Paka Mdogo: Resources
UK National Literacy Strategies IB Primary Years Programme
US Common Core State Standards
Synopsis
A clever and cheeky little black-and-white cat who sneaks off on an African safari with the Allen Family…
Her journey into the heart of Baragandiri in search of the Allens, after she has become separated from them…
Terrifying encounters (mainly involving teeth) with the wild animals there…
Nyanya, an old but ferocious lioness, who plans to attack Thomas and Amy, the Allen children, while they are asleep in their tent…
Only Sheena can save the children.
But first she must find them.
(This just in!) “Although I have not yet finished the book, I have popped on-line to give it an early review as I am enjoying it so much. The prose is beautifully constructed and the little cat (Paka Mdogo in Kiswahili apparently) is a delight. This will definitely be heading in the direction of my eight year old once I have finished and then maybe in the direction of the school library to reach a wider audience!” Liz Lupton, Library Thing Reviews
"I liked this book because it was exciting and clever and I learned a lot about African animals and their behaviour. There were lots of funny bits in this book like when the warthogs came in and the way they talked. My favourite part of the book was how Sheena managed to be in two places at once. Very clever. A must have for all animal lovers." Superlou, aged 9: Amazon.co.uk Reviews
"This is a story that had me turning the pages quickly and I found it hard to stop reading. It's gripping, full of suspense and tension, and I kept on wondering how Sheena was going to escape the frightening animals such as a huge snake which almost ate her. I read it in just a couple of days and found it much better than the book my English teacher told me to read." OEJ Abored, aged 12: Amazon.co.uk Reviews
"Excellent resource. This is a great read and very useful for Primary teachers as there are useful resources online to support level 4 readers and above." Amazon.co.uk comment from an educator
"Paka Mdogo (Little Cat) is a delightful book which may be enjoyed by adults of all ages and older children looking for an alternative adventure tale with excellent literary credentials...It will become a firm family favourite on our library shelves for years to come." Ian Crean, Library Thing Reviews
Resources
"Exceptionally detailed (130+ pages) lesson plans covering every aspect of this story." TES Australia Primary Team
To view a sample chapter and the teaching resources designed to help young readers explore it fully, click on the following link:
Four full versions of the Teaching and Learning Resources are available for free download. Click on the link below to any version you wish to access. (For quicker initial viewing, open the pdf version.) Problems? Questions? Suggestions? Get in touch: litworks@live.com
Please note that since the Word files are quite large they may take some time to download. If a Word file opens as 'Read Only', save it to your computer under a different name. If you have difficulty downloading a file, right-click on the link and select 'Save Target As'.
o Teaching Copy (pdf): Download
o Teaching Copy (Word): Download
o Student Copy (Word, allowing space for student responses): Download
o Student Copy (Word, condensed, for use when students have separate workbooks): Download
(If you intend to use the materials only for your own reference you may find it helpful to have the .pdf version - to which no changes can be made - so that you always have an intact set. If, however, you would like to be able to modify the resources so that they better match your own needs, to print them out only in part, or to incorporate them into your own teaching materials, then you will find that the Word versions provide that kind of flexibility.)
Themes and Topics
o Families, and how family members interact
o Adventure and risk-taking
o Survival
o How societies organise themselves
o Animal (and human) nature
o Personal and group identity
o Responsibility for our actions
o Interdependence
o Belonging
o How things work
o Friendship
o Kindness and cruelty
o Humour
o The importance (and fun) of language
o Rituals
o Teamwork and leadership
o Parenthood
o How older members of a community are treated
Cross-curricular teaching ideas
Additional suggestions for work across a range of curricular areas can be found on the Teaching Library website. Click here.
Illustrations
Please note that copyright to the illustrations is held by PakaMdogo Press. Use of the illustrations is allowed for educational purposes only (within schools which have purchased copies of the book), or for private purposes. The illustrations must not be copied to any public medium.
Right-click on a link, then 'Save Target As' to download and save the illustration, which you will then be able to print out as you wish:
Chapter One |
Page 2 |
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Chapter Ten |
Page 117 |
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Chapter Two |
Page 6 |
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Chapter Eleven |
Page 124 |
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Chapter Two |
Page 20 |
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Chapter Eleven |
Page 130 |
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Chapter Three |
Page 24 |
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Chapter Eleven |
Page 133 |
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Chapter Three |
Page 27 |
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Chapter Twelve |
Page 136 |
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Chapter Four |
Page 35 |
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Chapter Thirteen |
Page 142 |
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Chapter Five |
Page 48 |
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Chapter Fourteen |
Page 155 |
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Chapter Five |
Page 55 |
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Chapter Fifteen |
Page 166 |
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Chapter Six |
Page 61 |
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Chapter Sixteen |
Page 172 |
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Chapter Six |
Page 73 |
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Chapter Sixteen |
Page 178 |
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Chapter Seven |
Page 81 |
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Chapter Sixteen |
Page 181 |
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Chapter Seven |
Page 89 |
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Chapter Seventeen |
Page 187 |
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Chapter Eight |
Page 93 |
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Chapter Seventeen |
Page 189 |
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Chapter Nine |
Page 100 |
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Baragandiri Map |
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Chapter Nine |
Page 106 |
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Sheena Portrait |
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