mary queen of scots532339...that she wanted to divorce her husband. soon afterwards, there was an...

classroomsecrets.com Comprehension – Mary Queen of Scots – 3a – Tricky

Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Stuart was born in December 1542. Her father was King James V of Scotland and her mother was a French Princess called Mary of Guise. Mary’s father died of battle injuries just after Mary was born. This meant that Mary became Queen of Scotland when she was only six days old. She was known as Mary Queen of Scots. Scotland was a difficult country to rule at this time. There were two types of Christians - Catholics and Protestants and they were fighting about who should be in charge. Many noble men were also arguing about who should have the power. The Queen was a baby, so a regent was needed. A regent is an adult who looks after the country for a child King or Queen until they are old enough to take over. Mary of Guise wanted to be regent for Queen Mary but instead, a man called the Earl of Arran was chosen. He was a distant relative of Queen Mary and he wanted to be King himself! Henry VIII was King of England but he wanted to rule Scotland too. He spent years invading the country, but had not had a victory yet. When Mary was born, he decided that his five year old son called Prince Edward, should marry Mary so that the two countries would be ruled by him. However, the King of France wanted Mary to marry his son as well. Henry invaded Scotland again to take the young child to make sure that this didn’t happen. Mary’s mother tried to protect the young Queen by hiding her in different castles. After five years, she eventually asked the King of France for help. He arranged for Mary to travel to France where she would be safe from Henry VIII, but as part of the agreement, Mary had to marry his son instead. Mary of Guise agreed. Queen Mary travelled with four of her friends, who were also all called Mary, to look after her whilst her mother stayed to help rule Scotland. The young Queen Mary never saw her mother again. When Mary arrived, she was welcomed by the French people. At the age of fifteen, Mary married the heir to the French throne at Notre Dame Cathedral, wearing a long train and a golden crown. She had grown into a beautiful, intelligent young woman who was now Queen of Scotland and heir to the throne in France. Unfortunately for Mary, one year later the King of France died unexpectedly. This meant Mary and her new husband became the King and Queen of France. To make things worse, the next year Mary’s mother died in Scotland and then later that year Mary’s husband also died. Mary was very lonely and sad and was not allowed to rule France without her husband. A new French King was crowned and Mary decided to return to Scotland to rule there instead. Most Scottish people cheered on the streets when Queen Mary returned, but some were not pleased to see her. Since she had left Scotland, it had become a protestant country, and Mary was a Catholic Queen. The Scottish lords were powerful and jealous of each other and did not help Mary rule. Mary had a half-brother, who did help her, so she made him the Earl of Moray. This made things better, but Mary knew she needed a husband to help her - then she would have an heir to her throne. Queen Elizabeth was now Queen of England, and offered to help Mary find a husband, but Mary chose someone else instead. He was an English man called Lord Darnley who was related to Elizabeth. This made Elizabeth angry and made her think Queen Mary and Lord Darnley wanted to have a child who would rule England too.

