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English Activity Booklet Year 6

Michael MorpurgoSir Michael Morpurgo is one of Britain’s most acclaimed

and popular children’s authors. During his career so far, he has written over 100 books and been awarded with a knighthood in recognition of his achievements. As well as being a successful author, Morpurgo is a celebrated charity worker, family man and inspiration to adults and children alike.

Early LifeMichael Morpurgo was born on 5th October 1943 in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Due to the outbreak of the Second World War, Michael and his brother,

Pieter, were evacuated to Northumberland to keep them safe from the German bombardment in and around

London during the Blitz. Once the war ended, Michael and his brother returned home to find that their mother had fallen in love with a man called

Jack Morpurgo. She eventually divorced Michael’s father (who had recently returned from war

himself) and married Jack who subsequently became Michael’s stepfather.

Morpurgo attended two boarding schools (in which he particularly enjoyed rugby and singing) before starting a very brief career in the Army. He enjoyed aspects of army life but disliked being shouted at and so decided to leave and go to university instead. In 1963, Morpurgo married the love of his life, Clare Lane. Clare is the daughter of Allen Lane, the founder of the famous publishing house, Penguin Books. Clare and Michael went on to have three children together: Sebastian, Horatio and Rosalind. After university, Michael became a school teacher in Kent and particularly enjoyed reading stories to his class. However, when he ran out of stories to read to them, he decided to start writing his own! In 1974, Morpurgo wrote his first book entitled ‘It Never Rains: Five Stories’. Morpurgo has reported that the years he spent teaching and as a father to his

young children were some of the happiest of his life.

CharityAfter teaching for ten years, Michael Morpurgo wanted a change and so, he and his family moved to Devon. They purchased a spacious house next to a working farm and set-up the charity, Farms for City Children. Farms for City

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Michael Morpurgo

Children is a charity for underprivileged children who live in cities and urban areas. The charity gives them the opportunity to stay at one of its three

farms for a week. Children learn from hands-on experience about where their food comes from, how to care for animals and about working as part of a team. The charity is still running today

(although Michael and his wife no longer run it) and over 90 000 children have stayed at the farms since it began in 1976.

Books Since writing ‘It Never Rains’, Morpurgo has written numerous more children’s books and stories. The list of titles includes: Friend or Foe, War Horse, The Butterfly Lion, Kensuke’s Kingdom, Private Peaceful, An Elephant in the Garden and copious more. War Horse is one of Morpurgo’s most eminent books and was made into a stage adaptation in 2007 and later into a film adaptation by director Steven Spielberg in 2012.

AchievementsMorpurgo was heavily influenced and supported by his neighbour and friend, poet Ted Hughes, and together they established the position of Children’s Laureate in 1999. Children’s Laureate is an award given to a prominent writer or illustrator of children’s books. Later, in 2003, Morpurgo himself was given the title, preceded only by Quentin Blake and Anne Fine. In 2007, Morpurgo was awarded with an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) and then in 2018, he was given a knighthood in recognition of his services to literature and charity work. Despite all of this, Michael Morpurgo himself says that starting the Farms for City Children charity with his wife is still his greatest achievement and the thing that he is most proud of.

Did You Know...?Michael Morpurgo does not write his books sitting at a desk or on a computer. Instead, he prefers to write in an exercise book, lying on his bed propped up by pillows! Despite being a fan of Mozart, Morpurgo writes in a silent room as he finds the music distracting.


Questions1. Where was Michael evacuated to? Tick one.

London

Hertfordshire

Northumberland Devon

2. Who is Allen Lane in relation to Morpurgo?

3. What are the names of Michael’s three children?

4. Michael Morpurgo and Clare Lane’s father had a lot in common. Use evidence from the text to suggest what shared interests they may have had.

5. Draw lines to match the events of Morpurgo’s life with the year that they occurred.

Michael Morpurgo

2007

1963

1976

1999

1974

Michael and Clare set-up Farms for City Children.

Michael and Ted Hughes set-up the Children’s Laureate.

Michael is awarded

with an OBE.

Michael and Clare got married.

