desolation’. However, it is important to model relating that understanding back to the text. There are two possible correct responses here, as both ‘bareness’ and ‘sadness’ suit the meaning of the poem.

You may wish to discuss the differences between the two interpretations.

3 They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted. Which word most closely matches the meaning of staunch in this line? Tick one. dedicated

unhappy

cowardly

wild

Read the question together. Model using the locator and finding the key words identified in the question.

This is a tricky sentence as it contains lots of challenging vocabulary. You could model removing the least probable responses first to make the challenge easier (e.g. Think aloud: We know ‘cowardly’ cannot be correct as the poem talks about how brave the soldiers always were).

4 Look at the third verse. Find and copy one word that tells you that the soldiers in the poem are dead or wounded. fell Read the question together. Model using the locator and finding the key words identified in the question.

Remind the children that you are not only searching for words that mean ‘dead’ or ‘wounded’ but also words that imply these things. You may wish to recap the rules of ‘find and copy’ questions and model an incorrect example to elicit a discussion about the correct method.

For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon

Word meaning questions mark scheme

?

See page 76

Answer

Guidance

1

Proud means you feel pleased or happy when someone has done something difficult.

Some children may struggle with this question and focus on the mother’s feelings towards her children. In this case, you may wish to discuss when the children have felt proud of themselves or another – why did they feel that way? Award 1 mark for any reference to feeling pleasure about what someone has done or how they have behaved.

2

tire

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Some children may choose ‘sicken’ as they may relate being ‘weary’ to being ‘sick’. You could point out that ‘weary’ is used as a verb and not an adjective in the poem. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

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Guidance

3

condemn

Do not accept any other word choice or the answer accompanied by any other words (e.g. ‘The word is condemn’; ‘to condemn’). Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

4

The soldiers were friendly and had a good time together (even though they were fighting).

Some children may focus on ‘laughing’ or ‘comrades’ only (e.g. ‘They had fun and told jokes’). Responses that refer to only one of the two words highlighted should not be awarded a mark.

Award 1 mark for any reference to the positive relationship between the men and their lighthearted behaviour.

5

The poet means that the soldiers are dead. OR They are beyond the sea. OR They are abroad/away from England.

OR They can never come back home.

Some children may interpret ‘sleep’ literally. If so, you could spend some time discussing the meaning of this line.

Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

See page 77

?

Answer

Guidance

1

She is their mother. OR The soldiers are England’s sons/children.

Some children may answer that she cares for them, protects or remembers them. If so, refocus them on the key word ‘relationship’ – what relationships do we have in our families?

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

2

Impression: happy

Although the children should now be comfortable answering questions in this format, you could recap the steps required to respond if they find deciding on an impression challenging.

Award 1 mark for an appropriate impression. Award 2 marks for one impression plus supporting evidence. Award 3 marks for two impressions plus at least one piece of supporting evidence. Skill: Inference.

Evidence: ‘They went with songs’/The text says they were singing and people are usually happy when they are singing.

Impression: determined Evidence: They were ‘staunch to the end’/The soldiers did not stop trying to beat the enemy.

3

4

5

The writer uses repetition to emphasise the fact that the soldiers will be remembered to the very end of time/ that they will never be forgotten.

Verse 1

Even though we are sad we can still be proud.

Verse 2

We will not forget them.

Verse 3

The men were happy to go and brave until the end.

Verse 4

The country is in mourning for its fallen soldiers.

The message of the poem is that these soldiers died for us and so we should never forget them.

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Some children may provide a vague response (e.g. ‘It gives emphasis’). Do not accept answers that only refer to the repetition giving emphasis without any explanation. Award 1 mark for any reference to emphasis and a suitable explanation. Skill: Word choice.

The children need a good understanding of the whole text to answer this question. You could support less fluent readers by attempting this question in a small group, with the children discussing each option in turn. Award 1 mark for two pairs correctly matched. Award 2 marks for all three pairs correctly matched. Skill: Summarising.

You may wish to provide additional challenge for some children by extending the necessary response to 2 marks. Award 1 mark for a reference to one of the themes of remembrance/ thankfulness/pride. Skill: Relationship.

For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 6

Answer

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Unit 6

For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon This is a famous poem about World War I. The fourth verse is often recited at Remembrance Day services in November. The poet, Laurence Binyon, worked as a volunteer in hospitals during the war.

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children, England mourns for her dead across the sea.

Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit, Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.

There is music in the midst of desolation And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted, They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again; They sit no more at familiar tables of home; 7KH\ KDYH QR ORW LQ RXU ODERXU RI WKH GD\ WLPH They sleep beyond England’s foam.

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)HOW DV D ZHOO VSULQJ WKDW LV KLGGHQ IURP VLJKW To the innermost heart of their own land they are known

Unit 6

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,

As the stars are known to the Night; As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain, As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,

For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon

To the end, to the end, they remain.

‘For the Fallen’, by Laurence Binyon.

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Unit 6

Word meaning

?

1

Name:

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children.

What does the word proud mean in this line?

1 mark

2

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

Which word is closest in meaning to weary in this line? Tick one. injure disgust sicken tire

3

1 mark

Look at the fourth verse. Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘punish’.

1 mark

For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon

4

The poet uses the words laughing comrades to describe the soldiers.

Give two things that these words tell you about the soldiers.

1 mark

5

What does the poet mean when he says the soldiers sleep beyond England’s foam?

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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1

Unit 6

Mix it up!

Name:

According to the first verse, what relationship does England have to her soldiers?

1 mark

2

Look at the third verse. What impressions do you get of the fallen soldiers at this point? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Impression

Evidence

3 marks

3

To the end, to the end, they remain.

What is the effect of using repetition in this line?

1 mark

Draw lines to match each verse to its main idea. One has been done for you.

Verse 1

Even though we are sad we can still be proud.

Verse 2

We will not forget them.

Verse 3

The men were happy to go and brave until the end.

Verse 4

The country is in mourning for its fallen soldiers.

2 marks

5

What is the main message of the poem?

For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon

4

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 7

Sky Song

by Abi Elphinstone

Prediction

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 82 to 85

Abi Elphinstone is well known for creating wonderfully atmospheric magical settings. Following the adventures of Eska and Flint as they travel the lands of Erkenwald to defeat the evil Ice Queen, Sky Song is sure to excite all readers. In this extract, we learn about the Ice Queen’s rise to power. This theme is worth exploring across a range of texts Year 6 children may have already read. This text is linked to The Snow Queen (Progress check 1).

Once the Progress check has been completed, you could compare and contrast the themes, settings and characters of both texts.

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 This text shares some themes with fairy tales and traditional tales. Can you name some common themes found in fairy tales?

Suggestions might include: good triumphing over evil; magical settings; heroes and villains; references to royalty; heroes overcoming a problem. Answers will vary according to the children’s understanding of the genre.

2 The main character in our extract is the evil Ice Queen. Who is your favourite fictional villain? Why? Answers will vary here depending on the children’s exposure to different texts. However, they should all be able to contribute a fictional villain and their reasons why.

Fiction

3 This text is set in an imaginary snowy kingdom, a little like the Arctic. What do you already know about the Arctic?

Answers should mention the weather, terrain, animals and people. If the children find this challenging, use the resources in the Reading list to increase their background knowledge.

4 Can you think of any other stories you have read that are set in the Arctic, or other similar habitats?

Answers will vary but most children should be able to contribute a number of different stories that have been a focus in school or in their own reading.

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary command

faith

glacier

lingers

loyalty

only a matter of time

plucked

safe passage

shaman

staff

tethering

wield

Vocabulary discussion questions O

If a feeling lingers, does it stay or go away quickly?

O

Does staff only mean a group of people, like the staff at our school, or can it have another meaning?

O

If we were tethering something to a tree, what would we be doing?

O

If the head teacher gave you command of our school, what changes would you make?

O

Can you wield a football? Why? Why not?

Vocabulary activities O

Loyalty and faith are both positive characteristics. How many synonyms can the children generate for the two words? Are there any synonyms that link the two terms?

O

The extract includes idioms and other turns of phrase (e.g. safe passage and only a matter of time). Explore what these mean and when they might be used. Can the children find other idioms with similar meanings or themes?

O

The text also includes vocabulary that is specific to the setting (e.g. ‘tribe’; ‘skin-boat’; ‘igloo’). You may wish to explore these terms.

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4 Skills focus

See pages 80 to 81

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 prediction.

1 Who are the main characters in this extract?

The Sky Gods; the North Star; Slither; the Ice Queen.

It is worth drawing the children’s attention to the fact that ‘the smallest Sky God’ and the Ice Queen are the same character – the Ice Queen is only mentioned by name in the final three paragraphs. Some children may suggest the Tusk chief or members of the Tusk Tribe. In this case, explain that these characters are only mentioned in passing.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 7 Modelling slides and the Modelling prediction guidance on page 80.

3 The Ice Queen is the villain in this story. What details from the text make this clear?

She takes over; she persuades Slither to kill the chief; she becomes stronger as people start to hate each other; she controls the tribe.

4 Did you enjoy the story? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary. Encourage the children to justify their responses using the text (e.g. I thought it was interesting because it contrasted what life was like before and after the Ice Queen came to power).

3 Explore O

O

O

Explore life in the Arctic today for indigenous peoples such as the Saami, Chukchi, Aleut and Inuit. You could use resources (see Reading list) to compare and contrast life in the Arctic with life in the United Kingdom today (e.g. You could discuss homes; clothing; food; everyday activities; festivals).

Discuss how the Ice Queen controls Slither by promising him power if he kills the chief of the tribe.

Ask the children if they have ever been promised something for doing something else, possibly something that they would not normally do? How can they make the right decision in these situations?

Who can they talk to? You may wish to expand this discussion to include pressure to accept ‘dares’ or the pressure the children may face on social media.

The author uses highly descriptive language to create an atmosphere of magic and mystery. Discuss the author’s language choices (e.g. ‘spun hammocks from moonlight’; ‘whispers of the fallen star calling out’) and their effect on the reader.

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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: Use the texts in the Reading list to research the myths and legends of indigenous cultures in the Arctic. The children could choose their favourite story to perform in a special story-time session for a younger year group.

O

Writing task: The children could research other indigenous groups from around the world, culminating in a class book. You could also make a link to British history and colonialism, referring back to the Ice Queen taking over Erkenwald in the text.

Prediction

2 The children can then attempt the Prediction questions on page 84.

Reading list Fiction The Dreaded Ogress of the Tundra by Neil Christopher The Eye of the North by Sinéad O’Hart How Things Came to Be by Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen (Linked text: Progress check 1) Class reads Winter Magic by Abi Elphinstone (ed) Non-fiction Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights by Debbie S. Miller Avati by Mia Pelletier Expedition to the Arctic by Alex Woolf North by Nick Dowson Poetry Book of Nature Poetry by J. Patrick Lewis (ed) Films The Eagle Huntress (Altitude Film Distribution, 2016) Websites The Canadian Encyclopedia website provides information on Arctic indigenous peoples in Canada.

Fiction

2 The extract describes Erkenwald before the Ice Queen took power. What was life like in Erkenwald?

Peaceful and wonderful. Accept any reference to Erkenwald being a positive or happy place to live.

Encourage the children to link their answers to the text (e.g. ‘They spun hammocks from moonlight … and that meant the world was as it should be.’).

Unit 7

2 First steps

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Unit 7

Modelling prediction

See Unit 7 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 22 to 23) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 ‘The Sky Gods will start dancing again by the end of the story.’ Do you think this prediction is correct?

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Yes, because the story is similar to a fairy tale and good always triumphs in fairy tales. The Sky Gods will dance if the evil Ice Queen is defeated.

Encourage the children to remind themselves why the Sky Gods were dancing. Explain that this question would be worth two marks, so the explanation needs to include two points. You may wish to hold a class vote on whether they agree or disagree with the prediction before exploring reasons why. It is important to explore how successful the children’s justifications are – you could use the ABC model of discussion (agree with, build upon, challenge) to facilitate this.

2 Look at the fifth paragraph. What do you think the Tusk Tribe will do next? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

They will do whatever the Ice Queen tells them to do because she is controlling them.

Model using the locator and identifying key words. Answers will vary depending on the children’s personal responses to the text. Encourage them to discuss their predictions and link them back to the text before deciding on a final response as a class. You may wish to use a graphic organiser to model structuring your response (see Skills guide page 23).

3 Look at the last paragraph. What do you think Slither will do next?

He will use the magic to gain more power.

Model using the locator and identifying key words. The children will benefit from discussing their predictions and linking them back to the text. You could extend this question by requiring them to justify their responses (e.g. ‘He will use magic to gain more power because that’s why he killed the Tusk Chief in the first place’).

4 What do you think the reign of the Ice Queen will be like? Explain your answer using the text.

Frightening, because she could use her magic to persuade others to kill. The text says the North Star stopped her ‘before she could spread her evil across the land’.

Model identifying the key words and discuss the expectations of the question. Prompt the children to scan back through the text to find all mentions of the Ice Queen. You may wish to model underlining or highlighting each mention. The children will benefit from discussing their predictions and linking them back to the text prior to deciding on their final response. Explain that the question would be worth two marks, so the explanation needs to include two points.

Sky Song, by Abi Elphinstone

Prediction questions mark scheme

See page 84

Answer

Guidance

1

But darkness can come to any kingdom OR so it came to Erkenwald OR knew it was only a matter of time OR before long, someone did OR the Sky Gods stopped dancing then

Accept quoted and paraphrased responses. Some children may state that the first paragraph is very positive compared to the rest of the extract. Do not accept this unless it is explained in the context of the atmosphere of the text changing after this point.

Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

2

She will be controlling.

She will be sly.

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Encourage the children to look back through the whole text before choosing. You could refer back to your discussion of Modelling question 4. Some children may need to clarify the meaning of ‘sly’ to understand this question. If the children do not immediately think that the Ice Queen is likely to be controlling, refocus them on the sixth paragraph. Award 1 mark for both correct answers ticked.

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Guidance

3

Yes, because he killed the Tusk Chief and he did it because he wanted dark powers, which means he’ll probably do it again to get even more power.

Some children may need support to justify their choice rather than giving a vague response (e.g. ‘Yes, because he’s a bad man’). In this case, you could provide them with a graphic organiser to support their thinking process. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction with one piece of evidence from the text. Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction with two pieces of evidence from the text.

4

The Ice Queen Advances

5

No

Some children may choose the second distractor. If so, refocus them on the sixth paragraph as it proves that this has already happened. Encourage them to justify their response after the questions are completed to gauge the depth of their understanding. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Some children may assume that they will be awarded 1 mark for just choosing ‘yes’ or ‘no’. In this case, explain that the 2 marks relates to their justification only. Award 1 mark for an answer ticked plus one piece of appropriate evidence. Award 2 marks for an answer ticked plus two pieces of appropriate evidence.

See page 85

?

Answer

Guidance

1

the northern lights

Some children may answer with a vague response referring only to lights/colours. If so, remind them to be specific in their answers and refocus them on the first paragraph. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

2

(was) drawn to

Some children may only respond with ‘drawn’. In this case, remind them to look for a group of words. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Word meaning.

3

It makes you think about the magic shooting out the shape of the bridge like a snake moving. OR Snakes are often bad or dangerous in stories so it shows that the Ice Queen’s magic is evil.

Some children may provide a vague response (e.g. ‘It looks like a snake’). In this case, refocus them on the snake’s movement – why might the author have used this image? Award 1 mark for reference to the effect of the imagery. Skill: Word choice.

4

Impression: foolish

The children have encountered the impressions and evidence format many times. However, you could discuss the grid format and how to respond to this type of question. Award 1 mark for an appropriate impression. Award 2 marks for one impression plus supporting evidence. Award 3 marks for two impressions plus at least one piece of supporting evidence.

Skill: Inference.

Evidence: He believes the whispers.

Impression: ambitious Evidence: He kills the chief to get power.

5

The Rise of the Ice Queen

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If some children find this challenging, you could provide them with options to choose from. You may also wish to encourage all children to justify their choice of title once the questions have been completed. Award 1 mark for any plausible title.

Skill: Summarising.

Sky Song, by Abi Elphinstone

Because she can use her magic to control everybody and everything. Also, there are no heroic characters in the story yet – she has everybody on her side.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 7

Answer

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Unit 7

Sky Song, by Abi Elphinstone Sky Song tells the story of Eska and Flint, who make the perilous journey to the Never Cliffs to find an ancient song with the power to defeat the evil Ice Queen and free the kingdom of Erkenwald. This extract introduces Erkenwald and explains how the Ice Queen came to power.

Because magic often lingers long after it has been used, the power of the Frost Horn hovered over Erkenwald, and as time went by the people learnt how to use it. They spun hammocks from moonlight which granted wonderful dreams; they trapped sunbeams in lanterns which burned through the winter months; they stored wind inside gemstones which granted their boats safe passage through the stormy seas. And the people knew all was well in their kingdom whenever they saw the northern lights.

For those rippling colours were a sign that the Sky Gods were dancing – and that meant the world was as it should be. But darkness can come to any kingdom, and so it came to Erkenwald.

Sky Song, by Abi Elphinstone

The smallest Sky God grew jealous of the North Star’s power and, seeking to rule Erkenwald herself, she pulled away from the constellation one winter night and plunged towards Earth. The North Star acted swiftly and trapped her in a glacier before she could spread her evil across the land. But the Sky Gods stopped dancing then because they knew that it was only a matter of time before someone heard the whispers of the fallen star calling out behind the ice. And, before long, someone did.

One night, Slither, the shaman for the Tusk Tribe, was drawn to the glacier and he listened as the voice within promised him dark powers if he killed his chief and made it look like a plot brewed by the Fur and Feather Tribes using Erkenwald’s trusted magic. Although the words were only whispers, they plucked at Slither’s heart and, believing all they said, the shaman slew the Tusk Chief while he slept with an enchanted knife. In the weeks that followed, distrust between the tribes gave way to hatred and faith in Erkenwald’s magic died. And it was then that Slither climbed back into his VNLQ ERDW DQG SDGGOHG EHQHDWK WKH FOLIIV WRZDUGV WKH JODFLHU Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 7

The voice was still there, only it was louder now – as if the hatred between the tribes had given it fresh force – and this time Slither could make out the body of a woman behind the ice. She was tall and slim, with skin as white as marble and lips a cold pale blue. Her eyelashes were crusted with frost, her silver hair twisted through a crown of snowflakes and in her hand she held a staff of glittering black ice. Slither raised a palm towards the Ice Queen and, because this was a palm that had done a terrible thing, it melted the frozen wall before him and the woman stepped out from WKH JODFLHU DQG LQWR WKH VNLQ ERDW

Winterfang Palace was born; the reign of the Ice Queen had begun. And to reward his loyalty, the Ice Queen gave Slither command of the Tusk Tribe and taught him how to wield the very darkest magic.

Sky Song, by Abi Elphinstone

She held up her staff and thunder rumbled across the sky as every man, woman and child in the Tusk Tribe, now locked under the Ice Queen’s hold, stepped out of their igloos. They watched in silence as she pointed her staff towards the glacier she had been trapped inside. An enormous chunk of ice broke free from its tip and slid into the sea, but it did not drift away. The Ice Queen waved her staff and a bridge snaked out between the cliff and the iceberg, tethering it in place.

Then domes, turrets and towers formed, shooting out of the iceberg with HDU VSOLWWLQJ FUDFNV XQWLO finally, there stood a shimmering fortress carved entirely from ice.

From Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone, Simon & Schuster, 2018, copyright © Abi Elphinstone, 2018. Reproduced with permission of the publisher.

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Unit 7

Prediction 1

Name:

Look at the first two paragraphs. What clues does the text give you that things will change in Erkenwald?

2 marks

2

How is the Ice Queen likely to behave in the rest of the story? Tick two.

She will be respectful.

She will be kind.

She will be sly.

She will be controlling.

She will be playful.

3

1 mark

Do you think that Slither will stay a villain for the rest of the story? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

4

Which of the following would be the most effective title for the next chapter in the story? Tick one.

Erkenwald Celebrates The Tusk Tribe Are Defeated The Ice Queen Advances

Sky Song, by Abi Elphinstone

The Palace Crumbles 5

1 mark

Do you think that the Ice Queen will ever be defeated?

Yes

No

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

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1

Unit 7

Mix it up!

Name:

What did the people of Erkenwald use to check whether the Sky Gods were dancing?

1 mark

2

Look at the third paragraph. Find and copy a group of words that means the same as ‘attracted to’.

1 mark

3

The Ice Queen waved her staff and a bridge snaked out between the cliff and the iceberg, tethering it in place.

Why do you think the author used the words snaked out to describe the bridge?

1 mark

What impressions do you get of Slither? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Impression

Evidence

3 marks

5

Look at the whole text. What title could be used to summarise the story?

Sky Song, by Abi Elphinstone

4

1 mark

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Progress check 1

The Snow Queen

by Hans Christian Andersen Printable text

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 87 to 89

This fairy tale tells the story of Gerda’s journey to defeat the menacing Snow Queen. In this extract, a reindeer implores a woman to help Gerda. The text is written in Hans Christian Andersen’s classic style, with beautiful descriptive language used to set the wintery scene. This extract shares a similar setting to that explored in our Unit 7 text, Sky Song. After the Progress check has been completed, you could make links between the two texts.

For guidance on running this task, see page 11.

Progress check questions mark scheme

?

Answer

Guidance

1

eye and heart

Some children may respond with only one answer. If so, after the Progress check is completed, you could discuss the fact that the use of the plural ‘splinters’ suggests it is looking for more than one location. Award 1 mark for both correct answers.

Skill: Retrieval.

2

keep/sustain

Some children may explain their point using the Snow Queen (e.g. ‘The Queen will keep her power over Gerda’s friend’). This is correct, but the explanation is not necessary. In this case, after the Progress check is completed, you could discuss how to keep their answers specific. Award 1 mark for any appropriate synonym.

Skill: Word meaning.

3

Impression: kind

The children should have already encountered the word ‘impression’. However, some may benefit from revisiting the language of this question type and how to approach the impressions and evidence grid format. Award 1 mark for an appropriate impression. Award 2 marks for one impression plus supporting evidence. Award 3 marks for two impressions plus at least one piece of supporting evidence. Skill: Inference.

Evidence: He is helping Gerda get to the Snow Queen’s palace.

Impression: determined Evidence: He does exactly what the woman tells him to do to help Gerda succeed.

Travelling through the blizzard

5

Annoyed because he has glass in his eye and heart so he thinks the Snow Queen is wonderful and will not want to leave.

Fiction

4

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This question may prove challenging due to the use of military imagery to describe the angels. If the children select the first distractor, discuss the extract after the Progress check is completed (e.g. Who is with Gerda in those sentences? How do we know this?). Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Skill: Summarising.

The prediction will likely relate to the lines: “’Tis true little Kay is at the Snow Queen’s …”. Some children may respond that Kay will be happy or excited. If so, check their understanding. If a child has justified their response with an explanation relating to ‘seeing his friend’, award 1 mark. Award 2 marks only if their justification also links to Kay not wishing to be saved (e.g. ‘He will be happy to see his friend but will not want to leave the Snow Queen’s palace’).

Award 1 mark for a plausible emotion. Award 2 marks for a plausible emotion plus an explanation linked to the text.

Skill: Prediction.

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1

Name:

Where did Kay have splinters of glass?

1 mark

2

“These must be got out first; otherwise he will never go back to mankind, and the Snow Queen will retain her power over him.”

What does the word retain mean in this sentence?

Progress check 1

Progress check 1

1 mark

Read from the beginning of the text to … dreadful icy Finland. What impressions do you get of the reindeer? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Impression

Evidence

3 marks

4

5

Look at the paragraph beginning Little Gerda repeated the Lord’s Prayer. Which subheading best summarises the content of this paragraph? Tick one.

Surrounded by soldiers

The Snow Queen arrives

Travelling through the blizzard

Gerda and the reindeer

1 mark

How do you think Kay will feel about Gerda coming to save him? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Andersen

3

2 marks

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Progress check 1

The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Andersen Even though The Snow Queen was published over one hundred and fifty years ago, the story is still loved by children all over the world. In the story, the heroine, Gerda, travels to the Snow Queen’s palace to save her friend Kay, who has been kidnapped. In this extract, a reindeer takes Gerda to a woman to ask for her advice.

But the Reindeer begged so hard for little Gerda, and Gerda looked so imploringly with tearful eyes at the Finland woman, that she winked, and drew the Reindeer aside into a corner, where they whispered together, while the animal got some fresh ice put on his head. “’Tis true little Kay is at the Snow Queen’s, and finds everything there quite to his taste; and he thinks it the very best place in the world; but the reason of that is, he has a splinter of glass in his eye, and in his heart. These must be got out first; otherwise he will never go back to mankind, and the Snow Queen will retain her power over him.”

The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Andersen

“But can you give little Gerda nothing to take which will endue her with power over the whole?”

“I can give her no more power than what she has already. Don’t you see how great it is? Don’t you see how men and animals are forced to serve her; how well she gets through the world barefooted? She must not hear of her power from us; that power lies in her heart, because she is a sweet and innocent child!

If she cannot get to the Snow Queen by herself, and rid little Kay of the glass, we cannot help her. Two miles hence the garden of the Snow Queen begins; thither you may carry the little girl. Set her down by the large bush with red berries, standing in the snow; don’t stay talking, but hasten back as fast as possible.” And now the Finland woman placed little Gerda on the Reindeer’s back, and off he ran with all imaginable speed.

“Oh! I have not got my boots! I have not brought my gloves!” cried little Gerda.

She remarked she was without them from the cutting frost; but the Reindeer dared not stand still; on he ran till he came to the great bush with the red berries, and there he set Gerda down, kissed her mouth, while large bright tears flowed from the animal’s eyes, and then back he went as fast as possible. There stood poor Gerda now, without shoes or gloves, in the very middle of dreadful icy Finland.

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Progress check 1

6KH UDQ RQ DV IDVW DV VKH FRXOG 7KHUH WKHQ FDPH D ZKROH UHJLPHQW RI VQRZ flakes, but they did not fall from above, and they were quite bright and shining from the Aurora Borealis. The flakes ran along the ground, and the nearer they came the larger they grew. Gerda well remembered how large and strange the VQRZ IODNHV DSSHDUHG ZKHQ VKH RQFH VDZ WKHP WKURXJK D PDJQLI\LQJ JODVV EXW now they were large and terrific in another manner – they were all alive. They were the outposts of the Snow Queen. They had the most wondrous shapes; some looked like large ugly porcupines; others like snakes knotted together, with their heads sticking out; and others, again, like small fat bears, with the KDLU VWDQGLQJ RQ HQG DOO ZHUH RI GD]]OLQJ ZKLWHQHVV ¤ DOO ZHUH OLYLQJ VQRZ IODNHV Little Gerda repeated the Lord’s Prayer. The cold was so intense that she could see her own breath, which came like smoke out of her mouth. It grew thicker and thicker, and took the form of little angels, that grew more and more when they touched the earth. All had helms on their heads, and lances and shields in their hands; they increased in numbers; and when Gerda had finished the Lord’s Prayer, she was surrounded by a whole legion. They thrust at the horrid VQRZ IODNHV ZLWK WKHLU VSHDUV VR WKDW WKH\ IOHZ LQWR D WKRXVDQG SLHFHV DQG OLWWOH Gerda walked on bravely and in security. The angels patted her hands and feet; and then she felt the cold less, and went on quickly towards the palace of the Snow Queen.

The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Andersen

But now we shall see how Kay fared. He never thought of Gerda, and least of all that she was standing before the palace.

From ‘The Snow Queen’, from Andersen’s Fairy Tales, by Hans Christian Andersen.

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Unit 8

Tin

by Pádraig Kenny

Inference

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 94 to 97

Robots and new inventions have always provoked fascination. This text follows a young boy, Christopher, who works as an assistant to the formidable Absalom, an inventor who creates and sells mechanical children.

Pádraig Kenny builds up an interesting picture of Christopher’s conflicted relationship to the mechanicals he helps to create. You could discuss this text alongside Unit 9 and Unit 14, which share some of the same themes.

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 This text is a fantasy story. What features would you expect to find in a fantasy story?

Features discussed may include: an imaginary setting; (conflict between) good/evil characters; magic. As fantasy is a hugely varied genre, the children may have differing opinions.

2 In this story, the main character works for an engineer (a person who designs or invents machines). Can you name any famous inventors and inventions?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. As Absalom’s occupation is key to the extract, you may wish to spend time exploring the theme of inventors and inventions.

Fiction

3 The engineer in this story develops mechanical children. What do you know about robots?

Have you read other texts about robots?

Answers will vary. Again, a class discussion would be useful here as this is an important theme in the extract. See the Reading list for some suggested resources.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary abode

billowing

capering

concoctions

condolences

mannequins

mechanical

oblivious

rudimentaries

sentience

the stars were aligning

vivacity

Vocabulary discussion questions O

If you are oblivious to something, are you paying attention to it? Why?

O

Where is your abode?

O

When might you offer someone your condolences?

Vocabulary activities O

The word sentience ends with ‘–ence’, a suffix that is used to make a verb or adjective into a noun. Can the children think of other words that end in ‘–ence’?

O

The stars were aligning is an idiomatic phrase meaning ‘things were going to turn out well’.

Can the children name any other idioms with similar meanings?

O

Rudimentaries comes from the word ‘rudimentary’, which means basic or minimal.

Challenge the children to find synonyms for ‘rudimentary’.

4 In this story, the main character is a child who has a job. Do children have jobs in our country?

Is it the same around the world?

The children may discuss older siblings who have jobs, or ‘jobs’ they do at home. You could discuss how some children had to work in the past, or how in other countries some children work instead of going to school.

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See pages 92 to 93

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 What is Christopher’s relationship to Absalom?

He works for him as his assistant.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 1 Modelling slides and the Modelling inference guidance on page 92.

2 Who is Jack? Why is he important to the story?

He is a mechanical child built by Absalom and Christopher. He is important to the story because Absalom is trying to sell him but he’s Christopher’s friend and Christopher doesn’t want him to go.

2 The children can then attempt the Inference questions on page 96.

3 Where are Absalom, Christopher and Jack going?

Why? They are going to Mr Chapman’s house to try to sell Jack to him.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 92 to 93.

