Teacher notes: Cliffhanger

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1 Sample from Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Pupil Assessment Tasks Teacher notes: Cliffhanger Task 4 Curriculum references: Years 3-4 Programme of Study Reading Comprehension Children should develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read by: listening to and discussing a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks Children should understand what they read, in books they can read independently, by: drawing inferences such as inferring characters feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence predicting what might happen from details stated and implied identifying main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarising these Running the task This task assesses children s ability to identify the main ideas in the text (2C3), to make inferences from text (2MI1) and to explain and justify these inferences with evidence from the text (2MI2). Explain that this extract comes from a story set in an adventure holiday. Read the extract together and ask children to give an oral response before running the task: Take each character at a time. Ask children who the characters are and what they are doing. If needed, explain that Tim, Biscuits, Giles and Kelly are children on an adventure holiday, and Jake and Sally are the instructors. Ask them to say what they think the dilemma is in this part of the story. Give out the task sheet and read through the questions together. Check children understand what they are being asked to do, i.e. find words and phrases from the text to answer the questions and then write a paragraph about what they would do if they were in this situation. Support less able writers or children with poor decoding skills as suggested in the introduction to this book. Circulate while children perform the task and discuss their opinions with them. Support those who need it and challenge those who may be able to show higher reading skills Assessment guidance Use the grid below to identify the assessable elements children are working on in this task. 2C3 Typically, children working at the expected standard will: identify the main ideas, e.g The children are taking place in a canoe race 2MI1 and 2MI2 Typically, children working at the expected standard will: make inferences from the text, e.g. Giles is nasty because of the names he calls the other characters explain inferences and justify them with evidence from the text, e.g. Tim thought Giles was a bully because he said He s going to get us later 18

2 Sample from Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Pupil Assessment Tasks Teacher notes: Cliffhanger Task 4 What to expect 1. What activity are the children doing? Which words in the text tell you this? Less able readers are likely to identify the word canoe. Other children may refer to the winning post and finish the race first as telling them it is a canoe race. 2. Why didn t Jake dive in to find Theresa? Why did Jake and Sally say Phew!? Most children will identify that Theresa was a doll. Some children may also suggest that Jake didn t dive in because he realised it wasn t a child and a doll can t drown. They will suggest that Jake and Sally were relived. 3. Why do Tim and Biscuits want to rescue Theresa straightaway? Less able readers may suggest that they wanted to rescue her before she got lost or because Kelly was upset. Other children will support this by reference to the text, e.g. they think she needs rescuing straightaway because she s a little purple blob floating off or before she gets swallowed up by a fish, or because Kelly is very upset as she is sobbing and yelling. 4. What sort of personality does Giles have? Find as many words and phrases from the text as you can to support your answer and write them below. Less able readers will use words from their own knowledge to describe Giles, such as mean or bad-tempered and give an example from the text to show this, e.g. he calls Tim and Biscuits nasty names. Other children may also say he wanted to win the race and didn t care about the others. Some children may suggest he was a bully and quote Tim saying He s going to get us later. 5. What does Tim think Giles will do later? How do you think Tim feels about Giles? Less able readers will identify Tim s words He s going to get us later with no explanation of meaning. Other children will explain that Tim thinks Giles will be angry or bully them. These children are likely to give a personal response to how Tim feels about Giles, e.g. he s frightened of him, or they may use textual clues to infer Tim s feelings, e.g. Tim thinks Giles is a bully but he still doesn t do what he wants on the river, so Tim doesn t give in to the bullying. 6. Think about what you would do if you were Tim or Biscuits. On a separate piece of paper, write a paragraph to say what you think Tim and Biscuits should have done and give reasons for your answer. Less able readers may give their opinion and support it with evidence based on one factor, e.g. how Kelly felt and how they wanted to help her or that they would lose the race so shouldn t have stopped. Other children will expand their answer with more than one reason, suggesting that they should not let the team down; that winning was more important than a doll; or that friendship was more important than winning. (2C3) (2MI1) (2C3) (2MI2) (2MI2) (2MI2) 19

