Teacher's Notes

Teacher’s Notes Pearson EnglishTeacher’s Kids Readers Notes Pearson English Kids Readers

Level 3 Suitable for: young learners who have completed up to 150 hours of study in English Type of English: British Headwords: 600 Key words: 15 (see pages 2 and 6 of these Teacher’s Notes) Key grammar: present simple, past simple (regular forms, was), have to for obligation, adverbs (+ ly), a lot, because, when, comparatives (+ er), possessive forms

Background information Summary of the story This story is based on an episode of the first One very cold morning, the farmer decides he Shaun the Sheep TV series, which was produced needs more firewood. There isn’t any wood in the by Aardman Studios in 2007. Aardman Studios box so he has to go and find some. He takes a saw specialises in producing animated films using clay and gets into his old blue lorry with Bitzer, his dog, models. They first became famous for producing to go and look for a good tree to cut down. Wallace and Gromit, and are now the most famous model animation studios in the world. They have As soon as the farmer leaves the farm, Shaun been nominated for ten academy awards, four of and the other sheep run to the big tree in the which they have won. As well as the Wallace and garden that they love. They have great fun playing, Gromit films, they have made Chicken Run, The dancing, swinging, climbing and making music. Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Flushed Away. Meanwhile, the farmer and his dog cannot find the Richard ‘Golly’ Goleszowski is the creator of Shaun right tree to cut down and they decide to drive the Sheep. As a fan of the silent and slapstick films home. Shaun sees them arriving and lets the other of the past, he was inspired by them when creating sheep know. They quickly go back to eating grass. the TV series. When there are humans around, the The farmer goes to the big tree in the garden and sheep act dull and simply eat grass all the time, decides it would be good for firewood. He takes his but once the humans are out of sight, the sheep saw to cut it down, but the sheep try to stop him. show great humour, ingenuity and intelligence and So Bitzer puts three of them in their pen. it is the human characters who often appear dull. As the farmer is about to cut down the tree, Shaun Did you know … ? and the other two big sheep jump down from the tree onto him. Bitzer puts the sheep in the pen and The character of Shaun the sheep originally suddenly the farmer sees a happy face carved into appeared in another Aardman film, the trunk of the tree. He remembers carving it as Wallace and Gromit’s A Close Shave. Shaun a small boy, and all his happy memories playing in only appeared in the film for about six the tree as a child come back. Instead of cutting it minutes, but he was so popular that they down, he hugs the tree. The sheep are very happy made a TV series about him. that the big tree is saved.

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The characters Key words Shaun the sheep is an enterprising and intelligent (see page 6 of these Teacher’s Notes for the Key young sheep. words in context) The farmer is often quite grumpy and negative about life. ago (a) lorry (n) box (n) other (adj) / (pron) Bitzer is the farmer’s dog and helper, but he isn’t carve (v) pen (animal enclosure) (n) always very clever. cut (v) save (v) The other sheep, like Shaun, come to life when fire (n) saw (n) / (v) the humans are away, and they join him in having firewood / wood (n) sheep (n) fun and outwitting the farmer. grass (n) swing (n) / (v) hug (v)

Topics and themes Animals and animal behaviour Ask the students students think the sheep are bothered by the cold which animals they like. Ask them to describe weather? Why not? What kind of weather do the them. What are their characteristics (what do they students like best? Why? look like; how do they sound or move)? Ask the students to name the animals that appear in this Reality v fantasy Elicit from the students which story. What kinds of things do they do? Is this the elements of the story could be real and which are way animals normally behave? (See also Activity 2 fantasy? Do they like imaginary stories? on page 3 of these Teacher’s Notes.) Humour Ask the students if they think this is a Energy In the story, the farmer needs to find funny story? Why? / Why not? What makes it some firewood. Ask the students why they think funny? Which characters are funny? Do they have he needs it. What else can we use to keep warm? a favourite character? Can they think of other What do the students have in their homes to keep funny stories? What makes them laugh? warm? How else do we use energy? Farming Discuss with the students about what life Trees The sheep love the big tree in the middle is like on a farm. Ask them to think about things of the garden. At the end of the story, the farmer that farmers do and how a farmer’s life might realises how important the tree is to him too. be similar or different to theirs. Do they think a Discuss with the students why trees are important farmer’s job is hard? Why? Have they been to to us. How do they help us? How does the farmer a farm? Do they know anyone who is a farmer? feel about the big tree at first, and then later in the What kinds of things do the farmer and Bitzer story? How do the sheep feel about the big tree? have to do in the story? (See also Activity 4 on Why do they want to save it? (See also Activities 1 page 4 of these Teacher’s Notes.) and 3 on pages 3 and 4 of these Teacher’s Notes.)