4 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s reactions to the text. The children should be able to justify their responses (e.g. I liked the text but I didn’t like Absalom because he seemed selfish).

3 Explore O

O

Fantasy stories often feature both positive and negative characters. Discuss the idea of positive and negative characters. Are characters always either completely good or completely bad, or can they be a mixture of the two? Discuss the characters of Christopher and Absalom. Who is a positive character? Who is a negative character? Talk about whether Christopher is completely positive and Absalom is completely negative, and why.

Humans have been designing and creating mechanical objects for thousands of years, beginning with automata, mechanical objects that danced or moved, and now with robots. Research the history of robots together, finding out about early inventions and how we expect robots to develop in the future.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 97 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The text includes a significant amount of dialogue between the characters. The children could dramatise the scene in groups to get a better insight into the characters and their motivations.

O

Writing task: The children could create their own advertisement for Jack, the mechanical child. By this point in Year 6, the children should be familiar with the features of persuasive language. However, you may wish to discuss these together before beginning this task.

Unit 8

4 Skills focus

Inference

2 First steps

Reading list Fiction The Boy Who Flew by Fleur Hitchcock Pog by Pádraig Kenny Runaway Robot by Frank Cottrell-Boyce The Tin Forest by Helen Ward The Wild Robot by Peter Brown The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown Wildspark by Vashti Hardy

O

Robots are now designed to make people’s lives easier (e.g. by vacuuming the floor in a house) or go to places that are dangerous for humans (e.g. going on space walks). Discuss with the children what type of robot they would design to help them at school.

They could then work together to design their own robot, thinking through the problems they would like their own robot to solve.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum (Linked text: Unit 9) Class reads The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher Non-fiction 100 Inventions That Made History by DK 125 Cool Inventions by National Geographic Kids Awesome Robotics Projects for Kids by Bob Katovich Robot by DK Poetry ‘I Made a Robot’ by Michael Rosen

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Fiction

Robots by Nathan Lepora

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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 Look at the first paragraph. Why did Christopher look at Jack?

Because Jack’s joints were squeaking.

This question includes a locator, so it is important to model using this to locate the correct paragraph in the text. You may wish to remind the children that sometimes a question may use a synonym of the key word in the text. You could gather possible synonyms for ‘look’ before scanning the text to find the correct word (‘glanced’). You may also wish to discuss how although Christopher looked at Jack because of his joints, he did this because he was worried about Absalom’s reaction.

2 “He did. He even checked me for loose rivets,” said Jack. Why did Jack say this?

Jack wanted to save Christopher from being told off by Absalom.

This question includes a quotation. However, it is important to model locating the quote within the text and reading around it. Some of the children will be tempted to only use the quote in the question, so spend time discussing why it is important to go back and read around the quotation in the text rather than just relying on the question. You may wish to discuss whether what Jack is saying is the truth, before talking about why he might have said this and modelling your written response.

3 “What’s wrong?” said Jack. “Nothing,” Christopher replied. How does Christopher actually feel at this point in the story? Why? He is upset because his friend Jack is going to be sold.

Again, this question includes a quotation. However, it is important to model locating this within the text and reading around it. You may wish to use the children’s own experiences to support their comprehension here (e.g. by discussing whether the children have ever said ‘nothing’ when really they were feeling upset or annoyed). It is important to draw the children’s attention to the fact that this question requires two pieces of information: both the emotion and a reason why Christopher feels that way.

4 Do you think Christopher enjoys working for Absalom? Explain your answer using the text.

No, because he is afraid of Absalom and he talks about Absalom’s scarecrows being embarrassing.

This question does not include a locator and is about the whole text, so you may wish to bring this to the children’s attention. You may wish to discuss the children’s opinions here as they may be mixed. You could model discussing and writing a response for a range of opinions (e.g. yes; no; sometimes). You could also point out that this question type will often require them to give two points to explain their response. You may wish to reread the text together, highlighting how Christopher is feeling throughout (e.g. ‘nervous’; ‘anxious’).

Tin, by Pádraig Kenny

Inference questions mark scheme

See page 96

Answer

Guidance

1

glaring OR scowled

As this is a ‘find and copy’ question, remind the children that we are only looking for a single word. If they find this challenging, discuss words that show annoyance. Award 1 mark for a correct answer.

2

Because he was looking forward to making a sale/making money.

Some of the children may answer vaguely (e.g. ‘He was happy’).

In this case, refocus them on the question word ‘why’ – why did Absalom feel that way? Award 1 mark for a plausible explanation.

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Guidance

The children need to understand the word ‘arrogant’ to make the correct inference. If they find this challenging, ask them to make their own impression and then choose the closest word to it as their response. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

3

arrogant

4

Because he was worried that Mr Chapman was getting angry with them.

This question includes a quote but no locator. If the children find locating this sentence a challenge, direct them to the last paragraph. Award 1 mark for reference to Mr Chapman’s reaction to Absalom.

5

He’s determined because he has practised with the boys how they should speak to the customer.

Remind the children that this question is about the whole text rather than a single event. You could discuss separately how the reader’s view of Absalom changes throughout the extract.

Award 1 mark for a plausible impression. Award 2 marks for a plausible impression with appropriate evidence from the text.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 97

?

Guidance

1

wished

2

that he moved around quickly to face Christopher

The children need to think about the group of words in context rather than a single word. Reference to only ‘wheeled’ being a quick movement is not sufficient. Award 1 mark for reference to Absalom moving around quickly. Skill: Word choice.

3

oil Jack’s joints

Some children may refer to Jack’s rivets. If so, refocus them on the words ‘supposed to’ – this question is about something Christopher was told to do. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

4

Feeling: happy

If the children find this challenging, you could suggest that they find some evidence for each character’s opinion, and then decide on an appropriate feeling. Award 1 mark for one plausible feeling. Award 2 marks for one plausible feeling for each character or one feeling with one piece of evidence.

Award 3 marks for one plausible feeling for each character and at least one piece of evidence. Skill: Comparison.

Evidence: He ‘grinned’ at Christopher/ to himself.

Feeling: upset/worried Evidence: It says he felt a ‘cold sinking sensation’.

5

I think he will invite Absalom in because Absalom is a good salesman.

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Many of the children may choose the distractor ‘wanted’. If so, discuss ‘wanted’ – is it a close enough synonym? Is ‘wanting’ something the same as ‘willing’ it to happen? Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Word meaning.

The children’s background knowledge and prior reading may influence their predictions. However, any plausible prediction should be accepted provided it is linked to the events or characterisation of 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.

Tin, by Pádraig Kenny

Answer

Unit 8

Answer

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Unit 8

Tin, by Pàdraig Kenny This is an extract from a story about Christopher, a boy who works for an engineer called Absalom who makes mechanical children. At this point in the story, Absalom is trying to sell a mechanical boy called Jack.

Snow was falling from the night sky, and all the world was cold and hushed except for the regular metallic squeaking of Jack’s joints. Christopher glanced at Jack, but the mechanical looked straight ahead, oblivious to the sound. Absalom was walking a few feet in front, his thin black coat billowing around him.

Squeak squeak.

Christopher willed the sound to stop.

Squeak squeak.

Absalom wheeled around, raising his tall spidery frame up to its full height.

“I thought I told you to oil him before we left the yard,” he said, glaring down at Christopher.

“I did, Mr Absalom.”

The truth was, in all the panic of their hurried departure, Christopher had completely forgotten to oil Jack’s joints.

Absalom scowled at him.

Tin, by Pádraig Kenny

“He did. He even checked me for loose rivets,” said Jack.

“Fix your hair,” said Absalom, flapping his hand at Jack, who pulled down the edges of his wig and grinned at Christopher. Christopher smiled weakly in response. Ever since Absalom had informed them that there might be the possibility of an actual sale in Aylesbury, he’d felt an awful, cold sinking sensation in his chest. Absalom hadn’t made a real sale in quite a long time, except for his scarecrows, which were frankly embarrassing concoctions. The most recent had walked out of its field and was found three months later, ten miles away, face down in a river. But this time, Absalom had told them, ‘the stars were aligning’. A sale was most definitely on the cards, and after a bit of gleeful capering around his office he told Jack to replace his regular red hair with a brown wig ¨EHFDXVH QRERG\ EX\V JLQJHUV DZIXO VLFNO\ ORRNLQJ WKLQJV© -DFN GLGQ©W PLQG +H ZDV secretly delighted at the possibility of being sold, although Jack being Jack, he was too KDUG KHDGHG WR VKRZ LW (YHQ VR &KULVWRSKHU KDG FDXJKW KLP JULQQLQJ WR KLPVHOI RQ WKH way over in the truck.

Christopher stole another anxious glance at Jack as they walked along the street. He was grinning to himself again, but this time he noticed Christopher was watching. Christopher looked away quickly.

“What’s wrong?” said Jack.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Absalom’s mood was improving. He looked up in amazement at the falling snow.

“Beautiful. I couldn’t have planned it better if I’d arranged it myself.” +H VLJQDOOHG WKHP WR VWRS KDOIZD\ DORQJ D URZ RI UHG EULFN KRXVHV FODVSHG KLV KDQGV together and grinned at the two boys.

Unit 8

“Nothing,” Christopher replied.

“Here we are so. Number ten is the abode we require. Remember what we practised, Jack.”

“Yes, Mr Absalom.”

“Christopher.”

“Yes, Mr Absalom?”

“Stand up straight, look smart. Remember, you’re assistant to the greatest engineer in all of Britain.”

“Yes, Mr Absalom.”

The door they faced was dark green with a dull brass knocker. Absalom straightened himself up, took the knocker and gave it three confident raps. He spoke to the boys without looking at them: “Smile, lads.”

There were a few moments of silence broken only by the soft fizz of falling snow, then the sound of a bolt being thrown back. The door opened, and Absalom smiled his broadest smile.

A man in his thirties with a curly mop of hair poked his head out.

“Yes?” he said.

Absalom gave a small bow.

“Mr Chapman, allow me to introduce myself. I am Mr Gregory Absalom, a creator of rudimentaries, mannequins, mechanicals and machines of varying sentience, variety and vivacity.”

He snapped his wrist and a business card appeared in his hand. Before Mr Chapman knew what was happening, he’d taken the card and was looking at it with a dazed expression.

He looked up, his head bobbing, eyes blinking, as if he’d just been punched.

“I’m … I’m sorry, what’s this about?”

“Word has reached me, sir, of your personal tragedy. Please accept my sincerest condolences, late though they may be.”

The man’s face whitened. “Who told you? How is that any of your … who told you?” he demanded.

Christopher felt suddenly nervous. He tried to catch Absalom’s eye, but the engineer was too busy fixing the man with a look that was both sympathetic and predatory.

Tin, by Pádraig Kenny

Absalom clasped his hands together in a gesture of prayer, and took on a sombre cast.

From Tin, by Pádraig Kenny. Text © Pádraig Kenny 2018. Reproduced with permission of Chicken House Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Unit 8

Inference 1

Name:

Read from the beginning of the text to … loose rivets,” said Jack. Find and copy one word that tells you that Absalom was annoyed with Christopher.

1 mark

2

He signalled them to stop halfway along a row of red-brick houses, clasped his hands together and grinned at the two boys.

Why was Absalom grinning?

1 mark

3

“Stand up straight, look smart. Remember, you’re assistant to the greatest engineer in all of Britain.”

What impression do you get of Absalom here? Tick one. frustrated arrogant selfish happy

4

1 mark

Christopher felt suddenly nervous.

Why did Christopher feel this way? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Tin, by Pádraig Kenny

1 mark

5

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

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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1

Name:

Christopher willed the sound to stop.

Which of these words is closest in meaning to willed? Tick one. wished

2

Unit 8

Mix it up!

wanted

expected

worried

1 mark

Absalom wheeled around, raising his tall spidery frame up to its full height.

What does the group of words wheeled around tell you about how Absalom moved?

1 mark

3

Read from the beginning of the text to … loose rivets,” said Jack. What was Christopher supposed to do before they left?

1 mark

4

Look at the paragraph beginning “Fix your hair, …” . Compare how Jack and Christopher feel about Jack being sold. Give two feelings, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Feeling

Evidence

Jack feels .

Christopher feels

3 marks

5

What do you think Mr Chapman will do next? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Tin, by Pádraig Kenny

.

2 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 9

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

Retrieval

Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 102 to 105

The wonderful land of Oz has delighted children since 1900. Many will be familiar with the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. This extract focuses on a part of the book not explored in the film, where Dorothy is awaiting her meeting with the Wizard. This text is linked with our Unit 8 text, Tin by Pádraig Kenny, not only for its link to robots and tin men, but also to the theme of journeys and friendship.

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 Has anyone seen the film based on this book?

Can anyone explain its plot?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s exposure to the film and its plot. If no children have seen the film, you may wish to show them the film up to the place where the extract starts.

2 In this story the main character travels to another world. Can you recall any other stories where this happens?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s exposure to different texts. However, most should be able to name some stories that have been a focus in school or in their own reading.

Fiction

3 This text follows the main character Dorothy and her friends on a journey. Can you recall any other stories where the plot focuses on a journey?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s exposure to different texts. All children should remember that the characters in our Unit 8 text, Tin, were setting out on a journey together.

Some children should also be able to contribute examples from their own reading.

4 The characters in this text are hoping for help from a wizard. Have you ever read any other stories about wizards? Are all wizards helpful?

Answers will vary, but the children should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the fact that wizards are powerful because they can do magic.

Some children may answer that some wizards are villains so they would be unlikely to help others.

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary audience

brilliancy

company

contented

counterpane

emeralds

marble

passages

prosperous

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Which are more expensive, pieces of marble or emeralds? Which show more brilliancy?

O

Dorothy keeps the company of four friends: the cowardly lion, the tin man, the scarecrow and her dog Toto. Who do you keep the company of?

O

Is being in the audience at a concert the same as having an audience with the Queen? Why?

O

Are prosperous people guaranteed to be contented? Why?

Vocabulary activities O

The text uses some old-fashioned words to describe the surroundings of the palace (e.g. passages, counterpane and ‘basin’). Can the children find the modern equivalents of these words? Ask them to think about the objects they have at home – can they think of any oldfashioned names for them?

O

The noun brilliancy is related to the adjective ‘brilliant’. Both come from the French word briller which means ‘to shine’. The children could investigate the origins of some words with a similar meaning, such as ‘radiance’.

O

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

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4 Skills focus

See pages 100 to 101

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 In the extract, Dorothy has just arrived in the Emerald City. Dorothy is the main character, but which other characters are featured in the extract?

Lion, Toto, Guardian of the Gates, soldier, green girl.

The children may also answer ‘Dorothy’s friends’.

If some children use extrinsic knowledge to include the Scarecrow and the Tin Man, you could discuss that although they are not mentioned in the passage, they are included when the text mentions ‘Dorothy’s friends’. Encourage them to look carefully for all the characters that are mentioned explicitly in this passage.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 2 Modelling slides and the Modelling retrieval guidance on page 100.

3 Did you enjoy the story? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s own feelings about the text. However, they should be able to justify their responses (e.g. I liked the story because it took me to another world. It made me really feel like I was in Oz surrounded by emerald-coloured things).

3 Explore O

O

O

Ask the children to imagine they have woken up in another world just like Dorothy. Discuss what you would do and how you would cope. You may wish to read some earlier extracts from the novel or share some clips of the film to provide the children with scenarios to discuss (e.g. meeting the Munchkins; escaping the Wicked Witch and her battalion of winged monkeys). The children could work in groups to role-play their actions for each of the scenarios.

Discuss how the author builds up suspense around the character of Oz (e.g. He is referred to as ‘the great Oz’; the soldier has never met him but speaks to him from behind a screen; Oz will only meet one person at a time and one person a day). You could discuss the formal language in phrases such as ‘he will grant you an audience’ and ‘he will admit but one each day’.

The author uses simple descriptive language to set the scene and emphasise the interesting surroundings of the Emerald City. Discuss the effect of certain words and phrases such as ‘Even with eyes protected by the green spectacles, Dorothy and her friends were at first dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful City’. The children could generate descriptive language on a mind-map for alternative cities (e.g. the Ruby City; the Diamond City).

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3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 105 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 100 to 101.

Retrieval

2 The children can then attempt the Retrieval questions on page 104.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The children could work in groups or pairs to discuss the good and bad points of living in the Emerald City. You could then divide them into two groups for a debate about whether it would be more enjoyable to live in the Emerald City or in the real world.

O

Writing task: If the features of diary writing have already been taught, the children could write a short diary entry as Dorothy, focusing on her reflections about her friends and the Emerald City. It is a good idea to revisit the features of diary writing and complete some shared and modelled writing before the children start to write.

Reading list Fiction The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie The Scarecrow and his Servant by Philip Pullman Tin by Pádraig Kenny (Linked text: Unit 8) Twister by Juliette Forrest Class reads The Marvellous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum Non-fiction Tornado! by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin When Disaster Strikes: Extreme Hurricanes and Tornadoes by John Farndon Films The Wizard of Oz (MGM, 1939) Songs Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘The Wizard of Oz’ by Alfred Publishing

Fiction

2 In this extract, is there anything that is not green in the Emerald City?

No. Apart from Dorothy and her friends, everything, even people’s skin, is green.

Unit 9

2 First steps

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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 What kept the visitors safe when they entered the city? green spectacles/glasses Read the question together and model identifying and locating the key words. Although this seems like a simple question, the use of synonyms rather than key words from the text may confuse some children.

Encourage the children to help you think of synonyms for the key words in the question. This is also an ideal chance to check the children understand that the words ‘spectacles’ and ‘glasses’ are synonymous.

2 Look at the second paragraph. Who talked to Dorothy? no-one Read the question together. Model identifying key words such as ‘talked’. Again, you may wish to spend some time discussing possible synonyms for the key words (e.g. ‘spoke’, ‘conversed’). Some children may answer with characters mentioned later in the text (e.g. the soldier or the Guardian of the Gates) to answer. In this case, refocus the children on using the locator to find the appropriate information.

3 Who did Dorothy and her friends meet first? the Guardian of the Gates Read the question together. This question is deceptively tricky as, although it is retrieval, the children will need to use some inference skills to ascertain that the characters are being led through the Emerald City by the Guardian of the Gates, and that they must have met him before the beginning of this extract. If the children find this challenging, encourage them to reread the fourth paragraph, reminding them that sometimes we need to use other skills when retrieving. What clues can they gain from that paragraph to support their retrieval? You could point out that the word ‘until’ shows that the Guardian has been leading Dorothy and her friends for a while, and, as there is no description of their meeting, they must have met before the extract began.

4 Why did the girl in the green silk gown come into the room?

The soldier blew a whistle which summoned her.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

Model identifying the key words and the section in which the girl appears. The children will need to use the key words in the question to find the right instance of ‘the girl’ in the text, as Dorothy is sometimes referred to in this way. Some children may respond vaguely (e.g. ‘The soldier told her to come’). In this case, you may wish to refocus them on the penultimate paragraph, encouraging them to be more specific in their response.

Retrieval questions mark scheme

See page 104

Answer

Guidance

1

The key words in this question are synonymous with those in the text, so remind the children to scan for synonyms of the key words. Some children may answer ‘emeralds’. If so, refocus them on the key question wording ‘a group of words’ and encourage them to read around their answer to extend it. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

rows of emeralds

2

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Some children may find this question challenging as they need to use their reading skills (to scan for the key word ‘Palace’ and find the answer phrase ‘exactly in the middle’) and their spatial awareness. If they struggle, encourage them to remove the obviously incorrect options first. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

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Some children may choose the second distractor as the text includes the key word ‘several’. If so, refocus them on the preceding sentence, ‘He said he will …’. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

3

one each day

4

through seven passages and up three flights of stairs

The children may give vague responses like ‘through passages’ and ‘up the stairs’. These should not be accepted. Instead, the children should be refocused on the word ‘exactly’ and given the opportunity to be specific. Award 1 mark for each correct part of the route, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

5

in the middle of the room OR under/ next to the fountain

If the children find this question challenging, offer a locator (e.g. ‘Look in the last paragraph’, or if additional support is needed, ‘Look at the sentence starting “There was a tiny …”’).

Award 1 mark for a correct answer.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 105

?

Answer

Guidance

1

The city was blinding/shining and amazing.

Some children may need to discuss the meaning of the word ‘brilliance’ and how it can be applied to different contexts in different ways. Award 1 mark for reference to one of the points listed. Award 2 marks for reference to both the points listed. Skill: Word choice.

2

strangely assorted (company)

Some children may focus upon the word ‘strangely’. If so, refocus them on the expectation of the question (It asks for ‘a group of words’). Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Skill: Word meaning.

3

Dorothy and her friends do not have greenish skin but the people living in the city do. There are no animals in the city but one of Dorothy’s friends is a lion.

The children should be encouraged to make a comparison (e.g. ‘They do not have greenish skin but the people living in the city do’) rather than simply stating the difference (e.g. ‘They do not have greenish skin’). Award 1 mark for reference to one plausible difference linked to the text. Award 2 marks for two plausible differences linked to the text. Skill: Comparison.

4

Impression: peculiar

The children should have already encountered the word ‘impression’. If they find this format challenging, encourage them to find their evidence first before deciding on an impression.

Award 1 mark for an appropriate impression. Award 2 marks for one impression plus supporting evidence. Award 3 marks for two impressions plus at least one piece of supporting evidence. Skill: Inference.

Evidence: They have greenish skin.

Impression: wary Evidence: They hide from the lion.

5

The Wonders of the Emerald City

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Unit 9

Guidance

Some children may choose ‘Waiting for Oz’, as the final paragraphs mention the fact that Dorothy and her friends will need to wait to meet him. If so, remind them that summarising means focusing on the main points of the text and discuss the fact that the main thrust of the extract is about the Emerald City itself. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Skill: Summarising.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

Answer

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Unit 9

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum This is an extract from a famous book called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; you may have seen the film version. The text tells the story of Dorothy, who is injured in a tornado and wakes up in another world. This extract is from later in the book, when Dorothy has arrived in the Emerald City and is awaiting her meeting with the all-powerful Wizard of Oz.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

Even with eyes protected by the green spectacles, Dorothy and her friends were at first dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful City. The streets were lined with beautiful houses all built of green marble and studded everywhere with sparkling emeralds. They walked over a pavement of the same green marble, and where the blocks were joined together were rows of emeralds, set closely, and glittering in the brightness of the sun. The window panes were of green glass; even the sky above the City had a green tint, and the rays of the sun were green.

There were many people – men, women, and children – walking about, and these were all dressed in green clothes and had greenish skins. They looked at Dorothy and her strangely assorted company with wondering eyes, and the children all ran away and hid behind their mothers when they saw the Lion; but no one spoke to them. Many shops stood in the street, and Dorothy saw that everything in them was green. Green candy and green pop corn were offered for sale, as well as green shoes, green hats, and green clothes of all sorts. At one place a man was selling green lemonade, and when the children bought it Dorothy could see that they paid for it with green pennies.

There seemed to be no horses nor animals of any kind; the men carried things around in little green carts, which they pushed before them. Everyone seemed happy and contented and prosperous.

The Guardian of the Gates led them through the streets until they came to a big building, exactly in the middle of the City, which was the Palace of Oz, the Great Wizard. There was a soldier before the door, dressed in a green uniform and wearing a long green beard.

“Here are strangers,” said the Guardian of the Gates to him, “and they demand to see the Great Oz.” Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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So they passed through the Palace Gates and were led into a big room with a green carpet and lovely green furniture set with emeralds. The soldier made them all wipe their feet upon a green mat before entering this room, and when they were seated he said politely:

Unit 9

“Step inside,” answered the soldier, “and I will carry your message to him.”

“Please make yourselves comfortable while I go to the door of the Throne Room and tell Oz you are here.”

They had to wait a long time before the soldier returned. When, at last, he came back, Dorothy asked: “Have you seen Oz?” “Oh, no,” returned the soldier; “I have never seen him. But I spoke to him as he sat behind his screen and gave him your message. He said he will grant you an audience, if you so desire; but each one of you must enter his presence alone, and he will admit but one each day. Therefore, as you must remain in the Palace for several days, I will have you shown to rooms where you may rest in comfort after your journey.”

The soldier now blew upon a green whistle, and at once a young girl, dressed in a pretty green silk gown, entered the room. She had lovely green hair and green eyes, and she bowed low before Dorothy as she said, “Follow me and I will show you your room.”

6R 'RURWK\ VDLG JRRG E\H WR DOO KHU IULHQGV H[FHSW 7RWR DQG WDNLQJ WKH GRJ LQ her arms followed the green girl through seven passages and up three flights of stairs until they came to a room at the front of the Palace. It was the sweetest little room in the world, with a soft comfortable bed that had sheets of green silk and a green velvet counterpane. There was a tiny fountain in the middle of the room, that shot a spray of green perfume into the air, to fall back into a beautifully carved green marble basin. Beautiful green flowers stood in the windows, and there was a shelf with a row of little green books.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

“Thank you,” replied the girl; “that is very kind of Oz.”

From The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum.

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Unit 9

Retrieval 1

Name:

Look at the first paragraph. Find and copy a group of words that tells you what was between the paving stones.

1 mark

2

Which diagram best shows the location of the Palace in the City? Tick one.

1 mark

3

When did Oz say he would see Dorothy and her friends? Tick one. the next day after several days

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

one each day after they had gone to their rooms

4

1 mark

Look at the last paragraph. Where exactly did Dorothy go with the girl before they got to Dorothy’s room?

2 marks

5

Where in the room was the basin?

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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1

Unit 9

Mix it up!

Name:

Dorothy and her friends were at first dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful City.

Give two things this sentence suggests about the Emerald City.

2 marks

2

Look at the second paragraph. Find and copy a group of words that tells you Dorothy’s friends were a peculiar-looking group.

1 mark

3

Look at the second and third paragraphs. How are Dorothy and her friends different from the people in the Emerald City? Give two differences.

2 marks

What impressions do you think Dorothy and her friends have of the inhabitants of the Emerald City? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Impression

Evidence

3 marks

5

Which of the following would be the most effective title for this extract? Tick one.

Waiting for Oz The Wonders of the Emerald City Meeting Oz The Guardian of the Gates

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

4

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 10 Inference

Welcome to Nowhere

by Elizabeth Laird Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 110 to 113

Sadly, war and unrest are common themes in the news today. Following the life of a boy, Omar, and his family as they live through the civil war in Syria, Welcome to Nowhere is a perfect fictional introduction to one of the major political crises of our time. As this book deals with the difficult themes of death, bombing raids and life as a refugee, be sensitive to the children’s experiences. Unit 11, the linked text for this unit, is about the young activist Malala Yousafzai and her experiences under the Taliban.

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 is a story about a family’s experiences during a civil war. What is a civil war?

A civil war is a war between people who live in the same country. Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. If they struggle, it is important to spend some time discussing this point, as it will help the children to access the text.

2 Can you name any other texts that are set during a war?

Answers will vary, but all children should be able to make the link to War Horse (Unit 5) if this unit has been completed.

Fiction

3 This story is set in a country called Syria. Where is it? What do you already know about Syria?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. Again, it is important to spend some time exploring this topic to ensure that the children can understand the text. You may wish to look at images of the old city of Bosra together from both before and during the civil war.

4 How would you feel if the United Kingdom went to war?

Scared/worried/upset/angry/excited. Answers will vary according to the children’s opinions and emotions. You could explore the fact that although the UK has been at war during the children’s lifetimes, our experiences of war are very different from those of people living on the frontline.

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary cluster

corruption

demonstrators

government

indignant

intently

politics

repression

rifling

rooting

security

subdued

Vocabulary discussion questions O

If you stood in a cluster of people, would you be easy to find? Why?

O

If you look intently at something, do you glance or stare?

O

If you were rifling through your bag, what would you be doing?

O

Have you ever felt indignant? Why?

Vocabulary activities O

The word politics comes from the Greek word polis meaning ‘city’. The word ‘policy’ comes from the same root. See whether the children can find any more.

O

Corruption and repression are both nouns that describe negative actions. Can the children find any other nouns ending in ‘–tion’ or ‘–sion’ that also have a negative meaning?

O

The text contains some topic-specific words (e.g. ‘Roman’; ‘Ministry of Agriculture’) and some Arabic words (e.g. baba; wallah; habibi).

You may wish to spend some time discussing these words.

O

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

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4 Skills focus

See pages 108 to 109

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 The narrator of this story is a young boy called Omar. What do we know about him? Who is the other main character in our extract, and what do we know about him?

Omar has a dad who works in the government; he sees his cousin Rasoul as his hero; he wants to stay in Bosra and work with him. Rasoul is Omar’s older cousin; he owns the souvenir shop where Omar works; he knows Omar’s dad and has given him advice about his job; he’s planning to leave Syria soon.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 10 Modelling slides and the Modelling inference guidance on page 108.

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: The children could create a political campaign focused on the refugee crisis. They could research, write and film passionate speeches persuading the government to do more to support people fleeing war and persecution.

O

Writing task: Although the war is still going on, the Syrian people are already trying to rebuild their homeland and would like Syria to one day be recognised for its beauty, not only for its war. The children could research aspects of Syrian life and create a leaflet celebrating the country and its people.

3 What do Rasoul and Omar talk about later in the extract?

Omar’s dad’s job; Rasoul leaving Syria; the unrest/ the war.

4 Did you enjoy the story? Why? Why not?

The children should be able to provide reasons to justify their responses (e.g. I didn’t like the fact that Rasoul laughed at Omar when he was upset, but I liked hearing about the souvenir shops).

3 Explore O

O

O

The civil war in Syria started because the government repressed the people by denying them their human rights. Discuss what human rights are and why it is important that they are respected across the world.

Ask if everyone in the world has access to the same rights as people do in the United Kingdom, and what we can do to protect human rights. You could use some of the resources in the Reading list to support your discussion.

Discuss life as a refugee. Encourage the children to imagine how they would feel if they had to move to another country where they had never been before, and where they could only say ‘Hello’ in the local language. How would they feel? How would they hope everyone would react to them? What would they try to do to feel at home?

The author uses some strong descriptive language to add colour and detail to her writing (e.g. ‘indignant little rooster’; ‘a red tide of anger’; ‘tears spurted into my eyes’). Discuss how Elizabeth Laird does this and what the effect of her description is on the reader. You may wish to link your discussion to editing writing, focusing on how the author makes careful choices that have a lot of impact using just a few words.

