The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl the Gregg Family Loves Hunting but Their Eight Year Old Neighbour Can’T Stand It

The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl The Gregg family loves hunting but their eight year old neighbour can’t stand it. After countless pleas for them to stop are ignored, she sees red and puts the magic finger on them. Now the Greggs are a family of birds and, like it or not, they’re going to find out how it feels to be on the other end of the gun.

Overall aims of this teaching sequence • To explore, interpret and respond to a short chapter book • To explore characters and draw inferences to aid our understanding of them • To broaden understanding and use of appropriate vocabulary • To write for a range of purposes in response to fictional personal experiences, including poetry and non-fiction • To sequence events to write a short narrative based on a known model

This teaching sequence is designed for a Year 1 or Year 2 class. Overview of this teaching sequence

This teaching sequence is approximately 3 weeks long if spread out over 15 sessions. The book supports teachers to teach about setting, character and plot development. The narrative structure is carefully crafted and the characters and settings are well drawn, offering young readers a good stimulus for their own descriptive and story writing and writing simple non-fiction text types.

National Curriculum objectives covered by this sequence

Reading: (Word reading / Comprehension) Writing: (Transcription / Composition) . listen to, discuss and express views . draft and write by noting ideas, key about books at a level beyond that phrases and vocabulary, and composing which they can read independently; and rehearsing sentences orally; . discuss the significance of the title and . sequence sentences to form short events; narratives; . link what they hear or read to own . write for different purposes including experiences; about fictional personal experiences, . explain understanding of what is read; poetry, non-fiction and real events; . discuss the sequence of events in books . reread and evaluate writing to check it and how items of information are makes sense and make simple revisions; related; . read writing aloud with appropriate . discuss favourite words and phrases; intonation to make the meaning clear; . answer and ask questions; . use new and familiar punctuation . predict what might happen on the basis correctly; of what has been read; . use sentences in different forms; . draw inferences on the basis of what is . expand noun phrases to describe and being said and done; specify; . participate in discussion about what is . use past and present tense correctly and read, taking turns and listening to consistently; others; . use simple conjunctions to link

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express views about reading. subordinate and co-ordinating clauses.

Speaking and Listening: . listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers; . ask relevant questions to extend knowledge and understanding; . consider and evaluate viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others; . participate in discussions, performances, role play, improvisations and debate about what has been read; . use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas.

Cross Curricular Links:

This text might be linked to the wider theme of superpowers. You could develop the classroom environment (role play, reading and writing areas) linked to a superhero theme. Alternatively, you could link it to crime and punishment, such as a law court, or animal welfare, e.g. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Make available a range of related story, information, poetry, comics and appropriate websites.

Maths Number / Calculation: counting ducks Geometry and measures: vocabulary, length and weight during nest building; chronology of 24 hours passing during the day the Greggs became birds.

Science (Biology) Children have opportunity to learn about native birds as well as identify and compare different materials in large-scale nest building. Research and write an information leaflet about native birds (habitat, diet, anatomy etc)

KS1 programmes of study links: Computing Children can be encouraged to use ICT to enhance learning: filming role play, using digital photographs to make books or present ideas; create short simple e-text of book using PowerPoint that combines words with images and sounds; internet research. (See teaching sessions for more detail) KS1 subject content: use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content.

Personal, Social and Emotional Children will explore themes of crime, consequence and punishment and self-governance. Throughout the story, there are opportunities for the children to engage in debate and consider alternative viewpoints and arguments.

Geography Children will be able to investigate the physical features of the countryside in which the story is set, using aerial images and other models to create a simple plan/map of the setting.

Art and Design

The children’s own drawings and artwork enables deeper thinking around language that evokes atmosphere, such as in the storm scene. Children are able to explore the illustrative style and technique of Quentin Blake’s pen and ink drawings as well as respond to other artists’ portrayals of storms. KS1 subject content: generate, develop, model and communicate ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology; select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics.

Design and Technology Children are given opportunity to use a range of tools and materials in a collaborative effort to design, build and evaluate a large bird’s nest that can hold an agreed weight (perhaps four toy figures).

P.E. In response to Dahl’s use of language and following visual literacy sessions, the children add expressive detail, exploring music and movement, to perform a dance to represent the storm scene.

Music Through work around adding detail to the storm scene, the children respond to and demonstrate deeper understanding of the music they listen to, before being inspired to make and combine sounds musically to create compositions to represent the storm.

