32 © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2016

Fiction

Mackerel and Chips/Oliver Twist’s ChildhoodMichael Morpurgo/Charles Dickens

Year 4 Unit 4

Key text features

The texts present contrasting views of children and childhood.

•The Teaching text is an extract from the beginning of Mackerel and Chips by Michael Morpurgo.

•The Practice text is an adaptation of an extract from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

Reading the Teaching text: Mackerel and Chips

•Are children familiar with any other works by Michael Morpurgo? What kind of stories does he write?

•What can children predict about the genre from the title?

•After listening to this extract, how do children think the story might progress?

Reading the Practice text: Oliver Twist’s Childhood

•Before they read the story, ask the children what they already know about Oliver Twist and the author Charles Dickens.

•Once they have read the story, remind the children that they are now going to work independently to practise the strategies introduced during the teaching session.

Extending reading

The Daydreamer – Ian McEwan (9780099470717, Red Fox 1995)

The Lion and Unicorn – Shirley Hughes (9780099256083, Red Fox 2000)

The Indian in the Cupboard – Lynne Reid Banks (9780007309955, HarperCollins 2009)

One Dog and His Boy – Eva Ibbotson (9781407124247, Marion Lloyd 2011)

A Hen in the Wardrobe – Wendy Meddour (9781847802255, Frances Lincoln 2012)

The Unforgotten Coat – Frank Cottrell Boyce (9781406341546, Walker Books 2012)

Moving into writing

•Reread the beginning of Mackerel and Chips.

•Ask the children to identify information in what they have read that will help them to predict how the story moves forward. What do they think will happen next?

•Explore some of their ideas through drama.

•Ask the children to write the rest of the story.

© Rising Stars UK Ltd 2016 33

Year 4 Unit 4 • Fiction Cracking Comprehension Teacher’s Guide

Listening Comprehension: Questions and Answers

© Rising Stars UK Ltd 2016 33

Q1: What can you predict about the story from just the opening line?

A1: The story is about a family holiday on the Isles of Scilly. They’ve been before.

The story is written in the first person.

Strategy: Listen to the opening sentence. Make notes, including as much information as you can from it.

Q2: What did Eloise want Leah to do?

A2: Tell her the wish.

Strategy: Consider where in the text the information might be found. Listen carefully to that part. Make notes of words used in the text.

Q3: What was Leah’s birthday present from her mum?

A3: A morning of mackerel fishing/going out on her own with Mr Pender.

Strategy: Consider where in the text the information might be found. Listen carefully to that part. Make notes of words used in the text.

34 © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2016

Cracking Comprehension Teacher’s Guide Year 4 Unit 4 • Fiction

Teac

hing

tex

t: M

acke

rel a

nd C

hips

Que

stio

nA

nsw

erC

D/M

ark

Use

ful s

trat

egie

s1.

W

hich

wor

ds in

par

agra

ph 2

tel

l yo

u th

is w

as n

ot L

eah’

s fir

st v

isit

to t

he Is

les

of S

cilly

?

“whe

re w

e st

ay”

(line

3)

mea

ns t

hey

have

be

en t

here

bef

ore.

2b 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

iden

tify

key

det

ails

fro

m fi

ctio

n.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Con

side

r w

here

in t

he t

ext

to lo

ok f

or t

he a

nsw

er t

o th

is q

uest

ion.

•Sc

an t

he t

ext

for

info

rmat

ion

abou

t w

here

the

y ar

e on

hol

iday

.•

Car

eful

ly r

ead

that

par

t of

the

tex

t to

find

out

how

you

kno

w t

his

was

n’t

her

first

vis

it.

2.

“My

birt

hday

. Ten

yea

rs o

ld”

(par

agra

ph 2

). W

hy d

id t

he

auth

or u

se s

uch

shor

t se

nten

ces

here

?

•To

intr

oduc

e th

e na

rrat

or.

•To

sho

w u

s th

at it

is a

firs

t-pe

rson

na

rrat

ive.

•To

sho

w t

hat

the

narr

ator

fel

t sp

ecia

l.•

To e

cho

the

narr

ator

’s sp

eech

.

2g 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

exp

lain

how

mea

ning

is e

nhan

ced

by c

hoic

e of

wor

ds.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Con

side

r w

here

in t

he t

ext

the

quot

atio

n co

mes

fro

m.

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

at p

art

of t

he t

ext,

con

side

ring

the

impa

ct o

f th

e au

thor

’s ch

oice

of

lang

uage

.

3.