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Inference

2 The children can then attempt the Inference questions on page 112.

Reading list Fiction Boy 87 by Ele Fountain A Dangerous Crossing by Jane Mitchell Nadine Dreams of Home by Bernard Ashley Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah Class reads Illegal by Eoin Colfer Non-fiction Let’s Look at Syria by Nikki Bruno Clapper ‘Malala Yousafzai: Nobel Award is for All the Voiceless Children’ by The Guardian (Linked text: Unit 11) Stormy Seas by Mary Beth Leatherdale Syrian Heritage by Tamra Orr Who are Refugees and Migrants? by Michael Rosen and Annemarie Young Poetry ‘Lament for Syria’ by Amineh Abou Kerech Websites Refugee Week has an inspiring website.

Youth for Human Rights has an informative website.

Fiction

2 What does Rasoul find out at the start of this extract?

That some demonstrators have been shot; that ‘trouble is blowing up everywhere’ in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

Unit 10

2 First steps

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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 third paragraph. Why do you think the old city was quieter than usual?

There was trouble in the country/people felt it was not safe.

Read the question together. Model using the locator and identifying key words. You could use a graphic organiser (see Skills guide page 21) with the headings ‘What I know’ and ‘What I think’ to help you model your thought process. Some children may say the old city was quieter because the shopkeepers were gathered around Rasoul’s phone. If so, ask them to think about why the shopkeepers were not working.

2 “This government …” He looked quickly round at the group and went quiet, as if he was afraid he’d said too much. Why do you think the man was afraid?

The government were repressing the people. The man could be arrested for saying something against the corrupt regime.

The children need some background knowledge to understand why someone might be afraid of the government in Syria. If they struggle, you could spend some time exploring the climate in Syria in the novel.

You could also model gathering evidence from the rest of the text (e.g. ‘everyone hates government people in Daraa’; ‘repression, arrests – people are getting tired of it’).

3 Rasoul scowled. “Your baba …” He stopped. “What?” “Let’s just say that we don’t agree on politics.

He works for the government, after all.” What does Rasoul think about Omar’s dad? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Rasoul doesn’t like Omar’s dad because he thinks that Omar’s dad supports the government, who are doing terrible things.

Model using the locator and identifying key words in the question (e.g. ‘scowled’; ‘don’t agree’; ‘works’). You could use a graphic organiser to model your thought process. Encourage the children to gather evidence from what Rasoul says next, scanning for the words ‘baba’ and ‘dad’ (e.g. ‘he wouldn’t listen to me’).

4 How does Omar feel at the end of the extract? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

He’s upset because Rasoul is leaving and he cannot work at the souvenir shop any more. He’s also worried, because his dad works for the government and Rasoul says there’s trouble coming.

Discuss what Omar has learnt during the extract. Is it good or bad news? Can the children find any evidence in the text of the emotions he feels as a result (e.g. ‘red tide of anger’; ‘tears spurted’). Looking at the end of the extract, ask them whether Omar is likely to feel better after what Rasoul says to him.

Welcome to Nowhere, by Elizabeth Laird

Inference questions mark scheme

See page 112

Answer

Guidance

1

Rasoul is scared of the government/ getting into trouble with the government.

Do not accept references to being scared without an explanation of who or what he’s scared of. Some children may confuse this with Rasoul’s relationship with Omar’s dad. If so, remind them to use the locator, as at this point in the story we don’t know anything about Omar’s dad. Award 1 mark for any reference to Rasoul being scared of the government/of getting into trouble.

2

He didn’t want to hurt Omar’s feelings.

If the children find this challenging, focus them on the word ‘scowled’ and the fact that Rasoul is talking to Omar. You could discuss how the children would feel if their cousin spoke badly about their dad, and encourage them to use this information to help them answer the question. Award 1 mark for any reference to not wanting to say something that would hurt Omar’s feelings.

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Guidance

3

his father/his family because they didn’t tell Omar about his father’s new job.

Some children may answer that Omar is angry with Rasoul.

If so, encourage them to reread the paragraph. Is it only Rasoul?

Award 1 mark for a reference to his family/everyone. Award 2 marks for a reference to his family/everyone with supporting evidence from the text.

4

hurt

5

Impression: worried

Unit 10

Answer

Some children may choose ‘angry’ as previously the text says Omar felt ‘a red tide of anger’. If so, remind them to ensure they have found the correct part of the text by scanning for key words (e.g. ‘laughed’) and reading around them – what happens straight after Rasoul laughs at Omar? Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

By this point, the children should be well-versed in answering this question type. However, remind them that often it is easier to find their evidence first and then choose their impression.

Award 1 mark for an appropriate impression. Award 2 marks for one impression plus supporting evidence. Award 3 marks for two impressions plus at least one piece of supporting evidence.

Impression: fed up Evidence: He says people are ‘tired’ of the things happening in Syria.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 113

?

Answer

Guidance

1

in the old city of Bosra

If the children answer ‘Bosra’, encourage them to be more specific. Some children may refer to the sentence beginning ‘There was a nice, shady place …’. In this case, refocus them on the first paragraph. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Skill: Retrieval.

2

overwhelm

Some children may think that ‘swamp’ is being used as a noun.

In this case, discuss its word class: is it a noun or verb? How does that help us with our response? Award 1 mark for an appropriate synonym. Skill: Word meaning.

3

Rasoul laughing at him

This is a tricky question as it does not have a locator. If the children struggle, give them a general locator (e.g. ‘Look at the second half of the extract’). Do not give a more specific locator as the skill of Relationship requires the children to locate events/ actions that change things within a text. Award 1 mark for any reference to Rasoul laughing at him. Skill: Relationship.

4

Rasoul doesn’t want what he’s saying to be overheard.

Do not accept answers which only discuss Rasoul without reference to what he is saying (e.g. ‘Rasoul was quiet’). Award 1 mark for any reference to the fact that Rasoul doesn’t want what he’s saying to be overheard. Skill: Word choice.

5

Trouble Is Brewing

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You could ask the children to justify their response using the text after completing this question. This allows you to extend the discussion and check the depth of their understanding. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Summarising.

Welcome to Nowhere, by Elizabeth Laird

Evidence: He keeps saying that Omar shouldn’t tell anyone what he’s said in case he gets into trouble.

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Unit 10

Welcome to Nowhere, by Elizabeth Laird Welcome to Nowhere follows a young boy called Omar, his big brother Musa and their family as they experience the civil war in Syria. After school, Omar works in his cousin Rasoul’s souvenir shop in the old city of Bosra. In this extract, Omar overhears Rasoul in conversation and realises that everything is about to change.

On ordinary days, the old city of Bosra was busy. There’d be coaches coming in full of tourists. The drivers would drop them off in the car park, and then everyone would head off into the ruins. There wasn’t much point trying to sell things to people when they first arrived. It was after they’d tired themselves out wandering for miles up and down the dusty old streets and taking millions of photographs of each other in the theatre, that they might be up for buying things.

There was a nice, shady place with chairs under trees and stalls selling cold drinks, and that was where Rasoul had his souvenir shop. His wasn’t the only one. There was a whole cluster of them. They looked pretty, with displays of rugs and painted china, strings of camel bells, old brass trays and woven scarves and bags.

That day, though, things were even quieter than usual. There wasn’t even a single car in the car park. Half the stalls were closed, and the drinks place was shut up. The few shopkeepers who had opened were clustered round Rasoul, whose mobile phone was clamped to his ear. He was listening to something intently and repeating what he was hearing to the others. I could tell by the way they were standing that the news was bad.

“Egypt,” I heard him say. “Wallah! Demonstrators shot? That’s bad.”

Welcome to Nowhere, by Elizabeth Laird

One man’s shoulders were all hunched up. Another was half turned away, as if he didn’t want to look anyone in the eye.

Even the postcard boys looked subdued. Usually, when no tourists were around, they set up targets and threw stones at them until the adults yelled at them for chipping bits off the Roman columns. Now they were looking from one serious face to another, trying to understand what was going on.

Rasoul nodded to me to come over. He finished his call and slid his phone into his pocket. “Tunisia, Egypt, Libya – trouble blowing up everywhere.”

“It won’t happen here,” one of the men said. “This government …” He looked quickly round at the group and went quiet, as if he was afraid he’d said too much. One by one the men grumbled goodbye, and a little later, all you could hear was the rattle of metal shutters coming down. Rasoul went to the back of his own shop and started rooting through the drawer where he kept papers and money. I followed him inside.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Rasoul looked grim. “Bad stuff, little cousin. All over the Middle East.” He dropped his voice. “Security here’s tight, but people are angry.” He put his finger to his lips.

“Pretend I didn’t say that. You don’t want to get me into trouble.”

Unit 10

“Tell me,” I begged. “What’s happening?”

“Baba says our government’s really strong,” I said, trying to think of something comforting to say. “He says they won’t allow any nonsense from troublemakers here.”

Rasoul scowled. “Your baba …” He stopped.

“What?”

“Let’s just say that we don’t agree on politics. He works for the government, after all.”

“Not really. It’s just the tourist office.” I was just about to blurt out that Baba had accepted another job in Daraa when I remembered my promise to Musa.

“The tourist office is government,” said Rasoul. “Anyway, he’s going to be with the Ministry of Agriculture in Daraa soon.”

I stared at him, a red tide of anger threatening to swamp me. “Everyone – everyone – knew about it before I did. I only found out just now, from Musa. It’s so unfair. It’s–”

“Sorry, habibi. Look, I didn’t mean to laugh at you. I know because your dad asked me to sound out someone I know in the Ministry of Agriculture. He wanted to know if it was a good place to work. I was honest with him. I said he’d make more money, but everyone hates government people in Daraa, and he’d be very unpopular. He wouldn’t listen to me. I expect he didn’t tell you because he didn’t want to upset you too soon.”

I swallowed. “It’s all right,” I managed to say. “It’s just that I want to stay here, and … work with you, selling cards and stuff.”

“You wouldn’t be able to do that, anyway.” Rasoul was rifling through his drawer again. He pulled out a business card, looked at it, and put it into his pocket. “I’m clearing out myself. Tourism’s finished here. Look around you. See any buses? Chinese tour groups? German families? Not even a scruffy backpacker.” He dropped his voice.

“There’s so much corruption in this country, repression, arrests – people are getting tired of it. Especially in Daraa. That’s where the trouble will start. It’ll be nasty, too.

Anyway, I don’t want any part of it. You can’t run a decent business in this country.

I’m getting out.”

Welcome to Nowhere, by Elizabeth Laird

Rasoul laughed. “Don’t be like that. You look like an indignant little rooster. All red and furious.” Being laughed at, especially by my hero, was the final straw. Tears spurted into my eyes.

From Welcome to Nowhere, first published in 2017 by Macmillan Children’s Books an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers International Limited. Reproduced by permission of Macmillan Publishers International Limited. Copyright © Elizabeth Laird 2017.

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Unit 10

Inference 1

Name:

Rasoul looked grim.

Why did Rasoul ask Omar not to tell anyone what he said?

1 mark

2

Rasoul scowled. “Your baba …” He stopped.

Why did Rasoul stop talking about Omar’s dad?

1 mark

3

Look at the paragraph beginning I stared at him, … . Who was Omar angry with?

Explain your answer using the text.

2 marks

4

How did Omar feel when Rasoul laughed at him? Tick one. frustrated

Welcome to Nowhere, by Elizabeth Laird

5

amused

hurt

angry

1 mark

What impressions do you get of Rasoul in this extract? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Impression

Evidence

3 marks

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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1

Unit 10

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the first paragraph. Where was Rasoul’s souvenir shop?

1 mark

2

I stared at him, a red tide of anger threatening to swamp me.

What does the word swamp mean in this sentence?

1 mark

3

Which event changes Omar’s mood from angry to sad?

1 mark

Look at the last paragraph. What does the sentence He dropped his voice. tell you about Rasoul and what he is saying?

1 mark

5

Look at the whole text. What would be the most effective title for this extract?

Tick one.

The Quiet Shop Don’t Tell Anyone Everyone Knew before Me Trouble Is Brewing

Welcome to Nowhere, by Elizabeth Laird

4

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 11 Retrieval

Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’ by The Guardian Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 118 to 121

Malala Yousafzai is famous around the world for her strength in the face of terror. This text is an extract from a newspaper article about Malala being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, and includes a summary of her life and activism. You should exercise caution when sharing this text as it includes references to shooting, injury and violence. You could discuss this text alongside Welcome to Nowhere (Unit 10), as both texts are about the effects of war and conflict on young people.

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 This text is an extract from a newspaper article.

What features would you expect to find in it?

Typical features of newspaper articles include: headline; lead sentence or paragraph; paragraphs; columns; quotations; facts and opinions. Although not all these features are present in this text, it is still a good idea to discuss them beforehand to gauge the children’s level of background knowledge.

2 This text celebrates the life and work of a young activist. What is an activist? What do activists do?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. You could use some synonyms in your discussion to support understanding (e.g. ‘campaigner’; ‘protestor’; ‘advocate’).

Non-fiction

3 The subject of this text, a teenage girl, comes from Pakistan. What do you know about Pakistan?

Answers will vary. It is important for the children to have some basic knowledge about Pakistan’s recent history to enable them to understand the article and the relevance of the themes discussed in Unit 10.

The Reading list includes some useful resources.

4 The girl in this text campaigned for people’s rights even though it put her in danger. Who else has done this?

Answers will vary. You may wish to provide the children with some examples to aid discussion (e.g. Nelson Mandela; Martin Luther King; Aung San Suu Kyi).

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary advocate

auspices

campaigner

denying

dismissive

lauded

outspoken

recipient

reverberate

Vocabulary discussion questions O

What could you be a campaigner or advocate for?

O

What have you been the recipient of?

O

Would you be lauded for doing something bad?

O

Can you give an example of a time when someone was dismissive of your ideas?

O

If you are outspoken, are you a quiet person?

Vocabulary activities O

Reverberate and recipient both begin with the prefix ‘re–’. Ask the children whether ‘re–’ is used in the same way in both words. Can they think of some other words beginning with ‘re–’?

O

Campaigner and advocate are synonyms for one another. Challenge the children to think of other synonyms of these words.

O

Sometimes people say you ‘dis’ something you do not like. Do the children think this comes from the word dismissive or another word beginning with the prefix ‘dis–’ ?

O

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

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4 Skills focus

See pages 116 to 117

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 Who is this text about? What are they known for?

Malala Yousafzai. She is famous for being an activist and campaigner for girls’ education, as well as for being shot by the Taliban because they disagreed with her opinions on education.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 11 Modelling slides and the Modelling retrieval guidance on page 116.

2 What is the purpose of this text?

The children’s answers should relate to the fact that this is a newspaper article and therefore written to inform people about Malala winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 121 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

4 Did you find the text interesting? Why? Why not?

The children should be able to justify their responses (e.g. Yes, because although I had heard of Malala, I didn’t know much about what happened to her; I found it interesting to read about what life is like for children in Pakistan and it made me appreciate being able to go to school).

3 Explore O

O

O

Discuss how access to education differs around the world (e.g. In some countries there are groups, such as the Taliban, who believe girls and women should not be educated; in other countries, some children cannot go to school because of the financial burden on their families). Ask the children if they think everyone has a right to an education.

Discuss the idea that we are all capable of changing the world. This might be in small ways, such as picking up litter that we see on our walk to school, or by campaigning on a larger scale, like Malala or Greta Thunberg. Ask the children what causes they are passionate about. What could they do to support these causes and make an impact?

Many countries that have been at war, or are under the control of insurgent groups such as the Taliban, find that positive things that happen in their country are often overlooked, while more negative news gets worldwide coverage. Discuss how it is important to decide whether the news we read or watch is telling us the whole picture. You may even wish to discuss the subject of ‘fake news’ and decide on some strategies to help people discern between real and fake content.

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Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 116 to 117.

Retrieval

2 The children can then attempt the Retrieval questions on page 120.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The children could work in small groups to create persuasive speeches to use in a campaign that interests them (e.g. education; pollution; homelessness). They could then deliver their speeches to the class with the aim of persuading other children to join their cause.

O

Writing task: The children could research other young campaigners and organisations and then each write a letter to one of them. They could write about their own hopes and dreams for the world and ask questions about the campaigner’s experiences.

Reading list Fiction No Ballet Shoes in Syria by Catherine Bruton Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird (Linked text: Unit 10) Class reads I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormick Non-fiction Assalam-o-Alaikum, Pakistan by Leah Kaminski For the Right to Learn by Rebecca Langston-George Girls who Rocked the World by Michelle Roehm McCann and Amelie Welden Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormick People of Peace by Sandrine Mirza Visionary Women Around the World by Vashti Harrison We are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai Poetry Reaching the Stars by Jan Dean, Liz Brownlee and Michaela Morgan Films He Named Me Malala (Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2015)

Non-fiction

3 Where was Malala when she found out that she’d jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize?

In a chemistry class at her school in Birmingham.

Unit 11

2 First steps

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Unit 11

Modelling retrieval

See Unit 11 Modelling slides

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

1 How old was Malala when she was shot? Tick one.

17

60

15

11

This question does not include a locator, so it is important to discuss the key words and model locating them in the text. This question is tricky as the correct answer is not explicitly obvious within the text. Explain to the children that sometimes they need to use inference skills in addition to retrieval. Support the children to make the required inferences (e.g. Malala was 17 at the time the article was written and it says it is ‘two years and a day after her attempted assassination’, meaning that she was 15 when she was shot).

2 Why did Malala win the Nobel peace prize?

She campaigned for children’s/equal rights to education.

Again, this question does not include a locator, so it is important to discuss the key words and model locating them in the text. You could also explain that the children can either use a quote from the text in their answer (e.g. “struggle against the suppression of children and young people”) or paraphrase their answer (e.g. ‘She helps young people across the world get an education’).

3 Where does Malala live now?

Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’, by The Guardian

Birmingham, United Kingdom As with the above questions, this also has no locator. Some children may assume that Malala still lives in Pakistan. If any children struggle to locate the answer from the text, you could prompt them to scan for where Malala was at school when she received the news about her prize, or where she went to hospital after she was shot.

4 Tick to show whether each statement is fact or opinion.

F Malala is the youngest peace prize recipient.

O

Malala is powerful and courageous.

Malala was a student at Edgbaston High School.

Malala is outspoken about education.

Retrieval questions mark scheme

The children should have encountered fact and opinion questions before, but you may still need to recap the concepts. Some of the children may assume that because the article says Malala is outspoken, this is a fact. In this case, you may wish to spend additional time discussing the fact that newspaper articles are a blend of fact and opinion.

See page 120

Answer

Guidance

1

Malala was the youngest ever recipient.

Some of the children may provide a vague response linked to the emotions related to winning a prize (e.g. ‘It’s nice to win a prize and no-one else at her school will have it’). In this case, you should refocus the children on the text: why was it even more special than usual? Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

Kailash Satyarthi OR Nelson Mandela OR Martin Luther King OR Aung San Suu Kyi

Where a child has answered using a partial name (e.g. ‘Mandela’) this should also be accepted. Some children may answer with other recipients not mentioned in the text; these should not be awarded marks as the children have used background knowledge rather than textual understanding. Award 1 mark for a correct answer.

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Guidance

3

(an open-back) truck

You may wish to provide those children who need it with a locator to support their retrieval. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

4

formulae

calculus

You may need to remind some children that this question requires two pieces of information to be located. Award 1 mark for both answers correctly ticked.

T

Nelson Mandela has not won the Nobel peace prize.

This question requires an understanding of the whole text.

If necessary, provide the children with a locator for each statement. Award 1 mark for three statements correctly ticked. Award 2 marks for all four statements correctly ticked.

F

Malala went to school at Khushal public school.

Malala has written a book.

Malala no longer campaigns about education.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 121

?

Answer

Guidance

1

advocating/promoting/defending

Some children may respond with a two-word synonym (e.g. ‘pleading for’; ‘campaigning for’). These should be accepted.

Award 1 mark for any appropriate synonym.

Skill: Word meaning.

2

Finding medical help

3

She is strong, because even though she was shot, that didn’t stop her from campaigning for girls’ education.

Some children may benefit from finding the evidence and explanation first, before deciding on the impression this gives them. Award 1 mark for a plausible impression. Award 2 marks for a plausible impression with an appropriate explanation. Skill: Inference.

4

Similarity: She went to school in both places.

Some children may use their general knowledge to respond (e.g. ‘The weather is different’). In this case, remind them that they need to retrieve the information from the text rather than from their background knowledge. Award 1 mark for one similarity or difference. Award 2 marks for one similarity and one difference. Skill: Comparison.

Difference: In Pakistan she was attacked for wanting to go to school whereas in England she has to go to school.

She will write more books, because she has already written one and she will want to write more to tell more people about children’s rights.

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Some children may assume that ‘Moving to Britain’ is the most appropriate summary, as Malala now lives in Britain, or that ‘Flying away’ is appropriate because she leaves Pakistan. If so, refocus them on the paragraph in question and remind them that they are summarising this paragraph only. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Summarising.

Where a child provides a vague explanation (e.g. ‘She will write more books because she has already written one’) encourage them to explain their answer more fully. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction. Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction plus an explanation linked to the text. Skill: Prediction.

Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’, by The Guardian

5

5

Unit 11

Answer

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Unit 11 Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’, by The Guardian

Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’, by The Guardian This text is an extract of a newspaper article. It informs us about Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani activist, who has been awarded the Nobel peace prize.

At 17, campaigner Malala, the schoolgirl the Taliban could not silence, became the youngest Nobel peace prize recipient.

Malala Yousafzai once wrote: “We realise the importance of our voices only when we are silenced. I was shot on a Tuesday at lunchtime, one bullet, one gunshot heard around the world.”

Two years and a day after her attempted assassination by Taliban gunmen, that shot continued to reverberate with the Nobel committee’s DQQRXQFHPHQW WKDW WKH \HDU ROG Pakistani schoolgirl is to share the peace prize, its youngest recipient ever.

When the news broke, Malala was in a chemistry class at Edgbaston High School for Girls, Birmingham, far DZD\ IURP WKH PRXQWDLQ IULQJHG FLW\ of Mingora in the picturesque Swat Valley where she was born, and where she began her outspoken campaign for the right to education, and where she almost died on 9 October 2012.

Malala – a name now instantly recognisable worldwide – shares the 8m kronor (£690 000) prize with Kailash Satyarthi, 60, an Indian child rights campaigner, as both are lauded for their “struggle against the suppression

of children and young people”.

Malala’s campaign, noted the Nobel committee, has been carried out “under the most dangerous circumstances”, and it places her alongside previous recipients Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Aung San Suu Kyi. She waited until school had finished before giving her reaction, saying a teacher had told her the news in chemistry, and she had celebrated by going on to a physics class, and then English.

The award, she said, “is for all those children who are voiceless and whose voices need to be heard”.

She saw it as motivation to continue her campaign for equal rights to education. “I felt more powerful and more courageous because this award is not just a piece of metal or a medal you wear or an award you keep in your room. This is encouragement for me to go forward.”

On the day she was shot in Pakistan she was in the middle of her school exams, “squashed between friends and WHDFKHUV RQ WKH EHQFKHV RI WKH RSHQ back truck used as a school bus”.

The school, Khushal public school,

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Unit 11

her by name, pointed a Colt .45 at her DQG VKRW DW SRLQW EODQN UDQJH $ EXOOHW grazed her brain, travelling from above the back of her left eye, down the side of her jaw and into her neck.

A couple more inches, doctors said, and her injuries would have been fatal.

Two classmates were also shot, and survived. Last month 10 Taliban fighters who tried to kill her were arrested, the Pakistan army said.

Initially treated by neurosurgeons at a Pakistani military hospital, Malala was flown to Britain for treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, the city that has adopted her and her family, and where she has had several more operations.

She has been dismissive of the physical scars, telling her mother: “It doesn’t matter if I can’t smile or blink properly. I’m still me, Malala. The important thing is God has given me my life.”

If Malala had been an outspoken advocate for equal education before the attack, she became an international force after it.

She has continued to campaign, meeting Barack Obama, being named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and last year publishing the memoir I Am Malala.

Addressing the UN on her 16th birthday, she said: “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”

Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’, by The Guardian

was founded by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, who, according to a profile in Vanity Fair, “encouraged Malala to speak freely and learn everything she could”. By then, though only 15, she was an outspoken critic of the tactics of the Taliban, who overran the city in 2009, in denying education to girls.

Since the age of 11 she had been championing girls’ education in Pakistan, speaking out in TV interviews and the subject of a documentary in 2009.

Under the auspices of her father, also outspoken on education, she wrote a diary about life under Taliban rule which ran on BBC Urdu between January and March 2009.

Using the pseudonym Gul Makai, the name of a heroine from a Pashtun folk tale, she passionately expressed her desire to remain in education and documented her fear and those of her friends of being targeted by militants, and how they attended school in plain clothes rather than their uniforms to escape attention. In 2011 she was nominated for the international children’s peace prize by the KidsRights Foundation.

She was one of the “clever girls”, dreaming of becoming a doctor, decorating her hands with henna for holidays and weddings not with flowers or butterflies, but with calculus and chemical formulae. Then, on 9 October 2012, a masked Taliban gunman boarded her school vehicle, asked for

From : Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel award is for all the voiceless children’: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/10/malala-yousafzai-nobelpeace-prize-voiceless-children. Copyright © Guardian News and Media Limited.

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Unit 11

Retrieval 1

Name:

According to the text, what is special about Malala winning the Nobel peace prize?

1 mark

2

Name one other person mentioned in the text who has also won the Nobel peace prize.

1 mark

3

What kind of vehicle was used as the school bus at Malala’s school in Pakistan?

Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’, by The Guardian

1 mark

4

When Malala decorated her hands with henna for holidays and weddings, what designs did she choose? Tick two. formulae letters flowers calculus butterflies

5

1 mark

Tick to show whether each statement is true or false.

True

False

Nelson Mandela has not won the Nobel peace prize.

Malala went to school at Khushal public school.

Malala has written a book.

Malala no longer campaigns about education.

2 marks

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1

Unit 11

Mix it up!

Name:

Since the age of 11 she had been championing girls’ education …

What synonym could be used to replace championing in this sentence?

1 mark

3

Look at the paragraph beginning Initially treated by … . Which subheading best summarises the content of this paragraph? Tick one.

Moving to Britain

Finding medical help

Flying away

Flying home

1 mark

What impression do you get of Malala’s personality from the article? Give one impression and one piece of evidence from the text.

2 marks

4

Compare Malala’s life in Pakistan with her life in England. Give one similarity and one difference.

Similarity

Difference

2 marks

5

What do you think Malala will do next? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’, by The Guardian

2

2 marks

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Unit 12 Inference

The Crooked Sixpence

by Jennifer Bell Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 126 to 129

Imagine a world where ordinary objects display extraordinary powers and where everything common is ‘uncommon’. This text is an extract from the first book in The Uncommoners series by Jennifer Bell. The story is partly set in a fantastical city that lies underneath London and focuses on siblings Ivy and Seb’s attempt to escape the clutches of evil Officer Smokehart. You could discuss this text alongside Units 13 and 14, both of which share similar fantasy settings to The Crooked Sixpence.

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 This story is partly set in another world. What features would you expect to find in a story like this?

Encourage the children to discuss otherworldly themes, including making links to texts they have read previously (e.g. Unit 9, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). Features discussed may include: unusual creatures; strange buildings; magical objects.

2 The story is about two siblings. Can you name any other stories you have read where the main characters are siblings?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s exposure to different texts. Many children may be familiar with the four sibling protagonists of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Fiction

3 The text focuses on the main characters attempting to escape from another character. Can you think of any other books that have a similar storyline?

Answers will vary. As this is a common theme in fairy tales and other genres, you could also spend time discussing what the plot in the extract might be, making links to other stories the children have read.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary brass

breathlessly

fair share

harness

intense

latches

mushroomed

sensation

systematically

Vocabulary discussion questions O

How do you do something systematically?

O

If you had 12 chocolates and five friends who wanted to share them with you, what do you think your fair share would be?

O

If a box had latches, what could you use to open them?

O

If something is intense, does it make you feel tense?

Vocabulary activities O

Mushroomed (verb) has a different meaning to ‘mushroom’ (noun). Can the children describe what is similar and different about the two words?

O

Fair share can also be used to describe when somebody has experienced a lot of something (e.g. ‘Sam has experienced his fair share of problems’). Ask the children to think of other phrases with a similar meaning.

O

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

4 The story is set in a world where ordinary objects do extraordinary things. Can you name other stories you have read that feature objects with special powers?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s prior reading. The children are likely to mention texts where toys or other inanimate objects seemingly come alive.

Examples might come from the Harry Potter books or the mechanicals in the Unit 8 text, Tin.

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4 Skills focus

See pages 124 to 125

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 Who are the main characters? Who are the supporting characters?

The main characters are Ivy and her brother Seb. The supporting characters include the boy (who is unknown to us at this point) and Officer Smokehart.

The children may also mention the Ugs, or underguards, and ghouls.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 12 Modelling slides and the Modelling inference guidance on page 124.

2 Where do you think the story is set? What clues in the text can you find that tell you this?

Although this extract does not refer to a particular setting, the children may pick up clues that it is an otherworldly setting (e.g. the unusual names/titles; ghouls; the magical suitcase). Some children may also think that the story is set in the past, because the underguards ride horses, or that there is a timetravelling element in the story.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 124 to 125.

3 Who do the children want to escape from at the end of the extract?

Officer Smokehart/The Ugs/The underguards.

4 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary. Encourage the children to justify their responses using the text (e.g. I liked the text because Officer Smokehart chasing the main characters keeps the action going).

Unit 12

2 First steps

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 129 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The children could work in groups to design their own underground, fantasy world. They could then create a presentation to persuade their classmates to visit their world.

O

Writing task: The children could write their own character description and back-story for the boy. Who is he? Where did he come from? Why does he want to help Ivy and Seb escape Officer Smokehart and his underguards? An additional task could be for the children to draw what they think the boy looks like.

Inference

2 The children can then attempt the Inference questions on page 128.

Reading list

3 Explore O

O

Discuss the fact that in the story, common objects, such as suitcases, have extraordinary powers. Ask the children to imagine what powers objects in the classroom could have (e.g. Pens could communicate every written word to whomever the writer chooses).

