Basic Language Skills: Book 1 - Ages 7-9 by Teacher Superstore

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Ready-Ed

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Publications

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o c . che e r o t r s super Published by: Ready-Ed Publications PO Box 276 Greenwood WA 6024 www.readyed.com.au info@readyed.com.au

ISBN: 978 1 86397 817 0 2

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Any copying of this book by an educational institution or its staff outside of this blackline master licence may fall within the educational statutory licence under the Act.

Reproduction and Communication by others

Contents Teachers’ Notes National Curriculum Links

4 5

Paragraphing Research Letter To A Ranger Completing A Story Nouns Punctuation Alphabetical Order

31 32 33 34 35 36 37

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Close Reading 9 A Character Profile 10 Story Ladder Of Events 11 A Cloze Activity 12 Presenting Evidence 13 Sports Report 14 Parkville Times 15 A Literary Journal 16 Finishing The Story 17-18 Capital Letters 19 Contractions 20 Apostrophes For Ownership 21 Speech Marks 22

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r o e t s B r e oo Section 1 p k Sally’s First Game u 6-7 Looking Ahead S 8

Section 3 The Magic Pin 38-39 A Storyboard 40 Order Of Events 41 Getting It Right 42 Character Description 43 Story Summaries 44 Retelling The Story 45 Word Study 46 Missing Report 47 A Newspaper Report 48 Mousetown Times 49 How To Survive A Cat Attack 50 Completing The Story 1 51 Completing The Story 2 52 Acrostics 53 Verbs 54 Adjectives 55 Homophones 56

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Section 2 Wombats Matching Headings With Information Organising Information Classifying Information Substantiating Information Fact or Opinion? Vocabulary Development Selecting Key Words

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Answers

57-59

Teachers’ Notes The Basic Language Skills Series is designed to provide teachers with activities to develop children’s reading and writing skills.

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Writing is all about communication. Poor writing skills means ineffectual communication, which is why this book series has, as one of its main objectives, the development of some basic writing skills. The second main objective of this series of books is to develop children’s reading skills. Poor reading skills means inadequate comprehension skills and affects children’s knowledge of the world in which they live.

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Students will also be asked to pay particular attention to correct grammar when writing. Sections on capital letters, contractions, apostrophes, speech marks, nouns, full stops, question marks, commas, nouns, adjectives, verbs and homophones are also included. Specific activities have been designed to help students read the texts closely and understand the information and the way that it is organised.

Students are given the opportunity © ReadyEdP ubkey l i c at i s to locate words ino then texts, organise key events, fill in missing •f orr evi ew pu r p s eslook on l y• parts ofo the texts, at the

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o c . che Basic Language Skills Books 2 and 3 e r are also available o t r s for purchase. super

Newspaper reports, short paragraphs, letters, summaries, acrostic poems, diary entries and the endings of texts are just some of the different forms of writing that the children will be asked to create.

characters and their personalities carefully, quote from the texts to support key ideas, retell parts of the story and correct incorrect information about the texts. These activities provide the students with strategies to read and understand information and narratives.

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Basic Language Skills Book 1 uses one non-fiction text and two fictional texts to develop children’s skills. Children are asked to construct a range of text types based on the texts provided. This allows them to understand that writing is different depending on the purposes of texts and provides them with the opportunity to practise writing in different ways.

National Curriculum Links Year 2

Year 3

Language 4. Vocabulary expansion (E2LNG4) 5. Sentence grammar (E2LNG5) 7. Text structure (E2LNG7) 13. Punctuation (E2LNG13)

Literacy 3. Comprehension strategies (E2LCY3) 4. Comprehension strategies (E2LCY4) 7. Creating texts (E2LCY7) 8. Vocabulary and writing (E2LCY8) 9. Editing (E2LCY9) 10. Handwriting/word processing (E2LCY10)

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Literature 2. Purposes of texts (E2LTR2) 5. Engaging with texts (E2LTR5)

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Language 5. Sentence grammar (E3LNG5) 6. Sentence grammar (E3LNG6) 7. Spoken and written modes (E3LNG7) 8. Paragraphing (E3LNG8) 9. Text stages (E3LNG9) 12. Punctuation (E3LNG12) Literature 1.Engaging with texts (E3LTR1)

Literacy 1. Oral communication skills (E3LCY1) 5. Features of texts (E3LCY5) 6. Comprehension strategies (E3LCY6) 7. Comprehension strategies (E3LCY7) 14. Creating texts (E3LCY14) 15. Handwriting/word processing (E3LCY15)

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Sally’s First Game Paragraph 1

Sally Dixon jumped out of her warm bed early Saturday morning and ran quickly to the window.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u “I can’t wait!” Sally said to herself. “My first game of netball for the S school team, even though I am a replacement for Rebecca who is sick.”

Paragraph 2

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Yes, the sun was shining brightly, even at this hour, and the sky showed blue between the branches of the trees growing in the backyard.

Later that morning Sally’s mum went with her to the shops to buy some new shoes for the big game. As they entered the shoe store Mrs Johnson from the next street spoke to Mrs Dixon. “I hear Sally’s playing today,” she called. “I suppose somebody has to fill in for my Becky.”

“You can have Sally,” one captain said.

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As Sally tried on her new shoes, she remembered games at school the previous week and how she was the last to be selected.

. te o ‘I’ll show them,” she promised herself. “I know I will.” c . che e r o t r sstarting time neared. su r Sally started to feel very nervous asp thee match’s

“But I’d rather have Tanya!” the other argued as Sally stood by quietly. Paragraph 4

She had really looked forward to the match but Mrs Johnson’s careless comments had ruined it for her.

And it didn’t get any better when the Dixon’s car pulled into the car park at the Parkville Netball Centre.

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The other girls stopped their laughing and talking as Sally walked towards them. “I’d forgotten,” said a voice from the group. “Sally’s replacing Becky – we’ve got no chance now.” “I want to go home,” Sally whispered to her mother. “I know I’ll let them down.”

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Twenty minutes later a trembling Sally stood by her opponent as the S umpire prepared to start the game.

“You’ll let them down if you go home,” replied Mrs Dixon. “They won’t have enough players. Come on, it’ll be fine.”

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Paragraph 6

‘Peep,’ went the whistle and Sally’s marker sprung away ready to receive the pass.

“I’ll show them!” Sally decided again as she jumped towards the ball as it floated through the air. Somehow it was lodged safely in her hands and she was pivoting, controlling and passing to a team-mate running past.

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It might be alright after all, thought Sally hopefully. Again the ball came in her direction …

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Sally’s First Game

Looking Ahead

My Predictions! r o e t s Bo r e p______________________________________ ok u S ______________________________________

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1. Before you read the story, think about what it might be about. Write down your ideas.

______________________________________ ______________________________________

2. Write down some words that you think will be used in this story.

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o c . 3. Now it’s time to readc the story. As you read think about this question: e her r o t s s r u e p How does Sally feel about her first game before she meets Mrs Johnson? *Share your ideas with a partner.

