29

The Diary of a Killer Cat

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 2-3 • D&T (product design)

Author / Source:
Anne Fine

Genre:
Fiction — novel extract

Introduction
Anne Fine is a former Children’s Laureate and a prolific writer for children and young adults. She has won
several prestigious awards, including the Carnegie Medal. Pupils may be familiar with some of her other
works, such as Bill’s New Frock. This extract from The Diary of a Killer Cat is written from the perspective of
a cat called Tuffy and offers an amusing take on the relationship between a pet and its owners. Tuffy’s dry
and witty first-person narrative gives a clear insight into his personality. Before pupils read the text, show
them the title and ask what they think it is going to be about.

Answers
1. E.g. It has subheadings which split the text up into different days of the week.
2. E.g. Very sad. She cried a lot when she found out.
3. E.g. To clean up the stains that the bird left on the carpet.
4. E.g. They held a funeral in the garden for the bird.
5. E.g. To show that the family complains about Tuffy all the time.
6. E.g. So that they stand out from the rest of the text and are said with more stress when you read them.
7. Any appropriate answer. E.g. No, because he’s a cat and it’s natural for cats to kill birds. They can’t help
it. OR E.g. Yes, because Tuffy can obviously think for himself and knows what he did was wrong. For
example, he says, “So maybe I shouldn’t have dragged it in and left it on the carpet”.

Extra Activities
• As a class, discuss whether the predictions pupils made before reading the text were correct. Are they
surprised by Tuffy’s character? Do they think it’s appropriate to call him a ‘killer cat’? Why do they think
Fine used this phrase in the book’s title?
• Explain what exaggeration is and get pupils to find examples of it in the extract. Ask pupils to write their
own diary entry which starts in a similar way to the extract, e.g. ‘OKAY, OKAY. So hang me. I ate the
roast chicken. For pity’s sake, I’m a dog!’ Encourage pupils to use exaggeration in their writing.
• In the extract, Tuffy describes birds as “feathery little flutterballs”. Explain that “flutterballs” is a
nonsense word and discuss how the word reminds the reader of birds. Challenge pupils to come up
with their own nonsense words to describe animals, e.g. a ‘wagbottom’ for a dog.
• Get pupils to write a letter of apology from Tuffy to the bird’s family, explaining what happened.
Make sure they include the layout features of a formal letter (e.g. addresses and the date).
• Ask pupils to design a garden bird feeder. Encourage them to think about how they can protect the
feeder from cats, e.g. it could be enclosed in a cage or suspended from a tall metal pole. Pupils should
draw an annotated diagram of their design and explain it to the class.

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 30

Geocaching

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 4-5 • Maths (coordinates)
• Geography (latitude and
Author / Source: longitude)
www.telegraph.co.uk

Genre:
Non-fiction — news article

Introduction
In 2000, the US military altered its GPS settings, which made GPS technology much more accurate for the
general public. An American, Dave Ulmer, tested this accuracy by hiding a black bucket near Beavercreek,
Oregon, and sharing the coordinates online with other GPS enthusiasts. People enjoyed looking for this
‘hidden treasure’, and began to hide caches of their own. Today, there are more than 2.8 million geocaches
hidden all over the world. Before pupils read the extract, ask if any of them have been geocaching before.

Answers
1. E.g. Because people searching for caches and the goodies inside them are like pirates hunting for treasure.
2. adventure
3. Any two from: a toy soldier, a cheap pendant, a logbook.
4. E.g. I think the author likes geocaching because they write in a
persuasive way. For example, they say it is a “great family activity”.
5. E.g. It has a large headline and is written in columns. It also includes
a picture with a caption.
6. Any appropriate answer. E.g. You have to have the right technology
to be able to go geocaching. People who don’t have GPS-enabled
devices can’t take part.

Extra Activities
• Get pupils to produce a poster persuading people to try geocaching. They should use the information in
the extract and present it in an appealing and engaging way.
• Discuss pupils’ answers to question 5 in the Question Book, then ask them to write their own
newspaper article giving advice on how to be a successful geocacher. Pupils should think about what
skills a good geocacher might need, useful equipment to take, practical clothing etc.
• Ask pupils to write a short story about something exciting that happens to them while they are out
geocaching, e.g. they might get lost or stumble upon something that they weren’t expecting.
• Get each pupil to draw a coordinate grid, labelling the x and y axis from 1 to 10. Ask them to secretly
mark the location of buried treasure at three points on their grid and write down the coordinates of
each location. In pairs, pupils should take it in turns to guess the coordinates of their partner’s buried
treasure. Pupils should mark each guess that their partner makes on their grid with a cross. The first
pupil in the pair to locate all of their partner’s buried treasure wins.
• Give pupils a map of the world with lines of longitude and latitude marked at 15° intervals. Explain how
longitude and latitude can be used to pinpoint specific locations and challenge pupils to find various
locations on their maps.