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Mary’s new husband, Lord Darnley, was not popular with the Scottish people and he turned out to be a greedy and lazy ruler. Whilst Mary was pregnant, he was cruel to her and was determined to take over as King. One night, he broke into her room and held her back whilst his friends stabbed her private secretary, a man called Riccio, to death. Mary was upset as she had liked her secretary a lot. The Scottish Lords were also angry at him, but Mary decided the next morning to forgive him. They moved to Edinburgh Castle in secret. At this time Mary also hired a man called Lord Bothwell who she had known in France, she thought they were friends but everyone else thought that he was in love with the her. At Edinburgh Castle Mary gave birth to a baby boy and named him James after her father. When Lord Darnley did not attend his son’s christening, Mary wrote to the Earl of Moray saying that she wanted to divorce her husband. Soon afterwards, there was an explosion at Darnley’s home and he and his servant were found mysteriously strangled to death. People blamed Lord Bothwell for their murder because he was in love with Mary and wanted to marry her. Mary did not hold an investigation and the Scottish people became angry with the Queen when Bothwell was not punished. Mary did not seem to care and carried on spending time with Lord Bothwell anyway. A few months later Queen Mary and Lord Bothwell were on their way home from visiting the young Prince James when Bothwell kidnapped the Queen. He forced her to marry him in secret. Mary felt betrayed by her friend, and the Lords of Scotland were furious with Bothwell and Queen Mary when they found out. They and raised an Army to capture and punish Bothwell. The Army marched to where the Queen and Bothwell were staying, but their plan failed. Mary and Bothwell both managed to escape and met up again later. The Queen began to raise an Army herself to fight the Lords. When the Lords’ Army caught up with her, they demanded that if she wanted to stay as Queen then Bothwell would have to leave Scotland. Queen Mary persuaded him to flee and he ran away to Denmark. Queen Mary followed the Lords to Edinburgh, believing that she was still their Queen. When Mary reached Edinburgh she realised that she had been tricked. She was no longer the Queen, but the Lords’ prisoner. They locked her up on a remote island in the damp and cold Loch Leven Castle. Mary was now pregnant with twins, but when she gave birth in the damp and cold castle, they both died. Mary herself became very sick and eventually signed papers that meant her one year old son, Prince James, would now be King James VI of Scotland. Whilst in prison Mary was allowed a lady in waiting. She chose a woman called Mary Seton who was one of the four Maries who had travelled with the Queen to France when she was a child. Mary also made two friends in Loch Leven Castle and together, they helped Mary escape. Her first attempt failed and she was recognised, but her second attempt was successful. She ran away from the island and led an Army of her followers determined to take back her throne. Because King James VI was a few years old, Mary’s half-brother was acting as regent (just like the Earl of Arran had for her) until he was old enough to take over. Mary led her Army to where her half-brother was staying and the two sides fought. Just before the fight started, one of Mary’s Generals fainted. This meant that her Army was unorganised and she eventually lost the battle. Some people said that the General fainted on purpose and was actually working against the Queen. After the battle Mary ran away to England, planning to ask Queen Elizabeth for help.



Queen Elizabeth was still worried that Queen Mary also wanted to rule England. She sent hundreds of soldiers to meet Mary when she landed on the coast to stop her escaping. Elizabeth also thought that Mary knew about the plot to kill her husband, Lord Darnley, who was a relative of Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth would not help Mary and instead put her in prison with Mary Seton. For the next nineteen years, Queen Mary was Elizabeth’s prisoner whilst Mary Seton stayed with her. Queen Mary spent her time planning to escape, and wrote to English Catholics asking for their help in making her the Queen of England. These escapes were always discovered and in the end she was forbidden from writing letters. Queen Elizabeth also gave one of her men the job of spy master to find out who she was writing to. Mary hoped that her son, King James VI would come to help her, but he had been raised by the Earl of Moray, who had convinced him that his mother was evil and untrustworthy. In 1586 Queen Mary learned that her son, King James VI had signed a peace treaty with England which meant he would become King of England when Elizabeth died. She realised he was never going to set her free and set about plotting to escape and kill Queen Elizabeth for the last time. She wrote to an English Catholic, called Lord Babington. She did not know that Elizabeth’s spy master had already been reading her secret letters and found this one as well. Now he had cold hard proof that the Scottish Queen was guilty of treason. Mary Queen of Scots was charged with the attempted treason of the Queen of England and was executed in 1587. Her son King James VI of Scotland also became King of England in 1603.

Megan Dunsby


classroomsecrets.com Comprehension – Mary Queen of Scots– 3a – Tricky

Mary Queen of Scots

1. In what year was Mary Stuart born? (AF2)

2. Loch Leven Castle is described as ________________________________ and ________________________________ . (AF2)

3. Can you think of another adjective to describe how you imagine Loch Leven Castle to be? (AF3/AF5)

4. Match the following quotes in the text with what they tell us about Queen Mary. (AF3)

‘Queen Mary spent her time planning to escape.’ popular

‘Scottish people cheered on the streets when Queen Mary returned’ scheming

5. Whereabouts in the text would you find information about Mary’s birth? (AF4)

6. Match the following words with their meanings. (AF2)

regent another word for fight

battle a person who rules a kingdom for a young King or Queen.

