The Wind in the Willows Programme Notes by Caroline Garland Assessment for reading / Primary framework links 4 Involving discussion and drama 7 1. The River Bank 8 Click to go to this episode online 2. The open road 9 Click to go to this episode online 3. The Wild Wood 10 Click to go to this episode online 4. Mr Badger 11 Click to go to this episode online 5. Dolce domum 12 Click to go to this episode online 6. Mr Toad 13 Click to go to this episode online 7. Toad’s adventures 14 Click to go to this episode online 8. The further adventures of Toad 15 Click to go to this episode online 9. Like summer tempests came his tears 16 Click to go to this episode online 10. The return of Toad 17 Click to go to this episode online www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio © BBC 2020 www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio © BBC 2020 The Wind in the Willows Grahame contributed essays and stories to The Yellow Book and WE Introduction Henley’s National Observer and his collections Pagan Papers, The This abridgement of The Wind in the Willows is in 10 x 15-minute Golden Age and Dream Days were well received by critics. episodes for pupils aged 7 - 11, read by Bernard Cribbins. It is available to stream from the School Radio pages of the BBC Teach website here: Grahame married Elspeth Thomson in 1899 and their only child, Alastair, was born the following year. https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/english-ks2-the-wind-in-the-willows-index/znngf4j Grahame created the character of Toad to amuse his son as a child, but The language is faithful to the original story, though some of the punc- it was not until 1908 that he published The Wind in the Willows, which tuation has been changed throughout. Use these Notes alongside the had its origins in letters he had written to Alastair. By then he had already episode transcripts and the audio for the best learning expierence. retired from the Bank - in 1907 - due to ill health. The book was not an immediate success, but would achieve wider popularity thanks to the Kenneth Grahame, 1859 - 1932 1930 stage version, ‘Toad of Toad Hall’ by AA Milne (1882-1956), whose Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) was created for his own son, Christopher Robin. Kenneth Grahame was born in Edinburgh on 8 March 1859. He was the third child of an affluent family and was related to several well-known In 1916 Grahame edited The Cambridge Book of Poetry for Children, but figures of literature. His great-grand-uncle was the poet and curate James he published no more work of his own. Grahame. He was also the cousin of Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins (1863- 1933), author - as Anthony Hope - of The Prisoner of Zenda (1894). Grahame’s son, Alistair, died in an accident in 1918. Thereafter he and his wife spent long periods in Italy. Kenneth Grahame died peacefully at Grahame’s father was appointed Sheriff-Substitute of Argyllshire in 1860 his home in Pangbourne on 6 July 1932. and the family moved to Inverary. Grahame’s mother died of scarlet fever in 1864 after the birth of his younger brother Roland. His father, a heavy These Programme Notes and home-learning drinker, was incapable of caring for the children, so they were sent to Cookham Dene in Berkshire to be brought up by their grandmother. These teaching notes are designed to offer flexibility. They can be used by a whole class in a teacher-led English session, or as a group This was a happy time for Grahame. The Thames River was nearby, in a guided reading session. Alternatively they can be used by children fostering in him a lifelong love for the river and boating - influencing his independently, or working at home with parents. Where the guidance story telling in The Wind in the Willows. suggests things to discuss, this can be done as a whole class, in pairs, as a guided reading group or with a parent if working at home. Grahame was educated at St Edward’s School, Oxford (1868-75) but was unable to enter Oxford University due to his uncle refusing to finance his studies. Instead, after a period working for his uncle in London, he joined the Bank of England as a gentleman-clerk in 1879, rising to become Secretary to the Bank in 1898. 3 www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio © BBC 2020 www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio © BBC 2020 The Wind in the Willows Assessment focus for reading - Levels 4 AF4 - identify and comment on the structure and and 5 - selected for relevance to the text organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level AF2 - understand, describe, select or retrieve infor- Level 4 • some structural choices identified with simple comment, eg ‘he mation, events or ideas from texts and use quotation describes the accident first and then goes back to tell you why the and reference to text child was in the road’ Level 4 Level 5 • some relevant points identified • comments on structural choices show some general awareness of • comments supported by some generally author’s craft, eg ‘it tells you all things burglars can do to your house • relevant textual reference or quotation, eg reference is made to and then the last section explains how the alarm protects you’ appropriate section of text but is unselective and lacks focus Level 5 AF5 - explain and comment on writers’ use of • most relevant points clearly identified, including those selected from language, including grammatical and literary features different places in the text • comments generally supported by relevant textual reference quota- at word and sentence level tion, even when points made are not always accurate Level 4 • some basic features of writer’s use of language identified, eg ‘all the AF3 - deduce, infer or interpret information, events or questions make you want to find out what happens next’ • simple comments on writer’s choices, eg ‘“disgraceful” is a good word ideas from texts to use to show he is upset’ Level 4 Level 5 • comments make inferences based on evidence from different points • various features of writer’s use of language identified, with some in the text, eg interpreting a character’s motive from their actions at explanation, eg ‘when it gets to the climax they speak in short different points sentences and quickly which makes it more tense’ • inferences often correct, but comments are not always rooted • comments show some awareness of the effect of writer’s language securely in the text or repeat narrative or content choices, eg‘“inked up” is a good way of describing how the blackber- Level 5 ries go a bluey black colour as they ripen’ • comments develop explanation of inferred meanings drawing on evidence across the text, eg ‘you know her dad was lying because earlier she saw him take the letter’ • comments make inferences and deductions based on textual evidence, eg in drawing conclusions about a character’s feelings on the basis of their speech and actions 4 www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio © BBC 2020 The Wind in the Willows AF6 - identify and comment on writers’ purposes and Level 5 viewpoints, and the overall effect of the text on the • comments identify similarities and differences between texts, or versions, with some explanation, eg narrative conventions in tradi- reader tional tales or stories from different cultures, ballads, newspaper Level 4 reports • main purpose identified, eg ‘it’s all about why going to the dentist is • some explanation of how the contexts in which texts are written and important and how you should look after your teeth’ read contribute to meaning, eg how historical context influenced • simple comments show some awareness of writer’s viewpoint, eg ‘he adverts or war reports from different times/places; or how a novel only tells you good things about the farm and makes the shop sound relates to when / where it was written. boring’ • simple comment on overall effect on reader, eg ‘the way she describes him as “ratlike” and “shifty” makes you think he’s disgusting’ Level 5 • main purpose clearly identified, often through general overview, eg ‘the writer is strongly against war and wants to persuade the reader to agree’ • viewpoint in texts clearly identified, with some, often limited, explana- tion, eg ‘at the end he knows he’s done wrong and makes the snake sound attractive and mysterious’ • general awareness of effect on the reader, with some, often limited, explanation, eg ‘you’d be persuaded to sign up because 25p a week doesn’t seem that much to help someone see’ AF7 - relate texts to their social, cultural and histor- ical traditions Level 4 • features common to different texts or versions of the same text iden- tified, with simple comment, eg characters, settings, presentational features • simple comment on the effect that the reader’s or writer’s context has on the meaning of texts, eg historical context, place, social relation- ships 5 www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio © BBC 2020 www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio © BBC 2020 The Wind in the Willows • Use time, resources and group members efficiently by distributing Primary Framework links tasks, checking progress and making back-up plans The following learning objectives could be delivered through use of this • Identify the main points of each speaker, compare their arguments abridgement of The Wind in the Willows. The objectives have been and how they are presented selected from Year 4 related expectations.