4. Discuss your interpretations with a partner. Write your answer here.

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 8

Sally’s First Game

Close Reading *Read “Sally’s First Game” on pages 6–7 to help you with these activities.

Below are some statements about the story. In each box write the number of the paragraph in the story which best matches the statement.

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1. As she took her position on the court, Sally felt nervous about the game. 2. Sally didn’t like being reminded that she was only a substitute for the game. 3. Sally decided she must prove her worthiness in the team. 4. Overhearing the girls’ conversation lowered Sally’s confidence. 5. Sally’s efforts were noticed. 6. Initially Sally was looking forward to her first game. 7. Sally’s mum reassured her. 8. A sense of relief was experienced by Sally 9. Earlier experiences reminded Sally that she didn’t have a reputation as a sport star. 10. The opposing team’s pass was intercepted by Sally.

Insert the missing words to complete the summary of the story.

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On Saturday Sally _____________ out of her bed. Today was her _____________ game of netball. She

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. te o c felt very _____________ even though she was only a . che e r _____________. Later in the _____________ Sally and o t r s super had been selected for the _____________ team. Sally

her mother went to the shoe store to buy Sally _____________ shoes. As time passed Sally started to feel a little _____________. By the time she reached the Netball Centre she was beginning to wish she could go _____________. The _____________ started the game. Sally’s confidence _____________. The ball lodged in her hands. Sally _____________ relieved. 9

Sally’s First Game

A Character Profile *Read “Sally’s First Game” on pages 6–7 to help you with these activities.

On the grid below rate Sally by placing ticks in the circles. Sometimes a tick may be placed in more than one circle, to show characteristics at different parts of the story.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S How would you describe Sally?

Sensitive

Very

 Quite

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Support your opinions by including words and/or phrases from the story. The first one has been done for you.

Insensitive

Neither/Both (no evidence)

Quite

Very

• About being a replacement. Example:_ _______________________________________________________ • When the girls are laughing and talking about her. _____________________________________________________________

Example:_ _______________________________________________________

Outspoken

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_____________________________________________________________

Quiet

o c . Example:_ _______________________________________________________ che e r o t r _____________________________________________________________ s super Very

Quite

Neither/Both (no evidence)

Quite

Very

Determined Very

Quite

Neither/Both (no evidence)

Quite

Very

Gives up easily

Example:_ _______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 10

Sally’s First Game

Story Ladder Of Events *Read “Sally’s First Game” on pages 6–7 to help you with these activities.

Make up a story ladder of the events in “Sally’s First Game”. The first and final events are given as clues. List about six others.

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r o e t s Bteam. r e Sally is selected in the school netballo p ok u S

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Sally intercepts the pass from the opposing team.

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Sally’s First Game

A Cloze Activity *Read “Sally’s First Game” on pages 6–7 to help you with these activities.

Use the words in the netballs to complete the sentences below. Sally Dixon was _____________ to replace Rebecca Johnson in the school

r o e t s Bobut her confidence r _____________. On Saturdaye she was up _____________, plater in the day. A meeting witho u was not so _____________ Mrsk Johnson in a S shoe shop _____________ Sally that she is only a substitute. As Sally walks from

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netball team. Rebecca was not available to play due to _____________. Sally felt

the _____________ at the Netball Centre she meets up with her _____________. They are not very _____________. Sally wishes she could go home but her

mother _____________ her to stay. A very _____________ Sally waits for the

umpire to start the game. Her _____________ returns. Sally _____________ the

ball. Words of _____________ come from the sideline.

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team-mates

praise

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nervous

friendly o c . che e r early o t r s super excited illness

encourages

reminds carpark 12

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selected

confidence

intercepts home

Sally’s First Game

Presenting Evidence *Read “Sally’s First Game” on pages 6–7 to help you with these activities.

Quote from the text to support each statement. Refer back to the story to help you. Mrso Dixon supports Sally. r e t s B r e oo Evidence:___________________________________________________ p u k ___________________________________________________________ S

Statement 2

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Statement 1

Sally isn’t an outstanding sportsperson.

Evidence:___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

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Mrs Johnson isn’t always considerate of others’ feelings.

•f or r evi ew pur posesonl y• Evidence: ___________________________________________________

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Retelling

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Retell the story of “Sally’s First Game.” Imagine you are telling it to a person who hasn’t read the story. Avoid trying to memorize the words. Instead select some key words which you will use to create your own sentences. *Remember to proofread and edit your writing.

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o c . che e r o t r s super ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 13

Sally’s First Game

Sport Report *Read “Sally’s First Game” on pages 6–7 to help you with these activities.

Imagine that you are a sports reporter for your class newspaper. You have been asked to cover the Interschool Netball competition. Your report on “Sally’s First Game” will appear in the next edition of the “Parkville Times”.

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Headline (A headline is usually short and eye catching.)

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Plan your report using the headings below. Jot down ideas, words and phrases. Remember to proofread and edit your first draft. *Use the newspaper layout on the next page to write your final sports report.

__________________________________________________________________

Byline (The byline states the author and location from where he/she is writing. Example: Ollie Marsh in Perth.)

__________________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Lead (Summarises the most important information.) •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• __________________________________________________________________ It usually answers these questions…

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Body (The body of the article gives further details.) When?_____________________________________________________________

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Where?_ ___________________________________________________________ What? (happened)_ __________________________________________________

Why?______________________________________________________________

Conclusion (Often it concludes with quotations from people interviewed – e.g. players and coaches.) Quotation__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 14

Parkville Times Headline Byline

r o e t s _____________________________ Bo r e p ok _____________________________ _____________________________ u S _____________________________ _____________________________

_____________________________

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_____________________________

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_____________________________ © ReadyEdPu bl i cat i ons _____________________________ _____________________________ •f orr evi ew pur p osesonl y•

_____________________________

_____________________________ . te o _____________________________ _____________________________ c . c e her r _____________________________ _____________________________ o t s s r u e p _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

_____________________________

Sally’s First Game

A Literary Journal *Read “Sally’s First Game” on pages 6–7 to help you with these activities.

Imagine that you are Sally. Sometimes, just before dinner, you like to close yourself away and write in your diary. Today was a very special day for you and you want to write about how you felt about your first game playing for the school team.

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Sally’s Diary

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Date __________

___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________

Sally’s First Game

Finishing The Story *Read “Sally’s First Game” on pages 6–7 to help you with these activities.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Further development of the plot is now your task.

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The story “Sally’s First Game” is incomplete. The story includes an: Orientation: • The scene is set. Where and when the story takes place has been described. • The characters have been introduced. Complication: • A number of incidents have been described. • More information has been given about the main character and the problems that she has encountered.

Continue the story

• Plan your writing by jotting down ideas and words. • Note the style which the writer has used and attempt to follow it.

___________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons ___________________________________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

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. te Resolution

o c . c e r • Plan how youh think the story will end. er o t s spartp • Try to relate it to the firstu ofe ther story.

