Primary Comprehension: Book D - Ages 8-9 by Teacher Superstore

Published by R.I.C. Publications速 www.ricgroup.com.au RIC-6256 4.5/340

Teac he r

ew i ev Pr

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

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

PRIMARY COMPREHENSION Foreword

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

Contents

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Primary comprehension is a series of seven books designed to provide opportunities for students to read texts in a variety of genres, to answer questions at literal, inferential and applied levels and to practise a variety of selected comprehension strategies. Titles in this series include: • Primary Comprehension Book A • Primary Comprehension Book B • Primary Comprehension Book C • Primary Comprehension Book D • Primary Comprehension Book E • Primary Comprehension Book F • Primary Comprehension Book G

Teachers notes ......................................................... iv – ix How to use this book ........................................... iv – v Outcome links ............................................................ v Types of questions ..................................................... vi Comprehension strategies ...................................vi – vii Genre deﬁnitions ................................................viii – ix

R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

w ww

. te

The clever judge (folktale) .............................................. 2–5 What’s on! (timetable) .................................................... 6–9 Three fables (fable) .................................................... 10–13 Scones (procedure) .................................................... 14–17 Back to Sivrax? (science ﬁction)..................................18–21 Enid Blyton (biography) ...............................................22–25 A threat to polar bears (report) ....................................26–29 Little John (play) .........................................................30–33 Lost! (horror) .............................................................. 34–37 Mystery in the night (mystery).................................... 38–41 The new girl! (humour)............................................... 42–45 The story of Gelert (legend) ........................................ 46–49 The journal of Kublai Khan (journal) ............................ 50–53 Letters for a purpose (letters) ..................................... 54–57 Concert ‘all-round disappointment’ (review) ............... 58–61 Fairies in the garden (fantasy) .................................... 62–65 Teachers on TV (newspaper report) ............................ 66–69 The princess and the mouse (fairytale)....................... 70–73 Ghost train adventure (adventure) .............................. 74–77 Hina, Maui and the captured sun (poetry) ................... 78–81

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

TEACHERS NOTES

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Twenty different texts from a variety of genres are given. These include humour, fantasy, a diary, a myth/legend, folktale, mystery, adventure, horror/supernatural, fairytale, play, fable, science ﬁction, poetry and informational texts/nonﬁction such as a journal, a timetable, letter, report, biography, journalistic writing and autobiography. Three levels of questions are used to indicate the reader’s comprehension of each text. One or more particular comprehension strategies has been chosen for practice with each text. Each text is given over pages. Each group of four pages consists of: ~ a teachers page ~ student page – 1 (which always includes the text and sometimes literal questions) ~ student page – 2 (which gives literal, inferential and applied questions) ~ student page – 3 (which concentrates on the chosen comprehension strategy/ strategies))

Teachers page

and to the three © R. I . C.Publ i c arefer t i o n slevels of questioning and any particular strategies used. •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Indicators state the expected outcome(s),

The title of the text is given.

w ww

. te

m . u

The particular genre is given.

Worksheet information details any background information required by the teacher about the genre or subject of the text or speciﬁc details regarding the use of the worksheets.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Answers are always given for literal questions and for inferential questions where appropriate. Answers for applied questions are best checked by the teacher following, or in conjunction with, class discussion.

Extension activities suggest titles of books or authors who write in the same genre, as well as other literacy activities relating to the text.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

TEACHERS NOTES Student page – 1

Student page – 2 The title of the text is given.

The title of the text is given.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Literal, inferential and applied questions are presented in a speciﬁed order.

The text is presented.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

The particular text genre is given.

w ww

. te

m . u

given.

Activities to practise and investigate particular comprehension strategies are provided.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Outcome links WA R3.1, R3.2, R3.3, R3.4

R.I.C. Publications®

SA 2.3, 2.7, 2.11

www.ricgroup.com.au

NSW

Vic

RS2.5, RS2.6, RS2.7, RS2.8

ENRE0301, ENRE0302, ENRE0305, ENRE0306, ENRE0307, ENRE0308

Primary comprehension

QLD Refer to curriculum documents on http:/www.qsa.qld.edu.au

iii

TEACHERS NOTES Types of questions

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Students are given three types of questions to assess their comprehension of a particular text in each genre: • Literal questions are those which can be found directly in the text. These come ﬁrst in the questions and are grouped. • Inferential questions follow the literal questions. Inferential questions are implied in the text and require the reader to think a bit more deeply about what has just been read. • Applied questions require the reader to think even further about the text and incorporate his/her personal experiences and knowledge to answer. Answers for literal questions are always given and may be found on the teachers page. Answers for inferential questions are given where appropriate. Applied questions are best checked by the teacher following, or in conjunction with, class discussion.

Comprehension strategies

Several speciﬁc comprehension strategies have been selected for practice in this book.

Although speciﬁc examples have been selected, often other strategies, such as scanning, are used in conjunction with those indicated, even though they may not be stated. Rarely does a reader use a single strategy to comprehend a text.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons Prediction involves the student using illustrations, text or background knowledge to help them construct meaning. Students might predict what texts could be about, •f or r evi ew pur posesonl y• what could happen or how characters could act or react. Prediction may occur

Strategy deﬁnitions Predicting

before, during and after reading, and can be adjusted during reading. Pages 2–5, 6–9, 18–21 and 34–37 use the strategy of predicting.

Comparing

. te

m . u

w ww

Making connections Students comprehend texts by linking their prior knowledge and the new information given in the text. Students may make connections between the text and themselves, between the new text and other texts previously read, and between the text and the world.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Pages 2–5, 10–13, 18–21, 22–25, 26–29, 30–33, 42–45 and 74–77 use the strategy of making connections.

This strategy is closely linked to the strategy of making connections. Students make comparisons by thinking more speciﬁcally about the similarities and differences between the connections being made. Pages 2–5, 30–33 and 70–73 use the strategy of comparing.

Sensory imaging

Sensory imaging involves students utilising all ﬁve senses to create mental images of passages in the text. Students use visual, auditory, olfactory, kinaesthetic or emotional images as well as their personal experiences to create these images. The images may help them to make predictions, form conclusions, interpret information and remember details. Pages 14–17, 34–37, 38–41, 42–45 and 46–49 use the strategy of sensory imaging.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

TEACHERS NOTES Strategy deﬁnitions Determining importance

The strategy of determining importance is particularly helpful when students are trying to comprehend informational texts. It involves students determining the important theme or main idea of particular paragraphs or passages.

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

Pages 38–41, 46–49, 50–53 and 58–61 use the strategy of determining importance.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

As students become effective readers, they will constantly ask themselves what is most important in a phrase, sentence, paragraph, chapter or whole text. To determine importance, students will need to use a variety of information, such as the purpose for reading, their knowledge of the topic, background experiences and beliefs, and understanding of the text format.

Skimming

Skimming is the strategy of looking quickly through texts to gain a general impression or overview of the content. Readers often use this strategy to quickly assess whether a text, or part of it, will meet their purpose. Because this book deals predominantly with comprehension after reading, skimming has not been included as one of the major strategies.

Scanning

Scanning is the strategy of quickly locating speciﬁc details such as dates, places or names, or those parts of the text which support a particular point of view. Scanning is often used but not speciﬁcally mentioned when used in conjunction with other strategies.

w ww

. te

Synthesising is the strategy which enables students to collate a range of information from a variety of sources in order to comprehend text. Students recall information, order details and piece information together to make sense of the text. Synthesising helps students to continually monitor their understanding of the text. Synthesising involves connecting, comparing, determining importance, posing questions and creating images.

m . u

Synthesising

o c . che e r o t r s super

Paraphrasing/Summarising

Pages 10–13, 22–25, 26–29, 30–33, 54–57 and 66–69 use the strategy of synthesising.

Summarising involves the processes of recording key ideas, main points or the most important information from a text. Summarising or paraphrasing reduces a larger piece of text to the most important details. Pages 6–9, 70–73, 74–77 and 78–81 use the strategy of summarising/paraphrasing.

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

TEACHERS NOTES Genre definitions Fiction and poetry These stories include backgrounds or plots based upon possible technology or inventions, experimental medicine, life in the future, environments drastically changed, alien races, space travel, gene engineering, dimensional portals or changed scientific principles. Science fiction encourages readers to suspend some of their disbelief and examine alternate possibilities.

Horror/Supernatural

Stories of this type aim to make the reader feel fear, disgust or horror. A number of horror stories have become classics. These include Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dracula by Bram Stoker and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Mystery stories

Stories of this kind focus on suspense and the solving of a mystery. Plots of mysteries often revolve around a crime, such as murder, theft or kidnapping. The hero must solve the mystery, overcoming unusual events, threats, assaults and often unknown forces or enemies. Stories about detectives, police, private investigators, amateur sleuths, spies, thrillers and courtroom dramas usually fall into this genre.

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Science ﬁction

Fables

A fable is a short story which states a moral. Fables often use talking animals or animated objects as the main characters. The interaction of the animals or animated objects reveals general truths about human nature.

Fairytales

These tales are usually about elves, dragons, hobgoblins, sprites or magical beings and are often set in the distant past. Fairytales usually begin with the phrase ‘Once upon a time ...’ and end with the words ‘... and they lived happily ever after’. Charms, disguises and talking animals may also appear in fairytales.

Fantasy

A fantasy may be any text or story which is removed from reality. Stories may be set in nonexistent worlds such as an elf kingdom, on another planet or in alternate versions of the known world. The characters may not be human (dragons, trolls etc.) or may be humans who interact with non-human characters.

Folktales

Adventure stories Humour

m . u

w ww

Plays

Stories which have been passed from one generation to the next by word of mouth rather than being written down are folktales. Folktales may include sayings, superstitions, social rituals, legends or lore about the weather, animals or plants. Plays are speciﬁc pieces of drama, usually enacted on a stage by a number of actors dressed in make-up and appropriate costumes.

. te

Exciting events and actions feature in these stories. Character development, themes or symbolism are not as important as the actions or events in an adventure story.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Humour involves characters or events which promote laughter, pleasure or humour in the reader.

Poetry

This is a genre which utilises rhythmic patterns of language. The patterns include meter (high and low stressed syllables), syllabiﬁcation (the number of syllables in each line), rhyme, alliteration, or a combination of these. Poems often use ﬁgurative language.

Myths

These are stories which explain a belief, practice or natural phenomenon and usually involve gods, demons or supernatural beings. A myth does not necessarily have a basis in fact or a natural explanation.

Legends

Legends are told as though the events were actual historical events. Legends may or may not be based on an elaborated version of an historical event. Legends are usually about human beings, although gods may intervene in some way throughout the story.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

TEACHERS NOTES Genre deﬁnitions Nonﬁction Letters

These are written conversations sent from one person to another. Letters usually begin with a greeting, contain the information to be related and conclude with a farewell signed by the sender.

Reports

Reports are written documents describing the ﬁndings of an individual or group. They may take the form of a newspaper report, sports or police report, or a report about an animal, person or object.

Biographies

An account of a person’s life written by another person is a biography. The biography may be about the life of a celebrity or a historical ﬁgure. A journal is a continued series of texts written by a person about his/her life experiences and events. Journals may include descriptions of daily events as well as thoughts and emotions.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Journals

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

Reviews

A review is a concise summary or critical evaluation of a text, event, object or phenomenon. A review may give a perspective argument or purpose. It offers critical assessment of content, effectiveness, noteworthy features and often ends with a suggestion of audience appreciation.