3 Sample from Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Pupil Assessment Tasks Task 4 From Cliffhanger Jacqueline Wilson Theresa s drowning! Kelly sobbed. Where? Which canoe? There isn t a Theresa on the course! Kelly, who s Theresa? they shouted urgently, Jake jumping up to dive to the rescue. She s her stupid Troll doll, Giles said disgustedly, as the mighty Panthers raced past towards the winning post. Jake sat down again, and he and Sally waved their hands and went Phew! Please, Jake! Can t you dive in a look at her? Kelly yelled. Oh, Theresa. Where are you? Hey! said Biscuits, his eyes beady. Look, Theresa s just bobbing past! I looked and saw a little purple blob floating off towards the bank. It is Theresa! It s OK, Kelly, I shouted. We ve spotted her, Biscuits and me. We ll get her. Yeah, we ll get her out for you, Kelly, said Biscuits. Er how do we get the canoe to go sideways, Tim? Like this? Mmm. No. Like this? Our canoe wobbled dramatically as we experimented. What are you two playing at? Giles yelled. Finish the race first. We ve all got to finish or we won t get any points. You can go back for her doll afterwards. She can t wait! said Kelly. Come on, Biscuits, I said. Before she gets swallowed up by a fish or something. We made for the bank as best we could. You berks! Giles yelled in disgust. You weedy nerdy little cissies. I wish he d get swallowed up by a fish, said Biscuits. A socking great shark. He s going to get us later, I said. 20 You may photocopy this page Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Rising Stars UK Ltd 2014.

4 Sample from Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Pupil Assessment Tasks Task 4 Name: Date: Answer the questions about the text and then write a paragraph to say what you think Tim and Biscuits should have done. Remember to give reasons for your answer. Try to include evidence from the text to support your reasons. 1. What activity are the children doing? Which words in the text tell you this? 2. Why didn t Jake dive in to find Theresa? Why did Jake and Sally say Phew!? 3. Why do Tim and Biscuits want to rescue Theresa straightaway? 4. What sort of personality does Giles have? Find as many words and phrases from the text as you can to support your answer and write them below. 5. What does Tim think Giles will do later? How do you think Tim feels about Giles? 6. Think about what you would do if you were Tim or Biscuits. On a separate piece of paper, write a paragraph to say what you think Tim and Biscuits should have done and give reasons for your answer. You may photocopy this page Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Rising Stars UK Ltd

5 Unit 4 Other places: Grandpa s Indian Summer/The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate Key text features Both of the texts are extracts from longer stories. In the extracts we are shown places that are unfamiliar to the characters. The Teaching text is from Grandpa s Indian Summer by Jamila Gavin, in which two children from the UK first experience the teeming streets of the vast Indian city of Calcutta (now called Kolkata). The Practice text is from The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate by Margaret Mahy. In this extract the little man first sees the sea. Reading the Teaching text: Grandpa s Indian Summer Introduce the text. Explain that it tells the story of Neetu and Sanjay, who go from the UK to India to stay with their Grandpa Chatterji. They also meet their great-grandmother, who is very old, and take her to bathe in the holy River Ganges. Read the text aloud to the children whilst they try to sketch the scene being described. If possible, show some internet images of the busy city. Reading the Practice text: The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate Before they read the text, ask which children have seen the sea. Do they remember when they first saw it and what they first thought of it? Once they have read the text, remind the children that they are now going to work independently to practise the strategies introduced during the teaching session. Extending reading Where the Forest Meets the Sea Jeannie Baker ( , Walker 1989) Mirror Jeannie Baker ( , Walker 2010) Meerkat Mail Emily Gravett ( , Macmillan 2009) Tin Forest Helen Ward ( , Templar 2009) The Magic Orange Tree Jamila Gavin ( , USA only 2000) The No 1 Car Spotter Diane Wolkstein ( , Walker 2010) The Owl Tree Jenny Nimmo ( , Walker 2007) Moving into writing Reread the description of the Calcutta street. Make a class freeze-frame photo of everything described in the word picture. Ask the children to suggest other images in addition to rivers that could be used to describe the busy-ness. Challenge the children to write a description of a busy place nearby. 34

6 Teaching text: Grandpa s Indian Summer Listening comprehension Q1: Do you think Neeta and Sanjay have spent a lot of time with their great grandmother before this? Explain your answer. A1: No. They studied the old lady (paragraph 1); they don t know what she likes to do or how important the river has become to her. Strategy: Consider where in the text the information might be found. Listen carefully to that part. Make a note of words used in the text. Q2: it was a torrent of living creatures (paragraph 4). What does the word torrent mean? A2: Flood, river, stream, fast flowing queue, flow, rush. Strategy: Consider where in the text the quotation is from. Listen carefully to that part. Consider the meaning of the word. Q3: What are the clues in this text that the story is set in a different time and place from where you live? A3: Calcutta (paragraph 1); horses and carriages; bathing in the river; people carrying things on their backs and on their heads; rickshaws (paragraph 4), pigs and horses and cows (paragraph 4) wandering in the street. Strategy: Listen again to the whole text, noting words and phrases which answer the question. 35

