Ready Steady Read Together
Darwin's Dragons: Fiction Lesson 5
Quiz Time
Start
Questions about the book so far...
Picture Me
Which image is the best match for ‘Beagle’?
True or False?
Darwin told Covington that he will ‘learn to observe and adapt.’
False
True
Match Me
Match each word with its correct definition:
3 cricked
3 ordeal
1 ponderous
2 swell
C) big waves that rise and fall
B) slow and heavy moving
A) a hard and scary experience
D) stiff or painful because it has been twisted or held badly
Click if correct
Check
Find Me
Find the word which means ‘rang or shook’:
A tremendous screech sent my hands clinging to my ears. The sound jangled through my bones and I stumbled forward onto my hands and knees.What the blazes?
Discuss then check
jangled
Speaking Spotlight
TV Journalist
Explore
TV Journalist
Was there a moment when fear or confusion took over?
What was life like before this happened?
Can you describe what happened?
Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
How were you feeling at that point?
Decide roles.Prepare and perform a live interview with Covington.
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
silhouette
metallic glint
brutal speed
heart pummelled
hard evidence
ploughing
Explore
From: Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin © 2021. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Let me read today's text
Explore
I crouched low, tugging the fronds of ferns to cover me, and stared up as the sky beast swept high overhead, a silhouette of angular shapes. There was a metallic glint as the sun caught its hide. The day before I’d only been able to make out a giant mass of brutal speed. Now I saw – the sky beast was...gold.
Where was Farthing? I mustn’t move, even the slightest twitch of the ferns could give me away. The beast passed again, cruising lower, and my heart pummelled so loudly I felt it must give me away. I could think of no living thing with four legs and wings, and of that golden sheen. My mind raced. Open eyes, open mind. Birds and bats had wings instead of forelegs, Mr Darwin had shown me that. This creature was no real living thing. This creature was from story, from myth.
From myth.
Those spiked wings...that almighty size.
No. What with being here alone, the centipede bite...I couldn’t trust either my eyes or my mind any longer.
I thought of those huge ancient bones, the fossils that fascinated Mr Darwin. That was what the master called hard evidence. Those enormous animals were real, or at least they had been once.
Creatures of myth were not.
My heart thumped and then Farthing’s green fox snout nosed through the ferns.
From: Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin © 2021. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
“Shhh! Keep still, or you’ll give me away,” I whispered. I wasn’t completely concealed here, but I didn’t dare stand to see if there was thicker shelter ahead. It would be a risk to go any further.
Farthing pawed the ground with one claw and growled.
No! I shook my head, pinching my lips together.
She disappeared again, between the ferns, then came back and scuffed at the ground once more, this time flattening the ruff at the back of her head. I remembered that gesture from her attack on the centipede.
Danger. She wanted me to follow her.
I peered upwards. I couldn’t see the sky beast between the fronds. But maybe far they knew I wasn’t concealed enough, wasn’t safe...
It is a lizard.
Yes. A lizard who knows this island. I crawled on hands and knees behind Farthing, as she threaded on through the low ferns again, ploughing a narrow path for me.
The ferns were thinner here, I should have stayed where I was. I could clearly see the volcano ahead, and the creature was hovering above it, like a hawk watching its prey, black against the glowing orange smoke cloud.
Should I have trusted Farthing to help me in the face of this giant beast?
From: Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin © 2021. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
Teach
Your turn
Practise & Apply
Use your text
Practise & Apply
1) Circle the word which best matches the meaning of pummelled in the phrase “his heart pummelled”:
slowed
stopped
pounded
rested
Reveal Answer
Practise & Apply
2) What colour does Covington realise the sky beast is?
Accept any of the following:
Reveal Answer
3) From “Where was Farthing?” to “From myth”, what does Covington’s reaction to the sky beast tell you about how he is feeling? Give one feeling and support your answer with evidence from the text.
