Year 5 overview

Year 5 overview

Year 5 overview
Beetle Boy page 122

Unit 12
Summarising
by M.G. Leonard
Fiction
Dragonology Retrieval
page 30
Beetle Boy: The Beetle Collector’s page 130
Unit 1

Unit 13
Word meaning ?
by Dugald Steer Handbook
Fiction
by M.G. Leonard Non-fiction
How to Train Your Dragon Comparison
page 38
The Boy at the Back of the Class page 138
Unit 2

Unit 14
Inference
by Cressida Cowell
Fiction by Onjali Q. Raúf
Fiction
Life in Tudor Britain Summarising
page 46
Who Are Refugees and Migrants? page 146

Progress
Unit 3

check 2
Mixed skills
by Anita Ganeri And Other Big Questions
Non-fiction
by Michael Rosen and Annemarie Young Non-fiction
Love Letter from Mary Tudor to Her Word meaning
page 54
The Jamie Drake Equation page 150
Unit 4

Unit 15
Husband, Philip of Spain Retrieval
Poetry by Christopher Edge
by Brian Moses Fiction
The House with Chicken Legs Inference
page 62
Once Upon a Star page 158
Unit 5

Unit 16
Word meaning ?
by Sophie Anderson
Fiction by James Carter
Poetry
The Wizards of Once Prediction
page 70
Harry Houdini page 166
Unit 6

Unit 17
Retrieval
by Cressida Cowell
Fiction by Laura Lodge
Non-fiction
The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club Inference
page 78
The Nowhere Emporium page 174
Unit 7

Unit 18
Inference
by Alex Bell
Fiction by Ross MacKenzie
Fiction
A Boy Called Christmas page 86
Progress
check 1

Mixed skills Plague! page 182

Unit 19
Retrieval
by Matt Haig
Fiction by John Farndon
Non-fiction
The Wolf Wilder Retrieval
page 90
The Island at the End of Everything page 190
Unit 8

Unit 20
Inference
by Katherine Rundell
Fiction by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Fiction
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase Word meaning
page 98
The London Eye Mystery page 198
Unit 9

Unit 21
Inference
by Joan Aiken
Fiction by Siobhan Dowd
Fiction
Whale Boy page 106
Unit 10

Word choice The Last Chance Hotel page 206

Progress
check 3
Mixed skills
by Nicola Davies
Fiction by Nicki Thornton
Fiction
SeaWorld Decides to Stop Killer Whale page 114
Unit 11

Relationship
Breeding Program
by The Guardian Non-fiction

2 Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 5 Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 5 3
 Harry Houdini 2 First steps 4 Skills focus
Unit 17

Unit 17
See pages 168 to 169

Read the text together and then encourage the children Use the information from the Skills guide and the
by Laura Lodge to discuss the following questions. relevant Skills graphic to introduce the skill of retrieval.

1 What was Harry Houdini’s real name? 1 Model the skill using the Unit 17 Modelling slides
Printable text • Modelling slides Photocopiable text and questions • pages 170 to 173
Erik Weisz. For much of the text, Houdini is named and the Modelling retrieval guidance on page 168.
using the Americanised form of his name, so some
children may answer ‘Ehrich Weiss’. Explain that this 2 The children can then attempt the Retrieval
No magician has provoked more interest than the great Harry Houdini. Although most famous for his daring escapes questions on page 172.
is a changed form of Houdini’s original name that he
and stunts, Houdini started out with simple magic tricks. This short biography traces his life from childhood to
adopted because it was easier for English speakers 3 Finally, the Mix it up! questions on page 173 offer
the end of his career, and describes some of his most memorable tricks, such as his escape from a straightjacket
to pronounce. practice in a range of comprehension skills.
while hanging upside down! You could make links with the Unit 18 text once both units have been completed.
Retrieval

Retrieval
2 Why did Ehrich start performing in the circus? Answers and marking guidance for all questions are
To support his family because they were destitute/ included on pages 168 to 169.
poor. This meant that even the children in the family
1 Get ready Language toolkit needed to work so that they had enough money to live.
Discuss the Key vocabulary identified in the Language 5 Where next?
toolkit and then complete the vocabulary activities Key vocabulary 3 What were three of Houdini’s most famous tricks?
Jennie the vanishing elephant; escaping from a
l Speaking and listening task: The children could
as desired. Please note that the selected vocabulary
destitute errands escapades work in small groups to create a presentation about
is a guide. Depending on the needs of your cohort, straightjacket upside down; breaking free from a
locked box underwater. If the children struggle, Houdini. This could be done using PowerPoint®
additional vocabulary discussion may be beneficial escapologists fraudulent freight
direct them to the panel on the second page of or they could even create a short biographical film.
before, during and after reading. Next, display the text
illusionists optical illusion quelled They could use photographs, drawings and puppetry
(pages 170 to 171) so the children can see the title and the text, which describes Houdini’s tricks.
alongside narration to depict the key events from
any illustrations, and encourage the children to discuss signature sleight of hand tonne
Houdini’s life.
the following questions before reading.
Vocabulary discussion questions 3 Explore
l Writing task: Although Houdini’s tricks were thrilling
1 This text is a biography. What is a biography? Can people who are not escapologists still When Houdini was a child, he had to do odd jobs to watch, many of them were incredibly dangerous.
l l