7 Teaching text: Grandpa s Indian Summer Cracking the questions Question Answer CD / Mark Useful strategies Additional information 1. The horses set off clip-clopping, their hooves echoing down the broad Calcutta streets (paragraph 1). (a) Do you think the streets are very noisy here? (b) Copy the word or words from the sentence that help you to answer the question. (a) No. (b) echoing (down). 2LfE1 Question focus: identify precise use of words or phrases. (a) Think about the scene created in the reader s mind in this sentence. (b) Carefully reread the sentence, deciding which word to copy. Each part of the question is worth. 2. What does the word puzzled (paragraph 2) tell you about Neetu and Sanjay s reactions to the idea of great-grandmother bathing in the river? They don t understand it. They think it s an unusual thing to do. 2C2 Question focus: explain the meaning of words in context. Consider where in the text the answer can be found. Scan the text for the word puzzled (paragraph 2). Carefully read the sentence and consider the impact of the word. 3. the horses trotted out into the road and joined a human river (paragraph 4). Why do you think the author chose to use the underlined word in the sentence? The sentence before was talking about a real water river. She wants you to imagine how busy it is. People are all moving along together. 2LfE1 Question focus: comment on author s use of language. Scan the text for the sentence in context. Consider why the author might have chosen the word. 4. (a) How do you think Neetu and Sanjay felt looking out of the carriage windows? (b) Why do you think they feel this? (a) Surprised at some of the unusual things they saw, such as people carrying things on their heads. Frightened by the birds swooping, flapping and squawking. Amazed by the dogs, pigs, horses and cows in the street. 2MI1 / 2MI2 Question focus: explain inferences. Consider where in the text the answer can be found. Scan the text for references to Neetu and Sanjay Carefully read the paragraph. Use your own experience to think about how the children felt. Award for an appropriate emotion. Award a second mark for a quotation from/reference to ideas in the text. (b) It is all new/different to them. Rising Stars UK Ltd Cracking Comprehension Year 4 36

8 Teaching text: Grandpa s Indian Summer Cracking the questions Question Answer CD / Mark Useful strategies Additional information 5. It was a torrent of living creatures among which wandered dogs and pigs and horses and cows (paragraph 4). The author chose to link these animals using and instead of just commas. Why do you think she did that? To make it seems as if they just keep coming. It sounds as if there are more of them this way. To emphasise the range of different things. 2C7 Question focus: explain how language use contributes to meaning. Consider how the meaning would subtly change if there were commas. 6. Number the places to show the order in which Neeta and Sanjay saw them. Into a very busy road. To a place where people gathered. Through wide, empty streets. Over a bridge. The trip through Calcutta took Neeta and Sanjay 1 Through wide, empty streets. 2 Into a very busy road. 3 Over a bridge. 4 To a place where people gathered. 2C4 Question focus: summarise ideas from more than one paragraph. Reread the text. Underline each place as it is desribed. Compare the order your underlined places with the places listed in the question. Rising Stars UK Ltd Cracking Comprehension Year 4 37

9 The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate Margaret Mahy 1 Suddenly there was the sea. 2 The little man could only stare. He hadn t dreamed of the BIGNESS of the sea. He hadn t dreamed of the blueness of it. He hadn t thought it would roll like kettledrums, and swish itself on to the beach. He opened his mouth, and the drift and the dream of it, the weave and the wave of it, the fume and foam of it never left him again. At his feet the sea stroked the sand with soft little paws. Farther out, the great, graceful breakers moved like kings into court, trailing the peacock-patterned sea behind them. 8 A rosy sea captain stopped to watch them. 9 Well, here are two likely people, he cried. Will you be my bo sun, Madam? And you, little man, you can be my cabin boy. 11 Thank you! said the little man. 12 Say, Aye, aye sir! roared the captain. 13 Aye, aye, sir! replied the little man just as smartly as if he d been saying, Aye, aye, sir! all his life. 38 Rising Stars UK Ltd Cracking Comprehension Year 4

