Boy Overboard

This resource assists teachers to target specific writing areas, linked to the progressions,
to help students improve their writing. The resource is designed for teachers to select the
appropriate activity for their class. For example, in the post reading activities, the teacher
would choose either the comprehension or the 3 Level Reading Guides (Here, Hidden,
Head). In the same way, select the relevant language focus task the class.

Resource outline
The following table outlines the activities in the resource with a brief description and
purpose for the activity.

Activity Description

Library of sentence models from the stimulus.

Sentence models There are many possible teaching opportunities for
a class with these concepts. Some of the models
have associated activities to choose from.
Pre reading activity A pre reading writing activity where students
Story impressions predict the story based on a word list.

Post reading activities

3 level reading guides to aid the development of
3 level reading guide
inferential thinking
Comprehension questions
Language focus activities
Explicit, modelled and guided teaching slide decks
Participles (GrA7) available to help teach each concept.
Subordinating A range of language activities for each focus area
conjunctions/clauses/Adverbial clause to help students develop better writing.
(GrA6)
Choose the relevant activities for your class.
Adjectival/Relative clause (GrA7)

A quick writing activity related to the stimulus.

Writing activity Adapt the simple rubric to include the relevant
language focus for your class.
 Literacy Progressions links
Progression identifiers and Syllabus Outcomes Links to sentence models

GrA6

Sentence level

 selects simple, compound and complex sentences to

express and connect ideas, occasionally manipulating the Complex sentences –

structure for emphasis, clarity or effect subordinating conjunctions

 uses at least one subordinate clause in a complex and clauses/adverbial

sentence clauses

 Uses subordinating conjunctions ('even though' in 'Even

though a storm was predicted, the search and rescue
mission still went ahead.)

Non-finite clauses
GrA7
Participles are non-finite
Sentence level
clauses. They can also be an
- crafts both compact and lengthy sentences with challenging
embedded or interrupting
structures, such as embedded/relative clauses, non-finite
clause.
clauses, interrupting clauses, nominalisations, passive voice
Relative clauses
- makes more sophisticated connections between ideas by
Also known as adjectival
creating complex sentence
clauses. Many examples and
activities in this resource

Creating Texts 8-10 Generic Indicators

CrT8
Resource contains models
uses a greater range of complex sentences (see Grammar)
for a variety of sentence
uses a variety of sentence structures and sentence structures and beginnings.
beginnings

Syllabus Outcomes Variety of clause

structures – subordinate,
non-finite, relative
En4-3B – uses and describes language forms, features and
structures of texts appropriate to a range of purposes, audiences

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 Progression identifiers and Syllabus Outcomes Links to sentence models

and contexts Sentence patterns – all

sentence models, plus noun

 analyse and examine how effective authors control and use

a variety of clause structures, including clauses embedded
within the structure of a noun group/phrase or clause
 interpret and analyse language choices, including sentence
patterns, dialogue, imagery and other language features, in
short stories, literary essays and plays

2 Boy Overboard
 Sentence models
Participle (GrA7)
Grinning, I duck past him, steer the ball around the mudguard of a wrecked troop carrier,
and find myself in front of the goal.

‘Jamal’ screams Zoltan, flapping his arms like a buzzard with belly-ache.

‘Sorry,’ I say, waiting for him and Aziz and Mussa to make unkind comments about
midfield players who think they’re strikers but aren’t. [Participle-adjectival combination]

They stare at me, confused. [Past participle]

Panting, she gives me a proud grin.

I climb up out of the gully and up onto a sand dune, peering into the wind.

She’s down on the flat desert, running towards the ball.

Adjectival/Relative clause (GrA7)

Mussa, who’s also Newcastle United, tries to remove my feet from my ankles.

Only Yusuf, who’s goal keeper and referee, to beat.

‘Over here, Jamal,’ screams Zoltan, who’s Manchester United with me.

Aziz and Mussa and Zoltan are staring dumbstruck after the ball, which has disappeared
over the other side of the rocket crater

I hurry towards my ball, which is lying against one of the tanks huge caterpillar tracks.

Adverbial clause/Subordinating
conjunctions/AAAWWUBBIS (GrA6)
If I had an unexploded shell for every goal I’ve set up for other people, I could go into the
scrap metal business.

Zoltan is looking at me as though an American air strike has hit me in the head and
scrambled my brains.

If a government official out for a walk in the desert sees this, he’ll be slashing us with his
cane before I can say ‘she’s only nine.’

3
 Without steadying herself or pausing to pull up her skit, she shoots.

Before I can stop her, she’s running towards the rocket crater.

‘Thank you,’ I mutter to this rusting hulk as I totter down towards Bibi.

If we both do the same on the way back, I’ll be able to get her home safely.

When Bibi’s feelings are hurt, she usually gets violent.

If you’re not back home when Mum wakes up from her nap and Dad gets back, they won’t
know where you are.

When I was little and I used to play tanks with empty hand grenade cases, I’d always paint
the good tanks white and the bad tanks black.

