• NON-FICTION
90 Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Teaching and Assessment Guide © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2019
Unit 11NON-FICTION
The Battle of Britain/DunkirkGillian Clements/Kate Ruttle
Key text features
The texts are historical report texts relating to key events in British history.
l The Teaching text is an extract from The Battle of Britain, entitled The Battle of Britain Begins, by Gillian Clements.
l The Practice text is from Dunkirk by Kate Ruttle.
Reading the Teaching text: The Battle of Britain Begins
l What do the children know about the Second World War? Do they know when it was? Do they know which countries were involved, and on which side? What were the names of the key people involved? What were the important events?
l Explain that less than a year after the war began, in June 1940, Hitler’s armies had taken France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Holland, and were setting out to invade Britain.
l Access the Interactive Modelling Software for this unit. Read the extract to the children and ask them to think about what they have learned about the war.
l Read the extract again, this time using the modelling software to model ‘cracking’ the questions together. Remember to look at the model answers and discuss strategies for different question types (see pages 92–93).
Reading the Practice text: Dunkirk
l What do the children know about the events at Dunkirk during the Second World War? Show them where Dunkirk is on a map, and explain that the text describes a famous episode during the war.
l Once they have read the extract, remind the children that they are now going to work independently to practise the strategies introduced during the teaching session.
Moving into writing
l Reread both extracts.
l Explain to the children that you want them to write a similar descriptive piece about an event you have studied in history.
l Ask the children to think about or research the event. Show them how to use a mind map to record different aspects of the event.
l Show them an image of the event/part of the event. Together, talk about the feelings and motivations of the people involved or affected.
l Encourage the children to use sticky notes on their mind map to add interesting details to grip the reader, e.g. sound effects, smells, reactions or quotations.
l In pairs, ask the children to use their mind map to tell a response partner about the event. Ask the response partner to give feedback.
l Encourage the children to write their description of the event.
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Unit 11 • NON-FICTION
Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Teaching and Assessment Guide © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2019 91
Listening Comprehension: Questions and AnswersThe listening comprehension questions can be accessed on the modelling software for this unit.
My Secret War Diary – Marcia Williams
War Boy: A Wartime Childhood – Michael Foreman
The Worst Children’s Jobs in History – Tony Robinson
Horrible Histories: Woeful Second World War – Terry Deary
Extending reading
Q1: Which countries had already been invaded and occupied by the Germans at the start of the battle of Britain?
A1: Czechoslovakia, Poland, Holland, France and Belgium
Strategy: Think about where in the text you would find the answer to this question. Listen to that part of the text again.
Q2: What does “SCRAMBLE! SCRAMBLE!” mean?
A2: It is an instruction to pilots to rush to their aeroplanes and take to the air.
Strategy: Think about where in the text you would find the answer to this question. Listen to that part of the text again.
Q3: Why was Hitler determined to have control of the skies above Britain?
A3: Without the British planes above them, Hitler believed that the German army would soon take over Britain.
Strategy: Listen to the whole text again, being alert for the importance of control of the skies.
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92 Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Teaching and Assessment Guide © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2019
Unit 11 • NON-FICTION
Teac
hing
text
: The
Bat
tle o
f Brit
ain
Begi
ns
Crac
king
the
ques
tion
sQ
uest
ion
Ans
wer
CD/M
ark
Use
ful s
trat
egie
s1.
W
hat w
as th
e na
me
of:
(a
) Ger
man
y’s
lead
er?
(b
) the
Ger
man
air
forc
e?
(a) (
Adol
f) H
itler
(b) t
he L
uftw
affe
2b 1 m
ark
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
iden
tify
key
deta
ils fr
om n
on-fi
ctio
n.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Care
fully
read
the
text
, loo
king
for t
he a
nsw
er.
2.
Look
at t
he fi
rst p
arag
raph
.
W
hich
of t
he o
ptio
ns is
the
wor
d “f
alle
n” c
lose
st in
mea
ning
to?
Ti
ck o
ne.
□ b
een
inva
ded
□ b
een
redu
ced
□ b
roke
n do
wn
□ t
rippe
d ov
er
been
inva
ded
2a 1 m
ark
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
expl
ain
the
mea
ning
of w
ords
in c
onte
xt.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Care
fully
read
the
para
grap
h in
dica
ted.
