TALES FROM TODAY: MOVING DAY (MARS PACK)€¦ · spends time looking for asteroids and playing...

Moving Day is our futuristic Tale from Today in Storytime Issue 69. When Isaac’s parents announce that they are moving home, the young lad has to say goodbye to his friends and go on a long journey that is literally out of this world!

© storytimemagazine.com 2020

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Teaching ResourcesTALES FROM TODAY: MOVING DAY (MARS PACK)

In Brief

1 literacy lesson ideas

Read through the Glossary to make sure you understand all the new words in this issue of Storytime!

Talk about the story, using the questions on the Class Discussion Sheet as a starting point.

Complete our multi-choice Multiple Choice Quiz to find out if you were paying attention while reading Moving Day.

Put the events of the story in the right order using our Story Sequencing Sheet.

Retell the story of Isaac’s adventure on the Simple Storyboard Sheet!

Test your reading comprehension with the Reading Comprehension Sheet.

Complete the Story Structure Sheet to discover how Moving Day works!

Imagine that you have gone on a trip to Mars like Isaac did, and Write a Postcard from Mars to a friend using our handy worksheet.

Continued on page 2...


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2 STEM Lesson Ideas After reading the Mars Fact Sheet, test your knowledge of the planet with the Life on Mars worksheet. Spot what belongs on the Red Planet, and pick the best words to describe it.

Learn about other planets with the Our Solar System worksheet. Cut out the datacards about the different planets and find out what makes each of them special!

Complete the two-page Name the Planets worksheet. Label the planets in the artwork correctly and colour them in, using the Our Solar System fact cards for help!

Once you have completed the Name the Planets worksheet, try out the Planet Questions worksheet. Use the information you have learned from the Our Solar System datacards to come up with your answers.

Have you ever wanted to make a world of your own? See if you can come up with a fun and creative new planet with the Create a Planet worksheet. Your planet could be rocky, sandy, muddy, or made up of liquid or gas. Think about special things it might have, like strange rocks, colourful clouds, rings or moons. What strange creatures might live there? They might look like Earth animals, or could be more like starfish, fungi or thirteen-legged beetles!

Go planet-spotting! Some planets can be seen from Earth without a telescope! On clear nights, Venus, Mars and Jupiter can be seen in the sky if you know where to look. The Star Walk app, created by the European Space Agency, is particularly handy for spotting Mars and the other planets.

The Royal Observatory at Greenwich has an activity sheet that can be done in class (or in the playground). With a variety of fruit, you can make a model of the solar system and get a real idea of the different sizes of the planets! Go to this site and download the handy PDF document: https://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/teacher-resources/fruit-solar-system

Mars is home to the Solar System’s largest volcano, and you can build your own volcano by following the instructions on the NASA website. All you need is some cardboard, play dough, and some common household ingredients: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/make-a-volcano/



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3 Art lesson ideas Draw a picture of yourself on Mars on the Draw a Postcard from Mars sheet. Look up pictures of Mars for ideas, and don’t forget to design a cool spacesuit to wear. NASA has put up pictures of Mars taken by its Curiosity Rover: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/

Think about what you would need to put on a remote-controlled vehicle to explore Mars, and then draw your rover design in the Storytime Picture Frame.

Invent a fun colour scheme for your rocket on the Colour In a Rocket page!

4 PSHE lesson idea

Work out what you would pack for a trip to Mars with our Mars Packing worksheet. Think of what human beings would need to survive on another planet, and what you would want to make yourself feel happy and comfortable. How would you feel if you had to move to Mars? You can use this as a starting point to discuss the emotions Isaac feels during the story. How does he feel, when he leaves his friends, when he is travelling to Mars, and when he finds the mysterious cave and the Martian. (See if you can name the emotions he feels.) Also, think about what he does when he feels these emotions. Can we learn any lessons about the way Isaac acts when experiencing different feelings?

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Want to know the meaning of words in Storytime Issue 69? Use this handy guide!

STOrYTIME GLOSSArY

Who Ate My Socks (Page 6)

Fuzz – messy hair or dust

Dustball – ball of dust

Blamed – told off for it

Chap – person

Stuttered – said nervously

Troll – monster

Chewy – hard to chew

Polyester – kind of artificial cloth

The War of the Fox and the Wolf (Page 9)

Selfish – thinks only about himself

Rodents – animals like mice and rats

Hatchet – small axe

Frightened – scared

Huddled – cuddled together

Shelter – warmth and protection

Growled –made an angry sound

Cunning – smart and sneaky

Mighty – powerful

Shivering – shaking with cold

Companion – friend

Shrugged – moved his shoulders

Clearing – space with no trees in forest

Peered out – looked out

Pounced – attacked by jumping

Forgiven – forgotten about

The Watermelon Prince (Page 14)