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Now you are ready to write your first draft. 17

Sally’s First Game

Finishing The Story *Read “Sally’s First Game” on pages 6–7 to help you with these activities.

Use your planning from the last page to write your first draft and continue the story of “Sally’s First Game.”

r o e t s Bothe ball came r e It might be alright after all, thought Sally hopefully. Again p ok in her direction….u S ___________________________________________________________

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First Draft

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. te o ___________________________________________________________ c . c e her r ___________________________________________________________ o t s s r u e p ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

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Sally’s First Game

Capital Letters Capital letters are used for • beginning sentences • proper nouns (people, places, special buildings/centres/organisations) • days and months of the year • titles of books, plays, television shows, songs, etc.

r o e t s Bo r e psentences using capital letters. (There • Rewrite these are 19 errors.) ok u 1. sally DixonS played netball in the team for greenwood primary school

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Find the Errors

______________________________________________________________ 2. the competition took place at parkville netball centre each saturday

______________________________________________________________ 3. members of st johns ambulance provided first aid at the games

______________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ______________________________________________________________ 4. parkville is an imaginary australian suburb somewhere in victoria 5. sally wanted to watch the netball programme “goal attack”.

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Correct use of punctuation helps the reader to understand written language.

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Punctuation

o c . che e r o t r s s up er sally was selected to play in the school netball team when she woke

• In this summary of “Sally’s First Game” the writer has not used fullstops or capital letters. Read the paragraph. Rewrite it using capital letters and full stops where they are necessary. (There are ten errors.) up on saturday she felt very excited as the day passed sally became nervous about playing sally didn’t want to let down her team

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 19

Sally’s First Game

Contractions When two words are shortened into one, it is known as a contraction. Contractions contain apostrophes to show where letters have been left out. E.g. did not is shortened to didn’t. the apostrophe shows where

r o e t s B r e o(Not all words with Circle in red all the contractions in “Sally’s First Game”.o p u k an apostrophe are contractions.) Make a list of the contractions used in each S story section. the ‘o’ from not is missing.

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Contractions 1

P1 P2 P3 P3 P4 P5 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

P5 P5 P5 P5 P5 P6 _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

Contractions 2

Write the words that are used to form each contraction below.

I’m

you’ll _______________

she’s _______________

we’re _______________

we’ll _______________

he’ll _______________

I’ve

I’d

_______________

she’ll _______________

you’ve _______________

you’d _______________

he’d _______________

we’ve _______________

we’d _______________

she’d _______________

they are ___________

it is

___________

has not

they have ___________

it will

___________

have not ___________

they will ___________

it had

___________

had not ___________

they had ___________

is not

___________

could not ___________

are not

should not___________

does not ___________

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you’re _______________

o c . Contractions c 3h e r o t r Write the contractions fore these words. s super

___________

Sally’s First Game

Apostrophes For Ownership Apostrophes 1

Apostrophes are used to show ownership.

In “Sally’s First Game” there are many examples of apostrophes used to show ownership. Underline them in blue. List them.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u To understand where to put apostrophes, follow this rule. It works. Look at the S example – Sally’s shoes. Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Ask, “Who is the owner?

What does she own?

Because Sally owns the shoes, add an ‘s to Sally

Sally

shoes

Sally ‘s

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P2 e.g.Sally’s mum P4 P4 P4 P6 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

Practice the rule using these examples.

2. Rebeccas mother

Step 1: Who is the owner?

Step 2: What does he/she own?

Step 3: Add ‘s

______________ _____________ ______________

4. Mrs Dixons car

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3. The umpires whistle ______________ _____________ ______________ ______________ _____________ ______________

______________ _____________ ______________ . te In the examples below there is moreo than one owner. c Apostrophes 3 To show this, add the apostrophe after the s. . che e r o t r s s uper girls the girls’ uniform uniform

5. The teams netball

Step 1: Who is the owner?

1. the girls uniform

Step 2: What does he/she own?

Step 3: Add s’

______________ _____________ ______________

2. those girls laughter ______________ _____________ ______________ 3. the two teams netballs ______________ _____________ ______________ 4. the players efforts

______________ _____________ ______________

5. all the spectators cheers____________ _____________ ______________ 21

Sally’s First Game

Speech Marks Speech marks are used to indicate words that are spoken. When the explanation of who is speaking comes after the spoken words, the punctuation is like this:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Quotation Marks 1 Speech marks enclose the words spoken.

“I can’t wait,” said Sally.

The full stop ends the sentence.

A comma separates the words spoken and the explanation of who is speaking. It is inside the speech marks.

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A capital letter begins the words spoken.

The explanantion of who is speaking begins without a capital letter.

Rewrite these sentences following the punctuation shown above. 1. i hear Sally’s playing today remarked Mrs Johnson 2. i’d rather have Tanya argued the captain 3. take me home please suggested Sally

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A capital letter begins the sentence.

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When the explanation of who is speaking comes first, the punctuation is as follows: Speech marks enclose the words spoken.

Sally’s mother replied, “The team needs you to play.”

. te o c Quotation Marksc 2 . e r Try punctuating theseh sentences following the method er o t s above. super A comma separates the explanation of who is speaking from the spoken word.

A capital letter begins the words spoken.

The full stop (or question mark) comes inside the speech marks.

1. sally muttered softly let everyone know I’m a replacement 2. reluctantly Sally agreed I’ll stay and play 3. the umpire stood at the centre and said time to start girls

4. afterwards her opponent commented that was a great game Sally 5. Sally couldn’t wait to ask how did I play, mum 22

Wombats Paragraph 1

r o e t s Bo r e p ok can grow There areu two types of wombats. The common wombat S one metre in length and weigh up to forty to approximately

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Paragraph 2

The wombat is an animal which is found only in Australia. It is a marsupial whose closest relative is the koala. Like the koala and the kangaroo the mother wombat carries her young in her pouch. The young wombat spends six months in its mother’s pouch and often stays close to its mother for up to one year.

Paragraph 4

The common wombat is found in the forests and valleys on the south-eastern coast of Australia and in Tasmania. The hairy-nosed wombat is found on grassy plains and in the drier inland areas of Western Australia and South Australia.

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The common wombat feeds on leaves, grass and roots. It does this in the evening. In order to grind this tough food, the wombat’s teeth grow all its life. The hairy-nosed wombat survives on drier grasses and less water because of its habitat. Compared to other animals, the wombat uses much less water and energy.

Paragraph 5

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kilograms. Its solid body is covered in thick brown fur. Its tail is short and hardly visible. The hairy-nosed wombat is similar in size to the common wombat. Its fur is finer and grey in colour. Unlike the common wombat it has a hairy nose. It has pointed ears which are larger than the common wombat’s.