•Re
ad th
e op
tions
giv
en in
the
ques
tion
and
rere
ad th
e se
nten
ce, t
hink
ing
abou
t the
mea
ning
of t
he w
ord
in th
is c
onte
xt.
3.
The
deve
lopm
ent o
f rad
ar w
as
impo
rtan
t to
the
Briti
sh d
urin
g th
e w
ar.
Fi
nd a
nd c
opy
a se
nten
ce th
at
expl
ains
why
.
Acce
pt e
ither
of t
he fo
llow
ing:
•“A
maz
ingl
y, it
cou
ld d
etec
t thi
ngs i
n th
e ai
r lo
ng b
efor
e yo
u co
uld
see
them
.”•
“Rad
ar st
atio
ns b
uilt
alon
g th
e Br
itish
coa
st
coul
d w
arn
the
RAF
whe
n G
erm
an p
lane
s w
ere
on th
eir w
ay.”
2d 1 m
ark
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
expl
ain
and
just
ify in
fere
nces
with
evi
denc
e fro
m th
e te
xt.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Scan
the
text
for t
he w
ord
“rad
ar”.
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e se
nten
ces
arou
nd th
e w
ord,
tryi
ng to
thin
k w
hy it
was
im
port
ant.
4.
“Rat
atat
!”
W
hy is
this
wor
d w
ritte
n ita
lics?
to s
how
that
it is
a s
ound
eff
ect
2f 1 m
ark
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
expl
ain
how
info
rmat
ion
is re
late
d an
d co
ntrib
utes
to m
eani
ng
as a
who
le.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Scan
the
text
, loo
king
for t
he w
ord.
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e pa
ragr
aph
cont
aini
ng th
e w
ord.
•Re
flect
on
the
impa
ct o
f writ
ing
this
wor
d in
ital
ics.
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Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Teaching and Assessment Guide © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2019 93
Unit 11 • NON-FICTION
5.
Giv
e tw
o w
ays
in w
hich
the
Briti
sh
had
prep
ared
for a
Ger
man
att
ack.
Acce
pt a
ny tw
o of
:
•Th
e RA
F ha
d bu
ilt n
ew a
nd fa
ster
pla
nes.
•Br
itish
sci
entis
ts h
ad d
evel
oped
rada
r.•
They
had
bui
lt ra
dar s
tatio
ns to
war
n th
e RA
F w
hen
Ger
man
pla
nes
wer
e on
thei
r w
ay.
2b 1 m
ark
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
iden
tify
key
deta
ils fr
om n
on-fi
ctio
n.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Skim
-read
the
text
to g
ain
an o
vera
ll un
ders
tand
ing
of th
e m
eani
ng o
f th
e te
xt.
•Sc
an th
e te
xt fo
r evi
denc
e of
Brit
ish
prep
arat
ions
for i
nvas
ion.
6.
Num
ber t
he e
vent
s to
sho
w th
e or
der i
n w
hich
they
are
men
tione
d in
the
text
.
□ R
adar
sta
tions
wer
e bu
ilt a
long
the
Briti
sh c
oast
.
□ T
he L
uftw
affe
sta
rted
to b
omb
Briti
sh s
hips
.
□ H
itler
dec
ided
to p
repa
re fo
r an
inva
sion
.
□ R
adar
det
ecte
d a
mas
s of
Ger
man
fig
hter
s an
d bo
mbe
rs.
Rada
r sta
tions
wer
e bu
ilt a
long
the
Br
itish
coa
st.
1
The
Luft
waf
fe s
tart
ed to
bom
b
Briti
sh s
hips
. 4
Hitl
er d
ecid
ed to
pre
pare
for a
n in
vasi
on.
3
Rada
r det
ecte
d a
mas
s of
Ger
man
fig
hter
s an
d bo
mbe
rs.
2
2c 1 m
ark
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
sum
mar
ise
mai
n id
eas f
rom
mor
e th
an o
ne p
arag
raph
.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Scan
the
who
le te
xt fo
r eac
h of
the
even
ts d
escr
ibed
.•
Num
ber t
he e
vent
s, th
en c
heck
you
r ans
wer
aga
inst
the
text
.
Awar
d 2
mar
ks fo
r all
even
ts c
orre
ctly
seq
uenc
ed.