Other informational texts such as timetables are excellent sources to teach and assess comprehension skills. Others may include diagrams, graphs, advertisements, maps, plans, tables, charts, lists, posters and programs.

w ww

. te

R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

vii

THE

CLEVER JUDGE

Teacher information

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

Genre:

Folktale • • • •

Analyses and extracts information from a folktale to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Predicts the responses of characters in a folktale. Makes connections with events in a folktale and his/her own life. Makes comparisons between characters in folktale and people in his/her own life.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Hold a discussion with the class regarding the role of the judge in a court. Discuss who might act as a ‘judge’ in a school or at home.

m . u

w ww

. te

(b) People travelled long distances to see the judge because he was fair, just and wise. 2. Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 5 Teacher check

Extension:

o c . che e r o t r s super •

Collections of folktales from around the world can be found in the following books: Folk tales and fables series by Robert Ingpen and Barbara Hayes Rich man, poor man, beggarman, thief: folk tales from around the world by Marcus Crouch The young Oxford book of folk tales by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

THE CLEVER JUDGE – 1 Read the folktale.

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

here once lived a judge who was famous for his wisdom and justice. People travelled long distances to visit the judge and ask him to settle their disagreements. One day, Samuel and Joseph arrived at the courtroom to see the judge. ‘Fair Judge,’ pleaded Samuel, ‘please help me. I left the village last full moon and asked Joseph here to take care of my gold while I was away. Now I have returned, Joseph is denying that I ever left any gold with him’. ‘Were there any witnesses when you handed this man your gold?’ the judge asked the pair. ‘We were in the heart of the forest and stood by a tall oak tree’, remembered Samuel. ‘Yes! The oak tree witnessed our transaction!’ The judge smiled. ‘Well, Samuel, go to the tall oak and ask it to appear before me in this courtroom. Joseph, you will stay here.’ Samuel quickly left the courtroom and headed for the forest. The judge and Joseph waited. After some time, the judge looked over at the silent man sitting in his courtroom. ‘Do you think he has reached the oak by this time?’ asked the judge. ‘No, not as yet’, was Joseph’s answer.

After more time had passed, the judge turned to Joseph and asked again, ‘Do you think he has reached the tree by this time?’ ‘Yes’, Joseph responded. ‘He will have reached the oak by now.’ Some time later, Samuel returned, looking defeated and saddened. ‘I did just as you said, judge. I demanded that the oak appear before you in the court, but it refused!’ ‘Never mind,’ said the judge ‘for the oak appeared before me and has proven your honesty’. Joseph stood up hastily. ‘But there has been no oak tree in this courtroom today!’ he protested. ‘You, Joseph’, explained the judge, ‘were able to tell me how long it would take for Samuel to arrive at the oak tree, so you have been to that very spot before. Now return the gold to its rightful owner. And add ﬁve pieces more for trying to cheat him!’

w ww

. te

R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

THE CLEVER JUDGE – 2 Use the text to answer the questions.  Literal (a) Put these events in order from 1 to 4. Samuel went to the forest to speak to the oak tree.

(b) Why did people travel long distances to see the judge?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Samuel asked Joseph to take care of S his gold. The judge demanded that Joseph return the gold.

 Inferential

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Joseph and Samuel arrived at the courthouse.

(a) Why do you think Joseph denied being given the gold to take care of?

w ww

. te



Applied

If the oak tree had appeared at the courthouse, what do you think it would have said? 4

m . u

(b) Write four words to describe how you think Samuel felt when his friend would not return his gold.

(i) Did the oak tree actually appear in the court?

Yes No

(ii) Explain how the clever judge tricked Joseph.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

THE CLEVER JUDGE – 3 Use the text on page 3 to help you complete this activity.

 Write a question you could ask each of the characters in the folktale.

The judge

Samuel

Joseph

r o e t s OB r e oo p u k S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

ak tree

 Choose one character from above and, imagining you are that character, write the answer in the speech bubble. Draw the face of the character you have chosen next to the speech bubble.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•  Samuel travelled to see the fair and wise judge to settle a disagreement with a friend. Did the story remind you of a time when you needed a dispute settled? Write about it below.

w ww

. te

(b) Compare the people in your story to the characters in the folktale.

m . u

(a) This story reminds me of time when …

o c . che e r o t r s the judge super Samuel

Joseph

oak tree (witness)

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

WHAT’S

ON!

Teacher information

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

Genre:

Television program • • •

Analyses and extracts information from an informational text to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Predicts what television shows will be about. Summarises information from an informational text.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Worksheet information: •

Teachers may need to read some of the information with the students, particularly if students have not read many texts such as timetables before.

Answers:

Page 8 1. (a) (i) Yes (ii) No (iii) No (iv) Yes (v) Yes (vi) No 2. (a) Answers may include any of the shows from 6.00 pm onwards. (b) Teacher check (c) Answers will vary but may include the fact that many adults may be at home at this time and are able to watch them as children will be at school. 3. Teacher check Page 9 1. Teacher check 2. Name/Type Number of times on each week Suitable audience Length of show

w ww

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

Extension:

• •

m . u

Daytime movies

Adults/Children

2 hours

Cops on the beat

Adults

1 hour

Blue Cove

Adults/Children/Teenagers

30 minutes

Nightly news

Adults/Children/Teenagers

1 hour

Midday news

Adults/Children/Teenagers

1 hour

Supersleuth Sam

Children/Teenagers

1 hour

Life in the wild

Children

1 hour

Cartoon corner

Children

1 hour

Weekend sport

Adults/Teenagers

30 minutes

Students should read texts with this format, such as bus timetables, movie program times, train timetables etc. Students may read or record their own school or home activities on a timetable format. Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Midday news

Tuesday

www.ricgroup.com.au

You can make it!

Gardening with gusto

Cartoon corner

Sporting heroes

Cops on the beat

Nightly news

Blue Cove

Crazy squares

World sports update

Jones

2.30 Cooking with John

3.00 Cartoon corner

4.00 Life in the wild

5.00 Super Sleuth Sam

6.00 Nightly news

7.00 Blue Cove

Primary comprehension

7.30 Crazy squares

8.00 Inspector Ian

9.00 Movie – Guys and dolls

o c . che e r o t r s super

m . u Interview with Don

Movie – Seadogs

Marshall High School

Crazy squares

Blue Cove

Nightly news

Super Sleuth Sam

History in the making

Cartoon corner

Pine Creek

ﬂight of Shuttle 9

Movie – Piano piece for Penny

Midday news

Friday

Movie – Terry and Clive

Today’s top model

Sport roundup

Blue Cove

Late night football

Singing sensations

Weekend sport

Blue Cove

Nightly news

Super Sleuth Sam

Cops on the beat Nightly news

Life in the wild

Cartoon corner

Renovations room by room

Great inventions that changed the world

Cartoon corner

The Reading Club

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

ew i ev Pr

R.I.C. Publications®

. te

Movie – The adventures of Thomas Crumb

Thursday

Tea Midday chnews er Movie – Shootout at Movie – The ﬁnal Midday news

Wednesday

12.30 Movie – A present for Lilly

12.00 Midday news

Monday

w ww

Time

WHAT’S ON! – 1

Read the following timetable which shows a section of the television programs scheduled for part of the week.

WHAT’S ON! – 2 Use the text on page 7 to answer the questions.  Literal (a) Write Yes or No. (i) The nightly news is on every day.

Yes No

(ii) ‘Crazy squares’ is on twice.

Yes No

r o e t s Bo r e p o (iii) Shows which tell you u how  k I to do things are onS at 3.00. Yes No (iv) Children can watch a lot of Yes cartoons after school.

(v) Adults can watch a movie while they eat lunch.

Yes No

(vi) Viewers who like sport can Yes watch a show every day.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

nferential

(a) Write the names of three shows which are on at night-time specially for adults to watch.

(b) Write the name of two shows which would be very popular with children.

w ww

(i) Crime

(ii) Soap opera

. te

(iii) Lifestyle

m . u

(a) Under each program category listed below, write the name of a show from that category you watch at home.

o c . che e r o t r s super

(iv) Cartoon

(v) Documentary

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

WHAT’S ON! – 3 Use the television program on page 7 to answer the questions.

 Use your background knowledge about shows you may have seen on television to predict what the following shows may be about:

Super Sleuth Sam

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Blue Cove

Crazy squares

The Reading Club

 Complete the table to summarise some information from the television program. Number of times on each week

Suitable audience

Daytime movies

. te

Cops on the beat Blue Cove Nightly news Midday news

Length of show

m . u

w ww

Name/type

o c . che e r o t r s super

Super Sleuth Sam Life in the wild Cartoon corner Weekend sport R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

THREE FABLES

Teacher information

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

Genre:

Fable • •

•

Analyses and extracts information from a fable to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Makes connections between an animal character in a traditional fable and a human character of his/her own age to write a new fable. Uses synthesis to write a new fable with the same moral as a traditional fable.

Worksheet information: •

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Ensure that the students understand the meaning of each moral before they begin the activities on page 13. A discussion of Question 4 on page 12 would be an ideal way to do this. Depending on the ability of the class, teachers may ﬁnd it beneﬁcial to discuss possible storylines for ‘human’ fables before the students begin the activities on page 13. Teachers should request that the students use a different name for their characters different from the people they are basing them on. This will help to avoid any animosity or hurt feelings if a student intends to base a character on a class member.

w ww

m . u

•

Answers:

. te

Page 11–12 1. (a) He heard some hunters nearby. (b) deer, hunters, fox, lion, rooster 2. (a) Answers should indicate that the lion was eating the animals that went into his den. (b) Teacher check (c) Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 13 Teacher check

o c . che e r o t r s super

Extension: Find fables on the Internet by typing ‘Aesop’s fables’ into a search engine. Other well-known authors of fables include Phaedrus, Babrius, Bidpai and de France.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

THREE FABLES – 1 Read these fables.

The deer’s reﬂection Once there was a deer who went to drink at a lake. He saw his reﬂection and thought to himself, ‘I have beautiful antlers. But my legs are too long’. Just then, the deer heard some hunters nearby. The deer immediately ran into the woods. His long legs helped him to run quickly but his antlers became caught in the trees.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

r o e t s Bo r e Moral: Often, we do not realise our strengths. p ok u S The fox and the lion

A lion sent a message into the jungle for all the animals to hear. He was sick and would like some visitors in his den. Many animals went, but the fox did not. The next time he passed by, the lion called out to him. ‘Why did you not come to visit me?’ ‘I decided not to’, said the fox. ‘I noticed that there were many tracks going into your den, but none coming out.’

w ww

Once there was a rooster who lived in a chicken coop. He used his feet to search for tasty things to eat. One day, he found a beautiful jewel. But he ﬂicked it away and kept hunting for food, thinking to himself, ‘What bad luck! If only that jewel was a piece of corn instead’.

. te

m . u

The rooster and the jewel

o c . c e Use the text to answer theh questions. r e o t r s super  Literal Moral: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

(a) Why did the deer run into the woods?

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

(b) List all of the characters in the fables.

Primary comprehension

THREE FABLES – 2 Use the text on page 11 to answer the questions.  Inferential (a) Why do you think there were tracks going into the lion’s den but not out?

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

r o e t s Bo r e p ok (b) Explain the moral of eachu fable in your own words. S (i) ‘Often, we do not realise our own strengths.’ (ii) ‘Don’t blindly follow the crowd.’

(iii) ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’

w ww

Main character

The deer’s reﬂection

The fox and the lion

. te

The rooster and the jewel



Setting

m . u

Plot summary

o c . che e r o t r s super

Applied

Which of the animals in the fables do you think was the least clever? Explain why. 12

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

THREE FABLES – 3 Fables often use animal characters to teach us a lesson or a ‘moral’.

 Try changing each main character of two of the fables on page 11 to a human character of your age. The character can be like you or someone you know. The deer’s reﬂection

(b)

r o e t s Bo r e p ofoxkand the lion The u (c) What could your character’s friends choose S to do that he/she chooses not to do? e.g. ‘shoplifting’.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

(a) List three things your character would like to change about himself/herself; e.g. ‘too many freckles’.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons (d) How could this choice work out well for Choose one of the features you listed. How your character? could this help yourv character •feature f or r e i ewto pur po s esonl y•

w ww

m . u

escape from danger? e.g. ‘Her freckles could help her to hide in a bush with dotted leaves’.