Teaching Approaches Writing Outcomes . Reading aloud and re-reading . Tell Me responses . Class reading journal . Letter to the girl, asking questions. . Book talk . Persuasive letter to the Greggs . Special questions . Captions on behaviour chart . Drawing and annotating . Diary entry . Drama and role-play . Information poster about native birds . Reader’s Theatre . Collaborative poem about the joys of . Visualising flying . Role Play . Narrative sequel to the story . Shared writing . Storytelling . Diagrams and comparison charts

Links to other texts and resources Fantastic Mr Fox’ by Roald Dahl ‘The Judy Moody’ series by Megan McDonald ‘The Julian Stories’ by Ann Cameron ‘Eliot, Midnight Superhero’ by Ann Cottringer ‘The Powers – The Not-so-super Superheroes’

‘How to Heal a Broken Wing’ by Bob Graham ‘Egg Drop’ by Mini Grey ‘Loveykins’ by Quentin Blake ‘Two Little Birds’ by Mary Newell DePalma ‘Have you Heard the Nesting Bird?’ by Rita Gray ‘Mama Built a Little Nest’ by Jennifer Ward My First Book of Birds by RSPB

Weblinks: Hunting Teachers should exercise great care when asking children to research contentious issue, such as hunting and animal welfare. All websites should be checked for graphic images and description that could distress young children. Overtly biased arguments should be swerved as children of this age are at the beginning of their experience of the web and are less able to discern fact from opinion in non- fiction text. The BBC Newsround website is child-friendly and presents a balanced overview of fox hunting, a popular topic of debate in the UK: http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/animals/fox_hunting/newsid_1717000/1717812 .stm Birds https://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/garden-birds/10627.html Birdseye http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v2L2UGZJAM Storm Britten’s Four Sea Interludes: Storm from his opera, Peter Grimes.

Teaching Sessions Session 1: Visualising, book talk (special questions) and role on the wall

. Prepare a large class reading journal to capture the children’s responses and examples of their work throughout the teaching sequence. . Display, on the wall, an enlarged image of the girl from pages 8-9. Do not share the rest of the book or the title at this point. . Though discussion, paired and group work, consider four elements: o What does the picture remind you of? o What do we know about the girl? Would you like to meet her? Encourage children to give reasons. o What would you like to know about the girl? Does anything puzzle you? o What do you think the girl is thinking? Why do you think that? . As children share their initial thoughts, scribe responses around the enlarged image, labelling any clues children have found about the girl. . Now show the children the first page ‘Introducing...’ and discuss the characters, including Girl’s lack of name, their relationships and the general mood. Compare to the mood of the girl

depicted in the enlarged image. Does it tell you anything else about the girl? Use a different colour to scribe these responses on the image to show contrast from initial perceptions. Continue to add to this Role on the Wall throughout the teaching sequence, adding new responses in contrasting colour. . Eliciting predictions about the characters and events in the story. . Through modelling, demonstrate your thinking about Girl and what you would like to know about her. Model orally and in writing how to form a question to ask the girl. Make use of question mark explicit. . In pairs, ask children to think of and compose questions for one of the characters. Share good questions. The children could record their question. . Make a record of questions on a prepared grid in the class journal. Using shared writing, compose a class letter to the girl and ‘post’ it along with children's questions.

Session 2: Reading aloud, research and debate

. Prepare an envelope containing the book and a letter from Girl thanking the class for their interesting questions and saying that she has sent the book by way of an explanation. . After briefly reviewing the class questions, read aloud from the beginning: ‘The farm next to ours...’ to ‘...I started shouting at them.’ Ask the children to listen out for information that helps answer their question and talk about aspects that interest the children. . Discuss with the children the fact that the book is written in the first person, establish who the character of the narrator is and what we know about her and the other characters so far. The girl clearly feels passionate about her neighbours going hunting. . Establish the children’s knowledge or experience of hunting and elicit opinions. Ask the children to research the arguments for and against fox hunting, modelling through shared reading how to find information on the BBC web pages and make simple statements that can be sorted into ‘for’ and ‘against’. . Gather and discuss the statements then conduct a class debate. Prepare a short argument, using the statements for support, and begin with a couple of confident children presenting their case for one minute each. Following this, children can counter with their own statements and opinions. Chair the debating process, turn taking and advocate for the opposing view if all are against hunting. Model effective use of adverbial phrases and subordinate conjunctions when countering an argument.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/animals/fox_hunting/newsid_1717000/1717 812.stm