determined an agreement

flee an army officer in charge of a group of soldiers

General will do anything to achieve something

treason a secret plan to do something illegal

treaty to run away

plot killing or over throwing the King or Queen

6. Do you think the explosion at Lord Darnley’s home was an accident? Why or why not? (AF3)

7. How do you think Queen Mary felt about her son when she was in prison in England? (AF3)

8. Can you think of any other people who were executed by an English king or queen? (AF7)

9. How were King James V and King James VI related? (AF3)

10. Why was Mary Stuart heir to the throne when she was born? (AF7)

11. How many times was Mary married? (AF2)

12. How do you think Lord Bothwell felt at having to leave Scotland? (AF3)


classroomsecrets.com Comprehension – Mary Queen of Scots – 3a – Tricky ANSWERS

Mary Queen of Scots

1. In what year was Mary Stuart born? (AF2) 1542

2. Loch Leven Castle is described as cold and damp. (AF2)

3. Can you think of another adjective to describe how you imagine Loch Leven Castle to be? (AF3/AF5)

Dark, wet, windy, lonely, etc.

4. Match the following quotes in the text with what they tell us about Queen Mary. (AF3)

‘Queen Mary spent her time planning to escape.’ popular

‘Scottish people cheered on the streets when Queen Mary returned’ scheming

5. Whereabouts in the text would you find information about Mary’s birth? (AF4) At the beginning as the

text is in time order.

6. Match the following words with their meanings. (AF2)

regent another word for fight

battle a person who rules a kingdom for a young King or Queen.

determined an agreement

flee an army officer in charge of a group of soldiers

General will do anything to achieve something

treason a secret plan to do something illegal

treaty to run away

plot killing or over throwing the King or Queen

6. Do you think the explosion at Lord Darnley’s home was an accident? Why or why not? (AF3)

Various answers if justified.

7. How do you think Queen Mary felt about her son when she was in prison in England? (AF3) Various

answers if justified.

8. Can you think of any other people who were executed by an English King or Queen? (AF7) Various

answers: Guy Fawkes, Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard etc.

9. How were King James V and King James VI related? (AF3) Grandfather and Grandson.

10. Why was Mary Stuart heir to the throne when she was born? (AF7) Because she was the only child of the

King and Queen.

11. How many times was Mary married? (AF2) Three times.

12. How do you think Lord Bothwell felt at having to leave Scotland? Why? (AF3) Various answers if

justified.


classroomsecrets.comComprehension – Penguins – Y3m/Y4s/Y5e – Expert© Classroom Secrets Limited 2014

Penguins

Penguins live in both hot and cold places in the Southern Hemisphere, the bottom half of the world, below the Equator. They have wings but they can not fly, so they use them as flippers. There are 17 different species of penguin.

All penguins hunt for food in the sea. They have spines in their mouths to stop their prey (fish, squid and krill) from swimming away.

Baby penguins are called chicks, born with very fluffy feathers and they cannot to go into the water until they have grown their adult feathers. The parents hunt for food, swallow it down and then bring it back up to feed to their chicks.

Yellow-eyed Penguin

This type of penguin can be found in New Zealand and has a band of yellow feathers on its head as well as yellow eyes. The Yellow-eyed penguin prefers to eat fish but will also eat cephalopods. They are different to many other species of penguin because they nest alone (instead of in huge groups) in thick forest, usually at the foot of a tree.

Chinstrap Penguin

Chinstrap penguins have a black line across their cheeks that looks like a chinstrap. They mostly eat krill but sometimes they eat fish. These penguins live in cold places. Chinstrap males build a nest with pebbles and the female lays two eggs. The parents take turns to look after the eggs.

Rockhopper Penguin

There are three types of Rockhopper Penguin: Northern Rockhopper, Eastern Rockhopper and Southern Rockhopper. There are very tiny differences between them and so they are classed as one species. They live in cold places and have red eyes, an orange beak and yellow spiky feathers on their head. Rockhoppersmake a nest with pebbles and peat and lay two eggs. The second is normally stronger than the first.