Discuss the idea that this story takes place in another world underneath London. What do the children think that would be like? You could expand the discussion by talking about how there are other worlds of sort beneath our feet, in the form of layers of archaeology, remains of ancient civilisations and mysterious abandoned buildings. What do the children think lies beneath their home town or city?

You could use some of the non-fiction books in the Reading list to help with this discussion.

Fiction Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Linked text: Unit 14) Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones Cogheart by Peter Bunzl (Linked text: Unit 13) The Smoking Hourglass by Jennifer Bell Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Linked text: Unit 9) Class reads The Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine Non-fiction Ancient Underground Structures by Natalie Hyde Find Your Way Underground by Paul Boston The Story of the London Underground by David Long The Street Beneath My Feet by Charlotte Guillain

Ivy and Seb are siblings who must work together to escape Officer Smokehart, even though usually they might squabble and annoy one another. Ask the children to give examples of when they have worked together with somebody else, putting aside their differences to ensure they got the result they wanted.

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This Is London by Miroslav Sasek Under Your Feet by Jackie Stroud and Marc Redmile-Gordon Underground Cities by Sonya Newland

Fiction

O

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Unit 12

Modelling inference

See Unit 12 Modelling slides

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

1 Look at the start of the story. Who helps Ivy up? an unknown boy This question includes a locator, so it is important to model using this to locate the correct section in the text. This question is challenging as the text is unclear at first as to whether the person helping Ivy is Seb or another boy. You may wish to engage the children in a role-play of the scene to support their comprehension.

When modelling your answer, it is important to encourage the children to see that you are being specific (e.g. ‘an unknown boy’ rather than ‘a boy’) to make it clear that it is not Seb. 2 Read from Ivy glanced down, … to … more intense. Give two reasons why the suitcase is unusual.

It appears from nowhere and it becomes hot when someone touches it.

This question includes a locator, so you should model using this to find the correct sections in the text.

You may wish to discuss the meaning of ‘unusual’ and discuss what would make a suitcase unusual. It is important to emphasise that two reasons are required to fully answer this question.

3 Too late. What were Ivy and Seb too late to do? escape Again, this question includes a locator, so model using this to find the correct sentence. You could draw the children’s attention to the fact that they need to read the text both before and immediately after the given sentence to answer the question. Some children may answer literally (e.g. ‘They couldn’t get to the suitcase’).

In this case, you could remind them that we are making an inference and ask them to think about what getting to the suitcase would have achieved.

4 Think about the whole text. What impressions do you get of the unknown boy? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Courageous because he wants to help Ivy and Seb escape from Officer Smokehart even though it puts him in danger.

Impatient because he keeps saying they don’t have much time and asks “Are you coming?”.

If the children find this type of question challenging, you could model finding evidence from the text about the boy’s actions first and then discuss what impressions they make from these. Emphasise the need to scan the whole text for mentions of the boy when gathering evidence.

The Crooked Sixpence, by Jennifer Bell

Inference questions mark scheme

See page 128

Answer

Guidance

1

She’s just fallen out of a tree/fallen over.

I think that because Seb asks if she’s OK and Ivy checks that she hasn’t broken anything.

This is an unusual question as it focuses on the events preceding the extract. If the children find this challenging, discuss the first part of the story, noting what Ivy and Seb do, before making an inference. Award 1 mark for a plausible event. Award 2 marks for a plausible event with appropriate evidence from the text.

2

Wary/suspicious of him because he’s a stranger and people are chasing them so he might think that the boy is one of the bad guys.

Some children may give a general emotion that they think Seb would feel (e.g. ‘anxiousness’) rather than what Seb thinks about the boy. Where this is closely linked to the text it is acceptable.

Award 1 mark for a plausible feeling. Award 2 marks for a plausible feeling with appropriate evidence from the text.

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Guidance

3

protective/worried

The children may overread the text here and assume the boy is angry with Ivy, but this is not accurate. You may wish to use a ‘Shades of meaning’ activity (see page 15) to support your explanation. Award 1 mark for a plausible feeling linked to the text.

4

to escape

Some children may focus too much on the suitcase. However, the important point is that the boy wants to use the suitcase to escape. Award 1 mark for reference to escaping or going somewhere safer.

5

Impression: calm

If some children are still unsure about grid format questions, explain how the grid should be used to structure their response.

Award 1 mark for an appropriate impression. Award 2 marks for one impression plus supporting evidence. Award 3 marks for two impressions plus at least one piece of supporting evidence.

Impression: curious Evidence: She wants to investigate the suitcase.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 129

?

Answer

Guidance

1

(slim-fitting) jeans OR (black leather) jacket OR (red high-top basketball) shoes OR gloves

Most children will take their answers from the paragraph beginning ‘She tried to get to her feet…’. However, the text does mention the boy’s ‘gloved hand’ and some children may refer to this. Do not accept references to plausible items that are not mentioned in the text (e.g. T-shirt). Award 1 mark for any two correct answers. Skill: Retrieval.

2

That she is checking her body very carefully, one part at a time.

It is important that the children explain the word ‘systematically’ in the context of the text. Award 1 mark for any plausible synonym/definition. Do not accept ‘according to a plan’.

Skill: Word meaning.

3

A Chance to Escape

4

It is full of suspense. Officer Smokehart is getting closer and closer and it’s likely that he’ll capture them.

Some children may answer with a vague response (e.g. ‘It’s exciting’). This should not be accepted, but they should be given the chance to make their answer more specific. Award 1 mark for reference to a plausible effect (e.g. building suspense).

Award 2 marks for an effect plus supporting evidence from the text. Skill: Relationship.

5

I think the boy will pull them into the suitcase at the last minute and they’ll escape.

The children’s prior reading may influence their responses.

Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction linked to the extract.

Skill: Prediction.

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The children need to recognise that a title is a type of summary that should include the key points of the text. This means that the first two answer options are too vague. The final distractor, while plausible, misses the key point of the extract: that the boy is giving Ivy and Seb the chance to escape. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Summarising.

The Crooked Sixpence, by Jennifer Bell

Evidence: When she gets hurt, she just checks herself carefully rather than getting upset and worrying.

Unit 12

Answer

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Unit 12

The Crooked Sixpence, by Jennifer Bell This is an extract from a story about two siblings called Ivy and Seb who venture into a fantastical city that lies underneath London. Odd things have started happening to them. Their house has been broken into and a strange policeman is chasing them…

“Ivy!” Seb called breathlessly. “Are you OK?” 6KH WULHG WR JHW WR KHU IHHW 7KH ER\ KHOSHG KHU XS +LV VNLQQ\ ILJXUH VOLP ILWWLQJ MHDQV EODFN OHDWKHU MDFNHW DQG UHG KLJK WRS EDVNHWEDOO VKRHV UHPLQGHG her of the lead singer in The Ripz. “Easy,” he said. “You’re gonna feel like you’ve just had a sack of flour dumped on your head, but just try to breathe.

Everything moving?”

Slowly, systematically, she wiggled her fingers and toes and tilted her head from side to side. She suspected there were probably a few cuts and grazes hiding beneath her coat but she wouldn’t need an ambulance. “I think so.

Seb?” She focused on him as he approached. His gaze was fixed on the stranger in front of him.

The Crooked Sixpence, by Jennifer Bell

“Who are you?” Seb asked. Now that they were next to each other, Ivy could see they were probably of a similar age. “Are you one of them?”

The boy arched an eyebrow. “One of the Ugs? Hell no. I’d rather be a ghoul.”

His eyes went nervously to a spot by Ivy’s feet. “I’ve had my fair share of running from them, though – if you two want to get away, you don’t have much time.”

Ivy glanced down, wondering what he was looking at. Standing in the grass by her feet was a small leather suitcase with brass latches. A brown paper tag was tied around the handle. Strange… Ivy hadn’t glimpsed it in the field earlier.

She bent over and gripped the handle. “How did this get –?” The question caught in her mouth as a wave of tingly heat spread through her fingers. She gave a short gasp: the suitcase felt so much like a hot potato she struggled not to drop it. She’d had this sensation before, when she held the silver coin.

The only difference was that touching the suitcase felt more intense.

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Ivy held it out to him. “All right, I was just–” Just then, she heard the rattle of a harness in the road.

Unit 12

The boy stiffened and threw a gloved hand towards the case. “That’s mine.”

“The underguards,” the boy hissed. “There’s no time.” He snatched the case, unfastened the latches, opened it on the grass and dropped onto his knees beside it. “Are you coming?”

Ivy’s head was spinning. “Coming where?”

Seb dug his fingers into her shoulder. “Ivy, we need to do something – now!”

Too late.

The Crooked Sixpence, by Jennifer Bell

The rapid fire of hoofbeats sounded on the other side of the hedgerow. A wild neigh followed the clatter of something loud and heavy, and then Officer Smokehart came tearing along towards them. He was moving impossibly fast, his arms pumping as his black cloak mushroomed up behind him.

From The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell (Corgi, 2016). Copyright © Jennifer Bell, 2016.

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Unit 12

Inference 1

Name:

Look at the beginning of the extract. What do you think has just happened to Ivy? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

2

His gaze was fixed on the stranger in front of him.

How might Seb be feeling about the boy at this point in the story? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

3

The boy stiffened and threw a gloved hand towards the case.

How does the boy feel about Ivy handling the suitcase?

1 mark

4

Look at the paragraph beginning “The underguards,”. What did the boy want them to do?

1 mark

The Crooked Sixpence, by Jennifer Bell

5

Think about the whole text. What impressions do you get of Ivy? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

Impression

Evidence

3 marks

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1

Unit 12

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the beginning of the extract. Give two things the boy was wearing.

1 2

2

1 mark

Slowly, systematically, she wiggled her fingers …

What does the word systematically tell you about how Ivy checked herself?

1 mark

3

Think about the whole text. Which of the following would be the most effective title for this extract? Tick one.

The Boy The Suitcase A Chance to Escape The Underguards Are Coming

Read from Just then, … to the end of the text. What is the effect of this part of the story? Give one point and one piece of evidence from the text.

2 marks

5

Think about the whole text. What might happen next in the story?

The Crooked Sixpence, by Jennifer Bell

4

1 mark

1 mark

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Unit 13 Word meaning

?

Cogheart

by Peter Bunzl Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 134 to 137

Cogheart is the first book in Peter Bunzl’s series set in a wonderful world of mechanical creatures and airships.

The story follows Lily on her quest to find her missing father, transporting readers into a semi-historical wonderland of intrigue and mystery. Before sharing this text, note that it includes references to missing parents and parental death. You could discuss this text alongside The Crooked Sixpence (Unit 12) and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Unit 14) as all are set in strange, magical worlds and feature female protagonists.

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.

1 This text is from an adventure story. What other adventure stories have you read? What themes do adventure stories usually have?

Answers will vary, but the children should all be able to contribute some adventure stories they have previously read. Suggested adventure themes might include: a courageous protagonist who does something outside their ordinary life; a dangerous event or activity; a task or a journey that must be undertaken.

Fiction

2 This story is set in a world where people use airships called zeppelins to travel around.

What do you know about zeppelins?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. Airships are central to the theme of the text, so it will be useful for the children to have some knowledge of them. You may wish to use some of the resources in the Reading list to support their learning.

3 Our extract focuses on the main character’s life changing when her father goes missing. Have you ever experienced a big life change?

The children should be able to contribute to the discussion of what a big life change might be, even if they themselves have not experienced one (e.g. starting school; turning 11 years old; moving to a new house).

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary awash

coagulated

dishevelled

expansive

inkling

melodious

obscured

pungent

unctuous

vial

voluminous

wan

Vocabulary discussion questions O

What’s the difference between a smile and a wan smile?

O

Is a melodious voice pleasant or unpleasant?

O

Is someone who is dishevelled neat and tidy?

What is the difference?

O

If you have an inkling about something, are you sure about it?

Vocabulary activities O

Expansive and voluminous are synonyms.

Ask the children whether they would use these words in the same situations or whether they would use them to describe different things.

O

Vial has a homophone: ‘vile’. Ask the children to explain what both words mean and then challenge them to think of other common homophones.

O

Unctuous and pungent are both adjectives that describe something excessive. Encourage the children to think of other adjectives that describe something excessive.

O

There are a number of technical or antiquated terms used in this extract (e.g. ‘taffeta’; ‘smelling salts’; ‘poorhouse’). You may wish to discuss the meaning of these words with the children. You could also explain the meanings of the French phrases used by Madame Verdigris.

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2 Who is the protagonist of the story? Which other characters appear in the text?

Lily is the protagonist. You may wish to discuss how we know this (e.g. the action revolves around her).

Madame Verdigris, Mrs McKracken and Miss Scrimshaw also feature in this extract.

3 What does Lily find out in this extract?

Lily finds out that her father has been involved in an airship crash and is missing. She is told that he is probably dead, although his body has not been found.

Lily is also informed that she must leave school and travel home with Madame Verdigris.

4 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s feelings about the text. They should be able to justify their responses (e.g. I liked the text because it’s full of mystery and I want to find out what happens next. I don’t like Madame Verdigris though – she seems creepy.)

3 Explore O

O

O

Discuss the unusual setting of the story in more detail. Although the extract is set at Lily’s school, the text provides us with a range of further clues about the overall setting of the story. You could encourage the children to use the language in the text to try to ascertain when the time period might be and whether the story is set in the past or an alternate reality.

The author uses a range of descriptive language to describe the character of Madame Verdigris (e.g. ‘bony hands clasped in her lap’; ‘half-hidden under a black gauze veil’). Ask the children what effect this language might have on a reader. How does it make them feel about Madame Verdigris? How does this affect their predictions for the rest of the story? How would different language change their opinions?

The author uses carefully chosen language to describe Lily’s reaction to the news she receives about her father. Many of the descriptions focus on Lily’s movements (e.g. ‘slide sideways’; ‘swept away in a blur’; ‘lurched up to meet her’). Challenge the children to think about why the author has used this type of language – what insights does it give into how Lily is reacting to the news?

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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 13 Modelling slides and the Modelling word meaning guidance on page 132.

2 The children can then attempt the Word meaning questions on page 136.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 137 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 132 to 133.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: It can be inferred from the text that Lily does not want to return home with Madame Verdigris but is powerless to do anything else. The children could work in groups to create a dramatic sketch in which Lily has the chance to tell Madame Verdigris and Miss Scrimshaw how she really feels and what she might do next.

O

Writing task: The children could research the history of airships to build their background knowledge.

They could then design their own airship and create an information leaflet that details its features. See Reading list for ideas for resources.

Unit 13

1 Where is the story set?

This extract is set at Lily’s school. However, this is not obvious upon first reading and requires some basic inference (e.g. We know it is set at Lily’s school because Miss Scrimshaw is the headmistress).

See pages 132 to 133

?

Word meaning

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

4 Skills focus

Reading list Fiction Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Linked text: Unit 14) The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell (Linked text: Unit 12) The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship by Margaret Burnham Moonlocket by Peter Bunzl Shadow of the Zeppelin by Bernard Ashley Class reads Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy Non-fiction Airships by Kirsty Holmes The Story of Flight by Jakob Whitfield Vile Victorians by Terry Deary and Martin Brown Films Various clips of airships can be found on the British Pathé website.

Fiction

2 First steps

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Unit 13

Modelling word meaning

?

See Unit 13 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 one word that tells you how the perfume smelt. sharp OR overripe Model using the locator and scanning for adjectives related to the perfume. Some children may identify the adjective ‘unctuous’. If so, encourage them to associate the word ‘smell’ in the question with its synonym ‘scent’ in the text and pick an adjective that is a better fit as an answer. You may wish to refer back to your discussion of the Key vocabulary.

2 Look at the paragraph beginning “Oh, no …”. Which of the following words is closest in meaning to concerned? Tick one. confused

surprised

anxious

upset

Model using the locator and scanning for the key word ‘concerned’. Once the children have located the key word in the text, ask them to discuss synonyms for ‘concerned’, before choosing an answer from the list. You could discuss each answer option in turn to ensure the children understand their different nuances before picking one. You may also wish to model by discounting two of the incorrect words in order to reduce the options available.

3 Look at the paragraph beginning Lily opened her eyes … . What word is used to describe Lily’s confusion? haze First, model using the locator. Then discuss synonyms for the key word ‘confusion’ before modelling how to scan the text for a synonym of it. If the children find this challenging, you could discuss the fact that ‘confusion’ is a noun and therefore they should look for another noun; this will reduce the number of possible options.

4 Look at the paragraph beginning Madame stood … . Find and copy two words that tell you Lily’s clothes were scruffy. dishevelled and coal-covered Model using the locator. Discuss synonyms for the key word ‘scruffy’ and then model scanning the text for possible synonyms. Some children may initially discount the word ‘coal-covered’ or simply respond with ‘coal’. In this case, you may wish to discuss the fact that a hyphenated word, although made up of two words, counts as a single word.

Word meaning questions mark scheme

Cogheart, by Peter Bunzl

Answer

?

See page 136

Guidance

1

explored

2

sharp OR pungent OR brittle OR perfume

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Some children may choose ‘checked’ as the paragraph talks about looking for Lily’s father’s body. In this case, relate ‘investigated’ to the children’s background knowledge about policing and crime. Do the police just check things when there has been a crime or do they do more than that? Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

As with all ‘find and copy’ questions, the children should only write down what is asked for within the question. In this case, that is two separate words; more than this should not be accepted. Although ‘brittle’ would not normally be used to describe smells, the author uses it to describe the perfume as ‘the brittle perfume’, so this word choice would be accepted.

Award 1 mark for any two correct answers.

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Guidance

3

clutching

4

something tidy

something in a different colour

The correct response requires some inference as the text states the new dress should be ‘neat’ and ‘black’. You may wish to remind the children that they often need to use more than one reading skill at once. Some children may link ‘coal-covered’ to colour. In this case, encourage the children to reread the sentence – is the dress the colour of coal or just covered in coal?

Award 1 mark for both correct answers ticked.

inkling

This question only requires a one-word reponse. However, as it is not worded as ‘find and copy’, additional words are acceptable (e.g. ‘devastating inkling’). Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 137

?

Answer

Guidance

1

Some children may choose ‘taffeta’ from later in the text. This should be accepted but it is useful to discuss how ‘taffeta’ refers to the material of the dress rather than an article of clothing.

Award 1 mark for both correct answers. Skill: Retrieval.

(voluminous black) dress (black gauze) veil

2

She feels superior to Lily. OR She thinks Lily’s question is ridiculous.

3

another teacher

4

She feels normal at the start but she begins to feel worried when she sees Madame Verdigris. She then feels shocked/upset when she hears the news that her father is missing.

5

Terrible News

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Some children may assume that ‘sniffily’ refers to Madame Verdigris’ nose. You could discuss the meaning of the word before giving the children the chance to answer. If they give a definition of the word in question, this should not be accepted unless they link it to Madame Verdigris’ character. Award 1 mark for reference to her feeling superior to Lily or to her thinking Lily’s question is ridiculous. Skill: Word choice.

Some children may assume that this is a retrieval question and so choose ‘matron’, mentioned in the same section. You could explain that this cannot be correct because the headmistress asks the Kraken to speak to Matron. If they find this question challenging, suggest that they work through the options methodically, discounting the clearly incorrect options to leave them with fewer possible answers. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Inference.

Changes occur at multiple points in the text (e.g. between entering the room and seeing Madame Verdigris; after being told the news about her father; after being told she is leaving school; after the conversation Lily overhears). A reference to any of these changes is acceptable. Award 1 mark for one plausible change in emotion. Award 2 marks for two plausible changes in emotion. Skill: Relationship.

Where the children choose another response, encourage them to explain and justify their answer to check their understanding.

You could remind them that this question asks for the most effective title and encourage them to consider the merits of each before deciding on an answer. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Summarising.

Cogheart, by Peter Bunzl

5

If a child shows their answer in another way (e.g. by circling or writing out the word) this should still be accepted. Award 1 mark for the correct answer underlined.

Unit 13

Answer

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Unit 13

Cogheart, by Peter Bunzl This text is taken from the story of a girl called Lily whose life is changed by a message given by her father’s housekeeper, Madame Verdigris.

/LO\ ZDONHG DFURVV WKH H[SDQVLYH URRP WRZDUGV WKH WZR KLJK EDFNHG FKDLUV IDFLQJ WKH desk. A woman in a voluminous black dress occupied one, her bony hands clasped in her lap. Though her face was obscured by the chair’s headrest, her unctuous perfume filled the room with its sharp overripe scent. Lily knew at once who she was.

“Madame Verdigris, what are you doing here?” +HU IDWKHU©V KRXVHNHHSHU OHDQHG IRUZDUG DQG JDYH /LO\ D ZDQ VPLOH KDOI KLGGHQ under a black gauze veil which covered her face. “Bonjour, chérie.”

“Madame Verdigris has some news about your father,” said Miss Scrimshaw.

Straight away, Lily sensed something bad. So much black taffeta and poised concern: it was like the months in London, after Mama’s death. Surely it couldn’t be that, could it? Not Papa too? She felt bile rising in her throat, and dug her nails into her palms.

“What’s happened?” she asked.

Madame Verdigris shook her head sadly. “Ma petite, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but your father is missing. His airship crashed yesterday, flying home.”

“Perhaps you’d better take a seat?” Miss Scrimshaw suggested, but Lily ignored her, gasping for breath.

“C’est terrible,” Madame’s melodious voice continued. “The police, they have investigated the scene: but there was no body, only the remains of his ship. He has disparu, and we have now to presume he is … dead.”

“Oh, no …” Lily grasped for the chair, but it seemed to slide sideways. The women’s concerned faces swept away in a blur and the floor lurched up to meet her.

Cogheart, by Peter Bunzl

Silence.

A square wooden box.

A flash of white melting snow.

The crack of breaking glass.

A sharp, pungent smell, mixed with a brittle perfume.

Lily opened her eyes and the haze coagulated into Miss Scrimshaw’s office. She must’ve fainted.

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“Bien, chérie,” Madame said. “Luckily, I had these.” She wiped her hands on a lace handkerchief and stuffed the vial away in her clutch bag.

Unit 13

She was lying on the carpet, with Madame Verdigris kneeling over her, clutching a vial of smelling salts. She coughed and sat up, rubbing the sting from her eyes.

“Why you?” Lily asked woozily. They’d been halfway through some sort of conversation. “Why have you come?”

“We can discuss this on the journey.”

“Journey? Where are we going?”

“Why, home to Brackenbridge, bien sûr,” Madame said sniffily. She stood and brushed down the front of her dress.

“But I was to meet Papa,” Lily said, “and Malkin.” A sickening dizziness swirled around her once more, until she felt terribly confused. “Papa promised to take me flying … on Dragonfly.” Tears came to her eyes, and she pulled the oily hanky from her cuff to wipe her face. “At the end of term, they’re coming … he wants to fly me home.”

“Mais non,” Madame said, “obviously such things won’t be happening. We are going home by public zep, aujourd’hui and we will have to hurry to catch the late one. And you will wait at the house with me until we receive news of your father, or until his body is discovered at the crash site.”

“Good. That’s settled then.” Miss Scrimshaw took up the bell from her desk, and rang. Within moments the door opened and the Kraken appeared.

“Ah, Mrs McKracken,” said the headmistress, “please could you ask Matron to help Lily and Madame Verdigris pack her things? I think her travelling trunks are in the storage room on the third floor.”

As they left the room together Lily’s mind was awash with fuzzy thoughts, but she couldn’t help overhearing Madame tell the Kraken how, if the expense of forwarding Lily’s things was too much, they should feel free to divide them up between the other girls.

“I’m not sure that they’d want that, Madame,” the Kraken replied.

“Perhaps the poorhouse then,” Madame muttered. “Or burn them.”

And Lily had a sudden devastating inkling of what her new life without Papa would be like.

Cogheart, by Peter Bunzl

Madame stood and adjusted the ruched sleeves of her dress. “Ce n’est pas nécessaire, Miss Scrimshaw. Lily has plenty of clothes at home, don’t you, Lily? She can just take D FDVH DQG ZKDW VKH©V ZHDULQJ § 6KH JODQFHG DW /LO\©V GLVKHYHOOHG FRDO FRYHUHG GUHVV “Though perhaps something neat and black would not go amiss now, eh, chérie?”

From Cogheart by Peter Bunzl, copyright © Usborne Publishing Ltd, 2016. Reproduced by permission of Usborne Publishing, 83-85 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8RT, UK. www.usborne.com

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Unit 13

Word meaning

?

1

Name:

Look at the paragraph beginning “C’est terrible, …”. Which of these words is closest in meaning to ‘investigated’? Tick one. checked ignored explored invested

2

1 mark

When she fainted, Lily smelt something. Find and copy two words that tell you what the scent was like.

1 2

3

1 mark

Look at the sentences below. Underline one word that means the same as ‘clasping’.

She was lying on the carpet, with Madame Verdigris kneeling over her, clutching a vial of smelling salts. She coughed and sat up, rubbing the sting from her eyes.

1 mark

4

Madame Verdigris suggested that Lily change her dress. What did she want Lily to change into? Tick two. something in a different colour

Cogheart, by Peter Bunzl

something dishevelled something tidy something in the same colour

5

1 mark

Look at the last sentence. Which word tells you that Lily was imagining what her new life would be like?

1 mark

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1

Unit 13

Mix it up!

Name:

Give two items of clothing that Madame Verdigris was wearing.

1 2

2

1 mark

“Why, home to Brackenbridge, bien sûr,” Madame said sniffily. She stood and brushed down the front of her dress.

What does the word sniffily tell you about Madame Verdigris?

1 mark

3

Who is the Kraken? Tick one. the headmistress the housekeeper the matron another teacher

4

1 mark

How do Lily’s feelings change throughout the story? Give two changes.

2 marks

Which of the following would be the most effective title for this extract? Tick one.

Cogheart, by Peter Bunzl

5

Airship Disaster Madame Visits Going Home Terrible News

1 mark

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 14 Comparison

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

by Lewis Carroll Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 142 to 145

Lewis Carroll is one of the UK’s best-known children’s authors and his stories about Alice have captured the imagination of generations of children. This extract, from Carroll’s most famous work, showcases the weird and wonderful settings and characters that characterise his writing. You could discuss this text alongside The Crooked Sixpence (Unit 12) and Cogheart (Unit 13), as all feature an otherworldly setting. Lewis Carroll also wrote ‘The Hunting of the Snark’ (Progress check 2).

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 This text is an example of classic fiction. What do you think makes a book ‘classic’?

This is open to interpretation. However, classic fiction is usually something that has stood the test of time and is regarded as an exemplary or noteworthy work in a particular genre. Classic texts tend to have been published many years ago, so the children may also answer that classic books use antiquated language.

Fiction

2 This adventure story features a girl who travels to another world. Can you name other stories you have read where a character travels to another world?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. However, the children should be able to make links to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Unit 9) and The Crooked Sixpence (Unit 12).

3 The protaganist in this story undergoes a transformation. What is a transformation?

Answers will vary. The children may need some help defining ‘transformation’. Encourage them to relate this question to concepts covered throughout the Science curriculum (e.g. lifecycles of animals; growth and development of humans; changes of state in materials).

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary alas

curious

disagree with you

fancy

histories

scolded

seldom

telescope

ventured

Vocabulary discussion questions O

What does it mean if you eat something that disagrees with you?

O

If you ventured somewhere, would it be the same as going on an adventure?

O

How would you describe a curious feeling?

O

If you seldom do something, do you do it a lot or very rarely?

Vocabulary activities O

Disagree with you, curious and fancy can have multiple meanings and they are used in their more unusual forms in the text. Ask the children to think of other words or phrases that have different meanings in different contexts.

O

Ask the children what sort of things they would include if they wrote histories about themselves or their friends.

O

Telescope can be divided into the prefix ‘tele–’ and the root word ‘–scope’. Challenge the children to think of other words with either pattern. What links them?

O

The text also uses some technical or antiquated vocabulary (e.g. ‘red-hot poker’; ‘box her own ears’; ‘croquet’; ‘currants’). You may wish to discuss the meanings of these words and phrases with the children.

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1 Who is the main character in the text? What do we know about them?

A girl called Alice who wants to leave the dark hall she is in to go to a lovely garden. She will do anything to do that, even drink something that might be poison.

2 Where is the story set? How do you know that?

The story is set in another world: Wonderland. We know it is another world because magical things happen there, like people can shrink. Some children may also think that the story is set underground because Alice falls down a rabbit hole. Although this is technically correct, it is important for the children to understand that Alice has entered another world.

3 Do you agree with Alice’s decisions? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary but encourage the children to link their answers to the content of the text. For example: No, I don’t agree with her decision to drink from the bottle or eat the cake because she’s following instructions without knowing who is giving them and what might happen to her.

4 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s feelings about the text. They should all be able to justify their response (e.g. I liked the text because Alice went on an adventure and shrank to a tiny size!).

3 Explore O

The main character in adventure stories is often courageous. Discuss how Alice exhibits courage throughout the text (e.g. She never gives up; she tries new things). Ask the children to give an example of when they were courageous (e.g. going to the dentist or starting a new school).

See pages 140 to 141

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

1 Model the skill using the Unit 14 Modelling slides and the Modelling comparison guidance on page 140.

2 The children can then attempt the Comparison 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.

Comparison

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

4 Skills focus

Unit 14

2 First steps

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: Ask the class why they think Alice should or should not drink the liquid in the extract, then have the children split into groups of three to role-play the scene. One child could play Alice, with the other two children persuading her to drink or not drink the liquid respectively.

O

Writing task: The children could write a follow-up chapter for the story, imagining what will happen next. You could then read some further extracts from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland together and discuss links to the children’s ideas.

Reading list Fiction Alice in Wonderland by Emma Chichester Clark Cogheart by Peter Bunzl (Linked text: Unit 13) The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell (Linked text: Unit 12) Return to Wonderland by Various

O

Discuss the idea that although Alice is courageous, she is also a risk taker and puts herself in danger.

Ask the children what they think the difference is between being courageous and being risky. What risks does Alice take and are there reasons why she takes them? You could discuss this in relation to the children’s own experience of risk: what risks have they taken? Is a risk always dangerous? Discuss what to do if friends engage in risky or dangerous behaviour.

Looking at the extract, discuss how Carroll uses language and events to create a magical world.