Awar
d 1
mar
k fo
r tw
o ev
ents
cor
rect
ly s
eque
nced
.
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Unit 11 • NON-FICTION
94 Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Teaching and Assessment Guide © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2019 You may photocopy this page
DunkirkIn May 1940, things were not going well for the allied British and French forces in northern France. The German army had been cunning, and had managed to separate the allies into two smaller groups.
One group of nearly 400,000 allied soldiers had to retreat from the advancing German army until they reached the French coast near the town of Dunkirk. The soldiers could not retreat any further because the sea was behind them, so they worked out the best way to defend the beach and settled down, hoping for rescue. But Dunkirk harbour had been bombed, so the great warships that could transport men back to England had to stay offshore because they couldn’t reach the troops on the beaches. The German army was poised to attack.
It looked like all was lost for these soldiers.
The British commanders lost no time. They requested that the owners and crew of every boat along the south-east coast of England should go and help rescue the troops. Overnight, a great flotilla of small boats – rowing boats, fishing boats, pleasure boats, yachts, even lifeboats – set out to cross the 75 km of English Channel to ferry the men from the beach at Dunkirk to the warships. As they approached France, the little boats were attacked with bombs, mines and even torpedoes, but they didn’t give up.
In the end, nearly 340,000 British and French troops were evacuated from Dunkirk over the space of nine days. They left behind them guns, vehicles, ammunition and food – but the lives of most of the soldiers were saved.
1
4
12
13
20
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Unit 11 • NON-FICTION
Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Teaching and Assessment Guide © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2019 You may photocopy this page 95
Name: Class: Date:
1 mark
2d
1 mark
2g
1 mark
2a
1 mark
2g
1 mark
2b
2 marks
2d
1 mark
2f
1 mark
2c
2 marks
2e
1 In the first paragraph, the German army is described as “cunning”. Why does the author use the word “cunning” instead of clever?
Tick one.
The word “cunning” makes us think of foxes, and the German army were like foxes. • We admire clever people, and the writer doesn’t want us to admire the German army. • There is no good reason. The words mean exactly the same thing. • The German army were lucky in the decisions they made. •2 Look at the paragraph beginning “One group of …”.
Find and copy one word that means the same as withdraw.
3 Look at the paragraph beginning “One group of …”. Find and copy one word that shows that the warships were huge and powerful.
4 According to the text, what did the soldiers do while they hoped for rescue?
5 “It looked like all was lost for these soldiers.” Give two reasons for this statement. Explain your reasons.
6 “It looked like all was lost for these soldiers.” Why is this paragraph so short?
7 Why do you think the British commanders “lost no time”?
8 How do you think the German army felt when they discovered so many of the allied soldiers were being rescued? Explain your answer using ideas from the text.
9 What do you think the main lesson we can learn from this event is?
Tick one.
When to sail a small boat across the channel. • You should defend yourself while you hope for rescue. • You should not give up, even when something seems hopeless. • You should always obey a request from the army. •
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96 Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Teaching and Assessment Guide © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2019
Unit 11 • NON-FICTION
Prac
tice
text
: Dun
kirk
Cr
acki
ng th
e qu
esti
ons
Que
stio
nA
nsw
erCD
/Mar
kU
sefu
l str
ateg
ies
1.
In th
e fir
st p
arag
raph
, the
Ger
man
ar
my
is d
escr
ibed
as
“cun
ning
”.
Why
doe
s th
e au
thor
use
the
wor
d “c
unni
ng” i
nste
ad o
f cle
ver?
Ti
ck o
ne.
□ T
he w
ord
“cun
ning
” mak
es u
s th
ink
of fo
xes,
and
the
Ger
man
arm
y w
ere
like
foxe
s.
□ W
e ad
mire
cle
ver p
eopl
e, a
nd th
e w
riter
doe
sn’t
wan
t us
to a
dmire
th
e G
erm
an a
rmy.
□ T
here
is n
o go
od re
ason
. The
wor
ds
mea
n ex
actly
the
sam
e th
ing.
□ T
he G
erm
an a
rmy
wer
e lu
cky
in th
e de
cisi
ons
they
mad
e.
We
adm
ire c
leve
r peo
ple,
and
the
writ
er d
oesn
’t
wan
t us
to a
dmire
the
Ger
man
arm
y.