Do

you

thin

k Le

ah w

ould

be

happ

y if

her

wis

h re

ally

cam

e tr

ue?

Yes

/ N

o

Ex

plai

n yo

ur a

nsw

er.

Yes

•Sh

e w

ould

kno

w w

hat

it fe

lt lik

e.•

She

sees

the

life

boat

s an

d w

ants

to

go in

on

e.•

She

wou

ld b

e ab

le t

o sa

ve s

omeo

ne’s

life.

No

•Sh

e w

ould

be

in a

n em

erge

ncy

and

that

w

ould

n’t

be g

ood.

•Sh

e w

ould

be

in d

ange

r.•

She

mig

ht b

e se

asic

k.

2d 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

exp

lain

infe

renc

es a

nd ju

stif

y w

ith

evid

ence

.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Con

side

r w

here

in t

he t

ext

to lo

ok f

or L

eah’

s w

ish.

•R

ead

the

wis

h an

d th

ink

abou

t th

e im

plic

atio

ns o

f it

com

ing

true

.

Aw

ard

the

mar

k fo

r a

reas

onab

le e

xpla

natio

n th

at m

atch

es t

he y

es/n

o an

swer

giv

en.

4.

Mr

Pend

er a

sks

Leah

if s

he g

ets

seas

ick

at t

he e

nd o

f th

e pa

ssag

e.

Wha

t do

you

thi

nk h

er r

espo

nse

tells

us

abou

t he

r?

•Sh

e do

esn’

t kn

ow if

she

get

s se

asic

k.•

She

has

been

sea

sick

bef

ore

but

hope

s th

at s

he w

on’t

be

this

tim

e.

2d 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

mak

e in

fere

nces

fro

m t

he t

ext.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Con

side

r w

here

in t

he t

ext

to lo

ok f

or t

he a

nsw

er t

o th

is q

uest

ion.

•Th

ink

abou

t th

e im

plic

atio

ns o

f Le

ah’s

answ

er.

Aw

ard

1 m

ark

for

eith

er a

nsw

er.

© Rising Stars UK Ltd 2016 35

Year 4 Unit 4 • Fiction Cracking Comprehension Teacher’s Guide

Teac

hing

tex

t: M

acke

rel a

nd C

hips

Que

stio

nA

nsw

erC

D/M

ark

Use

ful s

trat

egie

s5.

Ti

ck t

he b

est

sum

mar

y of

thi

s pa

ssag

e.

L

eah

is o

n ho

liday

with

her

fam

ily,

stay

ing

in M

rs P

ende

r’s B

&B.

It’s

her

birt

hday

.

L

eah

is g

oing

out

with

Mr

Pend

er

in h

is m

acke

rel b

oat.

Mr

Pend

er

war

ns h

er t

hat

the

sea

may

be

chop

py b

ut s

he s

ays

she

does

n’t

get

seas

ick.

L

eah’

s bi

rthd

ay w

ish

is t

o go

in

the

lifeb

oat,

but

her

birt

hday

tre

at

is t

o go

mac

kere

l fish

ing

with

Mr

Pend

er.

L

eah’

s bi

rthd

ay p

rese

nt w

as a

tr

ip in

Mr

Pend

er’s

mac

kere

l boa

t w

ithou

t El

oise

.

Leah

’s bi

rthd

ay w

ish

is t

o go

in t

he li

febo

at,

but

her

birt

hday

tre

at is

to

go m

acke

rel

fishi

ng w

ith M

r Pe

nder

.

2c 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

sum

mar

ise

mai

n id

eas

from

mor

e th

an o

ne p

arag

raph

.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Skim

rea

d th

e te

xt t

o en

sure

goo

d un

ders

tand

ing.

Sel

ect

the

sum

mar

y st

atem

ent

that

is c

lose

st t

o th

e m

eani

ng o

f th

e te

xt.

6.

Base

d on

wha

t yo

u ha

ve r

ead

so f

ar, t

ick

the

stat

emen

t th

at is

th

e be

st p

redi

ctio

n of

wha

t w

ill

happ

en in

the

res

t of

thi

s st

ory.

L

eah

will

cat

ch lo

ts o

f m

acke

rel

and

Mrs

Pen

der

will

coo

k th

em

for

Leah

’s bi

rthd

ay t

ea.

L

eah

will

be

seas

ick

and

Mr

Pend

er w

ill h

ave

to b

ring

her

hom

e w

ithou

t ca

tchi

ng a

ny fi

sh.

T

here

will

be

a st

orm

at

sea

and

Leah

will

be

very

bra

ve.