Playing Ask the students what kinds of things they do to have fun. What do they know about how animals have fun? How do the sheep in the story play? Do the students like doing these things too?

Weather What is the weather like in the story? How do you need to dress in this weather? Do the

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Class Activities (After Reading) students that they are going to make sheep masks. Here are some activities to do with your class after reading Shaun the Sheep – Save the Tree. • Draw the template of the sheep mask on the board, as shown in the diagram on page 5 of these Teacher’s Notes. Then hand out the 1. Make a Save the tree poster materials. Materials: sheets of white paper or card; coloured pens / pencils / paints • First, the students draw the mask shape on a piece of card, as per the template on the board. • Discuss the beautiful big tree in the middle of the garden with the students. Why do the sheep • They cut out the mask shape and the eye love it? Does the farmer like the tree? Why does holes. Next, they colour their mask and stick he want to cut it down? Why does he change the cotton wool onto the head and ears of the his mind? Explain to the students that they are sheep. going to make a poster to protest against the • Go round the class and help out where farmer cutting down the tree. necessary. • Encourage them to think of three reasons not to • To make the mask ready to wear, the students cut down the tree, e.g. it’s beautiful, the sheep hold up their mask and look through the eyes. like playing in it. Help the students make pencil marks on the • Hand out the materials and ask the students sides of their mask where the holes for the to design their posters. They should draw and string will go. Then they can make small holes colour a picture of the tree, add the title Save where the pencil marks are by pushing a pencil the tree and write down their three reasons through or using scissors, and then threading against cutting down the tree. Allow them time the string or elastic through the holes, tying to plan their designs and to create their posters. knots near the holes so that the string or elastic stays securely in place. • Go round the class and monitor the students’ work, helping out where necessary. • The students are now ready to wear their masks. • When they have finished, invite students to present their posters to the class and discuss • Divide the class into groups of five or six to act their reasons against cutting down the tree. out scenes from the story. Choose one child to be Bitzer, one to be the farmer, and the others • If preferred, you could stage a protest march can be the sheep, including Shaun. Select a and have the students carrying their posters suitable passage from the story and read it out, around the classroom chanting Save the tree, allowing the students to do the actions. Select Save the tree. more passages and have the students acting out • Display the posters around the classroom. more scenes. Give all the students the chance to play the role of the sheep. 2. Make a sheep mask • Ask for volunteers to perform their dialogue for Materials: white card; pencils; black pens / the rest of the class wearing their masks. markers / paints; white cotton wool; safety scissors; glue; string or elastic 3. A wood and paper survey Materials: paper; pencils; pictures of trees • If possible before the session, make the mask following the instructions to show the students. (optional) • Talk about the sheep in the story and tell the • Brainstorm different ways in which trees help us