2g 1 m
ark
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
expl
ain
how
mea
ning
is e
nhan
ced
thro
ugh
choi
ce o
f wor
ds
and
phra
ses.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Care
fully
read
the
para
grap
h in
dica
ted,
con
side
ring
the
impa
ct o
f the
w
ord
“cun
ning
”.•
Read
the
optio
ns in
the
ques
tion,
then
cho
ose
the
one
that
is c
lose
st to
yo
ur u
nder
stan
ding
.
2.
Look
at t
he p
arag
raph
beg
inni
ng
“One
gro
up o
f …”.
Fi
nd a
nd c
opy
one
wor
d th
at
mea
ns th
e sa
me
as w
ithdr
aw.
“ret
reat
”2a 1
mar
k
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
expl
ain
the
mea
ning
of w
ords
in c
onte
xt.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Scan
the
para
grap
h in
dica
ted,
look
ing
for a
wor
d w
ith th
is m
eani
ng.
•Ca
refu
lly re
read
the
sent
ence
con
tain
ing
the
wor
d to
che
ck y
our r
espo
nse.
3.
Look
at t
he p
arag
raph
beg
inni
ng
“One
gro
up o
f …”.
Fi
nd a
nd c
opy
one
wor
d th
at
show
s th
at th
e w
arsh
ips
wer
e hu
ge
and
pow
erfu
l.
“gre
at”
2g 1 m
ark
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
iden
tify
how
mea
ning
is e
nhan
ced
thro
ugh
choi
ce o
f wor
ds.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Care
fully
read
the
para
grap
h in
dica
ted,
sea
rchi
ng fo
r a w
ord
that
impl
ies
size
and
pow
er.
4.
Acco
rdin
g to
the
text
, wha
t did
the
sold
iers
do
whi
le th
ey h
oped
for
resc
ue?
Acce
pt e
ither
of:
•Th
ey w
orke
d ou
t how
to d
efen
d th
e be
ach.
•Th
ey d
efen
ded
the
beac
h.
2b 1 m
ark
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
iden
tify
key
deta
ils fr
om n
on-fi
ctio
n.St
rate
gies
:•
Care
fully
read
the
ques
tion,
mar
king
key
wor
ds.
•Sc
an th
e te
xt fo
r evi
denc
e of
wha
t the
sold
iers
did
whi
le th
ey h
oped
for r
escu
e.
5.
“It l
ooke
d lik
e al
l was
lost
for t
hese
so
ldie
rs.”
G
ive
two
reas
ons
for t
his
stat
emen
t.
Expl
ain
your
reas
ons.
Acce
pt a
ny tw
o of
:•
“The
sold
iers
cou
ld n
ot re
trea
t any
furt
her
beca
use
the
sea
was
beh
ind
them
.”•
The
Ger
man
arm
y w
as p
oise
d to
att
ack.
If th
ey
did
atta
ck, t
hey
wou
ld k
ill o
r cap
ture
all t
he a
llied
tr
oops
.•
Dun
kirk
har
bour
had
bee
n bo
mbe
d, so
the
war
ship
s cou
ldn’
t tak
e th
e tro
ops o
ff th
e be
ache
s.
2d 2 m
arks
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
expl
ain
and
just
ify in
fere
nces
with
evi
denc
e fro
m th
e te
xt.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Skim
-read
the
text
to g
ain
an o
vera
ll und
erst
andi
ng o
f the
mea
ning
of t
he
text
.•
Scan
the
text
, loo
king
for r
easo
ns w
hy a
ll m
ight
be
lost
.•
Giv
e ea
ch re
ason
and
then
exp
lain
why
you
sug
gest
ed it
.
Awar
d 1
mar
k fo
r eac
h re
ason
and
exp
lana
tion,
up
to a
tota
l of 2
mar
ks.
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Cracking Comprehension Year 4 Teaching and Assessment Guide © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2019 97
Unit 11 • NON-FICTION
6.
“It l
ooke
d lik
e al
l was
lost
for t
hese
so
ldie
rs.”
W
hy is
this
par
agra
ph s
o sh
ort?
Acce
pt a
nsw
ers
that
reco
gnis
e an
y of
:
•It
mar
ks th
e tu
rnin
g po
int i
n th
e te
xt fr
om
defe
at to
resc
ue.
