(A Story About Some Naughty Mice
PHWOOT!
(A story about some naughty mice
who inhabit an old organ)
English Activities
The activities below can be used when working with Years 1-2-3-4. They can be adapted for children according to their age and ability.
The activities meet a range of national curriculum requirements in English in the following areas:
Spoken language Reading - word reading Reading – comprehension
Writing – transcription Writing – composition
Writing - vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
Let’s Begin
PHWOOT!
Read the story to the children.
Revisit the story and ask the children what they liked or did not like about it.
Look at each of the illustrations and talk about what is happening.
What have they learned about how an organ works?
Activity 1: Let’s Read
In this activity children read or listen to the story themselves. Children answer questions relating to the story.
Hand out a copy of the story to each of the children. If a child is unable to read the story for themselves give them the recorded version to listen to.
Look at the slide and ask the children to answer the questions.
You may wish to print out this slide and use as an activity sheet.
Where the child is unable to write the answer then an appropriate adult can scribe on their behalf.
Activity 2: ? or !
In this activity children learn how to use question marks and exclamation marks.
The slide shows the text from page 2 of PHWOOT!
Explain to the children that the author has used question marks and exclamation marks. Can you see them? Can you see the difference in the shape of the marks?
A question mark is used when you ask a question.
Ask the children to think of a question to ask each other.
An exclamation mark is used to make a word or phrase stand out and to make reader take more notice of it.
Ask the children to shout ‘Help!’ and explain that when you write it down the word help is followed by an exclamation mark.
Let’s ask the author a question.
Why have you used an exclamation mark in the title of the story?
Author, Anne Curtis: I wanted the word PHWOOT to make a really loud noise and jump off the page!
Print out Copy of PHWOOT! Ask the children to circle any exclamation marks in red pencil and exclamation marks in blue pencil.
Ask the children to write one sentence that uses a question mark.
Ask the children to write one sentence that uses an exclamation mark.
Activity 3: Names
In this activity children learn that the ‘proper names’ of people and creatures begin with a capital letter. They also learn that word endings can sound the same through different spellings.
PHWOOT! offers a good opportunity for children to explore naming characters in their stories.
The names of the mice are linked to the musical scale: E G B D F and F A C E
They were chosen by asking local children to suggest names.
In the book their names are Archie, Bertie, Cheesee, Dancey, Evie, Freddy and Gregory.
What ending sounds do all the mice names have in common? Look at the different spellings that create the same sound – ie, ee, ey, y.
Show the mice in the slide for Activity 5: In Character or print out copies.
Ask children to suggest alternative names for each mouse beginning with the letters. A B C D E F G. The children can decide for themselves if the mice are boys or girls – you might like to introduce the words male and female.
Activity 4: Sounds
In this activity children blend letters and groups of letters to create musical sound words (nonsense words).
Explain to the children that sounds can be written as words e.g. Crash! Ting! Bang! You might be able to find examples of words that describe sounds in stories that the children like to hear.
Give the children a range of instruments. Play each of the instruments in turn. Help the children to try and capture the sounds that the instruments make using letters.
When the instrument vibrates you might like to repeat a letter to capture the sound e.g. a tambourine shaken might be ‘ssssssshhhhhhhhsssssss’. Explain to children that these are not real words – they are creating nonsense words so there is no right or wrong way to spell the word, but when you read it out loud it should sound like the noise the instrument makes.
In pairs, ask the children to make a sound and their partner to write it down. Have fun with combinations of letters and groups of letters trying this out.
Look at the slide. Explain that these are the words used in the story to create the sound of the organ pipes. The author has made these words up. They are nonsense words.
Go through each word in turn and try and sound it out using individual and groups of letters first and then blend them together. Have lots of fun and make lots of noise.
Ph = f
ppp aaaarrr p
ph wr eeeeeee p
ph oooooooooooo t
ph eeeeeeeee t
prrrrrrrrrrr ummmmmmmmmm p
phw eeeeeeeeeeee
phw ooooooooooo
Now ask the children to try out the organ pipes for themselves. See if they can make a sound and write it down. Do they agree with the author?
There are other parts of the story where sounds are used. Children can have great fun trying to make the sounds… especially the vicar snoring:
PHWOOT! extract:
All seven mice SHOT UP into the air together…
wheeeeeeee - whoooo - eeeeaaak - heeheeee – whooaaaaH – whoosh – wheyhey
… before disappearing back inside the organ.
The organist flopped onto the keyboard utterly exhausted. Then there was SILENCE, save for the vicar’s gentle snores, ‘Rrrrhohwhooooooo… rrrrhohwhooooooo.’
Activity 5: In Character
In this activity children explore character traits for each of the mice and extend their vocabulary. Children create their own mouse character.
The slide shows the author’s sketches for mouse characters. Spend some time with the children role-playing the character of each of the mice.
Are any of the mice you see mischievous? Which mouse would you be?
Talk about the character traits of each mouse. Are any of the mice shy, naughty or bossy?
List words on the slide to describe each mouse.
Ask children to copy the actions of each mouse. Can you guess which mouse I am?
What is their favourite food (leather, felt, cheese, biscuits, insects, children’s chocolate)?
What do the mice like to do (sing, dance, play, explore, eat)?
What kind of voice do they have when they squeak (high-pitched, low- pitched, slow or fast)?
· Ask the children to create a new mouse character of their own and give it a descriptive name. For example children might like to create a character ‘Speedy’ that runs around a lot and never stops.
Activity 6: Cat Calls
In this activity children extend characterisation and use of matching sounds – beginning or endings - by creating their own cat characters and giving them appropriate names.
Show children images of cats and ask them to build a character around one or more cat illustration. Share and talk about children’s descriptions.
Create a word bank for a later story.
Activity 7: Storyboard
In this activity children use the storyboard to retell the story. Children recall the story and sequence key moments.
Explain that this shows the story at key points. Spend some time with the children recalling the sequence of the story. How does the story begin? What are the key events? How does the story end?
Print out the slide and use to support children creating their storyboard.
Extension Activity 1: Retelling the story from a mouse’s point of view.
Print out Activity 7: Storyboard and explain to the children that they are now going to sequence their story from the mice’s point of view.
Extension Activity 2: Retelling the story from a cat’s point of view.
My Story
Print out Activity 7: Storyboard and explain to the children that they are now going to sequence their story from the day the cat spotted the mice.
Visit http://www.horsleypipeorgan.org/gallery for more free images you can download to use in the story.
Extension Activity 3: Story
In this activity children create their own mouse story. Children use what they have learnt using Activity 5: In Character to develop the characters of the mice in their story.
· Explain to the children that they are now going to write about the next adventure for this little group of mice.
Where the mice might go next?
The mice might visit the nearest town, village, school, or go on holiday to the seaside. They could even go into space! Let the children’s imaginations fly!
Print out Activity 7: Storyboard and explain to the children that they are now going to sequence their story. Where are the mice at the beginning of their story? Where are they at the end of their story? What happens to them in between?
· Encourage children to include their own mouse character in their story.
· Once the children have used the storyboard to plan their story they can write and illustrate it. Don’t forget to give your story a title?
· You might like to share a selection of finished drawings and illustrations as part of a PHWOOT! display.
Share some of the outcomes from Activity 7: Storyboard. Some children might like to read their own retelling of PHWOOT!