Key Stage: Upper KS2

Text: Lion Journal

Length of sequence: 4 weeks

Key learning Outcome
Write your own Journal based on a country/area which is being studied by the class
Elicitation Task:
Keep a journal of a holiday/weekend to recount what you have done/learnt and to include pictures/photographs.
Use the outcomes from this to adapt the medium term plan, age-related outcomes and activities
Medium Term Plan
Reading / Writing / Links to Grammar and Punctuation Appendix
Reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
Summarising the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas
Distinguish between fact and opinion / Note and develop initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary
Use a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
Using further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader
Ensure the consistent and correct use of tense throughout a piece of writing
Ensure subject/verb agreement with singular and plural, distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing appropriate register
Y6: Layout devices such as headings, sub headings, columns, bullets or tables to structure text / Y5: using relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that or with an implied (i.e. omitted) relative pronoun
Y5: linking ideas within (then, after that, next) and across paragraphs (later, nearby, secondly) using adverbials of when,
Y6: Linking ideas across paragraphs using a wider range of cohesive devices: repetition of word or phrase,
grammatical connections (e.g. the use of adverbials such as ‘on the other hand, in contrast, as a consequence) and ellipsis
Terminology:
Y5: relative pronoun, relative clause. Parenthesis, bracket, Cohesion,
Age-related Learning Outcomes
Working at the expected standard / Working at greater depth within the expected standar
  • Write a journal in recount style maintaining consistent tense and register
  • Use appropriate noun phrases for clarity
  • Write a journal balancing recount and report style
  • Use a variety of ways of expanding noun phrases including use of relative clauses
  • Maintain cohesion between paragraphs/sections
/
  • Choose balance between recount and report style for impact on reader and manage the shifts in formality
  • Maintain cohesion across the journal as a whole using a wide range of cohesive and organisational devices

Guided group writing targets:
Gp 1 / Gp2 / Gp3 / Gp4 / Gp5
Teaching
Familiarisation/ Immersion in text/Analysis
Learning about the text
Reading
Capture learning about the text to construct a writerly knowledge chart with the pupils.
  • Prediction activity: From the title and blurb, what do the children think this text will be like/have in it?
  • Map and learn the opening page of the Lion Journal together. Map in sections (Time to Go!, The Masai Mara, Meet our Guide)
  • In small groups, choose a different section of the journal to map and learn.
  • Book Talk: Give groups double page spreads to read and discuss. Share thoughts: What do we like about this text? What is puzzling?
  • Record thoughts and ideas and discuss puzzles in more detail.
  • Explore the question: What is a journal and what is the purpose of a text like this?
  • Focus on the pages learnt: What do you notice about the style of the text? Introduce the idea that there are two distinct styles of writing: recount and non chron report: can they identify these? What are the similarities and differences?
  • Begin to construct a Writerly Knowledge Chart, collecting all the language and organisational features that the children notice and discuss.
Grammar
  • Tenses: use the verb hammer or similar action to identify the verbs in a section of the text learnt. Collect the verbs and group them according to past/present/future tenses. What do you notice about the tenses and forms of verbs used? See attached grid of verb forms…see if you can fit verbs into this chart. (Note: some recount sections are in past tense where a specific event is described. Other recount/journal entries are written in the present tense as if it is happening as the writer writes. Most of the information sections are written in forms of the present tense or non-finite forms.)
  • Discuss the person the text is written in: what makes it feel informal and personal?
  • Watch a short video clip linked to the area of study for the class (pick a bit of action e.g. a tiger catching prey/bird swooping etc). Note verbs that you can think of linked to the clip. Put some of these verbs into the verb chart focusing on the present and non-finite forms. Have a go at writing a short paragraph in the style of Lion Journal using the different verb forms found and generated.
  • Punctuation: find all the uses of brackets and dashes in the text and explain how they are used. Make a small poster to explain and exemplify for the working wall. Create some sentences about a place, e.g. the school grounds and use the punctuation as it has been in the text.
  • Cohesion: choose pages to explore in groups. How does the author link the ideas together on this page? Explore the use of linking words and phrases and also different ways of referring to the subject. Add findings to the Toolkit.
  • Identify all the content types in the journal e.g. maps/photos/factfiles etc. Discuss the page layout and organisation and record some of the models on the working wall.
  • Organise the key elements of one double page spread onto a Text structure chart.(see below)
.
Throughout this section, children need to be researching the habitat/animals that they will write about (both in and out of literacy lessons). Information needs to be collected as facts and also as drawings/photos/maps.
Practising writing
This will be one double page spread of a journal about the area being studied.
  • Brainstorm all the focuses we could take for the page from their research. Choose one main event and test it by boxing up against ‘close encounter’. Make sure there is enough information included.
  • Model telling and mapping one paragraph and one information paragraph.
  • Collect more information if needed.
Shared Writing
  • Model writing the text in sections focusing on the features recorded on the writerly knowledge chart.
  • Children write their own page in sections following modelling.
  • Model improving the text based on a focus needed by the class or a group.
Provide feedback about aspects pupils need to develop further when they write independently.
Independent writing
Here childrenwill produce a whole journal with several pages following Lion Journal model.
  • In pairs/groups collect information researched
  • Map against box up for the whole text
  • Sort types of information against boxing up plan
  • Map sections of the text as required
  • Write text a page at a time and support through revising and editing
  • Proof-read for spelling and punctuation

Text structure

Text model Practising writing Independent writing

Lion journal : Close Encounter page
Intro paragraph:
  • When the activity happens ‘It is late afternoon’
  • Introduce event (lion kill)
  • Describe event (mother and cub feeding. Cub learning)

Information paragraph 1:
  • Fact about animals linked to event…expanded (When event happens and who does the hunting)
/ ’
Reflection paragraph:
  • Comment on day’s events (best day of my life)
  • New event linked to coming back to camp described (lion print back at camp)

Information paragraph 2:
  • Further fact about the day’s main event…expanded (how lions eat in hierarchy after the kill)

Photograph and or drawings with captions (photos of event, drawing of lion print and an additional photo unrelated to main event)

Verb Chart

Infinitive / Simple present / Present progressive / Present perfect / Simple past / Past progressive / Past perfect / Present participle / Past participle
to fly / fly/flies / is flying / has flown / flew / was flying / had flown / flying / flown

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