Our Class Text:

This is our class text and I know that not everyone will be able to buy a copy from the internet and not everyone has an Audible or Kindle account so, with the kind permission of Chicken House, I will recording the chapters and uploading them here for you to listen to. After each chapter of the book I will add some activities that you could complete linked to that part of the book. 

I'm excited to get started so lets do it!

Week One- W/C 20th April

The Blurb

We all know that the best place to get a sneak-peek into the plot, characters and setting of a book is to have a look at the blurb on the back cover. So I have typed up the blurb below for you to read and have a think about:

"A shooting star crashes to earth and changes Elliot's life forever. The star is Virgo - a young Zodiac goddess on a mission. When the pair accidentally unleash the wicked death daemon Thanatos, they turn to the old Olympian gods for help. But after centuries of cushy retirement on earth, are Zeus and his crew up to the task?"

Wow! I don't know about you but I'm hooked already. I have so many questions and ideas buzzing through my head, and I'm sure you do too. 

Here are some of the questions I have:

Who is Elliot?

What does he look like?

What does a death daemon look like?

Do you think Thanatos is dangerous?

How old are Zeus and the Olympian gods now?

I'm sure you have so many more questions and ideas running round your brain and next week we'll get started with chapter one...but now something for you to have a go at.

Week 1 Activity Ideas

Already the blurb has mentioned some names of characters that we might come across in the story, so you could:

1- Draw what Elliot looks like in your mind's eye.

2- Draw a picture of the young goddess Virgo.

3-Draw what you think Thanatos the death daemon looks like.

4-Think about how Zeus might look to Elliot.

If there are any words that you don't understand in the blurb you can find out their meaning by asking someone at home, using a dictionary or going to this online dictionary.

Week Two- W/C 27th April

Who Let The Gods Out, Chapter 1- Lying Low

It's time for us to dive into our book headfirst and have a read of  Chapter One. I wonder what characters we will come across in this chapter and I wonder what Elliot will be up to. 

Have a listen below on the audio recording: 

Week 2 Activity Ideas

Have a look at my activity ideas for Chapter 1 below:

Comprehension Questions:

1- What does the author mean when referring to the body odour as 'weapons grade'?

2-What does 'jubilantly' mean?

3- Is Elliot often in trouble? How do you know this?

4- Why do you think Mr Boil has no respect for Call Me Graham?

5-Is Elliot a good student? What makes you think this?

6- Where does Elliot go to school?

Writing:

Write a conversation between a naughty pupil and a headteacher in the style of Elliot and Mr Boyle. Remember to use speech marks "" to show your speech.

Art:

Draw what you think Mr Boil and Mr Graham might look like in real life.

Drama:

Act out the scene in Mr Graham's office with Elliot at home (you could use your family or even line up your teddies!)

That's all for this week, come back next week for the next chapter which is called Home is Where the Farm is.

Chapter Two- Because someone asked very nicely 

I know I said I was only going to upload one chapter of our book a week but I managed to call most of your families this week while I was in school and someone asked if I could upload two chapters a week to this page. 

As she asked soooooo nicely I decided that I'll upload one chapter at the start of the week and another one at the end of the week with activities and ideas for both chapters so that we can really enjoy our book.

Have a listen below to Chapter Two and lets see what Elliot gets up to next.....

Week 2- Chapter 2 Activity Ideas

Remember you can always listen to the chapter again if you want a reminder of what happened and you can always pause it whenever you need or want to.

Have a look at some of the activity ideas below:

Comprehension Questions 

Can you write down or explain the answers to these questions to someone in your family:

- What does the text mean when it says the farm has been the family home for 'generations'?

- What words show that Elliot doesn't want to speak to Patricia Porshley-Plum?

- Why might Elliot like the walk home so much?

- Why does Elliot lie about his Mum being ill?

- Why does Elliot get so panicked?

- Where do you think Mum has gone? Make a prediction before we find out.

-What impression do you get of Patricia from this chapter? Would you like to live next to her?

Writing

Use your prediction for where you think Mum has gone and try writing the next part of the story.