Michael wrote ‘It Never Rains: Five Stories’


6. Find and copy a word that means ‘disadvantaged’.

7. Why do you think so many of Morpurgo’s books are based in war time? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

8. Why do you think Morpurgo was given the title of Children’s Laureate? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

9. Look at the first paragraph. What adjectives are used to describe Michael Morpurgo and what do they tell us about him?

10. Michael Morpurgo himself says that starting the Farms for City Children charity with his wife is still his greatest achievement…

What do you think is Morpurgo’s greatest achievement and why?

Michael Morpurgo

Questions


What is VE Day?VE Day stands for Victory in Europe Day, and is celebrated on the 8th May. It marked an end to the six years of suffering, misery but also endurance that defined the Second World War in Europe. Although it was not the end of the Second World War, it was the end of conflict in Europe.

How did it happen?Hitler was the dictator of Germany, who had instigated the Second World War. After Hitler’s death on 30th April 1945, the German President of the Third Reich, Grand Admiral Donitz, ordered that General Jodl go to the American General Eisenhower’s Head Quarters based in France and surrender to the Western and Russian officers, agreeing to all their demands, on the 7th May.

The AnnouncementThe British people began celebrating as soon as they heard the news, although no official announcement had been made. Bell ringers in the churches around the country were put on standby ready to ring out the good news when an official notice was given.

Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Russian’s Communist Party, was reluctant to announce the surrender but the British Prime Minister,

Winston Churchill, did not want to give Stalin the satisfaction of holding up what everyone already

knew anyway! Churchill made the following announcement at 19:40, 7th May:

“In accordance with arrangements between three great powers, tomorrow, Tuesday,

will be treated as Victory in Europe Day and will be regarded as a holiday.

The Effects of WarIn Britain, during the war in Europe, half a million homes were destroyed, thousands of civilians killed and millions of lives had been disrupted.

VE Day

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VE Day

Although everyone was relieved that the war in Europe had ended, for many the celebrations would have been bittersweet. The loss of many loved ones, either fighting abroad, captured by the enemy or those who died in air raids, meant that many people felt a certain anti-climax after the celebrations.

Bring on the Celebrations!People took to decorating the streets with banners, bunting and ribbons. They organised impromptu street parties where neighbours shared food, which was still rationed, and listened to the wireless news broadcasts.

King George VI and the Queen appeared eight times on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, and their two daughters, Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth – who is now Her Majesty the Queen – mingled amongst the crowds! Churchill told the crowds, “This is your victory!”

Churchill attended a celebratory lunch with King George VI then addressed the nation, reminding them that although Japan still had to be defeated, Great Britain “May allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing. God Save the King!”

The End of the VE DayAt 21:00, King George VI made a final broadcast to the nation. Buckingham Palace was lit up in floodlights for the first time since the start of the war, and two searchlights formed a V, the sign of victory, above St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

All the illuminations were turned off the next day.

A Special Celebration

To celebrate 75 years since the original VE Day, the May Day bank Holiday has been moved for the second time in history. Although it’s usually on a Monday, this year, the May Day Bank holiday will be on Friday 8th May to coincide with the anniversary of VE Day.

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Buglers have been invited to play The Last Post and Reveille from their homes at 2:55 p.m. This will be followed by a ‘Nation’s Toast to the Heroes of World War II’ at 3:00 p.m. Here, people at home can raise a drink of their choice and say the following:

“To those who gave so much, we thank you.”

The thought is that as a nation, the UK will toast their remembrance, together.

VE Day

Bugler: Someone that plays the bugle – a horn-like instrument used by soldiers to send signals and orders.

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Questions1. What date is VE Day?

2. Tick the boxes to say whether the statements below are true or false.

Sentence True False

VE day marked the end of the Second World War.

The British people began celebrating before the official announcement.

General Jodl ordered Grand Admiral Donitz to surrender.

VE Day stands for Victory in Europe Day.

3. Who were put on standby?

4. What prompted the German surrender, and why do you think this was?

5. What word has been used that means ‘unplanned’, and how does it relate to the sentence it

is used in?

6. What three things happened at 21:00 on VE Day?

VE Day

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7. What time is the Nation’s Toast to the Heroes of World War II? Tick one.

2:55 p.m. 3:55 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m.