Session 3 : Shared writing - persuasive letter writing

. Ask the children how they think the Greggs could have avoided having the Magic Finger put on them. Perhaps if they hadn’t upset the girl by shooting the birds? What could the girl have done rather than losing her temper? Elicit responses. Explain that we are going to write a letter in role as the narrator to persuade the Greggs family to stop hunting and shooting. . Use shared writing to model the process of composing the letter, thinking aloud when making choices and explicitly teaching grammar through sentence structure. Use the debating statements as a starting point and model the effective use of questions in persuasive writing. Constantly read aloud to check for sense, making the odd simple revision. . Ask children to write their own letter in role independently or in a focus group, supporting each other to reread, check and revise, if appropriate. . Discuss effective letters and whether they might have stopped the Greggs hunting. How do you think they will respond to the letters? Send them off to be revisited at end of book when we find out if the Greggs changed their mind about hunting.

Session 4: Circle time and writing captions

. Read aloud from: ‘The boys laughed...’ to ‘They happened fast.’ . Discuss what the phase ’seeing red’ means. Encourage children to share their experiences of ‘seeing red’. What made you see red? Elicit words and phrases to describe losing one’s temper and record in the Class Journal. . What did you do then? What happened? Was the problem solved? How did it make you feel afterwards? Again, discuss and record words and phrases one could use to describe these feelings. Talk about the importance of learning to deal with angry emotions and ways of doing this. . Use the story to illustrate how not controlling our anger can lead to serious consequences. Place the events of Girl putting the finger on Mrs. Winter on a prepared ‘Anger’ (before), ‘Behaviour’ (during), ‘Consequence’ (after) / ‘ABC’ chart and add captions to describe the events and the emotional journey for the girl but also onlookers and Mrs Winter herself. . Ask the children to make a similar ‘ABC’ chart illustrating a time they have lost their temper; the events leading up to ‘seeing red’, the angry reaction/behaviour and the consequences. The children can draw pictures and compose captions to describe each part and consider ways they could have behaved differently. Discuss with peers and share with whole group. . Consider what it might have looked like to an onlooker or the person involved.

Session 5: Prediction and Reader’s Theatre

. Continue reading from ‘I shall now tell you...’ to ‘So they went to bed and to sleep.’ Ask the children to predict what might happen to the Gregg family now that they have had the magic finger put on them. Discuss with the children how the punishment might be linked to the event that caused the narrator to become so cross and ‘see red’ (refer to book’s front cover in explaining reasoning). Record the children’s ideas in a class journal. . Continue reading from ‘When morning came…’ to ‘I could go on forever.’ Emphasise the characters’ emotional responses to their situation with expressive reading. To demonstrate the suspense, you may wish to slow reveal Mr Gregg in the bedroom scene image (p.17) as you read the last of p.16 which reveals his plight. Discuss what has happened to the Gregg family and how they feel about their transformation. Freeze frame the bedroom scene to establish how Mr and Mrs Gregg felt upon waking and gradually realising what had happened to them. . Prepare a reader’s theatre script of p.16 for groups to read, adapt, rehearse and perform. Read through the script together, analysing the way Dahl has built suspense, his characterization and description. Encourage the children to adapt the script and consider ways to emphasise the way in which Dahl portrays the changing emotions of the Greggs: increasing confusion, panic, realisation and, finally, horror. How can this be performed in the group? Model marking the script with ideas re expression and creative touches. . Assign roles, such as Mr and Mrs. Gregg, Girl (narrator) and ‘special/creative effects’ roles. Children mark the script, make adaptations and rehearse the scene. . Children perform their reader’s theatre script to the class. Feedback on the creativity that went into their script adaptations as well as the performance itself. Discuss particularly effective elements that support author intent.

Session 6: Visualisation and poetry

. Ask the children to imagine that they are one of the boys in the story who now has wings instead of arms. Show a film clip of the countryside from a bird’s eye view as it soars above the trees and fields etc. Include uplifting music as soundtrack. Ask the children to think about how it makes them feel as they watch the film and listen to the music and imagine themselves flying too. . Elicit and record words and phrases that the film/music inspired in the children and describe what it feels to fly. . Ask the children to write a phrase about what they can do, see, hear or feel (e.g. soaring above the rooftops like an aeroplane gliding through the clouds, fields like a patchwork quilt below, swooping with joy, etc). Reread aloud to a response partner, evaluate and make simple revisions if necessary. Model this editing process and share effective phrases. Play music and show film a few more times to stimulate creative thinking. . In small groups ask children to arrange their phrases to make a verse of a poem. Share each verse and make a class poem for display. . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v2L2UGZJAM

