Farm Boy by Michael Morpurgo - Activity Pack by Twinkl

'Farm Boy'

First Impressions Read this extract from the first chapter of ‘Farm Boy’ (p.11).

Farm Boy: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1997; Illustrations © Michael Foreman 1997

Here, Michael Morpurgo introduces the farm’s idyllic setting and also introduces Albert (the boy speaking) who talks a little about his grandad’s life and character.

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

moans aspiration bumpy insults Challenge: Add another synonym that the author could have used.

Discussion Activity Now, cut out these statements about the extract, discuss them with your partner and sort them into three piles on your table: Agree, Disagree and Unsure.

Albert would prefer to go on holiday with his parents.

Grandad was born in a hospital in Devon.

Grandad lives near an airfield.

Albert would like to be like Grandad when he gets older.

Grandad and Albert have a close relationship.

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Farm Boy: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1997; Illustrations © Michael Foreman 1997

Grandad is always grumpy and irritable.

‘Farm Boy’ Adult Guidance

This ‘Farm Boy’ activity pack contains an adult guidance sheet which includes an overview of the story and key skill questions that can be used to target pupils’ understanding as you are reading the book.

The answers contain example answers for the questions but pupils may have varied responses for some of the questions.

Additionally, there is an activity sheet for children who may have not read the whole text before. This contains an extract from the text, a warm-up synonym task and a discussion activity.

Overview Joey was the last working horse on the farm and the apple of Grandpa’s eye. In ‘War Horse’, Joey was sent away from the farm to be a warhorse in the First World War. Grandpa had joined the cavalry in order to find, and fight, with Joey. ‘Farm Boy’ brings us forward 50 years with Grandpa not only telling his grandson Joey’s story but also a ‘shameful secret’, which he has held for years.

Farm Boy: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1997; Illustrations © Michael Foreman 1997

Every time Albert visits his grandfather on his Devon farm, he is spellbound by the tales he tells: powerful stories of war, rural life and changing times. When Grandpa reluctantly confesses that his ability to read and write has slipped away, can the young boy help him and repay the gift of his stories?

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‘Farm Boy’

Key Skills Questions Before reading: Think about Michael Morpurgo’s stories.

Are there any familiar themes and settings within his texts?

Predict

Look at the cover of ‘Farm Boy’.

Does it give you clues about the content of this book?

p.8: ‘My mother grew up on the farm. She was the youngest of four sisters, and none of them had stayed on the farm any longer than they’d had to.’

Infer

What do these sentences tell us about the sisters’ opinions of growing up on a farm?

p.22: Father talked about his experiences of being a soldier in the war:

Infer

‘I was wounded a couple of times in the leg, lucky wounds, he said.’

?

Why did Father describe his wounds as ‘lucky’?

Explain Vocabulary

p.32: Listen how Albert describes Grandpa.

‘He talks with his eyebrows, with his hands. And he’s good at listening and that makes me want to talk. He listens with his eyebrows, too.’

What does this tell you about Grandpa and how Albert feels about him?

p.53: Albert uses words like ‘smelly’ and ‘backbreaking’ to describe his time on the farm. What impression does this give you of his time there?

pp.62-68: What words and phrases does the author use to demonstrate Harry Medlicott’s character?

Retrieve

Explain Vocabulary

Discuss Authorial Choices

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Farm Boy: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1997; Illustrations © Michael Foreman 1997

p.48: Which of Albert’s purchases in the Iddesleigh Village Hall jumble sale made the biggest difference to Grandpa’s reading?

‘Farm Boy’

Key Skills Questions pp.66-67: In Grandpa’s story, when do Father and Harry Medlicott arrange a ploughing match for?

pp.57-107: How does the vocabulary, Compare punctuation and grammar in Grandpa’s story differ from the rest of the text? Why might this be?

p.109: ‘By then I think I had already made up my mind.’

Retrieve

and Contrast

Infer

What do you think Albert had made his mind up about?

Explain Vocabulary

What is the most important message in ‘Farm Boy’? What did it teach you?

In what ways is the character Albert similar to Grandpa?

Using fewer than 30 words, write a new blurb for ‘Farm Boy’ that would encourage people to read the story.

After reading: What do you think is likely to happen if Albert goes on to have his own family in the future?

Summarise Compare and Contrast Summarise

Predict

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Farm Boy: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1997; Illustrations © Michael Foreman 1997

p.111 The author says Albert spends most of his evenings ‘restoring’ the old green Fordson.

What word could he have used instead of restoring?

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

Example Answers

moans

grumbles

grouses

aspiration

desire

dream

bumpy

rutty

furrowed

insults

abuse

offence

Discussion Activity Answers Now, cut out these statements about the extract, discuss them with your partner and sort them into three piles on your table: Agree, Disagree and Unsure.

Agree

Disagree

Unsure

Farm Boy: Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 1997; Illustrations © Michael Foreman 1997

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

Grandad lives near an airfield.

Grandad and Albert have a close relationship.

Grandad was born in a hospital in Devon.

Grandad is always grumpy and irritable.

Albert would like to be like Grandad when he gets older.

Albert would prefer to go on holiday with his parents.

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