Art/DT

If you were an author and you had to create a horrible neighbour that was similar to Patricia Porshley-Plum what would they be like? What would they look like? What would they do?

See if you can draw the character you would create, remember to add labels to explain their features and characteristics.

That's everything for Chapter 2, I cannot wait to find out where Mum has gone. Be sure to come back early next week for the next chapter!

Week 3- W/C 4th May

Chapter 3- A Star is Born 

The start of another week and so we start another chapter of our book Who Let the Gods Out ? 

Let's dive straight in! You know the drill by now, click below to listen to the next chapter 

Week 3- Chapter 3 Activity Ideas

Always remember you can play, pause and replay the chapter above to help with the activities. I wonder which ones you will try this time?

Reading Comprehension Questions

- Find out what a zodiac is. From this what is the 'Zodiac Council'?

- Find words that show Elysium is a paradise

- Why might Cyclops be entitled to half-price eye care?

- Why doesn't the Zodiac Council want to give serious responsibility to Virgo?

- How do you know people don't want to do the Prisoner Forty-Two task?

- Why does Virgo almost immediately regret her decision to leave?

- What stone circle might Virgo be looking for?

- What are Virgo's responsibilities?

- What is involved in the Prisoner Forty-Two task?

Writing Opportunities

-Write an advertisement for a job opening in the Zodiac Council. Think about what skills and characteristics the Council might be looking for.

-Write a balanced argument about whether you think Virgo should have left or not.  Use some of these key words to help your writing:

I think Virgo should have left because...

Also...

Moreover...

However...

Geography

Research the stone circle in our class text (Stonehenge) and make an information poster/leaflet/PowerPoint about the area and its history.

History

Research the signs of the zodiac and make a factfile about one that you like, you could even find out the zodiac sign that's linked to your birthday and make your factfile on that one!

Chapter 4

A bit early this week as it is a Bank Holiday so I thought we could listen to the next chapter a day early so we can enjoy the weekend.

Have a listen, enjoy and then have a look at the activities underneath 

Week 3- Chapter 4 Activity Ideas

Reading Comprehension Questions

-  What does the phrase 'Mum's the word' mean?

- Why do you think this chapter is called this?

- What does 'discern' mean? Use a dictionary to help you if you're not sure.

- Why does the author use inverted commas around 'borrowed' money?

- Why was Elliot so worried?

- Why is Elliot unsure about whether he'll ever know about his father?

- Why are there lots of IOUs in the money jar?

- Why do you think Elliot doesn't study?

- What is the Really Scary Letter?

- Why can Elliot see the stars so well?

- Explain what will happen if Elliot doesn't manage to pay the family's debts.

Writing Opportunities

- We heard a section of the really scary letter about the £20,000 that Elliot needed to pay back to EasyDosh! so that he and mum can still live in the house. 

Can you write the Really Scary Letter that Elliot received?

Remember to think about the format of a letter from your letter to Boudicca:

-The Addresses

-The Date

- Dear Sir/Madam

- Using paragraphs

I'm sure you'll be able to do a great job!

Music

- The end of the chapter has alot of drama as stars start to fall from the sky. I want you to become a composer and see if you can find any sounds around the house that word make an amazing soundscape for the end of the chapter to build the tension as the stars start to fall. 

Maybe some pots and pans could make some good noise for the soundscape? See what other sounds you can make for the story at home.

PSHE

- We can learn so much about a person and a character by thinking about their emotions. Think about Elliot's emotions in this chapter from when he can't find mum at the start to seeing the stars fall at the end of the chapter. 

See if you can listen again to the recording and draw your own mood graph like my picture below and trace Elliot's mood as we listen to the chapter.

I hope you enjoy the activities for Chapter 4 and check in next week for an update and Chapter 5!

Week 4- W/C 11th May

Chapter 5-Strangers in the Night

I don't know about you but I am loving this book and I cannot wait to get started on our two chapters for this week. Make sure you have a listen and try some of the activities for the chapter as well.

Remember you can always go back and re-listen to the previous chapters if you need a reminder of what happened in the last chapter.