Session 7: Freeze frame, thought tracking, hot-seating and writing a diary entry in role

. Read from ‘Hey, look down there!’ to ‘The Greggs flew down and sat on the wall near the door’. Show the children the illustration the Gregg family sitting on the wall. . In groups of four, ask the children to freeze frame this scene and use thought tracking for the children to reveal, in role, what each of the characters is thinking. Extend this further by asking the children to role-play the scene. . Read aloud from ‘Mrs Gregg began to cry (p.24)’ to ‘...and lay down to sleep.’(p.33) . In pairs, orally compose and rehearse questions to ask Philip. . Hot seat the character of Philip to explore his thoughts and feelings about what has happened to him. . Ask the children to write a diary entry in role as Philip recounting his thoughts and feelings about his initial experiences living as a bird. . Read aloud p.35 and ask the children to imagine what they think the duck was saying to Girl.

Session 8: Text analysis, visualisation and artwork.

. Read aloud the description of the storm on pp.36-37, taking care not to show Blake’s illustration. . Read again, this time showing the children the text. Ask them to choose words or phrases that describe the storm most effectively. Record these in the class journal, explaining and discussing choices. . Ask the children to close their eyes and listen to storm music, such as Britten’s Four Sea Interludes: Storm from his opera, Peter Grimes. How did it make you feel? Did it remind you of anything? Elicit further descriptive words and phrases that can be added to the collection. . Show footage of a night storm, similar to that the Greggs endured, and elicit further responses. . Ask the children to draw the storm scene in their minds, using charcoal or pen and ink. Continue to re-read the extract, play the music and show the film clip to stimulate thinking. . Write a caption or short description alongside the artwork. . Display the pieces of art and compare to Blake’s illustration. How is it the same/different? Discuss creative ways in which the children have portrayed the mood and movement of the storm scene. Read some of the descriptions and feedback on the effect of well chosen, precise vocabulary and literary devices.

Session 9: Argument and reader’s theatre

. Read aloud from ‘At last the morning came….’ (p.38) to ‘You shot all six of my children.’ (p.41) . Discuss how the roles have been reversed; now the hunters have become the hunted. . Ask the children to identify the arguments presented by the Greggs family and the counter- arguments given by the ducks. . In groups, prepare a reader’s theatre script from the argument (photocopy pp.40-41), assigning roles, rehearsing and refining before presenting their performance to the class.

. ask the children to decide who formed the most persuasive argument; the Greggs or the ducks. Imagine you are one of the ducks, which statement in particular would sway you to let the Greggs go? What about if you were the Greggs? Did anything the ducks put forward in their argument mean you would change your mind about hunting? Why were these arguments so powerful? . Continue reading from ‘I’ll never do it again!’ to ‘...hopped out of the nest and flew down.’ (pp.42-43)

Session 10: Interview

. Read aloud from ‘Then all at once everything went black...’ (p.44) to ‘“And I am Mrs Egg,” said Mrs Gregg.’ (p.54) Ask the children what the moral of the story is and whether the Greggs have learned their lesson. How do we know? What has changed? . Remind the children of the letter they wrote to the Greggs trying to persuade them to stop hunting. Present them with a letter of reply that has just arrived from Mr. Greggs, explaining his family’s ordeal and that he has indeed reconsidered his position on hunting. . In groups, prepare and conduct a television interview with the Greggs family about their experiences and how their attitudes have changed since seeing the world from the ducks’ perspective. This could be filmed or voice recorded.

Session 11-12: Storymapping, sequencing events and retelling

. Revisit the children's reactions to the story, focusing on the aspects that they found most interesting or surprising. Retell the story, encouraging children to contribute. . Remind the children that the main events are the main things which happen in a story and they must be told in the right order for the story to make sense. Through paired talk, hold up the opening phrase of the story of the Greggs: ‘Last Saturday afternoon…’ and ask the children to consider what happened first in the story. Collect feedback and remodel answers into sentences if necessary. Hold up a suitable adverbial for example then, and ask the children to say what happened next. Again, remodel answers into sentences if necessary. Encourage the children to retell the story in stages providing them with suitable adverbials to order their retelling for example: the next morning, it was about that time, then, next, after that, suddenly, finally. . Swiftly demonstrate how to map the story horizontally to demonstrate the Gregg’s experiences during that fateful weekend. Label the story map with suitable adverbials used in the oral retelling. . In pairs, invite the children to draw a map of the story. If possible use backing/wall paper. . When completed, encourage the children to retell the story using their story maps.

