an Adventure Story - Blake Education

LT 9 ■ Buffy:

an Adventure Story

Lower Primary

Blake’s Topic Bank

Buffy: an Adventure Story by Bob Graham by Kara Louise Munn

Each literature unit contains: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

8 pages of teaching notes Activities to take students into the book, through the book and beyond the book Discussion questions 10 practical blackline masters National Profile outcomes

For all your teaching needs visit www.blake.com.au

Introduction Synopsis

Literary Techniques

Buffy begins his adventure as the very capable assistant to Brillo the great magician. As Buffy’s talents start to outshine those of his master, he is told to leave the stage and never come back. Buffy begins to search the world for someone who will love him. Finally Buffy realises the importance of being himself and he decides to do what he enjoys. Buffy gets his ultimate reward when he meets Mary Kelly. Mary Kelly and her family fall in love with Buffy and take him home to live with them happily ever after.

Third person narration.

Reading Level Independent reading 6 years and up; read aloud 4 to 9 years.

Overview of Unit The aim of this unit is to allow students to complement their reading of the text with meaningful activities. Students will be encouraged to reread sections of the text and to recognise the order in which events occur. Students will write from the point of view of Buffy, as well as compose poetry and recounts. As Buffy discovers the importance of being himself, so too will students. Activities will place value on each student’s input.

Major Themes Being yourself, love, jealousy.

Grammar Focus Use of adjectives, direct speech.

Useful Resources Other books by Bob Graham. Allen, Pamela, Black Dog, Viking Kestrel, 1991. Larkin, Peter, The Complete Dog Book, Lorenz, 1997. Morgan, Sally, Animals as Friends, Franklin Watts, 2000. Moses, Brian, I Feel Jealous, Wayland, 1993. Oliver, Clare, Animals as Carers, Franklin Watts, 2000. Patten, Dennis, My Magic Book, Salamander, c1993. White, L. and Broekel, R., Math-a-Magic, Albert Whitman & Co, 1994. A world map, preferably one that can be written on with a whiteboard marker.

Assessment Students will:

Speaking and Listening 2.1 Interact in more confident and extended ways in structured and spontaneous situations. ■ Discuss importance of self. ■ Prepare talks for audience.

Reading and Viewing 2.7 Recognise and interpret basic linguistic structures and features of text. ■ Use the illustrations to gain information not mentioned in the text. ■ Sequence events from the text.

Writing 2.9 Write brief imaginative texts which include some related ideas about familiar topics. ■ Write a diary from the point of view of the main character. ■ Write descriptions. ■ Use adjectives. ■ Write acrostic and other poetry. ■ Write an adventure narrative.

1

© Blake Education – Buffy: an Adventure Story Literature Unit


Into the Book 1 The Cover Show students the front cover of the text.

Questions ■ What could the book be about? ■ Why might it be called ‘an adventure story’? ■ What could the cane in Buffy’s paw be? ■ Why do you think Buffy is surrounded by a heart? ■ Have you read any other books by Bob Graham? What were they about? Now turn the book over and read the back cover to students.

■ Does the illustration or the text on the back cover give you more information? ■ How do you think Buffy is feeling?

2 Jobs for dogs As a class make a list of the reasons that people keep dogs. Examples could include guide dogs, sheep dogs, family dogs, police dogs and breeding dogs. Read information texts about working dogs and the qualities of particular breeds. Ask students to think about why families keep dogs as pets. Have a visitor come to school and talk to students about their pet dog, their guide dog or their working dog. Students who have dogs can also share some of their own experiences. Make sure that you obtain school permission before allowing dogs onto school premises and always ensure that plastic bags are handy to remove any faeces. All students should be told to wash their hands after touching dogs. Discuss with students what they think would be an ideal place for Buffy. Where would he be best suited?

3 Being yourself Tell students that Buffy discovers in the book that he shouldn’t pretend to be something he isn’t. Discuss with students why it is important to be yourself. Ask students to suggest reasons why we shouldn’t pretend to be something, just to get people to like us. (Suggest to students that we can’t expect everyone to like us, so

being yourself means those people who do like you will know the ‘real’ you .)

