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Posted on April 24, 2026

Magic Finger Time Detectives

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What was happening when ... ?

  • ... the girl saw Mrs Winter?
  • ... the girl pointed her Magic Finger at the Greggs?
  • ... Mr Gregg heard the call of the wild duck?
  • ... Mr Gregg woke up in the morning?
  • ... Mrs Gregg saw Philip and William?
  • ... when the Greggs looked into the house?
  • ... when the Gregg family looked out of the nest?
  • ... when the girl went to the Greggs’ house?

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Posted on April 24, 2026

An email to the girl from The Magic Finger

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1st paragraph

Say hello and explain what you think about the Girl's actions.

 How to start ...

  • Dear Girl with the Magic Finger,
  • Hello! My name is…
  • I am writing to tell you what I think about your magic.
  • I think your actions were…
  • In my opinion, what you did was…
2nd paragraph

Explain why you think this.
  • I think this because…
  • When you changed the Gregg family into birds…
  • I believe this helped/did not help because…
  • For example, in the story…
  • This was fair/unfair because…
  • Another reason is that…
3rd paragraph

Give friendly advice.
  • I would like to give you some advice.
  • Next time, you could…
  • Maybe you should…
  • I think it is better to…
  • You can try to…
4th paragraph

Finish the email politely.
  • Thank you for reading my email.
  • Best wishes,
  • Your friend,
Feelings

angry, sad, upset, happy, worried, kind, sorry, brave

 Opinion words

I think ... , I believe ... , In my opinion ... , I agree ... , I disagree ... ,
It was fair ... , It was unfair ...
Linking Words

because, and, but, so, also, first, then, finally

After writing:

  • check your spelling and punctuation,
  • read your partner’s email and give feedback,
  • improve your email before sending it.

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Updated on April 22, 2026

Let’s talk about our podcast!

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Here is a set of reflection criteria that will help you comment on the quality of your podcast!

  • Did we speak clearly and loudly enough? ... Can listeners understand our voices easily?

I think our speaking was ... because ...

  • Did we explain our ideas about fairness well?

I liked the way we explained our ideas ... because ...

  • Did we give examples from the story and real life?
  • Did we work well together as a team? ... Did everyone participate?

Our team was ... because ...

  • Is our podcast interesting and enjoyable to listen to?

I think listeners will / won't like our podcast because …

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Posted on April 2, 2026

What was happening when … ?

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Updated on April 19, 2026

Understanding debate

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What are the different parts in an argumentation?

A claim is your idea.
A reason or argument explains why you think this.
Evidence is an example from the story or real life.

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Updated on April 2, 2026

Let’s have a debate!

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Is it right to use magic to punish someone?
How to start your argument ...
How to start your counterargument ...
I think…, In my opinion…, I believe… I disagree because…, I don’t think that is fair because…, But…
Give a reason
Give an example
This is because…, The reason is that…, One reason is… For example…, For instance…, In the story…
Show consequence / result
Summarise / conclude
As a result…, This can make someone feel…, That is why… So, we can see that…, In conclusion…, Therefore…
Actions & Consequences Vocabulary
Relate to the story Expressions
punish, reward, change, learn a lesson, feel sorry in the story, the girl thinks…, the Greggs learned…,

the Magic Finger shows…

 

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Updated on March 11, 2026

Getting ready for a podcast “What is fair?” – Inspired by The Magic Finger

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Introduction (30–40 sec)

Role: 🎤 Host
Speakers: 2 pupils

🎯 Goal

Introduce the podcast topic clearly.

 story, animals, people

  • Welcome to our podcast!
  • Today we are talking about fairness.
  • We will talk about what is fair and what is unfair.
  • Our story is The Magic Finger.
  • Let’s begin!

Story Connection (1 min)

Role: 📖 Story Expert
Speakers: 5–6 pupils

🎯 Goal

Explain what happens in the story and connect it to fairness.

 A. Hunting animals: hunt, animals, hurt, kill, sad, unfair

  • In the story, the Gregg family hunts animals.
  • The girl does not like hunting.
  • She thinks it is unfair to animals.

B. The Magic Finger punishment : magic, change, wings, birds, understand

  • The girl uses the Magic Finger.
  • The Gregg family changes into birds.
  • Now they understand how animals feel.

C. Living in the nest: tree, rain, cold, storm, scared

  • The family must live in a nest.
  • They feel scared and cold.
  • Life is very difficult.

D. The ducks with the guns: danger, scared, surprised, lesson

  • The ducks point guns at the Greggs.
  • Mr Gregg feels scared.
  • Now he understands how animals feel.

E. The family changes: promise, change, kind, help, birds

  • Mr Gregg promises to stop hunting.
  • The family breaks their guns.
  • They start feeding birds.

Real-Life Examples (1–2 min)

Role: 🌍 Real-Life Expert
Speakers: 5 pupils

🎯 Goal

Connect the idea of fairness to real life.
A. Fairness at school
  • At school, it is fair when…
  • It is unfair when…
B. Fairness to animals
  • Animals should be treated kindly.
  • It is fair when people protect animals.
  • It is unfair when people hurt animals.
C. Fairness at home
  • At home, it is fair when…
  • Everyone helps.
  • Everyone shares.
E. Fairness in games
  • Games are fair when…
  • Everyone follows the rules.
  • Everyone has a chance to play.

Different Opinions (1 min)

Role: 💭 Opinion Speaker
Speakers: 2–3 pupils

🎯 Goal

Show that people may think differently.

 opinion, agree, disagree, fair, unfair, animals, punishment

  • Some people think hunting is OK.
  • Others think it is wrong.
  • Some people believe the punishment was fair.
  • Others believe it was too strong.
  • We think…
  • We agree/disagree because…

Conclusion (30 sec)

Role: 🎤 Host / Summary Team
Speakers: 3 pupils

🎯 Goal

Summarise what was learned.
  • So, what is fairness?
  • Fairness means being kind and respectful.
  • We learned that our actions affect others.
  • The story teaches us to care for animals.
  • Thank you for listening!

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Updated on March 11, 2026

Vocabulary revision crosswords!

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Posted on February 16, 2026

Lessons learnt from The Magic Finger: Is it right to use magic to punish someone?

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We are getting ready for an exciting debate about The Magic Finger. The question we will discuss is:

“Is it right to use magic to punish someone?”

Now it’s your turn to share your ideas!

  • Think about the story: Why did the girl use her magic finger?
  • Think about real life: How should we react when someone does something wrong?
  • Give reasons and examples to support your opinion.

Click the link below to add your arguments, vote for ideas, or reply to other students’ thoughts:

https://www.kialo-edu.com/p/43f9a026-659d-4eb7-87ae-02e847327f19/640244

 

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Updated on February 22, 2026

Let’s talk about the characters

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Follow the link to match the character traits with their definitions and with the characters in The Magic Finger!

https://app.wizer.me/learn/G5JLTV

You can also practise character traits here!

Now, choose two adjectives to describe a character and explain why in a comment!

Example: The girl is brave because she speaks up.

 

E Class