Fierce – powerful

Mighty – strong

Gales – strong winds

Ashore – to the shore

Shipwreck – ship that has been smashed

Scholars – teachers and wise people

Orphan – person with no living parents

Bribed – paid money to

Rumours – stories that might not be true

Overthrow – kick out

Despair – panic and sadness

Blunt – opposite of sharp

Vines – long plants that can climb things

Carved – cut

Timber – wood used for making things

Harvests – food collected from a farm

Exiled – sent away

Flourished – grew strong and healthy

Moving Day (Page 18)

Crates – boxes

Virtual Reality Module – 3D game system

Meteorite – rock that fell from space

Tucked – put

Astrosuit – kind of spacesuit

Lag – slow internet connection

Hustle and bustle – business

Dull – boring

Settlers – people who move to new place

Satnav – satellite navigation

Gravity – force that pulls people and

things towards a planet

Tremendously – very

Slime – slippery goo

Nervously – in a nervous way

Squeaked – made a squeaking noise


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STOrYTIME GLOSSArY

Blundered – moved clumsily

Tentacle – long flexible body part

Bubbling – sounding like bubbles

Peered – looked

Lonely – feeling alone

Kisa the Cat (Page 24)

Mistress – lady in charge

Pouncing – attacking with a leap

Reward – gift in return for something

Drowsy – sleepy

Snooping – poking around

Lost his temper – got angry

Stomped off – walked away stamping feet

Rumbling sound – low rolling noise

Injured – hurt

Bandages – cloth strips used on injuries

Slinked – moved quietly and gracefully

Booming – loud

Weakling – weak person

Sneered – spoke in a disrespectful way

Thread– thin string used for sewing

The Fly and the Moth (Page 32)

Buzzing – making a buzzing sound

Sunbeams – lines of sunlight

Peelings – bits peeled off something

Rotten – going bad

Gobble – eat greedily

Mouthfuls – amounts of food that

fit in the mouth

Yawned – opened her mouth widely

and breathed out because of tiredness

Fluttered – flew

Dazzled – surprised and amazed

Hypnotised – distracted

Frantically – in a panic

Crawl out – slowly drag himself out

The Tin Man in Trouble (Page 35)

Scarecrow – man made of straw used to

scare birds

Pricked up – stuck up

Staggered – walked in an unsteady way

Sodden – very wet

Bedraggled – messy and wet

Joints – places where bits of body bend

Rust – get rust on him

Hibernating – sleeping for the winter

Grease – slippery oily goo

Starving – very hungry

Mahishasura and Durga (Page 39)

Warlike beings – creatures that like to fight

Dwelt – lived

Meditating – quietly thinking and praying

Lusted for – wanted

Invincible – unbeatable

Flee – run away

Trembled – shook in fear

Beast– animal

Trident – spear with three points

Furiously – angrily

Fooled – tricked

Symbol – something that represents

something else

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Moving Day is a story about a boy who finds himself in an unfamiliar situation! Answer these questions to begin talking about the story.

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TALES FROM TODAY: MOVING DAY (MARS PACK) StorytimeTM

Teaching Resources

Name Class

CLASS DISCUSSION SHEET

Text Questions

1. Where do you think Isaac and his friends are living at the beginning

of the story? Why do you think this?

2. Why do you think Isaac tried to leave his maths books and toothbrush

behind when he moved to Mars?

3. What jobs do you think Isaac’s parents do?

4. How did Isaac feel when he realised that the blob he had touched was

an alien, and what did he do then?

5. What object is introduced near the beginning of the story and turns out to be

important at the end?

picture QuestionWhat did the alien think and feel when he first met Isaac in his cave?

Answers: 1. On the Moon, because the story tells us that Isaac and his parents moved to Aldrin Crater Moon Base. 2. Because he didn’t like maths or brushing his teeth. 3. They could be astronauts, explorers, scientists or engineers. 4. He felt scared, but decided to think about the situation instead of running. 5. The meteorite Bradbury7 gave to Isaac.



Teaching Resources

Name Class

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ

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6

Test how well you understood Moving Day by answering this quick quiz!

Answers: 1B, 2A,, 3B, 4C, 5A, 6B, 7A.

Octavia thinks going to Mars is:A) BoringB) ExcitingC) Different

Which of these is a place on the ship that Isaac didn’t explore?A) The nuclear reactorB) The vehicle podC) The oxygen garden

What did Bradbury7 give to

Isaac?

A) A Cosmic Challengers

action figure

B) A meteorite

C) A birthday card

Why did Isaac’s mother want him to put on his oxygen helmet?A) So he would look nice

B) So he wouldn’t bump

his head in a caveC) So he could breathe

outside on MarsWhat did the tentacled alien collect?A) Minerals and crystalsB) BonesC) Stamps

What game did Isaac play with the alien?A) Space InvadersB) Buccaneer’s BootyC) Summoner’s Quest

Why does Isaac think Mars

might be OK at the end?

