Extreme Survival Stories Book: Reading and Writing Worksheets

Read an extended non-fiction account and answer literal comprehension questions about who, when, how long and what happened

Meet difficult vocabulary in a pre-taught list and then recognise it inside a running text

Research a related topic from a supplied starting point and report back, as with living fossils, the first ascent of Everest or an extreme weather hazard

The teachers' notes say the vocabulary in the Words You Will Need list should be talked through before reading, which is the step that makes these stories work for a reluctant reader

Use the comprehension work to establish the account’s details before assigning a related opinion or discussion task

The extension websites in the teachers' notes should be previewed before they go to students: they date from the book's research and include Wikipedia articles and at least one advocacy site rather than a neutral reference

Non-fiction comprehension - each story is followed by an Activity of numbered questions answered from the text, from Hugh Glass's profession to how long the trappers stayed with him.

Vocabulary in context - a Words You Will Need list precedes every chapter, and its words then appear inside the story, so students meet them pre-taught and then in use.

Creative writing from factual material - students write a new ending, script a cartoon, conduct an interview or write a letter home in a trapped miner's voice.