S

omet

hing

will

go

wro

ng a

nd

Leah

will

be

resc

ued

by t

he

lifeb

oat.

Som

ethi

ng w

ill g

o w

rong

and

Lea

h w

ill b

e re

scue

d by

the

life

boat

.2e 1

mar

k

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

pre

dict

wha

t m

ight

hap

pen

from

det

ails

sta

ted

and

impl

ied.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Skim

rea

d th

e te

xt, k

eepi

ng t

he o

ptio

ns in

min

d.•

Con

side

r ea

ch o

ptio

n in

tur

n, s

cann

ing

all o

f th

e te

xt lo

okin

g fo

r in

form

atio

n to

sup

port

it.

Cracking Comprehension Teacher’s Guide Year 4 Unit 4 • Fiction

36 © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2016. You may photocopy this page.

Oliver Twist’s ChildhoodAdapted from the book Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

When his mother died, leaving Oliver as an orphaned baby, the parish generously decided to ‘farm’ him out. In other words, he would be sent to a ‘baby-farm’ where twenty or thirty other villains – who were as guilty as Oliver of the crime of poverty – rolled about the floor all day, without the inconvenience of too much food or too much clothing.

The culprits at the baby-farm were looked after by an elderly woman for the princely sum of sevenpence-halfpenny per week. Sevenpence-halfpenny each week, said the parish, is enough to provide food for a child. Mrs Mann, who was a woman of wisdom and experience, felt that sevenpence-halfpenny would buy so much food it might make a child ill; she knew what was good for children! She kindly kept most of the money and managed to raise her young crop of orphans on even less than the parish provided for them.

It cannot be expected that this system of farming would produce any very extraordinary or luxuriant crop. Oliver Twist’s ninth birthday found him a small, thin child. He was celebrating his birthday in the coal-cellar with two other young gentlemen, with whom he had been locked up for daring to be hungry.

Mrs Mann, the good lady of the house, glanced up and saw Mr Bumble, who looked after the workhouse, marching up the path.

“Goodness gracious! Is that you, Mr Bumble, sir?” said Mrs Mann, thrusting her head out of the window. “(Susan, take Oliver and them two other brats upstairs, and wash ‘em directly.) Well Mr Bumble, how glad I am to see you!”

Mrs Mann showed the beadle into a small parlour with a brick floor. “I am here on business, Mrs Mann,” he declared. “The boy, Oliver Twist, is nine years old today and is therefore too old to remain here. So we have decided to put him to work back at the workhouse. The parish has already been generous enough to him and now it is time for him to pay it back. Let me see him at once.”

“I’ll fetch him directly,” said Mrs Mann. Oliver, having had his skin rubbed raw, was led back into the room by his kindly protectress.

1

6

13

17

19

22

27

Year 4 Unit 4 • Fiction Cracking Comprehension Teacher’s Guide

Name: Class: Date:

© Rising Stars UK Ltd 2016. You may photocopy this page. 37

1 mark

1 mark

1 mark

1 mark

1 mark

1 mark

2 marks

1 mark

1 mark

2b

2a

2d

2d

2d

2e

2f

2b

2g

1. Why was Oliver sent to a baby-farm?

2. In this text, what do you think the “baby-farm” was? Tick the best answer.

A farm where babies were grown. A building where people went to choose a baby to adopt. A building where orphaned babies were allowed to grow up. A health farm where people went to have their babies. 3. “She kindly kept most of the money and managed to raise her young crop of orphans on even

less than the parish provided for them.”

Do you think it was kind of her? Explain your answer.

4. Do you think Oliver was happy at the baby-farm? Explain your answer fully using ideas from the text.

5. List two things that happened to Oliver on his ninth birthday.

6. “Goodness gracious! Is that you, Mr Bumble, sir?” said Mrs Mann, thrusting her head out of the window. “(Susan, take Oliver and them two other brats upstairs, and wash ‘em directly.) Well Mr Bumble, how glad I am to see you!” (paragraph 5)

Why did the author use brackets in direct speech?

7. Why do you think Mrs Mann wants Oliver and the other two boys to be taken out of the cellar?

8. Based on what you have read so far, tick the statement that is the best prediction of what happens just after Oliver is taken to see Mr Bumble.

He is adopted by a loving family. He is taken to a workhouse, where he is treated even more cruelly. Mr Bumble is angry with Mrs Mann because Oliver is so thin. Mr Bumble likes Oliver and takes him home with him. 9. This story was originally written over 100 years ago. List two ideas from the text that show it is

not set in the 21st century.