What features might you find in one? have escapades? Why? to support his family. Explain that during the late Ask the children to each write an argument for or
Answers will vary depending on the children’s prior 19th century, many children had to work and earn
l If someone is destitute, what things do they against Houdini’s stunts. Half the class could write
reading. A simple definition of a biography is a money for their families rather than go to school.
not have? in favour and half against.
text that tells the story of a person’s life. Possible In Britain, education was only made compulsory
features to discuss include: factual content, usually
l What errands might someone need to run
in 1880 and, even then, children only had to attend
in chronological order; subheadings; written in the each week?
school between the ages of 5 and 10. Discuss the
third person. l Which animals might weigh a tonne? children’s opinions on this issue with reference to Reading list
l If someone is fraudulent, what are they doing? Houdini’s experiences. Would they prefer to work Fiction
2 The text is about a magician, illusionist and
or go to school? Do they think today’s education The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris
escapologist called Harry Houdini. What do you Vocabulary activities
system is better or worse than that of 1880? The Nowhere Emporium by Ross MacKenzie
know about these professions? Have you ever
l Escapades and escapologists both come (Linked text: Unit 18)
heard of Harry Houdini? The children could research simple magic tricks,
from the Latin ex, meaning ‘out of’ and cappa,
l

The children are likely to be familiar with the (see Reading list) such as those using cards and Young Houdini: The Magician’s Fire by Simon
meaning ‘cloak’. Discuss the links between Nicholson
term ‘magician’ but may need to discuss the coins, which Houdini himself enjoyed before he
the Latin origins and the modern words.
differences between a magician and an illusionist moved on to more dangerous stunts. They could The Young Magicians and the Thieves’ Almanac
or escapologist (the Reading list contains some l Discuss the difference between an illusion by Nick Mohammed
learn their favourite trick to perform in front of
useful resources). It is a good idea to gauge what, and an optical illusion. Optical comes from
another class. Class reads
if anything, they know about Houdini. You could the Greek optos meaning ‘seen’ and relates
to vision or sight. Challenge the children to The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick
discuss possible questions they have about him l The text mentions Houdini’s influence on magicians
that they hope will be answered by the text. think of an associated word (e.g. ‘optician’). today. You could discuss the work of some modern Non-fiction
l Nouns that denote a person who practises magicians (be mindful that some tricks performed Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid
3 Harry Houdini was famous for doing magic tricks. a certain custom, occupation or belief often by David Blaine and Derren Brown may not be Fleischman
Have you ever seen a magic trick being performed? end with the suffix ‘– ist’ (e.g. illusionist). suitable for a young audience). The children might Illusionology by Albert Schafer
Have you ever done a magic trick yourself? How many similar nouns can the children also enjoy learning about the high-wire artist
It is likely that the children will have seen a friend Films
find that end in ‘–ist’? Philippe Petit (see Reading list).
or professional do a magic trick at some point, or You could show clips from Man on Wire (Magnolia
Non-fiction

Non-fiction
they may have watched a magic show on television. Pictures, 2008).
To support their understanding, you could share Websites
some video clip examples, such as those from The CBBC YouTube channel offers some video clips
Help! My School Trip Is Magic (see the Reading list). from the TV series Help! My School Trip Is Magic.

166 Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 5 Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 5 167
 Modelling retrieval
Unit 17

