- CD-ROM Cycle C (Developing writer) Resource sheet 1.1: Starter activity: building a word hoard OHT
- Plain A4 paper to make small folding books
- Student Book page 18–19: illustrations of Beowulf’s adventures and text from story of Beowulf and Grendel
- to begin to choose vocabulary appropriate for the form of writing
- to know how to add detail to develop a character
- to know how to link events in a simple narrative and use time related words or phrases
AF1, AF5, AF6, AF7
Target areas
- Target area 1: Plan and organise writing
- Target area 2: Extend the range of connectives within sentences
- Target area 3: Add detail and interest to sentences
Starter (15 minutes)
Using the instructions on Resource sheet 1.1, teach students how to make a small concertina book. Get them to label the front panel ‘Word hoard’ (i.e. a store of treasures) and explain that they will use this to collect vocabulary appropriate to the text type they will be reading and writing in this cycle of lessons. Explain that the focus of these lessons is on writing to describe and narrate, using ideas from the stories about the Scandinavian warrior Beowulf that were told long ago. Display the list of words on a projector and, together, build more synonyms around the key words. Practise linking the words together to form noun phrases. Ask students to predict the kind of stories for which this vocabulary would be apt. Direct them to the illustrations on pages 18–19 of the Student Book and brainstorm ideas for more vocabulary to add to the word hoard. You could label the different sections of the book, e.g. words to describe characters; powerful verbs; descriptions of settings.
Introduction (15 minutes)
Explain that most stories in Beowulf’s time were told by word of mouth around the fire at the end of the day. Using Resource sheet 1.2, display a copy of the short extract from the story of how Beowulf defeated the monster Grendel (or refer students to page 19 of the Student Book) and read it aloud with expression. (A longer version can be found on page 22–23 of the Reading Student Book.) Organise students into groups of four and give each group a set of time-related words and phrases, cut up as cards (see Resource sheet 1.3). The task of the group is to rehearse a three-minute re-telling of the story, using the ‘time cards’ to prompt them and to help sequence events as they retell the story from memory. They can refer to the illustrations in the Student Book to help them add detail to the original, and they can also use their ‘word hoards’. Remove the original story and hear some of the group retellings. Reflect on how the sequencing prompts helped them.
Development (20 minutes)
Using Resource sheet 1.2 on a projector, show students how to create a humament – a piece of writing made by selecting and re-ordering words from the text in order to create a new one. You can use the example on page 19 of the Student Book or make one of your own.
Model for students how to keep re-reading the text being created to check that the new text makes sense and to help establish which words from the original to choose next.
Students work in pairs or individually to create their own humament.
Plenary (10 minutes)
Share some of the humament texts to see how many versions of the story the students have created. Highlight the different ways in which they have described characters and events during this lesson, listing some examples on the whiteboard to illustrate, preferably using examples that students have found memorable, such as by:
- building noun phrases, e.g. a ferocious foe; the fearless swordsman
- building up their own invented detail when telling a story orally
- selecting and re-ordering words to make their humament.
Extension
Write a display copy of your humament and illustrate it.
Target English Writing Teacher’s File1© Harcourt Education 2007
Resources needed- CD-ROM Cycle C (Developing writer) Resource sheet 2.1: Spelling irregular past tense verbs
- CD-ROM Cycle C (Developing writer) Resource sheet 2.2: Main clauses and subordinate clauses
- Student Book page 20: story of how Beowulf defeated the Dragon
- to know how to use subordinating conjunctions in clauses that add interesting detail
AF1, AF5 , AF6, AF7
Target areas
- Target area 2: Extending the range of connectives within sentences
- Target area 3: Adding detail and interest to sentences
Starter (15 minutes)
Remind students that narratives are usually written in the past tense since they are recounting events that have already happened. Display the infinitives of the following verbs: to defeat, to fail, to conquer. Decide with students how these verbs would be written in the present tense (defeats, fails, conquers) and in the past tense (defeated, failed, conquered). Point out that it is also possible to use an -ing ending with the present tense is and the past tense was, i.e. is failing, was conquering. Explain that many verbs in the past tense end in -ed but that some don’t follow that pattern. Display Resource sheet 2.1 on a projector, and work with students to complete the columns. Correct past tenses are slept, fought, thought, strode, rode, struck. Ask pairs to discuss and decide how to complete the rest of the columns. Share answers and write correct choices on the chart. Past tenses are: left, broke, sped, shook, hurt. Ask if students can add any more examples of past tense verbs that don’t end in -ed, e.g. to bring – brought; to lose – lost; to stand – stood; to catch – caught. Suggest that students list irregular past tense verbs in a spelling log or personal dictionary for future reference.
Introduction (15 minutes)
Remind students of the work they did in the previous lesson building noun phrases to describe characters and events e.g. ferocious foe, deadly enemy. Direct students to pages 20–21 of the Student Book, the illustration to the story of how Beowulf defeated the dragon. Together devise noun phrases to describe the dragon and its features, e.g. the flame-breathing dragon; its scaly skin; a fierce lashing tail etc. Students can add good examples to the ‘word hoard’ concertina book they made in the previous lesson. Direct students to the story of how Beowulf defeated the dragon and scan the text together, looking for examples of noun phrases that describe settings, characters and objects. You might highlight the following: a great stone arch; fierce; hot fire; this burning river; mighty shield; ancient sword; the fiery light; the Dragon’s scaly skin; waves of flame; one final mighty blow; poisoned wound.