4 Magic tricks Discuss with students how magic tricks can be visual illusions. Provide students with some books about magic tricks. Try to find books with simple instructions for students to follow (see Useful Resources). Have each student choose a magic trick. Encourage students to practise their magic tricks at home. Organise a magic show where every student performs their trick. For added theatrical effect make magic wands, capes and hats. Encourage students to think up some magic words to say as they are performing. Encourage students to keep the method behind their trick a secret. Ask the rest of the class to try and work out how the trick was performed.

5 True love Provide students with large sheets of art paper, scrap paper, paintbrushes, toothbrushes, red and orange paint, and art shirts. Help students fold a piece of scrap paper in half and cut out a heart shape. The heart shape should take up slightly more than half of the large sheet of art paper. Use the front cover of Buffy as a guide. Have students place the heart on the art paper and cover the entire page with red paint. As students peel off the heart they will be left with its shape on the art paper. When the red paint is dry, ask students to paint an orange heart around the outline. Help them to paint radiating lines as well. When dry, cover the heart shape with the scrap paper and use a tooth brush dipped in orange paint to flick paint across the page. The effect will be similar to the cover of Buffy. In the centre of the heart, ask students to write about something they love very much—it could be a person or an animal. Prompt students with questions.

Questions ■ Why do I love this person/animal? ■ How do you know when someone/something really loves you? ■ How can you show someone/something that you love them?


2


Reading the Book Pages 1–2 Buffy is introduced as a multi-talented dog who is assistant to Brillo the Magician. The crowd love watching Buffy perform.

Questions ■ Have you ever been to a magic show? ■ What sort of tricks have you seen performed? ■ Do you know how the magician made them happen? ■ What sort of things does the assistant do? ■ What does the word 'rare' mean? ■ Who was Houdini? ■ What does Brillo the Magician think of Buffy’s popularity? Session 1 Have students imagine that Brillo and Buffy have asked them to design some new posters advertising their performances. Ask students to think about important information that a poster should contain. Include the dates, times, venues and prices. Tell students they can choose an appropriate venue in their local area. Ask students to prepare a rough copy of their poster on A4 paper, planning where the text and pictures will go. Remind students that text should be limited. Tell students that a poster should be designed to stand out and attract people’s attention, while providing readers with necessary information. Provide cards, and markers or paint, and encourage students to make their posters as exciting as possible.

Session 2 Have students look closely at the first two pages. Brillo and Buffy are shown on the stage, while the audience is in the foreground. Discuss with students whether the illustrations contain any clues about Brillo’s attitude towards Buffy. Encourage students to describe people in the audience, as well as what they are doing. Ask students to consider what the audience thinks about the show. Tell students they are going to make a diorama of the show, with themselves in the audience. The diorama will show Buffy on the stage, and the audience will be seen from the viewpoint of Buffy on the stage. Students will need an old shoebox and a variety of craft materials, 3

including some card, pencils, markers and paints. Have students tip the box on one of its long sides. The base of the box (which is now vertical) is where the audience will be— change the box to match the example on BLM 1. Have students use BLM 1 to cut out silhouettes of Buffy and Brillo. Paste the silhouettes to thin card. These can be coloured and then attached to the base of the box by folding and pasting the tabs. Remind students that it is the backs of Buffy and Brillo that we are looking at. Encourage students to draw pictures of themselves and friends and paste these in the audience. Remind students to include different expressions to show how each member of the audience is feeling. (Students may even like to use a photograph of themselves.) Tell students they can draw and cut out any of the props that Buffy may have used on stage. These can be fixed to the base of the box near Buffy.

Pages 3–5 Brillo the Magician cannot deal with Buffy’s popularity and he kicks him out. Life looks grim for Buffy as he spends all his money and then ends up in a railway yard.

Questions ■ How would someone ‘mutter darkly’? ■ How would Brillo say ‘OUT! and never come back’? ■ Has your bottom lip ever quivered? What were you thinking about? ■ If you only had a little bit of money left what would you spend it on? ■ What do you think will happen next? Session 3 Talk with students about the feeling of jealousy. Is it a good feeling to have, or a harmful one? When might you be jealous? How can you overcome this? Have students participate in role-play situations, where Brillo deals differently with Buffy’s rising fame. Ask students to suggest ways that Brillo could use Buffy’s talents to help his own act, and therefore his fame. Have students work in small groups and spend 10 minutes preparing a short skit. Ask students in each group to take turns playing Buffy and Brillo. The rest of the group can be the audience. Swap



roles as many times as necessary. You could provide a spotty scarf and a top hat for added impact.