. t e uses its weight and sharp claws to dig itsc o A wombat burrows. It . cfeet. uses all four The common wombat often shares its burrow e h r er o When a wombat but the hairy-nosed wombat likes to livet alone. s s r u e p is in danger it scampers to its burrow. In summer the hairy-nosed

wombat sleeps in its burrow during the day and comes out for food when its cool. The wombat was once thought of as a pest because of the damage it did to fences. Some hairy-nosed wombats are in danger of becoming extinct.

Wombats

Matching Headings With Information Use the headings below to label the paragraphs. Appearance (what it looks like)

Diet (what it eats)

Behaviour (what it does)

Location (where it lives)

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The common wombat feeds on leaves, grass and roots. They do this in the evening. In order to grind this tough food, the wombat’s teeth grow all its life. The hairy-nosed wombat survives on drier grasses and less water because of its habitat. Compared to other animals the wombat uses much less water and energy

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons There are two types of wombats. A wombat uses its weight and sharp The common wombat can grow to claws too dig its burrows. It uses all• four • f or r ev i ew pu r p s e son l y

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The common wombat is found in forests and valleys on the eastern coast of Australia and Tasmania. The hairy-nosed wombat is found on grassy plains and the drier inland areas of Western Australia and South Australia.

feet. The common wombat often shares its burrow but the hairy-nosed wombat likes to live alone. When a wombat is in danger it scampers to its burrow. In summer the hairy-nosed wombat sleeps in its burrow during the day and comes out for food when it is cool. The wombat was once thought of as a pest because of the damage it did to fences. Some hairynosed wombats are in danger of becoming extinct.

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approximately one metre in length and weigh up to forty kilograms. Its solid body is covered in thick brown fur. Its tail is short and hardly visible. The hairy-nosed wombat is similar in size to the common wombat. Its fur is finer and grey in colour. Unlike the common wombat it has a hairy nose. It has pointed ears which are larger than the common wombat’s.

Wombats

Organising Information *Read “Wombats” on page 23 to help you with these activities.

Here are some facts about wombats. Some are about common wombats. Some are about hairy-nosed wombats.

r o e t s Bo r e p o • Has thick brown fur. day in summer. k u • Feeds on S leaves, grass and • Likes to live alone. roots. • Found in dry, inland areas. • Feeds on drier grass. • Sleeps in a burrow during the

The Common Wombat

• • • •

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Teac he r

Place the facts in either The Common Wombat or The Hairy-Nosed Wombat box.

Has grey fur. Will share its burrow. Found in forests and valleys. Teeth grow throughout its life.

The Hairy-Nosed Wombat

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___________________________ . te o ___________________________ ___________________________ c . c e her r ___________________________ ___________________________ o t s su er ___________________________ p ___________________________ ___________________________

___________________________

___________________________ 25

Wombats

Classifying Information *Read “Wombats” on page 23 to help you with these activities.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Teac he r

Complete the profiles on each type of wombat.

Common Wombat

The Hairy-Nosed Wombat

___________________________

Appearance:_ ________________

___________________________

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. te

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o c . Behaviour:___________________ Behaviour:___________________ che e r o ___________________________ ___________________________ t r s super

___________________________

Diet:________________________

___________________________

Wombats

Substantiating Information *Read “Wombats” on page 23 to help you with these activities.

Quote from the passage to support the information below.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Wombats and koalas are marsupials. u S ___________________________________________________________

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Teac he r

Paragraph 1

___________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2

The hairy-nosed wombat has different fur than the common wombat.

___________________________________________________________

Paragraph 3

The hairy-nosed wombat is found in areas of low rainfall.

m . u

w ww

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

. te o Wombats need less food and water than other animals. c . c e her r ___________________________________________________________ o t s super ___________________________________________________________ Paragraph 4

Paragraph 5 The hairy-nosed wombat does not like the summer heat.

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 27

Wombats

Fact Or Opinion? *Read “Wombats” on page 23 to help you with these activities.

A FACT is a true statement. Example: The wombat is a marsupial. An OPINION tells how a person feels or thinks. Example: I like wombats.

r o e t s B r e oo Write ‘fact’ or ‘opinion’ next to each sentence. p u k ________ ThereS are two types of wombats. ________ Hairy-nosed wombats are cute.

________ My favourite Australian animal is the wombat. ________ Hairy-nosed wombats have larger ears than the common wombat. ________ The common wombat has coarse, brown fur.

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Teac he r

Fact or Opinion?

________ Wombats are an endangered animal.

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________ Learning about wombats is fun.

m . u

________ Wombats are related to the kangaroo.

. te o c Write a fact that you read in the passage about wombats. . c e her r ___________________________________________________________ o t s s r u e p ___________________________________________________________ Find a Fact

Your Opinion Write an opinion that you have formed about wombats.

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 28

Wombats

Vocabulary Development *Read “Wombats” on page 23 to help you with these activities.

Find the word or words in the ‘Wombats’ passage which has the same meaning as each phrase below. *The numbers in the boxes tell you where to locate the phrases. Paragraph # Phrase Phrase in story moves quickly* 5

r o e t s Bo r e p 3 ok u S 2

not easily seen

an animal with a pouch

to crush into pieces

the place where an animal lives

about, almost

2 5

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Teac he r

away from the coastal area

no longer existing*

sharing features with others

to remain alive

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m . u

Use each of the *asterisked words in a sentence to show its meaning.

. te o ___________________________________________________________ c . che e r o t r s super ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Wombats

Selecting Key Words *Read “Wombats” on page 23 to help you with these activities.

Key words present important ideas in a sentence. Complete the following.

Paragraph 1

r o e t s Bo r e p ok ___________________________________________________________ u S ___________________________________________________________ Paragraph 2

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Teac he r

Paragraph one introduces wombats. Choose five key words which present the important ideas in this paragraph.

Paragraph two compares the two types of wombats. Choose ten key words which present the important ideas in this paragraph.

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

m . u

___________________________________________________________

w ww

___________________________________________________________

Paragraph 4

. Paragraph four outlines the wombat’s diet. t e o Choose ten key words which present the important ideas. c . che e ___________________________________________________________ r o t r s super ___________________________________________________________ Paragraph 5 Paragraph five describes the behaviour of the wombat. Choose ten key words which present the important ideas.

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 30

Wombats

Paragraphing *Read “Wombats” on page 23 to help you with these activities.

In your own words write a paragraph about either …

the common wombat or the hairy-nosed wombat.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Title:

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Teac he r

*Use key words to form your sentences. *Remember to begin your paragraph with an introductory sentence.

Key Words:__________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________

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Other Sentences:______________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

. te o ___________________________________________________________ c . c e her r ___________________________________________________________ o t s super ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

Wombats

Research Step 1 Choose from one of these Australian animals:

Teac he r

Illustrate your animal in this box.

Step 2

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

The koala The kangaroo The Tasmanian devil

Find some information about the animal that you have chosen. Write down where you found this information.

Read the information at least twice.