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in our daily lives, e.g. give us energy, • Talk about the different kinds of animals we can clean the air, help control the climate, give find on a farm. Ask: Are farms only for animals? shelter, give homes to animals, give us wood and What else can we find on a farm? What kinds of paper. food / produce is grown on a farm? • Point out how important trees are to us, and • Tell the students that they are going to make that sometimes they need to be cut down for a farm collage. Think about the farm before wood and paper. Ask the students to think making the collage. Ask the students what they about what things are made from the wood and would like on the farm and write these ideas on paper we get from trees. Write these on the the board. Then draw a sketch of the farm on the board, e.g. chairs, tables, books. board to include the farmhouse, barns, animal pens, fields for grazing, fields for crops, etc. • Tell the students that they are going to do a survey of things made of wood and paper. • Lay out the large sheet of paper or card on the floor or over some desks. Explain to the • Divide the class into groups of three to four students that they each will have a role in students. The groups are going to circulate the recreating the farm design that is on the board. classroom making a note of all the things they can find made of wood of paper. They should • Allocate some students to draw and paint the make a note of these. farm background. This includes the sky, grass and fields. • Extend the survey beyond the classroom, if appropriate, e.g. corridor, playground, gym. • Hand out the materials to groups of students, and allocate some to make the farm buildings, • Go round the class and monitor the students’ and some to make the animals. The farm work. buildings can be made from the boxes and • When they have finished, the students should painted appropriately. The animals can be made gather the information they have collected using the materials available, e.g. sheep can be to present to the class. Write the following made with cotton wool and black pipe cleaners language on the board: (The fence) in (the for legs, other animals can be made using playground) is made of (wood). The (magazines) plasticine. on the (bookshelf) are made of (paper), etc. • Encourage the students to be as creative as • Invite groups to give their feedback and possible with their designs, e.g. using yellow compare the different things that they have pieces of wool for straw to put in a barn, shiny found. What is the most popular item? Who has aluminium paper for a duck pond. found the most unusual item? • Allocate some other students to add detail to 4. Make a farm collage the farm background once it has been painted. This can include painting in the detail, sticking Materials: a large sheet of paper or card; different materials onto the fields to give the coloured pens / markers / paints; different coloured effect of crops growing, etc. wool, material and tissue paper; plasticine; black pipe cleaners; cotton wool; empty cardboard • Bring all the elements of the farm together when boxes; sticky tape or glue; safety scissors; model / ready. Discuss with the students the different toy animals (optional) aspects of the farm, e.g. what happens in the barn / stable, what is growing in a particular • This is a whole class activity. Before the session, field, what a particular animal eats. ask the students to bring bits and pieces from home that could be used for the farm collage, • Display the model of the farm in the classroom. e.g. cotton wool, shiny material, cardboard boxes, string.

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Key words ago �� The farmer is surprised because he remembers that happy face from a long time ago … (p. 18) box �� He opens the box but there is no wood in it. (p. 4) carve �� The farmer carved the happy face into the tree because he loved the big tree. (p. 20) cut �� They have to go and cut down a tree. (p. 5) fire �� Brrrrrr! He is cold and he wants a big fire. (p. 3) firewood �� The farmer and Bitzer look and look but they cannot find a good tree for firewood. (p. 8) grass �� The farmer and Bitzer arrive and the sheep are quietly eating grass. (p. 10) hug �� He forgets about the saw and he hugs the tree. (p. 21) lorry �� They get into the old blue lorry and drive down the road. (p. 5) other �� Up in the tree, Shaun looks at the other two sheep and they look at him. (p. 15) pen �� The dog puts three of the sheep in the pen and closes the door after them. (p. 13) save �� He and the other sheep have to save their favourite tree. (p. 11) saw �� Shaun sees the saw. (p. 11) sheep �� The farmer is away. Now the sheep can play. Hooray! (p. 6) swing �� Other sheep play on the swings. (p. 7)

While-Reading activities Activity 1 (pages 3–5) Write T (True) or F (False). 1 The farmer is in his house. 2 The house is hot. 3 The farmer needs wood for the fire. 4 There is a lot of wood in the box. 5 The farmer needs to cut down a tree. 6 Bitzer and the farmer get into the new blue lorry. Activity 2 (pages 6–10) Tick 4 the correct answer. 1 When the farmer is away, the sheep … a eat grass. b sleep. c play. 2 There are sheep in the … a blue lorry. b big tree. c wood box. 3 The farmer and Bitzer can’t find good trees. They are too … a small and hard. b small and thin. c big and thin.