Galapagos Penguin

This penguin is the only penguin to breed near the equator. They feed on small fish like sardines. The Galapagos penguin lays its eggs in crevices, caves or a burrow to protect them from getting too much heat from the sun. There are only 1000 breeding pairs of these penguins and so they are at risk of extinction.

King Penguin

This penguin species is the second largest. They have orange cheeks and look similar to Emperor penguins. King penguins do not make a nest, instead the female lays a single egg which the male keeps warm in a pouch in his belly and balances it on his feet. They live around the edges of Antarctica and have a diet of mainly lanternfishand squid.

Like this? Find more differentiated Animals

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Emperor Penguin

This is the largest species of penguin. It has patches of yellow on its ears and breast. They live in Antarctica and catch fish from the sea to eat. They do not build a nest. Instead, the male penguin holds the egg in a pouch in its belly. After the chicks have hatched, baby penguins stand on the feet of its father so that they do not get cold.

African Penguin

These penguins live in Africa. The African penguin has a black band on its white breast and patches of skin on its face. The skin helps the penguin to cool down when it gets too hot. To lay its eggs, it burrows into the ground or lays them in rock crevices or under shrubs. This species eats a lot of anchovies.

Adelie Penguin

This species has a long tail that drags along the ground and white around its eyes. The female penguin lays her eggs in a nest that she makes with pebbles and moss. Adelie penguins often fight over these small stones and steal them from each other. The male keeps the eggs warm and then the female goes to hunt for food, then they swap jobs.

Snares Penguin

They live on an island called Snares Island in New Zealand. It has a yellow crest on its face and red eyes. The female penguin lays two eggs in a nest. The first one is a lot smaller than the second one. The second egg hatches a much bigger penguin that is better at surviving.

Little Penguin

This is the smallest penguin and is sometimes called a Blue penguin. It lives in Australia and New Zealand. They usually make a hole in the ground to lay their eggs and then the male and female take it in turns to look after them. Sometimes they nest under beach houses.

Humboldt Penguin

This species is sometimes called a Peruvian penguin. They are a medium-sized penguin that live in South America. It has patches of skin on its face to help it cool down and it has a black bill. It digs into the guano (bird poo) or the ground to lay its eggs. Sometimes it uses caves.


resources here.



Penguins

Complete this table with .

Type of Penguin

Builds a Nest

Lives in a cold place

Lives in a hot place

Digs a hole for a nest

Balances baby/egg on its feet

Red EyesYellowCrest

Skin on its face

Lays two eggs

Emperor

Snares

Adelie

Little

African

Humboldt

Yellow-eyed

Rockhopper

Chinstrap

King

Galapagos


resources here.



Why has the writer put the information in boxes?

What do penguins use their wings for?

Do you think all penguins lay eggs?

Why do you think Emperor penguins do not build a nest?

Which two penguins are the most similar?

Why do you think the Humboldt penguin is sometimes called a Peruvian penguin?

Why do you think chicks feathers are unsuitable for the water?


resources here.


classroomsecrets.comComprehension – Penguins – Y3m/Y4s/Y5e – Expert ANSWERS© Classroom Secrets Limited 2014

Penguins

Complete this table with .

Type of Penguin

Builds a Nest

Lives in a cold place

Lives in a hot place

Digs a hole for a nest

Balances baby/egg on its feet

Red EyesYellowCrest

Skin on its face

Lays two eggs

Emperor

Snares

Adelie

Little

African

Humboldt

Yellow-eyed

Rockhopper

Chinstrap

King

Galapagos


resources here.


classroomsecrets.comComprehension – Penguins – Y3m/Y4s/Y5e – Expert ANSWERS© Classroom Secrets Limited 2014

Why has the writer put the information in boxes? To make it easier to read.

What do penguins use their wings for? Swimming

Do you think all penguins lay eggs? Yes, they are birds.

Why do you think Emperor penguins do not build a nest? Because they lay their eggs where there is snow all around and it would be too cold.

Which two penguins are the most similar? Humboldt and African.

Why do you think the Humboldt penguin is sometimes called a Peruvian penguin? They can be found in Peru.

Why do you think chicks feathers are unsuitable for the water? They are not waterproof.


resources here.