. te

o c  Choose one of these c fables to rewrite using your human character as. the main character. You can e h r change the setting if you wish, the moral must stay theo same. ebutr t s s r upe I am rewriting the fable: The main character’s name is: The new title is: The fable’s setting is:

 Use your ideas from Questions 1 and 2 to write your new ‘human’ fable on a separate sheet of paper. R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

SCONES

Teacher information

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

Genre:

Recipe • •

Analyses and extracts information from a procedure to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Uses sensory imaging to describe what he/she would hear, touch, smell and taste while making a recipe.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Before the students begin the activity on page 17, teachers should instruct them to close their eyes to help them imagine what they would sense while making the scones.

m . u

w ww

. te

(c) (i) 2 (ii) 210 ºC (iii) 2 (iv) 12 (v) 15 2. (a) Answers should indicate that it means to make a hollow in the ingredients with the spoon for the milk to be poured into. (b) 2, 4, 1, 3 (c) Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 17 Teacher check

o c . che e r o t r s super

Extension:

•

There are many books containing collections of recipes suitable for children. Recipes can also be found on the Internet by typing in ‘recipes children’ or the name of a recipe into a search engine. Some simple recipes for children may be found in: Cool kids cook by Donna Hay How to teach kids to cook by Gabriel Gate donna hay magazine – Kids issue There’s a chef in my soup! by E Lagasse Hocus-pocus magical cookbook by D Boundy

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

SCONES – 1 Read the recipe.

Scones Equipment

3 cups of self-raising ﬂour 2 tablespoons of sugar 55 grams of butter, chopped 1 cup of milk 1 egg, beaten 2 handfuls of sultanas baking tray

mixing bowl wooden spoon scone cutter pastry brush sifter baking paper

Teac he r

Ingredients

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

ew i ev Pr

Method: 1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar and sultanas. 2. Rub the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs. 3. Use the spoon to make a well in the centre of the mixture. Pour in the milk and mix until a sticky dough forms. 4. Put the dough onto a surface which has been sprinkled with flour. Knead the dough until it is smooth. 5. Pat the dough into a shape about two centimetres thick. 6. Use the scone cutter to cut the dough into about 12 scones. 7. Place the scones onto a tray covered with baking paper. 8. Brush the top of each scone with the beaten egg. 9. Cook the scones in a 210 ºC oven for 15 minutes. 10. Serve the hot scones with butter and jam.

w ww

m . u

 Literal

. te

o c . che e r o t r (b) How many ingredients do you needs foru thisp recipe? s er

(a) What do you need to do to the egg and the butter before you start making the recipe?

(c) Number quiz! (i) How many centimetres thick should you pat the dough? (iii) How many handfuls of sultanas do you need? (v) How many minutes will the scones take to cook? R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

(ii) What temperature does the oven need to be? (iv) About how many scones will the recipe make?

Primary comprehension

SCONES – 2 Use the text on page 15 to answer the questions.  Inferential (a) What do you think ‘making a well’ might mean?

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

(b) Number these pictures in order from 1 to 4.

Applied

w ww

Write a recipe for making a simple snack.

Ingredients/Equipment

. te

Method

m . u



o c . che e r o t r s super

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

SCONES – 3 Sometimes, when we imagine something, we think only about the sense of sight. But what about our other four senses?

 Imagine you are making the scone recipe on page 15. Choose three of the steps listed under ‘Method’. Write what you might hear, touch, smell or taste for each one. An example has been done for you.

Step

Senses described

touch r o e t s B r esound while sifting oohearing a soft scratching p u k Sa sultana chewing taste the hard, cold metal of the sifter

the spoon hitting the bowl while mixing

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

 Use your descriptions to help you write a free verse poem about making scones. R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

BACK TO SIVRAX? Teacher information

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

Genre:

Science ﬁction • • •

Analyses and extracts information from a science fiction narrative to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Makes connections between his/her own feelings and those of a fictional character. Predicts the next event to take place in a science fiction narrative.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Before the students complete the activity on page 21, the class could brainstorm a list of things they would like to know about moving to another planet and what they might miss about living on Earth.

m . u

w ww

. te

Sivraxian, he has an unusual name, he has purple hair, he has orange eyes. (b) (i) False (ii) False (iii) True (iv) True 2. Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 21 Teacher check

o c . che e r o t r s super

Extension:

•

Some science ﬁction novels for children include: Computer nut by Betsy Byars Animorphs series by K A Applegate My teacher is an alien by Bruce Coville

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

BACK TO SIVRAX? – 1 Read the science ﬁction story.

avren bit his lip and stared at the wall. His mother and Miss Whittaker were frowning at his latest piece of writing. Miss Whittaker turned to him. ‘Gavren, I don’t understand.’

‘Thanks for calling this to my attention, Miss Whittaker’, said his mother. She tucked a strand of wiry purple hair back under her beret. ‘Gavren and I will have a talk at home and I’ll get back to you.’

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo r e p o ‘Hang on’, said Gavren. His mouth was dry. u ‘You’re telling mek I’m an alien?’ S ‘Yes’, said his father. ‘Haven’t you ever

‘I can’t seem to help it, Miss Whittaker. It just happens.’ Gavren looked at the strange symbols he had written. They looked like Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. He sighed. He couldn’t write in English any more. Whenever he tried, this came out instead.

Teac he r

when Sivrax was at war with Goblia. We have brought you up as an Earth boy, but now that you’re growing up, it will become harder for you to ﬁt in. You’re not going to be able to write in English any more. Your brain will now only let you write in Sivraxian. And there’ll be many other things you’ll have to hide …’

wondered why we all have purple hair and orange eyes?’ Gavren touched his wiry hair and thought for a moment. He had always been teased about his looks and his family. Everyone thought he and his parents dyed their hair and wore coloured contact lenses.

‘Sit down, Gavren. I’ll get your father.’

w ww

Gavren swallowed. He was in more trouble than he thought. But when his mother and father walked in, their orange eyes looked sad, not angry.

His father smiled sadly. ‘Your mother and I think we should move back to Sivrax’, he said. ‘But we won’t go unless you want to. What do you think?’

m . u

Before Miss Whittaker could reply, his mother had whisked him out of the door and towards the car. She was silent on the drive home. When they arrived, she ushered Gavren into the lounge room.

. t e o His father sat next to him. ‘Gavren, your c . ch mother told me about your writing. We didn’t e r ear o think it would happen to you for few more t s super years yet.’ Gavren wrinkled his brow. ‘What …?’ His mother was wringing her hands. ‘We should have told you before now. But it was so hard.’ She glanced at his father. ‘Gavren, we’re not Earthlings. We’re from the planet Sivrax. We came here before you were born,

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

BACK TO SIVRAX? – 2 Use the text to answer the questions.  Inferential

 Literal

(a) Why couldn’t Gavren write in English any more?

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

(b) Tick true or false.

(i) Gavren was born on Sivrax.

True False

(ii) Miss Whittaker is Gavren’s sister.

True False

(b) Why do you think:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

(a) List three things that make Gavren different from Earth children.

(i) Gavren’s mum was wringing her hands?

True False ©R . I . C .Publ i cat i ons (iv) Gavren sometimes gotr •f or e i ew pur posesonl y• Tv rue False

(iii) Sivrax was once at war with Goblia.

teased about his looks.

Applied

(ii) Miss Whittaker was frowning?

w ww

m . u



What would you say and do if you found out you were an alien?

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super (iii) Gavren’s mouth went dry?

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

BACK TO SIVRAX? – 3 Use the text on page 19 to help you complete this activity. Gavren’s parents give him a week to think about whether or not he wants to move to Sivrax.

 Write three important questions you think Gavren should ask his parents about life on Sivrax. Write what you think they might reply.

Question 1:

Question 2:

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Reply:

Question 3:

Reply:

For

Against

w ww

. te

m . u

 Write a list of reasons for and against Gavren leaving Earth.

o c .  One week later, Gavren goes to his parents and tells them he hase made up his c h r mind. Write what he might say them. etor o st super

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

ENID

BLYTON Teacher information

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

Genre:

Biography • • •

Analyses and extracts information from a biography to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Makes connections with the characters in a series of books. Uses synthesis to build up knowledge of particular characters in a series of books.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Explain any unfamiliar vocabulary. Bring together a collection of Enid Blyton series and discuss the regular characters in each.

m . u

w ww

. te

1938 – her first full-length adventure story was published 1968 – Enid Blyton died 1995 – Famous Five series was serialised on television (b) young readers – choose from: The faraway tree, The wishing chair, Amelia Jane, Noddy older readers – The famous five, The secret seven, The five find-outers, Barney, Malory Towers, St Clare’s 2. Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 25 Teacher check

o c . che e r o t r s super

Extension: • • •

Complete a ‘family tree’ for a chosen series of Enid Blyton Books. Choose a character from a series and write a detailed description. Make a class list of all books in each series and as students complete each one, they record their opinions on a simply-designed book review sheet.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

ENID BLYTON – 1 Read the biography.

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

nid Blyton was born in London, England, in 1897. By the time she died, she had written over six hundred books and had them translated into almost seventy languages. Since her first book, Child Whispers, appeared in 1922, generations of children all over the world have enjoyed her many stories. Enid Blyton trained as a kindergarten teacher and soon opened her own lower primary school. She eventually gave up teaching to devote more time to writing children’s literature. Her many stories, plays and songs appeared in Teachers’ World magazine. They became so popular that teachers used them in their lessons. In 1938, The secret island was published. It was the first of many full-length adventure stories. The most popular of these series have been The famous five, The secret seven, Five find-outers and Barney mystery books. The school series, Malory Towers and St Clare’s, have also been extremely popular. In 1995, The Famous Five series of books was serialised for television. This encouraged even more children to pick up her books and start reading. As well as books for older readers, Enid Blyton wrote many delightful stories for younger children. These include The faraway tree, The wishing chair, Amelia Jane and Noddy. Enid Blyton died in 1968. She had dedicated her working life to writing books that children would enjoy reading.

w ww

. te

R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

For over eighty years, the stories written by Enid Blyton have encouraged many children to become enthusiastic readers. They become familiar with the characters in a series and are keen to follow them in the next book. Where will their next adventure take them? How will they solve the latest mystery? What mischief they will get up to in the next school term? To ﬁnd out, pick up an Enid Blyton book!

Primary comprehension

ENID BLYTON – 2 Use the text on page 23 to answer the questions.  Literal (a) Write the events that occurred in these years. (b) In the boxes below, name three series of books which may be enjoyed by each age group.

1897

Ye r o t s Bo r e p ok u S oung readers

1938

Older readers

1968

 Inferential



w ww

(a) How did Enid Blyton know what sort of work would be useful for teachers when she wrote for Teachers’ World magazine?

. te

Applied

m . u

1995

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

1922

Tick the statements you believe to be true about series of books. They are:

o c che great You reallyr get. to know the e o characters. t r s sup r e dull The same things happen and

(b) Why do you think Enid Blyton chose to write books for children?

boring

They always have the same characters.

you know how each will end. exciting

You wonder how each character will react to situations.

interesting You have your favourites and can identify with them. 24

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Enid Blyton – 3 1 Most of Enid Blyton’s books belong to a series; e.g. the ‘Famous five’. Choose a series of books which you are familiar with and describe two of the main characters.

Series title:

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

Draw a picture of how you imagine each character looks.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Name:

w ww

m . u

For each character, write words and phrases to describe your opinion of his/her personality.

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

What do you like or dislike most about each character? R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

THREAT

TO POLAR BEARS Teacher information

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

Genre:

Report • • •

Analyses and extracts information from a report to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Makes connections between human-caused changes to the environment and the natural world. Uses synthesis to understand and learn more about the effects of environmental change on a chosen animal.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Worksheet information: • • • •

Explain any unfamiliar vocabulary. Show the Arctic on a globe or map of the world. If possible, show a video of polar bears in their natural habitat. Help students to visualise the knock-on effect global warming has on the polar bear population.

longer summers •

m . u

w ww

. te

Page 28 1. (a) global warming (b) (i) False (ii) True (iii) False (iv) True (v) True • drop in polar bear population 2. global warming • • difﬁcult for polar bears to ﬁnd food

o c . che e r o t r s super less sea ice

•

• increased temperatures

less food

•

• sea ice melts sooner and forms later

low weight bears •

• underweight polar bears

3. Teacher check Page 29 Teacher check

Extension: • •

•

Write a project entitled, ‘A year in the life of a polar bear’. On a map of the world, students highlight major areas where environmental change has had a detrimental effect on fauna and ﬂora. Consider ways in which students might help to stem the tide of environmental damage in their area.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

A THREAT TO POLAR BEARS – 1 Read this report.