Session 4 Look at the picture that shows Buffy in the railway yard. As a class list the things that make the illustration look bleak. Have students copy this illustration, using watercolours and then black pens to outline objects. Allow students’ illustrations to dry. Dip the edge of a piece of cardboard in white poster paint. Have students drag the edge of the cardboard along their illustrations to make prints that look like rain. Have students write thought bubbles and add these to their illustrations to show what Buffy might be thinking.

Session 5 Talk to students about why people keep diaries. Ask students to pretend that in Buffy’s bag he carried a small diary. Ask students what Buffy might have written on the day Brillo told Buffy to leave the stage. Give students BLM 2 and ask them to write about this day from the point of view of Buffy. Remind students that when they are writing a recount they should write in the first person. Tell students they can include feelings and opinions as well as events that happened.

Pages 6–7 Buffy jumps on a train heading into the unknown.

Questions ■ Where might the train be taking Buffy? ■ What do you think is going through Buffy’s mind? ■ Considering his many talents, what else could Buffy do to overcome his loneliness on the train? Session 6 Talk about how the phrase ‘train on the tracks’ imitates the sound of a train moving along tracks. This is called onomatopoeia. Have students chant ‘train on the tracks, train on the tracks, train on the tracks’ over and over again to hear the effect. Organise students into groups, and give each group a collection of instruments, or have students make their own instruments using containers filled with rice. Have groups use their instruments to

imitate the sound of the train making its way along the tracks. Ask students to slowly chant the words of Buffy’s song and then make up their own version. Encourage students to use sad and dreary words in their songs, so they portray the same mood as Buffy’s. Have students concentrate on the number of syllables each word contains, so they can beat this rhythm on their instruments.

Pages 8–13 Buffy tries to find a place where he can put his talents to good use, but he ends up in the Lost Dogs’ van. Buffy escapes and continues to travel the world looking for a home.

Questions ■ What smells make you think of the countryside? ■ Why was Buffy no good as a sheep dog, a cattle dog, a kitchen dog or a guard dog? ■ Why was Buffy able to escape from the Lost Dogs’ van? ■ What can happen to lost dogs with no owners to claim them? Session 7 If possible provide a real passport for students to view. Tell them that Buffy will need a passport to travel the world. Provide students with BLM 3. Have students fold the page in half and design their own cover for the passport. Ask students to complete the first section of the passport. Remind students that they are filling out the passport in Buffy’s name, and they should include a ‘photograph’ of Buffy. Encourage students to use their imaginations to complete details such as reasons for travel and next of kin. Brainstorm descriptive words and display these on chart paper. Have students write a description of Buffy on the other page of the passport. Ask students to describe both Buffy’s appearance and his character.

Session 8 Display a world map on the wall. Have students suggest some countries Buffy may have visited. Draw a route to connect these. Have each student draw a ‘photograph’ to show Buffy in a different country, or area. Talk about what could be in the backgrounds of the photos to show


4


clearly which country Buffy is in. You may like to provide travel brochures for inspiration. Add the ‘photographs’ to the world map. Use a length of wool and coloured thumb tacks to pinpoint on the map where each photo was taken.

Session 9 If possible show students a captioned photo album of your own. What do students notice about the captions? Captions should be concise, and normally identify where the photo was taken. Another common feature of captions is humour. Have students write captions to accompany each photo from the previous session.

Session 10 Have students pretend they are Buffy, again writing a diary recount. (You could provide students with diary pages from BLM 2.) Students can choose to include as much or as little from the text as they wish. Encourage students to choose one incident, for example applying for a job as kitchen dog, and to write about it in detail. Remind students to ask themselves if they have written: ✏ what happened ✏ when it happened ✏ why it happened ✏ and who it happened to. Students may include illustrations if they wish.