38 © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2016

Cracking Comprehension Teacher’s Guide Year 4 Unit 4 • Fiction

Prac

tice

tex

t: O

liver

Tw

ist’s

Chi

ldho

od

Cra

ckin

g th

e qu

esti

ons

Que

stio

nA

nsw

erC

D/M

ark

Use

ful s

trat

egie

s1.

W

hy w

as O

liver

sen

t to

a b

aby-

farm

?H

is m

othe

r di

ed w

hen

he w

as a

bab

y.2b 1

mar

k

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

ret

riev

e in

form

atio

n fr

om t

he t

ext.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Con

side

r w

here

in t

he t

ext

this

info

rmat

ion

is m

ost

likel

y to

be

foun

d.•

Scan

the

tex

t fo

r re

fere

nce

to a

bab

y-fa

rm.

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e pa

ragr

aph.

2.

Wha

t do

you

thi

nk t

he “

baby

-fa

rm”

was

? Ti

ck t

he b

est

answ

er:

a

far

m w

here

bab

ies

wer

e gr

own.

a

pla

ce w

here

peo

ple

wen

t to

ch

oose

a b

aby

to a

dopt

.

a

pla

ce w

here

orp

hane

d ba

bies

w

ere

allo

wed

to

grow

up.

a

hea

lth f

arm

whe

re p

eopl

e w

ent

to h

ave

thei

r ba

bies

.

A p

lace

whe

re o

rpha

ned

babi

es w

ere

allo

wed

to

grow

up.

2a 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

giv

e th

e m

eani

ng o

f w

ords

in c

onte

xt.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Con

side

r th

e m

eani

ng o

f ea

ch o

f th

e op

tions

in t

he q

uest

ion

and

choo

se

the

best

fit.

•Sc

an t

he fi

rst

two

para

grap

hs t

o id

entif

y ot

her

wor

ds a

nd p

hras

es.

3.

“She

kin

dly

kept

mos

t of

the

m

oney

and

man

aged

to

rais

e he

r yo

ung

crop

of

orph

ans

on e

ven

less

tha

n th

e pa

rish

pro

vide

d fo

r th

em.”

D

o yo

u th

ink

it w

as k

ind

of h

er?

Expl

ain

your

ans

wer

.

No.

She

was

ste

alin

g fr

om t

he c

hild

ren

beca

use

she

was

n’t

feed

ing

the

child

ren

enou

gh.

2d 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

exp

lain

and

just

ify

infe

renc

es w

ith

evid

ence

fro

m

the

text

.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Car

eful

ly r

ead

the

para

grap

hs.

•C

aref

ully

rer

ead

the

optio

ns a

nd c

onsi

der

each

one

aga

inst

the

in

form

atio

n in

the

par

agra

phs.

4.

Do

you

thin

k O

liver

was

hap

py

at t

he b

aby-

farm

? Ex

plai

n yo

ur

answ

er f

ully

usi

ng id

eas

from

the

te

xt.

Yes

•Th

ere

wer

e ot

her

child

ren

for

him

to

play

w

ith.

•H

e di

dn’t

hav

e to

do

muc

h; h

e ro

lled

arou

nd o

n th

e flo

or a

ll da

y.•

He

was

look

ed a

fter

by

Mrs

Man

n.

No

•M

rs M

ann

kept

the

chi

ldre

n hu

ngry

.•

Mrs

Man

n hu

rt h

im.

•M

rs M

ann

lock

ed h

im in

a c

ella

r.•

He

was

sm

all a

nd t

hin.

2d 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

exp

lain

infe

renc

e an

d ju

stif

y fr

om t

he t

ext.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Scan

the

tex

t fo

r th

e w

ords

‘bab

y-fa

rm’.

•R

erea

d th

e ne

arby

tex

t fo

r re

fere

nce

to w

heth

er O

liver

was

hap

py.

© Rising Stars UK Ltd 2016 39

Year 4 Unit 4 • Fiction Cracking Comprehension Teacher’s Guide

Que

stio

nA

nsw

erC

D/M

ark

Use

ful s

trat

egie

s5.

Li

st t

wo

thin

gs t

hat

happ

ened

to

Oliv

er o

n hi

s ni

nth

birt

hday

?A

ny t

wo

of:

•H

e w

as lo

cked

in t

he c

ella

r.•

He

had

his

skin

rub

bed

raw

.•

He

was

tak

en t

o se

e M

r Bu

mbl

e.