Unit 17
See Unit 17 Modelling slides Answer Guidance

3 (an agent called) Martin Beck This is a challenging question as the children need to use some
Use the Skills guide (see pages 16 to 17) and the downloadable Skills graphic to support your modelling.
vocabulary as well as retrieval knowledge. You could discuss
synonyms for ‘noticed’ and ‘gifted’ before the children attempt
1 Look at the paragraph beginning Harry Houdini was born … . Where did Erik emigrate from? Tick one.
this question. Award 1 mark for a reference to Martin Beck.
Budapest ✓    Wisconsin     New York City     United States of America Partial names should not be accepted.
Model using the locator to find the correct paragraph. You could discuss the meaning of ‘emigrate’ before
scanning the text for it. Demonstrate reading around this word, as the pertinent information is in the previous 4 It was nailed shut.  ✓ Although all the options are plausible, the incorrect options are
sentence. If the children suggest ‘United States of America’, discuss the difference between immigration and He had to wear leg irons.  ✓ only found within other sections of the text. If necessary, prompt
emigration, and draw attention to the wording of the question (‘emigrate from’). the children to draw their answer from the panel on the second
page of the text. Award 1 mark for both correct answers ticked.
2 Look at the paragraph beginning Harry Houdini was born … . Give two things Ehrich did because he
loved the stage. 5 This question requires the children to retrieve information from
Harry’s name when he Erik
1 practising gymnastics/acrobatics   2 reading about magic at the library across the whole text. Some of them may benefit from being
was born Weisz
given locators for each statement. Award 1 mark for two
Again, model using the locator and scanning for the question’s key words (e.g. ‘loved the stage’) in the text.
his age when he changed 17 sections completed correctly. Award 2 marks for all sections
Establish that the question refers to ‘Ehrich’ because this is the name Erik took when he got to the United
his name to Harry Houdini completed correctly.
States. Find the relevant sentence and model reading around it to look for clues. If the children suggest
Ehrich’s performance in the circus troupe, explain that this caused his love of the stage, rather than resulting his age when he died 52
from it.

3 Look at the paragraph beginning After spending a year … . Why was Houdini given the nickname
‘The Handcuff King’? Mix it up! questions mark scheme ?
                     See page 173
Because he escaped from handcuffs in a locked cell in Scotland Yard.
The nickname given to Harry is reproduced exactly in the text, but it is still important to model scanning Answer Guidance
carefully for these key words. You could also model reading around them in the text, explaining that you
need to use the text rather than making an inference based only on the nickname. 1 daring The children may not have encountered the word ‘bold’ to
describe a character or event. If necessary, discuss the meaning
4 Think about the whole text. Draw lines to match each trick to the relevant fact. of this word before they attempt this question. Award 1 mark
for the correct answer. Skill: Word meaning.
Jennie the vanishing elephant was inspired by a boy called Randolph
2 Childhood ✓ Remind the children that they need to find the main point of
Escaping from a straightjacket weighed 5 tonnes
the whole section. The answer options are all mentioned in the
Escaping from handcuffs happened at Scotland Yard named paragraph, but only the correct answer is a summary
of the entire paragraph. Award 1 mark for the correct answer
Draw attention to the fact that this question is about the whole text and explain that you will need to scan ticked. Skill: Summarising.
the entire text to find the information that you need to correctly match the tricks and facts. Model identifying
key words from the first trick and scanning the text to find the corresponding information. It is a good idea to 3 At the start of his career his tricks were Some children may benefit from a locator for Houdini’s early
physically model drawing a clear matching line between the trick and relevant fact. Repeat this process for a lot safer but later in his career they career (the paragraph beginning After spending a year …).
the remaining tricks. got much more dangerous. Remind them to refer to both sides of the comparison in
their response. Award 1 mark for a reference to Houdini’s
tricks becoming more dangerous. Skill: Comparison.

Retrieval questions mark scheme 4 To make you think about how Harry is This question requires the children to think about themselves as
See page 172
still important today. readers of the text. You could discuss their reactions to the final
Harry Houdini, by Laura Lodge

Harry Houdini, by Laura Lodge

sentence before they attempt this question. Does the sentence
Answer Guidance
make them want to find out more? Does it make them want to
read on? Does it make the subject more relevant to their lives
1 for a better life The children may use a direct quotation to answer or
today? Award 1 mark for a plausible opinion linked to the
paraphrase the text (e.g. ‘They wanted to get better jobs’).
text. Skill: Relationship.
Either is acceptable. Award 1 mark for a reference to the
family moving for a better life.
5 Yes ✓ The children’s responses will depend on their personal opinions.
Because he had a love of the stage from Although it is more plausible to infer that Houdini enjoyed his
2 He bought and resold newspapers. OR Some may respond vaguely (e.g. ‘He worked lots of jobs’).
childhood so he enjoyed performing. job, accept negative answers as long as appropriate evidence
He polished shoes. OR He ran errands. If so, encourage them to make their answer more specific.
Also, he kept thinking of more interesting is given to justify the opinion. Award 1 mark for an opinion
OR He joined a circus troupe. Award 1 mark for any two correct answers.
stunts – you wouldn’t do this if you with one piece of appropriate evidence. Award 2 marks
didn’t enjoy it. for an opinion with two pieces of appropriate evidence.
Skill: Inference.