Theseus and the Minotaur

A long time ago, the island of Crete was ruled by a king called Minos. On this island too lived a terrifying monster, which was half-man and half bull, called the Minotaur. He lived in a complicated maze called a labyrinth. King Minos disliked the people of Athens, which was a city in Greece. This was because many years ago, the Athenians had killed Minos’ son out of jealousy because the prince had won lots of prizes at the Athenian Games. This made Minos furious. He demanded that every nine years, fourteen young Athenians would enter the maze and be killed by the Minotaur. If the Athenians failed to send these young people, Minos would go to war against them. Another nine years had passed and it was time for the Athenians to send another fourteen boys and girls. This time the King of Athens’ own son Theseus wanted to be one of the chosen ones. Theseus was a brave and confident young man who loved adventure. He really wanted to be one of the fourteen young people sent to Crete because he wanted to destroy the Minotaur in revenge for what King Minos was doing to the young Athenians. The King of Athens, Aegeus, was very upset by Theseus’ decision. He begged his son not to go. “No Theseus! Do not do this. You will be killed. Do not make the journey to Crete!” But Theseus ignored his father. He told Aegeus with determination in his voice, “I know I can slay this monster. Do not worry. I shall win! When I return, I shall make sure the sail of the boat is white to show I have won and have returned home victorious.” So, the day came and Theseus set sail with the thirteen other young Athenians. They raised a black sail to remember the young Athenians who had died before them at the hands of the Minotaur. The journey was dramatic and the crew suffered terribly. Eventually they arrived in Crete where they were met by King Minos. With him was his daughter Ariadne. As the Athenians disembarked their ship, Minos immediately recognised Theseus. “What are you doing here? The son of the King of Athens, a man I hate,” Minos demanded. “I have come to kill the Minotaur. You or the monster do not frighten me. I am here for my people who have suffered for many years because of what you demand!” declared Theseus boldly. “HOW DARE YOU SAY THIS AFTER WHAT YOUR PEOPLE DID TO MY SON!” roared King Minos. Ariadne, on hearing the courageous words of Theseus, fell head over heels in love with the young Athenian. Thinking to herself, she promised she would help him to kill the monster. That night, Ariadne went to Theseus who was locked up in her father’s prison in the palace. “Theseus. My name is Ariadne. I am the daughter of King Minos. Hearing your brave words today, I can see you are loyal to your people and I want to help you.”

classroomsecrets.com Comprehension – Theseus and the Minotaur – 3c – Tricky



She gave Theseus a sword and a ball of golden thread. “Tie the thread to the maze’s entrance and unwind the string as you travel through the maze. Be careful. The labyrinth has many twists and turns and is it dark and scary. When you eventually encounter the Minotaur, slay him with this sword and then follow the thread to guide you back out!” Theseus was thankful for Ariadne's kindness and promised that he would marry her if he was victorious. The very next day, Theseus, having listened to Ariadne’s advice, took the sword and thread and went to the labyrinth. He entered the maze with the other young Athenians who were very nervous. Calmly, he followed Ariadne's instructions and tied the thread to the main door and told his friends to stay there. Theseus then travelled through the dark, complicated maze in his quest to find the Minotaur, trailing the thread along as he went. As he got further in, he could hear the roars and growls of the terrifying beast. Suddenly, he came face to face with the frightening monster. It was strong and fearsome; a mighty beast. He roared with anger and charged at Theseus. It was a difficult battle, the Minotaur was vicious and fought hard but Theseus would not give in and with his sword, he finally killed the monster. Dead. Theseus had done it! Exhausted but delighted, Theseus dashed through the maze, using the thread to guide him back to his friends. As he came into view, the Athenians gasped at their blood-soaked friend but ran to him, giving him hugs of celebration. “We must leave at once,” commanded Theseus, “before King Minos finds out what I have done.” So without a moment’s thought, Theseus grabbed proud Ariadne’s hand and with the other Athenians running behind them, went to the island’s shore and boarded their boat, leaving Crete forever. After a few days of travel, Theseus decided that rest was required so the boat docked at an island. The crew relaxed and Ariadne was delighted to be with her love. She had never been happier. However, her dreams were soon crushed. Theseus realised that he did not truly love her and decided to leave her on the island and return home to Athens. Ariadne was heartbroken. The final journey however was full of excitement and happiness. The Athenians had defeated the Minotaur. Unfortunately, in the excitement of the victory, Theseus forgot one very important thing as the ship made its final voyage towards Athens – to change the sail to white! As the ship came into view, King Aegeus saw the black sail and thought his son had been killed by the Minotaur. “Theseus! My son!” cried Aegeus. So distraught was the king on seeing the doomed black sail, he threw himself off the rocks into the sea and to his death. On landing, Theseus was told of this terrible tragedy. He wailed with unhappiness, realising the huge mistake he had made. And so it was with sadness in his heart, that Theseus became the next King of Athens.

