The Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars - tgfl.org.uk

The Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars

This unit lasts three weeks

This classic children’s novel, written in 1970 by the American writer Betsy Byars, reads aloud very
well. It tells the compelling story of Tom, a boy who is sent, very reluctantly, to stay with his aunt and
uncle on their farm. Readers experience his sense of wonder at the beauty of nature as he observes
the beautiful sight of a black fox and her cub. The harsh reality of life in the country is revealed as
Tom’s concern for the fox and her cub come into conflict with his aunt and uncle’s attempts to
protect their farm stock.

Children can relate to Tom’s initial reluctance to being sent to stay with his aunt and uncle. His
discovery, admiration and concern for the fox and changing attitude to life in the country provide lots
of opportunities for discussion. Drama, debate and writing in role enable the reader to experience
the story from Tom’s viewpoint. Appreciation of the language is developed through text marking and
word collections. The main writing outcomes are writing in role in the form of notes and a
‘fox-spotter’ notebook and also poetry and newspaper reports.

Teachers should read the book and the teaching sequence before starting work on the unit with
the class. Reading aloud of the text or rereading of sections can sometimes take place during the
teaching sessions but should also take place during separate read-aloud times in order to reach
particular parts of the narrative in preparation for sessions. Where this is important, it has been
signalled in the unit. Sessions are for guidance only. The length of time each aspect of the sequence
takes will depend on the way they are developed by the teacher, the amount of time allowed for
different activities such as discussion and also the prior experience of the class, for example with
drama techniques.

Phase 1

Phase 1 of the unit (Sessions 1–4) focuses on detailed discussions about the main character of the
novel, Tom, and his feelings about being sent to stay with his aunt and uncle on their farm. Through
role-play, discussion, drawing and note making, the children begin to put themselves in Tom’s shoes.
Letter writing in role completes this phase of the unit.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the unit (Sessions 5–10) focuses on Tom’s experiences of discovering and observing the
black fox and her cub. Through visualisation, mapping of the different settings, drawing and writing
in role, the children are able to gain an understanding of Tom’s experiences. Text marking and word
collections are used to draw attention to the ways that language is used to describe the fox. Shared
and individual poetry writing describing the fox completes this phase of the unit.

Phase 3

Phase 3 of the unit (Sessions 11–15) focuses on key moments in the plot as Tom realises that the
fox is in danger and wonders what to do. The children are encouraged to explore Tom’s dilemma
through discussion and debate, role-play and writing in role. The unit ends with the collaborative
writing of a newspaper report describing Tom’s dramatic rescue of the fox cub.

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Guided reading
Although the unit is designed for use with the whole class, teachers could also select aspects of it to
use with guided reading groups. Alternatively, individual sessions could be followed up during guided
reading sessions, with a closer look at individual sections of the text–looking, for example, at the
language or what has been revealed about plot or character.

All children will benefit from regular opportunities for small-group reading, discussion and writing with
a teacher or teaching assistant.

Related core learning objectives
The overarching core learning outcomes for the key stage are indicated in italics. Relevant objectives
from Years 5 and 6 are indicated under the strands.

Speaking
Explore, develop and sustain ideas through talk
Y5 Present a spoken argument sequencing points logically and defending views with evidence,
making use of persuasive language
Y6 Use a range of oral techniques to present persuasive arguments
Y6 Participate in whole-class debate using the conventions and language of debate including
Standard English

Drama
Use dramatic techniques including working in role to explore ideas and texts
Create, share and evaluate ideas and understanding through drama
Y5 Reflect on how working in role helps to explore complex issues
Y6 Improvise using a range of drama strategies and conventions to explore themes such as hopes,
fears and desires

Understanding and interpreting texts
Retrieve, select and describe information, events and ideas
Deduce, infer and interpret information, events and ideas
Y5 Make notes on and use ideas from across a text to explain events or ideas
Y5 Explore how writers use language for comic and dramatic effects
Y6 Understand underlying themes, causes and points of view

Engaging with and responding to texts
Respond imaginatively, using different strategies to engage with texts
Evaluate writers’ purposes and viewpoints and the overall effect of the text on the reader
Y5 Compare the usefulness of techniques such as visualisation, prediction and empathy in exploring
the meaning of texts
Y6 Sustain engagement with longer texts using different techniques to make the text come alive