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Step 3

. te

Name of Animal 4

m . u

___________________________________________________________

Under each heading write words or phrases that give information about your animal.

o c . _______________________________________________________________ che e r o t r Location:_________________________________________________________ s super Appearance:______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Diet:____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

Other Facts:_ _____________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ 32

Wombats

Letter To A Ranger Imagine that your winning project on wombats has earned you a day with a wildlife officer in a National Park. During the day you assisted the ranger in his/her work with wombats.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Teac he r

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Write a letter to the ranger, thanking him/her for the wonderful opportunity. In your letter include some of the things that you found most interesting. (Think of the types of things you would have assisted the ranger with.) *Jot down your ideas before you start your letter.

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m . u

Dear____________________________________________________________

. te

_______________________________________________________________

o c . _______________________________________________________________ che e r o _______________________________________________________________ t r s super _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ 33

Wombats

Completing A Story You have been traveling through the National Park on your way home from a camping holiday. The road is narrow and winding with overhanging eucalyptus brushing the side of the car. As the car travels round a bend you notice a furry bundle on the edge of the road. You plead with your mum to stop the car so that you can investigate. Continue this story. Plan each paragraph by jotting down your ideas.

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Teac he r

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Paragraph 1

Write about the appearance of the wombat. Describe how you feel.

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

m . u

w ww

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

. te Paragraph 3

___________________________________________________________

o c . che e r o Give details ofr how you will help the wombat. t s super

Wombats

Nouns There are two types of nouns: Common nouns – name ordinary things, e.g. tree, house, book, girl. Proper nouns – name special things, e.g. Mr Tom Jordan, Perth, Duke Street School.

Teac he r

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r o e t s Bo r e Read the sentences below. proper nouns in each. p Identify the common ando u k SThe wombat is an animal that is found in Australia.  1 Common nouns_ _________________________________________________ Proper nouns____________________________________________________

 2

The common wombat is found in forests and valleys in Australia.

m . u

Injured wombats are taken to Epping Wildlife Sanctuary.

 3

w ww

Common nouns_ _________________________________________________ Proper nouns____________________________________________________

. te On the bank of the Warrego River a young o  4 c wombat lying under a blackened stump was. found. c e her r Common nouns_ _________________________________________________ o t s s r u e p Proper nouns____________________________________________________  5

The sick wombat was wrapped in a bag and taken to Epping Vets.

Common nouns_ _________________________________________________ Proper nouns____________________________________________________ 35

Wombats

Punctuation  Punctuate these sentences 1

r o e t s Bo r e p ok ______________________________________________________________ u S ______________________________________________________________ Use capital letters, full stops, question marks and commas.

2. do you know that wombats are found in south australia

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Teac he r

1. the wombat is an australian animal

______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

w ww

 Punctuate these sentences 2

m . u

______________________________________________________________

Use capital letters, full stops, question marks, commas and speech marks.

. te

o c . ______________________________________________________________ che e r o t r s super ______________________________________________________________ 4. have you seen the film muddle-headed wombat by ruth park

5. wombats are my favourite animal said tim ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 36

Wombats

Alphabetical Order  Alphabetical Order Arrange each line in alphabetical order.

r o e t s Bo r e phairy, tough ok 2. Furry, grey, pointed, u S ______________________________________________________________ 1. Wombat, koala, kangaroo, burrow, forest

3. Scamper, carries, survive, compare, digging

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Teac he r

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ 4. Weight, animals, colour, valley, area

______________________________________________________________ With a partner use the back of this sheet to find out how many of the above words you can both spell.

away

distant

3. Common

rare

same

many

4. Danger

beware

safety

fear

5. Powerful

strong

energy

weak

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2. Close

. te

m . u

Circle the word that is opposite in meaning to the word in bold. 1. Young baby old new

o c . che e  Word Building r o t r sThen explain the rule. sup Follow the pattern to complete the table. r e

Rule:_____________________________________________________________ carry hurry

carries

carried

carrying

worry scurry 37

The Magic Pin Paragraph 1

It was a grey old day in Mousetown when Ernest the cat carried off a little mouse called Finn Furbrown.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Sis going to eat “That rotten cat one of our children for his dinner,” shouted Mayor Mouse. “What are we going to do about it?” Paragraph 2

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Teac he r

The mice gathered together behind the wood shed and stood in shocked silence as Mayor Mouse gave them the bad news.

There was some muttering in the crowd and a shuffling of paws on the grass. Mice looked at the sky and the ground and sometimes at each other, but not one mouse would look at Mayor Mouse.

m . u

Paragraph 3

w ww

After a long time, Mayor Mouse heard a very small voice from the back. “Finn Furbrown is my friend and I will rescue him,” squeaked the voice. Out from the mob stepped the owner of the very small voice, a very small mouse called Tiny.

. t o “Why, what e a brave mouse!” said one mouse to another. c . c e he r “Of course, I’d have gone but I’m very busy at the o moment, ” said t r s super another. Paragraph 4

And so Tiny Mouse was given a shiny, sharp pin to use as a sword and some dried cat food to use as bait. He was also given a map of the house so that he could find his way to where it was thought Finn Furbrown was being kept prisoner. “Good luck,” some mice called. 38

“Be brave,” said others. “Don’t get caught in a cat attack,” shouted one very silly mouse. Paragraph 5

It was a very nervous, but determined Tiny who stuck his trembling nose out of the hole behind the fridge. All clear, he thought, starting off on his ‘Ernest hunt’. But just as he stepped forward he caught his sword on the edge of the hole and nearly tugged it out of his belt.

r o e t s Bo r e p okhim jump in u “Careful,” growled a voice very close to Tiny, which made the air withS surprise. “Wh.. who’s that?” he stuttered.

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Teac he r

Paragraph 6

“Down here,” came a voice and Tiny realized that it was coming from the pin he was using as a sword. “Pins don’t speak,” he told the pin.

“This one does,” replied the pin. “That’s because I’m a magic pin sent to fight against grumbling giants, wild wolves and cunning cats.”

w ww

Tiny didn’t say anything. All he could do was stare in amazement with his little whiskers twitching.

“Don’t believe me, uh?” went on the pin. “Well explain to me how a little boy called Jack could beat up a giant, or how three weak pigs could make mince meat out of a big, bad wolf. I was there old son. I helped them in their quests, just like I’ll help you.”

. te

m . u

Paragraph 7

o c . che e r o t r s super

“You’ve got no legs,” Tiny argued. “How can you chase Ernest?” “You just get me there and I’ll do the rest. Now, you’ve got some cat food haven’t you? Good, this is what we’ll do….”

The Magic Pin

A Storyboard *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

 1

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. te

 5

 2

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 6

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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Teac he r

A storyboard shows the main parts of a story in pictures. Complete this storyboard by drawing the remaining pictures that outline the story of “The Magic Pin”. • Include details in your drawings. • Make up your own ending. • Label each picture according to its part in the structure of the story by using the words orientation, complication or resolution.

o c . che e r o t r s sup er  4

The Magic Pin

Order Of Events *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

Show the order that these events happened in the story by placing the numbers 1 to 8 in the appropriate circles.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S The Mayor addressed the mice at a public meeting. To Tiny’s amazement his sword spoke.

