Y3/4: Autumn Term Fiction 1B: Fables Main Text: Aesop's Fables, Retold by M. Rosen

Y3/4: Autumn Term Fiction 1B: Fables Main text: Aesop's Fables, retold by M. Rosen

Wk 1 / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Whole class teaching / In preparation for this unit, share a range of versions of fables with the chn,which are not from main text - see Book/Website List for preparation suggestions.
Show chn, Aesop's Fables. Ask what a fable is and what chn expect to find in the book. Agree and record text features: short story, teaches a moral, talking animal characters. Ensure chn know what a moral is: give examples (slow but steady wins the race;don't count your chickens before they are hatched). Explain that many morals have entered everyday speech. Today chn will tell/ retellfables in an entertaining manner and ask audience to work out what the moral is. Ask chn for tips to make their retelling engaging. Record ideas such as:appropriate tone, volume, enunciationand actions. Comprehension 1/
Spoken Language1/Word Reading 1 / Reread 'Wolf and Lamb', from Aesop's Fables. Agree that all of Wolf's excuses for being angry with Lamb were made up: he was looking for a reason to eat Lamb. What other excuses could he have made up? Ask chn to think of ideas with a talk partner, then rehearse saying them in role. What would Wolf say? How could Lamb respond? Take ideas, acted out and record dialogue in speech bubbles, checking that Y3chn know how they work. Can chn make Lamb's crime seem even worse? Collect editing ideas (see resources for example). Ask chn to act out the bubbles with their partner with expression. Explain that chn will be developing the discussion through drama.Spoken Language2/Composition 1 / Display Dialogue punctuation (seeresources). Ask half of class to read Wolf's part and half to read Lamb's. Ask chn to explain what the speech bubbles mean - only what is said goes in the bubbles. Have chn seen speech bubbles in story books? Explain that there is not enough room to fit them on the page so we have to use special punctuation marks which hold the dialogue between them, a little like 2 hands: speech marks. Scroll down to compare the same speech, presented as punctuated dialogue. Ask chn to discuss what they notice. How do they know who is talking? CanY4 chn come up with some rules for speech punctuation? Refer to Sue Palmer's The Punctuation Book (see resources) for a concise list of rules on Direct Speech page. Display rules for reference, put in order of priority (see resources for Teacher Support Sheet - dialogue rules).
Grammar 1 / Display Opening to Rosen's:
Town Mouse and Country Mouse(see resources) and share. Explain that today chn will be learning to think carefully about how a fable is written and share their thoughts in a clear way with their peers. Use 2 questions below text to model how to read a question carefully, reread the relevant text, think about an answer and how to explain it clearly. Ask chn to practise speaking and listening with a partner. Explain that they don't always have to agree with their partner; to answer well is to support thinking with examples and explanation.
Comprehension 2: Group reading/ Spoken Language3/ Word reading 2 / Before session, set chn task of bringing in copies of jokes where two people speak. Display class rules on punctuating dialogue. Y3 chn explain rules toY4. Theatrically, start a knock-knock joke, prompting chn to join in (see end of plan for joke websites). Record the joke as you told it, complete with reporting clauses and correct punctuation. Allocate a point for each rule followed: how did you score? Ask chn to practise punctuating A Knock-Knock Joke(see resources) with a partner on whiteboards. How have they scored?Display punctuation rules for chn to refer to.
Grammar 2
Objectives / Dimension / Resources
Spoken Language / Pupils should be taught to:
a. listen/respond appropriately to adults and peers
i. participate in discussions, presentations, performances and debates
j. gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s) / 1.Monday:Retelling fables in small groups/listening to performances See Comprehension 1/ Word Reading 1
Put chn into small, mixed ability groups and allocate a fable from Aesop's Fables to each group. Remind chn to use the tips list to help them rehearse engaging performances. Chn can choose to learn sections to perform, whilst retelling other sections in their own words. Pick out good examples of engaging performance during rehearsal time and explain what makes it engaging, referring back to tips list.
Plenary: Seat chn in circle, laying out the morals cards (see resources) in the centre. Ask each group to perform in turn. Remind audience that they should be listening carefully to the fable, matching moral to performance. At the end of each performance, ask chn to identify the correct moral (from three you have picked), discussing why they have selected that one. As morals are identified remove to the display. Ask chn to consider their performances. What worked well? What would they improve? How different was reading a fable to listening to one? / Copies of fables from Aesop's Fables, M. Rosen
for chn to share in small groups
See resources for:
morals cards
Display moral cards for future reference, after session.