Creating and shaping texts
Use and adapt a range of forms suited to different purposes and readers
Y6 Select words and language, drawing on their knowledge of literary features and formal and
informal writing

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Teaching approaches
Reading Aloud
Book talk/discussion
Drama: freeze-framing, thought tracking
For information on drama approaches see resources
Visualising
Text marking and word collection
Writing in role
Collaborative and individual writing
Debate
Story mapping
For a description of teaching approaches see resources.
Resources
• A copy of the book
• Individual class-made books for the ‘spotter’ book
• Flip chart or Interactive whiteboard (IWB)

Cross-curricular links and themes
Discussions during the unit will help children develop their sense of justice and moral responsibility and begin to
understand how an individual’s choices and behaviour can affect particular environmental issues. This will help them
to reflect on their own actions and choices.
There are opportunities to make links with science work on living things and also links with ICT, with opportunities
particularly for research and presentation or publishing. Children could collect information about foxes using
information books or electronic sources such as CD encyclopaedias and the Internet. The information could be
presented as a Microsoft PowerPoint® presentation or as a web page.

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The teaching sequence

Phase 1

Session 1

Focus objectives
To be able to gather information about the main characters and plot
To be able to discuss what is known initially about a character’s situation

Key teaching approaches
Reading aloud
Discussion

Read the first two chapters of the story aloud, Chapter 1, ‘Bad News’ and Chapter 2, ‘The Trouble
with Leaving’, either before this session or at the beginning of it. Then have a whole-class discussion
about what the children know so far about the characters and the story. Make notes on a flip chart
as the children offer information. Questions should be open-ended and might include: ‘What do we
know already about Tom and his family?’ This sheet could be kept and added to later in the unit.

Ask the children to work with a partner and think about the reasons why Tom’s parents want him to
go to the farm, and Tom’s reasons for not wanting to go, i.e. the things he will miss. Make two lists
of these opposing views. See resources for a framework for making notes. Share these notes as a
class and then ask the children for their own opinions about whether or not he should go. Encourage
them to think about what they might miss if they were sent away like Tom or what they might enjoy
about going to stay on a farm.

Session 2

Focus objectives
To use drama strategies to think about a character’s feelings

Key teaching approaches
Role-play
Freeze-frame
Thought tracking

Read Chapter 3 ‘Abandoned’, then go back and discuss the scenes near the beginning where Tom
imagines different scenarios on arrival at the farm. Discuss how they think Tom is feeling and how he
imagines his aunt and uncle might be feeling about him coming to stay. Organise the class into small
groups and ask them to role-play one of the two imaginary scenarios.

Then ask children to create freeze-frames in role to show his actual arrival. Ask two or three groups
to voice the thoughts that their characters might have at this stage in the story. Discuss the arrival
with the class, asking questions such as: What do you think Aunt Millie and Uncle Fred actually
thought about Tom when they saw him?

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Session 3

Focus objectives
To deduce information about a character from the clues in the text
To be able to show what they have found out about characters through notes and drawing

Key teaching approaches
Reading aloud
Rereading
Drawing and annotation
Discussion

Read Chapter 4 ‘Stranger’, then, rereading parts of this chapter to the whole class, have a discussion
about Bubba. What did he have in his room? What do they think he liked to do? What sort of a boy
do they think he was?

Drawing and annotation, discussion
Ask children to draw an annotated picture of Bubba’s room with a partner. When they have done
this, ask them to talk with their partner about Tom and his interests. What might his room have in it?
What differences might there be between the two boys? Look back at the notes made on day one
to remind the children what they already know about Tom. Discuss with them how they think Tom
might feel about staying in Bubba’s room.

Session 4

Focus objectives
To develop ideas about a character’s feelings through talk
To express a character’s feelings by writing in role

Key teaching approaches
Shared writing
Writing in role

Read the opening to Chapter 5 ‘The Black Fox’, where Tom is about to write a letter to his friend
Petie. Read up to ‘I wrote a long letter to Petie,’ on the second page of the chapter. Ask the children
to work with a partner and talk about Tom, what he has been doing on the farm and how he feels
about being there. What might he tell Petie about being on the farm in a letter? Introduce this as a
shared writing activity. Then ask the children to write their own letter to Petie, in role as Tom.