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Teac he r

With a shiny, sharp pin, some dried cat food and a map of the hose, the courageous Tiny left the mousehole.

Ernest the cat captured a young male mouse.

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s sup r Tiny volunteered to rescue his e friend Finn. The pin began to explain his magical powers to Tiny.

As Tiny stepped out from the mousehole his sword almost fell from his belt. Extra! Create your own order of events for the story for a friend to solve. 41

The Magic Pin

Getting It Right *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

Each sentence below is an incorrect statement about the story. Rewrite the sentences so that they are correct.

Teac he r

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r o e t s Bo r e pby Ernie the cat. ok 1. Phil Furball was snatched u S __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 2. All the mice celebrated when the Mayor announced what had happened.

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 3. Many mice volunteered to rescue Finn.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons __________________________________________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• 4. Tiny, who was the busiest mouse in Mousetown, stepped forward. __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

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m . u

__________________________________________________________________ 5. To use in the rescue Tiny was given some catnip, a peg and a map.

__________________________________________________________________

. teleft the mousehole. o 6. Confidently, Tiny c . che __________________________________________________________________ e r o t r s super __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

7. The magic pin tripped Tiny.

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 8. Tiny and the magic pin couldn’t decide on a plan. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 42

The Magic Pin

Character Description *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

Look at the adjectives. Show which character you think each one describes by placing a tick in the spaces. Give reasons for your opinions. Adjective

powerful

Evidence

His nose was trembling as he peered out of the mousehole.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

nervous

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Character Tiny Ernest the Cat

cautious

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Questions

m . u

courageous

. te o c ______________________________________________________________ . c e hber r 2. Do you think Tiny wille able to rescue Finn?t Explain what you think will o s s r u e p happen. 1. Why do you think no-one other than Tiny offered to rescue Finn from Ernest the cat?

______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

The Magic Pin

Story Summaries *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

In your own words write a summary of the story parts shown by these pictures.

 1

r o e t s Bo r _____________________________ e p ok _____________________________ u S _____________________________

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Teac he r

_____________________________

_____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

_____________________________ _____________________________

w ww

_____________________________ _____________________________

. te

_____________________________

 3

m . u

_____________________________

o c . che _____________________________ e r o t _____________________________ r s super _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

The Magic Pin

Retelling The Story *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

Retell the story of “The Magic Pin”. Make a list of some key words that you intend to use.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Retell the Story Remember to use your own words.

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Teac he r

Keywords:

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

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m . u

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

. te o c ___________________________________________________________ . che e r ___________________________________________________________ o t r s super ___________________________________________________________

The Magic Pin

Word Study *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

Word Study Select the word or words from the story which best fit each description below.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok ________________u Assembled. S To save from a harmful or ________________ dangerous situation.

________________ Showing intention, with a mind made up. ________________ Sliding or dragging movement. ________________ Shaking with fear.

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Teac he r

________________ Speaking in low tones which are difficult to hear.

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________________ A person held captive.

. te

Spelling

m . u

________________ A search.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Cover the words that you wrote above. Ask a partner to test your spelling of each of these words.

Your Score ____ /10 46

The Magic Pin

Missing Report *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

Help find Finn Furbrown by filling out this Missing Mouse report which could be displayed around Mousetown.

p u S

oo k

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Teac he r

Missing Mouse r o e t s B r e

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m . u

Reward of________________________________________________________ For any information_________________________________________________

. te o c Last seen_ _______________________________________________________ . c e her r _______________________________________________________________ o t s super

_______________________________________________________________

Size/build ___________________________________________ Age _______________________________________________ Colour _____________________________________________ Special features _______________________________________

The Magic Pin

A Newspaper Report *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

Imagine that you are a reporter for the Mousetown Times. Draft an article reporting Ernest’s latest attack on an innocent mouse.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Headline (A headline S is usually short and eye catching.)

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Teac he r

Plan your report using the headings below. Jot down ideas, words and phrases. Remember to proofread and edit your first draft. *Use the newspaper layout on the next page to write your final report.

__________________________________________________________________

Byline (A byline states the author and location from where he/she is working. Example: Emily Lilleyman in Trigg Beach.)

__________________________________________________________________

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

__________________________________________________________________

Body (The body of the article provides further details.) It usually answers these questions…

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Where?_ ___________________________________________________________ Who?______________________________________________________________

. t___________________________________________________ o What happened?_e c . che e __________________________________________________________________ r o t r s super Why?______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ How? _____________________________________________________________ Outcome?__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 48

mousetown Times Headline Byline

_____________________________ r o e t s Bo r e _____________________________ p _____________________________ ok u S _____________________________ _____________________________

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Teac he r

_____________________________

_____________________________ _____________________________

_____________________________

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m . u

_____________________________

. te

o c . _____________________________ _____________________________ che e r o t r s supe r _____________________________ _____________________________

Reporter_________________________ 49

The Magic Pin

How To Survive A Cat Attack *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

Being able to avoid or outwit Ernest was necessary for survival in Mousetown. Make a list of the most important rules a mouse would need to follow for survival. You may like to make your rules humorous.

Teac he r

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r o e t s Bo r e A Handbook For Survival Of Mice p o u k S Rule  Rule  Rule 

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s Rule  sup er Rule  Rule 

The Magic Pin

Completing The Story 1 *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Further development of the plot is now your task. S

Paragraph 1

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Teac he r

The story, “The Magic Pin” is incomplete. The writer has included: Orientation: • The scene is set. Where and when the story takes place has been described. • The characters have been introduced. Complication: • A problem has been outlined and a number of incidents have been described. • More information has been given about the characters.

• Explain how Tiny and the Magic Pin plan to rescue Finn. Jot down your ideas and some useful words here.

___________________________________________________________

Now write the next page of the story.

___________________________________________________________

m . u

w ww

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

. te o ___________________________________________________________ c . che e ___________________________________________________________ r o t r s super ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

The Magic Pin

Completing The Story 2 To conclude your story you need a resolution. Plan how you think the story will end. Is Finn rescued? What happens to Ernest? Try to tie in the ending with some of the ideas presented by the author in the first part of the story.

Teac he r

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r o e t s B r e oo Resolution p u k • Jot downS your ideas and some useful words here.

___________________________________________________________

m . u

w ww

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

. te ___________________________________________________________ o c . che ___________________________________________________________ e r o t r s super ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________

The Magic Pin

Acrostics *Read “The Magic Pin” on pages 38-39 to help you with these activities.

Use the names of the characters from the story to write acrostic descriptions.