For example, look at the descriptions used to explain the taste of the drink; the imagery of a candle; the transformations Alice goes through to travel through Wonderland.

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Class reads The Complete Alice by Lewis Carroll Non-fiction The Annotated Alice by Martin Gardner (ed) One Fun Day with Lewis Carroll by Kathleen Krull Poetry Wonderland: Alice in Poetry by Michaela Morgan (ed) Films Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney Studios, 2010) Plays Alice in Wonderland by Adrian Mitchell

Fiction

O

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Unit 14

Modelling comparison

See Unit 14 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 28 to 29) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Compare how Alice feels about the hall and how she feels about the garden. Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

She dislikes the dark hall and wants to leave; she thinks the garden is beautiful and wants to go there.

We know this because the text says she longs to get out of the hall.

This question does not include a locator, so it is important to discuss the key words and model locating them in the text. You could remind the children that in a comparison question, they need to study the text to look in detail at both items that are being compared.

2 Look at the paragraph beginning “Come, there’s no use in crying like that!”. How is Alice’s reaction different in this paragraph compared to her reaction at the end of the previous paragraph?

In the previous paragraph Alice gave up and cried, but in this paragraph she decides to be courageous and figure out a solution to her problem. She decides to try again.

This question includes a locator, so it is important to model finding the correct section of the text using this. This question requires a discussion of both sides of the comparison to achieve 2 marks: Alice’s reaction at the end of the previous paragraph and Alice’s reaction in this paragraph. Inference is required to make a comparison, so you may wish to spend time discussing Alice’s feelings at this point in the text with the children.

3 At first, Alice feels glad that she has shrunk because she can now fit through the door. How do her emotions change straight after that?

She starts to feel nervous in case the shrinking does not stop.

This question does not include a locator, so it is important to discuss the key words and model locating them in the text. The children may jump forward in the text to later changes in emotion, but they should understand that the first emotional change is nervousness and anxiety. If the children find this challenging, you could discuss the meaning of ‘straight after’ and how this provides a further clue as to the location of the correct information.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

4 Alice goes through different emotions throughout the text. Write in the thought bubble how you think Alice feels at the end of the extract.

I’m desperate to go into that garden and I’ll do anything to get there.

I hope eating this cake works!

This is an unusual question format and you may wish to spend additional time modelling it. You might also need to explain that this question deals with the whole text. The answer should be written from Alice’s point of view and some of the children might find this challenging. You could ask each child to write their own thought bubble and then discuss their ideas as a class.

Comparison questions mark scheme

See page 144

Answer

Guidance

1

Accept answers that suggest the garden is brighter/lighter than the hall but point out that the adjective ‘bright’ is used to describe the colour of the flowers in this extract. Award 1 mark for any plausible comparison.

The hall is dark, but the garden is light.

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Guidance

2

Alice feels enchanted but then she feels frustrated.

Some children may respond with one emotion (e.g. ‘annoyed’) without mentioning a preceding emotion. In this case, remind them that they need to refer to both comparison points from the text as this is a comparison question. Award 1 mark for reference to any plausible difference in emotion.

3

I felt suspicious but now I’m happy because I’ll fit through the door.

Although a locator is provided here, the children need to have read and understood a large chunk of the text to make this comparison. It may help some children to split the question into two steps, focusing first on Alice’s feelings before the drink and eliminating the incorrect options. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

4

She gets upset because she forgot the key and now she can’t reach it on the table. She thought she’d be able to get to the garden and now she has to find another way.

5

She’s less anxious.

She makes her decision more quickly.

Some children may jump ahead to Alice’s more obvious emotions when she tries to retrieve the key. If so, refocus them using the paragraph starting After a while … . Award 1 mark for any reference to how Alice’s feelings change.

Award 2 marks for any reference to how Alice’s feelings change with appropriate explanation using the text.

The children need to refer to two sections of the text to make the necessary comparison. Award 1 mark for both correct answers ticked.

See page 145

?

Answer

Guidance

1

bright flowers and cool fountains

Some children may respond with a vague answer (e.g. ‘flowers and fountains’). This should not be accepted and you should encourage them to extend their answers. Award 1 mark for both correct answers. Skill: Retrieval.

2

hesitant

3

to make the reader feel sorry for Alice

4

rarely

5

The author makes me want to read on because Alice is certain that she is going to get into the garden and says she doesn’t care how this happens.

This makes me wonder what’s going to happen next.

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Although this is an inference question, the children will need to understand the vocabulary. You could discuss the meanings of the words before attempting this question. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Inference.

Some children may assume that the word ‘poor’ means ‘lacking in wealth’ here. In this case, explore the meaning of the word further in this context by discussing possible synonyms.

Award 1 mark for any reference to feeling sorry for Alice or for caring about her. Skill: Word choice.

The children will have encountered the word ‘seldom’ during the vocabulary activities at the beginning of the unit. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Word meaning.

The children may have their own opinions about this question.

However, their answers must relate to the text to be correct.

Award 1 mark for a plausible answer. Award 2 marks for a plausible answer with an accompanying explanation.

Skill: Relationship.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 14

Answer

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Unit 14

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll This text is another well-known children’s classic and has been made into several films. It describes what happens to a girl called Alice when she follows a white rabbit into the world of Wonderland. At this point in the story, Alice has just fallen down a rabbit hole and finds herself trapped outside a tiny doorway.

Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger WKDQ D UDW KROH VKH NQHOW GRZQ DQG ORRNHG DORQJ WKH SDVVDJH LQWR WKH ORYHOLHVW garden you ever saw. How she longed to get out of that dark hall, and wander about among those beds of bright flowers and those cool fountains, but she could not even get her head through the doorway; “and even if my head would go through,” thought poor Alice, “it would be of very little use without my shoulders.

Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only knew how WR EHJLQ § )RU \RX VHH VR PDQ\ RXW RI WKH ZD\ WKLQJV KDG KDSSHQHG ODWHO\ WKDW Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

There seemed to be no use in waiting by the little door, so she went back to the table, half hoping she might find another key on it, or at any rate a book of rules for shutting people up like telescopes: this time she found a little bottle on it, (“which certainly was not here before,” said Alice,) and round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with the words ‘DRINK ME’ beautifully printed on it in large letters.

It was all very well to say ‘Drink me,’ but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in a hurry. “No, I’ll look first,” she said, “and see whether it’s marked ‘poison’ or not”; for she had read several nice little histories about children who had got burnt, and eaten up by wild beasts and other unpleasant things, all because they would not remember the simple rules their friends had taught them: such as, that a UHG KRW SRNHU ZLOO EXUQ \RX LI \RX KROG LW WRR ORQJ DQG WKDW LI \RX FXW \RXU ILQJHU very deeply with a knife, it usually bleeds; and she had never forgotten that, if you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison,’ it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.

However, this bottle was not marked ‘poison,’ so Alice ventured to taste it, and ILQGLQJ LW YHU\ QLFH LW KDG LQ IDFW D VRUW RI PL[HG IODYRXU RI FKHUU\ WDUW FXVWDUG SLQH DSSOH URDVW WXUNH\ WRIIHH DQG KRW EXWWHUHG WRDVW VKH YHU\ VRRQ ILQLVKHG it off.

“What a curious feeling!” said Alice; “I must be shutting up like a telescope.”

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Unit 14

And so it was indeed: she was now only ten inches high, and her face brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden. First, however, she waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to shrink any further: she felt a little nervous about this; “for it might end, you know,” said Alice to herself, “in my going out altogether, like a candle.

I wonder what I should be like then?” And she tried to fancy what the flame of a candle is like after the candle is blown out, for she could not remember ever having seen such a thing.

After a while, finding that nothing more happened, she decided on going into the garden at once; but, alas for poor Alice! when she got to the door, she found she had forgotten the little golden key, and when she went back to the table for it, she found she could not possibly reach it: she could see it quite plainly through the glass, and she tried her best to climb up one of the legs of the table, but it was too slippery; and when she had tired herself out with trying, the poor little thing sat down and cried.

Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: she opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words ‘EAT ME’ were beautifully marked in currants.

“Well, I’ll eat it,” said Alice, “and if it makes me grow larger, I can reach the key; and if it makes me grow smaller, I can creep under the door; so either way I’ll get into the garden, and I don’t care which happens!”

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

“Come, there’s no use in crying like that!” said Alice to herself, rather sharply; “I advise you to leave off this minute!” She generally gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it), and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. “But it’s no use now,” thought poor Alice, “to pretend to be two people! Why, there’s hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!”

From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll.

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Unit 14

Comparison 1

Name:

Look at the first paragraph. What is the main difference between the hall and the garden?

1 mark

2

Compare how Alice feels when she sees the garden and how she feels when she realises she cannot get through the door. Give one difference.

1 mark

3

Read from the third paragraph onwards. Compare how Alice feels before having the drink and how she feels straight afterwards. Tick one thought bubble.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

I felt suspicious but now I’m happy because I’ll fit through the door.

I felt curious but now I’m worried because I’m tiny.

I felt excited but now I’m happy because I’ll fit through the door.

I felt scared but now I’m worried because I’m tiny.

1 mark

4

Alice is pleased to have shrunk, but how do her feelings change when she gets to the door? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

5

How is Alice’s reaction to finding the cake different to when she found the drink?

Tick two.

She’s more anxious.

She makes her decision more slowly.

She’s less anxious.

She makes her decision more quickly.

1 mark

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1

Unit 14

Mix it up!

Name:

Alice sees a garden through the doorway. Give two things that make it the loveliest garden you ever saw.

1 mark

2

Look at the second and third paragraphs. How does Alice feel about drinking the contents of the bottle? Tick one. worried curious hesitant excited

3

1 mark

The author often uses the word ‘poor’ to describe Alice. Why do you think the author does this?

4

Look at the paragraph beginning “Come, there’s no use in crying like that!”. Which of these words is closest in meaning to seldom? Tick one. frequently sometimes rarely all the time

5

1 mark

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

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

1 mark

2 marks

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Progress check 2

The Hunting of the Snark

by Lewis Carroll Printable text

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 147 to 149

‘The Hunting of the Snark’ is a classic example of nonsense poetry told in Carroll’s trademark imaginary style with nonsensical elements and language play. The poem tells the tale of 10 crewmates on a voyage hunting a creature called the Snark. This extract introduces the crewmates at the start of their journey. After the Progress check has been completed, you may wish to discuss the author’s use of language and explore other examples of nonsense poetry together. You could also compare this poem with the extract from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in Unit 14.

For guidance on running this task, see page 11.

Progress check questions mark scheme

?

Answer

Guidance

1

entwined

Answers with multiple words should not be awarded a mark, even if they include the word ‘entwined’. You could recap the ‘find and copy’ question format once the Progress check has been completed. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Word meaning.

2

He looked after the crew’s money.

Some children may benefit from a locator and teacher discretion should be used to decide if this is appropriate. Some children may use their extrinsic knowledge to answer (e.g. ‘He banks’). This should not be accepted as it does not show understanding of the text. Similarly, vague references to ‘money’ or ‘cash’ without explaining what the Banker was doing with it should not be given a mark. In these cases, discuss how the question word ‘why’ provides a clue as to what the question expects. Award 1 mark for the correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

3

absent-minded

brave

The children should have already encountered the word ‘impression’ in previous units. However, they may not be comfortable answering this question type in a multiple-choice format. In this case, after the Progress check has been completed, discuss the question format and how best to answer it. You could also remind them that the question asks for two impressions for 1 mark. Award 1 mark for both correct answers ticked.

Skill: Inference.

The Crew Are Presented

5

The Snark is sighted

Poetry

4

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This question may prove challenging because the first verse mentions the crew landing on an unknown landmass. Equally, there are references to the crew joining the ship, so some children may assume they are departing.

If they select one of the distractors, discuss why these cannot be correct after the Progress check has been completed. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Summarising.

This is an unusual prediction question as it requires the children to form their prediction from the subheadings. Although the children will have encountered similar question types when summarising, you could spend time exploring this question type once the Progress check has been completed. Some children may assume ‘The Snark sneaks away’ is the most plausible prediction. If so, discuss what inferential clues we can use from the text to help us choose the correct title. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Prediction.

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1

Name:

Look at the first verse. Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘twisted’.

1 mark

2

Why was the Banker one of the crew?

1 mark

3

Progress check 2

Progress check 2

Verses 6 to 11 are about another crew member, the Baker. What impressions do you get of this character? Tick two. absent-minded cowardly brave mean rude

4

1 mark

Which of the following would be the most effective title for this extract. Tick one.

The Crew Arrive

The Crew Depart The Crew Disappear

5

1 mark

Which of the following could be a good subheading for the next section of the poem? Tick one.

The Beaver makes lace The Snark is sighted The Barrister falls overboard The Snark sneaks away

The Hunting of the Snark, by Lewis Carroll

The Crew Are Presented

1 mark

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Progress check 2

The Hunting of the Snark, by Lewis Carroll The Hunting of the Snark was written by Lewis Carroll, who also wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The poem is an example of nonsense poetry and includes strange and unusual ideas, often with funny elements that sometimes do not make sense. It describes a voyage to hunt a dangerous creature called the Snark. In this extract, we are introduced to some of the crew.

“Just the place for a Snark!” the Bellman cried, As he landed his crew with care; Supporting each man on the top of the tide By a finger entwined in his hair.

“Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice: That alone should encourage the crew.

Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice: What I tell you three times is true.”

The crew was complete: it included a Boots – A maker of Bonnets and Hoods – A Barrister, brought to arrange their disputes –

The Hunting of the Snark, by Lewis Carroll

And a Broker, to value their goods. $ %LOOLDUG PDUNHU ZKRVH VNLOO ZDV LPPHQVH Might perhaps have won more than his share – But a Banker, engaged at enormous expense, Had the whole of their cash in his care.

There was also a Beaver, that paced on the deck, Or would sit making lace in the bow: And had often (the Bellman said) saved them from wreck, Though none of the sailors knew how.

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He forgot when he entered the ship: His umbrella, his watch, all his jewels and rings, And the clothes he had bought for the trip. +H KDG IRUW\ WZR ER[HV DOO FDUHIXOO\ SDFNHG With his name painted clearly on each: But, since he omitted to mention the fact,

Progress check 2

There was one who was famed for the number of things

They were all left behind on the beach.

The loss of his clothes hardly mattered, because He had seven coats on when he came, With three pair of boots – but the worst of it was, He had wholly forgotten his name.

He would answer to “Hi!” or to any loud cry, Such as “Fry me!” or “Fritter my wig!”

7R ¦:KDW \RX PD\ FDOO XP § RU ¦:KDW ZDV KLV QDPH § %XW HVSHFLDOO\ ¦7KLQJ XP D MLJ §

He had different names from these: +LV LQWLPDWH IULHQGV FDOOHG KLP ¦&DQGOH HQGV § $QG KLV HQHPLHV ¦7RDVWHG FKHHVH § “His form is ungainly – his intellect small – ” (So the Bellman would often remark) “But his courage is perfect! And that, after all, Is the thing that one needs with a Snark.”

The Hunting of the Snark, by Lewis Carroll

While, for those who preferred a more forcible word,

From ‘The Hunting of the Snark’, by Lewis Carroll.

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Unit 15 Summarising

What’s So Special about Shakespeare?

by Michael Rosen Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 154 to 157

William Shakespeare, known for perennially popular plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, is considered one of the greatest British writers of all time. This extract is from a factual text about Shakespeare and the times in which he lived. The text focuses on the dangers of being a playwright or monarch in Tudor and Stuart England.

You could discuss this text alongside that of Unit 16, which is an extract from Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

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 This text is an extract from a biographical text.

What features might you find in a biography?

Typical features of biographical texts include: use of the past tense; names and dates throughout; usually written in chronological order; written in the third person; anecdotes rather than organised lists of facts like those often found in information texts.

2 The text is about a man named William Shakespeare. What do you know about him?

Most children should have encountered Shakespeare, if only in name. If they know little about him, you could spend some time extending their background knowledge by exploring some of the texts in the Reading List.

Non-fiction

3 Shakespeare was a famous English playwright.

What is a playwright?

The children should be able to recognise the word from the vocabulary activities. You could extend the discussion into the plays Shakespeare wrote or the fact that he also wrote poetry.

4 This text explores life in England during the 16th and early 17th centuries. What do you know about this time in history? Was life very different back then?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. You could provide them with some question prompts to aid discussion (e.g. ‘Can you name anybody who lived at that time?’; ‘Who were the kings and queens?’; ‘Was it a very long time ago?’).

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary branded

conspiracies

half-sister

Houses of Parliament

imprisoned

monarchs

particular

playwright

plots

rebellions

riots

royal line

Vocabulary discussion questions O

What is the difference between being branded as something and branded with something?

O

Is a monarch the same as a king?

O

Why do people stage rebellions and riots?

Vocabulary activities O

To help the children understand the phrase royal line, you could show a diagram that shows the succession of the kings and queens of England through history, and discuss how this differs from a royal family tree, which shows the relatives of the monarchs.

O

The word playwright means ‘a creator of plays’. Ask the children to find some more words that end in ‘–wright’ (e.g. ‘cartwright’; ‘shipwright’; ‘wainwright’) and work out what these people did for a living.

O

Plots and conspiracies are synonyms of one another. How many other related words can the children think of?

O

Use dictionaries to investigate the different meanings of particular (e.g. ‘a particular time of day’; ‘she was extremely particular about what she ate’; ‘he painted it in his own particular style’).

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2 What aspects of life in Shakespearian times does the text discuss?

The dangers of being a writer; the dangers of being a monarch; the system of monarchy; how powerful families/the monarchy influenced Shakespeare’s writing.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 152 to 153.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: Explain that there is some debate over whether William Shakespeare wrote all of his plays himself. The children could research and discuss whether William Shakespeare actually wrote the plays attributed to him, or whether they were written by one of the other suggested authors (e.g. Sir Francis Bacon; the Earl of Oxford; Kit Marlowe; the Earl of Derby). This could culminate in a classroom debate to settle the issue.

O

Writing task: The children could work in groups to research Shakespeare’s life and create an information book or ‘Shakespeare scrapbook’ for other year groups to use when first learning about Shakespeare and his plays. Each group could choose their own topic (e.g. childhood; his most famous plays; his house; the Globe Theatre) to research before creating a page for the class book.

3 Which rulers and monarchs are mentioned in the text?

Elizabeth I; James I; Henry VIII; Mary, Queen of Scots; Oliver Cromwell.

4 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s feelings about the text. They should be able to justify their responses (e.g. I liked the text because it had lots of interesting facts about wars and plots).

3 Explore O

O

O

Discuss aspects of life now (e.g. homes; school; medicine; food) and then research how different things were in the 16th century (see the Reading list for some useful resources). Would the children like to travel back in time to Shakespearean England or is it safer just to read about it?

The extract discusses the powerful rulers England had during Shakespeare’s life. Point out that even though there is still a royal family in Britain, the rules for the country are now made by Parliament. You could discuss how each area of the UK has a Member of Parliament (or MP) to represent it, and explain how the children can contact their MP about things they want to change in their community.

When writing a factual text focused on history, many authors include humorous or bloodthirsty facts. Ask the children to work together to find examples of bloodthirsty facts (e.g. Christopher Marlowe being stabbed; Ben Jonson being branded; the King having his head chopped off) and discuss why Michael Rosen includes these details.

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 summarising.

Reading list Fiction Beware, Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer Diver’s Daughter by Patrice Lawrence The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain Class reads Complete Shakespeare by Anna Milbourne Non-fiction See Inside the World of Shakespeare by Rob Lloyd Jones Terrible Tudors by Terry Deary and Neil Tonge What Is Poetry? by Michael Rosen Poetry Poetry for Kids: William Shakespeare by Marguerite Tassi (ed) Plays Macbeth by William Shakespeare (Linked text: Unit 16) Films Horrible Histories Presents Sensational Shakespeare (BBC/Lion Television, 2016) i.am.Will Shakespeare (BBC Teach, 2016)

1 Model the skill using the Unit 15 Modelling slides and the Modelling summarising guidance on page 152.

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Summarising

1 What is the text about?

It is about life in England during Shakespeare’s time.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 157 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Non-fiction

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

Unit 15

2 The children can then attempt the Summarising questions on page 156.

2 First steps

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Unit 15

Modelling summarising

See Unit 15 Modelling slides

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

1 Look at the paragraph beginning These were dangerous times … . What is the most important point in this paragraph?

It was dangerous to be a writer.

Model using the locator to find the correct paragraph. Some children may focus on the individual facts that they recall (e.g. ‘Marlowe was stabbed’) so you may wish to rank the points from the paragraph in order of importance. Some children may provide a vague answer (e.g. ‘It was dangerous’). This can be accepted, but it would be useful to encourage the children to make their answer more specific to the text’s content.

2 Look at the paragraph beginning And, strange as it may seem … . Which subheading best summarises the content of this paragraph? Tick one.

Kings and queens Crime and punishment Shakespeare’s rulers The risks of being a ruler

Model using the locator to focus on the correct paragraph. All of the distractors here are referenced in the text, which makes this question quite challenging. You could discuss each option in turn, debating its effectiveness together before deciding on a final response.

3 Look at the paragraph beginning, Every year … . According to the text, what are the main themes of Shakespeare’s plays? Tick two. animals

rulers

families

battles

gods

writers

What’s So Special about Shakespeare?, by Michael Rosen

Model using the locator to focus on the correct paragraph. Model working methodically, discussing each option in turn and removing the clearly incorrect options before discussing the remaining ones. If the children answer ‘battles’, you could also spend some time discussing the meaning of ‘main theme’ in order to support them to choose the correct answer options, rather than choosing an option that appears in Shakespeare’s writing but is not a main theme.

4 Look at the whole text. What title could be used to summarise the extract?

Life in Shakespeare’s England Discuss what an effective title does and emphasise that this question deals with the whole of the extract.

You could spend some time recapping the content of the text before moving on to discuss possible titles.

Responses will be based on opinion, but they should refer to Shakespeare and the time in which he was alive/writing.

Summarising questions mark scheme

See page 156

Answer

Guidance

1

Some children may only refer to the part of the quoted sentence in their response. This will result in an incomplete answer, so you may need to prompt them to refer to the full sentence and relate this information to the rest of the paragraph. Award 1 mark for reference to it being dangerous to be a writer at that time/in the 16th century/when Shakespeare was alive.

That the paragraph will be about how risky it was to be a writer during Shakespeare’s time.

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Guidance

2

That at that time every country had a ruler who thought they had the right to rule over the rest of the people.

Some children may focus on the final point in the paragraph, that in Britain many different people believed they had the right to rule the country. This should not be accepted as the paragraph does not just deal with Britain. Award 1 mark for reference to countries having rulers who thought they had the right to rule.

3

Plots and plays

4

Shakespeare died.

3

Henry VIII was king.

1

Shakespeare started writing.

2

Oliver Cromwell became the ruler.

4

This is quite a tricky question as each of the distractors appear in the text. You could remind the children that they are looking for the main theme of the paragraph. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Although this question is presented in a recognisable format, the children need to read the text quite deeply as there are no dates included. You could encourage them to highlight each event in the text and number them before ordering the statements.

Award 1 mark for the correct numbers in all boxes.

dangerous/violent

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

The children need to choose an effective adjective that sums up the text. You could discuss the fact that they need to give a summary not an opinion. Award 1 mark for any plausible adjective linked to the text.

See page 157

?

Answer

Guidance

1

to remind him that if he ever did it again, he would be executed

Some children may respond with a vague answer (e.g. ‘to remind him’). This should not be accepted without context. Award 1 mark for reference to Jonson being reminded not to do the same thing again. Also accept references to the brand showing others that he was a murderer. Skill: Inference.

2

It was dangerous and you could get imprisoned or even killed.

Some children may make a comparison from their extrinsic knowledge (e.g. ‘They both wrote’). This should not be accepted as the information does not come from the text. Award 1 mark for any reference to it being dangerous. Skill: Comparison.

3

claimed

Remind any children who are finding this challenging that ‘declared’ is a verb, so they should scan the paragraph for verbs in the past tense. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Skill: Word meaning.

4

James I

Elizabeth I

5

I think this text has been written to tell the reader all about the time when Shakespeare lived.

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The distractors in this question all appear in the text. If the children need additional support, provide them with a locator (the paragraph beginning ‘And, strange as it may seem …’).

Award 1 mark for both correct answers ticked. Skill: Retrieval.

The children may have their own opinions about this question.

However, their answer must relate to the text to be correct.

Award 1 mark for any plausible opinion linked to the text.

Skill: Relationship.

What’s So Special about Shakespeare?, by Michael Rosen

5

Unit 15

Answer

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Unit 15

What’s So Special about Shakespeare?

by Michael Rosen This text is from a book all about the famous English writer and playwright, William Shakespeare, who lived from 1564 to 1616. This extract tells the reader about what life was like in England while Shakespeare was writing his celebrated works.

What’s So Special about Shakespeare?, by Michael Rosen

So what was it like in England when Shakespeare was writing?

These were dangerous times – even for a writer! A few years earlier, one of the most famous playwrights of the day, Christopher Marlowe, had been stabbed to death during a fight. Another playwright, Ben Jonson, had killed someone and managed to get off with nothing more than having his left thumb branded, supposedly with a “T” for Tyburn – the place where he’d be executed if he was caught again.

And, strange as it may seem, these were especially dangerous times if you were the king or queen.

Shakespeare lived under two monarchs: Elizabeth I and James I. Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Tower of /RQGRQ E\ KHU KDOI VLVWHU +HU IDWKHU +HQU\ 9,,, KDG her mother beheaded, and Elizabeth herself ordered the execution of her second cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots…

When James was king, Guy Fawkes and his friends tried to blow him up in the Houses of Parliament.

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Every year there was news of plots and rebellions. There was also a big war with Spain, and bloody battles in Ireland and Holland. Shakespeare wrote plays about the powerful families – the lords and dukes and princes – who wanted to rule England. In these plays, and in others set in Ancient Rome, we watch exciting scenes of civil wars, battles, rebellions, poor people’s riots, conspiracies and wars between countries. And while all this is going on, the characters often discuss what makes a good ruler. What if your ruler were no good? Would it be right to get rid of him or her and put someone else in their place? Who should decide that? Should that be an argument left to the great families who had always ruled?

Some of the people who thought they should have a say were people with no royal line but who had money and SRZHU ,W ZDV RQO\ WKLUW\ WKUHH \HDUV DIWHU 6KDNHVSHDUH died that such people had the King’s head chopped off and then chose a ruler, Oliver Cromwell, who had no royal line and who didn’t even call himself a king!

Unit 15 What’s So Special about Shakespeare?, by Michael Rosen

Shakespeare lived at a time when ordinary people didn’t choose who ruled over them. Countries were ruled by someone who claimed that he (or, very rarely, she) had a right to rule because they belonged to a particular family.

The people in this family would say there was a “royal line” that went back and back which proved that they were the “true” rulers. Many ordinary people looked up to these monarchs as if they were almost gods. But in Britain several families claimed that they were the “true” rulers, and you have to remember that such families were rich enough to raise armies against each other. This meant that civil war – war between people in the same country – was always possible.

Text © 2007 Michael Rosen. From WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT SHAKESPEARE? by Michael Rosen. Reproduced by permission of Walker Books Ltd, London SE11 5HJ. www.walker.co.uk

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Unit 15

Summarising 1

Name:

These were dangerous times – even for a writer!

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

1 mark

2

Look at the paragraph beginning Shakespeare lived at a time … . What is the main point in this paragraph?

1 mark

3

Look at the paragraph beginning Every year … . Which subheading best summarises the content of this paragraph? Tick one.

Plots and plays Wars and rebellions

What’s So Special about Shakespeare?, by Michael Rosen

Good rulers Lords and dukes and princes

4

1 mark

Number the events to show the order in which they happened. One has been done for you.

Shakespeare died.

Henry VIII was king.

1

Shakespeare started writing.

Oliver Cromwell became the ruler.

5

1 mark

Complete the statement to make an effective summary of the text.

Life in Shakespeare’s time was

.

1 mark

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1

Unit 15

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the paragraph beginning These were dangerous times … . Why do you think Ben Jonson’s punishment for killing someone was to be branded?

1 mark

2

Read from the beginning of the text to … Houses of Parliament. What was similar about being a writer and being the ruler in Shakespeare’s time?

1 mark

3

Look at the paragraph beginning Shakespeare lived at a time … . Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘declared’.

4

During Shakespeare’s lifetime there were two rulers. Who were they? Tick two.

James I Oliver Cromwell Elizabeth I Henry VIII

5

1 mark

Why do you think this text has been written?

1 mark

What’s So Special about Shakespeare?, by Michael Rosen

1 mark

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Unit 16 Retrieval

Macbeth

by William Shakespeare Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 162 to 165

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. The extract focuses on Macbeth’s thoughts and hallucinations when he is preparing to murder his friend Duncan. By using an extract from the original text, the children will be able to see how Shakespeare’s use of language differs from the way we use it now. You could discuss this text alongside that of Unit 15, which focuses on life at the time that Shakespeare lived.

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 an extract from a classic play. What would you expect it to look like? What features would you expect it to include?

The children should know that a playscript’s appearance is different to that of other texts.

Typical features might include: use of acts/scenes; a description of where the scene takes place; stage directions; speaker followed by a colon; speech.

2 This text is a soliloquy, which is a speech given by a character who is alone on stage. Have you ever watched or read a soliloquy?

The children are unlikely to recognise this word unless they have studied plays previously. A soliloquy is when a character talks to themself and explains their thoughts and feelings through a speech. You could look at some other examples of soliloquies, such as those from other Shakespearian plays, to support the children’s understanding.

Play

3 The text is set in a Scottish castle during the medieval period. What would you expect this setting to look like?

Answers will vary. Encourage the children to make links to other texts that feature similar settings, or show them images to encourage discussion.

Language toolkit Key vocabulary art

draw

fatal

knell

marshall

oppressed

palpable

thee

thou

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Have you ever felt oppressed by the weather on a hot summer’s day?

O

If something is palpable, does this mean you can touch it? Explain your answer.

O

If you draw a sword, does this mean you are drawing a picture?

O

If something is fatal, is it positive or negative?

Vocabulary activities O

Thee, thou and art are all old versions of words we use today. Can the children think of any other common words which have an older, less often used version?

O

Discuss whether the children have ever had to marshall, or control, their feelings when they have been in a difficult situation. Can they think of any other synonyms for this verb?