Global warming has increased the temperature in the Arctic so much that the warmer weather comes sooner each year and it lasts longer. This means that the sea ice begins melting sooner and takes longer to return. The bears who are fasting have longer to wait before they can begin hunting again. Those who are still hunting on the ﬂoating ice have further to swim between each ice platform. Bears who have been fasting all summer now weigh less and are much weaker. They have lost too much of their fat reserve, which is needed as protection from the cold and as a source of energy. Mothers with cubs are unable to produce enough milk and more cubs are dying. Females who don’t weigh enough are unable to have cubs at all. It has been predicted that by the end of this century there will be no sea ice left during the longer summertime. As the temperature continues to rise, the cold winter period with abundant sea ice will be much shorter. All polar bears will be forced to spend the summer months fasting. They will become even weaker and less able to produce and support their young. The population of polar bears will be drastically reduced, making extinction a very real possibility.

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

t is feared that polar bears will be extinct by the end of the 21st century if global warming continues at its present rate. Temperatures are rising more quickly in the Arctic than anywhere else in the world. The Arctic is the only place where polar bears are found. This change to the delicate balance of nature is already having a devastating effect on the health and numbers of the world’s population of polar bears. During the winter, polar bears live and hunt on the sea ice. They roam for many kilometres in search of their main source of food, the ringed seal. Through the ice, they can sense the movement of a seal below. They lie in wait, close to a hole in the ice, ready to pounce when the seal comes up for air. In summer, as the ice melts, some bears return to the shore, fasting until the colder weather and sea ice return. Others continue to hunt. They swim in the icy Arctic waters until they reach ﬂoating sea ice from which they can wait for seals.

w ww

. te

R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

A THREAT TO POLAR BEARS – 2 Use the text on page 27 to answer the questions.  Literal (a) What is causing temperatures to rise unnaturally, in the Arctic?

r o e t s Bo r e o (i) Polar bears live in the p (ii) Ringed seal is the polar T F u k Antarctic. bear’s main source of food. S (iii) Warmer weather is coming

(b) Answer true of false.

later to the Arctic.

A LS E

TRU E FA LS E

(iv) Underweight females cannot have cubs.

 Inferential

Match each cause with an effect.

global warming

•

TRU E FA LS E TRU E FA LS E

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

RU E

• drop in polar bear population

longer summers • • difﬁcult for polar bears © R. I . C.Publ i cat i o nfood s to ﬁnd less sea ice p •r •e increased temperatures •f orr ev i e w u pos son l y•

w ww



•

low weight bears •

Applied

• sea ice melts sooner and forms later • underweight polar bears

m . u

less food

. tean animal you know that is endangered due to human actions. o Complete the table about c . che e r o t Animal Hr uman’s damage s Effect on animal super

There are many reasons why global warming is occurring on our planet, some of them human-made.

(draw and name)

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

A THREAT TO POLAR BEARS – 3 Use the text on page 27 to help you with this page.

 Draw a ﬂow chart of the chain of events which shows how global warming is badly affecting the population of polar bears. (a) Choose a statement for each box. • fewer females able to have cubs • increased temperatures in Arctic • underweight polar bears

• less food • less sea ice from which to hunt • shorter winters

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S warming global (b) Draw a picture of a polar bear.

w ww

drop in polar bear population

m . u

. (b) Draw a picture of the animal.  (a) Draw a ﬂt ow chart to show how another e o c animal is affected by human-caused . c e her r environmental damage. o st super

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

LITTLE JOHN Teacher information

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

Genre:

Play • • •

Analyses and extracts information from a play to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Compares and makes connections between the moods of characters in a play and how they respond to different stimuli. Uses synthesis to plan and write a short play, including background and directions, following the format of the text

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Worksheet information: • • •

Explain any unfamiliar vocabulary. Provide a brief account of the legend of Robin Hood. When reading the text, highlight the background and the directions in brackets. Explain their purpose. Discuss the different moods of Robin and the stranger throughout the text. On page 33, allow students to make notes and a draft copy of their conversations before completing the sheet.

•

m . u

w ww

Answers:

. te

Page 32 1. (a) longbow (b) fallen branch (c) Merry Men 2. (a) Teacher check (b) (i) scoundrel 3. Teacher check Page 33 Teacher check

o c . che e r o t r s super (ii) dispute

Extension: • • •

Read, review and act out short plays. Research the legend of Robin Hood. Compile a ‘family tree’ of the members of the band of Merry Men, indicating where they came from and under what circumstances they joined.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

LITTLE JOHN – 1 Read the play. Storyteller: Life in Sherwood Forest was too quiet for Robin Hood. For some time, there had been no wealthy strangers passing through for him and the Merry Men to taunt and rob. The men enjoyed this sport, especially sending the victim on his way into Nottingham, dressed only in his undergarments. Robin was not enjoying the peace. He was bored.

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

(Robin steps on to a narrow bridge over a river. As he looks up, he sees a stranger, a giant of a man, about to step on the bridge at the other end.)

Robin:

Teac he r

ew i ev Pr

(crossly) Out of the way you oafish brute! Wait ’til I cross before you step on the bridge. Can you not see there is room enough for only one person at a time? Stranger: (with mock politeness) Charmed to meet you, oh gracious one. Pray, where did you learn such delightful manners? (crossly) I shall not step aside for a fool such as you! Robin: (raising his bow) I’ll show you how we solve such disputes here in my country! Stranger: (laughing) What cowardice! You with your longbow while I have nothing but a staff. Hardly a fair fight, oh gracious one! (Robin lowers his bow and carves himself a staff from a fallen branch.) Robin: Meet me in the centre and I’ll show you a fair fight, you buffoon! ‘Fair’ you say? Let’s hope you and I have the same understanding of the word! Stranger: (Robin and the stranger fight long and hard, using their weapons to give and receive powerful blows until …) Stranger: Over you go, oh gracious one. Now I shall cross the river in peace. (Robin is thrown from the bridge into the river below where

w ww

he ﬂoats away with the current. He swims ashore and blows on his horn. The Merry Men appear, led by Will Stutely.)

Will:

Robin: Stranger: Robin:

Stranger: Robin: R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

. What scoundrel has done this to t e o you, sir? Tell us and we’ll ﬁght him. c . ch No, Will. Save your strength. He is a e r o powerful man. e t r s super (laughing) So glad to hear you say so, oh gracious one! (laughing) Won’t you join us? I am Robin Hood and these are my Merry Men. I’d be delighted. I’m John, John Little. (laughing): Welcome to our band, Little John!

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

LITTLE JOHN – 2 Read the text on page 31 to answer the questions.  Literal (a) Circle the weapon Robin was ﬁrst going to use to settle the dispute. cutlass

sabre

longbow

riﬂe

crossbow

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

(b) What did Robin use to make his staff?

 Inferential

(a) Why did the stranger call Robin, ‘Oh gracious one’?

(b) Circle words in the box that have the same meaning as the ﬁrst.

(ii) argument

mock

charmed

dispute

Applied

w ww



delighted

Robin had never met the stranger before yet he was very rude towards him.

. te Before meeting

m . u

(i)

(a) Write possible reasons for his rudeness before the meeting and how he felt afterwards.

o c . che e r o t r s super After meeting

(b) Do you think Robin Hood and his men are right in robbing wealthy strangers? Explain.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Little John – 3 The storyteller or narrator sets the scene of a play by providing a brief background to the story and any other necessary information.

The directions, words in brackets, indicate the mood of a character, how the actor should read the lines and any actions he/she must take.

1 On a separate sheet, write a short conversation among three people in which one of them gives a piece of news to the other two.

r o e t s B r e oo (a) a brief background to the situation; for example, the relationships p among the threeu people. k S (b) directions for each character, including how their moods alter during

2 In the boxes below, write:

the conversation and any important movements they make.

Background

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Directions

Character one

w ww

. te

m . u

Character two

o c . che e r Directions o t r s Character super three

3 On a separate sheet, write the conversation as a play script, including the background and all directions. R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

LOST

Teacher information

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

Genre:

Horror • • •

Analyses and extracts information from a horror narrative to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Uses sensory imaging to connect with a character in a text. Predicts the ending of a horror story.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Ask students if they have read other stories from the ‘horror’ genre. What do the students think the criteria are for a narrative to be considered ‘horror’? Make a list on the board. Does the story Lost! ﬁt the criteria?

w ww

. te

just as her father does. 2. Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 37 Teacher check

Extension:

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super • •

Students compile lists of authors of horror, and titles such as the Goosebumps series by RL Stein. Students write a narrative that uses the ﬁve senses to describe how a character is feeling or the setting he/she ﬁnds himself/herself in.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

LOST – 1 Read the horror narrative.

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

t started out as a simple game of hide and seek with her cousins. They had been playing this game in the forest behind the caravan park every Easter and Christmas for years. This night, the adults were all together celebrating Christmas Eve at the ‘castle’ of all caravans, leaving Chelsea and her cousins with the perfect opportunity to play hide and seek in the dark. Chelsea felt as though she had been hiding behind the fallen tree trunk for hours. Sick of waiting to be found, she began to call out. ‘I win, Kit!’ she announced to her eldest cousin, the ‘seeker’ in the game. ‘I’m over here!’ As Chelsea walked from tree to tree, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness, she realised she was having trouble determining where ‘here’ was. It was a moonless night and clouds were covering the stars. ‘Hello!’ she called again. Chelsea began clenching and unclenching her ﬁsts. It was a habit she had picked up from her father—a sign that she was nervous. ‘How long was I looking for that hiding spot?’ she asked herself. ‘Too long!’ she decided. Chelsea stood still and tried to listen to the sounds of the night. If she could hear the music from the Christmas party, she could follow it back to the caravan park. Chelsea’s brow creased as she concentrated on listening. An owl hooted and the leaves rustled but no music could be heard. ‘Crack!’ She heard that sound clearly. It was a small branch being broken by a heavy foot. ‘Kit … is that you?’ Chelsea called, her voice quivering slightly. No reply. Chelsea decided if it wasn’t Kit then she didn’t want to meet whoever was walking around in the forest at night on Christmas Eve, so she began to run. She charged ahead, almost blindly, dodging trees and bushes, and stumbling over large rocks and branches on the ground. Her hair was being pulled by unfriendly twigs and her bare legs scratched by sharp prickles in the scrub. Chelsea looked left and right, making instant decisions about which direction to take. Her heart was beating so rapidly she could feel her pulse pounding in her neck. She gasped for breath and tried to ignore the twisting feeling in her stomach. Her body ﬁnally said ‘Enough!’, so she stopped running and leant against a tree. When she had caught her breath, Chelsea cautiously lifted her head and scanned her surroundings. The forest was denser than she had seen it and it felt colder than before, too. Now she was completely lost …

w ww

. te

R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

LOST – 2 Use the text on page 35 to answer the questions.  Inferential

 Literal

(a) Why do you think Chelsea and her family are staying in the caravan park? Give reasons for your answer.

(a) Put these events in order from 1 to 4. Chelsea’s legs are scratched and hair pulled.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Chelsea enters the forest to hide. S A branch is broken by a heavy foot.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Chelsea hears an owl hooting.

(b) How do you think Chelsea was feeling when:

(b) What habit had Chelsea copied from her father?

(i) she was looking for a hiding spot?

. te

Complete each of the boxes for the story Lost!.

