Town is by the Sea

Town is by the Sea

Told as a ‘day in the life’ of a boy living in a 1950’s coastal mining town, this expansive, airy book is full of the sights and smells of summer. From my house, I can see the sea, says our young narrator, and so can we – sparkling in the sunshine beyond the family’s kitchen window. Light streams through the open door and silhouetted against it is Father, off to join the other miners on their way to work. The boy spends his day roaming the clifftops, running errands for his mother and playing with friends. He doesn’t forget the sea, though – how could he? Deep beneath it, his father is digging for coal.

Main Focus: Full Story Analysis

We have taken apart the book Town is by the Sea line by line and picture by picture to explore with your Ks2 class.

We have included key questions to ask your class, answers and teaching points to consider whilst reading the book.

Main Focus: Apostrophes

This activity focuses on apostrophes used in the book Town is by the Sea aimed at Year 3 and Year 4.

Main Focus: Comprehension

After reading the story, your class will complete this comprehension and true or false activity. 

We have differentiated the resource to cater for LKS2 Year 3 and Year 4 classes.

Main Focus: Tense

In this activity, your class will circle the verbs in the passage and then match them to their past tense.

Main Focus: Vocabulary Extension

This resource focuses on the vocabulary used in the Town is by the Sea book.

We have five resources in this activity so you can choose which suits your class best.

Main Focus: Punctuation

Your class will read the sentences and add in the capital letters, full stops and commas to complete the sentences.

We have differentiated this resource to cater for both Year 3 and Year 4.

Main Focus: Inference

This activity focuses on inference. Your class must read the sentences from the book and determine what can be inferred.

You can also use the pictures from the story for an inference activity.

Main Focus: Repeating Sentences

This activity focuses on an authorial technique used in many books.

The author repeats a number of sentences to emphasise something. Your class will look at the phrases that are being repeated and, in their own words, explain why.

Main Focus: Non-Fiction - About Mining

This is a non fiction resource that gives your class information on:

• Types of mining
• Energy resources
• Coal mining
• Dangers of mining.
• Mining materials and more…

Your class will read the information provides and answer the comprehension or multiple choice comprehension linked to the text.

Main Focus: Children in Mines - True, False or Unknown?

In this activity, your class will read the information about children working in the mines during the Victorian era and decide whether the statements are true. false or unknown.

There is also a bit at the bottom which challenges your class to reflect on what they have read and give their opinion on children working in the mines.

You could also give your class the information page and they can create their own comprehension, non-chronological report, job advertisement etc.

Children Working in the mines

This video clip gives an insight to life for children in the mines and the dangers that they faced each day.

It also explain the different roles children could have within the mines.