8. What two things did Churchill do on VE Day?

9. Why were the celebrations bittersweet for some?

10. How do you think people felt on 9th May? Explain your thoughts.

VE Day

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Correct the Sentence Punctuation

1. my brother’s dog is called tess

2. on sunday she went to the park

3. the titanic sank in 1912

4. toby and mark are going to spain in march

5. martha took her children to the zoo yesterday

6. when i go to the shop, i will get some crisps

7. sameera and i are going to town on friday

8. did you sell buns at the fair

9. my mum has a cat he is called tom

10. have you got a dress for the prom

Write the correct sentence underneath by adding in capital letters, full stops and question marks.

Correct the Sentence Punctuation

1. one warm, sunny day jessica and lilly went to the zoo when they arrived,

they visited the monkeys

2. i like the zoo, said jessica lilly looked up and saw a monkey had stolen her

lunchbox

3. do we have any money to buy more food asked jessica

4. lilly replied no now we dont have anything for lunch

5. dont worry girls, a voice called from behind them it was the zookeeper, who

was holding their lunchbox, with a big smile on his face

Write the correct sentence underneath by adding in capital letters, full stops, ques-tion marks and inverted commas.

Correct the Spelling Mistake The spelling mistakes in these sentences have been circled. Write the correct spelling for each circled word in the box.

1. Shaun loved playing football acording to his best friend.

2. There were no more avalible cinema times for that evening.

3. The princess didn’t rekognis the prince.

4. The foregn exchange student loved her new school.

5. Andrew loved reading books espeshally before bedtime.

6. Mum sinserly apologised for being late.

7. “It’s lovely to meet you,” whispered the boy with an

orkword smile.

8. Grandpa cooked a delicious vegtabul soup for dinner.

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The spelling mistakes in these sentences have been circled. Write the correct spelling for each circled word in the box.

Each sentence below has one word that is incorrect. Write the correct spelling of the word in the box.

1. The hotel was too small to acomodate the large party.

2. They lived in a friendly comunatey.

3. “Mum, you always egagerate!” shouted James.

4. Year 5 freqentle got all of their spellings correct.

5. They were asked to leave imediatley.

6. The ugly sisters would always critsise Cinderella.

7. Dad hurt a leg musle whilst jogging.

8. They had a marvelus first day at school.

1. How could Sarah perswad her mum to stay out later?

2. The school trip was to an anshient temple.

3. Mohammad really wanted to win the compitishion.

4. Loki, the dog, hated thunder and litening.

5. There was a worrying sound coming from the vehcle.

6. It won’t be nesesary.

7. The tempracher in the classroom was increasing

8. The lady next door was being a newsance.

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1. After the bad tackle, John’s knee had a purple brewse appearing.

2. Kali could speak three languges.

3. Her favourite programe started at six o’clock.

4. Alice’s curiocity led her down the rabbit hole.

5. “I apreshiate all the birthday wishes,” she beamed.

6. The teacher encouraged the children to use the dicshionary.

7. The resturent was fully booked.

8. The sistum had broken down.

1. Four adults needed to acompony the children on the trip.

2. He was conshus of the time.

3. Next year, Jane is turning fourty.

4. “My stomak is hurting,” the ill child moaned.

5. He needed to change his identety quickly.

6. The secratery answered the phone politely.

7. The quee was getting shorter.

8. Jack was determaned to get the job.

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1. The teacher expected a better explination.

2. The family owned a mischivus puppy.

3. Bill and Ann found the avarage weight of the potatoes.

4. “My new TV was a bargin!” exclaimed Paul.

5. Fatima practised her new signicher.

6. Mr Jones couldn’t garantee a place in the play.

7. Jane was desprete for a holiday in the sun!

8. “Is this relivent?” asked Mary.

1. The teachers loved their profeshon.

2. Adam produced an eggcelent piece of art work.

3. Gran let them choose a varitey of sweets.

4. They walked quietly through the cemetry.

5. Cycling is better for the enviromant than driving.

6. The teacher was extremely thorugh when marking.

7. The boxer looked very agresive.

8. “My next door neybour is so noisy!” complained John.