O

As this is a 17th-century text, much of the language is antiquated (e.g. ‘dudgeon’; ‘prate’). You may wish to spend time discussing this vocabulary in more detail.

O

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

4 The main character is discussing his feelings before committing a terrible crime. Can you think of any other texts where a character commits a crime?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s wider reading. You could explore the theme of ‘crime’ in other texts in order to support their discussion.

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4 Skills focus

See pages 160 to 161

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 Who is talking in the text? How do you know?

Macbeth. Discuss the fact that you can tell that Macbeth is talking because of the layout (i.e. The speaker’s name is on the left-hand side of the playscript and followed by a colon).

1 Model the skill using the Unit 16 Modelling slides and the Modelling retrieval guidance on page 160.

2 What is Macbeth talking about throughout the text?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s understanding of the text. Correct responses could include: Macbeth is talking about his feelings and emotions about what he is about to do; he is being haunted by his actions and is conflicted about what he is going to do to his friend Duncan.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 165 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

3 Do you think Macbeth sees a real dagger? Explain your answer.

Answers will vary and may be influenced by depictions of Macbeth that the children have seen in art or film. However, it is accepted that Macbeth does not see a real dagger and is instead hallucinating or imagining the dagger he will use to kill Duncan.

4 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s feelings about the text. They should be able to justify their responses (e.g. I liked the text because even though the words were hard it was interesting to learn about what Macbeth was thinking before he killed his friend).

Unit 16

2 First steps

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 160 to 161.

Retrieval

2 The children can then attempt the Retrieval questions on page 164.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The children could watch other adaptations of the Macbeth soliloquy (see the Reading list for some examples) and use these as inspiration to perform the soliloquy themselves. You could discuss how Macbeth’s facial expressions change and how his tone of voice alters.

O

Writing task: Ask the children to rewrite Macbeth’s soliloquy, making the language simpler and more appropriate for a younger audience. You could show the children examples of abridged Shakespeare stories such as those listed in the Reading list.

Reading list O

O

O

Discuss the theme of selfishness and betrayal. In the play, Macbeth is told that one day he will become king, so he plots to kill his friend, King Duncan, to make this prophecy come true. Macbeth betrays Duncan because he puts his own interests first.

Discuss everyday scenarios where people put their own interests above those of others and how this can sometimes mean their friends are hurt.

In the play, Macbeth is responding to a prophecy about his future – that he will become King of Scotland. Discuss what a prophecy is, and what the children would like to happen in their futures. You might discuss jobs, families and other aspirations, as well as how the children can achieve these the right way, unlike Macbeth.

Ask the children to describe how they would choose to set the scene for this extract and what stage directions they would add.

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Fiction Comic Book Shakespeare: Macbeth by Simon Greaves Pop-up Shakespeare by The Reduced Shakespeare Company The Shakespeare Stories by Andrew Matthews and Tony Ross Class reads A Stage Full of Shakespeare Stories by Angela McAllister Non-fiction What’s So Special About Shakespeare? by Michael Rosen (Linked text: Unit 15) Poetry Poetry for Kids: William Shakespeare by Marguerite Tassi (ed) Films Shakespeare in Shorts: Macbeth (BBC Teach, 2016) Websites The BBC School Radio website features a range of useful resources about the play in its English and Music sections.

Play

3 Explore

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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 first section. Give one explanation that Macbeth gives for the dagger appearing.

That it is in his imagination.

Model using the locator to find the correct section of text. In this section, Macbeth says that he cannot decide whether the dagger is real or just a figment of his imagination. You could discuss the different explanations before choosing one to put as the answer to the question.

2 Look at the second section. Which way does the dagger go? the way Macbeth was going Model using the locator to find the correct section of text. You may wish to remind the children that when Macbeth says ‘thou’ he is referring to the dagger. The children should recall the meaning of ‘marshall’ from the vocabulary activities.

3 Look at the third section. What group of words tells you that Macbeth did not see any real blood?

There’s no such thing Model using the locator to find the correct section of text. Model identifying and locating the key words in the text as it is crucial that the children find the reference to blood before attempting to answer the question.

You could discuss words in this section that show negation (e.g. ‘no’; ‘nothing’; ‘not’).

4 Look at the fourth section. This scene is set at night. Find and copy one word that tells you this. sleep OR dreams Model using the locator to find the correct section of text. This is a challenging retrieval question as it requires some use of inference and vocabulary skills. You could discuss vocabulary related to the theme of night with the children, before attempting to scan for an appropriate word. It is essential that only one word is given in the final modelled answer, as this is a ‘find and copy’ question.

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

Retrieval questions mark scheme

See page 164

Answer

Guidance

1

a dagger

This is challenging because the answer is actually in the first section. If the children are struggling, you could alter the locator to read ‘Look at the first and second sections’.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

blade

Some children may scan for the word ‘blood’ and assume that ‘business’ is a correct response. In this case, refocus them on the question word ‘where’, which asks for a place or item.

Award 1 mark for both correct answers.

dudgeon

3

Hecate

4

like a ghost

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This question tests vocabulary and retrieval, as the children need to link witchcraft with witches. If they find this challenging, you could replace ‘witches’ with ‘witchcraft’ to mirror the text.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Most children are likely to quote from the text here. This is acceptable, as is paraphrasing. However, the children must show their understanding that Macbeth is moving quietly or sneakily.

Award 1 mark for any reference to Macbeth’s movement from this section of the text.

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Guidance

5

Some children may answer ‘He goes’. While this is a vague response, it is acceptable as it is clearly correct in context.

Award 1 mark for any reference to Macbeth setting off to commit his crime.

He goes off to kill Duncan.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme Answer

Unit 16

Answer

See page 165

?

Guidance

If the children find this challenging, encourage them to substitute each word in the original text to try to ascertain which makes most sense. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Word meaning.

1

deadly

2

It seems real.

3

He is imagining what his dagger will look like when he has killed Duncan.

Although the text is challenging in this section, the question rephrases the text in simpler language. You could point this out to the children if they are struggling. Award 1 mark for any reference to Macbeth thinking about what he is going to do.

Skill: Inference.

4

A bell rings.

This question does not have a locator as it would give away the answer. Some children may therefore assume that the prophecy is the answer. In this case, you may wish to refocus them on the stage directions. Award 1 mark for any reference to a bell ringing. Skill: Relationship.

5

That Macbeth is troubled by what he is about to do.

Some children may respond vaguely (e.g. ‘Macbeth is thinking about what he is going to do’). While this is technically correct, you could encourage the children to extend their responses by discussing how Macbeth is feeling at this moment. Award 1 mark for any reference to Macbeth being troubled by what he is about to do. Skill: Summarising.

The children should have discussed both ‘palpable’ and ‘draw’ within the vocabulary activities. If they are finding this tricky, you may wish to remind them of the meaning of the word ‘palpable’.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Word choice.

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

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Unit 16

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare This text is a soliloquy (a speech about a character’s own thoughts) by Macbeth, who is thinking about how he is planning to murder his friend Duncan. In it, Macbeth is haunted by a vision of his dagger, which he will use to commit the crime.

Macbeth: Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.

I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, 3URFHHGLQJ IURP WKH KHDW RSSUHVVHG EUDLQ" I see thee yet, in form as palpable As this which now I draw.

Thou marshall’st me the way that I was going;

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o’ the other senses, Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still, And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There’s no such thing: It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes.

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Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse The curtain’d sleep; witchcraft celebrates

Unit 16

Now o’er the one halfworld

Pale Hecate’s offerings, and wither’d murder, Alarum’d by his sentinel, the wolf, Whose howl’s his watch, thus with his stealthy pace.

With Tarquin’s ravishing strides, towards his design 0RYHV OLNH D JKRVW 7KRX VXUH DQG ILUP VHW HDUWK Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear Thy very stones prate of my whereabout, And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives: Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.

[a bell rings]

Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell That summons thee to heaven or to hell.

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.

From Macbeth, by William Shakespeare.

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Unit 16

Retrieval 1

Name:

Look at the second section. What is the instrument Macbeth is going to use?

1 mark

2

Look at the third section. Where did Macbeth see blood? Give two places.

1 2

3

1 mark

Who is celebrated by the witches? Tick one.

Macbeth Tarquin Duncan Hecate

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

4

1 mark

Look at the fifth section. How does Macbeth move?

1 mark

5

What does Macbeth do after hearing the bell?

1 mark

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1

Unit 16

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the first section. Which of these words is closest in meaning to fatal?

Tick one. final deadly frightening haunted

2

1 mark

… in form as palpable As this which now I draw.

What does this group of words tell us about the dagger? Tick one.

It seems ghostly.

It seems real.

It is drawn.

It is real.

3

1 mark

And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood …

Why do you think Macbeth sees blood on the dagger?

4

What event in the text makes Macbeth stop thinking and go to kill Duncan?

1 mark

5

What is the main message of the text?

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

1 mark

1 mark

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Unit 17 Word meaning

?

Deforestation for Palm Oil

by Rainforest Rescue Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 170 to 173

Palm oil is in many of the day-to-day products we use. This text is taken from a leaflet that explains the damage palm oil does to rainforests and how we, as consumers, can work together to confront the problem. With the movement against palm oil growing, and the rise of young campaigners such as Greta Thunberg, more and more children are engaging with environmental issues. This thought-provoking text is sure to engage readers and prompt lively discussion. It is followed by The Explorer (Unit 18), a fictional text set in the Amazon rainforest.

Once both units have been completed, you may wish to make links between the two texts.

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 What type of text is this? What is its purpose?

It is an information text/leaflet. The children should be able to agree that the leaflet’s purpose is to inform the reader about deforestation and palm oil.

2 This text is about palm oil. What is palm oil?

What do you know about it?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge and experiences. If they do not know anything about palm oil, you may wish to spend some time discussing the topic briefly before continuing. See Reading list for ideas for resources.

Non-fiction

3 This text explains that palm oil damages rainforests. What do you know about rainforests and the animals that inhabit them?

Answers will vary, but the children should all have encountered rainforests as part of their previous science learning. You could use photography or film to support the discussion.

4 This leaflet encourages the reader to act against palm oil to protect the environment. Why do we need to protect the environment?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s knowledge of issues such as conservation and climate change. They might mention protecting plants/the rainforest/animal habitats.

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary biodiverse

deforestation

ecosystem

endangered

evicted

felled

livelihoods

plantations

processed

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Is being felled the same as falling? Explain your answer?

O

What food do you eat that has been processed?

O

Is it just animals that can be endangered?

O

A rainforest is an ecosystem. Can you give examples of other ecosystems? What would a biodiverse ecosystem have lots of?

Vocabulary activities O

Livelihood ends in the suffix ‘–hood’. Ask the children to think of other words that end in the same way. Can the children suggest what ‘–hood’ might mean?

O

The word plantations comes from the Latin root word plantare, meaning ‘to plant’. The suffix ‘–tion’ makes this word into an action noun. Ask the children how many other words they can think of that end in ‘–tion’ that are action nouns (e.g. ‘navigation’).

O

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

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1 How does palm oil damage the environment?

Trees are felled; animals and plant species disappear; CO2 is released into the atmosphere. Some children may provide related facts from their background knowledge (e.g. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, so the fewer trees there are, the worse the air quality will be).

2 What is palm oil used in?

Food, cosmetics, soap, candles, fuel. The children may also give specific examples (e.g. It is in the shampoo we use).

3 Who is the audience for this leaflet? How do you know?

Children/young people. Answers will vary depending on the children’s understanding of different audiences. However, answers are likely to focus on the language used (e.g. I think it’s for children because it says to give a report in class; I think it’s for older children because it uses some difficult words).

4 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary. The children should be able to justify their responses (e.g. I liked it because it didn’t just tell me facts; it suggested ways to help).

See pages 168 to 169

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 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 173 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 168 to 169.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: Ask the children to record videos in groups that educate the school community about palm oil and what everyone can do to solve the problems caused by its use. Use the ‘Shop with care’ section of the text for inspiration.

O

Writing task: Using the children’s research from the first Explore activity, select a company that uses unsustainable palm oil in their products. Ask the children to write persuasive letters to the company asking them to change their policy.

Unit 17

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

4 Skills focus

?

Word meaning

2 First steps

3 Explore

O

O

Gather examples of items we use in our daily lives (e.g. food; toiletries; cleaning products) and together find out which of them contain palm oil. Use the ‘Check the Contents’ section of the text to help you.

Once you have determined which products contain palm oil, the children could research the companies that produce them. Do the companies use nonsustainable palm oil or have they switched to using sustainable or responsibly sourced palm oil?

Reading list

Explain that if everybody makes a small change, it adds up to a larger, more impactful change that will help the environment. Discuss what other small changes we can make to support the environment (e.g. recycling; turning off lights; re-using items).

Non-fiction 101 Small Ways to Change the World by Aubre Andrus

Palm oil not only affects the trees within rainforests, but also the animals and plants living there. You could ask the children to research a rainforest plant or animal, perhaps the ones mentioned in the leaflet, and find out how deforestation is affecting them.

Fiction The Explorer by Katherine Rundell (Linked text: Unit 18) Ghosts of the Forest by Steve Backshall The Orangutan Rescue Gang by Joyce Major Class reads Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers

An Anthology of Intriguing Animals by Ben Hoare Biodiversity by Izzi Howell Borneo Rainforest by Simon Chapman Day & Night: Rainforest by Viction-Viction Our House Is on Fire: Greta Thunberg’s Call to Save the Planet by Jeanette Winter Films Protect Paradise: An Animation about Palm Oil (Greenpeace, 2014) What Is Palm Oil and Why Is It Thought to Be Bad? (CBBC Newsround, 2018)

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Non-fiction

O

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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 section. Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘cut down’. felled This question includes a locator, so it is important to discuss this with the children and model finding the correct section in the text. Ask the children to discuss the meaning of ‘cut down’. As it is a verb, ask them to find the nouns in the relevant section first (e.g. ‘trees’, ‘furniture’). Which of these can be cut down?

2 Look at the paragraph beginning Oil palms only … . What does the word suit mean in this sentence? fit Model using the locator and identify the target word. Some of the children may think about the noun ‘suit’, i.e. the article of clothing. You could explain that, in this sentence, the word class of ‘suit’ is a verb. You may then wish to gather synonyms for ‘suit’ before the children reread the sentence.

3 Look at the section ‘Climate change’. Underline one word that means the same as ‘typical’. average This question includes a locator, so it is important to discuss this with the children and model finding the correct section in the text. You could also discuss the meaning of ‘typical’ and gather synonyms together, before continuing with this question. Finally, model how to underline the correct word clearly; answers that include underlining of an additional word would not be accepted.

4 Look at the section ‘The solution’. Which word is closest in meaning to contents? Tick one. features ingredients

recipe list

Deforestation for Palm Oil, by Rainforest Rescue

Again, this question includes a locator, so it is important to use this to model finding the correct section.

Some children may assume that ‘list’ is the correct response as the ingredients are in a list. Others may assume that ‘features’ is the closest in meaning. If so, you could explain that the listed items are all names for palm oil, which is used in foods and cosmetics. You could also ask the class: What do we call the listed items when we’re following instructions to make food?

Word meaning questions mark scheme

?

See page 172

Answer

Guidance

1

That there are a variety of plants and animals in the rainforest.

Some children may answer without context (e.g. ‘lots of plants and animals’) and this should be accepted. However, you could encourage them to relate their answers back to the text. Some children may also focus on plants or animals alone (e.g. ‘lots of plants’). Again, this should be accepted, but discuss how to make their responses more specific. Award 1 mark for reference to there being a variety of plants/animals/living things.

2

squeezed OR crushed

It is important that the synonyms used are appropriate for the context (i.e. related to pressing/squeezing oil out of the palm kernels). Synonyms such as ‘ironed’ or ‘smoothed’ should not be accepted. Award 1 mark for any plausible synonym for ‘pressed’ that suits the context.

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Guidance

3

processed

This is a tricky question. You could discuss the meaning of ‘natural’ and ask the children to think of antonyms before they answer the question. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

If additional words are included, the response should not be awarded a mark.

4

shrinks

Some children may assume that the question is asking them to find a two-word phrase. If so, focus them on the numbered lines and explain that they are looking for two separate words. Correct answers that are written on the same line should be accepted.

Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

declining

They are forced to leave

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

The children need to understand the meaning of the word ‘evicted’ to provide a correct answer. You could highlight or underline the word ‘evicted’ in the question to provide further scaffolding. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

See page 173

?

Answer

Guidance

1

Animals disappear. OR Plants disappear.

OR People living in the forest lose their homes/livelihoods.

Some children may use their background knowledge or information from later in the text to answer (e.g. ‘Climate change will get worse’). In this case, remind them that their answer must focus on the first section. Award 1 mark for any two correct answers. Skill: Retrieval.

2

It makes the size of the destruction easier to picture in our heads because we know how big a football pitch is and it says it was the size of 35 of them!

The children may find this challenging as it focuses on imagery.

You could scaffold the question by asking them to imagine a football pitch. How big is it? Now think of 35 of them – is that a large area of rainforest? Award 1 mark for reference to understanding the size of the destruction. Skill: Word choice.

3

So that people can choose to do something about the palm oil problem, rather than just forgetting about it.

Some children may provide a vague response (e.g. ‘Because it’s interesting’). If so, discuss the effect the section has on them as readers, then encourage them to apply their ideas back to the question. Award 1 mark for any reference to the author wanting people to do something about palm oil.

Skill: Relationship.

4

Impression: selfish

Although this question is rooted in the text, the children may have formed their own opinions and may use background knowledge in their responses. This should be accepted as long as it is linked to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible impression. Award 2 marks for a plausible impression with appropriate evidence from the text. Skill: Inference.

Evidence: Because it’s destroying the rainforest.

5

Yes, because the text gives people ideas about how to solve the problem. People will want to do things to help stop animals disappearing.

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As with the previous question, although this question is rooted in the text, the children may use background knowledge in their responses. This should be accepted provided it is linked to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction with one piece of evidence from the text. Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction with two pieces of evidence from the text.

Skill: Prediction.

Deforestation for Palm Oil, by Rainforest Rescue

5

Unit 17

Answer

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Unit 17

Deforestation for Palm Oil, by Rainforest Rescue This text is a leaflet by a non-profit organisation which is dedicated to preserving endangered wildlife. The leaflet explores the production of palm oil, which is a type of vegetable oil.

How demand for vegetable oil is destroying rainforests Rainforest – so far away and yet so near The rainforest is the most biodiverse ecosystem on Earth. And it is closely linked to our lives. Its ancient trees are being felled for us – to make furniture or paper, or to grow oil palms or livestock feed on the land. When a forest dies, thousands of animal and plant species disappear with it. People living in the forest lose their livelihoods.

Oil palms in place of ancient trees

Deforestation for Palm Oil, by Rainforest Rescue

Palm oil is pressed from the fruit of the oil palm tree. You may not notice it, but palm oil is almost everywhere. Because it is so cheap, industry has been using it in recent years in food, detergents and diesel fuel. Oil palm plantations are spreading as the demand for the oil rises.

Oil palms only grow in places that also suit the rainforest, and so to make room for plantations, countless giant trees are being felled – often illegally. According to the United Nations, oil palm plantations are the main reason why nature is being destroyed in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. Worldwide, we are losing an area of rainforest as big as 35 football pitches every minute.

The problem

•

Uses: About half the products in your supermarket contain palm oil – for example, processed foods, cosmetics, soaps and candles. More and more palm oil is also being added to diesel fuel.

•

Plantations: Most palm oil is produced in Indonesia and Malaysia. The plantations need a lot of chemicals, and almost no animals or other plants live in them.

•

Deforestation: Worldwide, palm oil plantations cover 170 000 sq. km – that’s more than England and Wales combined. That area was once covered by rainforest.

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•

Habitat: $V WKH IRUHVW VKULQNV WKH QXPEHU RI HQGDQJHUHG RUDQJ XWDQV %RUQHR pygmy elephants and Sumatran tigers is also declining.

•

Land grabbing: People are often brutally evicted from their land for plantations.

If they resist, they are threatened and often arrested.

•

Climate change: A huge amount of CO2 – up to 6000 tonnes per hectare – is released when a rainforest is destroyed. An average European would need 800 years to produce that much.

Unit 17

The effects

The solution Shop with care It’s possible to live without palm oil – healthier too.

• • • •

Buy fresh food.

Make your own pizza, cake and biscuits.

Read product labels.

Use traditional cleaning products like vinegar or baking soda.

Check the contents

• • • • •

Palm oil / palm butter Vegetable oil Cetearyl / cetyl Lauryl / lauroyl / laurate Stearyl / stearate

Inform others Share what you have learned about palm oil and its effects with others. Tell your friends and family about it, or give a report in class.

Deforestation for Palm Oil, by Rainforest Rescue

Palm oil can hide behind many names. When in doubt, ask the manufacturer.

From Deforestation for Palm Oil by Rainforest Rescue: https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/

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Unit 17

Word meaning

?

1

Name:

Look at the first section. What does the word biodiverse mean?

1 mark

2

Look at the sentence beginning Palm oil is pressed … . Write one word that could be used to replace pressed in this sentence.

1 mark

3

Look at the section Uses. Find and copy one word that means the opposite of ‘natural’.

1 mark

Deforestation for Palm Oil, by Rainforest Rescue

4

Look at the section The effects. Find and copy two words that are synonyms for ‘decreases’ and ‘decreasing’.

1 2

5

2 marks

People are often brutally evicted from their land for plantations.

Which group of words best describes what happened to the people? Tick one.

They are forced to leave.

They are given money to leave.

They are asked to leave.

They are helped to leave.

1 mark

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1

Unit 17

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the first section. Give two things that happen when a forest is destroyed.

1 2

2

1 mark

… we are losing an area of rainforest as big as 35 football pitches every minute.

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

1 mark

3

Look at the section The solution. Why do you think the author chose to finish the leaflet with this section?

1 mark

Think about the whole text. What impression do you get of companies that use palm oil because it is cheap? Give one impression and one piece of evidence from the text.

Impression

Evidence

2 marks

5

Think about the whole text. Do you think that the palm oil problem will be solved?

Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Deforestation for Palm Oil, by Rainforest Rescue

4

2 marks

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Unit 18 Word choice

The Explorer

by Katherine Rundell Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 178 to 181

The rainforest is a captivating place. Many children dream of exploring its wonders, but what would they do if their plane crashed in the rainforest and they had to survive there? This unit’s text explores one child’s experience of just that situation. Please note that this text includes references to a traumatic event and its aftermath. This extract links to Unit 17 which focuses on palm oil’s threat to the rainforest.

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 This story is set in the Amazon rainforest. What do you know about the Amazon?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. However, they should have studied the rainforest in previous science and geography learning and will also have encountered this topic in Unit 17.

2 In the extract, the main character is experiencing the aftermath of a traumatic event. Can you think of any other texts that feature a traumatic event?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s previous reading. You may wish to discuss what makes something a traumatic event and provide examples to support discussion (e.g. Malala’s experiences in Unit 11).

Fiction

3 The main character in this text is a child who has to find courage in order to survive. Can you think of any other courageous children, either real or fictional?

Answers will vary but the children should be able to contribute details about Malala Yousafzai, our focus for Unit 11.

4 Survival is a key theme in the text. What things do you think you would need to survive in the rainforest?

Answers will vary. The children might refer to the need to find food and the need to avoid predators.

You could allow them to use some of the resources from the Reading list to help them here.

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary ashy

banish

bile

cascade

charred

foreign

heave

quench

singed

summon

tar

vicious

Vocabulary discussion questions O

Can you quench something other than thirst?

O

If you were to banish something, what would you be doing to it?

O

If something is singed and charred, is it damaged beyond repair?

O

If an animal was vicious, would it make a good pet?

Vocabulary activities O

Bile is a product made by the human body.

Authors often mention a character’s physical reactions to add suspense or emotion to their writing. Discuss other physical reactions that could be used to add emotion or suspense (e.g. goose bumps; tears; shuddering).

O

Singed and charred are synonyms but they refer to different degrees of burning. Ask the children to collect other synonyms for ‘burned’ and place them on a ‘Shades of meaning’ chart, from least to most.

O

Vicious ends in the suffix ‘–cious’. How many other adjectives can the children find with the same ending?

O

This extract uses figurative language to help set the scene (e.g. ‘a fountain of flames’). Can the children find other examples in the text?

O

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

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1 What do you think happened before the beginning of this extract? Why? A plane has crashed. The children’s explanation will depend on their own interpretations (e.g. the text says ‘the little aeroplane was in the trees’ and the main character wonders if he is dead).

2 Who is the main character? Are there any other characters in the text?

Fred is the main character. It seems as if there are no other characters present until the end when someone shouts at Fred.

3 Where is the story set? What clues in the text tell us this?

The children are likely to recall the discussion from Get ready about the Amazon. However, they will need to find evidence in the text to support their answer (e.g. I think that it is set in a rainforest because it talks about ‘trees reaching hundreds of feet up into the sky’ and it starts to rain really hard).

4 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 the plane crash makes it exciting. I didn’t like the bit when his eyebrow came off though!).

See pages 176 to 177

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 18 Modelling slides and the Modelling word choice guidance on page 176.

2 The children can then attempt the Word choice questions on page 180.

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.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: Working in groups, the children could act out the end of the passage where Fred encounters other people. The children could make their own decision as to who the new people are (e.g. other survivors; people who live in the rainforest, etc.) and create a short play based on what they predict could happen.

O

Writing task: The children could create their own survival guide for a habitat of their choice, such as the Arctic. They could find out how explorers and adventurers have braved the harsh conditions, before distilling their findings into 10 top tips for survival.

Word choice

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

4 Skills focus

Unit 18

2 First steps

3 Explore

O

O

Discuss the theme of survival. What does it mean to survive? You may wish to share the survival story of Juliane Koepcke, who, as a teenager, survived for 11 days alone in the Amazon rainforest before being reunited with her father. Juliane’s story influenced the author of our extract, Katherine Rundell. Ask the children what they would do in a similar situation – how would they try to survive?

Continuing the discussion begun in Get Ready, further unpick what it means to be courageous.

Can anyone be courageous? You could discuss how courage can be shown by anyone, in many different ways. Discuss times when you have been courageous and ask the children to share their own examples.

Discuss how the author uses language to convey a sense of urgency. The children could first focus on verbs (e.g. ‘heave’; ‘jabbed’; ‘spat’) and then on adverbs and adjectives (e.g. ‘faster’; ‘wilder’; ‘desperate’).

Reading list Fiction From the Jungle by Beth Doane Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson The Shaman’s Apprentice by Lynne Cherry and Mark J. Plotkin Class reads Survivors by David Long Non-fiction Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers by Alastair Humphreys Amazon (Eyewitness) by DK Deforestation for Palm Oil by Rainforest Rescue (Linked text: Unit 17) Unfolding Journeys: Amazon Adventure by Steward Ross Poetry Wild World by Angela McAllister Films FernGully: The Last Rainforest (20th Century Fox, 1992)

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Fiction

O

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Unit 18

Modelling word choice

See Unit 18 Modelling slides

Use the Skills guide (see pages 26 to 27) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.

1 Look at the third paragraph. What do you think the writer meant by The fire called back in response?

That the fire was noisy and was the only sound that occurred after Fred shouted.

This question includes a locator, so it is important to model using this to locate the correct paragraph in the text. You may wish to discuss how the author is using personification to give the fire human traits.

2 What do you think the author is trying to tell us when she uses the words spat red and cascade of sparks to describe the fire?

It was burning violently.

This question does not include a locator, so you will need to model identifying the key words in the question and locating them in the text. Some children may give a vague response (e.g. ‘It was burning’; ‘It was big’; ‘It was hot’). In this case you could discuss the connotations of ‘spat’ and ‘cascade’ before getting them to formulate their final answer.

3 The author describes Fred’s hands as being covered in something like tar. What does this suggest the ‘something’ is? Tick two. dark

syrupy

powdery light clean Again, this question does not include a locator so it is important to discuss the key words and model locating them in the text. ‘Tar’ is included in the vocabulary activities in Get ready, so the children should understand what tar looks like. If the children are still unsure, you may wish to explore some images of tar together prior to discussing this question.

4 A voice came suddenly from the dark. How does the author’s choice of words here add to the atmosphere at the end of the story?

It makes it scarier, because Fred thinks he is all alone in the dark, and then out of nowhere there’s a voice.

OR It adds to the tension because Fred doesn’t know who is speaking because it’s dark.

The Explorer, by Katherine Rundell

Model locating the sentence in the text. You may wish to point out that this question would be worth 2 marks and therefore requires two pieces of information. In order to achieve 2 marks, the children must comment on the effect of the words and explain their choice using the text. If the children are struggling to find two points, you may wish to encourage them to look at the key words ‘suddenly’ and ‘dark’ to structure discussion.

Word choice questions mark scheme

See page 180

Answer

Guidance

1

He is desperate to be able to shout for help.

Some children may focus on ‘jabbed’ representing a harsh motion. However, this is only acceptable if it is connected back to Fred’s reasons for behaving in this way. Award 1 mark for reference to Fred being in a rush/desperate to be able to shout.

2

Nothing else replied.

Some children may respond with ‘nothing else’ or ‘nothing replied’. If so, encourage them to ask whether that response answers the question or whether they need to be more specific.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

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Guidance

3

It makes the reader feel like Fred is very lucky to be alive.

The children must understand the events of the paragraph to be able to answer correctly. If they find this question challenging, you could prompt them to consider how they would feel in Fred’s situation then (e.g. ‘What might Fred be thinking?’ ‘How does that support our thinking?’). Award 1 mark for reference to Fred being lucky/Fred being in a dangerous situation.

4

She has made it seem tense. The author talks about Fred being ‘dizzy and desperate’ and even the birds are panicked and shrieking.

Some children may respond that the author has ‘created atmosphere’ without specifying what effect exactly. In this case, discuss different types of atmosphere as a group. Award 1 mark for any reference to a plausible effect/atmosphere. Award 2 marks for any reference to a plausible effect/atmosphere plus an appropriate explanation using evidence from the text.

5

They feel alien.

Some children may find this question tricky if they are unfamiliar with the dual definition of ‘alien’. You may wish to discuss this, prior to tackling the question. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

See page 181

?