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 31

The Dragonsitter’s Island

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 6-7 • Geography (Scotland; using maps)

Author / Source:
Josh Lacey

Genre:
Fiction — novel extract

Introduction
The Dragonsitter’s Island is the fourth book in Josh Lacey’s Dragonsitter series. Lacey is a British author who
has written dozens of books for children. The Dragonsitter books follow the adventures of Eddie, his Uncle
Morton and Uncle Morton’s pet dragons. They are written as a series of emails between Eddie and Uncle
Morton. In this extract, Eddie writes to tell his uncle that he has seen the Loch Ness Monster. Before
reading the extract, make sure pupils are aware of the legend of Nessie.

Answers
1. E.g. The text is split into boxes, and each one starts with the date and the subject, which you’d normally
find at the start of an email. Each box ends with the character’s name or initial on a separate line.
2. E.g. Proof that you can trust.
3. Any appropriate answer. E.g. So that they become famous.
4. E.g. Someone or something has been stealing Mr McDougall’s sheep.
5. E.g. He makes his sentences shorter, which makes it sound like Morton’s in a rush. He also uses lots of
exclamation marks.
6. Any appropriate answer. E.g. Because he’s really interested in the Loch Ness Monster and wants to see it.
7. Any appropriate answer. E.g. I wouldn’t believe them because I don’t think monsters are real. I’d tell
them that they’d imagined it.

Extra Activities
• Ask pupils to write an email from Uncle Morton to a friend as he’s flying back to meet Eddie. Pupils
should focus on how Morton is feeling about the sighting of the Loch Ness Monster and what he hopes
to do when he gets back to his island.
• Ask pupils to imagine they’re on holiday and see a monster. They should write a story about their encounter.
• Get pupils to research the legend of the Loch Ness Monster. Ask them to produce an information leaflet
about the legend for tourists visiting Loch Ness. They should include useful information, e.g. when
stories about the monster first appeared, famous sightings and what the monster might look like.
• Split the class into small groups and ask each one to research a mythological beast, e.g.
Bigfoot, elves, vampires, werewolves. Pupils should create a short presentation, trying
to persuade the government to fund a research mission to find their chosen beast.
Inverness
• Ask pupils to locate Loch Ness on a map. As a class, make a list of some other famous Loch Ness
Glencoe
places in Scotland, e.g. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Glencoe. Give each pupil a
Edinburgh
blank map of Scotland and get them to label these places on their map. Pupils could
use the Internet, atlases or road maps to help them. Glasgow

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 32

GRRRR

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 8-9 • Drama (performance)

Author / Source:
Francesca Beard

Genre:
Poetry

Introduction
This poem was written by the performance poet Francesca Beard. It is written from the perspective of a
child who is having a tantrum. The unreasonable threats made by the narrator, as well as Beard’s strong
rhyme scheme, make the poem enjoyable to read. Beard uses a variety of punctuation and capitalisation to
give directions on how her poem should be performed. As pupils read through the poem, encourage them
to pick out any words that they think should be read in a particular way.

Answers
1. E.g. Because ‘GRRRR’ is an angry noise and the person speaking in the poem sounds angry.
2. glare and care; bad and glad
3. E.g. To show that the word should be read more loudly each time.
4. E.g. To show how angry the narrator is.
5. E.g. To make the last line seem calm and quiet.
6. E.g. I think a young child is talking, because the narrator is having a tantrum, and children often have
tantrums. The narrator also mentions being fed and being sung a lullaby, which are things that parents
often do for their children.
7. Any appropriate answer. E.g. No. I think the narrator sounds like trouble because they always want to
do the opposite of what they’re asked. They also sound very loud. OR E.g. Yes, because I think the
narrator sounds funny. I’d like to see whether they would do all the things that they threaten to do.