A) He has made a new friend

B) He has found a cave

C) He can play Summoner’s

Quest with no lag

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Teaching Resources

Name Class

Number the sentences from 1 to 10 to put the Moving Day events in the right order.

Story Sequencing Sheet

The journey to Mars takes a long time. Isaac gets a bit bored and spends time looking for asteroids and playing Buccaneer’s Booty.

When they arrive on Mars, Isaac wants to help his parents set up the solar panels, but they are too big.

Bradbury7 gives Isaac a special meteorite that he has found. Isaac hugs Octavia and Bradbury7 to say goodbye.

When he goes outside, Isaac discovers that he can jump much further on Mars because the gravity is weaker than it is on Earth.

Isaac realises that he has barged into the Martian’s home and offers him the meteorite Bradbury7 had given him.

The Martian seems to like the meteorite Isaac gave him, so Isaac teaches him how to play Buccaneer’s Booty.

After making one very long leap, Isaac stumbles across a cave and explores it.

Inside the cave, Isaac discovers a strange blob of purple slime. When he pokes it, the slime turns out to be a Martian creature!

Isaac tells his friends Octavia and Bradbury7 that he is moving to a new place with his parents.

His mother suggests that Isaac should go and play outside, so he puts on his astrosuit’s helmet and goes out through the airlock.

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MOVING DAY (MARS PACK) : SIMPLE STORYBOARD SHEET StorytimeTM

Teaching Resources

Name Class

Can you retell Moving Day in your own words? Write your version underneath the pictures below.

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TALES FROM TODAY: MOVING DAY (MARS PACK)

READING COMPrEHENSION SHEET

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Teaching Resources

Name Class

Test out your comprehension skills by reading this exciting extract from Moving Day and answering the questions below.

In one corner he found something very peculiar indeed. There

were little holes carved into the wall, and each of them had a different

mineral or crystal in it. On a big shelf at the bottom was something that

looked like a purple blob of slime. Isaac nervously poked the blob, and

jumped back in fright when it squeaked! A dozen eyes opened all over

the thing – it was alive!

Isaac wanted to run away, back to the safety of his living pod, but then he

stopped and had a think. The poor purple blob thing looked very scared,

and the crystals and minerals in the holes were probably its collection of

special treasures. He had just blundered into a Martian’s bedroom and

started poking it!

1. A simile is when something is described as being

like something else. What is an example of a simile

in this extract?

2. An onomatopoeia is when a word sounds like

what it is describing. Find the onomatopoeia!

3. Can you spot a word in the extract that means

‘twelve’? Hint: it starts with ‘d’.

4. What do you think the word ‘blundered’ means?

a) stumbled clumsily

b) leaped bravely

c) looked curiously

Answers 1. ‘like a purple blob of slime’. 2. ‘squeaked’. 3. ‘dozen. 4. a.

WRITE IT! Can you write three sentences about what Isaac could have done instead of giving the alien the meteorite, and how that would have changed the way the story ends? Use your imagination!

Who are the main characters in the story?

What is the solution?

How does the story end?

Where is the story set?

When is the story set?

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Teaching ResourcesStory Structure Sheet

Name Class

What is the main problem in the story?



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Teaching Resources

MArS FACT SHEET



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Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. Mas is smaller than Earth, and has a rock and sandy surface.

Mars has an atmosphere, but it is much thinner than Earth’s and doesn’t have any oxygen. We couldn’t survive there without a source of oxygen to breathe.

Mars looks reddish-brown because it has lots of rust (also called iron oxide) on its surface.

Though Mars might look hot because of its colour, it is actually cold because it has a thin atmosphere and is far from the Sun. Temperatures range from about -140°C to 30°C.

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Olympus Mons is a volcano on Mars, and it is the tallest mountain in the Solar System. It is nearly 22km high – three times higher than Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth.

Mars has no liquid water on its surface, but it does have frozen water (or ice) at its poles. However, Mars did have liquid water in the past, and may have even been home to living things!

Mars has two small moons, called Phobos and Deimos. Most planets have round moons, but Phobos and Deimos are odd-shaped and look a bit like bumpy potatoes.

No humans have yet visited Mars, but we have sent several probes there! NASA’s remote-controlled Opportunity Rover landed on Mars in 2004 and stopped working in 2018.

9 Mars is the planet in the Solar system that it would be easiest for human beings to live on. Scientists are coming up with ideas on how to get humans to Mars and set up a base there.

Circle four things that Isaac might find on Mars!

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LIFE ON MArS StorytimeTM

Teaching Resources

Name Class

WHAT IS MARS REALLY LIKE?

If Isaac sent a message

to his friends, what words

might he use to describe

Mars? Circle the six words

which could be used to

describe the planet.