2b 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

ret

riev

e in

form

atio

n fr

om t

he t

ext.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Con

side

r w

here

in t

he t

ext

the

answ

er w

ill b

e.•

Scan

that

par

t of t

he te

xt fo

r ref

eren

ce to

thin

gs th

at h

appe

ned

to O

liver

.

Aw

ard

1 m

ark

for

two

corr

ect

answ

ers.

6.

Why

did

the

aut

hor

use

brac

kets

in

dire

ct s

peec

h in

par

agra

ph 5

?•

To s

how

tha

t th

is is

an

‘asi

de’ t

o Su

san.

•M

rs M

ann

is s

peak

ing

quie

tly t

o Su

san

so

that

Mr

Bum

ble

can’

t he

ar.

•Th

is is

par

t of

a d

iffer

ent

conv

ersa

tion

– no

t th

e on

e sh

e’s

havi

ng w

ith M

r Bu

mbl

e.

2g 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

exp

lain

how

mea

ning

is e

nhan

ced.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Rer

ead

the

pass

age

to y

ours

elf.

How

did

you

rea

d th

ose

wor

ds?

•C

onsi

der

why

bra

cket

s ar

e no

rmal

ly u

sed,

and

oth

er p

unct

uatio

n th

e au

thor

cou

ld h

ave

used

.

7.

Why

do

you

thin

k M

rs M

ann

wan

ts O

liver

and

the

oth

er t

wo

boys

to

be t

aken

out

of

the

cella

r?

She

does

n’t

wan

t M

r Bu

mbl

e to

kno

w t

hat

she’

s lo

cked

the

m in

the

cel

lar.

2d 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

use

infe

renc

e an

d de

duct

ion

to im

prov

e un

ders

tand

ing.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Con

side

r w

here

in t

he t

ext

you

will

find

use

ful i

nfor

mat

ion.

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

at p

art

of t

he t

ext.

8.

Base

d on

wha

t you

hav

e re

ad s

o fa

r, tic

k th

e st

atem

ent t

hat i

s th

e be

st

pred

ictio

n of

wha

t hap

pens

just

aft

er

Oliv

er is

take

n to

see

Mr B

umbl

e.

H

e is

ado

pted

by

a lo

ving

fam

ily.

H

e is

take

n to

a w

orkh

ouse

, whe

re

he is

trea

ted

even

mor

e cr

uelly

.

M

r Bu

mbl

e is

ang

ry w

ith M

rs

Man

n be

caus

e O

liver

is s

o th

in.

M

r Bu

mbl

e lik

es O

liver

and

tak

es

him

hom

e w

ith h

im.

He

is t

aken

to

a w

orkh

ouse

, whe

re h

e is

tr

eate

d ev

en m

ore

crue

lly.

2e 1 m

ark

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

pre

dict

wha

t m

ight

hap

pen

from

det

ails

sta

ted

and

impl

ied.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Skim

rea

d th

e te

xt, k

eepi

ng t

he o

ptio

ns in

min

d.•

Con

side

r ea

ch o

ptio

n in

tur

n, s

cann

ing

all o

f th

e te

xt lo

okin

g fo

r in

form

atio

n to

sup

port

it.

9.

This

sto

ry w

as o

rigin

ally

writ

ten

over

100

yea

rs a

go.

Li

st t

wo

idea

s fr

om t

he t

ext

that

sho

w it

is n

ot s

et in

the

21s

t ce

ntur

y.

•W

e do

n’t

have

wor

khou

ses

or b

aby-

farm

s.•

The

way

the

chi

ldre

n ar

e tr

eate

d w

ould

be

illeg

al t

oday

.•

“coa

l-ce

llar”

/”pa

rlour

”/”b

eadl

e” a

re

wor

ds n

o lo

nger

use

d.•

The

mon

ey is

old

fas

hion

ed: “

seve

npen

ce-

halfp

enny

”.•

“Sev

enpe

nce-

halfp

enny

” w

ould

not

be

enou

gh t

o fe

ed a

chi

ld t

oday

.

2f 2 m

arks

Que

stio

n fo

cus:

exp

lain

how

nar

rati

ve c

onte

nt is

rel

ated

.

Stra

tegi

es:

•C

aref

ully

rea

d th

e qu

estio

n, m

arki

ng k

ey w

ords

.•

Scan

the

tex

t to

find

idea

s, w

ords

and

pra

ctic

es t

hat

are

not

part

of

life

toda

y.

Prac

tice

tex

t: O

liver

Tw

ist’s

Chi

ldho

od

Cra

ckin

g th

e qu

esti

ons