168 Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 5 Schofield & Sims Complete Comprehension 5 169
 Harry Houdini, by Laura Lodge
Unit 17

Unit 17
Jennie the vanishing elephant
This is a short biography of the famous magician and escapologist Harry Houdini, One of Harry’s most famous tricks involved the apparent disappearance
who lived from 1874 to 1926.
of a 5-tonne elephant called Jennie. The audience was amazed when
Jennie disappeared right in front of their eyes. In reality, the cabinet
Jennie disappeared into was huge and this, coupled with the fact
Harry Houdini’s daring escapades made him one of the most famous that the stage was the largest on Earth, produced an optical illusion.
escape artists to have ever lived, and his name is still recognised all Jennie never left the stage; instead, she just walked to the other end
over the world today. of the cabinet!

Harry Houdini was born Erik Weisz in Budapest, Hungary, on 24th March Escaping from a straightjacket upside down
1874. At the age of four, Erik and his family emigrated to the United Many pictures of Harry show him being hung upside down locked in
States of America, looking for a better life. The family changed their names a straightjacket. This trick was inspired by a young boy Harry met
to make them easier to pronounce: ‘Weisz’ became ‘Weiss’ and ‘Erik’ while touring in Sheffield, Randolph Osborne Douglas. The ‘suspended
became ‘Ehrich’. The Weiss family were almost destitute, relying on charity straightjacket escape’ became his signature trick and involved him
and the odd jobs the children took to make a little money. Ehrich bought being locked in a straightjacket and hung upside down from a
and resold newspapers, polished shoes and ran errands – anything to building or a crane.
support his family. Eventually, Ehrich’s willingness to help his family out by
doing anything and everything led to his first performance, when he joined Breaking free from a locked box underwater
his friend’s circus troupe. Performing as ‘Ehrich, Prince of the Air’, nine- In 1912, having been put in handcuffs and leg irons, Harry climbed
year-old Ehrich showed skill on the trapeze and a love of the stage was into a box which was nailed shut, weighed down and thrown into a
born. For a few years, Ehrich’s urge to perform was quelled by practising river. He managed to achieve what looked impossible, by escaping
gymnastics, acrobatics and reading up on the art of magic at the public in just 57 seconds without even breaking the box!
library. But at the age of 12, Ehrich suddenly left home, riding off on a
freight train in search of adventure.
Harry continued to perform in his
After spending a year away from home, Ehrich returned to help his family,
later life. He kept busy, acting in
working various jobs while still trying to make money from his true passion,
movies, learning to fly aeroplanes
Harry Houdini, by Laura Lodge

Harry Houdini, by Laura Lodge

magic. Around the age of 17, Ehrich Weiss became Harry Houdini. Harry
and even working to expose
and his brother Dash became ‘The Brothers Houdini’, performing magic
fraudulent psychics, before dying
tricks and sleight of hand, but when they were not very successful, Harry
in 1926 at the age of 52. His
started to experiment as an escape artist. Eventually, an agent called
work inspired some of the most
Martin Beck recognised Harry’s talent and arranged for him to tour Europe
famous magicians, escapologists
with his escape act. When Harry successfully escaped from handcuffs in a
and illusionists today, such as
locked cell at Scotland Yard during a stay in London, his fame was secured,
David Blaine and Derren Brown.
and he gained a new nickname: ‘The Handcuff King’.

 Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 5 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020. Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 5 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.
 Retrieval Mix it up!
Unit 17

Unit 17
Name: Name:

1 Look at the paragraph beginning Harry Houdini was born … . Why did the Weisz 1 Look at the paragraph beginning Harry Houdini was born … . Find and copy one
family move to the United States of America? word that shows that Houdini’s tricks were bold.

1 mark 1 mark

2 Look at the paragraph beginning Harry Houdini was born … . What would be the
most effective subheading for this section of the text? Tick one.
2 Give two ways Ehrich helped to support his family.

1 Changing names 

2 1 mark Childhood 

Moving to America 

3 Look at the paragraph beginning After spending a year … . Who first noticed how Joining the circus 
1 mark
gifted Harry was?

1 mark 3 Compare Harry’s tricks at the start of his career with those later in his career.
Give one difference.

4 What made Houdini’s locked box trick so dangerous? Tick two.

1 mark

It was nailed shut. 

4 
His work inspired some of the most famous magicians, escapologists and illusionists
He had to wear a straightjacket. 
today, such as David Blaine and Derren Brown.
Why do you think the biography ends in this way?
He had to wear leg irons. 

It was put in a cage. 

1 mark

He was tied up with ropes. 

1 mark
Harry Houdini, by Laura Lodge

Harry Houdini, by Laura Lodge

5 Think about the whole text. Do you think Harry enjoyed his work? Tick one.

Yes    No
5 Complete the table with information from the text.

Give two pieces of evidence from the text to support your opinion.
Harry’s name when he was born

His age when he changed his

name to Harry Houdini

His age when he died

2 marks 2 marks

 Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 5 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020. Photocopiable resource from Complete Comprehension 5 © Schofield & Sims Ltd, 2020.