Extra Activities
• Check pupils’ understanding of the poem and ask whether they like it or not. As a class, discuss how the
narrator feels at different points in the poem. Does their mood change at all?
• Explain to the class that onomatopoeia is when a word sounds like the type of noise it’s describing. See if
pupils can spot any examples of onomatopoeia in the poem, e.g. “pop”, “shh” and “bang”. Ask pupils to
come up with their own examples then get them to present them on a poster with illustrations.
• Explain what a syllable is, and ask pupils to re-read the poem by themselves. How many syllables are in
most of the words? As a class, discuss how this affects the rhythm of the poem.
• Ask pupils to make up their own poem, using the sentence structure that Beard uses throughout her
poem (“If you... I will... ”). E.g. “If you call me horrid names, I won’t let you play my games”. Encourage
them to keep the mood of the poem lighthearted and tell them that it doesn’t have to rhyme.
• Split the class into small groups and ask each group to prepare a performance of GRRRR. Remind pupils
to think about the narrator’s emotions in each line and how words written in capital letters or italics
might need to be performed differently. Encourage them to be creative and add actions if they wish.

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 33

Julius Caesar’s Goat

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 10-11 • History (Ancient Rome)

Author / Source:
Dick King-Smith

Genre:
Fiction — novel extract

Introduction
Julius Caesar’s Goat is a lighthearted children’s novel written by Dick King-Smith. Although most of the
characters are historical (e.g. Julius Caesar and Cleopatra), the novel itself is a fictional account of Caesar’s
life in Ancient Rome. In this version of events, Caesar is accompanied by his faithful sidekick, Butter the goat.
Butter gives off such a horrible smell that no one can bear to be around him, but Caesar doesn’t realise
because he has no sense of smell. Explain to pupils that Pompey was a rival of Caesar’s and that, in this
extract, Caesar and his men are marching to confront Pompey’s army.

Answers
1. E.g. Because it smells really horrible.
2. E.g. I think the general had to make a decision about whether to kill the goat, and decided not to.
3. E.g. Unhappy. Even though he’s getting paid more, it doesn’t make up for the fact that he has to stay
close to the smelly goat all the time.
4. E.g. tough luck!; hard luck!; too bad!
5. pong, stink
6. E.g. Because Caesar had ordered everyone to honour his goat. He threatened to kill anyone who didn’t
treat it with respect.
7. E.g. No, because the text is silly and makes fun of the Roman soldiers and Caesar. A story about a
smelly goat is funny.

Extra Activities
• As a class, discuss pupils’ answers to question 7 in the Question Book and explore what gives the extract
its lighthearted tone, e.g. informal language, the character of the goat, the way the soldiers act.
• Show pupils a short extract from a non-fiction text about Julius Caesar. Ask pupils to identify the main
differences between the way the non-fiction text is written compared to the extract by Dick King-Smith.
Why do they think the two texts are different? Which text do they prefer and why?
• Explain that Caesar attempted to invade Britain twice, in 55 and 54BC. Get pupils to research Caesar’s
attempted invasions and then write a newspaper report from the perspective of the British army. They
could include how Caesar attacked and how the British fought back.
• Ask pupils to research evidence of Roman remains near to their home town, e.g. Hadrian’s Wall in the
North, Chester’s Roman amphitheatre, the Roman Baths in Bath. Get pupils to write a presentation
about their chosen remains, designed to be read out in an assembly. It should be clear and informative.
• Split the class into groups and ask them to research the Roman army, e.g. what weaponry they used and
what armour they wore. Get each group to draw and label a picture of a Roman soldier.

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 34

Armoured Dinosaurs
Pupils Book:
Year 4, page XX Question
Pupil Book:Book: Cross-curricular links:
Year 4, pages 12-13
X-X • Science
xxx (xxx)
(dinosaurs; body armour)
Author / Source:
xxx (xxx) Author / Source: • xxx (illustration)
Art (xxx)
xxx McEvoy
Louise • xxx (xxx)
D&T (designing a dinosaur)
Genre:
xxx — xxx — reference text
Non-fiction

Introduction
This non-fiction extract focuses on dinosaurs with body armour, and how they protected themselves from
predators. The text uses some presentational features which are commonly found in non-fiction texts.
Before reading the text with the class, ask pupils if they’ve heard of the two dinosaurs named in the
extract (Ankylosaurus and Stegosaurus). Do they know anything about them?

Answers
1. E.g. Because the “jagged spikes” would have made it difficult and dangerous for a predator to attack.
2. E.g. To make them stand out because they are key words.
3. Any two from: both had spikes; both had body armour
on their backs; both had weapons at the end of their tails.
4. E.g. put off; scared; disheartened
5. b. Because they were very heavy.
6. E.g. A non-fiction text, because it gives the reader facts and information about a real-life topic.
7. E.g. Yes, because the text is divided into different sections using subheadings, so it’s easy to find
information. The picture of the Ankylosaurus helps you to understand what it might have looked like.