Answers: Things you might find on Mars – ROCK, ICE, CLOUD, MARS ROVER. What is Mars like? DRY, COLD, RED, ROCKY, DUSTY, EMPTY.

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Teaching Resources

Our Solar System has eight planets, and they are all quite different from each other! Cut out these fact-packed datacards to learn about the planets.

OUR SOLAR SYSTEM



Name: MercurySize: 4,879km in diameterType: rockyColour: greyAtmosphere: nonePosition from the Sun: 1st

Name: VenusSize: 12,104km in diameterType: rockyColour: yellowish-whiteAtmosphere: carbon dioxidePosition from the Sun: 2nd

Name: EarthSize: 12,742km in diameterType: rockyColour: blue and greenAtmosphere: nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxidePosition from the Sun: 3rd

Name: MarsSize: 6,779km in diameterType: rockyColour: redAtmosphere: carbon dioxidePosition from the Sun: 4th

Name: JupiterSize: 139,820km in diameterType: gas giantColour: brown, orange and red stripes with a red spotAtmosphere: hydrogen and heliumPosition from the Sun: 5th

Name: SaturnSize: 116,460km in diameterType: gas giantColour: yellowish-brown stripes and ringsAtmosphere: hydrogen and heliumPosition from the Sun: 6th

Name: UranusSize: 50,724km in diameterType: ice giantColour: pale blue-greenAtmosphere: hydrogen and heliumPosition from the Sun: 7th

Name: NeptuneSize: 49,244km in diameterType: ice giantColour: bright blueAtmosphere: hydrogen and heliumPosition from the Sun: 8th

Until recently, there were nine planets in the Solar System. However, in 2006 astronomers decided that the ninth and smallest planet, Pluto, wasn’t a proper planet and called it a ‘minor planet’ instead.

DID YOU KNOW?

StorytimeTM

Teaching Resources

Our Solar system has eight planets*, and they are all quite different from each other! Here are pictures of the Sun and the planets. Fill in the name of each planet and colour them in – use the Our Solar System cards to help!

NAME THE PLANETS

* note the planets are not in scale so it’s easier to colour them all!



Name Class

After you have cut out the Our Solar System cards and read through them, see if you can answer these questions.



PLANET QUESTIONS StorytimeTM

Teaching Resources

Name Class

Earth and Venus are similar planets in many ways. What are two ways in which the planets are alike?

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Venus is the hottest planet in the Solar System, with a very thick and dangerous atmosphere. What could be one reason it is hotter than Earth?

Why do you think Neptune and Uranus are called ‘ice giants’?

What are two things that make the planet Mercury special in the Solar System?

Earth is the only planet in the Solar System that is known to support life. What gas in its atmosphere is needed for creatures like us to live there?

6Gravity is weak on Mercury, a bit stronger on Mars, and a lot stronger on Earth. How strong do you think gravity would be on Jupiter, and why?

Answers: 1. Earth and Venus are both rocky and they are very similar in size. 2. Venus is closer to the Sun.

3. Both are big and cold. 4. Mercury is the smallest planet and closest to the Sun. 5. Oxygen. 6. Gravity on

Jupiter would be very strong, and the bigger a planet is, the stronger the gravity there would be.

Isaac had a fun adventure on a real planet, but many writers have set stories on planets that don’t actually exist. Make up your own imaginary planet using this worksheet, and draw a picture of it in the box below!

Planet name:

Colour:

Size:

Atmosphere:

What is its surface like?

Special features:

Living things:



CrEATE A PLANET

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Teaching Resources

Name Class



Teaching Resources

Name Class

PICTUrE FrAME

Scientists have sent remote-controlled robot rovers to explore Mars.

Now you can design your own Martian explorer vehicle. Answer the

four questions below, and then draw your own rover in the frame!

1. How does it move around?

2. How does it take pictures or videos of things around it?

3. How does it pick up rocks or other interesting things?

4. How does it keep in touch with Earth?

If you want to be a brave astronaut, you need a really cool-looking rocket! Colour in this rocket with your own colour scheme. Don’t forget to add a flag and a name for your spacecraft!



COLOUr IN A rOCkET!

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Teaching Resources

Name Class

Imagine that you and your family are moving to Mars. On the lists below, write down seven things that you would definitely NEED if you were moving to a new planet, and five things you would WANT to take to your new home. Think about what humans need to survive!



MArS PACkING

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Teaching Resources

Name Class

THINGS YOU NEED TO TAKE

THINGS YOU WANT TO TAKE

You can draw them too!

TALES FROM TODAY: MOVING DAY (MARS PACK)€¦ · spends time looking for asteroids and playing...

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Transcript of TALES FROM TODAY: MOVING DAY (MARS PACK)€¦ · spends time looking for asteroids and playing...