Wednesday 29th April 2020

Reading

1. Look at the first page of the chapter. How do you think the officer who led the original search felt? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
2. Why does the German turn and salute?
3. Imagine you are Tucky re-telling the events to your classmates. What will you say?
4. David is unable to enjoy the celebration meal that Mr Reynolds and Ann prepare: why not?
5. Near the end of the chapter, Mr Reynolds lets the boys know that he knows the truth: how does he do this?

            a) How do you think Mr Reynolds feels to know the truth?

            b) How do you think David feels when he realises that Mr Reynolds knows the truth?

Now that we have finished the book, why don’t you write a book review? You could ask an adult to help you to post a review on Amazon.co.uk (you must ask an adult first) or you could email a review to me. Perhaps we could create a Goldfinch Book Review section on our class web page.

Tuesday 28th April 2020

Reading

1. What did the grassy clearing remind David of? Why?
2. Why had the Germans moved?
3. Find and copy a phrase that tells the reader that the Germans were extremely hungry.
4. What does the German bomber mean when he says, ‘we all do things we know we should not’? Can you give any examples of what this means to you?
5. Think about how each boy reacts to the task of returning Gurt to the village. How do their reactions differ?
6. Why do you think the boys had agreed that David would be the spokesman?
7. Why does David decide not to catch Gurt’s eye at the end of the chapter?

   8. Select the best word or groups of words to complete each sentence:

The boys were sent out by Mr. Reynolds to look for

On their journey, they also found the German bombers and gave them

to keep them warm. 

Finally, they helped Gurt back to

Monday 27th April 2020

Reading

Reading - Chapter 6

1. Why did you think the boys waved at the plane, calling attention to themselves?

2. Which definition is best for the word instinctively ? (on the first page)

a) doing as you are told

b) not sure what to do

c) without thinking about it

3. Explain the phrase ‘it waggled its wings in salute’.

4. Look at the second set of pages: what is wrong with Gurt? 

5. Why did David feel differently about stealing the brandy, as opposed to the eggs?

6. Why do you think school seemed to go so slowly for the boys the next day?

7. Find and copy a word on the sixth set of pages that suggests Tucky is keen to get back out onto the moors.

8. Using the information from this chapter, tick one box in each row to show whether each statement is true or false.

Friday 24th April 2020

Reading

CHAPTER 5

1. Explain what the author means when he says, ‘he spoke haltingly’.
2. How do you think the author wants us to feel about the German bombers? How does he achieve this?
3. Find this sentence on the third set of pages, at the bottom: David said, as defiantly as he could. What does defiantly mean?
4. Using information from the text, draw and label a picture of the German airmen’s shelter.
5. Why does Tucky interrupt David when he begins to tell Ann the story of what has happened?
6. David had never heard Tucky like this. He was excitable, yes; impetuous, yes; but he'd never found him determined or single-minded.                                                                                                                                              a) What do impetuous, determined and single-minded mean?                                                                                              b) Write a sentence for each word
7. Although the boys agree to keep the Germans a secret, they both have different thoughts about it. Who do you agree with? Why?

Writing

You are going to make a cartoon strip of the part in the story where David nearly drowns and is saved by the German airman.

In the book we read about the drowning from David’s viewpoint. Re-read the

event in Chapter 4.

We know that David and Tucky are trying to cross the river by some stepping-stones. David falls in when the final jump is too big for him. The force of the river drags him under. Then he feels arms around him as the airman saves him. Tucky tells him what happened on the riverbank.

Think about what Tucky and the airman could be doing as David falls in. You will also need to include speech bubbles showing what the different characters may say and some thought bubbles showing what they are thinking.

Divide the event into 8 sections, each one will become part of the cartoon strip. Make some brief notes about what will happen in each box.

Here is an example of a WW2 comic (taken from the book on the shelf behind me as I read to you each day)

Thursday 23rd April 2020

Reading

Friend or Foe Chapter 4

Reading Questions

1. What is the difference between Tucky’s recount of the plane crashing and David’s recount? Who would you believe?

2. On the fourth set pages (which starts, Was there a plane?), look on the right page and find the sentence, She took their mugs and left the room quickly.  Why do you think Ann leaves the room so quickly?

3. Have you ever been in a similar situation to David and Tucky, when no one seemed to believe you? What happened? How did you feel?

4. Find an unfamiliar, or technical, word or phrase in this chapter. Think about how it is used. What do you think it means?

5. Find words or phrases which show you how Mr. Reynolds is feeling when they return home from the search.

6. Why did Tucky lead the boys in their search?

7. What motivated David to carry on searching for the plane?

8. Look at the last double-page. How does the author describe the water? What effect does his use of language have on how you imagine the water?

9. Use a thought-shaped post-it note to write down what Tucky might be thinking and feeling as he watches David flounder in the water.

Activity: Imagine you are David and are struggling in the water, when you feel an arm around your
neck and under your shoulder. Continue the story from the end of the passage, writing about what
you may be feeling and what happens next. You should try and write about 10 lines. Email these to Mrs Evans.

Writing

Yesterday you planned your letter from David to his mother. I would like you to write the letter today but before you do, let’s look at some grammar. 

Conjunctions are words or phrases which join clauses together. Check BBC Bitesize to remind yourself about coordinating and subordinating conjunctions (click the words) then check the GPAS section of the class page to test your knowledge. Spend about 20 minutes revising this before coming back to your plan.