F_ _______________ r o e t s B r e o d e n e t h p o g i Fr u k I_________________ d e n o s i r S tic Imp

Teac he r

e Look at the…s examples

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Energe N_ _______________ s s e l h t u R Nimble N_ _______________ d e t i c Ex Sleepy © Rea bl i cat i ons atEdPu cmy Tod

Numb Nervous

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E_ _________________ R_ _________________

. te

m . u

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

T_ ___________ o

c . e her r o I_____________ t s s r u e p E_ _________________ N_ _________________ c

S_ _________________ T_ _________________

N_ ___________ Y_ ___________ 53

The Magic Pin

Verbs Verbs are doing words, e.g. run, find, look.

r o e t s Bo r e The mice__________________ That train_ _ ________________ p ok u Two cats __________________ The trees__________________ S

Teac he r

Verbs 1

Write a verb in the spaces below.

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Some children_____________ Kangaroos_________________ Horses____________________ Some puppies______________

Waves_ ___________________ Teachers_ _________________

Write verbs in the spaces to complete the sentences.

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

1. Ernest the cat _________________ Finn Furbrown.

2. The mice____________________ behind the wood shed.

w ww

4. Tiny _____________________ from the mousehole. 5. He _____________________ his magic sword.

m . u

3. The Mayor ______________________ to the mice.

Change the meaning of the first sentence by using a different . t o Verbs 3 e verb. c . c e he.r 4. Jamess r 1. James lost the basketball _________ the basketball . o t s uper 2. James _________ the basketball . 5. James _________ the basketball . 3. James _________ the basketball .

6. James _________ the basketball .

Make a list of the verbs that could be used instead of ‘said’ to make a sentence more meaningful or interesting.

The Magic Pin

Adjectives Adjectives are describing words. They describe nouns. These adjectives describe the noun, mouse.

A sick mouse. r o e t s Bo r A frightened e p ok mouse. u A toy mouse. S A female mouse. A sleepy mouse. An active mouse.

Adjectives 1

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Teac he r

A brown mouse. A grey mouse. A furry mouse. An old mouse.

Make up a list of adjectives to describe the nouns.

A ________________ book. A ________________ boy. A ________________ book. A ________________ boy.

m . u

w ww

Adjectives 2

Identify the adjectives in these sentences. (Hint: look for the noun first.)

. twas left under the chair._ ______________________________ o 2. A red hate c . e 3. The frightenedc mouse didn’t move. ______________________________ her r o t sparty.__________________ sat the er pbirthday 4. The excited children had fun u 1. The old cat slept on the bed.____________________________________

5. A colourful butterfly landed on the pink flower._ ___________________ 6. In the sandpit a happy baby played._____________________________ 7. A bright yellow car sped along the country road.___________________ 8. His new shoes were in the cardboard box._________________________ 55

The Magic Pin

Homophones Some words sound the same but are spelt differently and have different meanings. These words are called homophones. Example: knew/new The boy knew how to play the game. (Verb) The new game was difficult. (Adjective)

Teac he r

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r o e t s Bo r e p o Write these sentences using the correct homophone. u k Homophones 1 S 1. I knew/ new that was my book.

_______________________________________________________________ 2. He knew / new the answer.

_______________________________________________________________ 3. We bought a knew / new car.

_______________________________________________________________

Example: there / their Your pen is over there. That is their dog.

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Homophones 2

m . u

Write these sentences using the correct homophone.

. te _______________________________________________________________ o c . 2. We go there/their c every year. e her r o _______________________________________________________________ t s super 1. There / Their is my pencil.

3. The children read there/their books.

_______________________________________________________________ 4. They put there/their bags over there/their. _______________________________________________________________ Put these homophones in sentences. Use the back of this sheet. whole/hole where/wear to/too/two 56

Answers Sally’s First Game Reading, page 9 1. As she took her position on the court, Sally felt nervous about the game. 2. Sally didn’t like being reminded that she was only a substitute for the game. 3. Sally decided she must prove her worthiness in the team. 4. Overhearing the girls’ conversation lowered Sally’s confidence. 5. Sally’s efforts were noticed. 6. Initially Sally was looking forward to her first game. 7. Sally’s mum reassured her. 8. A sense of relief was experienced by Sally 9. Earlier experiences reminded Sally that she didn’t have a reputation as a sport star. 10. The opposing team’s pass was intercepted by Sally.

6 2 3 5 6 1 5 6

Sally was selected to play in the school netball team. When she woke up on Saturday she felt very excited. As the day passed Sally became nervous about playing. Sally didn’t want to let down her team.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S 3 6

As time passed Sally started to feel a little anxious/ nervous. By the time she reached the Netball Centre she was beginning to wish she could go home. The whistle started the game. Sally’s confidence increased. The ball lodged in her hands. Sally was relieved.

Contractions, page 20 P1: can’t P2: I’m P3: I’d P3: I’ll P4: didn’t P5: I’d P5: We’ve P5: I’ll P5: You’ll P5: Won’t P5: It’ll P6: I’ll

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On Saturday Sally jumped out of her bed. Today was her first game of netball. She had been selected for the school team. Sally felt very excited/eager even though she was only a replacement/substitute. Later in the morning Sally and her mother went to the shoe store to buy Sally some shoes.

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4. Parkville is an imaginary Australian suburb somewhere in Victoria. 5. Sally wanted to watch the netball programme “Goal Attack”.

I’m - I am you’re - you are we’re - we are I’ve - I have you’ve - you have we’ve - we have

I’ll - I will you’ll - you will we’ll - we will I’d - I would you’d - you would we’d - we would

he’s - he is she’s - she is he’ll - he will she’ll - she will he’d - he would she’d - she would

they are - they’re they have - they’d_ they will - they’ll they had - they’d are not - aren’t it is - it’s

it will - it’ll it had - it’d is not - isn’t should not shouldn’t has not - hasn’t

have not - haven’t had not -hadn’t could not couldn’t does not - doesn’t

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Sally Dixon was selected to replace Rebecca Johnson in the school netball team. Rebecca was not available to play due to illness. Sally felt excited. On Saturday she was up early, but her confidence was not so high later in the day. A meeting with Mrs Johnson in a shoe shop reminds Sally that she is only a substitute. As Sally walks from the carpark at the Netball Centre she meets up with her teammates. They are not very friendly. Sally wishes she could go home but her mother encourages/persuades her to stay. A very nervous Sally waits for the umpire to start the game. Her confidence returns. Sally intercepts the ball. Words of praise come from the sideline.

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Apostrophes, page 21

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A Cloze Activity, page 12

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Presenting Evidence, page 13

Apostrophes 1 (P2) Sally’s mum, (P4) Match’s, (P4) Mrs Johnson’s, (P4) Dixon’s (P6) Sally’s Apostrophes 2 1. Sally’s shoes 2. Rebecca’s mother 3. The umpire’s whistle 4. Mrs Dixon’s car 5. The team’s netball

Capital Letters, page 19

Apostrophes 3 1. the girls’ uniform 2. those girls’ laughter 3. the two teams’ netballs 4. the players’ efforts 5. all the spectators’ cheers

1. Mrs Dixon supports Sally. Evidence: “Come on, it’ll be fine.” “Sally’s mum went with her to the shops to buy some new shoes for the big game.” 2. Sally isn’t an outstanding sportsperson. Evidence: “I suppose somebody has to fill in for my Becky.” “She was the last to be selected.” “Sally’s replacing Becky we’ve got no chance now.” 3. Mrs Johnson isn’t always considerate of others’ feelings. Evidence: “I suppose somebody has to fill in for my Becky.”