Week 4- Chapter 5 Activity Ideas

Reading Comprehension Questions

- What words show the cow isn't pleased about Virgo's presence?

- Identify words from Virgo's vocabulary that might seem strange to a 12-year-old boy. Can you find out the meaning of these words using a dictionary or an adult at home?

- What had Virgo landed in?

- Why does Virgo get annoyed at the cow?

- How does Elliot realise someone is in the shed?

- Why does Elliot find it so difficult to communicate with Virgo?

- Why did Virgo's clothes nearly make Elliot puke?

- Why does Elliot start thinking about how much money he could get for the flask?

- Explain how What's What? works for Virgo to learn about where she is. Are there human equivalents that we can use?

Writing Opportunities

- Write a diary entry as Elliot detailing the events of this chapter. Remember that a diary is a personal piece of writing and is in First Person ( you have to pretend you are Elliot). 

Here are some handy phrases you might want to use:

- Dear Diary....

- I could not believe my eyes....

- Remember to include Elliot's emotions: I was scared/terrified/excited/worried.

Design Technology

- Make you own cowshed using different materials you can find at home, you could even recycle some of the packaging from any food that you and your family have finished with, plastic and cardboard are great. 

Once you've made your cowshed see if you can find a rock or stone to represent Virgo falling from the sky, see if your cowshed survives. 

Investigate what materials make the strongest cowshed, think about how you could make it a fair test.

Chapter 6

I'm sure you're as excited as I am to get into chapter 6...so let's go!

Week 4 Chapter 6 Activity Ideas

Reading Comprehension Questions

- Identify vocabulary that shows Elliot is tired. How do we know he's always tired from earlier in the story? Why is this?

- How does Elliot feel when Virgo has been under water for a long time? Can you identify any vocabulary that supports your answer?

- What does Virgo think the TV is?

- Why doesn't Elliot want his mum to let anyone in?

- Why is Elliot going to take Virgo to the police station?

- Does Elliot think Prisoner Forty-Two's imprisonment is fair?

- Why can't Virgo transform into her constellation to prove her immortality to Elliot?

- Name the five categories of immortals. What happens if they lose their Kardia?

Writing Opportunities

- Imagine you were walking by the river and you secretly saw Virgo being under water for such a long time. Write a letter to a newspaper telling them what you had seen.

Science Activity

- Research a selection of different mammals and investigate how long they can survive under water, some mammals do spend alot of their time living in water environments.

Here are a few different mammals you could think about researching:

Humans

Dolphins

Beavers

Sloths

Seals

Week 5- W/C 18th May

Chapter 7- Prisoner Forty-Who?

Sorry I didn't upload the next chapter yesterday, I was in school all day and then fell asleep on my sofa when I got home.

So here is the next exciting chapter of Who Let the Gods Out?

Week 5 Chapter 7 Activity Ideas

Reading Comprehension Questions

- Think about these words that have been taken from the description of the prisoner, discuss what the prisoner looks like in your mind from these words:

remnants    emaciated    huddled    pitiful   skeletal 

- When Elliot touches Prisoner Forty-Two what vocabulary shows this was the wrong decision?

- Is Virgo panicking? How do you know this?

- Does Elliot feel sorry for the prisoner? How do you know this?

- What does Thanatos mean when he says he's going to 'really enjoy not killing her'?

- What does Virgo do initially when Prisoner Forty-Two starts to transform?

- Who is Prisoner Forty-Two?

- How does Elliot convince Thanatos to free Virgo?

- What impression do you get of Thanatos from this chapter?

Writing Opportunities

- Rewrite the scene  where Thanatos is finally freed, but write it from Thanatos's point of view. Think about how he would have been feeling and what he would have been thinking when he was talking to Elliot and Virgo.

Art/DT

-Draw/create two images of Thanatos:

One while he was chained up

AND

One after he is freed and he has changed once Elliot had touched him.

History

- Complete some research about Thanatos and create one of the following:

    - A poster

    - A Presentation

    - A leaflet

    - A mini book

That's all the activities for this chapter, remember you can always go back to the first chapter and listen to the story again at any time.