Pupils should be taught to:
f. maintain attention participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic initiating responding to comments
g. use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining exploring ideas
k. consider evaluate different viewpoints, attending to building on the contributions of others
d. articulate justify answers, arguments opinions / 2.Tuesday:Role-playing a conversation between Wolf and Lamb See Composition 1
PART ONEInability talk-partners, chn develop a dialogue between Wolf and Lamb, Wolf making accusations/Lamb refuting blame. Chn develop a series of remarks between the characters, rehearsing/developing ideas through role-play. Chn record ideas (see Composition 1) checking that each remark builds on the previous one. See Composition 1for PART TWO.
Plenary:Ask for volunteers to perform their role-plays. Have they chosen powerful language to argue Wolf's point of view that he has been injured by Lamb? Has Lamb given good reasons for why that is not true? Do conversations stay on track, responding to previous comments? / None
3.Thursday:Discussing a fable in a group See Comprehension 2/ Word Reading 2
Before chn begin, remind them of importance of taking turns to share ideas and to listen to others. Explain that questions which use the words 'why' or 'explain' or 'give reasons' require the speaker to support their opinions with evidence or greater explanation.
Plenary:See Comprehension 2. / None
Comprehension / Develop positive attitudes to reading by:
a. listening to and discussing a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks
d. increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including fairy stories, myths and legends, and retelling some of these orally / 1.Monday: Retelling fables/ listening to performances See Spoken Language 1/ Word Reading 1
As part of Spoken language 1, chn read and prepare for oral retelling of a given fable in a small group, including some learning by heart.
Plenary:See Spoken Language 1. / As Spoken Language 1
g. discussing words phrases that capture the reader’s interest imagination
Understand what they read by:
a. checking that the text makes sense to them, discussing their understanding explaining the meaning of words in context
f. identifying how language, structure, presentation contribute to meaning
Participate in discussion about books, taking turns and listening to what others say / 2.Thursday: Group reading and discussion See Spoken Language 3/Word reading 2
Distribute texts and questions to chn in ability groups. You may ask them to discuss the questions and make notes on their question sheets or answer the questions more formally in their books.
EASY:Reading Task Card A and'Town Mouse & Country Mouse' from Rosen’s Aesop's Fables
MEDIUM:ADULT LED:Reading Task Card B and'Town Mouse…' from Rosen’s Aesop's Fables
HARD: Reading Task Card C and'Town Mouse & Country Mouse' from Rosen’s Aesop's Fables, and The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse (see resources).
Plenary: Share some answers from each group. Praise answers which are said clearly, and which give reasons for opinions and/or examples to support them. / ALL: Copies of 'Town Mouse & Country Mouse' from Aesop's Fables, M. Rosen
see resources for:
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, retold byMorpurgo (HARD group)
Reading Task Cards
Word reading
Transcription / Pupils should be taught to:
a. apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes, to read aloud/ understand the meaning of new words they meet
b. read further exception words, note the unusual correspondences between spelling/ sound / 1.Monday: Reading fables, decoding longer words See Spoken Language 1 / Comprehension 1
Remind chn of how tackle words which they don't recognise: look for root words, prefixes and suffixes, and try out different ways to pronounce words to see what they sound like.
Plenary:See Spoken Language 1. / None
2.Thursday: Group reading, decoding and understanding Comprehension 2 / Spoken Language 3
As part ofComprehension 2chn tackle longer words, using word reading skills.
Plenary:See Comprehension 2. / None
Grammar / Indicate grammatical and other features by:
c. using and punctuating direct speech / 1.Wednesday:Writing correctly punctuated dialogue, using speech generated last session
Explain that chn will be applying these punctuation rules to the dialogue they created yesterday. Chn should reread dialogue with their talk partner, annotating to add reporting clauses and then rewrite as punctuated prose in their books.
EASY:ADULT LED: Support to reread and edit original speech bubble work. Chn record dialogue with speech marks.
Y3: Apply punctuation rules to rewrite their dialogue.
Y4: As Y3. Challenge to include adverbs in reporting clauses, commas to separate them from speech and language for impact.
Plenary: Ask chn to highlight the dialogue in their writing, and check that each piece is 'hugged' by speech marks. / Speech bubble dialogue, created by chn during Composition 1
Highlighter pens
The Punctuation Book- Sue Palmer
2.Friday:Writing correctly punctuated dialogue, using jokes as a context
Chnrewrite jokes applying speech punctuation rules from the list - aiming to score the highest points for each joke. They may find it helpful to add punctuation and reporting clauses onto copies of jokes before writing them in their books.
Y3:Chn concentrate on ensuring speech marks ‘hug’ the dialogue, highlighting speech to prove it is between the inverted commas.
Y4: Challenge to get the maximum score with each joke, circling each point-scoring feature to justify score.
HARD: ADULT LED:challenge to interrupt speech sentences with a reporting clause(see resources forsupport sheet), explore effect on punctuation (avoid knock-knock jokes). Ask chn to circle each point-scoring feature.