Extra Activities
• The text uses lots of adjectives. Ask pupils why they think the author might have done this. As a class,
underline all the adjectives in the second paragraph (e.g. “effective”, “protective”, “jagged”), then get
pupils to underline some adjectives in the rest of the text independently.
• Get pupils to research and write a similar extract on a different topic, e.g. dinosaurs that could fly, or
dinosaurs that were herbivores. Pupils’ pages should follow a similar structure to the extract (e.g. an
introduction, detailed examples and a conclusion which links to modern animals) and contain some
presentational features of non-fiction texts (e.g. images, headings, captions).
• Assign each pupil an extinct animal species, e.g. dodo, sabre-toothed cat, baiji white dolphin. Get them
to find a picture of the animal and write a description of it using lots of their own adjectives. Then split
the class into pairs and get pupils to swap their descriptions with their partner. Each pupil should try to
draw their partner’s animal based on the description they’ve been given.
• Ask pupils to research other animals that use body armour, e.g. turtles, hedgehogs, armadillos. Get them
to produce a poster describing the animals’ armour and explaining why it is effective against predators.
• Show the class pictures of various dinosaurs and discuss how they are adapted to their environment.
Ask pupils to design their own dinosaur and draw an annotated picture of it. They should think about
features the dinosaur will need to help it survive, e.g. body armour to protect itself from predators.

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 35

The Story of Nu Wa

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 14-15 • PSHE (myths across cultures)
• Science (the Earth’s structure)
Author / Source:
Holly Robinson • Art (cartoon strip)

Genre:
Myth

Introduction
The Story of Nu Wa is a myth that originated in China and was first recorded many centuries ago. The
myth tells the story of how a goddess called Nu Wa saved the world from destruction after two warring
gods split the sky and cracked open the Earth. Before pupils read the text, explain to them that different
countries and cultures have their own myths and legends.

Answers
1. b. weaknesses
2. crowed. E.g. Because it means ‘boasted’ and Gong Gong is boasting about how powerful he is.
3. E.g. Because its summit is holding up the sky.
4. Any two from: the main characters are supernatural; it is set a very long time ago;
the events of the story are supernatural; it is a story about gods and goddesses.
5. Any appropriate answer. E.g. Yes, because she mended the sky and crushed a
dragon with her fingers.
6. E.g. No, they destroy the Earth with their selfishness. Gods are meant to protect
the Earth. OR E.g. Yes, you would expect gods to be powerful, and Gong Gong is
powerful enough to cause floods and to cause the sky to fall down.

Extra Activities
• As a class, discuss pupils’ answers to question 4 in the Question Book and make a list of common
features of myths. Ask pupils to write a recipe giving instructions on how to make a myth. Give
examples to get them started, e.g. take a dollop of bravery and add a sprinkle of the supernatural.
• Tell pupils that myths were often used to explain natural phenomena. Ask pupils what phenomena this
myth might be trying to explain (e.g. flooding and forest fires; how the sky is suspended above Earth).
Ask pupils to research another myth, e.g. Pangu the Giant. Does it have any similarities to the myth of
Nu Wa? Why do they think people all over the world tell these kinds of stories? Are myths still
important in the modern world?
• As a class, discuss the Earth’s structure (e.g. the crust, the mantle, the inner and outer cores) and get
pupils to draw a labelled diagram of it. Pupils should then write their own myth about how the Earth
came into being using the conventions of myths discussed in the first activity.
• Get pupils to create a cartoon strip telling the story of Nu Wa. Pupils should pay attention to how they
think Nu Wa might have felt at different points in the story.

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 36

Coram Boy

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 16-17 • Drama (performance)

Author / Source: • Music (classical music)

Helen Edmundson (based on
the novel by Jamila Gavin)

Genre:
Fiction — playscript

Introduction
Coram Boy is a novel by Jamila Gavin, which was first published in 2000. It won the Whitbread Children’s
Book Award and was made into a play in 2005. Set in 18th-century England, it follows the story of Toby,
who was rescued from an African slave ship, and Aaron, the illegitimate son of a rich heir, who both live at
Coram Hospital, a children’s home. Explain to pupils that prior to the mid-1700s, children in London who
were abandoned due to poverty or the death of a family member were often left to fend for themselves.
Thomas Coram founded one of the first children’s homes which looked after these abandoned children.
Answers
1. E.g. The stage directions in brackets and the characters’ names written on the left.
2. E.g. He is worried, because he thinks that he is going to be told off for something to
do with the mud pie.
3. E.g. Because the beads belonged to his mother, who he never knew.
4. E.g. She knows that his mother isn’t a princess and she probably
isn’t free. She smiles because she’s pretending to believe Toby.
5. Any appropriate answer. E.g. He might feel grateful because he’s going to work for a man who
has been supporting him and he’s going to be given food and a place to stay. But he might
also not be looking forward to it very much because he only gets one day off a year.