Before the next session, read the rest of Chapter 5.

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Phase 2

Session 5

Focus objectives
To be able to develop an understanding of important events in a story through visualisation
To be able to record key events in a story through drawing and writing

Key teaching approaches
Rereading
Visualisation

Ask children to close their eyes as you reread the section in Chapter 5 where Tom first sees the
black fox, beginning ‘I did not believe it for a minute.’ Ask questions such as: What could they see?
How does it make them feel? Talk with the children about how they think Tom felt when he saw the
fox and then ask them to think about why he didn’t want to tell Petie about it in the letter.

Give each child a small book to be Tom’s ‘fox spotter’ notebook, which they will use to make notes
when they hear about any more sightings of the fox in the story.

My fox Fold and staple 5 sheets
spotter
notebook

Name:

Ask the class to imagine they are Tom recording his first sighting of the fox in their notebooks. Ask
them to write the headline ‘FOX’ and under this to draw a picture of the fox (as if it was a newspaper
photograph), adding a caption underneath to show how amazing this sight was.

Before the next session, read Chapters 6 ‘Hazeline’ and Chapter 7 ‘Discovery at the Field’.

Session 6

Focus objective
To be able to retrieve and discuss information from a story

Key teaching approaches:
Rereading
Note making

Reread the section of Chapter 6 ‘Hazeline’, which starts: ‘Hazeline do you see many foxes in the
woods?’

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Ask the children to turn to a partner and talk about what Tom finds out about foxes from Hazeline
and Mikey. Then share their ideas as a class, recording the information on a flip chart.

Give the children a copy of the section of Chapter 7 ‘Discovery at the field’, which describes the fox
sighting. It begins ‘Now suddenly – I was looking in the right direction or I might have missed it.’

Ask children to reread this with a partner and then to draw a sketch and make notes in their ‘fox-
spotter’ notebooks to record this second sighting. They could also add the list of things Tom has
found out about foxes from Hazeline and Mikey and from his observations.

Read Chapter 8 ‘The Forest Chase’ before the next session.

Session 7

Focus objectives
To be able to gather together what they know so far about the setting and present it as a map of the
story world

Key teaching approaches
Story mapping

Begin this session by asking children to think about what they know about the farm and the area
around it. Ask them to close their eyes and in their minds ‘walk around’ the farm and the places
that Tom has explored. Then ask them to turn to a partner and talk about what they can see. Share
these ideas as a class and make a list of the places in the story on a flip chart. Demonstrate using a
flip chart or interactive whiteboard (IWB) how this information could be turned into a map of the story
world. Then ask children to work with a partner and draw their own maps. As well as the farm they
might include, for example, the creek, pond, forest and pasture. This will help them to visualise the
setting and the location of key events. They could also add labels to show the location of some of
the events in the story so far, e.g. ‘This is where Tom is frightened by the cows’, ‘first sighting of fox’.

Before the next session, read Chapter 9 ‘Uncle Fred’ and Chapter 10 ‘The Search’ and allow time for
the children to enter new sightings of the fox in their ‘fox-spotter’ notebooks .

Session 8

Focus objectives
To understand the ways that figurative language can help to create an image

Key teaching approaches
Text marking
Word collections

Display the section of the text in Chapter 10 ‘The Search’, which describes Tom’s sighting of the fox.
Ask the children to help you to identify the words and phrases that describe the fox, how she looks
and how she moves. Highlight these words and phrases with the children using an enlarged version
of the text or on an IWB. Alternatively, children could have their own copies of this section. Use this
as an opportunity to introduce the idea of a simile as children find phrases such as ‘Her fur was
black as coal’. Talk about the ways that this helps to create a picture of a fox in the reader’s head.

Then give the children a copy of the extract together with a further extract describing the fox, such
as the one in Chapter 7 beginning ‘Now suddenly – I was looking in the right direction’. Ask them to
work with a partner to highlight the words and phrases that tell how the fox looks or how she moves.
At the end of the session, list the words and phrases that the children have found on a flip chart and

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read these together. Discuss with the children the ways the fox is described and what these tell you
about how Tom feels about the fox.