Absolute
She’s only metres away from us now, eyes glinting as she dribbles the ball with her
bare feet. (Absolute-adverbial combination) (noun + participle)

Bibi, eyes big with fury, is hurling another one. (noun + adjective)

Action Verbs
I dazzle him with footwork.

My brain shrivels with fear.

Thank you,’ I mutter to this rusting hulk as I totter down towards Bibi.

Newcastle United lunges at me.

‘Eeek,’ croaks Aziz, face slack with amazement.

She sidesteps Aziz, weaves past Mussa, and flicks the ball between my legs

Yusuf dives, but the ball scuds past his fingers and hurtles into the rocket crater behind
him.

‘Bibi,’ I yell as I scramble up the side of the rocket crater.

I slither into the gully.

Compound
I’m Manchester United and I’ve got the ball and everything is good.

4 Boy Overboard
 Aziz is a small kid but he’s fast and he comes back for a second lunge.

Simple
There’s no smoke, or nerve gas, or sand-storms.

I weave one way, then the other.

Parallel
Their faces are frozen. Their mouths are open. They’re in shock.

Delayed adjectives
It’s a great shot, low and hard.

Fragments
Incredible

And see Bibi.

Just a fraction. Towards Bibi.

Clang.

5
 Pre reading
Story Impressions
Write a paragraph using these words to predict what the chapter will be about. The words
are listed as they occur in the story

___________________________________________________
Ball

Smoke ___________________________________________________

Sand storm
___________________________________________________
Soccer skills

Dodge ___________________________________________________

Desert
___________________________________________________
Crouches

Wrecked troop carrier ___________________________________________________

Piles of rubble
___________________________________________________
Shoot

Sliced it ___________________________________________________

shock
___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

6 Boy Overboard
 Resources:
The following research papers outline the effectiveness of this strategy (and others) on
reading comprehension. The third link provides examples of how to implement this
strategy

Story Impressions: A Prereading Writing Activity

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED269743

Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively

https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/PracticeGuide/wwc_secondary_writing_110116.pdf

https://literacyprofessionaldevelopment.weebly.com/story-impressions.html

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 Post reading
Comprehension questions
1. Why does Jamal describe it as “really good”?

2. What is unusual about where they are playing soccer?

3. How many students in Jamal’s school?

4. What does Zoltan feel about Jamal not passing the ball? What tells you this in the

text?

5. What causes the boys to be in shock?

6. What can we tell about their lives from the following sentence:

a. “For a moment there’s silence except for the wind blowing in off the open

desert and the distant sound of someone drilling bomb fragments out of their

wall in the village.”

7. Find examples where the author ‘shows’ us how good Jamal is at soccer. What are

the key words that help us to infer this?

8. In the sentence below, what word(s) convey the power of Bib’s strike?

a. Yusuf dives, but the ball scuds past his fingers and hurtles into the rocket

crater behind him.

8 Boy Overboard
 3 level reading guide
Read the text and then look at the following statements. Respond to the statements in each section.
Tick if you agree, cross if you disagree. Discuss your responses with others. Be prepared to share
your responses.

Level 1 Literal Statements

Does the text say this? What words support your answer?

1. ☐ Jamal lives in Manchester

2. ☐ Zoltan is pleased with Jamal’s kick for goal
3. ☐ They are pleased to see Bibi

Level 2 Interpretive Statements

Does the text give you this idea? What words and phrases support your answer?

4. ☐ The kids live in a safe and secure place

5. ☐ Bibi has a powerful kick
6. ☐ Jamal rushes into the gully to rescue Bibi

Level 3 Applied Statements

Do you agree with this? Why? Be prepared to share your reasons.

7. ☐ Some rules are meant to be broken.

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 Language activities
Participles
Each of these activities provides an authentic opportunity for students to focus on the craft
of writing they have been learning. The variation in activities are provided as stimulus for
you to think about when writing your own activities. Choose the appropriate task to add to
a post reading activity, or use as a 'Do Now' instructional routine.

The following activities are:

1. Locate the structure in the text

2. Underline the structure (in a worksheet)

3. Imitate

Teaching note

If you have not taught this structure, use the PowerPoint deck to explicitly teach the
concept, and provide modelled, guided and independent writing opportunities.

Download the slide deck from

https://timcreighton.com/2021/06/11/the-art-of-the-sentence/

10 Boy Overboard
 Activities
Locate

Locate at least 3 examples of the participle phrase from chapter 1.

Underline

Underline the participle phrase in the sentences below

Panting, she gives me a proud grin.

‘Jamal’ screams Zoltan, flapping his arms like a buzzard with belly-ache.
I climb up out of the gully and up onto a sand dune, peering into the wind.
She’s down on the flat desert, running towards the ball.