Plenary:Ask chn how they scored. Return to joke recorded at the start of the session. Can chn think of better words than said? Edit to improve, warning that it is not always necessary or appropriate to avoid 'said' but can be useful to give reader more information. / Jokes brought in from home: pages photocopied from joke books; printed from joke websites (see website list), etc.
Highlighter pens
See resources for:
Teacher Support sheet
Composition / Draft and write by:
a. composing sentences orally, progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures / 1.Tuesday: Recording and developing dialogue using speech bubbles See Spoken Language 2
PART TWOAsk chn to record each separate piece of dialogue in its own speech bubble.
EASY: ADULT LED:Collect ideas generated. Adult to scribe in speech bubbles on f/c. Work as a group to edit for powerful language and extend sentences.
Medium:Work with partner to record rehearsed dialogue on Dialogue sheet(see resources).Edit for powerful language and extend sentences.
HARD: Record dialogue in books. Encourage chn to write W and L to avoid time wasted drawing characters. Edit for powerful language and extend sentences. Challenge chn to note the type of voice they used to say each piece of dialogue, e.g. loud and cross, quiet and nervous.
Plenary:See Spoken Language 2. / See resources for:
Dialogue sheet
Enlarge to A3 and provide for each pair working on Medium task.
Wk 2 / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Whole class teaching / Read fables to chn from a range of sources in preparation for this week. Include 'Fox and Grapes';'Dog and Wolf';'Mouse and Lion' from main Aesop's Fablestext.
Display Single Clause Sentences(see resources) and read 1st sentence. Explain that this is a single clause sentence: a short sentence which has a subject, a verb and one complete idea which makes sense. Ask who the sentence is about (cat) underline and identify cat as subject. Ask chn to circle the verb. Repeat with other examples. It is trickier with 'The mouse was terrified'. Remind chn of verb 'to be' so verb is:was. Clauses can be linked together using conjunctions. Scroll down to reveal conjunctions and ask chn to try linking 2 clauses together using a conjunction. Take ideas and practise saying aloud to check effect.
Grammar 3/ Spoken Language 4 / Ask chn to recall some of the characters from the fables shared so far and list. Pick one (e.g. Fox from Crow & Fox). What sort of character is he? How do chn know? Encourage chn to link character traits to actions and dialogue.Fox is dishonest as he pretends he wants to hear Crow sing. Fox is cunning as he tricks Crow into dropping his cheese.Explain that fables are often short so characters have to be quick to recognise for their traits and are simple stereotypes (fables are about moral lessons rather than character development): sly fox; loyal dog; foolish crow; hard-working ant, etc.
Comprehension 3 / Seat chn in circle, laying out and reading why/when conjunction cards (see resources).Remind chn of what a clause is. Chn say a clause to a partner about something which could happen in a park.Share ideas, identifying verb in each clause. Remindhow we adda clause to a sentence using conjunctions.Ask chn to discuss any patterns they can see in the cards laid out. They are all conjunctions: blue for time, green for cause. Play When/Why? game. In a circle, chn tell a story about a visit to a park. Child 1 says a single clause sentence. Adult asks when/why? Child 2 selects a conjunction and adds a clause to answer the question. ALL say the whole extended sentence. Child 3 continues with a new sentence.
Grammar 4 / Before session, reread 'Mouse and Lion'.Display and share A letter from Crow to his son.Remind chn of extending sentences, using conjunctions. Can chn spot time/cause conjunctions discussed last session?Remind chn of 'Mouse and Lion' fable. Explain that chn will be writing a similar letter from Lion to his daughter, recounting events. Remind chn that young chn often asktheir parents: Why? Chn should imagine Young Lion often asks When? and Why? and so Lion should make sure he fully explains what happened in his letter, using conjunctions to help.
Composition 2/ Grammar 5 / Share a version of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' (see booklist). Ask chn what the moral is. Explain that there is no one correct moral,and that meanings have changed for people, over the hundreds of years that they have been retold. DiscussThe Moral of the Story? (see resources).Who do chn agree with and why?Chn will look at different fables and think about the different morals that could be drawn from them.
Comprehension 4/ Spoken Language 5
Objectives / Dimension / Resources
Spoken language / Pupils should be taught to:
a. listen/respond appropriately to adults and peers
i. participate in discussions and debates
f. maintain attention participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic initiating responding to comments
d. articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions / 4.Monday:Verbally rehearsing and discussing impact of conjunctions See Grammar 3
As part of Grammar 3,this is a good opportunity for chn to practise collaborative conversation skills, speaking and listening with a partner.
Plenary: See Grammar 3. / None
5.Friday:Discussing and debating opposing morals See Comprehension 4
As part of Comprehension 4,this is a good opportunity for chn to practise taking turns to speak and listen, explaining their point of view clearly and supporting it with evidence or elaboration.
Plenary: See Comprehension 4. / None
Comprehension / Develop a positive attitude…by: