Ready Steady Read Together
The Song Walker: Fiction Lesson 5
Quiz Time
Start
Questions about the book so far...
Picture Me
Which image is the best match for ‘salt pan’?
Find Me
Find and copy two words to show that Tarni is offended at being asked if the songs work:
“Do they work?” I ask.
Tarni coughs a vicious laugh and spits sand out from between her lips. “Of course they work! How do you think my people have managed to live in this land for hundreds of thousands of years?” She shifts her position which, in my opinion, looks ever so slightly aggressive. “In the cities you use GPS. You tap a few words into a computer in your car and off you go. But what if all the computers went…pwoof !”
1 Discuss then check
2 Discuss then check
aggressive
vicious
Link Me
Link each word with the correct definition:
A) to limit the use of something
1) horizon
B) to open or untwist
2) frieze
C) the distant line where land meets sky
Check
3) ration
Click if correct
D) a long, narrow band of decoration
4) unravel
Sequence Me
Put the following events in the correct order:
A) The girl worries as she cannot remember who she is.
B) The local girl explains how her people use song to navigate.
C) A girl is walking in a red landscape of dust.
D) A local girl finds the lost girl and gives her food and water.
Click if correct
Check
Speaking Spotlight
Role on the Wall
Explore
Role on the Wall
Think
Say
Do
Then bring the character to life!
First
Feel
Describe
Behave
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
reward
rumour
hoick it up
yabbering
cubby house
slick
Explore
From: The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Let me read today's text
Explore
“She’s the one the cops are after. The one with the reward on her head.”
“Yeah,” says the woman still grinning at us. “I know that.”
“What are you talking about?” It is Tarni who speaks.
They both ignore her.
“A hundred thousand dollars, that’s the reward. It’s all over the telly,” says the man, licking his lips. I have just heard the words ‘cops’, ‘reward’ and ‘a hundred thousand dollars’ and I can’t think in a straight line. “Imagine what we could do with a hundred thousand dollars.” I can see that he is staring into the distance, imagining.
The grinning old woman – still watching us – replies to the man out of the side of her mouth.
“Yeah, but imagine what we could do with a quarter of a mil instead.”
“Eh?”
“It’s a hundred thousand now, sure,” she says. “But the rumour is that the cops are going to hoick it up to a quarter of a million dollars if she’s not found soon.”
“A quarter of a mil!” The man whistles.
“A quarter of a mil?” Tarni turns to me. “What’re they yabbering on about?”
I don’t answer. I can’t say anything.
From: The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
“Pity we found her as quickly as we did then,” says the man. The woman folds her arms in front of her and squishes up her face like she is trying hard to think.
“Okay,” she says finally. “What about this. We take her back to the farm. Keep her hidden away in the cubby house for a few days or weeks – just long enough for the cops to up the cash – then hand her over. Be like real heroes.”
The man nods like a rooster, a slick smile appearing under his almost invisible moustache. “Yeah. That’s good. That’s good. Perhaps…perhaps we could sell our story to the papers too. About how we found her. Could get another twenty grand for that.”
The woman grins. “Good thinking, Bobby. Good thinking.”
I see the man looking at Tarni. “Thing is…the news never said anything about another girl.”
“Don’t you worry about her,” says the mother.
She whispers something to the man that I can’t hear and he goes to the back of one of the open doors of the Jeep.
“Listen,” I find myself saying and taking a brave step forward. “I don’t know who you are but you can’t just go and –”
Ka-lick.
The man is pointing a long rifle straight at me.
From: The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
Teach
Your turn
Practise & Apply
Use your text
Practise & Apply
1) “Pity we found her as quickly as we did then,” says the man.
Circle the word which is closest in meaning to ‘pity’:
shame
lucky
relief
blessing
Reveal Answer
Practise & Apply
2) What is the reward currently offered for finding the lost girl?
Acceptable Answers:
- a hundred thousand dollars
Reveal Answer
3) What impression do you get of the man and woman from the text?
Text Mark Evidence - a hundred thousand dollars, that’s the reward…says the man, licking his lips - imagine what we could do with a hundred thousand dollars - a quarter of a mil…the man whistles - could get another twenty grand for that (their story)
Text Mark Evidence - what about this…we take her back to the farm…keep her hidden away in the cubby house for a few days or weeks…just long enough for the cops to up the cash - perhaps we could sell our story to the papers…could get another twenty grand for that
greedy or motivated by money
dishonest / scheming / manipulative
Text Mark Evidence - be like real heroes - we could sell our story to the papers, too…about how we found her
Text Mark Evidence - pity we found her as quickly as we did then - don’t you worry about her (Tarni)
attention-seeking or motivated by fame
selfish or uncaring
Text Mark Evidence ka-lick…the man is pointing a long rifle straight at me
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
threatening or dangerous
RevealEvidence & Answers
4) Remembering the whole text, put the following events in order. Write a number 1-5 in each box.
The man and woman make a plan to hide the lost girl at their farm.
The man and woman imagine what they could do with the reward.
The man gets his rifle out of the back of the Jeep.
The man recognises the girl as the one the police are seeking.
The woman tells the man about the rumour that the reward will increase.
Reveal Answer
Practise & Apply
Feedback: Who did what well?
FindRead Talk
EchoRead
ChoralRead
ReadingStrategy
Answers & Text Marks
Other...
To be a book lover, you could...
write alternate endings.
Reveal
Imagine how the story could have ended differently.
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: The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell © 2023 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.
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Transcript
Ready Steady Read Together
The Song Walker: Fiction Lesson 5
Quiz Time
Start
Questions about the book so far...
Picture Me
Which image is the best match for ‘salt pan’?
Find Me
Find and copy two words to show that Tarni is offended at being asked if the songs work:
“Do they work?” I ask. Tarni coughs a vicious laugh and spits sand out from between her lips. “Of course they work! How do you think my people have managed to live in this land for hundreds of thousands of years?” She shifts her position which, in my opinion, looks ever so slightly aggressive. “In the cities you use GPS. You tap a few words into a computer in your car and off you go. But what if all the computers went…pwoof !”
1 Discuss then check
2 Discuss then check
aggressive
vicious
Link Me
Link each word with the correct definition:
A) to limit the use of something
1) horizon
B) to open or untwist
2) frieze
C) the distant line where land meets sky
Check
3) ration
Click if correct
D) a long, narrow band of decoration
4) unravel
Sequence Me
Put the following events in the correct order:
A) The girl worries as she cannot remember who she is.
B) The local girl explains how her people use song to navigate.
C) A girl is walking in a red landscape of dust.
D) A local girl finds the lost girl and gives her food and water.
Click if correct
Check
Speaking Spotlight
Role on the Wall
Explore
Role on the Wall
Think
Say
Do
Then bring the character to life!
First
Feel
Describe
Behave
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
reward
rumour
hoick it up
yabbering
cubby house
slick
Explore
From: The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Let me read today's text
Explore
“She’s the one the cops are after. The one with the reward on her head.” “Yeah,” says the woman still grinning at us. “I know that.” “What are you talking about?” It is Tarni who speaks. They both ignore her. “A hundred thousand dollars, that’s the reward. It’s all over the telly,” says the man, licking his lips. I have just heard the words ‘cops’, ‘reward’ and ‘a hundred thousand dollars’ and I can’t think in a straight line. “Imagine what we could do with a hundred thousand dollars.” I can see that he is staring into the distance, imagining. The grinning old woman – still watching us – replies to the man out of the side of her mouth. “Yeah, but imagine what we could do with a quarter of a mil instead.” “Eh?” “It’s a hundred thousand now, sure,” she says. “But the rumour is that the cops are going to hoick it up to a quarter of a million dollars if she’s not found soon.” “A quarter of a mil!” The man whistles. “A quarter of a mil?” Tarni turns to me. “What’re they yabbering on about?” I don’t answer. I can’t say anything.
From: The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
“Pity we found her as quickly as we did then,” says the man. The woman folds her arms in front of her and squishes up her face like she is trying hard to think. “Okay,” she says finally. “What about this. We take her back to the farm. Keep her hidden away in the cubby house for a few days or weeks – just long enough for the cops to up the cash – then hand her over. Be like real heroes.” The man nods like a rooster, a slick smile appearing under his almost invisible moustache. “Yeah. That’s good. That’s good. Perhaps…perhaps we could sell our story to the papers too. About how we found her. Could get another twenty grand for that.” The woman grins. “Good thinking, Bobby. Good thinking.” I see the man looking at Tarni. “Thing is…the news never said anything about another girl.” “Don’t you worry about her,” says the mother. She whispers something to the man that I can’t hear and he goes to the back of one of the open doors of the Jeep. “Listen,” I find myself saying and taking a brave step forward. “I don’t know who you are but you can’t just go and –” Ka-lick. The man is pointing a long rifle straight at me.
From: The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
Teach
Your turn
Practise & Apply
Use your text
Practise & Apply
1) “Pity we found her as quickly as we did then,” says the man. Circle the word which is closest in meaning to ‘pity’:
shame
lucky
relief
blessing
Reveal Answer
Practise & Apply
2) What is the reward currently offered for finding the lost girl?
Acceptable Answers:
Reveal Answer
3) What impression do you get of the man and woman from the text?
Text Mark Evidence - a hundred thousand dollars, that’s the reward…says the man, licking his lips - imagine what we could do with a hundred thousand dollars - a quarter of a mil…the man whistles - could get another twenty grand for that (their story)
Text Mark Evidence - what about this…we take her back to the farm…keep her hidden away in the cubby house for a few days or weeks…just long enough for the cops to up the cash - perhaps we could sell our story to the papers…could get another twenty grand for that
greedy or motivated by money
dishonest / scheming / manipulative
Text Mark Evidence - be like real heroes - we could sell our story to the papers, too…about how we found her
Text Mark Evidence - pity we found her as quickly as we did then - don’t you worry about her (Tarni)
attention-seeking or motivated by fame
selfish or uncaring
Text Mark Evidence ka-lick…the man is pointing a long rifle straight at me
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
threatening or dangerous
RevealEvidence & Answers
4) Remembering the whole text, put the following events in order. Write a number 1-5 in each box.
The man and woman make a plan to hide the lost girl at their farm.
The man and woman imagine what they could do with the reward.
The man gets his rifle out of the back of the Jeep.
The man recognises the girl as the one the police are seeking.
The woman tells the man about the rumour that the reward will increase.
Reveal Answer
Practise & Apply
Feedback: Who did what well?
FindRead Talk
EchoRead
ChoralRead
ReadingStrategy
Answers & Text Marks
Other...
To be a book lover, you could...
write alternate endings.
Reveal
Imagine how the story could have ended differently.
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: The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell © 2023 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.