4 The farmer and Bitzer go back to the … a house. b park. c shop. 5 When Shaun hears the lorry, he tells the … a dog. b farmer. c sheep. Activity 3 (pages 11–15) Order the sentences. a The sheep stand in front of the farmer. b Shaun and the other two sheep jump down from the tree. c Bitzer puts some sheep in a pen. d Shaun sees the farmer with the saw. e The farmer sees the big tree. Activity 4 (pages 16–18) Circle the correct words 1 Shaun and the two sheep jump on Bitzer / the tree / the farmer. 2 The farmer is on the tree / grass / lorry. 3 The farmer can’t move because the sheep are heavy / small / old. 4 Bitzer puts the sheep in the wood box / pen / house. 5 The sheep are happy / angry / afraid because they cannot save the tree. 6 The farmer carved the happy face in the tree this morning / when he was a boy / yesterday.

Activity 5 (pages 19–22) Write the sentences under the correct pictures. a The farmer played on the swing when he was a boy. b The farmer carved the happy face into the tree. c The farmer hugs the tree because he loves it. d Bitzer plays music with the saw and the sheep listen happily.

1 2

3 4

After-Reading activities Activity 1 Complete the crossword.

3 4

5 6

1 ➙ The farmer played on this when he was a boy. 2➙ You can burn this to make a fire. 3➙ Bitzer puts the sheep in this. 4 ➙ Someone who lives and works on a farm is called a . 5➙ Sheep like eating this. 6 ➙ The farmer uses this to cut trees. 7 ➙ The farmer keeps the firewood in this. 8➙ The farmer travels in this.

Activity 2 Match. Draw lines. 1 He wears glasses and a hat. a the other sheep 2 It is brown and green. b the farmer 3 He is small, white and black. c Bitzer 4 He is brown and has got long ears. d the big tree 5 They are big, white and black. e Shaun the sheep Activity 3 Where do these things happen? Write.

tree house garden road pen

1 The farmer wakes up and he is cold. 2 The sheep eat the grass here. 3 Bitzer puts the sheep in it. 4 The farmer and Bitzer drive back to the farm along it. 5 The sheep swing on it. Activity 4 Circle when it happened. 1 The farmer wakes up. now / a long time ago 2 The sheep dance and sing around the tree. now / a long time ago 3 The farmer was a little boy. now / a long time ago 4 The dog makes music with the saw. now / a long time ago 5 The farmer carved the happy face in now / a long time ago the tree.

Activity 5 Draw a tree with places for the sheep to play.

Answer Key After-Reading activities In the back of the Reader Activity 1 Before You Read 1 s 1 It’s a funny story. (Discuss as a class.) 2 w o o d 2 eat, run, sleep, jump i After You Read 3 4 1 a the farmer p e n f b the farmer 5 g r a s 6 s c Shaun the Sheep d Bitzer r a e the farmer f the farmer m w 2 a There is no wood. 7 b e b The trees are not good for firewood. 8 c The farmer sees the happy face. l o r r y d The farmer and Bitzer try to cut the tree. x 3 Students’ own answers. Activity 2 In these Teacher’s Notes 1 b 2 d 3 e 4 c 5 a While-Reading activities Activity 3 Activity 1 1 house 2 garden 3 pen 4 road 5 tree 1 T 2 F 3 T 4 F 5 T 6 F Activity 4 Activity 2 1 now 2 now 3 a long time ago 4 now 1 c 2 b 3 b 4 a 5 c 5 a long time ago Activity 3 The correct order is: e, d, a, c, b Activity 4 1 the farmer 2 grass 3 heavy 4 pen 5 afraid 6 when he was a boy Activity 5 1 c 2 a 3 d 4 b

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