Session 13: Conscience alley and ‘Tell Me’ – book talk

. Read aloud to the end of the story. Discuss with the children whether the girl should put the magic finger on the Coopers. Split the class in half and set up a conscience alley with one side

giving her reasons not to (e.g. she doesn’t have the right to decide right and wrong, there are other ways to express her anger, the Coopers may be irreversibly changed forever etc) and the other side encouraging her to (e.g. animals saved, hunting is wrong, the Coopers might stop hunting, animal rights, the need to appreciate wildlife etc). . Using the ‘tell me’ grid ask the children about their opinions of the book. Share these. Children’s responses can be recorded in the class journal and/or in their books.

Sessions 14-15: Storymapping and shared writing – short narrative sequel

. Think about the key events in the Greggs’ story in the Magic Finger. . Present the children with language to support sequencing the narrative, such as: Last week, That afternoon, Late that night… Decide on the narrative voice. . As a class, retell the story together using the story language and story map. Remain consistent with narrative voice. . Imagine that the girl finds the Coopers have shot a different animal, for example a fox or a rabbit, and that she does put the finger on them. What punishment would be dished out this time? Tell the children that they are going to write a short sequel telling the Coopers’ story, innovating the Greggs’ story. . Children talk to their partner and select another animal. Collect ideas and display them. . Select one and create a storyboard, modelling the innovation of the known story. Expect children to select an animal and create their own storyboards (expect them to tell their story in a suitable number of parts). . Once storyboards have been completed the children should sit in pairs to retell their story about the Coopers. Support by helping children to think of ideas and put them into oral sentences. Children could work together if suitable. . Supported through modelled, shared and guided writing the children write their narrative using their storyboards. . At regular intervals, encourage children to reread sections of their text to check it makes sense and make simple revisions. Support them in doing this and ask children to work in pairs to read their finished draft to a partner. They can then revise and edit these drafts, before going on to write and illustrate a final version in individual home-made books.

Other opportunities

. The Greggs are passionate about hunting and the little girl is just as passionate about protecting the rights of animals. Ask the children to write about something they are passionate about. . Write an eye witness account of the classroom scene when Girl put the finger on Mrs. Winter. . Imagine your own super power. What would it be? Why? Make a top trump style card to add to the class collection.

Word Reading and Transcription (National Curriculum 2014)

Use and Application of Phonics and Spelling: The following words could be used to exemplify learning at phonic phases:

Phase 2: gun, red, hot, ran, ten, hit, bed, man, sob, big, men, cat, top, sit, bad, wet, sun, mad, run

Phase 3: fox, six, off, mess, yell, hill, egg, shot, back, sack, rock, duck, quack, quick, wing, bang, week, peep, food, moon, shoot, bathroom, wait, rain, high, right, light, sight, night, down, morning, arm, farm, dark, yard, garden, hurt

Phase 4: Gregg, play, last, fast, past, hunt, cross, nest, flash, hand, jump, next, ask, tree, sleep, flap, swinging, sticks, soft, play, slug, help, pointing, black, green, bright, glad, stop, expect, smash, slept, still, last,

Phase 5: alternatives: /ai/ eight, day, away, lay, break, day, way /ee/ leave, leaves, family, /igh/ fly, wild, sky, tiny, cry, try, lying, die, cried, eyes, /oa/ oh, over, low, below, grow, hold, gold, blow, throw, own, whole /oo/ flew, blue /ur/ girl, bird, person, first, worms, word, worst, heard, turn, /u/ woods, stood, love, touch, look, good, cooking, feather, finger, weather, never, /ow/ shout, out, around, mouth, /oi/ joy, boy /e/ feathers, head /or/ fall, water, warm, saw /j/ magic Split digraphs: made, lake, face, alone, outside, same, save, line, sunshine,

High Frequency Words: Mr, Mrs, here, is, on, and, that, the, them, some, he, she, be, me, we, who, why, my, are, you, to, don’t, come, some, so, could, no, go

Spelling: ‘ed’ endings: ‘double consonant then +ed’: sobbed ‘change y to i then +ed’ endings: carried ‘ing’ endings: flying, crying, yelling, pointing, shouting, carrying, shooting, banging ‘double consonant then +ing’: sobbing, running ‘-e then +ing’ endings: leaving, facing ‘+s’ plurals: sticks, boys, Greggs, ducks ‘change y to i then +es’ plurals: carries