Development (20 minutes)
Remind students of the work they have done on writing simple and compound sentences and on punctuating sentences with a capital letter and full stop. Read aloud the complete story of how Beowulf defeated the Dragon (page 20 of the Student Book), asking students to pay attention to the length and type of sentences used and noting where the full stops are placed. After reading, quickly re-cap definitions of simple and compound sentences and find examples of each from the text, e.g. Beowulf prepared himself for death (simple); The earth shook and the air trembled (compound). Explain to students the importance of being able to recognise and ‘hear’ when a group of words makes complete sense, so that they will know where to use boundary punctuation.
Uncover the first part of Resource sheet 2.2 and decide with students which groups of words are sentences and which are not. Explain the term subordinate clause, a group of words that contains a verb but doesn’t make sense on its own: it needs to be joined to a main clause to create a complete sentence. Show students examples of how to join subordinate clauses to a main clause, asking them to check if they now have a sentence that makes complete sense, e.g. When the dragon breathed out flames, Beowulf’s men were afraid. Uncover the second part of the resource and introduce the subordinating conjunctions, words that are useful for starting a subordinate clause: before, after, when, which, who, while. Explain that there are many more subordinating conjunctions but these ones are particularly useful for writing to describe and narrate because they can add detail about characters and events and indicate time. Use the examples on the resource, and more of your own, to show students how they can build interesting detail about characters and events by using subordinate clauses to write complex sentences. Show them how to alter the position of the subordinate clause to create more sentence variety, e.g. Beowulf’s men were afraid when the dragon breathed out flames.
Plenary (10 minutes)
Set students the challenge: How many different ways can you find to join the three simple sentences below, using any of the subordinating conjunctions introduced in the lesson: while, who, when, which, after, before, as? Students can combine all three sentences into one, or use one complex and one simple sentence.
The dragon killed yet another warrior.
Beowulf lifted his trusty sword. He struck with terrible force.
Share examples as a class.
Extension
Make up seven more subordinate clauses (using all the subordinating conjunctions above) that you could add to this main clause: I finished my homework.
Target English Writing Teacher’s File1© Harcourt Education 2007
Resources needed- Student Book page 20: account, ‘How Beowulf defeated the dragon’
- Student Book page 21: assessment criteria for use of writing tools in narrative writing about Beowulf
- CD-ROM Cycle C (Developing writer) Resource sheet 3.1: Sequencing and modelling the ending to Beowulf’s story
- to know how to link events in a simple narrative and use time-related words or phrases
- to be able to write a simple ending
AF1, AF5, AF6, AF7, AF8
Target areas
- Target area 1: Planning and organising writing
- Target area 2: Extending the range of connectives within sentences
- Target area 3: Adding detail and interest to sentences
Starter (15 minutes)
Remind students what alliteration refers to by playing an alliterative counting game in turn, e.g. on the theme of animals: one angry alligator; two beastly buffalos; three crawling caterpillars, etc. Direct students to the text on page 20 of the Student Book, the story of how Beowulf defeated the dragon. Explain that the original version of Beowulf was written in alliterative verse, which made the story easier to remember when it was being told. In teams, set a time limit to find and list examples of alliteration from the text, e.g. a stream seething with fierce, hot fire. Hear some of their examples then set a new time limit for pairs to invent their own alliterative sentences based on events and characters described in the story. Model an example so that students can follow the same pattern, e.g. The deadly dragon defended its den. Beowulf battled on bravely. Wise Wiglaf washed Beowulf’s wounds.
Introduction (15 minutes)
Introduce the assessment task to students: checking how many of the writer’s tools listed on page 20 of the Student Book that they have used in their narrative writing about Beowulf. Refer them to the list and check understanding of the terms. Add useful vocabulary for the task to the word hoards that students made in Lesson 1. Display Resource sheet 3.1; uncover the wrongly sequenced order of events for the final part of the story and ask students in pairs to sequence them correctly. Share suggestions then refer to page 20 of the Student Book to check the order. Display on a projector the list of subordinating conjunctions that students have seen in previous lessons and stress their usefulness for linking events in chronological order. You can use the example on Resource sheet 3.1 to model for students how they can write an ending that will fulfil the success criteria. You might want to continue this script as a joint composition, asking students to discuss and then suggest the next sentences and choosing from the best suggestions. This will give students confidence in completing the ending of the story independently, in one or two paragraphs.
Development (20 minutes)
Students work independently to write an ending to the story, using the writer’s tools and their word hoards to suggest vocabulary choices. Work with individuals and groups as appropriate.
Plenary (10 minutes)
Students use this time to complete their writing and to self- and/or peer-assess, using a different coloured pen to highlight examples of each feature of the writer’s tools that has been used.
Extension
Carry out a final check on your writing for accurate use of full stops and capital letters and accurate spelling, using some of the spelling strategies you know.
Target English Writing Teacher’s File1© Harcourt Education 2007