Answer

Guidance

1

a burning branch falling near him OR Fred moving away from a burning branch

Some children may answer ‘branch’. In this case, remind them of the need to be specific in their answers. Award 1 mark for a correct answer. Skill: Retrieval.

2

quench

The children should have discussed the meaning of ‘quench’ during the vocabulary discussion. If they are finding this tricky, remind them of the definition of ‘quench’ or provide them with some synonyms. Award 1 mark for the correct answer underlined. Skill: Word meaning.

3

Because the plane had crashed and had been on fire.

Some children may provide a vague response, assuming the birds are shrieking because they are in danger or ‘because of the plane’, without making a reference to it crashing. If so, remind them to be specific and to clarify their ideas. Award 1 mark for any reference to the plane having crashed or having been on fire. Skill: Inference.

4

a voice shouting out from the dark

As this question does not have a locator, you could remind the children to scan for the key word ‘pain’ to locate the correct section. Award 1 mark for any reference to the voice.

Skill: Relationship.

5

Yes, because he has not given up even though he has been badly injured and he’s looking for someone to help him.

This question relies on the children’s opinions of Fred, linked to clues found in the text. If the children find this challenging, you could mind-map what we know about Fred prior to answering.

Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction with one piece of evidence from the text. Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction with two pieces of evidence from the text.

Skill: Prediction.

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The Explorer, by Katherine Rundell

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 18

Answer

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Unit 18

The Explorer, by Katherine Rundell This text is an extract from a story about a group of children who find themselves in the Amazon rainforest. At this point in the story, Fred, one of the children, is reacting to a traumatic event.

Fred wondered, as he ran, if he was dead. But, he thought, death would surely be quieter. The roar of the flames and his own blood vibrated through his hands and feet.

The night was black. He tried to heave in breath to shout for help as he ran but his throat was too dry and ashy to yell. He jabbed his finger into the back of his tongue to summon up spit. “Is anybody there?

Help! Fire!” he shouted.

The Explorer, by Katherine Rundell

The fire called back in response; a tree behind him sent up a fountain of flames. There was a rumble of thunder. Nothing else replied.

A burning branch cracked, spat red, and fell in a cascade of sparks. Fred leapt away, stumbling backwards into the dark and smacking his head against something hard. The branch landed exactly where he’d been standing seconds before. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and began to run again, faster and wilder.

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 18

Something landed on his chin, and he ducked, smacking at his face, but it was only a raindrop.

The rain came suddenly and hard. It turned the soot and sweat on his hands to something like tar, but it began to quench the fire. Fred slowed his run to a jog, then to a stop. Gasping, choking, he looked back the way he had come.

The little aeroplane was in the trees. It was smoking, sending up clouds of white and grey into the night sky.

He stared around, dizzy and desperate, but he couldn’t see or hear a single human, only the fernlike plants growing around his ankles, and the trees reaching hundreds of feet up into the sky, and the panicked dive and shriek of birds. He shook his head, hard, WU\LQJ WR EDQLVK WKH VKLSZUHFN URDU LQ KLV HDUV

Fred looked down at himself. One leg of his trousers was ripped all the way up to the pocket, but none of his bones felt broken. There was a vicious pain, though, in his back and neck, and it made his arms DQG OHJV IHHO IDU RII DQG IRUHLJQ A voice came suddenly from the dark. “Who’s there?

Get away from us!”

The Explorer, by Katherine Rundell

The hair on his arms was singed and smelt of eggs.

He put his hand to his forehead; his eyebrow had charred and part of it came away on his fingers.

He wiped his eyebrow on the sleeve of his shirt.

From The Explorer, by Katherine Rundell. Reproduced by permission of the author c/o Rogers, Coleridge & White Ltd., 20 Powis Mews, London Q11 1JN.

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Unit 18

Word choice 1

Name:

He jabbed his finger into the back of his tongue to summon up spit.

What does jabbed suggest about Fred’s actions?

1 mark

2

Look at the third paragraph. Find and copy a group of words that suggests that Fred was alone.

1 mark

3

The branch landed exactly where he’d been standing seconds before.

What impact does this sentence have on the reader?

1 mark

4

He stared around, dizzy and desperate, but he couldn’t see or hear a single human, only the fernlike plants growing around his ankles, and the trees reaching hundreds of feet up into the sky, and the panicked dive and shriek of birds.

By writing the sentence in this way, what effect has the author created? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

The Explorer, by Katherine Rundell

2 marks

5

Look at the paragraph starting Fred looked down … . What does the word foreign suggest about the way Fred’s arms and legs feel? Tick one.

They feel normal.

They feel alien.

They feel painful.

They feel curious.

1 mark

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1

Unit 18

Mix it up!

Name:

What made Fred fall backwards and hit his head?

1 mark

2

Look at the sentences below. Underline one word that means ‘extinguish’.

The rain came suddenly and hard. It turned the soot and sweat on his hands to something like tar, but it began to quench the fire. Fred slowed his run to a jog, then to a stop. Gasping, choking, he looked back the way he had come.

1 mark

3

Look at the paragraph beginning He stared around, … . Why were the birds panicking at this point in the story?

1 mark

What event distracts Fred from the pain he is feeling?

1 mark

5

Do you think Fred will survive the rainforest? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

The Explorer, by Katherine Rundell

4

2 marks

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Unit 19 Inference

Pig-Heart Boy

by Malorie Blackman Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 186 to 189

Malorie Blackman is lauded for her gritty portrayals of young adult life in Britain. This text is taken from Pig-Heart Boy, her popular novel about Cam, a boy who needs a new heart. The extract centres on the decision of Cam’s father to enlist the help of a famous doctor and Cam’s realisation that the answer to his problems may be a pig’s heart, not a human one. You could discuss this text alongside those of Units 20 and 21, as all three focus on genes and medicine, both human and animal.

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 This text is a contemporary novel. How might the features of this story differ from a classic novel?

Typical features of contemporary novels include a modern setting; more relatable characters; and the use of modern language and slang. Typical features of classic novels include historical settings; archaic or old-fashioned language; and more formal language.

2 The text focuses on a main character who has a serious health condition. How do you think having a serious health condition would affect a person’s life?

Answers will vary according to the children’s prior knowledge and own experiences. This conversation will need to be handled sensitively.

Fiction

3 The main character in this story needs a transplant.

Do you know what a transplant is? Why might someone need one?

Answers will vary. Some basic knowledge about transplants and when they are necessary will aid the children’s understanding of the text. See the Reading list for some useful resources.

4 In the story, the parents of the main character take a risk in order to help their son. Can you think of any other texts you have read that share the theme of one person taking a risk to help another?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge and prior reading. You may wish to encourage the children to make links to characters in texts previously encountered in this book (e.g. Gerda in Progress check 1; Malala in Unit 11).

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary diverted

episode

expertise

immunologist

ranted

species

transgenics

transplanting

winced

Vocabulary discussion questions O

What would an immunologist study?

O

If someone is transplanting something, what are they doing?

O

Do you have expertise? In what?

O

If something is diverted, is that the same as somebody being diverted?

O

Is an episode always something you watch on TV?

Vocabulary activities O

Ask the children to discuss times that they have ranted about something. In groups, they could role-play ranting about something they find frustrating.

O

Diverted begins with the prefix ‘di–’.

Encourage the children to find other words that start in the same way. Ask them to think about what this says about the word. Do they all have a common meaning?

O

Transgenics and transplanting both begin with the prefix ‘trans–’ meaning ‘across’. Ask the children to think of other words beginning with the prefix ‘trans–’.

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

3 Who knew about the doctor’s visit before the conversation in the extract? How do you know?

Only Dad has known about it from the start. Some of the children may pick up on the fact that Mum also knew beforehand, but she only learnt about it after Dad had contacted the doctor. Cam does not know about it until Dad tells him about it in the extract.

4 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary. Encourage the children to justify their responses using the text (e.g. I liked the text because it’s really interesting thinking about animals’ bodies being used for transplants).

3 Explore O

O

O

Cam’s dad says that he wants Cam to have ‘a decent quality of life’. Discuss what this phrase means to the children. What things give them a decent quality of life? How would they feel if they could not do those things? You could use Cam as an example, perhaps using other passages of the novel to highlight the everyday activities that Cam finds challenging because of his medical condition. You could discuss how the children would feel if they were in the same situation as Cam. In the text, Cam has heart disease caused by an illness beyond his control. However, many cases of heart disease can be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle (e.g. by making healthy food choices and exercising regularly). Ask the children to research how to keep their hearts healthy, perhaps using resources from the Reading list.

Discuss the question ‘Is it fair to use animals to prolong human lives?’. In the extract, there is the potential for Cam to receive a pig’s heart, which will give him a better quality of life and ensure he can

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See pages 184 to 185

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 19 Modelling slides and the Modelling inference guidance on page 184.

2 The children can then attempt the Inference questions on page 188.

3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 189 offer practice in a range of comprehension skills.

Inference

2 Who has Cam’s dad contacted? Why has he contacted this person?

Dr Richard Bryce, an immunologist who specialises in transgenics. He has contacted him so that he can help Cam get a new, better-working heart and improve his quality of life.

4 Skills focus

Answers and marking guidance for all questions are included on pages 184 to 185.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: The children could work in small groups to rewrite the extract as a script, including stage directions. They could then work together to dramatise the scene between Cam, his dad and his mum, perhaps even predicting what will happen next.

O

Writing task: The children could write letters to staff at their local children’s hospital, perhaps their schools outreach team, asking questions about transplants and the care the staff provide for children and young people with heart conditions.

Reading list Fiction The Bubble Boy by Stewart Foster Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott Class reads A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E. by Malorie Blackman Non-fiction Anatomicum by Katy Wiedemann and Jennifer Z. Paxton (eds) Anatomy by Hélène Druvert and Jean-Claude Druvert The Debate about Animal Testing by Gail Terp The Heart, Lungs and Blood by Izzi Howell Illumanatomy by Kate Davies ‘Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo’ by The Guardian (Linked text: Unit 20) TV series Pig Heart Boy (BBC, 1999)

Fiction

1 The text focuses on a conversation between three characters. Who are they? Who is the main character? How do you know?

A boy called Cam, his mum and his dad. The children may disagree about who the main character is and why. You could bring the title of the novel into your discussion.

Unit 19

live longer. However, a pig will have to die for this to happen. Ask the children whether they think this is fair. Emphasise that this is a complex issue and that there is no one correct answer.

2 First steps

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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 How does Cam feel about transgenics at the start of the story?

He doesn’t understand why someone would want to transplant an animal’s organs into a human.

Although this question does not include a specific locator, it does say ‘at the start of the story’. You may wish to discuss where exactly in the text the information is likely to be before scanning for the key word ‘transgenics’. Some of the children might confuse Cam’s feelings about his dad’s deception with his feelings about transgenics. In this case, you could gather Cam’s emotions on a graphic organiser such as those discussed in the Skills guide (page 21).

2 They stood and ranted at the hospital staff for a good thirty minutes. How do you think Cam’s parents felt at this point in the story? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

They were angry because the staff had got their hopes up and then taken the transplant away at the last minute.

Model using the locator and identifying the correct section in the text. You may wish to discuss the fact that this question requires two pieces of information – an emotion and an explanation using the text. This question encourages the children to use their word meaning skills to make an inference, i.e. what ‘ranted’ tells us about Cam’s parents’ reaction. However, an inference can also be made without focusing on word meaning. You may wish to model both strategies for this question. Ensure that the children explain their answers by referring to the text.

3 What impression do you get of Cam’s dad? Give one impression and one piece of evidence from the text.

He is considerate because he doesn’t tell Cam about Dr Bryce beforehand, in case he gets Cam’s hopes up.

This question requires understanding of the whole text, so you may wish to recap the key points of the story before continuing. The children are likely to use their own opinions and background knowledge in their response. You may find it useful to discuss when it is appropriate to use background knowledge and how responses must still be closely linked to the text.

4 Do you think Cam’s dad should have asked Cam before he contacted the doctor? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Yes, because even though he was trying to do the right thing by getting him well again, it is Cam’s body and he should decide what happens to it.

Pig-Heart Boy, by Malorie Blackman

Again, this question requires understanding of the whole text. The children are likely to use their own opinions and background knowledge in their responses. You may find it useful to discuss when it is appropriate to use background knowledge and how responses must still be closely linked to the text.

Inference questions mark scheme Answer 1

2

He doesn’t like being defined by his condition.

Guidance

Angry because his dad has let the doctor have his details without asking his permission.

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See page 188

The children need to understand the meaning of ‘winced’ to make a suitable inference. You could recap your discussion of this word before the children attempt this question.

Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

The children may use their own background knowledge to respond. This should be accepted provided they make clear links to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible emotion.

Award 2 marks for a plausible emotion plus an explanation linked to the text.

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Guidance

3

She says “Don’t worry about it, Cam. He didn’t tell me either”, and Cam says she looks ‘so unhappy’.

You could remind the children to scan for synonyms of ‘upset’ to find the appropriate part of the text. Award 1 mark for each point linked to the text, up to a maximum of 2 marks.

4

He feels like he’s making his parents upset all the time because they’re worried about him being able to get a new heart.

Some of the children may paraphrase ‘tearing his family apart’.

This should not be accepted as it is part of the question stem.

Award 1 mark for any reference to Cam feeling that he is upsetting his parents or causing strife. Award 2 marks for the above with accompanying evidence from the text.

5

Forgiving because he accepts why his dad didn’t tell him about the doctor.

Self-critical because he thinks he’s tearing his family apart.

The children should be confident with these types of questions now. However, this question does not include a grid, so you could remind them how to structure their response without a grid beforehand. Award 1 mark for an appropriate impression. Award 2 marks for one impression plus supporting evidence. Award 3 marks for two impressions plus at least one piece of supporting evidence.

See page 189

?

Answer

Guidance

1

transgenics

Some of the children may respond with ‘immunologist’, but as this is not his specialism, it should not be accepted. Some may allude to transgenics (e.g. ‘transplanting animal hearts into humans’). These responses should be accepted where the intention is clear. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

Skill: Retrieval.

2

That he was really close to getting it but didn’t at the last minute.

This question requires some understanding of the idiomatic phrase ‘pipped at the post’. However, the children should be able to use context clues to support their understanding.

Award 1 mark for reference to Cam very nearly getting the transplant. Skill: Word choice.

3

rerouted

4

At the beginning Cam wants to know more about the doctor his dad has written to. Then he gets annoyed that his dad didn’t speak to him about it, before remembering how difficult everything has been and feeling like he’s tearing his family apart.

The key to this question is for the children to articulate a change in Cam’s feelings, not merely a feeling Cam felt. Award 1 mark for a plausible change in feeling. Award 2 marks for a plausible change in feeling with appropriate explanation from the text. Award 3 marks for two changes in feeling with appropriate explanation from the text. Skill: Relationship.

5

I think Cam will decide to get the pig heart because even though it would be strange to have a pig’s heart inside you, it will mean his family don’t have to struggle any more.

Although this question is rooted in the text, the children may use extrinsic knowledge in their responses. This should be accepted provided it relates to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction with one piece of evidence from the text.

Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction with two pieces of evidence from the text. Skill: Prediction.

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‘Diverted’ can have two meanings, i.e. to distract or to reroute.

In this case, ‘rerouted’ is more appropriate to the context. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Word meaning.

Pig-Heart Boy, by Malorie Blackman

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 19

Answer

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Unit 19

Pig-Heart Boy, by Malorie Blackman This text is the story of a boy called Cam who is seriously ill from heart disease.

At this point in the story, Cam has missed out on two heart transplants and his dad has secretly contacted someone who he hopes can help.

“Cam,” began Dad as he sat down on the edge of my bed. “Cam, a few months ago I wrote to a man, a doctor, called Dr Richard Bryce.”

I looked across at Mum, who was leaning against the door. “Who’s he?”

“He was a surgeon, but now he’s an immunologist specializing in transgenics.”

“Huh? What’s that? What’s trans … transgenics?”

“Transplanting the organs of one species of animal into another.”

“Why would anyone do that?”

“Because there aren’t enough human organ donors,” Dad explained carefully.

“So people like him are trying to find other ways of keeping people like you alive.”

People like me … I winced at Dad’s phrase.

“I mean, people who need hearts or kidneys or livers to have a decent quality of life,” Dad added.

Pig-Heart Boy, by Malorie Blackman

I said slowly, “So you want me to have a pig’s heart?”

“I want you to have a heart that will allow you to do all the things a boy of your age should do. And that’s where Dr Bryce comes in. Transplants are his area of expertise. I wrote to him via a newspaper to tell him about you and your case.

I thought he might be able to do something to help you. I also sent him a letter of permission so that he could get your notes from our doctor and the hospital.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I didn’t know if Dr Bryce would want to help you. I didn’t want to raise your hopes only to see them dashed again. We’ve been down this road twice before when we thought you’d be able to get a heart transplant from a human donor – remember?”

Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 19

Yes, I did remember. How could I forget? Once, I’d even got as far as the hospital, only to be turned back. A greater emergency had required the heart.

I had been pipped at the post. Mum and Dad were furious. They stood and ranted at the hospital staff for a good thirty minutes. It wasn’t their fault.

The heart had been diverted to another hospital. There was nothing they could do about it. And then Mum had burst into tears. No, I wasn’t about to forget that little episode – not if I lived to be ninety.

I sighed, “Dad, I still wish you’d told me.”

“Don’t worry about it, Cam. He didn’t tell me either,” Mum piped up from the door.

I looked at her. She was so unhappy, so tired and unhappy. This was what I was doing to her. Doing to my family. Tearing them apart.

“So what’s happened? Has Dr Bryce agreed to do the heart transplant then?”

I asked.

“It’s not that simple.” Dad shook his head. “Dr Bryce has agreed to come and see us to talk about it. I certainly wouldn’t agree to it without talking to you first.”

“So when does Dr Bryce want to see me?”

Pig-Heart Boy, by Malorie Blackman

Dad looked from me to Mum and back again.

“He’s coming to see you tonight.”

From Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman, copyright © Malorie Blackman, 2004. Reproduced by permission of A.M. Heath & Co Ltd.

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Unit 19

Inference 1

Name:

People like me … I winced at Dad’s phrase.

Why does Cam wince at his dad’s choice of words? Tick one.

He doesn’t like being defined by his condition.

He is in pain.

He is upset that his parents are unhappy.

He doesn’t like the idea of transgenics.

2

1 mark

I also sent him a letter of permission so that he could get your notes from our doctor and the hospital.”

How might Cam feel at this point in the story? Explain why using the text.

2 marks

3

Look at the fifth paragraph. Explain how you know Mum is upset during this part of the story.

2 marks

Pig-Heart Boy, by Malorie Blackman

4

Cam feels like he is tearing his family apart. Why do you think he feels this? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

2 marks

5

What impressions do you get of Cam? Give two impressions, using evidence from the text to support your answer.

3 marks

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1

Unit 19

Mix it up!

Name:

Dr Bryce was a surgeon. What does he specialise in now?

1 mark

2

I had been pipped at the post.

What does the group of words pipped at the post tell you about Cam missing out on the heart transplant?

1 mark

3

The heart had been diverted to another hospital.

Which of the following words is closest in meaning to diverted? Tick one. distracted divided rerouted repeated

How do Cam’s feelings change throughout the text? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

3 marks

5

Think about the whole text. Do you think Cam will decide to get the pig heart transplant? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Pig-Heart Boy, by Malorie Blackman

4

1 mark

2 marks

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Unit 20 Retrieval

Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo by The Guardian Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 194 to 197

The text for this unit is an extract from a newspaper report in The Guardian about the death of a giraffe called Marius. Although the extract deals with challenging themes, it is an excellent text to encourage debate. The text has been chosen because it is useful for promoting critical literacy in an era of fake news. You should exercise caution when introducing this text, as it deals with animal euthanasia and dissection. You could discuss this text alongside that of Evolution Revolution (Unit 21), as both cover the role of genetics.

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 text is an extract from a newspaper article.

Would you expect the language in it to be formal or informal?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s exposure to newspaper articles and their understanding of formal language. Most newspapers have a relatively formal tone, with some more informal quotations or asides to the reader, depending on the type of newspaper.

2 Is everything in a newspaper article or on the news always completely true? How do you know?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. You could look at some examples of how the same news story has been reported in different publications together.

Non-fiction

3 This text is about a giraffe who has been bred in captivity. Do you think it is always better for animals to live in the wild than in captivity?

Answers will vary. It is useful to discuss the children’s initial thoughts, positive or negative, about zoos and breeding animals in captivity. You may wish to revisit this question after completing the unit.

4 The text focuses on the aftermath of a tragic event.

Have you read any other texts with a similar theme?

Answers will vary. You could refer to Units 11 and 18. You could use this discussion to introduce the theme of the text and prepare the children for its emotional elements.

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary boycotted

controversy

disclosure

dissection

ethical

euthanise

genes

petition

portray

provoked

restraints

steadfast

Vocabulary discussion questions O

What types of things do genes control in humans and animals?

O

Why might someone sign a petition?

O

Would you boycott somewhere if you disagreed with their practices? Why?

O

Are you steadfast in your beliefs or are you always changing your mind?

O

If a business is ethical, what sort of things do they believe in?

Vocabulary activities O

Provoked begins with the prefix ‘pro–’. How many other words can the children think of with the same prefix? Ask the children if they can use the words they have found to work out what this prefix means.

O

This text includes a wide range of scientific and topical vocabulary. You could spend some time exploring terms such as genes, dissection, euthanise, ‘conservation’ and ethical with the children.

O

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

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4 Skills focus

See pages 192 to 193

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 Who was Marius? Where did he live?

Marius was an 18-month-old giraffe who lived at Copenhagen Zoo.

1 Model the skill using the Unit 20 Modelling slides and the Modelling retrieval guidance on page 192.

4 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s feelings about the text. They should be able to justify their responses (e.g. I didn’t like the text because it’s really sad that Marius died for nothing).

3 Explore O

O

O

Discuss how every piece of text, no matter whether it is fiction or non-fiction, a book or the news, is influenced by the writer’s background and viewpoint.

Consequently, it is important that the children understand that they must question what they read.

You could explore different news outlets’ reporting of Marius’ death, or perhaps compare the content of some of the books in the Reading list together, looking at their similarities and differences.

Discuss the zoo’s decision not to send Marius to another park. Are there any other ways the zoo could have explained their decision to the public? Do the children agree or disagree that the zoo was looking at the long-term welfare of giraffes in European zoos?

Discuss endangered or vulnerable animals. What are people doing to help them? You could explore the work of zoos, safari parks and other conservation organisations, as well as conservation efforts for a specific animal of the children’s choice (e.g. orangutans in Borneo; rhinos in South Africa; polar bears in the Arctic Circle). See the Reading list for some useful resources.

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.

5 Where next?

O

Speaking and listening task: Split the class into two groups and hold a debate about the fate of Marius, with half the class arguing for Copenhagen Zoo’s decision and half against it. You could end with a class vote to decide whether the children agree or disagree with the zoo’s difficult decision.

O

Writing task: Ask the children to create leaflets to educate their peers, parents and carers about the importance of critical literacy when reading news articles. They could research how the story of Marius has been reported by different news outlets and come up with some simple steps to help their readers identify fake news and become critically engaged.

Reading list Fiction Don’t Feed the Boy by Irene Latham Pig-Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman (Linked text: Unit 19) The White Giraffe by Lauren St John Zoo by Anthony Browne Class reads The Emergency Zoo by Miriam Halahmy Non-fiction Evolution Revolution by Robert Winston (Linked text: Unit 21) Life at the Zoo by Michael George Magnificent Creatures by Anna Wright The Variety of Life by Nicola Davies What’s It Like to Be a…? Zoo Keeper by Elizabeth Dowen and Lisa Thompson TV series Animal Park, (BBC, 2000–2019)

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Retrieval

3 Why do you think this text has been written?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s opinions about the text, but they should link them to the content (e.g. I think it has been written to tell the reader about Marius’ death and get people to think about whether the zoo made the right decision).

2 The children can then attempt the Retrieval questions on page 196.

Non-fiction

2 What is the newspaper article about?

The article is about Copenhagen Zoo’s decision to put Marius down because his genes were unsuitable for breeding. It discusses how various people and groups disagreed with the zoo’s decision, with some even offering to house Marius themselves.

Unit 20

2 First steps

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Unit 20

Modelling retrieval

See Unit 20 Modelling slides

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

1 Why was Marius euthanised?

His genes were too common which meant he was not useful for breeding.

Model identifying the key words and discussing the meaning of ‘euthanised’, which the children have only recently learnt. This question does not include a locator, so it is important to model locating the correct section in the text (the first paragraph). You could explain that Marius’s genes were only a problem because this meant he was useless for breeding at the zoo, and model including both pieces of information in your answer.

2 Give two reasons why the dissection took almost three hours.

1 Lots of people were watching.

2 Zookeepers carefully explained what they were doing.

This question does not include a locator, so it is important to discuss this and model locating the correct section in the text. Discuss how answers that paraphrase the text are best, as they show our understanding, but that a direct quote from the text is also acceptable.

3 What is the role of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria?

To monitor standards in zoos across Europe.

This question does not include a locator so it is important to model identifying the key words and locating them in the text. You may wish to discuss the meaning of ‘role’ in this context. You could also discuss how although the text says the organisation monitors international standards, in this case ‘international’ means across European countries, not across the world, as it is a European association.

4 Tick to show whether each statement is fact or opinion.

Fact

Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo, by The Guardian

Marius’ genes had too much in common with other giraffes at the zoo.

Opinion

The zoo should be boycotted.

The zoo raised Marius so it was their responsibility to find him a home.

It was the zoo’s first giraffe dissection.

You could discuss the meaning of ‘fact’ and ‘opinion’, and the differences between them, before continuing to model this question. Some children may assume that the first statement is opinion as they may not agree with this justification. In this case, refer the children back to the context: compared to other giraffes at the zoo, it is a fact that Marius’ genes were too common to breed.

Retrieval questions mark scheme

See page 196

Answer

Guidance

1

rye bread

The children may benefit from discussing the meaning of ‘last meal’ before attempting this question. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

2

zebras OR snakes OR goats

Some children may respond with ‘giraffes’. In this case, refocus them on the question wording: ‘previously dissected’ means before Marius. Award 1 mark for any two correct answers.

3

a private individual

A direct quote or suitable paraphrase should be accepted provided it focuses on one person, not an organisation.

Award 1 mark for any reference to a private individual.

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Guidance T

YWP has a Danish giraffe.

YWP was the only zoo that offered to help Marius.

Somebody offered to pay £41 000 for Marius.

The head of hoofed animals at YWP is British.

5

F

This question requires an understanding of the whole text.

You could remind the children to locate each statement in the text and make their choice one at a time. Award 1 mark for three statements correctly ticked. Award 2 marks for all four statements correctly ticked.

O

Marius deserved to live.

The zoo should find Marius a home.

The YWP head of hoofed animals is Danish.

This question requires an understanding of the whole text.

You could remind the children to locate each statement in the text and make their choice one at a time. Award 1 mark for three statements correctly ticked. Award 2 marks for all four statements correctly ticked.

F

The zoo is unethical.

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

See page 197

?

Answer

Guidance

1

They want to make the reader feel angry and upset.

Provide the children with multiple-choice options to scaffold their thinking if needed. Award 1 mark for any reference to a plausible emotion/effect on the reader. Skill: Relationship.

2

argument

3

EAZA’s defence of the zoo

If the children need support with summarising, you could provide them with multiple-choice options. Award 1 mark for a plausible subheading that relates to the content of the paragraph. Skill: Summarising.

4

Because he thinks Marius has been treated like a piece of rubbish rather than a living animal.

It may be beneficial to discuss the meaning of ‘waste product’ and its connotations, before attempting this question. Award 1 mark for any reference to Marius being treated like rubbish or as if he was worthless. Also accept references to the author’s disgust at the situation. Skill: Word choice.

5

No, because even though he wasn’t useful for breeding, he was still a living thing and we shouldn’t kill animals for no real reason. Also, lots of people were saying they would look after him.

Either ‘yes‘ or ‘no’ is acceptable but answers must include evidence from the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction with one piece of evidence from the text. Award 2 marks for a plausible prediction with two pieces of evidence from the text. Skill: Inference.

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You could use a ‘Shades of meaning’ activity (see page 15) to demonstrate the distinction between a discussion and an argument. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Skill: Word meaning.

Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo, by The Guardian

4

Unit 20

Answer

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Unit 20

Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo,

by The Guardian This is an extract from a newspaper article. The article discusses the fate of Marius, a young giraffe who was killed despite being offered a new home.

In the chilly dawn of Sunday morning

Bengt Holst, the zoo’s scientific

a healthy young giraffe in a Danish zoo

director, said he had never considered

was given its favourite meal of rye bread

cancelling the killing, despite the protests.

by a keeper – and then killed by a vet.

“We have been very steadfast because

7KH GHDWK RI 0DULXV DQ PRQWK ROG

we know we’ve made this decision on a

giraffe considered useless for breeding

factual and proper basis. We can’t all of

because his genes were too common,

a sudden change to something we know

was followed by his dissection in front

is worse because of some emotional

RI D ODUJH FURZG LQFOXGLQJ IDVFLQDWHG

events happening around us.

looking children, prompting outrage

explain why we do it and then hope

and protests around the world.

Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo, by The Guardian

“It’s important that we try to

Copenhagen zoo carried out the killing

people understand it. If we are serious

despite a small group of protesters at

about our breeding activities, including

the gates and an international petition

participation in breeding programmes,

which garnered more than 27 000

then we have to follow what we know

signatures, as well as offers from several

is right. And this is right.”

zoos to rehouse the creature. Yorkshire

The dissection took almost three

Wildlife Park (YWP), near Doncaster,

hours because of the numbers of

which offered to take Marius, said it

spectators, and the zookeepers giving

was saddened to learn of his fate.

detailed explanations of the process.

The zoo’s decision to conduct the

Holst said they had previously had

public dissection fanned the protests

public dissections of zebras, snakes and

and provoked some calls for the zoo to

goats, but the giraffe was a first.

be boycotted or closed. The controversy

“People are fascinated by it, both

was fed further by startling images and

adults and children, and they would

video of the process.

like to hear stories they normally don’t

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decision that the young animal in

It helps increase the knowledge about

question could not contribute to the

animals but also the knowledge about

future of its species further, and given the

life and death.”

restraints of space and resources to hold

When a storm of protest broke

an unlimited number of animals within

over the news that the giraffe was to

our network and programme, should

be killed – the small gene pool among

therefore be humanely euthanised.”