Extra Activities
• Building on pupils’ responses to question 5, assign each child in the class the character of either Toby or
Aaron. Get them to write a diary entry describing their feelings about leaving Coram Hospital. Ask
them to discuss their diary entry with another pupil who wrote about a different character.
• Discuss with the class how playscripts try to mimic real speech to make the dialogue sound realistic. Ask
pupils how Edmundson does this in the extract, e.g. one word sentences, sentences starting with “and”.
• Ask pupils to write a script for another scene in the play, e.g. Toby’s arrival at Mr Gaddarn’s, Aaron’s
journey to meet Mr Brook. Pupils should use similar layout and written techniques to the extract.
• In the extract, Toby becomes emotional when he is handed the string of beads. Ask the pupils to think
about an object that means a lot to them, e.g. a souvenir from holiday or a gift from someone close to
them. Get them to write down what the object means to them and how it makes them feel. Invite
pupils to share what they’ve written with the class.
• Split the class into groups and ask them to act out the extract. Encourage them to think about conveying
the emotions of Toby and Aaron as Mrs Hendry tells them what is going to happen to them.
• Explain to the class that the “Mr Handel” mentioned in the extract was a famous composer. Play pupils an
excerpt from Handel’s ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’. How does it make them feel? Do they recognise
any instruments? Without knowing the title, can they guess what occasion the music was composed for?

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 37

An Interview with Tim Peake

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 18-19 • D&T (designing a patch)

Author / Source: • Science (gravity)

www.destinationspace.uk

Genre:
Non-fiction — interview

Introduction
Tim Peake was interested in flying from a young age. In 1992, he graduated from Sandhurst as a British Army
officer and went on to work as an army pilot, flying instructor and test pilot. In 2008, he applied to become
an astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA). Out of more than 8000 applicants, he was one of six to
be selected. In December 2015, he became the first British man to live on the International Space Station
(ISS), spending 185 days in space. Tim gave this interview shortly before he travelled to the ISS.
Answers
1. Going on a spacewalk.
2. E.g. The space station doesn’t have night and day like Earth does. This would make it difficult to sleep
because you usually go to sleep when it’s dark, but sometimes it wouldn’t be dark at bedtime.
3. E.g. Astronauts have important and sometimes dangerous jobs to do on the Space Station, for example
spacewalks, so keeping calm in difficult situations will help them do their job better.
4. E.g. very important; essential; vital
5. E.g. The questions are written in bold and separated from the answers. This makes them easy to spot.
6. Any appropriate answer. E.g. It is different because you can’t just go outside like you would on Earth.
However, it’s also similar because you can do things like watching TV and playing the guitar.
7. Any appropriate answer. E.g. Yes. It would be interesting to see the Earth from space and I would feel
proud because going into space is something that very few people get the chance to do. OR E.g. No. I
would be scared to go into space because it’s so far from home and something might go wrong.

Extra Activities
• Get pupils to imagine that they are in a rocket that is about to launch. Ask them to write a few
paragraphs describing how they feel about going into space.
• Ask pupils to produce a short biography about Tim. They could write about his early life, his journey to
becoming an astronaut, the work of the International Space Station and what Tim achieved in the six
months he was up there.
• Get pupils to think of a question they would like to ask Tim about space and his time on the International
Space Station. Pupils should ask their question to a partner, who should answer in character as Tim.
• Split the class into groups. Get each group to research a different aspect of life for astronauts in space, e.g.
what they eat, how they sleep, how they exercise. Each group should present their findings to the class.
• Explain that Blue Peter held a competition to design a patch that Tim would wear on his space suit. Get
pupils to design their own patch that reflects the mission and its aims.
• Ask the class what they know about how gravity works on Earth, then show them a video from the ISS
demonstrating zero gravity. Discuss with pupils how and why gravity is different in space than on Earth.

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 38

Escape From Germany

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 20-21 • History (Nazi Germany)
• PSHE (prejudice)
Author / Source:
Penny McKinlay

Genre:
Fiction — novel extract

Introduction
Escape from Germany by Penny McKinlay is part of the Sparks series, a range of books that introduce
children to historical events and the experiences of people who lived through them. Explain to the class
that this extract takes place during Kristallnacht or the ‘Night of Broken Glass’, a Nazi attack on Jews that
took place on the night of 9-10 November 1938. Jews throughout Germany were attacked and their
schools, homes, businesses and synagogues were vandalised or burnt. You may want to show pupils some
photos that show the extent of the devastation.