Story genre Characters

m . u

(iii) she was running through the forest, away from the person who stepped on the branch?

Applied

w ww



(ii) she realised Kit wasn’t looking for her

o c . che e r Events and action o t r s super Title

Setting

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

LOST – 3 Use the text on page 35 to help you complete this activity. To help readers connect to a character in a story, writers often use the senses to describe what a character is feeling. Our senses include sight, taste, touch, sound and smell.

 (a) Reread the story. Highlight the sentences or phrases that use the senses to describe what Chelsea is feeling. Record your ﬁndings below.

What can she hear?

What can she feel?

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

What can she see?

(b) Use your imagination to answer the next two questions. What can Chelsea smell?

What can Chelsea taste?

 Complete the story. You will need to make some decisions ﬁrst, such as: • How and when is she found?

Now Chelsea was completely lost …

. te

R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

w ww

• Who is following Chelsea?

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

MYSTERY

THE NIGHT

Teacher information

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

Genre:

Mystery • • •

Analyses and extracts information from a mystery to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Uses sensory imaging to set the scene of a story. Determines the important features of a description.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Explain that visibility is diminished in foggy conditions. Show pictures or TV footage of foggy conditions if possible.

Answers:

w ww

. te

roaring log ﬁre. (b) Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 41 Teacher check

Extension:

m . u

Page 40 . © R. I . C Publ i cat i ons 1. (a) 2, 4, 3, 1 (b) w Thomas, Joe, Ellie, Jodie. •f orr ev i e p u r p osesonl y• 2. (a) Answers may include – to enjoy the warmth, a hot meal and a

o c . che e r o t r s super •

• •

Research other animal species that are threatened by poaching and baiting. Make a class collection of mystery stories from a range of authors. Read stories involving the relationships between people and animals; for example: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell In Flanders ﬁelds by Norman Jorgensen One unhappy horse by CS Adler Saving Lilly by Peg Kehret Star in the storm by Joan Hiatt Harlow

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

MYSTERY IN THE NIGHT – 1 Read the mystery story.

he fog was beginning to come down as the four friends trudged home through the snow. As they spoke, their warm breath mixed with the cold, crisp air, sending out smoke signals. They would all be glad to reach the lodge and enjoy the warmth of a hot meal and the roaring log ﬁre. Suddenly, a piercing cry rang out, shattering the peace of the early evening.

The cry came again. The sound of terror sent a tingling chill down their spines. The ﬁgure rose slowly, this time with what looked like a large, struggling sack across its back. It began to make its way back through the wood.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

must follow him. I need to know what ‘We r o e t s Bo r he’s doing’, insisted Jodie. e p okkeen to postpone teatime The others were not u but they couldn’t leave their friend to play S ‘What on earth was that?’ demanded Thomas, detective on her own. They padded silently

as he broke away from the group and headed through the snow, keeping a safe distance towards the edge of the woods where he behind their target. The man led them to a thought the noise had come from. log cabin in a clearing. They watched as he ‘Sounded like a wild animal to me’, shuddered opened the door and took the sack inside. Joe. ‘Let’s check it out.’ As the lights went on, they could clearly see what was happening. With their noses © R . I . C . P u b l i cat i ons Four pairs of eyes strained to make out the pressed against a window, they watched the young man gently coax a terriﬁed animal out outline of • a shadowy ﬁgure ini thew distance. f o r r e v e p u r posesonl y• They all kept very still, watching as the of the sack. As he tenderly muttered words ‘Wait!’ cried Ellie. ‘Over there! Look!’

. te

m . u

w ww

ﬁgure came towards them. It stopped a short of encouragement, a black and white striped distance away. They saw it bend down. It snout began to appear. One of its front paws looked as though it was ﬁghting with itself. was badly cut. The badger must have been in terrible pain, yet it allowed the man to bathe and bandage it. ‘Wow!’ echoed the friends, one after the other.

o c ‘He must be a wizard.’ . che e r whispered Joe in admiration. o t r s ‘You’d think the badger super

would have attacked him but it’s as gentle as a lamb.’

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

MYSTERY IN THE NIGHT – 2 Use the text on page 39 to answer the questions.  Inferential

 Literal (a) Put these events in order from 1 to 4.

(a) Why were the friends keen to get home?

Thomas headed towards the edge of the woods.

r o e t s Bo r e p o u k (b) From the sentence, ‘It looked as though it Jodie wanted to follow the man. S was ﬁghting with itself’, explain: Teac he r

The man coaxed the badger out of the sack.

(b) Write the names of the four friends.

ew i ev Pr

A piercing cry rang out.

(i) why the friends could not see clearly.

w ww

m . u

. te o (a) How do you think the badger might have received its injury? c . che e r o t r s super 

Applied

(b) In the box, write words to describe the man’s actions.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Mystery in the night – 3 Use the text on page 39 to help you complete the activity.

1 Find words or phrases from the text that set the scene of the story.

Time of day

your own.

Time of day

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

Conditions outside

How the character(s) are feeling

onditions outside

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

2 In a similar way, set the scene for a story of

How the character(s) are feeling

w ww

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

4 From a story you have read, write a description of a scene.

Author:

Scene:

m . u

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

THE

NEW GIRL

Teacher information

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

Genre:

Humour • • •

Analyses and extracts information from an humorous narrative to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Uses sensory imaging to describe how he/she might feel about and react to situations experienced by a ﬁctional character. Makes connections between the feelings and reactions of a ﬁctional character and his/her own feelings and reactions.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

After the students have completed the activity on page 45, they could try role-playing the different situations with a partner or small group.

m . u

w ww

. te

(b) (i) False (ii) False (iii) True (iv) True 2. (a) Emma had overheard Tilda’s father saying that the dog was ‘our Princess’ but, because of his accent, she thought he was saying that Tilda was a princess. The rumour spread around the class. (b) Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 45 Teacher check

o c . che e r o t r s super

Extension:

Read humorous books by authors like Paul Jennings, Roald Dahl and Andy Grifﬁths.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

THE NEW GIRL – 1 Read the humorous story. ‘Class, this is our new girl, Tilda. She comes all the way from Sweden. Tilda’s dad wants to have a quick chat with me outside, so keep working quietly.’ Tilda sat down and picked her nails. She hated starting at a new school. Before long, she would be teased about her name and her accent. Tilda wrinkled her brow. ‘What? My crown? What are you talking about?’ ‘I thought every princess owned a crown.’ The girl sounded disappointed. Princess? Then, in a ﬂash, everything suddenly made sense. Of course. Her father wouldn’t have just talked about her allergies that morning. Not if the dog was there. He was so proud of her that he always told everyone her name. ‘She is our princess’, he would say. But with a Swedish accent, Tilda realised, that sentence might just sound like ‘She is a princess’. Tilda suppressed a grin and put her nose in the air. ‘I had to leave my crown behind in Sweden. But I’m sure it will be sent on. Excuse me, please.’ She began to laugh as she stalked regally to the girls’ toilets. She was sure everyone would ﬁnd out the truth eventually. But until then, she was going to have some fun as Her Royal Highness, Princess Tilda of Sweden.

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

A scuffling noise made her look up. A girl had moved to the window and had pressed her ear up against the flywire. She grinned. ‘Let’s find out what’s so private about the new girl.’ She poked out her tongue at Tilda, making some of the class laugh. Tilda bit her lip and frowned. Her father was probably in the middle of telling her new teacher about her allergies. It was embarrassing. Sometimes he treated her like a baby. To make matters worse, he had brought their dog with him on the walk to the school. Most kids laughed when they saw her. She looked just like a cottonwool ball with legs. Tilda glanced at the girl, waiting for the teasing to start. But she was startled by what she saw. The girl’s mouth was open and she was staring at Tilda. ‘Is – is that true?’ the girl stammered. ‘Are you really a – ?’ ‘Emma! Back to your desk, please!’ Mrs Tan appeared in the doorway. With wide eyes, the girl slunk to her chair, still gawking at Tilda. Puzzled, Tilda tried to concentrate on the lesson. What on earth had her father said to Mrs Tan? All morning, the class was alive with whispers. Whenever Tilda looked around, someone would be gazing at her as if she was famous. She was even more confused when she was surrounded by the class at recess. Everyone was chattering excitedly. One girl tugged at her shirt. ‘Where’s your crown?’

w ww

. te

R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

THE NEW GIRL – 2 Use the text on page 43 to answer the questions.  Inferential

 Literal

(a) Explain why the class thought Tilda was a princess.

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

(b) Tick true or false.

(i) Tilda liked starting at a new school.

True False

(ii) Tilda’s father was the king of Sweden.

True False

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

(a) What did Tilda ﬁrst think her father was saying to Mrs Tan?

(b) Why do you think Tilda was laughing at the end of the story?

m . u

True False

w ww

(iv) Emma listened to the conversation between Mrs Tan and Tilda’s father.

. tcould make your class believe that you were a o Write a plan for how youe c . prince or princess. che e r o t r s super 

Applied

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications ® www.ricgroup.com.au

THE NEW GIRL – 3 Use the text on page 43 to help you complete this activity. Tilda goes through many emotions in this story. Put yourself in her place. How would you feel about and react to each of the situations she found herself in?

Situation

Teac he r

(e.g. biting nails, shaking, talking loudly)

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

ew i ev Pr

It is your ﬁrst day of school in a new country. You have an unusual name and accent. Your teacher is introducing you to the class.

Feelings

Reactions

One of your new classmates starts to listen in on a private conversation about you.

w ww

Your new class begins to stare at you and whisper as if you were famous. You have no idea why.

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

You realise that your new classmates think you are a prince or princess.

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

THE STORY OF GELERT Teacher information

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

Genre:

Legend • • •

Analyses and extracts information from a legend to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Determines importance of events within the story. Uses sensory imaging to illustrate the story.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Work through the key points of a well known story; e.g. Snow White, to explain how the story might change if one or more key points were left out or changed.

3. Teacher check Page 49 Teacher check

w ww

Extension:

. te

•

m . u

Look for other stories where they can identify with the actions of the characters and where an animal proves to be a loyal friend. Research on the Internet for legends from around the world. Record references from literature which indicate how places gained their names.

o c . che e r o t r s super • •

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

THE STORY OF GELERT – 1 Read the Welsh legend.

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

any, many years ago, the valleys below the mountains of north Wales were inhabited only by wild ﬂowers and animals. The only building for miles around was a hunting lodge in a forest clearing. Prince Llewelyn and his wife, Princess Joan, came to stay at the lodge, as they were both very fond of hunting. One day, leaving their baby son in the care of the nursemaid, Llewelyn and Joan went out with the hunt.

Llewelyn’s bravest and most faithful dog, Gelert, was ﬁrst on the scent of a wild animal. Suddenly, he turned and raced back towards the lodge. Llewelyn and Joan wondered why their dog was behaving so strangely. They decided to leave the hunt and follow Gelert.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons As they arrived at the lodge, Gelert came Llewelyn sank too hisn knees in• despair beside •f orr evi ew pur p o s e s l y running from the house to meet them, his the mortally injured Gelert. Bitter tears ran

. te

In a rage, Llewelyn raised his sword and plunged it deep into the heart of Gelert. How could such a trusted friend kill his only child?

down his face as he realised what he had done. He looked at his child, happy now in his mother’s arms, but his own heart was heavy with grief.

m . u

w ww

jaws red with blood and his tail wagging. Llewelyn stormed into the house. A horrifying sight met his eyes. Blankets lay in pools of blood on the ﬂoor and his son’s cradle was empty.

He gave orders for the brave Gelert to be given a hero’s burial and for a large stone to be raised above his grave. On the stone, the story would be inscribed, telling how brave, faithful Gelert saved his master’s child from the wolf and of how that master, in haste, killed his most loyal friend.

o c . che e r o t r Suddenly, Llewelyn heard a mufﬂed cry. A e s s r u p blanket on the ﬂoor beside him began to move. Using his sword, Llewelyn carefully pulled back the blanket and saw his young son, safe and unharmed. At that moment, a servant gave a loud cry. He had found the body of a large grey wolf. His injuries revealed that he had been attacked by a dog. R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Today, in the town of Beddgelert, which in English means ‘grave of Gelert’, you can still see the large stone above the grave which tells the sad story: the story of Gelert.