Jenny Turner




1. Why does King Minos not like the people of Athens? (AF2)

2. What adjectives are used to describe Theseus? Can you think of any of your own? (AF4/AF3)

3. Why does Theseus want to go to Crete? (AF2)

4. Why do you think Aegeus is upset? (AF3)

5. Why is a black sail raised at the beginning of the journey? (AF2)

6. Describe the journey to Crete in your own words. (AF3)

7. What does “disembarked” mean? (AF4)

8. Why are some of King Minos’ words in capital letters? (AF5)

9. In your own words, what does Ariadne think of Theseus? (AF3)

10. How might Theseus be feeling as he travels through the maze? (AF3)

11. Why do you think the author writes a very short paragraph that only says, “Dead. Theseus had

done it!”? (AF5)

12. Why would Ariadne be proud of Theseus as they escape from the island? (AF3)

13. What huge mistake does Theseus make? How do you think he feels at the end of the story?

(AF2/AF6)


classroomsecrets.com Comprehension – Theseus and the Minotaur – 3c – Tricky ANSWERS


1. Why does King Minos not like the people of Athens? (AF2) They had killed his son because the

prince had won lots of prizes at the Athenian Games and they were jealous.

2. What adjectives are used to describe Theseus? Can you think of any of your own? (AF4/AF3)

Brave, confident, adventurous, young. Determined, loyal, heroic, daring, fearless.

3. Why does Theseus want to go to Crete? (AF2) To avenge the deaths of previous young Athenians

who had been killed by the Minotaur.

4. Why do you think Aegeus is upset? (AF3) He does not want his precious son, the next King of

Athens, to venture on this journey and be killed by the Minotaur.

5. Why is a black sail raised at the beginning of the journey? (AF2) It is raised as a sign of respect, in

memory of those young Athenians who had previously gone to their death at the hands of the

Minotaur.

6. Describe the journey to Crete in your own words. (AF3) It is unpleasant and scary. There are

storms and the journey is dangerous. The crew who are already suffering with nerves and fear are

only made to feel worse.

7. What does “disembarked” mean? (AF4) To get off/alight from a ship.

8. Why are some of King Minos’ words in capital letters? (AF5) To make it clear that King Minos is

shouting the words very loudly in anger.

9. In your own words, what does Ariadne think of Theseus? (AF3) She admires him for his bravery

and courage. She completely falls in love with him and is so devoted to him she decides she will go

against her own father and help Theseus kill the Minotaur.

10. How might Theseus be feeling as he travels through the maze? (AF3) Anxious and tense although

perhaps a nervous excitement too.

11. Why do you think the author writes a very short paragraph that only says, “Dead. Theseus had

done it!”? (AF5) To emphasis the importance of what Theseus has achieved.

12. Why would Ariadne be proud of Theseus as they escape from the island? (AF3) She has complete

admiration for the bravery and skill Theseus has shown in killing such a terrifying beast.

13. What huge mistake does Theseus make? How do you think he feels at the end of the story?

(AF2/AF6) He forgets to change the sail from black to white and so his father thinks he has been

killed by the Minotaur and so jumps off the rocks because he is so upset. Theseus would have been

deeply upset and felt guilty that he is the cause of his father’s death, despite his great victory in

Crete.


mary queen of scots532339...that she wanted to divorce her husband. soon afterwards, there was an...

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