Answers
1. E.g. Because some shops on her street are on fire.
2. E.g. To help you imagine how the flames are leaping like a tiger wanting
to attack, then disappearing as if they are being tugged back on a lead.
3. E.g. To get away from the fire.
4. a. It is in capitals. b. E.g. To grab the reader’s attention and show how
sudden and loud the noise was.
5. E.g. She might feel angry and betrayed. He was nice to her when he let
her ride on his new bike, but now he is joining in with the violence by throwing a stone at her.
6. Any appropriate answer. E.g. It tells you that she’s brave because she stands up to the people outside.
She calls them “bullies” and doesn’t want to just hide away from them.

Extra Activities
• Get pupils to write a letter from Peter to Margot giving his version of the events in the extract. Pupils
could consider how Peter was feeling, why he might have thrown the stone and if he feels sorry or not.
• Ask pupils to share their answers to question 2 in the Question Book and discuss the effect of the simile
“like tigers on a leash”. Make sure pupils understand what a simile is and ask them to create their own
similes to describe fire. They could use some of their examples to write a poem about fire.
• As a class, discuss pupils’ answers to question 4b in the Question Book. Is this an effective way to start
a story? Ask them to suggest other opening words that would have a similar impact. Then ask pupils to
choose one of the words they have suggested and use it as the opening line for their own short story.
• Ask pupils to write a newspaper article reporting the events described in the extract. Remind them
about the layout features of newspaper articles including headlines, subheadings and columns.
• Explain to pupils a little about how the Nazi Party treated the Jews whilst it was in power and ask pupils
to put themselves in Margot’s shoes. How would they feel and what would they do? Discuss what they
think about the actions of people such as Peter, the boy who throws a stone at Margot in the extract.
Why do they think some people in Germany behaved in this way?

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 39

Poems about the Weather

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 22-23 • Art (illustration)
• Music (mood)
Author / Source:
Robert Louis Stevenson
Carol Ann Duffy

Genre:
Poetry

Introduction
Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) published numerous children’s poems. His creative use of
language and imagery to describe familiar experiences gave his poems a lasting appeal, and many are still
included in children’s poetry anthologies to this day. Carol Ann Duffy became the UK’s Poet Laureate in 2009
and has composed poems for many important national events. She is known for her use of simple language to
create powerful, striking images. Despite being written more than 100 years apart, these two poems offer
clear points of comparison in terms of their subject matter, narrative point of view and poetic techniques.
Answers
1. The Wind
2. E.g. throw; fling; hurl
3. Any appropriate answer. E.g. Invisible. The narrator says that he can feel and hear the wind and see the
things it does, but he can’t see the wind itself.
4. E.g. raindrops
5. E.g. Thunderstorms, because the narrator says “I love your thunderstorm dress” but only says “I like” for
the other dresses.
6. d. a verb
7. Any appropriate answer. E.g. I prefer The Wind because I like the idea of the wind as an invisible creature,
singing and throwing things around. OR E.g. I prefer Your Dresses because I like the way that the
descriptions of the dresses sound like different types of weather.

Extra Activities
• As a class, discuss similarities and differences in the form and structure of the two poems, then create a
table comparing them. The table could include things like number of stanzas, number of lines in each
stanza, rhyming pattern and use of repetition.
• Both poems use personification to bring the weather to life. Remind pupils what personification is, then
encourage them to pick out some examples from the poems (e.g. “I heard you call”, “when you dance on
the lawn”). As a class, discuss why poets use personification and its effect on the reader. Ask them to
choose one example of personification from either of the poems and create an illustration of it.
• As a class, discuss the different seasons. Which one do pupils prefer, and why? Ask pupils to write their
own poem with a verse for each season. They should start each verse in a similar style to Duffy, e.g. “I
like (summer)”, and use “But I love (autumn)” to introduce their favourite one.
• These poems look at how weather can create different moods. Explain that the composer Vivaldi wrote
a group of concertos called The Four Seasons. Each concerto represents the season it’s named after. Play
pupils an excerpt from one of the concertos (either spring, summer, autumn or winter) and ask them to
use the mood of the piece to guess which season they think the music represents.

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 40

Wayne Rooney: Captain of England

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 24-25 • PE (football)
• Maths (measurement)
Author / Source:
Tom and Matt Oldfield

Genre:
Non-fiction — biography

Introduction
Wayne Rooney was born in Croxteth, Liverpool in 1985. He is regarded by some as the best footballer in
England and one of the best in the world. He showed promise from a very young age, joining the Everton
Academy aged 9 and making his professional debut for the club at 16. He made his first appearance for
England aged 17 and his talent was soon recognised by Manchester United, who bought the striker for
£25.6 million when he was 18. He is one of Manchester United and England’s top goalscorers. Before pupils
read the extract, ask them if they support any football teams.