Primary comprehension

THE STORY OF GELERT – 2 Use the text on page 47 to help you answer the questions.  Inferential

 Literal



(a) What was so strange about Gelert’s behaviour that Prince Llewelyn thought he should follow him?

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

What does the Welsh name ‘Beddgelert’ mean in English?

(b) Why do you think Gelert was wagging his tail?

Applied

(a) Where do you think the nursemaid might have gone?

. te

What was the situation?

Who else was involved?

m . u

w ww

(b) Have you ever reacted badly to a situation and then realised you were in the wrong?

o c . che e r o t r s super

How did you resolve the situation?

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications ® www.ricgroup.com.au

THE STORY OF GELERT – 3 Use the text on page 47 to help you with this page.

 In a story, key events are the parts which can not be left out without changing the story. In the boxes, write the key events as they occur in The story of Gelert. There are more than six events but some belong together. You decide which these are. (b)

(c)

(e)

(f)

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

(d)

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

(a)

w ww

 Draw and label a picture to illustrate a part of The story of Gelert.

. te

R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

THE

JOURNAL

KUBLAI KHAN

Teacher information

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

Genre:

Journal

Indicators: •

Analyses and extracts information from a journal to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Determines and uses the important information in a journal entry to complete a table.

Worksheet information: • • •

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

•

Cambaluc is the city now called Beijing. Myanmar is the republic bordered by Thailand, Laos, China and Bhutan; it is also called Burma. Explain any unknown words to the students. They need not completely understand words such as ‘Yuan’ except to know that it is the name of a dynasty. Interested students may look up names such as Mongol in the dictionary or on the Internet. An atlas may help students to understand the region that is being discussed and will assist in answering Question 3 on page 52.

. te

m . u

w ww

Page 52 1. (a) (i) True (ii) False (iii) False (iv) False (v) False (vi) True 2. (a) (i) Kublai Khan was descended from a family of ﬁerce warriors. (ii) Kublai Khan encouraged foreigners to visit. (iii) Kublai Khan used men from other countries to help govern China. (iv) Kublai Khan extended highways and repaired buildings. (v) Kublai Khan allowed the people to follow their own religions. (vi) Kublai Khan wasted a lot of money running his empire. 3. Answers will vary but may include the following: There was a great distance to travel between the countries which may have weakened the Mongol army; It would have cost more money for food, equipment etc.; They may not have had ships to use etc. Page 53 Name: Kublai Khan (a) Main achievements Most memorable failures

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

(b)

Uniﬁed Mongolia and China First foreign ruler of China Founded the Yuan Dynasty Included Chinese traditions in government Created a multinational government Rebuilt Grand Canal Extended highways Encouraged Chinese art and thinking Established Buddhism as State religion Encouraged foreign trade and visitors

• Failed to conquer Japan, Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia and lost a lot of money in the process • New paper currency failed • Spent extravagantly to administer the country

Teacher check

Extension: • Students keep a weekly journal of school and home activities. • Read stories such as The adventures of Tom Sawyer and The adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which detail events in the lives of the main characters. • Students keep an art journal. 50

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

THE JOURNAL OF KUBLAI KHAN – 1 Read the extract from the journal of Kublai Khan.

Winter 1292

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Today as I sit on my throne in Cambaluc— the centre of my empire—I find myself contemplating the events that led to my rise as leader of this great Mongol Empire. I wonder if my grandfather, Genghis Khan, would approve of my changes or whether he would think that I had wasted my time, men and energy for a useless dream. Life has not always been easy. Every battle takes its toll of a warrior’s physical and mental strength but I have kept my eyes firmly fastened on my goal to unify Mongolia and China. I am the first foreigner to be ruler of China. The Sung Empire has been replaced by my own Yuan dynasty. A new era has begun!

I encouraged foreigners to trade with us. The European, Marco Polo, a wellknown traveller, became a frequent visitor to our capital city. He even told stories about our way of life to his countrymen.

at a cost. I have lost family and friends in ﬁerce battles. My own brother, Mongke, died long ago in battle. It seems like yesterday, even though it is over thirty years ago.

Indonesia. I should never have yielded to pressure from my Mongol advisers. Instead, I should have heeded my own ‘gut’ feelings about these situations. The ﬁnancial cost of these expeditions was great and caused hardship within the empire. The new paper currency I tried to introduce was also a failure. I fear I have been extravagant at times, spending money on new projects and trying to run the empire. My only excuse is that I know that life can be short and I hasten to use the time I have left to do everything I want to do!

w ww

. te

I have tried to use my brains as well as my strength to leave a legacy for future generations. I have attempted to ﬁt Chinese traditions into my government. As the Chinese seem to lack the ability to govern properly, I have also recruited men from a number of different nations to help. I have rebuilt the Grand Canal to help trade, repaired granaries and other public buildings and extended highways. I have encouraged Chinese art and educators. I have established Buddhism as the state religion and allowed other religions to be practised. R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

My failures will always remain a great © R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons source of frustration to me. My two I have had successes and failures along attempts to conquer Japan failed, as •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• the way. My successes have often come did wars in Myanmar, Vietnam and

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

I wonder if future dynasties will learn from my failures and applaud my successes. Only history can tell how best I will be remembered!

Primary comprehension

THE JOURNAL OF KUBLAI KHAN – 2 Use the text on page 51 to answer the questions.  Literal (a) Circle true or false. (i) Khublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan.

(ii) Kublai Khan’s goal was to conquer the whole world.

Teac he r True False

(v) Kublai Khan cared only about war and ﬁghting.

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s B r e T rue F alseo p ok (iii) Everything Kublai Khanu did was successful. (iv) Kublai Khan wanted to completely change the S countries he conquered. True False

True False

(vi) Kublai Khan established a new dynasty.

True False

• running his empire.

(ii) Kublai Khan encouraged foreigners

•

• to follow their own religions.

•

• to visit.

(iii) Kublai Khan used men from other countries

m . u

•

w ww

(i) Kublai Khan was descended from a family

• to help govern China. . t e o (v) Kublai Khan allowed the people • • buildings. c . c e (vi) Kublai Khan wasted a lot ofh money • • r er o t s of ﬁerce warriors. super (iv) Kublai Khan extended highways and repaired •



Applied

With a partner, discuss and write reasons why Kublai Khan’s plans to conquer Japan, Myanmar and Indonesia may have failed. Use an atlas to ﬁnd some clues. 52

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

THE JOURNAL OF KUBLAI KHAN – 3 Famous people from history are remembered for their achievements and failures. Complete the ﬁrst table using the text from page 51 then select another well-known person of your own to complete.

Name:

Kublai Khan

Main achievements

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Main achievements

Name:

w ww

. te

Most memorable failures

m . u

Most memorable failures

o c . che e r o t r s super

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

LETTERS

FOR

A PURPOSE

Teacher information

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

Genre:

Letters for a purpose • • •

Analyses and extracts information from three letters to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Scans text to locate speciﬁc information. Synthesises information from text to deduce its purpose and style.

Worksheet information: •

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Ask the students if they write letters and to whom they write them. Discuss the difference between formal and informal language. Formal letters – follows rules – include personal information such as address, phone number, email – formal ending such as ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours faithfully’ – uses formal language (‘have not’ rather than ‘haven’t’ etc.) – no exclamation marks – includes full names and the author’s signature Informal letters – include ﬁrst names – can include shortened words (I’d, can’t etc.) – can use exclamation marks – friendly style

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Answers:

Page 56 1. (a) (i) birthday (ii) work (iii) bars (iv) machine (v) Abbot (b) email address, home address, phone number 2. Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 57 Teacher check

Extension: •

Discuss with the class the use of emails instead of handwritten letters. Students create a survey that asks the viewpoint of others such as teachers, siblings, parents and grandparents etc. Students compile their data and present their ﬁndings to another class.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

LETTERS FOR A PURPOSE – 1 Read the three letters.

Hello Nan, Thank you for the horse book. I love it! It arrived exactly on my birthday too! The postman knocked on the door and gave it to me because it wouldn’t ﬁt in the letterbox. My party was a ‘pink party’ with pink balloons, a pink cake and pink lollies! We played games and sang to my new karaoke machine. It was so much fun! Wish you could have come too. Lots of love Nicola xxxx

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

Att: The princ ipal  Tuesday 31 M ay 2005 Dear Mr Lad el, I was astoun de Trent’s schoo d and shocked yesterday lb a chocolate ba ag and ﬁnding a soft dri fter emptying r wrappers a n nd an ice-cre k can, two It is time the am wrapper! ca up with the re nteen at Thornton Prima ry caught s unhealthy fo t of the country and rem ods from its oved these shelves! I will be takin g this matter to the next p Regards arents meetin g. Mrs T West

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r



w ww

. te

m . u



23 Fiddle Drive Bridgeman WA 6008 Ph: 9880 1111 bwoods@email.com.au 12 April 2005 TOYS 2 TOYS 20 Abbot road Balcatta WA 6021 Dear Sir/Madam I would like to express my interest in the position of store manager that was advertised in the Times paper on Saturday 10 April. Please send me the information pack and appropriate forms. Yours sincerely

o c . che e r o t r s super

Oliver Wood

Mr Oliver Wood

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

LETTERS FOR A PURPOSE – 2 Use the text to answer the questions.  Inferential

 Literal (a) Complete the sentences using these words. work machine

Abbot bars

(a) How do you know Mrs T West is unhappy with the food sold at the canteen?

principal birthday

Teac he r

(ii) Oliver Woods would like to

at TOYS2TOYS.

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo r (i) Nicola has just celebrated here p ok u . S (b) Letter 3 to TOYS2TOYS and letter 1 to

Nicola’s nanna have been written differently. List three differences between the letters.

(iii) Trent bought ice-creams, chocolate and soft drinks from the canteen.

w ww

Balcatta.

m . u

(v) TOYS2TOYS is found at 20

(a) Why do you think Nicola’s nanna sent her birthday present in the post?

Road in

. te

o c . c e r (b) Should unhealthy foods be (b) List three pieces of informationh Oliver Wood e o t r s s r pe banned from school canteens? gave to the TOYS2TOYS company in his u (vi) Mr Ladel is the at Trent’s school.

letter.

Yes No

Why?

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

LETTERS FOR A PURPOSE – 3 Use the text on page 55 to help you complete this activity.

 Complete the table.

Letter 1

Letter 2

Letter 3

Written by Written to Started Ended

(From etc.)

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

(Dear etc.)

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

Extra information included. Purpose

(Why was it written?)

Formal letters follow a set of rules and often say what needs to be done.

w ww

m . u

Informal letters are written to someone you know well and use casual, friendly words.

 Decide if the letters are formal or informal and copy a sentence from each one as an example of the language used.

Formal

Letter 1 . t e

o c . Informal Formal che Formal Informal r e o r st super

R.I.C. Publications® www.ricgroup.com.au

Letter 2

Primary comprehension

Letter 3 Informal

CONCERT ‘ALL-ROUND DISAPPOINTMENT’ Teacher information

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

Genre:

Review • • •

Analyses and extracts information from a review to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Scans a text to ﬁnd information to complete a list of facts. Determines the importance of information in a text to write from a ﬁctional character’s point of view.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

After the students have completed the questions on page 61, they could write a positive review of the band’s next performance.

m . u

w ww

. te

couldn’t get any sound out of his guitar, the drummer dropped her drumsticks twice and the lead singer had to leave the stage for 10 minutes. (c) The audience’s applause became less enthusiastic. 2. Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 61 Teacher check

o c . che e r o t r s super

Extension:

Weekend newspapers and the Internet are excellent sources of concert and other reviews.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

CONCERT ‘ALL-ROUND DISAPPOINTMENT’ – 1 Read the review. Even diehard fans of pop supergroup Tiger Tail would have to agree that last night’s concert at the Maynard Theatre was an all-round disappointment.