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1. The phone would sometimes interfear with the TV signal.

2. Rosie was extremely atached to her teddy bear.

3. She didn’t know what to sugest.

4. Joe’s favourite lesson was phisical education (PE).

5. He had a guilty conshence.

6. Samira thought his face was familier.

7. The govermant building was magnificent.

8. A shower was installed for the convenence of swimmers.

1. Michael really apreshiated the kind gesture.

2. It was a disaotrus event.

3. Mum always tried to embaris them.

4. They could comunikate using sign language.

5. It was the perfect opertunity.

6. The school had great PE eqipmant.

7. Peter practised his pronuncaitiun.

8. There were sufishient funds in Sarah’s account.

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1. It was very aparant why Zayan loved school.

2. Parlimant is responsible for making new laws.

3. Becky would sacrifise anything for her sister.

4. Rob’s sholder began to hurt.

5. The new members of staff had caused contravercy.

6. Ross picked out an individuel sweet.

7. He was an amatcher actor.

8. The Buddhist monk had a peaceful egistance.

1. It was a hindrensce to the children’s progress.

2. The simbol had a meaning.

3. The school comitee met twice a month.

4. Each classroom was equiped with interactive whiteboards.

5. “It’s rude to intirupt,” she told the children.

6. Tim would always recomend his favourite film.

7. Hamza was defanite that his answers were correct.

8. The groups had to davelope a new company idea

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1. His work didn’t corespand to the task.

2. “My dog will harress you for food,” laughed Stacey.

3. An old lady will occupie the flat from tomorrow.

4. The class practised some ryming words.

5. 5. “You should not be prejudised against new students,”

scolded the teacher.

6. It suddenly ocured to him that he was late.

1. Dad had bought himself a yaut for his birthday.

2. “I was twelth in line!” he shouted.

3. It was a privalidge to work alongside him.

4. Class 2 were learning the rythem of a song.

5. Grandad took them to the lesure centre after school.

6. The soldyer returned home for Christmas.

7. “You must acheive your best score,” Mum told him.

8. The card had been put in the wrong catagory.

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1. The house on the corner of the road is anshent.

2. That is definately the man I saw.

3. “Please don’t interupt me when I’m talking,” the teacher said.

4. Everyone has the opporchunity to go to school.

5. You need to have good rythm to play the drums.

6. The yott was sold for £1 million!

7. I think I’ve got a temprature.

8. The children were playing in the cemetary.

1. Tim was not sure that he would acheeve his goal.

2. The whole show was completely disasterous.

3. My identittee has been stolen!

4. Is it really neccessarry to shout as loud as that?

5. Which veacul is your favourite?

6. Lightening struck the house next door last night.

7. “Your work has been exsellent today,” said Mrs Holden.

8. Which catergory will you choose?

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1. “I hope I win the compatishon,” squealed Sophie.

2. You need a lot of aquipmant to go mountain climbing.

3. The foxes in the garden are being a real nusanse.

4. He was a brave and strong soljur.

5. What can I do to perswade you?

6. The hospital does not have suffichent supplies.

7. Teaching is an important profeshun.

8. I have a bad pain in my stumok.

1. Which comitee are you on?

2. Next year, my Mum will be fourty five.

3. Prenunshiashion is very important when speaking publicly.

4. Her kind words were thoughtful and sinsear.

5. It is important to be able to comunicate well with people.

6. Litter is ruining our enviroment.

7. “Which dish would you recomend?”

8. There is a lezure centre over there.

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1. Which catagorie will you choose?

2. It is the twelth of December today.

3. Your lack of determination is a hinderanse.

4. It is important to divelop a good relationship with your clients.

5. The mechanic will give your car a thurugh check.

6. That man over there is not conshus.

7. It is a privalige to work with animals.

8. My nayber is very thoughtful and kind.

1. The dog next door is really agressif.

2. “Please don’t embaress me Mum,” Holly pleaded.

3. We have to que here for the bus.

4. The sekretery is very good at typing.

5. It is important to eat a veriaty of fruits and vegetables.

6. If you are ditermined enough, you will do it!

7. The effect of the medicine will not be immediot.

8. What is the meaning of that simbol over there?

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