Pages 14 – 17 Buffy decides he can not go on in this way. The words on a statue remind the readers of the importance of being yourself. Buffy realises he is unique and that he should concentrate on what he does well. He starts busking on the street.

Session 11 Read the words on the statue. Provide students with BLM 4. Have students cut out the statue shapes and glue them together onto a larger and longer piece of paper or card. Ask students to draw themselves on the top of the statue. On the base of the statue students can write their own poem about what makes them unique and special. The poem is called ‘I AM ME’, and each line can begin with ‘I am’. Help students think about what makes a person special by having them write about what makes their peers special. Write the names of all students on small pieces of paper and have each student draw a name from a hat. (Ensure that no-one draws their own name!) Encourage students to think about what makes this person special. Tell students to write a couple of points on paper. Collect all of the papers and pass them on to the students they concern. Responses can remain confidential. Allow students to decide whether these responses form part of their poem called ‘I AM ME’.

Session 12 Have students adapt the speed and lyrics of the song they composed in Session 6 to reflect Buffy’s busking performance. The number of syllables in each line will need to be the same as that in the sadder songs. Tell students that Buffy is more energetic in this performance than when he played on the freight train. Have students beat out the rhythm of their new song with their feet, as Buffy does.

Questions ■ What are some words which describe Buffy’s character? ■ What do you think the words on the statue mean? ■ What is the impact of the short sentences on page 17? ■ Have you seen a busker on the street? What were they doing?

5



Pages 18–23 Buffy is rewarded with the arrival of Mary Kelly and her family. They instantly fall in love with each other. The Kelly family take Buffy home and treat him as a very special part of their family.

Questions ■ What can you tell from the picture of Buffy and Mary Kelly? ■ What does ‘love at first sight’ mean? ■ Do you think Buffy will be happy with the Kellys? ■ Look at the illustrations of the Kelly family. Do you think this family will suit Buffy? ■ What had Buffy been looking for? Did he find it? ■ How does this narrative make you feel inside? Session 13 Look at the illustrations and find pictures of Buffy under the spotlight. Talk with students about the difference between Buffy’s life at the beginning of the text and at the end. At the beginning Buffy is dancing alone for an audience, while at the end of the book he is dancing with Mary Kelly. In the latter illustration his life and future has taken on a whole new meaning. Explain to students how to write an acrostic poem. For each letter of a chosen word students must choose another word or phrase that begins with the letter and relates to the word. Provide students with BLM 5 and help them to write two acrostic poems, using the word ‘Buffy’. Each poem should describe Buffy’s life in that particular spotlight, or at that point in time.

meaning but could have been used in its place. Tell students to write this in the replacement word column. Have students look at the page which has pictures of Mary’s family meeting Buffy. Have students think of a word that describes each member of the Kelly family. Record these in the space on the BLM.

Session 15 Look back through the text and make lists of things relating to Buffy. Write a list of things Buffy did as a magician’s assistant. Write a list of jobs he applied for. Write a list of the members of the Kelly family.

Session 16 Talk with students about significant times in their day. Examples could include morning bell, news time, morning tea time, lunch time and home time. Write these on chart paper in the order in which they happen. Now ask students to think about their day. Have students tell some activities that occurred between events, for example, morning tea and lunch, or between lunch time and home time. Now provide students with BLM 7. You may like to photocopy and enlarge this BLM and use it to model for students. Read each line on the BLM to the class. Ask students to think of something that happened to Buffy after the first incident but before the next. There will be a number of correct answers so be sure to encourage students to volunteer a variety of responses. More able students may like to try to think of two events to include in each space.

Session 14 This lesson can be taught in small groups with multiple copies of the text. Alternatively, it can be taught as a whole class with you reading each page aloud and then pausing for students to record. Provide students with BLM 6. Have students write the adjective in the text which describes each word on the BLM. (The words are in the order they appear in the text.) Ask students to think of an alternative word which maintains the same © Blake Education – Buffy: an Adventure Story Literature Unit

6


Beyond the Book 1 Bob Graham’s books

2 Character analysis

Provide copies of other books by Bob Graham for students to look at and read if able. Have students listen to you reading each of the texts. This should be done over time and in a relaxed fashion. After all the books have been read aloud to the class, and students have had opportunities to read them, make a ‘people’ graph to illustrate which Bob Graham books are the favourites in your class. Place a copy of each book across the front of the room. Ask students to stand behind their favourite. When all students have chosen a book, make comparisons between the lines.