Many of them sounded the same. The audience’s applause became less enthusiastic with every passing minute. The only positive thing that can be said about the concert is that it was short. The band stayed on stage for one hour—the shortest concert I have ever been to. Many of the crowd were not impressed by this. There were angry shouts and boos for several minutes after the band left the stage.

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

From the moment the group arrived on stage, they were plagued with problems. During the ﬁrst song, guitarist Ben Vicary couldn’t get any sound out of his guitar and Sharon Mullane dropped her drumsticks twice. Lead singer Shane Crosby also had to leave the stage for 10 minutes because of what he claimed were ‘throat problems’. His Tiger Tail have two more concerts left to play voice was croaky and out of tune for the rest of at the Maynard Theatre. Let’s hope that they the night. improve on last night’s disaster or they may ﬁnd Despite the problems, the group battled on, but themselves with a hugely reduced fan club. probably shouldn’t have bothered. They chose – Oscar Crisp to play many songs from an upcoming album, which the audience were not familiar with. And most of these songs were truly awful. They all seemed to be slow and dreary with boring lyrics.

Use the text to answer the questions.

w ww

m . u

 Literal (a) How long did the concert go for?

. tethat happened during the ﬁrst song. o (b) Name two things c . c e her r (i) (ii) o t s super (c) What problem did playing songs from the upcoming album cause?

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

CONCERT ‘ALL-ROUND DISAPPOINTMENT’ – 2 Use the text on page 59 to answer the questions.  Inferential Do you think this is a fair review?

Yes No



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

Applied

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Give reasons for your answer.

‘It is okay for people to boo and shout after a performance they didn’t enjoy.’

For

w ww

m . u

(a) Write a list of points for and against this statement.

. te

o c . (b) List six things you think would make a ‘good’ concert. ch e r er o t s super

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

CONCERT ‘ALL-ROUND DISAPPOINTMENT’ – 3 Use the text on page 59 to help you complete this page.

 Oscar Crisp, the reviewer, did not seem to enjoy the concert at all. List eight negative things he

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

wrote about it.

 Imagine you are the lead singer of Tiger Tail.

Write three excuses for your terrible concert.

w ww •

. te

 Imagine you are the manger of Tiger Tail.

m . u

•

You have just read Crisp’s review. What advice would you give to the band to help them improve their performance?

o c . che e r o t r s super

•

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

FAIRIES

THE GARDEN

Teacher information

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

Genre:

Fantasy • •

Analyses and extracts information from a fantasy text to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Scans text to find specific words and clues to help write definition.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

When completing the table on page 65, encourage students to read the sentences around each word when looking for clues.

Answers:

Page 64 1. (a) in the garden (b) choose from: tiny lanterns, strung between flowers and tree stumps, bright lights buzzing around his ankles, winged fairies of all different colours dancing around a blazing fire, beautiful white fairy with delicate, gossamer wings and eyes as bright as sapphires, flat pebbles covered with spider web tablecloths, petal plates filled with grass seed biscuits 2. (a) Answers may include – ‘his eyes opened wide in amazement’, ‘… gazed in wonder’. (b) Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 65 Teacher check

w ww

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Extension: Suggest students: • type ‘fairies in fantasy tales’ into a search engine to ﬁnd a range of ‘fairy stories’ • design posters for current school activities • use a poster as a prompt to present a mini-topic on a chosen subject

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

FAIRIES IN THE GARDEN – 1 Read the fantasy story.

he friends lay exhausted on the grass. They had been playing all afternoon in Alice’s garden and now all they wanted to do was watch the wispy clouds ﬂoating gently across the early evening sky.

Teac he r

‘Fairies!’ squealed Tom as he jumped up and dived behind the bushes next to the shed and slithered through the long grass beyond.

Tom felt as if he was crawling through a tunnel. He struggled a little, but soon found he was able to stand up. All around him, a strange glow from tiny lanterns strung between ﬂowers and tree stumps, lit up the dark corner of the garden. He was aware of something tickling his bare feet.

ew i ev Pr

Suddenly, a beautiful white fairy with r o e t s Bo r delicate, gossamer wings and eyes as e ‘An elephant squirting water’, sighed p oklanded on the end bright as sapphires Robert lazily. u of his nose. S ‘No, deﬁnitely a giraffe with a large …’ ‘Hello! My name’s Morning Glory. Come and join us. We’re celebrating midsummer’s eve.’ Tom crouched down and gazed in wonder as the fairies danced and played. Flat pebbles were covered with spider web tablecloths and petal plates were ﬁlled with grass seed biscuits. To satisfy their thirst, the fairies drank the sweet evening dew that lay heavy on the grass.

. te

m . u

w ww

As he looked down, he saw bright lights buzzing around his ankles. He was beginning to feel rather strange. He bent down to take a closer look. His eyes opened wide in amazement. Winged fairies of all different colours were dancing around a blazing ﬁre.

After much singing and laughter, the fairies began to tire and, one by one, they curled up in their soft, sweet-scented ﬂower beds. Tom wanted to stay but thought he should go back. Everyone would be wondering where he was.

o c . che e r o t r s super

He wriggled back through the tunnel and the long grass. As he ran excitedly from the shed he didn’t see the branch lying on the path. He tripped and fell. ‘… bottom’, giggled Alice. ‘What do you think, Tom?’

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

FAIRIES IN THE GARDEN – 2 Use the text to answer the questions.  Inferential

 Literal

(a) Find two phrases in the text that mean Tom was astonished by what he saw.

(a) Choose the correct answer. The friends had been playing all afternoon:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok in the garden. atu the zoo. S (b) List three things Tom saw in the fairies’ • at the beach.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

at the park.

•

corner of the garden.

(b) What do you think had happened to Tom? Explain your answer.

w ww



Applied

Images of real things can be seen in many places, like clouds in the sky. Can you name other places where you have seen images?

. te

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

FAIRIES IN THE GARDEN – 3 Use the text on page 63 to help you with this page. To complete the table, ﬁnd each word in the story and use clues from the text to help you write a deﬁnition for each.

Word

Clues

exhausted

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

wispy

Deﬁnition

slithered

amazement

w ww

sapphire

crouched

. te

m . u

gossamer

o c . che e r o t r s super

gazed

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

TEACHERS ON TV Teacher information

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

Genre:

Newspaper report • •

Analyses and extracts information from a newspaper article to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Uses synthesis to plan and write an email based on the information contained in a newspaper article.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Students who wish to write longer emails could do so on a separate sheet of paper.

Answers:

w ww

. te

(ii) Teacher’s pets (iii) A new car or gold jewellery (iv) Today Television 2. Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 69 Teacher check

m . u

Page 67–68 © R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons 1. (a) A panel of educational experts (b) He or she leaves the show. •f orr evi e w pur posesonl y• (c) (i) Chantal Murray

o c . che e r o t r s super

Extension:

Collect articles from newspapers and the Internet. Use them as examples to help the students write their own articles.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

TEACHERS ON TV – 1 Read the newspaper article. If you are an experienced teacher looking for a career challenge, the producers of a new reality television show would love to hear from you. ‘This show will only give children the incentive to misbehave in class’, she said. ‘It will also put people off taking up teaching as a career. I am disgusted with Today Television and wish they would change their minds about making this show.’ But according to Wayne Jackson, it is too late for that. He claims he has already been contacted by thousands of teachers who would like to take up the challenge. ‘We are still looking for more people, however’, he said. ‘Teachers can contact us up until the end of this month if they would like the chance to win some fabulous prizes.’

(a) Who will judge the contestants in the new television show?

(b) What happens to the teacher with the lowest score each week?

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

‘Teacher’s pets’ will challenge 12 teachers to teach ‘tough’ classes of children from all over the country. Each teacher will be judged by a panel of educational experts on his or her ability to handle a class. ‘The teachers will be asked to teach the children a number of different lessons’, says Wayne Jackson, producer with Today Television. ‘They will be judged on their ability to teach and how they discipline the children. A score will then be awarded to each teacher.’ The teacher with the lowest score from each week will be asked to leave the show. The teacher left at the end of the series will win a collection of prizes, from a new car to gold jewellery. ‘The winner will deﬁnitely deserve the prizes by the end of the show’, says Jackson. ‘We will be asking some of the children to misbehave as much as possible to give the teachers a hard time. But it should be fun and educational for people of all ages to watch.’ However, education minister Chantal Murray disagrees with the idea of the show and has asked all teachers to ‘stay away’.

w ww

m . u

. te

o c . Use the text to answer the questions. c e her r o t s super  Literal

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

TEACHERS ON TV – 2 Use the text on page 67 to answer the questions.  Literal (c) What is: (i) the education minister’s name?

r o e t s Bo r List some of the qualities you think a teacher (ii) the name of the new televisione show? p owinner would need to be the of the new u k television show. S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

 Inferential

(iii) one of the prizes the winner of the show might receive?

(iv) the name of the company Jackson works for?

Applied

(a) Do you agree with the education minister’s point of view? Yes

w ww

m . u



Explain your answer.

. te

o c . c e r (b) Which group of people do youh think the new television show would be e o t r s most popular with? super children

teenagers

teachers

parents

grandparents

Write reasons for your answer.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

TEACHERS ON TV – 3 Use the text on page 67 to help you complete this page. Imagine you are a teacher. You decide to email Wayne Jackson to register your interest in being a contestant and ask some questions about the show.

 Plan your email in the space below. (a) List three reasons why you are interested in being on the show. •

• r o e t s Bo r e p ok u • S

•

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

•

(b) List three things that would make you a good contestant.

w ww

. te

 Use some of the ideas in your plan to write your email.

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

Dear Mr Jackson

Regards

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

THE PRINCESS AND THE MOUSE Teacher information

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

Genre:

Fairytale • • •

Analyses and extracts information from a fairytale to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Summarises the setting, characters, main events and themes contained in a fairytale. Compares the main elements of two fairytales.

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Before the students complete the activity on page 73, the class could make a list of all the fairytales they know and write keywords to describe their settings, characters, main events and themes.

w ww

. te

(b) 2, 3, 1, 4 2. Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 73 Teacher check

Extension:

o c . che e r o t r s super •

•

m . u

Read other fairytales and fractured fairytales such as: Snow White in New York by Fiona French Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole The paperbag princess by Robert Munsch Revolting rhymes by Roald Dahl Legally correct fairy tales by David Fisher A range of fairytales from other countries can be found on the Internet by typing ‘fairytale’ and the name of the country into a search engine.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

THE PRINCESS AND THE MOUSE – 1 Read the Arabian fairytale. Some time passed. One night, a mouse gnawed a hole in the magician’s cupboard and was astonished to see the tiny princess. She pleaded for help. The mouse took her to see the Wise Woman, who lived in a hollow tree in the forest.

Teac he r

nce upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a wicked magician who wanted to be king. So he disguised himself as a wise professor and asked the king if he could have a room at the palace to work in. The king agreed.

pear tree. Pick the pear on the highest branch. The pear is the magician’s soul. The horse will then take you to the well of the green ogre, who lives at the bottom of the well. Drop the pear into his mouth and he will eat it. The magician will die instantly. When he does, everything he has cast a spell on will return to normal.’

Then he captured the king and the queen, shrank both of them and also put them in a cupboard. The news of the royal family’s disappearance soon spread around the palace. The courtiers came to the magician.

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Bo told Princess Safia that she r e Soon after, the magician captured the king and The Wise Woman p oonka journey to make things queen’s only child, Princess Safia. He cast a would need to go u spell on her until sheS shrank to the size of his right again. ‘Go to the nearest field’, she said. thumb and put her in a cupboard in his room. ‘The horse you will find there will take you to a

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons Princess Saﬁa did as the Wise Woman said. As •f orr evi ew pur po so y• soon ass thee ogre ate n thel pear, she returned to ‘Make me the ruler of this land until the king is

w ww

found’, said the magician. The courtiers agreed and the magician took the throne. He sent out troops to look for the royal family, knowing they would never be found.

