English Unit / 1001 Nights /
Written Outcomes:
A short story
and
A personal response to 1001 Nights
and
A whole-class performance of 1001 Nights / Resources:
Several different versions of 1001 Nights
Duration: About three weeks
Unit Objectives:
Over the course of the unit pupils will be given many opportunities to:
Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read
Increase their familiarity with a wide range of key texts, including myths and legends
Identify recurring themes and elements in different stories
Draw inferences (i.e. gaining information that is not given directly in the text), such as inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions
Predict what might happen from details stated and implied in the text
Recalling and summarise main ideas from different parts of the text
Plan their writing by:
-Discussing texts similar to the one they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from their structure, grammar and vocabulary
-Discussing and recording ideas for composition
Draft and write by:
-Composing and rehearsing sentences orally (including dialogue), progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and increasing range of sentence structures
-Shaping ideas into paragraphs
-Creating setting, characters and plot in narrative texts
Evaluate and edit by:
-Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggesting improvements
-Proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary to improve consistency
-Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors
Session / Learning Objectives / Lesson Content & Organisation / Assessment
1 / To read and discuss myths and legends
To be able to identify themes occurring in narratives
To be able to listen to and demonstrate understanding of a text read aloud / Read the opening to 1001 Nights until the end of p.3.
Discussion
-What has happened in the story so far?
Ask the children:
-Who are the characters we have met?
-What has happened to them?
-How does King Shahryar feel about women? Why does he feel this way?
-What do the class think he will do next?
Read from the top of p.4 until p.5: ‘…the seasick rocking of his soul.’ Ask the class:
-What is Shahryar’s plan?
-How does the Wazir feel about this?
-How do they know? What does the book say?
Read until the end of chapter 1. As the class to recap what has happened in groups and then feedback to the whole class.
Task: Class to make notes on the characters they’ve met so far, writing a brief pen portrait for each one. / Can the children identify themes occurring in narratives?
Can they communicate this orally, drawing on evidence from the text to justify their opinions?
Can the children demonstrate their understanding of the texts orally?
2 / To develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read
To infer characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their action and dialogue
To retell narratives clearly and accurately / In pairs, ask the children to recap the story, using their notes from yesterday as an aide-memoire. Ask the children what they think will happen next. How will Shahrazad escape?
Read the opening to chapter 2, up until ‘Leaning on one elbow, she began:’
Ask the children what has happened. How has Shahrazad outwitted the king?
In small groups, give the children different versions of the story of Sinbad the Sailor to read. The children can read their version and discuss what has happened.
Activity: Give each group a large piece of paper and ask them to make an illustrated map of Sinbad’s journey and adventures. They can draw pictures and then annotate where different parts take place.
The groups should then take it in turns to retell their story to the class, using their map as a guide.
Discussion: Are each of the versions of the story the same? Why not?
Finish by reading the final paragraph of chapter 4: ‘Sinbad sailed five more…’
How has Shahrazad outwitted Shahryar again? / Can the children infer characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their action and dialogue?
Can the children recordtheir ideas for composition?
Can the children retell narratives clearly and accurately?
3 / To identify themes occurring in narratives, following discussion
To understand how choices of vocabulary and grammar can change and enhance meaning
To record initial ideas for composition, drawing effectively from discussion of texts similar to the one they are planning to write / Give the children the story of the Fisherman and the Bottle and read together as a class. Stop as you go to ensure everyone understands and to ask questions:
How does the fisherman feel about his catches?
What does the author mean by: ‘the fisherman’s education was small and his ignorance was large’?
How did the jinni end up in the bottle?
How did the fisherman trick the jinni back into the bottle?
Challenge children to use the text to justify their answers.
Task: In groups of 3-5, children are given one of fourdifferent parts of the story to focus on:
-The part where the jinni appears from the bottle (extract 1)
-The author’s description of the jinni (extract 2)
-The part where the jinni returns to the bottle (extract 3)
-The jinni’s speech (using the whole text)
Working in pairs or groups, children locate and highlight evidence in the text where the author uses effective descriptive language. Considering:
-Similes and metaphors
-Personification
-Details drawn from sight, sound, scent and touch
-Beautiful language and evocative vocabulary
-Anything else that catches their eye
The groups record examples from the text and then share them with the class through whole-class discussion.
Homework: Write a short paragraph describing any character they’ve met so far in 1001 Nights.
Challenge children to use some of the language features they’ve learned about today. First draft to be completed for the next lesson.
Finish the session by reading the end of chapter 5 on p. 38 from ‘And so it was…’ until ‘…the news to little Dunyazad.’ / Can the children communicate their understanding of how choices of vocabulary and grammar can change and enhance meaning?
Can the children infer characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their action and dialogue?
4 / To assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing, includingtailoring improvements to needs of the reader / Collect homework in and give brief feed back. Children can swap work with partners, read, and then give a summary of what they think the character is like from what they’ve read.
Whole class teaching of one or more key elements of English.
Provide pupils with opportunity to edit their writing, making necessary changes to spelling, grammar, presentation etc. Pupils may add additional content or improve clarity, but this is not essential at this point. While pupils are feeding back to one another and editing their own work, the teacher will work one-to-one with pupils identified as needing support.
Work is then collected in for detailed written feedback. / Can the children make suggestions of words, phrases and ideas to create effective descriptive language?
Can the children assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing, includingtailoring improvements to needs of the reader?