However,

Stine

Jensen,

from

inbreeding if it was allowed to reproduce

Denmark’s Organisation against the

– the zoo posted a detailed justification

Suffering of Animals, disagreed: “It

on its website. It explained that as part

shows that a zoo is not the ethical

of an international programme, only

institution that it wants to portray

unrelated animals were allowed to

itself as being, because here you have a

breed: “When breeding success increases,

waste product – that being Marius.”

it is sometimes necessary to euthanise.”

An online petition had argued:

The zoo also said that giving

“Marius deserves to live and there must

Marius contraceptives would have had

be somewhere for him to go. The zoo

XQZDQWHG VLGH HIIHFWV DQG UHSUHVHQWHG

has raised him so it is their responsibility

poor animal welfare, and that there

to find him a home, no matter how long

was no programme for releasing giraffes

it takes.” It attracted 27 170 signatures

into the wild.

before it was closed when news broke

The European Association of Zoos

that the giraffe was dead.

and Aquaria (EAZA), which monitors

The YWP was among several zoos

international standards and of which

that offered to rehouse Marius – a private

Copenhagen is a member, said it fully

individual apparently also offered to

supported the decision of the zoo. It

buy him for À50 000 (£41 000) – but

added that zoo animals were very rarely

received no response. In a statement,

killed for conservation management, but

the park said without knowing the full

almost always because of ill health.

details it would be inappropriate to

“Our aim is to safeguard for future

comment further.

diverse,

Copenhagen zoo’s silence was more

healthy population of animals against

surprising because Yorkshire’s head of

their extinction,” it said in a statement.

hoofed animals is Danish, and the YWP

“Copenhagen is highly involved in these

has already taken a young male giraffe

programmes and took a transparent

from the Danish zoo.

generations

a

genetically

Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo, by The Guardian

European zoos meant there was a risk of

Unit 20

have access to. I think that’s good.

From ‘Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo’: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/09/marius-giraffe-killed-copenhagen-zoo-protests.

Copyright © Guardian News and Media Limited.

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Unit 20

Retrieval 1

Name:

What was Marius’ last meal?

1 mark

2

Give two animals the zoo has previously publicly dissected.

1 2

3

1 mark

Who was willing to buy Marius?

1 mark

4

Tick to show whether each statement is true or false.

Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo, by The Guardian

True

False

YWP has a Danish giraffe.

YWP was the only zoo that offered to help Marius.

Somebody offered to pay £41 000 for Marius.

The head of hoofed animals at YWP is British.

2 marks

5

Tick to show whether each statement is fact or opinion.

Fact

Opinion

Marius deserved to live.

The zoo should find Marius a home.

The YWP head of hoofed animals is Danish.

The zoo is unethical.

2 marks

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1

Unit 20

Mix it up!

Name:

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

1 mark

2

Look at the paragraph beginning The zoo’s decision … . Which word is closest in meaning to controversy? Tick one. harmony agreement argument discussion

Look at the paragraph beginning “Our aim is to … . What would be a suitable subheading for this paragraph?

1 mark

4

“… because here you have a waste product – that being Marius.”

Why do you think Stine Jensen chose the words waste product when discussing Marius?

1 mark

5

Think about the whole text. Do you agree with Copenhagen Zoo’s decision to kill Marius? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.

Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo, by The Guardian

3

1 mark

2 marks

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Unit 21 Word meaning

?

Evolution Revolution

by Robert Winston Printable text • Modelling slides

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 202 to 205

Our genes make us who we are, but how much do the children know about the things that make them unique?

This interesting text by Robert Winston introduces the science of genetics to a younger audience. This text is an ideal starting point from which to discuss big questions, such as those around evolution and inheritance.

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 This text is taken from a factual book written for children. Would you expect the language to be formal?

The children should be able to explain that they would expect the author to use some formal language, as the text’s purpose is to teach readers about a scientific topic, but that they do not expect it to be extremely formal because it is written for children.

2 The text discusses the effect of genes on the human body. What do you know about genes?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s background knowledge. Genes were briefly touched upon in Unit 20 but you may wish to spend some additional time exploring this topic.

Non-fiction

3 The fact that we all have different genes results in variation between people. Can you think of any examples of this kind of variation?

Answers will vary. The children should be able to contribute ideas about the characteristics that vary between people (e.g. hair colour; eye colour; dominant hand).

4 The text uses a lot of scientific and technical vocabulary. Can you name any other texts you have read that include similar language?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s wider reading. Some may refer to non-fiction reference books or encyclopedias. You could discuss Unit 20, which mentioned genes, or Unit 19, which included references to transgenics.

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Language toolkit Key vocabulary ancestor

chromosomes

coded

dominant

evolved

family tree

genetic

recessive

species

traits

upbringing

variation

Vocabulary discussion questions O

What kind of variation is there between you and your friends?

O

Can a person be coded or just a computer?

O

Which traits do you share with other members of your family?

O

What is special about your upbringing?

O

Who is in your family tree?

Vocabulary activities O

One of the root words of ancestor is ante, meaning ‘before’. Ask the children if they can think of other words to describe things that have gone before – do any of these have the same root word?

O

Dominant and recessive are antonym pairs.

Can the children think of any other or antonym pairs? Can they find any more in the text?

O

This text includes a wide range of scientific vocabulary. Spend some additional time exploring these terms.

O

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

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2 Are any people genetically identical?

The only people who are genetically identical are identical twins. Some children may mention other genetically identical, multiple births (e.g. triplets; quadruplets; quintuplets). They may also refer back to the fact that one in a quintillion babies would have identical genes if they were all born from the same two parents.

3 Which eye colour is most dominant, blue, green or brown?

Brown is most dominant.

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 21 Modelling slides and the Modelling word meaning guidance on page 200.

2 The children can then attempt the Word meaning questions on page 204.

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: The children could create a presentation or a video for a class assembly with a focus on variation. As well as teaching other year groups about what they have learnt, they could use the assembly to test out the variation questions from the text. They could even conduct a school-wide survey to find out about the variation among the children.

O

Writing task: The children could work in groups to create picture books about genes for younger children in Key Stage 2. You could use books suggested in the Reading list as examples (e.g. Moth and Gregor Mendel).

4 Did you enjoy the text? Why? Why not?

Answers will vary depending on the children’s feelings about the text. They should be able to justify their responses (e.g. I liked the text because it was interesting to find out that I might have things in common with my ancestors from a long time ago).

3 Explore O

O

O

Discuss the fact that people are made up of genes and these affect their appearance, voice, health, movement and much more. The children could create a family gene map to show how genes have passed between the members of their family. For example, children could map their family members’ eye colours or hair colours, showing these for each person on a simple family tree.

Discuss the concept of variation. Genes make people varied, from the colour of their eyes to their length of life. You could discuss how variation is a positive thing and that differences should be celebrated as they keep life interesting. You may wish to discuss variations in appearance (e.g. hair colour; eye colour; face shape) within the class and how these are a direct result of genes. You could even test out the questions at the end of the text to find how much variation there is in the class.

The text also discusses the concept of ancestors.

The children could look at some family photographs that show several generations. In groups they could identify traits that are shared by family members in the photos.

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?

Reading list Fiction Wonder by R.J. Palacio Class reads Moth by Isabel Thomas Non-fiction All About Evolution by Robert Winston DNA, Genes and Chromosomes by Mason Anders Genetics by Carla Mooney Gregor Mendel by Cheryl Bardoe ‘Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo’

by The Guardian (Linked text: Unit 20) Older Than the Stars by Karen C. Fox Our Family Tree by Lisa Westberg Peters The Story of Life by Catherine Barr and Steve Williams What Is Evolution? by Louise Spilsbury Poetry ‘Annabelle & Aiden: The Story of Life’ by J.R. Becker ‘Genetics’ by Jacqueline Woodson

Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 6

Unit 21

1 What is the subject of this text?

This text is about genes, and how variation in genes affects our gender and traits.

See pages 200 to 201

Word meaning

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

4 Skills focus

Non-fiction

2 First steps

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Unit 21

Modelling word meaning

?

See Unit 21 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 section. Underline one word that means the same as ‘difference’. variation This question includes a locator, so model using this to locate the correct section in the text. You could discuss the meaning of ‘difference’ and gather possible synonyms before scanning the text to find the correct word. It is important to model physically underlining the correct word, ensuring not to underline more than one, as the children will not often encounter questions formatted in this way.

2 Look at the sentence beginning Your appearance, your fingerprints, … . Which word is closest in meaning to coded in this sentence? Tick one. programmed

measured

constructed

changed

This question includes a locator, so it is important to model using this to locate the correct sentence in the text. You may wish to discuss the meaning of ‘coded’ and generate some possible synonyms. You may also find it helpful to discuss the possible answers one at a time, before modelling how to choose the closest synonym from the choices available.

3 Look at the paragraph beginning Answer: … . Find and copy a group of words that describe someone who has a sibling who is genetically the same as them. identical twin This question includes a locator, so model using this to locate the correct paragraph in the text. You could discuss the meaning of the key words ‘sibling’ and ‘same’ and gather possible synonyms. You could also draw the children’s attention to the fact that the question is asking for a group of words, rather than one word. Once the correct sentence has been located, model discounting words until only the essential group of words, ‘identical twin’, remains.

4 What is the meaning of ‘dominant’ in this text?

A gene that is dominant takes priority over other genes. It prevents other (recessive) genes from working.

Evolution Revolution, by Robert Winston

It is important to remind the children that they are looking for the meaning of ‘dominant’ in the text, not a general definition. Encourage them to scan the whole text for the word ‘dominant’, as it appears several times. This is a useful example of how texts can sometimes provide the children with a definition, meaning the children should always look at all instances of the target word being used in a text, rather than only the first. In this text, the word ‘dominant’ first appears in the first paragraph of the section Boy or girl? but then is defined in the third.

Word meaning questions mark scheme Answer

?

See page 204

Guidance

1

developed

2

a person from a long time ago who you are related to

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The incorrect response ‘changed’ is a strong distractor and may make this question challenging. You could discuss the meaning of ‘evolved’ and how it is about growing or developing over a long period of time, rather than simply changing, because changes can happen very quickly. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked.

Some children may answer vaguely (e.g. ‘a person from a long time ago’). This should not be accepted as it is not specific enough. Award 1 mark for reference to a person, from a long time ago, from whom you are descended.

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Guidance

3

traits

The children will need to read around this sentence to gather context clues. You could prompt them to look at the preceding and following sentences for context. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

4

preferences

This is unusual as the question requires a one-word response that is synonymous with a group of words, i.e. ‘likes and dislikes’.

You could remind the children that even though ‘likes and dislikes’ is a group of words, they are looking for a single word which encompasses the concept. Award 1 mark for the correct answer.

5

trace

You could highlight that there is more than one meaning of the word ‘follow’ but that it is the meaning of pursuing an act or idea that is relevant here. Award 1 mark for the correct answer underlined.

See page 205

?

Answer

Guidance

1

appearance OR fingerprints OR voice OR health OR how you clasp your hands

The text discusses numerous traits that genes affect. Some children will refer to traits from elsewhere in the text or from their background knowledge. However, these should not be accepted as the locator is clear. Award 1 mark for two correct answers. Skill: Retrieval.

2

A girl has two X-chromosomes but a boy has one X- and one Y-chromosome.

Some children may use their background knowledge (e.g. ‘difference in bodies’). These answers should not be accepted.

If a child only references one side of the comparison (e.g. ‘A girl has two X-chromosomes’), prompt them to provide the other side of the comparison. Award 1 mark for reference to girls having two X-chromosomes and boys having one X- and one Y-chromosome. Skill: Comparison.

3

Let’s find out about your genes!

4

I think the author included this because it gives the reader a fun and practical way to investigate how their genes have affected their traits.

Some children may answer with a vague response (e.g. ‘It makes it interesting’). This should not be accepted, but they should be allowed to extend their answer. Award 1 mark for a plausible reason linked to the text. Skill: Relationship.

5

I think the author will talk about genes in animals like in the article about Marius the giraffe.

The children’s background knowledge will heavily influence their responses. These answers should be accepted provided they relate to the text. Award 1 mark for a plausible prediction linked to the extract. Skill: Prediction.

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This is deceptively challenging, as all the options are linked to the content of the paragraph. The children need to recognise that a summary includes the key points of the text; therefore, the incorrect options are too vague as they only discuss either the test or genes, not both. Award 1 mark for the correct answer ticked. Skill: Summarising.

Evolution Revolution, by Robert Winston

Mix it up! questions mark scheme

Unit 21

Answer

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Unit 21

Evolution Revolution, by Robert Winston This is an extract from a scientific book all about genes and evolution. The author of this text discusses how genes affect traits such as eye colour and even dimples!

One in a quintillion Your parents would have to have another 1 000 000 000 000 000 babies before one possibly might have the same genes as you. This genetic variation between individuals is the key to how species have evolved.

Chip off the old block Your appearance, your fingerprints, your voice, your health, and even how you clasp your hands have been coded by your genes. These genes have been passed down from your parents, who received their genes from their parents, who received their genes from their parents, and so on. You might have similar features to a family ancestor that have skipped a few generations.

So how has this variation between us all happened?

Evolution Revolution, by Robert Winston

Answer: Half of your chromosomes that contain the genes have come from your mother and the other half from your father. Which half of their chromosomes you get and how these two sets of chromosomes come together is what makes you so unique, even from any brothers and sisters (unless you have an identical twin).

Studying twins

Identical twins have the same genes. By studying their traits, scientists have been able to figure out which ones their genes have influenced and which their environment and upbringing have affected. Results have shown that genes affect appearance, eyesight, weight, IQ, and length of life, but have less influence on food preferences and sense of humour.

Boy or girl?

Two of your chromosomes contain a gene that determines what sex you will be. These sex chromosomes are shaped like the letters X and Y. If you DUH D JLUO \RX KDYH UHFHLYHG DQ ; FKURPRVRPH IURP ERWK \RXU SDUHQWV EXW Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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Unit 21

LI \RX DUH D ER\ \RX KDYH RQH ; FKURPRVRPH IURP \RXU PRWKHU DQG RQH < FKURPRVRPH IURP \RXU IDWKHU )RU ER\V DOO WKH JHQHV RQ WKH ; FKURPRVRPH are dominant since there is no matching pair, which means they might inherit genetic disorders from their mother. For example, colour blindness is a recessive gene that becomes dominant when passed on from mother to son.

Human genetics like those of many other living things is not as simple as one gene for each trait. Often one gene can affect several traits or several genes can affect one trait, such as height or eye colour.

You get a set of genes affecting eye colour from both parents and if they are different then one set gets priority over the other – this is called the dominant. %URZQ H\H JHQHV DUH XVXDOO\ GRPLQDQW RYHU JUHHQ H\H JHQHV ZKLFK DUH GRPLQDQW RYHU EOXH H\H JHQHV 7KH ZHDNHU RI WKH VHW LV FDOOHG WKH UHFHVVLYH To get the recessive feature, each parent must pass on a copy of the weaker genes. Often these features appear in grandparents and their grandchildren and skip their parents.

• &DQ \RX UROO \RXU WRQJXH LQWR D 8 VKDSH" • Does the top part of your little finger bend in toward the next finger?

• Does your earlobe hang free at the bottom?

• Do you have dimples in your cheeks when you smile?

• Can you bend your thumb back more than 30°?

• Does hair grow on the middle part of your toes?

• Do you have freckles?

• Does your nose tilt upwards?

Now test your family and relatives. Record their answers and trace the genes through your family tree.

Evolution Revolution, by Robert Winston

Now try this! Take the genes test to discover what you might have inherited.

From Evolution Revolution by Robert Winston, DK Children, 2009, copyright © Robert Winston, 2009. Reprinted by permission of Dorling Kindersley Ltd and the proprietor Maggie Pearistine Associates.

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Unit 21

?

1

Word meaning

Name:

Look at the section One in a quintillion. Which of these words is closest in meaning to evolved? Tick one. developed ended changed began

2

1 mark

Look at the paragraph beginning Your appearance, … . What does the word ancestor mean in this paragraph?

1 mark

3

By studying their traits, scientists have been able to figure out which ones their genes have influenced and which their environment and upbringing have affected.

Find and copy one word from this sentence that means the same as ‘characteristics’.

Evolution Revolution, by Robert Winston

1 mark

4

Look at the paragraph beginning Identical twins … . Find and copy one word that means the same as ‘likes and dislikes’.

1 mark

5

Look at the sentences below. Underline one word that means ‘follow’.

Now test your family and relatives. Record their answers and trace the genes through your family tree.

1 mark

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1

Unit 21

Mix it up!

Name:

Look at the section Chip off the old block. What is controlled by your genes?

Give two examples from the text.

1 mark

2

Look at the section Boy or girl?. What is the main genetic difference between boys and girls?

1 mark

3

Look at the section beginning Now try this!. Which of these subheadings would be the most appropriate summary for this section of the text? Tick one.

Let’s find out about your genes!

Your genes Test time!

4

1 mark

Look at the section beginning Now try this!. Why do you think the author chose to include the genes test in the text?

1 mark

5

Think about the whole text. What might the author talk about next?

Evolution Revolution, by Robert Winston

Can you do these?

1 mark

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Progress check 3

Charles Darwin: History’s Most Famous Biologist by Kerry Lotzof Printable text

Photocopiable text and questions • pages 207 to 209

This extract is taken from a biography of Charles Darwin written for the Natural History Museum. The text covers the major events in his life until the publication of his seminal work On the Origin of Species. The text also introduces the theory of natural selection. This extract shares a similar theme to our Unit 21 text, Evolution Revolution by Robert Winston. After the Progress check has been completed, you could make links between the two texts and discuss their similarities and differences. For guidance on running this task, see page 11.

Progress check questions mark scheme

?

Answer

Guidance

1

pioneer(s)

Some children may choose ‘revolutionary’ or ‘radical’. These should be accepted as they are synonymous with ‘innovator’, even though they are used as adjectives rather than nouns in the text. Award 1 mark for a correct answer. Skill: Word meaning.

2

He was fascinated by the natural world.

OR He was an avid reader of nature books. OR He spent a lot of time exploring nature near his home.

The children may attempt to use the paragraph on medicine from later in the same section. If so, you could discuss the meaning of ‘biologist’ and how it is different to ‘medical’.

Award 1 mark for each correct answer, up to a maximum of 2 marks. Skill: Inference.

3

F Darwin enrolled in medical school in 1825.

Darwin was in no rush to take holy orders.

Darwin encountered birds with blue feet.

O

Although the children have had experience of ‘fact and opinion’ questions, they may find this one challenging due to the factual nature of the overall text. You could discuss why each statement is fact or opinion after the Progress check is completed. Award 1 mark for three statements correctly ticked. Award 2 marks for all four statements correctly ticked. Skill: Retrieval.

Darwin was highly methodical.

This has been included in the text because natural selection is Darwin’s theory and the author is trying to explain Darwin’s theory to the reader so they know why he is famous.

This question is challenging as it requires the children to fully grasp the overall theme of the text. If some find it too difficult, provide them with the sample answer and work together to unpick it. Award 1 mark for one reason linked to the text.

Award 2 marks for at least two reasons linked to the text.

Skill: Relationship.

5

That the beaks were strong and could cut through tough seeds.

The children have to understand the meaning of ‘stout’ and link this knowledge back to the text to explain what this tells us about how the birds’ beaks were adapted. Award 1 mark for a plausible response linking the meaning of ‘stout’ to the content of the text. Skill: Word choice.

Non-fiction

4

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1

Name:

Look at the paragraph beginning Charles Robert Darwin … . Find and copy one word that tells you that Darwin was an innovator.

1 mark

2

Look at the section Young Charles Darwin. What clues were there that Darwin would become a biologist?

Progress check 3

Progress check 3

2 marks

3

Tick to show whether each statement is fact or opinion.

Fact

Opinion

Darwin enrolled in medical school in 1825.

Darwin encountered birds with blue feet.

Darwin was highly methodical.

2 marks

4

Look at the section What is the theory of natural selection?. Explain why you think this section has been included in the text.

2 marks

5

Some of these finches had stout beaks for eating seeds …

What does the word stout tell you about how the finches’ beaks were adapted?

Charles Darwin: History’s Most Famous Biologist, by Kerry Lotzof

Darwin was in no rush to take holy orders.

1 mark

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Progress check 3

Charles Darwin: History’s Most Famous Biologist,

by Kerry Lotzof Charles Darwin is perhaps the world’s most famous biologist. This text is taken from a biography of Darwin. It talks about Darwin’s life up until the publication of his most important book, On the Origin of Species.

Charles Robert Darwin (1809–1882) transformed the way we understand the natural world with ideas that, in his day, were nothing short of revolutionary.

He and his fellow pioneers in the field of biology gave us insight into the fantastic diversity of life on Earth and its origins, including our own as a species.

He is celebrated as one the greatest British scientists who ever lived, but in his time his radical theories brought him into conflict with members of the Church of England.

Charles Darwin: History’s Most Famous Biologist, by Kerry Lotzof

Young Charles Darwin Born in 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Darwin was fascinated by the natural world from a young age. Growing up he was an avid reader of nature books and devoted his spare time to exploring the fields and woodlands around his home, collecting plants and insects.

In 1825 Darwin enrolled in medical school at the University of Edinburgh, where he witnessed surgery on a child. Surgeries at the time would have been carried out without the use of anaesthetic or antiseptics, and fatalities were common.

Watching this procedure left Darwin so traumatised that he gave up his studies without completing the course. He then went to Cambridge University to study theology.

The voyage of HMS Beagle In no rush to take holy orders, in 1831 Darwin accepted an offer to embark RQ D ILYH \HDU YR\DJH DERDUG +06 %HDJOH +H ZDV UHFRPPHQGHG E\ RQH of his Cambridge professors for the role as naturalist and companion to the ship’s captain, Robert FitzRoy. The journey would change both his life and the trajectory of Western scientific thinking. Darwin explored remote regions and marvelled at a world so different from the one he knew. He encountered birds ZLWK EULJKW EOXH IHHW VKDUNV ZLWK 7 VKDSHG KHDGV DQG JLDQW WRUWRLVHV Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 6 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.

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To this day the theory of evolution by natural selection is accepted by the VFLHQWLILF FRPPXQLW\ DV WKH EHVW HYLGHQFH EDVHG H[SODQDWLRQ IRU WKH GLYHUVLW\ and complexity of life on Earth. The theory proposes that the ‘fittest’ individual organisms – those with the characteristics best suited to their environment – are more likely to survive and reproduce. They pass on these desirable characteristics to their offspring. Gradually these features may become more common in a population, so species change over time. If the changes are great enough they could produce a new species altogether.

On his travels Darwin had collected finches from many of the Galápagos Islands (off the coast of Ecuador), which helped him to formulate his idea. Some of these finches had stout beaks for eating seeds, others were insect specialists.

But Darwin realised that they were all descendants of a single ancestor. As they dispersed to different islands, the birds had adapted to eat the various foods available. Natural selection had produced 13 different species of finch. ,Q 'DUZLQ SXEOLVKHG WKH FRQWHQWLRXV EXW QRZ FHOHEUDWHG ERRN On the Origin of Species.

Progress check 3

What is the theory of natural selection?

Charles Darwin: History’s Most Famous Biologist, by Kerry Lotzof

On his travels Darwin collected plants, animals and fossils, and took copious field notes. These collections and records provided the evidence he needed to develop his remarkable theory. Darwin returned to England in 1836. A highly methodical scholar, constantly collecting and observing, he spent many years comparing and analysing specimens before finally declaring that evolution occurs by a process of natural selection.

From ‘Charles Darwin: history’s most famous biologist’ by Kerry Lotzof: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/charles-darwin-most-famous-biologist.html.

Copyright © Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London. Reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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Discover Complete Comprehension for Year 3 Unit

Target skill

Title

Author

Genre

1

Summarising

The Pebble in My Pocket

Meredith Hooper

Non-fiction

2

Retrieval

Stone Circles

Dawn Finch

Non-fiction

3

Relationship

My Brother Is a Superhero

David Solomons

Fiction

4

Inference

The Magic Finger

Roald Dahl

Fiction

5

Summarising

Sugar: The Facts

The NHS

Non-fiction

6

Retrieval

Prawn Pizza

Jane Sowerby

Non-fiction

7

Word choice

The Iron Man

Ted Hughes

Fiction

Progress check 1

Mixed skills

The Selfish Giant

Oscar Wilde

Fiction

8

Inference

The Ice Palace

Robert Swindells

Fiction

9

Retrieval

A House of Snow and Ice

Stephen Whitt

Non-fiction

10

Inference

The Heavenly River (Chinese Myths and Legends)

Shelley Fu

Fiction

11

Comparison

New Year Celebrations

Jane Sowerby

Non-fiction

12

Word meaning

Night Comes Too Soon

James Berry

Poetry

13

Inference

Tom’s Midnight Garden

Philippa Pearce

Fiction

14

Word meaning

The Story of Tutankhamun

Patricia Cleveland-Peck

Non-fiction

Progress check 2

Mixed skills

Secrets of a Sun King

Emma Carroll

Fiction

15

Word choice

The Butterfly Lion

Michael Morpurgo

Fiction

16

Retrieval

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

The Independent

Non-fiction

17

Word meaning

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll

Fiction

18

Inference

The Madhatters

Aoife Mannix

Poetry

19

Inference

Stig of the Dump (Extract 1)

Clive King

Fiction

20

Prediction

Stig of the Dump (Extract 2)

Clive King

Fiction

21

Retrieval

Norse Mythology

Neil Gaiman

Fiction

Progress check 3

Mixed skills

Discover the Vikings: Warriors, Exploration and Trade

John C. Miles

Non-fiction

For further information and to place your order visit www.schofieldandsims.co.uk or telephone 01484 607080

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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

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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

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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: Laura Lodge Laura Lodge has asserted her moral rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

Who Let the Gods Out? (page 34) is from Who Let the Gods Out? by Maz Evans, copyright © Maz Evans 2017. Reproduced with permission of Chicken House Ltd. All rights reserved. To Asgard! (page 42) by Rachel Piercey is from Falling Out of the Sky: Poems About Myths and Monsters, edited by Rachel Piercey and Emma Wright, published by the Emma Press. Poem © 2015 Rachel Piercey (www.rachelpierceypoet.com) and used with permission. Hidden Figures (page 50) is from Hidden Figures – Young Readers’ Edition by Margot Lee Shetterley. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd © 2016 by Margot Lee Shetterley. The British (serves 60 million) (page 58) by Benjamin Zephaniah is from The British: Twenty-nine lines from Wicked World by Benjamin Zephaniah (Puffin, 2000). Copyright © Benjamin Zephaniah, 2000. War Horse (page 66) is from War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo. Copyright © Michael Morpurgo, 1982.

Published by Egmont. For the Fallen (page 74) is by Laurence Binyon. Sky Song (page 82) is from Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone, Simon & Schuster, 2018, copyright © Abi Elphinstone, 2018.

Reproduced with permission of the publisher. The Snow Queen (page 88) is from ‘The Snow Queen’ from Andersen’s Fairy Tales,

by Hans Christian Andersen. Tin (page 94) is from Tin, by Pádraig Kenny. Text © Pádraig Kenny 2018. Reproduced with permission of Chicken House Ltd. All rights reserved. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (page 102) is from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. Welcome to Nowhere (page 110) is from Welcome to Nowhere, first published in 2017 by Macmillan Children’s Books an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers International Limited. Reproduced by permission of Macmillan Publishers International Limited. Copyright © Elizabeth Laird 2017. Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel Award Is for All the Voiceless Children’ (page 118) is from Malala Yousafzai: ‘Nobel award is for all the voiceless children’: https://www.theguardian. com/world/2014/oct/10/malala-yousafzai-nobel-peace-prizevoiceless-children. Copyright © Guardian News and Media Limited. The Crooked Sixpence (page 126) is from The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell (Corgi, 2016). Copyright © Jennifer Bell, 2016. Cogheart (page 134) is from Cogheart by Peter Bunzl, copyright © Usborne Publishing Ltd, 2016. Reproduced by permission of Usborne Publishing, 83-85 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8RT, UK. www.usborne.com. Alice’s Adventures in

Wonderland (page 142) is from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,

by Lewis Carroll. The Hunting of the Snark (page 148) is from ‘The Hunting of the Snark’, by Lewis Carroll. What’s So Special about Shakespeare? (page 154) Text © 2007 Michael Rosen. From WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT SHAKESPEARE? by Michael Rosen.

Reproduced by permission of Walker Books Ltd, London SE11 5HJ. www.walker.co.uk. Macbeth (page 162) is from Macbeth,

by William Shakespeare. Deforestation for Palm Oil (page 170) is from Deforestation for Palm Oil by Rainforest Rescue: http:// www.rainforest-rescue.org/. The Explorer (page 178) is from The Explorer, by Katherine Rundell. Reproduced by permission of the author c/o Rogers, Coleridge & White Ltd., 20 Powis Mews, London Q11 1JN. Pig-Heart Boy (page 186) is from Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman, copyright © Malorie Blackman, 2004.

Reproduced by permission of A.M. Heath & Co. Ltd. Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo (page 194) is from ‘Marius the Giraffe Killed at Copenhagen Zoo’: https://www.theguardian. com/world/2014/feb/09/marius-giraffe-killed-copenhagenzoo-protests. Copyright © Guardian News and Media Limited.

Evolution Revolution (page 202) is from Evolution Revolution by Robert Winston, DK Children, 2009, copyright © Robert Winston, 2009. Reprinted by permission of Dorling Kindersley Ltd and the proprietor Maggie Pearlstine Associates. Charles Darwin: History’s Most Famous Biologist (page 208) is from ‘Charles Darwin: history’s most famous biologist’ by Kerry Lotzof: https:// www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/charles-darwin-most-famous-biologist. html. Copyright © Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London. Reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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 1650 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 6: ?

Word meaning

Prediction

Retrieval

Relationship

Summarising

Word choice

Inference

Comparison

ISBN 978 07217 1650 3 £70.00 (Retail price)

For further information and to place your order visit www.schofieldandsims.co.uk or telephone 01484 607080