10 Unit 4: The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate Practice text questions Name: Class: Date: 1. What does the word Suddenly (paragraph 1) tell you at the beginning of this extract? 2C2 2. How do you know that the little man hadn t ever seen the sea before this? Use two ideas from the text in your answer. 2MI1/2MI2 3. Why is BIGNESS (paragraph 2) written in capital letters? 2C7 4. Reread the long paragraph. Tick the sentence that summarises this paragraph best: The man thought the sea was very loud and very big. The man fell in love with the sea and knew it would never leave him. The man was surprised that the sea was full of people, animals and birds. 5. He opened his mouth and the drift and the dream of it, the weave and the wave of it, the fume and the foam of it never left him again (paragraph 2). (a) What do you notice about the pairs of words; drift and dream, weave and wave, fume and foam. 2C4 2LfE1 (b) Why do you think the author chose to write like this? 6. The sea did not really [stroke] the sand with soft little paws (paragraph 2), so why did the author use those words? 2C7 7. Do you think the sea captain is going to be a kind man? Yes No Use ideas from the text in your answer. 2MI3 8. Why do you think the captain wants the little man to say Aye, aye sir! instead of Thank you!? 2C1 9. Tick two features of this text which tells you that it s fiction: It s about pirates. The events described are not likely to be true. It describes the sea with inventive language. It tells you how pirates speak to their captain. 2TC1 Rising Stars UK Ltd Cracking Comprehension Year 4 39

11 Practice text: The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate Cracking the questions Question Answer CD / Mark Useful strategies Additional information 1. What does the word Suddenly (paragraph 1) tell you at the beginning of this extract? It tells you that the little man/narrator hadn t expected to see the sea just then/is surprised. 2C2 Question focus: explain the meaning of words in context. Carefully read the beginning of the extract to establish the context. Consider what information Suddenly gives. 2. How do you know that the little man hadn t ever seen the sea before this? Use two ideas from the text in your answer. We know because it tells us that the little man hadn t dreamed (paragraph 2) or thought (paragraph 2) about the sea and he is so surprised that he could only stare. 2MI1/2MI2 Question focus: make inferences and justify with evidence form the text. Skim the text to gain an overall feeling for the little man s response. Scan the text for ideas/quotations to use in the answer. Award for a brief explanation and for clear reference to/quotation from the text. 3. Why is BIGNESS (paragraph 2) written in capital letters? It shows that the little man was surprised at how big the sea was. It helps to show just how BIG the sea is. 2C7 Question focus: explain how presentation contributes to meaning. Scan the text for the word. Carefully read the sentence it is in to gain an understanding of context. 4. Reread the long paragraph. Tick the sentence that summarises this paragraph best: The man thought the sea was very loud and very big. The man fell in love with the sea and knew it would never leave him. The man was surprised that the sea was full of people, animals and birds. The man fell in love with the sea and knew it would never leave him. 2C4 Question focus: summarise the main idea. Reread the long paragraph, cnsidering the question. Select the best option. 5. He opened his mouth and the drift and the dream of it, the weave and the wave of it, the fume and the foam of it never left him again (paragraph 2). (a) What do you notice about the pairs of underlined words? (b) Why do you think the author chose to write like this? (a) Pairs of words begin with the same letter/ alliterate. (b) The author wants the reader to understand how amazed the little man is by the sea. The writing is like poetry because it s the best way to show the little man s feelings. Rhythm recreates the ebb and flow/sound of the sea. 2LfE1 Question focus: comment on the writer s use of words, including figuraive language. (a) Look at pairs of words and identify similarities. (b) Consider the impact of this kind of writing. Award for each part of the question. Rising Stars UK Ltd Cracking Comprehension Year 4 40

12 Practice text: The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate Cracking the questions Question Answer CD / Mark Useful strategies Additional information 6. The sea did not really stroked the sand with soft little paws (paragraph 2) so why did the writer use those words? She s trying to show how gentle and playful the sea is at the little man s feet. She s continuing to use alliteration/write with lots of words beginning with the same sound. She s using hissing sounds to imitate the sound of the sea. 2C7 Question focus: explain how language contributes to the meaning. Scan the text for the sentence to understand the context. Think of the image made in the reader s head by that sentence. 7. Do you think the sea captain is going to be a kind man? Yes No Use ideas from the text in your answer. Yes Because he s described as rosy. No Because he roars when the little man says Thank you! (line x). 2MI3 Question focus: predict what might happen from details stated and implied. Consider where in the text to find the answer. Scan that part of the text, looking for information to include in the answer. There is no mark for the first part of the answer. 8. Why do you think the captain wants the little man to say Aye, aye sir! (line 13) instead of Thank you! (line 11)? Aye, aye sir is what sailors say to the ship s captain. 2C1 Question focus: give the meaning of words in context. Consider why the author might have made that decision. 9. Tick two features of this text which tells you that it s fiction: It s about pirates. The events described are not likely to be true. It describes the sea with inventive language. It tells you how pirates speak to their captain. The events described are not likely to be true. It describes the sea with inventive language. 2TC1 Question focus: identify the themes and conventions of the text. Skim read the text again. Reread the statements in the question identifying those are are features of a fiction text. Award for a brief explanation and another for reference to/ a quotation from the text. Rising Stars UK Ltd Cracking Comprehension Year 4 41