Text Mark Evidence I mustn’t move, the slightest twitch of the ferns could give me away
Text Mark Evidence could think of no living thing with four legs and wings – birds and bats had wings instead of forelegs
confused at what this creature could be
scared of being discovered
bracing himself for danger
Text Mark Evidence the beast passed again, cruising lower
Text Mark Evidence my mind raced
anxious/on edge
Text Mark Evidence - golden sheen - this creature was no real living thing - this creature was from story, from myth
sense of awe/amazement at something extraordinary
Text Mark Evidence heart pummelled so loudly I felt it must give me away
frightened
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
RevealEvidence & Answers
4) From “My heart thumped and then Farthing’s…” to “It is a lizard,” explain how Covington feels about Farthing. Use evidence from the text.
Text Mark Evidence - flattened the ruff at the back of her head - from her attack on the centipede
Text Mark Evidence my heart thumped...shhh...keep quiet or you’ll give me away
frustrated at Farthing / fear of being discovered
recognises this as a warning/danger
Text Mark Evidence no! I shook my head pinching my lips together
Text Mark Evidence (Farthing) knew I wasn’t concealed enough, wasn’t safe
alert and cautious when farthing pawed the ground
trust and reliance
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
RevealEvidence & Answers
5) Put the following events from the story in the correct order. Write a number 1-5 in each box.
Covington found help and companionship from a lizard called Farthing.
Mr Darwin and Covington observed and rode on the tortoises’ shells.
Covington was captured by a large flying creature.
The explorers got caught in a storm on the rowboat.
Reveal Answer
Mr Darwin and Covington fell overboard the rowboat.
Practise & Apply
Feedback: Who did what well?
FindRead Talk
EchoRead
ChoralRead
ReadingStrategy
Answers & Text Marks
Other...
To be a book lover, you could...
read classics.
Reveal
Try timeless stories that have inspired readers for generations.
If you like this book, you might like...
Copyright Notice
This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced from: Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin © 2021 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.
RSRT Y6 L5 Darwin's Dragons
Literacy Counts
Created on January 27, 2026
Start designing with a free template
Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:
View
Essential Business Proposal
View
Project Roadmap Timeline
View
Step-by-Step Timeline: How to Develop an Idea
View
Artificial Intelligence History Timeline
View
Mind Map: The 4 Pillars of Success
View
Big Data: The Data That Drives the World
View
Momentum: Onboarding Presentation
Explore all templates
Transcript
Ready Steady Read Together
Darwin's Dragons: Fiction Lesson 5
Quiz Time
Start
Questions about the book so far...
Picture Me
Which image is the best match for ‘Beagle’?
True or False?
Darwin told Covington that he will ‘learn to observe and adapt.’
False
True
Match Me
Match each word with its correct definition:
3 cricked
3 ordeal
1 ponderous
2 swell
C) big waves that rise and fall
B) slow and heavy moving
A) a hard and scary experience
D) stiff or painful because it has been twisted or held badly
Click if correct
Check
Find Me
Find the word which means ‘rang or shook’:
A tremendous screech sent my hands clinging to my ears. The sound jangled through my bones and I stumbled forward onto my hands and knees.What the blazes?
Discuss then check
jangled
Speaking Spotlight
TV Journalist
Explore
TV Journalist
Was there a moment when fear or confusion took over?
What was life like before this happened?
Can you describe what happened?
Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
How were you feeling at that point?
Decide roles.Prepare and perform a live interview with Covington.
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
silhouette
metallic glint
brutal speed
heart pummelled
hard evidence
ploughing
Explore
From: Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin © 2021. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Let me read today's text
Explore
I crouched low, tugging the fronds of ferns to cover me, and stared up as the sky beast swept high overhead, a silhouette of angular shapes. There was a metallic glint as the sun caught its hide. The day before I’d only been able to make out a giant mass of brutal speed. Now I saw – the sky beast was...gold. Where was Farthing? I mustn’t move, even the slightest twitch of the ferns could give me away. The beast passed again, cruising lower, and my heart pummelled so loudly I felt it must give me away. I could think of no living thing with four legs and wings, and of that golden sheen. My mind raced. Open eyes, open mind. Birds and bats had wings instead of forelegs, Mr Darwin had shown me that. This creature was no real living thing. This creature was from story, from myth. From myth. Those spiked wings...that almighty size. No. What with being here alone, the centipede bite...I couldn’t trust either my eyes or my mind any longer. I thought of those huge ancient bones, the fossils that fascinated Mr Darwin. That was what the master called hard evidence. Those enormous animals were real, or at least they had been once. Creatures of myth were not. My heart thumped and then Farthing’s green fox snout nosed through the ferns.
