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RSRT L3 Black Beauty

Literacy Counts

Created on July 14, 2025

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Transcript

Ready Steady Read Together

Fiction Lesson 3

What do you think you know?

What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?

Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.

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What do you know and think?

I shall never forget my new master; he had black eyes and a hooked nose, his mouth was as full of teeth as a bull-dog’s; and his voice was as harsh as the grinding of cart wheels over gravel stones.

How might this extract link to the illustration?

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Text adapted from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ©

Today's Question(s)

How does Black Beauty’s work compare from his first week as a cab horse to his new master?

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Let me read today's text

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The first week The first week of my life as a cab horse was very trying; I had never been to London, and the noise, the hurry, the crowds of horses, carts, and carriages, that I had to make my way through, made me feel anxious and harassed; but I soon found that I could perfectly trust my driver, and then I made myself easy, and got used to it. Jerry was as good a driver as I had ever known; and what was better, he took as much thought for his horses as he did for himself. He soon found out that I was willing to work, and do my best; he never laid the whip on me, unless it was gently drawing the end of it over my back, when I was to go on; but generally I knew this quite well by the way in which he took up the reins; and I believe his whip was more frequently stuck up by his side than in his hand. In a short time I and my master understood each other, as well as horse and man can do. In the stable, too, he did all that he could for our comfort. Jerry kept us very clean, and gave us as much change of food as he could, and always plenty of it; not only that, but he always gave us plenty of clean, fresh water. But the best thing that we had here was our Sundays for rest.

Text adapted from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ©

Under a new master I shall never forget my new master; he had black eyes and a hooked nose, his mouth was as full of teeth as a bull-dog’s, and his voice was as harsh as the grinding of cart wheels over gravel stones. His name was Nicholas Skinner. I have heard men say that seeing is believing; but I should say that feeling is believing; for much as I had seen it before, I never knew till now the utter misery of a cab horse’s life. Skinner was hard on the men, and the men were hard on the horses. In this place we had no Sunday rest, and it was in the heat of summer. My driver was hard. He had a cruel whip with something so sharp at the end that it sometimes drew blood, and he would even whip me under the belly, and flip the lash out at my head. Indignities like these took the heart out of me terribly, but still I did my best and never hung back; for, as poor Ginger said, it was no use; men are the strongest. My life was now so utterly wretched that I wished I might, like Ginger, drop down dead at my work, and be out of my misery.

Text adapted from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ©

Vocabulary

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Hover for defintions!

trying

made myself easy

harassed

flip the lash

utterly wretched

indignities

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Words taken from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ©

I will model the first.

Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner

trying

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Find Read Talk

The first week The first week of my life as a cab horse was very trying; I had never been to London, and the noise, the hurry, the crowds of horses, carts, and carriages, that I had to make my way through,...

Reveal Vocabulary

Text adapted from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ©

trying

Your turn

harassed

Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner

made myself easy

flip the lash

indignities

utterly wretched

Use your text

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Vocabulary Check

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Reveal Vocabulary

The first week The first week of my life as a cab horse was very trying; I had never been to London, and the noise, the hurry, the crowds of horses, carts, and carriages, that I had to make my way through, made me feel anxious and harassed; but I soon found that I could perfectly trust my driver, and then I made myself easy, and got used to it. Jerry was as good a driver as I had ever known; and what was better, he took as much thought for his horses as he did for himself. He soon found out that I was willing to work, and do my best; he never laid the whip on me, unless it was gently drawing the end of it over my back, when I was to go on; but generally I knew this quite well by the way in which he took up the reins; and I believe his whip was more frequently stuck up by his side than in his hand. In a short time I and my master understood each other, as well as horse and man can do. In the stable, too, he did all that he could for our comfort. Jerry kept us very clean, and gave us as much change of food as he could, and always plenty of it; not only that, but he always gave us plenty of clean, fresh water. But the best thing that we had here was our Sundays for rest.

Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.

Text adapted from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ©

Reveal Vocabulary

Under a new master I shall never forget my new master; he had black eyes and a hooked nose, his mouth was as full of teeth as a bull-dog’s, and his voice was as harsh as the grinding of cart wheels over gravel stones. His name was Nicholas Skinner. I have heard men say that seeing is believing; but I should say that feeling is believing; for much as I had seen it before, I never knew till now the utter misery of a cab horse’s life. Skinner was hard on the men, and the men were hard on the horses. In this place we had no Sunday rest, and it was in the heat of summer. My driver was hard. He had a cruel whip with something so sharp at the end that it sometimes drew blood, and he would even whip me under the belly, and flip the lash out at my head. Indignities like these took the heart out of me terribly, but still I did my best and never hung back; for, as poor Ginger said, it was no use; men are the strongest. My life was now so utterly wretched that I wished I might, like Ginger, drop down dead at my work, and be out of my misery.

Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.

Text adapted from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ©

Fluency

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Let me use my reader's voice...

My driver was hard. He had a cruel whip with something so sharp at the end that it sometimes drew blood, and he would even whip me under the belly, and flip the lash out at my head.

What did you notice?

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Text adapted from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ©

My Turn
Your Turn

Echo Read

My driver was hard.

He had a cruel whip with something so sharp at the end that it sometimes drew blood,

and he would even whip me under the belly, and flip the lash out at my head.

Explore

Text adapted from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ©

Sound like a reader!
Stand up!

Choral Read

My driver was hard. He had a cruel whip with something so sharp at the end that it sometimes drew blood, and he would even whip me under the belly, and flip the lash out at my head.

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Text adapted from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ©

Strategy Focus

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Strategy: Read Between the Lines

How does Black Beauty’s work compare from his first week as a cab horse to his new master?

Be a detective and look for clues!

Teach

Let me show you

Reveal Text Marks

The first week of my life as a cab horse was very trying; I had never been to London, and the noise, the hurry, the crowds of horses, carts, and carriages, that I had to make my way through, made me feel anxious and harassed; but I soon found that I could perfectly trust my driver, and then I made myself easy, and got used to it.

How does Black Beauty’s work compare from his first week as a cab horse to his new master?

The work was new to Black Beauty and the bustling noises of the city made him uneasy and fearful. However, when he learned he could rely on his driver to keep him safe, he relaxed.

Reveal Explainer

Teach

Text adapted from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell ©

Strategy Stop

What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?

Teach

Your Turn

How does Black Beauty’s work compare from his first week as a cab horse to his new master?

Find the answers
Text mark

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Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Acceptable Answers

Under a new master

First week

Text Mark Evidence - his voice was as harsh as the grinding of cart wheels over gravel stones - Skinner was hard on the men, and the men were hard on the horses

Skinner was mean and cruel

Text Mark Evidence - he took as much thought for his horses as he did for himself - he never laid the whip on me - his whip was more frequently stuck up by his side than in his hand

Jerry was kind and gentle

Text Mark Evidence - he did all that he could for our comfort - Jerry kept us very clean and gave us food…plenty of it - he always gave us plenty of clean fresh water - the best thing that we had was our Sundays for rest

Jerry met the horses' needs

Text Mark Evidence we had no Sunday rest, and it was in the heat of summer

Skinner did not meet the horses' needs

Go to the next slide for more....

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Acceptable Answers

Under a new master

First week

Text Mark Evidence - he had a cruel whip with something so sharp at the end that it sometimes drew blood - he would even whip me under the belly, and flip the lash out at my head

Skinner let the men hurt the horses

Both experiences are hard work, the differences are in how Black Beauty is treated:

Text Mark Evidence I and my master understood each other, as well as a horse and man can do

Jerry and Beauty connected

Text Mark Evidence - I never knew till now the utter misery of a cab horse’s life - my life was so utterly wretched that I wished I might…drop down dead at my work and be out of my misery

Black Beauty was miserable

How does Black Beauty’s work compare from his first week as a cab horse to his new master?

Quiz Time

Start

Picture Me

Which picture is the best match for the phrase 'flip the lash'?

Fill the Gaps

trying
harassed
made myself easy

The first week of my life as a cab horse was very ; I had never been to London, and the noise, the hurry, the crowds of horses, carts, and carriages, that I had to make my way through, made me feel anxious and ; but I soon found that I could perfectly trust my driver, and then I , and got used to it.

Discuss then check
Click if correct

Link Me

Link each word with its correct meaning:

A miserable

1 trying

B difficult or challenging

2 harassed

C an embarrassing or shameful thing

Check

3 indignity

Click if correct

D stressed and overwhelmed

4 wretched

Tick Me

Which did Black Beauty think was the best thing that Jerry provided?

Tick one

A) A clean, comfortable stable.

B) Plenty of food with some variety.

Check

C) Clean, fresh water.

Click if correct

D) Sundays for rest.

Feedback: Who did what well?

FindRead Talk

EchoRead

ChoralRead

ReadingStrategy

Answers & Text Marks

Other...

To be a book lover, you could...

visit libraries.

Reveal

Libraries are treasure troves for finding new and exciting reads.

trying
harassed
made myself easy