When you are ready, write your letter to David’s mother. Ensure you include conjunctions at the start and in the middle of your sentences.

Wednesday 22nd April 2020

Reading

Friend or Foe Chapter 3

Reading Questions

1. Describe Anne's appearance ( you must refer to the text).

What was different about her? Do you think people in the village treat her differently? 

1. How did David father die? 
2. How long did the walk to school take? 
3. Do you think the author wants us to like Mr Cooper? Use evidence from the text to explain your answer. 
4. What impression do you get of Tucky’s parents? Use evidence from the text to support your opinion. 
5. Why did the war seem so distant and unreal? 

1. Extra question: David’s mother wrote to him and told him she was stationed at an ack-ack battery on the south coast. 
   1. Find out what an ack-ack battery was.
   2. Where exactly might she have been stationed?

Activity:

Correct the following sentence by adding in the missing punctuation:

good morning children said mr Cooper kindly 

Writing

Letter to mum 

When David has just settled into his new home in Devon, he receives this letter from his mother: 

   Dear David, 

     I hope you're being a good boy for your host family. Remember your manners all the time and make sure you help  

     around the house. 

     I bet you are having a lovely time in the countryside. It must be great having all that space to play and all that fresh air.        

    You must let me know all the things you have been up to since you arrived. 

     Are you being good at school? I hope you are listening to your teacher and working hard. What is your new school like

     and how are your classmates? Do they talk funny?

     I miss you very much. I'm now in an ack-ack-battery in Kent. I'm living by the sea and I'm sure you would love some of

     the beaches nearby. We'll come back here together when the war is over. 

                      Be brave my darling. Remember to keep your chin up and not cry. You have to be the grown man now and

                      mummy loves you very much.

Be good,

all my love,

Mummy

xxx

Planning grid

Make some notes under each of these headings to think about what David will write as a reply (you must use evidence from the text in addition to your imagination). Plan today: you will write the letter tomorrow.

Tuesday 21st April 2020

Friend or Foe – Chapter 2

Most of today’s reading questions will check your understanding of the words and language used in the text. Before you begin, check the Reading section of the class webpage, the Explain the meaning of words in context. Choose the first PowerPoint R2a Can show an understanding of the meaning of vocabulary in different contexts.ppt and work through slides 1-15. Do not work through the whole PowerPoint, there is no need.

If you do not have an actual dictionary, you can check the meaning of words online.

Now read Chapter 2 of Friend or Foe. You might want to follow the text as you listen to Mrs Evans reading it to you.

1. On page 15, the rain drops are described thus: “they ran in intricate and erratic patterns from the top of the windowpane down towards the bottom.”

What does erractic mean? Describe, in your own words, how the rain drops ran down the windowpane.

    2. After arguing about when the war might end, “David has won his duel with Paul…” (page 18). What is a duel? 

        Why do you think the author has chosen to use duel in this context?

    3. Look at page 18: in what ways is the station at Exeter different to Paddington station?

    4. Find the description of the food that the children are given on page 23.

     a.  How does the author let us know that David was very hungry?

     b.  How does the food make David feel?

     c. What word could the author have used to describe just how hungry David was?

   5. Find the phrase inaudible whisper on page 27. What does inaudible mean?

   6. Mr Reynolds is introduced on page 27. Read from pages 27 to page 33 and complete a character study on Mr

       Reynolds (like you did yesterday).

      a. Find words and phrases to explain your choices.

      b. Draw a picture of him (don’t just copy from the book) and include the details as they described in the book.

      c. Finally, add a thought bubble and write what Mr Reynolds may be thinking – this must be based on something

          you have read in the text.)

   7. What are your first impressions of Mr Reynolds? Why do you think that?

Monday 20th 2020

For this study session I would like you to follow along with me as I read Chapter 1 of Friend or Foe by Michael Morpurgo, then consider the questions and character study below and think about how best you would answer them. 

1. Where is David when he wakes up? Why do you think he has slept in that place?
2. Can you find three words or phrases that highlight Mother’s caring nature?
3. Look at page 4. How do you think David’s father died?
4. Look at page 6. Who were Brian and Garry Perkins and what happened to them? No one talks about the Perkins boys anymore. Why do you think this is?
5. Look at page 7. Why do you think that it helped David to see so many of his friends as miserable as he felt himself?
6. What sort of atmosphere do you think the author is trying to create in the first chapter? Use words, phrases and evidence from the book to support your opinion.

Character study

Choose two characters from Chapter 1 and complete a character study.

1. Write the name of the character in the middle of a page
2. Choose adjectives and noun phrases to describe them and write these around the name - you must also add evidence to show how you know / why you infer this. For example, you might describe Miss Evers as cold-hearted: she picked on Tucky mercilessly (page 10) and she makes the children rush to say goodbye to their parents (page 7). Take 2 coloured pencils: underline the facts that you have found out from the text, for example, Miss Roberts is a huge lady (page 13) in one colour, and underline the facts you have inferred, for example, Miss Roberts is warm and kind towards the children but she is hiding the fact that she is worried. I know this because she doesn’t stop smoking (page 13) and this suggests that she is anxious

If you have any questions or are wanting some support with this work please do not hesitate to email me using the COntact Mrs Evans button on the class page.