From: Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin © 2021. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
“Shhh! Keep still, or you’ll give me away,” I whispered. I wasn’t completely concealed here, but I didn’t dare stand to see if there was thicker shelter ahead. It would be a risk to go any further. Farthing pawed the ground with one claw and growled. No! I shook my head, pinching my lips together. She disappeared again, between the ferns, then came back and scuffed at the ground once more, this time flattening the ruff at the back of her head. I remembered that gesture from her attack on the centipede. Danger. She wanted me to follow her. I peered upwards. I couldn’t see the sky beast between the fronds. But maybe far they knew I wasn’t concealed enough, wasn’t safe... It is a lizard. Yes. A lizard who knows this island. I crawled on hands and knees behind Farthing, as she threaded on through the low ferns again, ploughing a narrow path for me. The ferns were thinner here, I should have stayed where I was. I could clearly see the volcano ahead, and the creature was hovering above it, like a hawk watching its prey, black against the glowing orange smoke cloud. Should I have trusted Farthing to help me in the face of this giant beast?
From: Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin © 2021. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
Teach
Your turn
Practise & Apply
Use your text
Practise & Apply
1) Circle the word which best matches the meaning of pummelled in the phrase “his heart pummelled”:
slowed
stopped
pounded
rested
Reveal Answer
Practise & Apply
2) What colour does Covington realise the sky beast is?
Accept any of the following:
Reveal Answer
3) From “Where was Farthing?” to “From myth”, what does Covington’s reaction to the sky beast tell you about how he is feeling? Give one feeling and support your answer with evidence from the text.
Text Mark Evidence I mustn’t move, the slightest twitch of the ferns could give me away
Text Mark Evidence could think of no living thing with four legs and wings – birds and bats had wings instead of forelegs
confused at what this creature could be
scared of being discovered
bracing himself for danger
Text Mark Evidence the beast passed again, cruising lower
Text Mark Evidence my mind raced
anxious/on edge
Text Mark Evidence - golden sheen - this creature was no real living thing - this creature was from story, from myth
sense of awe/amazement at something extraordinary
Text Mark Evidence heart pummelled so loudly I felt it must give me away
frightened
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
RevealEvidence & Answers
4) From “My heart thumped and then Farthing’s…” to “It is a lizard,” explain how Covington feels about Farthing. Use evidence from the text.
Text Mark Evidence - flattened the ruff at the back of her head - from her attack on the centipede
Text Mark Evidence my heart thumped...shhh...keep quiet or you’ll give me away
frustrated at Farthing / fear of being discovered
recognises this as a warning/danger
Text Mark Evidence no! I shook my head pinching my lips together
Text Mark Evidence (Farthing) knew I wasn’t concealed enough, wasn’t safe
alert and cautious when farthing pawed the ground
trust and reliance
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
RevealEvidence & Answers
5) Put the following events from the story in the correct order. Write a number 1-5 in each box.
Covington found help and companionship from a lizard called Farthing.
Mr Darwin and Covington observed and rode on the tortoises’ shells.
Covington was captured by a large flying creature.
The explorers got caught in a storm on the rowboat.
Reveal Answer
Mr Darwin and Covington fell overboard the rowboat.
Practise & Apply
Feedback: Who did what well?
FindRead Talk
EchoRead
ChoralRead
ReadingStrategy
Answers & Text Marks
Other...
To be a book lover, you could...
read classics.
Reveal
Try timeless stories that have inspired readers for generations.
If you like this book, you might like...
Copyright Notice
This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced from: Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin © 2021 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.