Answers
1. E.g. To show that the words are being chanted by the crowd.
2. E.g. Because it was his first game playing for Manchester United, so it was very important to him.
3. E.g. A whirlwind is a fast-moving spiral of wind. It suggests that Rooney’s career has moved quickly,
like a whirlwind.
4. E.g. first appearance; introduction; entrance
5. E.g. Because he had a broken bone in his foot.
6. E.g. They are excited to see Rooney play for their club for the first time. There is a “buzz” in the air and
many of them have his name on their shirts.
7. Any appropriate answer. E.g. Because it was a very significant moment in his life. As it says in the last
line, this match was where his career really began.

Extra Activities
• Ask pupils to write a diary entry from Rooney’s perspective on the night before his Manchester United
debut. They should use information from the extract to help them imagine how he might be feeling.
• As a class, make a list of the features of biographies, then ask pupils if they can identify any of them in the
extract. Invite pupils to research a sportsperson they admire and write a short biography about them.
• Divide pupils into small groups and ask each group to create a football-based activity to be used in a PE
lesson. Pupils should write instructions for their activity, explaining how it works and what equipment
they’ll need. Each group should present their idea to the class, who will then vote for their favourite
activity. The winning activity could be used in their next PE lesson.
• Wayne Rooney is known for his goal-scoring ability. Have a PE lesson with
the class on dribbling and striking. Set up a goal and arrange a line of cones
in front of it. Get pupils to dribble the ball in and out of all of the cones,
before striking the ball into the net (there doesn’t need to be a goalkeeper).
• Give pupils the dimensions of a standard football pitch and ask them to work
out its perimeter. Repeat this exercise with other playing fields, e.g. tennis, netball, rugby.

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 41

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 26-27 • Art (illustration)

Author / Source: • Science (lions)

C.S. Lewis • D&T (clay models)
Genre:
Classic fiction — novel extract

Introduction
C.S. Lewis is best known for his seven-part fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe is the first book in the series. It focuses on four siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, who help
to free the magical kingdom of Narnia from the power of the evil White Witch. In this extract, Edmund, who
has been corrupted by the White Witch, has snuck away from his siblings to visit the Witch’s castle. Before
reading the extract, ask pupils if they are familiar with the Narnia books or films.

Answers
1. E.g. No, because sharp things like “needles” might hurt you, so this description makes the house sound
threatening and dangerous.
2. E.g. Each word is repeated. The author did this to show how big the house is and how far Edmund had to
walk to find the entrance.
3. a. a verb
4. E.g. It is winter — there is deep snow on the ground and the river has frozen over.
5. E.g. To show how scared and nervous Edmund is. It helps you to put yourself in Edmund’s place and
imagine exactly how he feels.
6. Any appropriate answer. E.g. No. Edmund has heard that the White Witch can turn people into stone.
This makes her sound frightening and dangerous, so I would be scared to meet her.

Extra Activities
• The extract ends with Edmund putting out his hand to touch the lion. Get each pupil to write a few
bullet points summarising what they think might happen next. Each pupil should swap their summary
with a partner and then write a continuation of the story based on their partner’s summary.
• As a class, discuss how the author shows that Edmund is scared in the third paragraph. Do pupils think
that the author’s techniques are effective? Assign pupils other emotions (e.g. happy, sad, angry) and get
them to write a paragraph using similar techniques to describe how they feel.
• Invite pupils to make up their own magical land like Narnia. What would they call it? What would its
inhabitants be like? How would you travel to this world? Ask pupils to write a short story about a group
of children discovering their magical land.
• Using information from the text and their own imaginations, ask pupils to draw the Witch’s castle.
Encourage them to include as much detail as possible and to try to capture the atmosphere of the extract.
• Ask pupils to produce a fact sheet about lions. They should include information about where lions live
and their diet, as well as illustrations. The sheets could then be made into a class display.
• Get pupils to make a model lion from clay. They should use their fact sheets from the previous activity
to make their models as accurate as possible.