1. Sally Dixon played netball in the team for Greenwood Primary School. 2. The competition took place at Parkville Netball Centre each Saturday. 3. Members of St John’s Ambulance provided first aid at the games.

Speech Marks, page 22 Speech Marks 1 1. “I hear Sally’s playing today,” remarked Mrs Johnson. 2. “I’d rather have Tanya,” argued the captain. 3. “Take me home please,” suggested Sally. 4. “Well done Sally,” shouted the captain. 5. “Great work Sal,” her mother called.

Wombats

Fact or Opinion?, page 28 FACT: There are two types of wombats. OPINION: Hairy-nosed wombats are cute. OPINION: My favourite Australian animal is the wombat. FACT: Hairy-nosed wombats have larger ears than the common wombat. FACT: The common wombat has coarse, brown fur. FACT: Wombats are Australian animals. OPINION: Koalas are cuddlier than wombats. FACT: Wombats are related to the kangaroo. FACT: Wombats are an endangered animal. OPINION: Learning about wombats is fun.

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Matching Headings with Information, page 24 Paragraph 1 = Behaviour (what it does) Paragraph 2 = Appearance (what it looks like) Paragraph 3 = Location (where is lives) Paragraph 4 = Diet (what it eats) Paragraph 5 = Behaviour (what it does)

Organising Information, page 25

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Speech Marks 2 1. Sally muttered softly, “Let everyone know I’m a replacement.” 2. Reluctantly Sally agreed, “I’ll stay and play.” 3. The umpire stood at the centre and said, “Time to start girls.” 4. Afterwards her opponent commented, “That was a great game Sally.” 5. Sally couldn’t wait to ask, “how did I play, mum?”

Paragraph 3: “The hairy-nosed wombat is found ... in the drier inland areas of Western Australia and South Australia.” Paragraph 4: “Compared to other animals, the wombat uses much less water and energy.” Paragraph 5: “In summer, the hairy-nosed wombat sleeps in its burrow during the day and comes out for food when its cool.”

Vocabulary Development, page 29 moves quickly

scampers

away from the coastal area

inland

not easily seen to crush into pieces

hardly visible marsupial grind

the place where an animal lives

habitat

about, almost

almost the same

approximately burrow extinct similar

sharing features with others

types

to remain alive

survives

Classifying Information, page 26

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Common Wombat Location: found in forests and valleys on the south-eastern coast of Australia and in Tasmania. Appearance: thick brown fur, can grow to one metre in length and weigh up to 40 kilograms. Has a solid body and its tail is short and hardly visible. Behaviour: will share its burrow. Diet: feeds on leaves, grass and roots.

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no longer existing

Nouns, page 35

1. Common nouns: wombat, animal. Proper nouns: Australia. 2. Common nouns: common wombat, forests, valleys. Proper nouns: Australia. 3. Common nouns: wombats. Proper nouns: Epping Wildlife Sanctuary. 4. Common nouns: bank, wombat, stump. Proper nouns: Warrego River. 5. Common nouns: wombat, bag. Proper nouns: Epping Vets.

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Hairy nosed Wombat Location: found in dry, inland areas of Western Australia and South Australia. Appearance: has grey fine fur, similar in size to the common wombat. Has a hairy nose and pointed ears. Behaviour: sleeps in its burrow during the day in summer to avoid the heat, likes to live alone. Diet: feeds on drier grass.

Substantiating Information, page 27 Paragraph 1: “It is a marsupial whose closest relative is the koala.” Paragraph 2: Common wombat: “Its soild body is covered in thick brown fur.” Hairy-nosed wombat: “Its fur is finer and grey in colour.” 58

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The Common Wombat: has thick brown hair, feeds on leaves, grass and roots, will share its burrow, found in forests and valleys, teeth grow throughout its life. The Hairy-Nosed Wombat: found in dry, inland areas, feeds on drier grass, sleeps in burrow during the day, likes to live alone, has grey fur.

an animal with a pouch

Punctuation, page 36 1. The wombat is an Australian animal. 2. Do you know that wombats are found in South Australia? 3. Wombats are related to kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and possums. 4. Have you seen the film “Muddle-Headed Wombat” by Ruth Park?

5. “Wombats are my favourite animal,” said Tim.

Alphabetical Order, page 37 1. 1. 2. 3.

burrow, forest, kangaroo, koala, wombat. furry, grey, hairy, pointed, tough. carries, compare, digging, scamper, survive. animals, area, colour, valley, weight.

Opposites 1. Young/old 2. Close/near 3. Common/rare 4. Danger/safety 5. Powerful/weak

Muttering: Speaking in low tones which are difficult to hear. Gathered: Assembled. Rescue: To save from a harmful or dangerous situation. Determined: Showing intention, with a mind made up. Tugged: Sliding or dragging movement. Trembling: Shaking with fear. Mayor: The head of a town. Cunning: Skilful in tricking or showing cleverness. Ernest hunt/quest: A search. Prisoner: A person held captive.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Adjectives, page 55

The Magic Pin

Order of Events, page 41 4, 2, 6, 8, 1, 7, 3, 5. Getting It Right, page 42

1. Finn Furbrown was snatched by Ernest the cat. 2. All the mice stood in shocked silence when the Mayor announced what had happened. 3. Tiny Mouse volunteered to rescue Finn. 4. Tiny, who was the smallest mouse in Mousetown, stepped forward. 5. To use in the rescue Tiny was given cat food, a pin and a map. 6. Nervous but determined, Tiny left the mousehole. 7. The magic pin talked to Tiny. 8. Tiny and the magic pin began to decide on a plan.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

The old cat slept on the bed. A red hat was left under the chair. The frightened mouse didn’t move. The excited children had fun at the birthday party. A colourful butterfly landed on the pink flower. In the sandpit a happy baby played. A bright yellow car sped along the country road. His new shoes were in the cardboard box.

Homophones, page 56

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Word Building hurry: hurries, hurried, hurrying. worry: worries, worried, worrying. scurry: scurries, scurried, scurrying.

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Word Study, page 46

Homophones 1 1. I knew/ new that was my book. 2. He knew / new the answer. 3. We bought a knew / new car. 4. Susan knew / new her knew / new address.

Powerful = Ernest the Cat: “Ernest the cat carried off a little mouse called Finn Furbrown.” Cautious = Tiny: “All clear, he thought.” Courageous = Tiny: “Finn Furbrown is my friend and I will rescue him.” “What a brave mouse!”

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Character Description, page 43

Homophones 2 1. There / Their is my pencil. 2. We go there/their every year. 3. The children read there/their books. 4. They put there/their bags over there/their.

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Questions 1. The others were scared and Tiny was Finn’s friend.

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