Have students identify and discuss the main characters in Buffy. (Students may choose Mary Kelly only, or may prefer to treat the entire Kelly family as one.) Provide large sheets of paper and paint. Divide the class into three groups. Allocate one character to each group. Have the groups paint their character. You could draw the outlines and have students paint the figures, or choose one student to do the outline and other students can do the painting. On rough paper have groups of students write a list of words and phrases that describe their character. Help students use dictionaries to check the spelling of their words. Let students publish their words and phrases on the computer. Attach the words and phrases to the paintings.

Questions ■ Which is the favourite Bob Graham book in our class? ■ What do you think makes it so appealing? ■ Which book is the least popular? Why? ● Organise students into groups. Have groups transfer the details from the ‘people’ graph to paper. Write the following headings on large sheets of paper: Title, Author, Illustrator, Main characters, Setting, Themes. Ask students to fill in these details for each book. ● Write a list of all of the main characters from Bob Graham’s books. Discuss their similarities and differences. ● Ask students to recreate their favourite cover using paints and card. ● Have students act out a character from one of the books. See if the rest of the class can work out who it is.

3 Differences and similarities Give each student a copy of BLM 8. Ask them to look closely at the endpapers (inside front and back covers) of the book. Buffy, his bag, hat and bowl are in both endpapers; however very little else is the same. Have students fill in the blank boxes on the BLM. Tell students they can also add their own differences and similarities.

4 Write another adventure Give each student a copy of BLM 9. On chart paper brainstorm some ideas for another adventure that Buffy could have. Students might like to add some new characters or they could revisit Brillo the Magician. Each student can use the BLM to outline their ideas. Help students publish their final copy on the computer. Encourage students to illustrate their work.

● Play a Who’s Who game where each student has a name of a character stuck to their back. Have students move around the class, asking questions that require a yes or no answer, to find out who their character is. ● Have a dress-up day where each student comes to school dressed as one of the characters from a Bob Graham book.

7



Integrated Activities 1 Maths If you have access to play money allow students to use this. If you choose to use real coins make sure students understand that the money belongs to you and that it is wrong to steal. Begin by seating students in a circle on the floor. Place some coins in the centre. Ask students to show you how to make 15 cents. Ask students if they can think of more than one combination. Repeat using different totals. Provide each student with BLM 10. Tell students to add up the amount of money each person on the BLM is dropping into the cup. Have students write the total on the line. Encourage early finishers to write down different combinations of coins that would give the same totals.

2 Science There are many experiments that could be described as ‘scientific tricks.’ Try some with the class. Refraction Put a coin in a bowl and place the bowl on a table. Ask a student to slowly move backwards until they can no longer see the coin. Have another student pour some water into the bowl. The coin will become visible again. Blind Spots Draw a picture of a magician holding a wand. To the magician’s right, and a short distance from the wand, draw a flower. To make the flower disappear and then reappear have students hold the picture at a normal reading distance from their eyes. Ask them to close their left eye and focus on the wand with the other. Students must then slowly move the picture closer to their face. The flower will disappear at one point and then reappear. White light Divide a circle of cardboard into seven sections. Colour each section a colour of the rainbow. Make a hole in the center of the circle and poke through a sharp pencil. Spin the pencil and the colours will disappear. All students will see is white.

3 Society and Environment Unloved and unwanted dogs are a problem in many areas. Invite a guest speaker to talk about the responsibilities of owning a dog, and the importance of microchipping and desexing. The speaker could be a local breeder, a vet, or a member of your local council.

4 The Arts Give students thin black card to make a hat like Buffy’s. Help students make the base of the hat. Use a plate to trace a circle onto the card. Cut out a large hole in the middle; you may need to fold the circle in half to make it easier. You now have the brim and the crown of the hat. Make little slits about 1 cm long all around the inner circle of the brim. Fold these at right angles. Tell students to carefully measure another piece of black card to make the cylinder. This should fit snugly onto the base. Attach with tape. Place the crown on top of the cylinder and attach.