. te

her normal size again. She rode back to the palace, to ﬁnd the magician, lying dead, and her parents, who had also returned to their normal size. The princess told them what had happened.

m . u

‘Wise professor, please tell us what to do!’ they cried.

While the whole palace rejoiced, Princess Saﬁa went back to the forest to thank the Wise Woman. But instead, she found a handsome prince.

o c . che e r ‘The Wise Woman has gone’, he said. o t r s supe r ‘Who are you?’ asked Princess Saﬁa.

‘I was the mouse’, said the Prince. ‘I too had a spell cast on me by the wicked magician.’ Princess Saﬁa and the prince fell in love and were soon married. They lived happily ever after.

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

THE PRINCESS AND THE MOUSE – 2 Use the text on page 71 to answer the questions.  Literal

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

(b) Put these events in the order in which they happened in the text. The wicked magician took the throne. The ogre ate the pear.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

(a) Draw and label the three locations the Wise Woman told the princess to go to.

w ww

(a) Why do you think the magician died when the ogre ate the pear?

. te

o c . che e r o t r s super

(b) Do you think the magician was clever? Yes Explain your answer.



m . u

 Inferential

Applied

Imagine that Saﬁa decided to ignore the Wise Woman’s advice. Instead, she wrote a plan for how to get her father back on the throne. Write the steps you think her plan might have contained. 72

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

THE PRINCESS AND THE MOUSE – 3  Summarise The princess and the mouse on page 71 by completing the table.

Setting

Characters

Some important events The princess

r o e t s B r e oo I p u k S Wicked people should

The Wise Woman

Princesses should

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

deas

The mouse

Magic can be used to

w ww

m . u

The magician

. thave similar settings, characters, events and ideas. Thinko  Many fairytalese about the fairytales you c . know to complete thec sentences below. e her r o st I think The princess and the mouse is r most similar to this fairytale: su pe This is because

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

GHOST TRAIN ADVENTURE Teacher information

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

Genre:

Adventure • • •

Analyses and extracts information from an adventure narrative to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. Summarises the events in a narrative from a character’s point of view. Makes connections between the decisions made by the characters in a narrative and his/her own decisions.

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

Indicators:

Worksheet information:

In addition to the decisions used on page 77, the other decisions made by Hayden and Jenna (hiding behind the rock and running when the men spotted them) could also be discussed. The students could try rewriting the story with the characters making different decisions to ﬁnd out what effects these changes have on the plot.

m . u

w ww

. te

Page 76 1. (a) ‘Try our ghost train adventure – if you dare!’ (b) Only (ii) should be ticked. 2. Teacher check 3. Teacher check Page 77 Teacher check

o c . che e r o t r s super

Extension:

Redwall series by Brian Jacques Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis A series of unfortunate events by Lemony Snicket

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

GHOST TRAIN ADVENTURE – 1 Read the adventure story.

TRY OUR GHOST TRAIN ADVENTURE – IF YOU DARE!

Teac he r

ew i ev Pr

r o e t s Buntil the ride’s ﬁnished, then we’ll r enna read the sign one e last time and ‘We’ll wait o p ovoice said. ‘No-one would J settled herself in the small carriage. She hide the money’, onek u and Hayden were theS only passengers, which think to look here.’ wasn’t surprising. The ride didn’t look scary at ‘I can’t hear the train’, said another voice. ‘It must have moved past. Let’s carry it up now.’

all.

‘When’s this stupid thing going to start?’ her brother said, picking at the ﬂaking paint inside the carriage. As he spoke, the train shuddered and rattled into the dim tunnel. A skeleton lowered itself slowly from the ceiling. Jenna sighed.

Jenna looked at Hayden. ‘Quick, let’s hide.’ She darted behind a large, plastic-looking rock. Hayden skidded in next to her. Then they both peered over it. Two men, dressed in dark clothing, were making their way towards them. One was carrying a large bag. Jenna’s eyes widened. She had seen both men on TV last night. They were the main suspects in a bank robbery.

w ww

‘Oh, no’, said Hayden. ‘It’s broken down! What are we going to do?’ ‘Well, I’m not going to hang around here waiting’, said Jenna. ‘Let’s get out and walk the rest of it.’ She and Hayden clambered out of the carriage and started along the track. But after a few steps, they had to stop. The track had split into two. One track went uphill, the other down.

. te

Hayden gasped loudly. One of the men paused and snapped his head in Jenna and Hayden’s direction. ‘What was … Hey, there’s some kids there! Look!’ Hayden grabbed Jenna’s hand and pulled her to her feet. ‘Come on!’

o c . che e r o t r s super

‘Which way do …?’ Hayden began. Then he paused. ‘I can hear voices.’ ‘What?’ Jenna listened carefully. Hayden was right. There were at least two people talking. The sound was coming from the direction of the downhill track. R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

come to a halt.

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

Jenna stumbled out from behind the rock just in front of the men. She twisted out of their grasping hands and ﬂed up the track after Hayden. She hoped he’d chosen the best way. Maybe the sign had been right. This ride might turn out to be an adventure after all.

GHOST TRAIN ADVENTURE – 2 Use the text on page 75 to answer the questions.  Inferential

 Literal

(a) Do you think the ghost train was old or new?

Give a reason for your answer. r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

(a) What was written on the sign Jenna was reading?

(b) Tick the true statements. (i) The train stopped before Jenna saw the skeleton. (ii) Hayden gasped when he saw the men.

(b) Write words to describe how you think the men might have felt when they realised Hayden and Jenna were watching them.

(iii) Jenna wanted to wait in the train.

Applied

w ww



m . u

(iv) Hayden and Jenna hid behind a large plastic rock.

. te

Why do you think the men might have chosen the ghost train ride as a place to hide their money? Write two possibilities.

o c . che e r o t r s super

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

GHOST TRAIN ADVENTURE – 3 Use the text on page 75 to help you complete this page.

 We see the events in this story through Jenna’s eyes. How do you think Hayden might describe

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

what happened? Write a summary from his point of view, as if he is telling a friend what took place.

 Jenna and Hayden had to make many decisions during the story. Consider two of their decisions below. Think about whether you would have done the same and why or why not.

(a) Would you have left the train as soon as it stopped?

(b) Would you have followed the uphill track?

If no, what would you have done instead?

w ww

m . u

If no, what would you have done instead?

. te o Explain your decision. Explain your decision. c . che e r o t r s super

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

HINA, MAUI AND THE CAPTURED

SUN Teacher information

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

Genre:

Poetry – a legend written in poetic form

Indicators:

Teac he r

Worksheet information:

ew i ev Pr

• Analyses and extracts information from a poem to answer literal, inferential and applied questions. • Paraphrases/Summarises information in a poem.

• This Hawaiian legend concerns the demigod, Maui, and his mother, the lovely goddess, Hina, who was renowned for the beautiful bark cloth (kapa) she made. In this legend, Maui also took his magic club and paddle to assist him to accomplish his task. Due to the space available for this poem, mention has not been made of how parts of each leg of the Sun were broken off when clubbed by Maui’s magic club. • Kapa was a cloth produced in Hawaii and the Polynesian islands. It was beautiful cloth, decorated with ﬁgures and stripes. Kapa was used to wrap babies, for clothing or blankets, cut into strips to decorate the arms legs and hair, to decorate idols and even to construct towers to house the gods. Because the process was very labour intensive and time consuming, kapa today is considered a rare and treasured artefact. • The activities on the ﬁnal page of this story aim to illustrate student comprehension of the format and content of a poem rather than just the content of the story itself.

. te

m . u

w ww

Page 80 1. (a) Hina, Maui, the Sun (b) a tropical land (c) Answers will vary but should be similar to the following: Hina works really hard making cloth. Maui, her son, wants to make things easier for her by trying to get the Sun to slow down his movements so that she has time to dry her cloth. He captures the Sun with ropes and won’t let him go until he agrees to move slowly through the sky at certain times of the year. The Sun agrees. Maui lets him go and the Sun keeps his bargain so that Hina has plenty of time to dry her cloth. 2. (a) hardworking, weary (b) angry, likes to ﬁght, impatient, cunning (c) punctual, fast, agreeable, strong, reliable 3. Teacher check Page 81 1. mad/tired, falls/call, threads/end, near/snare, cried out/me out 2. d, e; f, f; g, h; i, i; j, k 3. (a) Teacher check (b) Answers may include: gathered, soaked, pounded, said, waited, paddled, slipped, tied, dried 4. Teacher check

o c . che e r o t r s super

Extension: • Students may write well-known legends in their own words or attempt to write them in poetry form. • Read a small section of an epic poem such as The Odyssey to the students. • Students research to ﬁnd other myths or legends written in poetic form. 78

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

HINA, MAUI AND THE CAPTURED SUN – 1 Read the legend written in poetry form.

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

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

A long time ago in a tropical land Hina, the goddess, made cloth by hand. She gathered the bark from the mulberry trees Then soaked it in water gathered from the seas. She pounded it flat on a kapa log Then left it to dry in the afternoon fog. Maui, her son, would get quite mad To see her working—always aching and tired. ‘The day is too short’, she would often say. ‘The sun goes away before I finish for the day. The cloth is still damp when night-time falls So it stays that way till dawn starts to call.’ ‘The Sun is to blame’, said Maui with a frown. ‘He travels too fast and needs to slow down.’ He wove some snares from coconut threads Into eight strong cords with a noose on each end. He paddled to the land of the sleeping Sun, Set his snares and waited for the fun. The Sun awoke as dawn came near. Each leg of the Sun slipped into a snare. Maui drew each noose up tight Then tied them to rocks to stop the Sun’s flight. ‘What have you done?’ the Sun cried out ‘Your world will die if you don’t let me out!’ ‘Listen to my plan and if you agree I’ll undo the snares and set you free. You will travel slowly for part of the year. The sky will be bright and warm and clear.’ The sun gave his word and was soon on his way. The pattern of life was set from that day. Hina dried her cloth in the warmth from the Sun. Maui was happy because of what he had done.

w ww

. te

R.I.C. Publications®

m . u

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension

HINA, MAUI AND THE CAPTURED SUN – 2 Use the text on page 79 to answer the questions.  Literal Complete the table below.

(a) Main characters (b) Setting for the poem

Teac he r

ew i ev Pr

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

 Inferential

w ww

(b) Maui

angry

impatient old

young

strong weary

likes to ﬁght impatient

m . u

(a) Hina

kind

nasty cunning

fast stubborn agreeable strong arrogant reliable . te o c  Applied . che e r o t r s s Maui was a young demigod who used a cunning plan gete what he wanted from a stronger god — the Sun. r utop (c) Sun

punctual

Write the names of two characters from another legend or a story where a similar thing happened.

Primary comprehension

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

HINA, MAUI AND THE CAPTURED SUN – 3 Use the legend written in poetry form on page 79 to answer the questions. This poem uses mostly rhyming couplets (two lines that have a word that rhymes with the other at the end of the line). For example, ‘land’/‘hand’; ‘trees’/’seas’.

 In the space below, write the words at the ends of each group of two lines which you feel do not ﬁt the rhyming pattern. (a)

r o e t s and B r e oo p and u k S and and

(b)

(d) (e)

and

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

(c)

 If the rhyming pattern for the ﬁrst six lines of the poem is a, a; b, b; c, c; then the rhyming pattern for the next ten lines (from ‘Maui, her son,’ ... to ‘on each end’) is ...

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons (b) Write eight verbs from the poem ending in  (a) Write eight adjectives used in the poem • f o r r e v i e w p u r p o sesonl y• ‘-ed’. which help to describe a character, place

w ww

m . u

or thing.

. te

o c . che e r o t r  Why do you think the poet used direct speech (ther actual swords the characters said) in the s u e p poem? Were they used effectively? Explain your answer.

R.I.C. Publications®

www.ricgroup.com.au

Primary comprehension