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 42

A Letter from Barack Obama

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 28-29 • PSHE (social responsibility)

Author / Source:
Barack Obama

Genre:
Non-fiction — letter

Introduction
Barack Obama was elected in November 2008 and sworn in as President of the United States in January 2009.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama trained and worked as a lawyer before entering politics. In this letter to his
daughters, he explains his reasons for running for President and what he hoped to achieve during his time in
office. Before pupils read the letter, ask them what they know about Obama. Have they seen him on
television or heard his speeches? What is their opinion of him?
Answers
1. E.g. He became less selfish.
2. E.g. That children should go to schools that will help them achieve their very best.
3. E.g. Yes, he says good jobs pay well, which means people will have the money to buy things they need.
He also says that good jobs give people benefits like healthcare, so having a good job helps people to
look after their health.
4. E.g. Differences caused by race, region, gender and religion.
5. E.g. Barack becoming the President and his family moving to the White House.
6. E.g. He is caring because he wants to help people go to good schools and get good jobs. He is ambitious
because he tells his daughters the things he wants to do to help make the world a better place.
7. Any appropriate answer. E.g. It might be hard because they would be busy and I might not get to see
them very much. It might also be exciting because the President and his family probably travel a lot, so I
might get to visit new countries.

Extra Activities
• Explain that politicians often write and talk in a persuasive way. Discuss with the class some of the
persuasive features of the letter, e.g. lists of three, emotive adjectives, personal pronouns.
• Ask pupils to think about the different features of letter writing, e.g. its layout, the type of language used.
Drawing on this discussion, ask them to write a letter to Obama from the perspective of one of his
children. Encourage pupils to write about their hopes and fears about their father becoming President.
• Explain to pupils that a magazine asked Obama to write this letter so that they could publish it. How
might publishing this letter in a magazine change the intended audience?
• Split the class into groups. Ask each group to think of ways to improve issues affecting their school, e.g.
littering, after school clubs, school dinners. Pupils should write their ideas in a table, which has columns
for the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of each suggestion. Hold a mock election where each group puts forward their
solutions. Pupils can then vote for the most convincing group.
• Discuss how Obama wants to make a difference in the world. Get pupils to think about something they
could do, however small, to make a difference in their community e.g. picking up a piece of litter and
putting it in the bin. Give pupils a week to perform a good deed, then as a class discuss what they did.

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4

 43

The Jungle Book

Question Book: Cross-curricular links:

Year 4, pages 30-31 • Geography (India)

Author / Source: • Drama (miming)

Rudyard Kipling • PSHE (differences)
Genre:
Classic fiction — novel extract

Introduction
The Jungle Book, Kipling’s collection of stories about Mowgli, is often considered a children’s classic. It is one
of Kipling’s best-known works and was influenced by his experiences of living in India, the country of his birth.
Kipling moved to England at the age of 5, but later returned to India to work as a journalist. Before reading
the extract with the class, ask pupils if they are familiar with the story or adaptations of it, such as the popular
1967 Disney® film or the 2016 live-action remake.

Answers
1. E.g. He was involved in a fight and made a “bad enemy”, so he fled from the jungle to get away from them.
2. E.g. Scared and threatened because they call out and run away from him. Mowgli is a stranger and
probably looks very different to them, so they might think he’s dangerous.
3. E.g. obstacle; barrier; fence
4. E.g. He can’t use language to speak to the man, so he uses actions that he thinks the man will understand.
5. E.g. At first the villagers are frightened and alarmed by Mowgli, but when they realise he is just a child who
has been living with wolves, they become more understanding and feel sorry for him.
6. Any appropriate answer. E.g. Yes. I want to read more about Mowgli and find out if he was the boy who
was taken by the tiger. I also want to know more about the fight at Council Rock.

Extra Activities
• Ask pupils to write a diary entry from the perspective of one of the villagers recounting Mowgli’s arrival.
• As a class, discuss what evidence Kipling gives that the villagers are afraid of the jungle and why they
might be so afraid. Get pupils to write a short story explaining why the villagers are so afraid.
• Discuss with pupils why Mowgli may have been forced to leave the jungle. Ask them to write a couple of
paragraphs describing what happened. Then get them to swap and discuss their work with a partner.
• With the class, find India on a map of the world. Get pupils to draw and label India, and the countries
and seas that surround it. They should also label the main geographical features and regions of India,
e.g. Himalayan mountain range, River Ganges, rainforest, main cities.
• In the extract, Mowgli has to ask a villager for food by using actions. Split the class into pairs and get
each pupil to see if they can successfully ask their partner something without using words.
• Explain that later on in the novel, Mowgli is driven out of the village because the villagers are afraid of his
ability to communicate with animals. Discuss the difficulties they think Mowgli would have in trying to fit
in with the wolves in the pack and the humans in the village. Do pupils think it was right of the villagers
to turn Mowgli away because they were scared of him?

Key Stage 2 Comprehension — Year 4