5 PD and Health Allow students to be ‘Personality of the Day’. Each student is allocated one day when it is their turn to be treated as extra special. You may have two students per day depending on the length of the unit. The personality of the day can be the messenger, the leader or the canteen monitor. In addition, they must prepare a short talk about themselves, their family and their past, to present to the class. Encourage students to include photos, and/or enlist the help of parents or carers. A special ‘Personality of the Day’ badge could be made and worn by students.


8


BLM 1 BLM 1

© Blake Education – Buffy: an Adventure Story Literature Unit This page may be reproduced by the original purchaser for non-commercial classroom use.


Name __________________________________________ Date ____________________

My Diary ✁

This diary belongs to ________________________

Date:_________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________


BLM 2

_________________________________ _________________________________

Date of birth

____________________


_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

Name __________________________________________ Date ____________________

_________________________________

Next of kin ______________________

_________________________________

Reason(s) for travel_______________

_________________________________

Special talents ___________________

_________________________________

____________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

____________________

Distinguishing marks

Description

Name

Passport photograph

Buffy’s Passport


BLM 3


Name __________________________________________ Date ____________________

I AM ME statues

I AM ME.


BLM 4


Name __________________________________________ Date ____________________

BLM 5

Acrostic poems Make your first poem tell about Buffy’s life at the beginning of the book, and the second poem tell of Buffy’s life with the Kellys. Draw your own pictures under each spotlight.

B

__________________________________

U

__________________________________

F

__________________________________

F

________________________________

Y

_____________________________

B

__________________________________

U

__________________________________

F

__________________________________

F

__________________________________

Y

__________________________________



Name __________________________________________ Date ____________________

BLM 6

Adjectives Find the word in the text which describes each word. Think of a different word which could have been used in its place. The first one has been done for you. Adjective

Noun phrase

Replacement word

thunderous

applause

noisy

__________________

boards

__________________

__________________

coins

__________________

__________________

railway yard

__________________

__________________

freight train

__________________

__________________

grass

__________________

__________________

engines

__________________

__________________

road trucks

__________________

Look at the page that shows Mary’s family greeting Buffy. Write an adjective to describe each of them. Mary’s _________________ mother

her __________________ grandma

her _____________________ father

her___________________ grandad

her ____________________ brother

her___________ baby sister Morag



Name __________________________________________ Date ____________________

BLM 7

Before and after Think of something that happens before and after these events. Brillo and Buffy perform together. ________________________________________________________ Buffy eats Bonzo lamb chunks. ________________________________________________________ Buffy tries to get a job as a sheep dog. ________________________________________________________ Buffy escapes from the Lost Dog’s van. ________________________________________________________ Buffy moans at the moon. ________________________________________________________ Buffy meets Mary Kelly. ________________________________________________________ Buffy and Mary dance to jigs. ________________________________________________________



Name __________________________________________ Date ____________________

BLM 8

Same and different Look at the inside front and back covers. What is similar and what is different? These things are different.

FRONT

BACK

raining

_________________________

Buffy is all alone

_________________________

dreary colours

_________________________

__________________________

inside

__________________________

Buffy is happy

no money

_________________________

__________________________

_________________________

__________________________

_________________________

__________________________

_________________________

These things are the same. Buffy has a red spotted scarf

_________________________

__________________________

_________________________

__________________________

_________________________

__________________________

_________________________



Name __________________________________________ Date ____________________

BLM 9

Buffy’s next adventure Title:________________________________________________ Author: _____________________________________________ Introduction: ________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Exciting adventure: __________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ What happens at the end: ____________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________



Name __________________________________________ Date ____________________

BLM 10

How much money is in the cup? People passing Buffy dropped coins in his cup. Work out the total that each person gave. 5c + 10c = _______

50c + 5c = _______

10c + 20c + 5c = _______

$1 + 10c = _______

50c + 20c + 10c + 5c = _______

10c + 10c + 10c = _______

$2 + 50c = _______

5c + 5c + 5c + 5c + 5c = _______