Sessions 9 and 10

Focus objectives
To be able to select words and phrases to write a descriptive poem

Key teaching approaches
Shared and individual poetry writing

Look together at the words and phrases the children have collected that describe the fox. Ask
them to work with a partner and see if they can think of any more words or phrases to describe the
midnight fox – the way she looks or moves – and add these to the collection. As a shared writing
activity, demonstrate how this collection of words and phrases could be used to create a simple
poem about the fox. For example:

Midnight fox

Black as coal

Crouching

Quicker than a cat

Leaping …

Then ask the children to work individually to create their own fox poems using the bank of words and
phrases to help them.

When finished, the poems could be worked on with a response partner to improve them. The
redrafted poems could then be collated into a class book and illustrations added.

Read Chapter 11 ‘Tragedy Begins’ and Chapter 12 ‘One Fear’ before the next session and allow time
for the children to respond to these.

Phase 3

Session 11

Focus objectives
To be able to present a viewpoint, providing evidence and using persuasive language
To learn how to take part in a debate

Key teaching approaches
Discussion and debate

Organise the children into small mixed-ability groups and ask them to think about and discuss
reasons for killing the fox and reasons for not killing her. Give them a large sheet of paper divided in
half to list, in their groups, their reasons for and against.

Bring the class back together to talk about the two sides of the argument. Then discuss with the
class how they could use words and phrases to be persuasive on both sides. It is important that the
children give reasons for their opinions, e.g. ‘It would be cruel to kill the fox because ….’ ‘Foxes are a
threat to farmers because…’.

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End the session with a whole-class debate. To do this you could, for example, ask half the class
to represent Aunt Millie and Uncle Fred’s viewpoint that the fox should be killed and half the class
to represent Tom’s viewpoint that she should be saved. Individuals could take turns to make their
points, with a class vote to end the session.

Before the next session read Chapter 13 ‘Tacooma!’

Session 13

Focus objectives
To use role-play to explore characters’ differing viewpoints
To be able to express a viewpoint orally and in writing

Key teaching approaches
Role-play
Writing in role

Discuss with the class how Tom feels about the fox being hunted and his imaginary conversations
with his aunt and uncle, where he tries to persuade them not to kill the fox.

Ask the children to work with a partner and role-play imaginary scenes where Tom tries to persuade
Uncle Fred or Aunt Millie not to kill the fox. Ask them to write a note in role, as Tom, to his aunt and
uncle or to his cousin, asking her to help him persuade her parents not to kill the fox. This could be
done on paper or alternatively in the children’s ‘fox-spotter’ notebooks. See resources for notepaper.

Read Chapter 14 ‘Unwilling Hunter’, Chapter 15 ‘The Den’ and Chapter 16 ‘Captured’ before the next
session and allow time for the children to respond to these.

Session 14

Focus objectives
To be able to discuss key moments in a story
To use drama strategies to explore a key scene in a text

Key teaching approaches
Freeze-frame
Thought tracking
Writing in role

Start the session by reading Chapter 17 ‘The Stormy Rescue’. Discuss Tom’s actions in releasing the
fox cub. Do they think he was right to do this? What would they do in this situation? Then discuss
the moment when Tom tells his aunt and uncle that he has released the cub.

Ask the children to form pairs and freeze-frame the moment in the story where Uncle Fred and
Tom are looking at each other, beginning with ‘Uncle Fred and I were left in the hall alone’, with one
child playing the part of Tom and the other the part of Uncle Fred. Then ask the pairs to voice their
thoughts in role to show how each character is feeling.

Talk with the class about what they have found out about Uncle Fred from this scene and how Tom’s
views of him change.

End the session with the children writing in their ‘fox-spotter’ notebooks, in role as Tom, about what
has happened.

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Session 15

Focus objectives
To be able to use their knowledge of a story and characters to write a newspaper report of a key
event

Key teaching approaches
Role-play
Collaborative writing

Ask children to work with a partner, with one in role as Tom and one as a TV reporter interviewing
Tom about the fox cub rescue. If there is time, you could record the interviews using a video camera,
webcam or tape recorder. Then ask children to draw on their interviews and work with their partners
to create a newspaper report of the rescue, choosing headlines such as: ‘Boy in daring fox cub
rescue!’ It might be helpful to introduce this as a shared writing activity. These could be drafted in
their ‘fox-spotter’ books, word processed to create a professional finish and then displayed.

Extension activities

The children could research foxes at school or at home (see cross-curricular links).

You could make a class collection of poems about foxes to compare the ways that foxes are
described. You could compare the way the issue of farmers and foxes is treated by Roald Dahl in
Fantastic Mr Fox.

Reading journal activities could include:

• writing headlines about important events in their lives, e.g. ‘boy loses tooth’, ‘girl wins competition’

• creating questionnaires like those in the text

• designing super snacks like ‘The Petie Burkis special’.

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Suggestions for assessing reading during the unit

Opportunities for assessment in this unit

The midnight fox is particularly strong in the area of plot, issues, character development and
descriptive language. It therefore supports children who are moving from Level 3 to Level 4 in
empathising with characters and inferring feelings, thoughts and motivation over the course of the
narrative. Children are able to explore the central issues and begin to develop their own opinions.
The descriptive passages provide opportunities to think about the effects of language choices.

In the unit of work, children are asked on frequent occasions to search the text to locate evidence,
to read the text closely for implicit meanings and to support their opinions by referring to the text.
Some of these discussions take place in whole-class discussions; other discussions take place in
pairs and groups. Teachers or teaching assistants (TAs) can listen in and make discreet notes on the
discussions. Children are also frequently asked to make notes in their ‘fox-spotter’ notebooks – these
offer further opportunities for assessment.

Ongoing assessment opportunities

Class and group discussions

During the frequent opportunities for class discussions within the unit, the teacher could make brief notes after the
session or a TA, if present, could make notes during a session.

Teachers or TAs could set up guided reading or writing activities, using some of the activities in the unit, to make
more closely focused assessments with particular children who are working towards Level 4.

Notes can also be made, for example, using the following framework, during group discussions and partner work.

See resources for a framework which supports the monitoring of children who are moving Level 3 to Level 4.

Written work

Children’s understanding can also be noted from their written work, for example:
• Tom’s note to his aunt or uncle (Session 13) will show children’s understanding of his feelings at that point in the

narrative and understanding of the main themes of the book
• the drawing and annotating (Session 3) will demonstrate children’s understanding and ability to refer to the text
• the final newspaper report will show children’s ability to summarise key moments on the plot and themes of the

novel.

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Assessment opportunities
With a particular focus on children moving from Level 3 to Level 4

• To be able to search text closely and to refer to Phase 1
the text when explaining ideas Session 3

• To begin to make inferences (reading between the Children are asked to refer closely to the text as they draw
lines) and deductions (pulling evidence together) an annotated picture of Bubba’s room.
including empathising with characters and their Phase 1
feelings, thoughts, motivations and changes over Session 4
the course of the narrative
The letter to Petie will show children’s ability to infer Tom’s
feelings.

• To discuss the author’s use of language, e.g. to Phase 2
describe characters and settings. Session 9

Children are asked to identify words and phrases the author
has used to describe the fox and what this shows about
Tom’s feelings about the fox.

A teacher or TA could work with small groups to assess their
understanding at this point of the story.

• To talk about the author’s purposes and Phase 3
viewpoints and the overall effect of the text on
the reader, e.g. overarching themes, events, Session 14
characters and plot structures
Children are asked to think about Tom’s actions; their
comments during the thought-tracking activity could be
recorded and their understanding will also be evident in their
‘fox-spotter’ books as they write in role.

Sources: NC level descriptions
QCA’s SATs analysis at the end of Key Stage 2, published in Implications for teaching and learning (QCA 2004, 2005,
2006), show key pointers in helping children to move from Level 3 to Level 4 in reading.

National Curriculum Level descriptions

Level 3

Pupils read a range of texts fluently and accurately. They read independently, using strategies
appropriately to establish meaning. In responding to fiction and non-fiction, they show understanding
of the main points and express preferences. They use their knowledge of the alphabet to locate
books and find information.

Level 4

In responding to a range of texts, pupils show understanding of significant ideas, themes, events and
characters, beginning to use inference and deduction. They refer to the text when explaining their
views. They locate and use ideas and information.

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