27 Text

Card
Lower primary – Consolidating level
Text type: Narrative
Word count: 266
ISBN 978 1 92570 947 6

Written by Fiona Jackson, illustrated by Shiloh Gordon.

The Big Rat
Comprehension and Writing Response Centres – Lower Primary © 2009 Blake Education
57
27 Activity
Card
ZONE IN!
Before reading the text …
Have you ever seen a rat? A rat looks like a big mouse and can
run very fast. Rats live in lots of places, such as in a garage or in
a tree. You mustn’t touch a wild rat. They can give you a nasty
bite. Now read the story about a wild rat.
READ IT! Work Sheet 29
After reading the text …
The activities on Work Sheet 29 are about the story.
Complete the activities on the sheet.
THINK IT! TALK IT!
After reading … Think and share with a partner.
Some people keep a rat as a pet. Pet rats are bred as domestic
pets and are different to wild rats. Unlike wild rats, they are
used to people and are very clean. It is common to see pet
white rats with red eyes. These are called albino rats.
Would you like a pet rat? What would you call it and where
would you keep it?
Lower primary – Consolidating level
The Big Rat
WRITE IT!
After reading the text, write …
Comprehension and Writing Response Centres – Lower Primary © 2009 Blake Education
♦ Drawing of the story setting
Where does the story take place? Select a scene from the
story and draw a picture of it. You could draw the garden
or the inside of the cubby. Use oil pastels for your picture.
Mount your finished picture. Do this by pasting it onto
a large piece of colourful book cover paper. Share your
drawing with a partner.
♦ To catch a rat
Design and make a trap that will catch a rat! Draw your
trap first. Put some labels on your drawing that explain
the different parts. Use boxes or other materials to make
your trap.
Write a few sentences in your student book to explain how
your trap works.
♦ Home for a rat
Suppose your parents gave you a white rat. Think of the
things the rat will need (a home, food and a container
to eat from, a container of water, toys to play with …).
ISBN 978 1 92570 947 6
Design the best home for your rat that you can think of.
Draw and label the features of your rat’s home.
Choose one toy and write about how it works in your
student book.
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 29 Work
Sheet
Lower primary – Consolidating level

The Big Rat

Text Card: 27

Name Date

Write about or show some of the things that happened in the story.

Where did Ben spy on the rat? Write down five words that describe
what the rat looked like.

What do you think Ben’s cubby Draw a speech bubble of Ben

looked like? Draw it here? shouting at the rat. Write what
he said in the speech bubble!

Do you think the rat was mean? Write down some rhyming words
Why? to go with these:
paw

nose

tail

rat

ISBN 978 1 92570 947 6 Comprehension and Writing Response Centres – Lower Primary © 2009 Blake Education 121