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Hee Haw Hooray This is one of 16 activities to try during Michael Morpurgo Month, each of which explores an extract from a different book written by the world famous author. The books are grouped into four themes: natural world, animal adventures, tales retold, and times of war. All the activities can be used as either a quick starter or a longer lesson and provide a great opportunity to develop children’s comprehension and vocabulary - not to mention a love of Michael Morpurgo’s books.
Hee Haw Hooray
Join the fun on the farm! Two charming stories for younger readers, featuring a loveable family of all sorts of animals, living behind the tumble-down barn on Mudpuddle Farm.
Nowt to Worry About
There’s a storm in the air, and all the animals are worried. But old Farmer Rafferty doesn’t realise anything is wrong. Can the animals warn him in time?
Tickety-Boo
A funny new creature has arrived at Mudpuddle Farm and the animals soon make friends. Problem is, the latest addition to the farm doesn’t belong actually there! It looks like it’s time to say a sad goodbye, although Albertine the Goose might just have a clever idea…
Using the resource
This resource shares an extract from the story where the animals of Mudpuddle Farm wake up to see a dark, cloudy sky. After reading the text, there are suggested discussion activities considering:
• How different characters speak and the
words that they use • Using adverbs to share information with the reader Depending on time and the needs of your class, you may want to work through all of these interrelated activities or focus on just one.
There is also a sheet with a writing challenge based on the extract. For Hee Haw Hooray it focuses on writing speech, either as a story or playscript. This could be used as a short classroom activity or as homework to consolidate the learning in the teaching session. After reading and discussing the extract some children may be inspired to read the book itself. You could read it aloud as a class novel or direct children to where they can find a copy to read themselves: the book corner, school library, local library or a local bookshop.
Teacher’s notes for the PowerPoint Slide 2 • Share the front cover and blurb to introduce the book and give context.
• Ask children if anyone has read the book before. Does the blurb make them want to read on?
Slide 3 • Tell the children that the story is set on Mudpuddle Farm, where the animals have all sorts of fun and adventures together. This story begins first thing in the morning, when the animals are slowly waking up to look at a dark and cloudy sky.
• Read aloud together (either with the
teacher reading aloud and children following, children reading together as a class or children reading together in pairs).
• Ask the children if there are any
unfamiliar words. Depending where in the country (or world!) you are, they may not know the word nowt, a dialect term for nothing.
• Ask the children to think carefully about how Mossop and Captain feel about the dark sky. How do they know their opinions? (through their speech)
• Ask the children to work in pairs, with
one taking the role of Mossop and one the role of Captain. Ask them to continue their conversation, discussing the storm and what they should do. Can the children stay in role and argue as if they were the character they are playing?
Slide 4 • Ask the children to look at Mossop’s line from the story, now laid out as a playscript.
• Ask them to follow the stage direction, reading it in a sleepy voice.
• Remind them that sleepily is an adverb, it gives more information about a verb.
• Now ask them to think of an adverb for
Mossop’s next line. Compare suggestions.
• If we were to think about how Captain talks, what adverbs would we use to describe his speech?
Slide 5 • Return to the front cover and blurb.
• Ask the children if they would like to
read Hee Haw Hooray having looked at this extract in detail and thought about Michael Morpurgo’s skillful writing.
• Point children to where they can find a
copy (either any copies you have in the classroom, the school library, or suggest the local library or a bookshop).