•Th
e pa
ragr
aph
stan
ds o
ut.
•Th
e sh
ort p
arag
raph
is e
mph
asis
ed a
s be
ing
impo
rtan
t.
2f 1 m
ark
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
expl
ain
how
info
rmat
ion
is re
late
d an
d co
ntrib
utes
to
mea
ning
as a
who
le.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Skim
-read
the
who
le te
xt, c
onsi
derin
g th
e ov
eral
l mea
ning
of t
he te
xt
befo
re th
e pa
ragr
aph
and
the
text
aft
er th
e pa
ragr
aph.
•Co
nsid
er th
e im
pact
of t
his
very
sho
rt p
arag
raph
at t
his
poin
t in
the
text
.
7.
Why
do
you
thin
k th
e Br
itish
co
mm
ande
rs “l
ost n
o tim
e”?
They
kne
w th
at th
e tr
oops
wou
ld b
e ca
ptur
ed o
r ki
lled
unle
ss th
ey to
ok a
ctio
n qu
ickl
y.2d 1
mar
k
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
mak
e in
fere
nces
from
the
text
.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Scan
the
text
for t
he w
ords
in th
e qu
estio
n.•
Care
fully
read
the
rele
vant
par
agra
phs,
cons
ider
ing
the
ques
tion.
8.
How
do
you
thin
k th
e G
erm
an
arm
y fe
lt w
hen
they
dis
cove
red
so
man
y of
the
allie
d so
ldie
rs w
ere
bein
g re
scue
d?
Ex
plai
n yo
ur a
nsw
er u
sing
idea
s fr
om th
e te
xt.
Acce
pt a
nsw
ers w
ith re
leva
nt e
xpla
natio
ns. E
.g.
•re
lieve
d: if
the
sold
iers
wer
e go
ne, t
here
w
ould
n’t b
e m
uch
fight
ing.
•ha
ppy:
they
cou
ld u
se a
ll th
e su
pplie
s th
e al
lied
sold
iers
had
left
beh
ind.
•an
gry:
they
mis
sed
out o
n ki
lling
/cap
turin
g al
lied
sold
iers
.
2e 2 m
arks
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
pred
ict w
hat m
ight
hap
pen
from
det
ails
stat
ed a
nd im
plie
d.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Skim
-read
the
who
le te
xt, t
hink
ing
abou
t the
Ger
man
arm
y’s
reac
tions
to
the
even
ts.
•Sc
an th
e te
xt, l
ooki
ng fo
r whe
re y
ou m
ight
find
an
answ
er.
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e re
leva
nt s
ectio
ns, c
onsi
derin
g th
e qu
estio
n.
Awar
d 1
mar
k fo
r an
appr
opria
te e
xpre
ssio
n of
em
otio
n an
d 1
mar
k fo
r an
expl
anat
ion
of th
e em
otio
n.
9.
Wha
t do
you
thin
k th
e m
ain
less
on
we
can
lear
n fr
om th
is e
vent
is?
Ti
ck o
ne.
□ W
hen
to s
ail a
sm
all b
oat a
cros
s th
e ch
anne
l.
□ Y
ou s
houl
d de
fend
you
rsel
f whi
le
you
hope
for r
escu
e.
□ Y
ou s
houl
d no
t giv
e up
, eve
n w
hen
som
ethi
ng s
eem
s ho
pele
ss.
□ Y
ou s
houl
d al
way
s ob
ey a
requ
est
from
the
arm
y.
You
shou
ldn’
t giv
e up
, eve
n w
hen
som
ethi
ng
seem
s ho
pele
ss.
2c 1 m
ark
Que
stio
n fo
cus:
sum
mar
ise
mai
n id
eas f
rom
mor
e th
an o
ne p
arag
raph
.
Stra
tegi
es:
•Ca
refu
lly re
ad th
e qu
estio
n, m
arki
ng k
ey w
ords
.•
Skim
-read
the
who
le te
xt, c
onsi
derin
g w
hat l
esso
n ca
n be
lear
ned.
•Co
mpa
re y
our a
nsw
er to
the
optio
ns in
the
ques
tion.
452602_U11_CC_2e_Y4_090-097.indd 97 22/01/19 1:22 PM