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