Imitate

Imitate one of the sentence models

A. Grinning, I duck past him, steer the ball around the mudguard of a wrecked troop
carrier, and find myself in front of the goal.
B. ‘Jamal’ screams Zoltan, flapping his arms like a buzzard with belly-ache.
C. ‘Sorry,’ I say, waiting for him and Aziz and Mussa to make unkind comments about
midfield players who think they’re strikers but aren’t. [Participle-adjectival
combination]
D. They stare at me, confused. [Past participle]
E. Panting, she gives me a proud grin.
F. I climb up out of the gully and up onto a sand dune, peering into the wind.
G. She’s down on the flat desert, running towards the ball.

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 Subordinate clauses/adverbials
The following are simple activities that can be used to regularly embed a focus on
language in the classroom. The activities are:

1. Unscramble
2. Rearrange
3. Locate in the text
4. Imitate

The general 'rule' is that if a sentence begins with a subordinating conjunction, it will likely
have a comma to offset it from the main sentence. If the subordinating conjunction occurs
in the middle of the sentence, generally it does not have a comma.

We are learning the 'rules' so later we can break them like an artist does!

Teaching note

If you have not taught this structure, use the PowerPoint deck to explicitly teach the
concept, and provide modelled, guided and independent writing opportunities.

Download the slide deck:

https://timcreighton.com/2021/06/11/the-art-of-the-sentence/

12 Boy Overboard
 Activities
Unscramble

Unscramble the following sentence from Boy Overboard and insert appropriate
punctuation where necessary. There may be more than one way to organise the sentence.

Sentence 1

A. towards the rocket crater

B. before I can stop her
C. she’s running

Underline

Underline the subordinate clauses in the sentence below

A. If I had an unexploded shell for every goal I’ve set up for other people, I could go

into the scrap metal business.

B. Zoltan is looking at me as though an American air strike has hit me in the head and

scrambled my brains.

C. If a government official out for a walk in the desert sees this, he’ll be slashing us

with his cane before I can say ‘she’s only nine.’

D. Without steadying herself or pausing to pull up her skit, she shoots.

E. Before I can stop her, she’s running towards the rocket crater.

Locate

Find 3 examples of subordinating conjunctions/subordinate clauses in chapter 1 of Boy

Overboard

Imitate

Imitate one of the model sentences with a sentence of your own. When finished, share
your imitation with the class.

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 A. If I had an unexploded shell for every goal I’ve set up for other people, I could go

into the scrap metal business.

B. Before I can stop her, she’s running towards the rocket crater.

14 Boy Overboard
 Adjectival phrase/clauses
An adjectival clause works like a multiword adjective. It describes whatever is to the left of

it, usually a noun. Adjective clauses are usually introduced by relative pronouns such as

who, whose, whom, which, that, and where.

The following simple activities demonstrate how to embed this into your daily teaching.

The activities are:

1. Locate
2. Underline
3. Rearrange/Unscramble
4. Imitate

Teaching note

If you have not taught this structure, use the PowerPoint deck to explicitly teach the
concept, and provide modelled, guided and independent writing opportunities.

Download the slide deck – you will find it here:

https://timcreighton.com/2021/06/11/the-art-of-the-sentence/

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 Activities
Mussa, who’s also Newcastle United, tries to remove my feet from my ankles.

Only Yusuf, who’s goal keeper and referee, to beat.

‘Over here, Jamal,’ screams Zoltan, who’s Manchester United with me.

Aziz and Mussa and Zoltan are staring dumbstruck after the ball, which has disappeared
over the other side of the rocket crater

Unscramble

Unscramble the following sentence from Boy Overboard and insert appropriate
punctuation where necessary. There may be more than one way to organise this
sentence.

A. tries to remove my feet from my ankles

B. who’s also Newcastle United
C. Mussa

Locate

Find 2 examples of adjectival clauses from chapter 1 of Boy Overboard

Imitate

Imitate one of the model sentences with a sentence of your own. When finished, share
your imitation with the class.\

Models:

A. Mussa, who’s also Newcastle United, tries to remove my feet from my ankles.
B. Only Yusuf, who’s goal keeper and referee, to beat.
C. ‘Over here, Jamal,’ screams Zoltan, who’s Manchester United with me.
D. Aziz and Mussa and Zoltan are staring dumbstruck after the ball, which has
disappeared over the other side of the rocket crater

Underline

Underline the adjectival clauses in the sentences below

1. Mussa, who’s also Newcastle United, tries to remove my feet from my ankles.

16 Boy Overboard
 2. Only Yusuf, who’s goal keeper and referee, to beat.
3. ‘Over here, Jamal,’ screams Zoltan, who’s Manchester United with me.
4. Aziz and Mussa and Zoltan are staring dumbstruck after the ball, which has
disappeared over the other side of the rocket crater

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 Let’s write
Use the picture as a stimulus for a short piece of writing.

Success Criteria

Use this rubric to self-assess your piece of writing.

Success Criteria Example from my writing Points

Eg Participle Phrase
(10 points)
-ing phrase

Insert aspect (10 points)

Insert aspect (10 points)

Insert aspect (10 points)

Total

18 Boy Overboard
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