5 / To work productively with others to assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing
To write, selecting appropriate grammar and vocabulary, understanding how such choices can change and enhance meaning / Pupils read copies of one pupil’s work that is strong, along with teacher feedback. Discussion: What are the effective strong/effective elements and the areas to strengthen?
Process is repeated with a less-developed piece of work. Analyse strengths and share in table groups. Individually identify one area where improvements could be made. Discuss as class.
Then give the children time to consider their own work. Are any of the points made about other pupils’ work applicable to their own? Pupils decide on changes they can make and share in groups.
Pupils then redraft work so it is a strong as possible, based on the comments from marking and whole-class teaching in this session. / Can the children assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing, includingtailoring improvements to needs of the reader?
Can the children communicate their understanding of how choices of vocabulary and grammar can change and enhance meaning?
6 / To be able to create setting, characters and plot in narrative texts
To be able to use text structure, grammar and vocabulary to inform their own writing / Explain to the class that they are going to write their own tale from 1001 Nights, and that all of the stories will be collected together to make a whole-class book.
Then the class can plan their own story.
Class share story plans with one another in groups or as a whole class. They can make changes in the light of the feedback they receive. / Can the children communicate their ideas for narratives clearly and convincingly?
Success criteria to include:
Organise texts into paragraphs to distinguish between different information
Clarify meaning and point of view by using varied sentence structure
7 / To be able to draft simple third-person narrative
To be able to create setting, characters and plot in narrative texts / Extended writing- Using their descriptive writing from earlier in the unit and their story plans from yesterday, class write the first draft of their 1001 Nights story.
Children’s first draft must be finished ready for tomorrow’s lesson, so some may need to take it home to complete. / Can the children use recorded ideas effectively to write descriptively?
Can the children make suggestions of words, phrases and ideas to create effective descriptive language?
8 / To develop written work, tailoring improvements to needs of the reader
To assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing / Children work with the first draft of their story from yesterday. With a partner, they read through, identifying areas where writing is particularly strong or effective vocabulary/language devices have been employed. Then discuss alterations that can be made- prompt children away from spelling and punctuation towards the actual language they have chosen to use.
Pairs feedback to class about anything they though was particularly good, these can be noted on the IWB.
Whole class teaching of one or more key elements of English.
Children edit their work.
Work is collected in for detailed written feedback. / Can the children assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing, includingtailoring improvements to needs of the reader?
Success Criteria to include:
Organise texts into paragraphs to distinguish between different information
Use adverbs and conjunctions to establish cohesion within paragraphs
Clarify meaning and point of view by using varied sentence structure
9 / To work productively with others to assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing / Children begin process of publishing their story, checking back to ensure they have addressed the comments from written marking.
Children redraft their story, and if they wish, produce illustrations to accompany it.
Occasionally throughout the session stop the children to share quality work so far, encouraging pupils to borrow ideas from one another. / Can the children assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing, includingtailoring improvements to needs of the reader?
10 / To discuss texts similar to the one they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from their structure, grammar and vocabulary
To discuss and record ideas for composition / Share the play script version of ‘The Everlasting Shoes’ and ask children to read through it in small groups.
Once the children have read through the script, briefly remind them of the conventions of play scripts.
Then, as a whole-class, read through the script again, analysing it for examples where:
-The conventions of plays scripts are followed
-How the characters’ speech moves the story along
-How stage directions help the actors to know how to perform
In pairs, ask the children to reflect on how well this story lends itself to being performed. How does it blend the story of Shahryar and Shahrazad and ‘The Everlasting Shoes’? Are there any other stories that the children think would make good performances? Why? / Can the children identify and discuss text structure, grammar and vocabulary and its effect on the reader?
11 / To prepare play scripts to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action / Remind the children of the story they looked at previously.
Activity: Push the desks back or go to the hall for a drama activity. Pupils are to work in groups to prepare a version of their play script for performance. Groups work to practise their scene.
Class evaluate each group’s performance, offering feedback for how it might be improved.
Homework: Children chose one story from 1001 Nights and write as a play script. They might write one from scratch, use one of the books as a guide, or use the story they contributed to the class book as inspiration. / Do children show understanding of the text through intonation, tone, volume and action?
Can the children identify and discuss text structure, grammar and vocabulary and its effect on the reader?
Can they use this to inform their own writing?
12 / To develop written work, tailoring improvements to needs of the reader
To assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing / Children work with the first draft of their script completed for homework. With a partner, they read through, identifying areas where writing is particularly strong or effective vocabulary/language devices have been employed.Then discuss alterations that can be made- prompt children away from spelling and punctuation towards the language used.
Pairs feedback to class about anything they though was particularly strong, these can be noted on the IWB.
Whole class teaching of one or more key elements of English.
Children edit their work.
Work is collected in for detailed written feedback. / Can the children assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing, includingtailoring improvements to needs of the reader?
12 (& 13, depending on time) / To prepare play scripts to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action / Divide class into groups and give each one of the scripts written by the children.
Groups work to practise their scene. They can then perform them.
Class evaluate each group’s performance. / Do children show understanding of the text through intonation, tone, volume and action?
13 or 14 / To employ a range of techniques to write effectively
To consider and empathise with literary characters / Read the last part of the story. Discuss.
Extended writing as an assessment task. Children can choose from:
- Write a personal response to 1001 Nights.
- Choose one character from 1001 Nightsand write a character study about them.