Traction Man Meets Turbodog

Traction Man is back!

And so is Scrubbing Brush, his brave and rather bedraggled pet. But one night Scrubbing Brush mysteriously vanishes and in his place is the utterly hygienic Turbodog, in indestructible Purple Plastic with Flashing Eyes, Electronic Bark and three AA batteries. But it’s not the same without Scrubbing Brush. Where can he be? Traction Man sets out on his greatest rescue mission yet.

Can he save Scrubbing Brush from? And is there room in his life for two pets?

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

Create a new story with the title ‘Traction Man meets…’.
This is a sequel to the original Traction Man book. Can you read it and compare the two stories? Which do you prefer? Why?
The inside covers show the pages from the ‘Traction Man Magazine’. One of the stories has the title ‘Mission to Mars: Planet of Peril’. Can you write the rest of this story?
Make a list of persuasive words and phrases that could be used in an advert to promote Traction Man and / or Turbodog.
Retell the story from the point of view of Traction Man, Scrubbing Brush, Turbodog, the boy or one of his family members.
Look at the illustrations of the boy’s house and imagine a new adventure that Traction Man could have in one of the locations.
Make a list of reasons FOR and AGAINST the parents putting Scrubbing Brush into the rubbish bin.
Make a list of similarities and differences between Scrubbing Brush and Turbodog.
Look at the use of capital letters in the story. Why has the author used them in certain places? Can you investigate the use of other punctuation too?

Maths

Estimate the distance that Traction Man travels during the adventures in this story.

Science

Make a model of Turbodog and use electrical components so that it can light up and make sounds.
Why does Turbodog struggle to move in the sand? Plan an investigation to find out which surfaces / materials might be easy or difficult for Turbodog to travel over.
Scrubbing Brush cries from inside the bin but it is difficult for Traction Man to hear him. Plan an experiment to find out which materials are good at muffling sounds.
Traction Man explains that ‘water and electricity don’t mix’. Can you find out why? Can you think of some other electricity safety rules?
Which materials float and which sink? Plan an investigation to find out the results… and explain why Turbodog sinks ‘like a stone’.

Computing

The inside covers show the pages from the ‘Traction Man Magazine’. Could you use publishing software to create some more pages for this publication?
The magazine pages show an advert for Turbodog. Could you create your own persuasive advert to encourage people to buy it? This could be in the form of a poster, a radio advert, a video advert or a website.
Turbodog’s greatest adventures are shown on TV. Could you make one of these episodes, in the form of an animation or a movie?

Design Technology

The advert for Turbodog states that he is ‘Traction Man’s Faithful New Companion’. Can you design a new companion for Traction Man?
Design (and make) a new vehicle that Traction Man can use to travel from adventure to adventure.
Design a new outfit that will stop Scrubbing Brush from getting dirty again.
At the end of the story, Traction Man and Scrubbing Brush construct a shelter from pillow cases and a bath mat. Can you make your own shelters?

Art

Design a new flag that Traction Man can plant in the ground when he reaches new places.
Design a new costume to help Traction Man with his adventures in new locations. Use the Character Outlines resource below to help.
Design a ‘utility belt’ that Traction Man can wear to access useful tools and equipment quickly.

Music

Compose the theme tune to the Turbodog TV series.

Geography

Create a map that shows the locations shown in the story. Add labels to show the events that took place in each location.

Downloads:

Character Outlines

Download File