Pxx help with their planning the class writing project

Sample book

About the series creators Felicity Ferguson (who often goes	Contents

Ross is a teacher at a primary
school and Phil works full-time

P4	An introduction to Power English: Writing

speaking, reading and writing	P6
about teaching literacy in an	P6

P22Child-facing genre booklet

teachers; teachers who write and

writers who teach.	P31Child-facing planning grid

Power English: Writing is based on four interrelated practices. You’ll teach genre
through Genre-study lessons. These lessons bring the whole class together to
take part in an independent writing project. Together, you and the children learn
about and discuss the purpose and audiences for the particular genre, look at
how writers have crafted it effectively and generate ideas for how you want to
use it for yourselves.

Alongside this focus on genre, Functional Grammar Lessons will give your
learners explicit instruction in the various linguistic resources they can use to
make their writing clear. The lessons show children how and why they might
use particular grammatical items in the context of their own writing rather than
through the completion of exercises.

			Year 3 Fables
1	2

	3

Writing Workshop

4

Why write a fable?

We oft en tell each other cautionary tales of mishaps, near-misses and comeuppances where we have had to learn a lesson the hard way. Perhaps you learned that you really should not play with scissors aft er you accidentally almost cut your friend’s fi nger off ! We might also remember our grandparents, parents, teachers and people in authority telling us stern warning stories. Children can’t escape fables!

Why write a fable for yourself or your class?

You might enjoy teaching a lesson about life to others in an entertaining way.

Your fable should start by introducing a character(s) to your readers. Give your character a quality, such as greedy, kind, industrious, brave, foolish, lazy or cunning, then describe an event that will either end well or badly. Make the lesson clear, stating it at the end of the story.

(TENOR) What is your role as the writer?

Your text will be a short narrative written in paragraphs. Your readers should be able to identify a clear beginning, middle

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND	● Children don’t have to think that all fables
THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND

they have learned from their own lives or	are old stories with animal characters.
	are old stories with animal characters.


● Fables are oft en short and snappy, so	fable writers to avoid causing off ence to

		e.g. the next day, meanwhile, in the end, once upon a time, soon after, a little later, finally, after that
chosen message, plot and main characters.


		(LEXIS) How can your word choices help?
	right for their fable.	(LEXIS) How can your word choices help?

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6				YEAR 3: FABLES – TEACHING GUIDE SAMPLE	7

	Class writing goal

To discover what makes a good fable

OVERVIEW

PREPARATION AND RESOURCES • Ask your class librarians to display a variety of fables around the classroom. • Video: ‘What is a fable and why do people write them?’ • Writing wheel (ITR and PCM, pxx) DISCUSS Ask children if they have any thoughts about the video they have just watched. You could ask the following questions to stimulate discussion:
	• Fables 1 (Traditional fables) genre booklets
	• Pre-written exemplar fables:

	STUDY	As you develop your confidence
	Children look at and read examples of fables in your class library, and discuss the following questions in pairs or small groups: • What did you like about the fables you read?

• What would you ask the writer if they were here?

Explain to children that good fables have a specific focus rather than a general focus. You can use the analogy of mining for diamonds. Children should focus on finding a single diamond from all of their ‘rocky ideas’ and make that diamond shine. These ‘diamond moments’ are the moments that writers care about the most.

Children share writing from their personal projects, following the established class sharing routine. PERSONAL WRITING PROJECTS Once the class writing goal for each session is complete, children continue with their personal writing projects at their own pace, using their preferred writing processes. See page xx for more information on personal writing projects and pupil conferencing.	• Why do you think I / the writers chose my / their topic(s)?
	• What sort of diamond moments were chosen by me / the other
	writers?
	CREATE As a class, and using the information in the Fables 1 genre booklet, start creating your poster of Product Goals. These goals should indicate what is needed to publish a great fable. You will add to these over subsequent sessions as children’s understanding of the genre develops.

PERSONAL WRITING PROJECTS

Once the class writing goal for each session is complete, children continue with their personal writing projects at their own pace,
using their preferred writing processes. See page xx for more information on personal writing projects and pupil conferencing.

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Genre study 3: Where can fables go wrong?

Genre study 4: Generating ideas for fables

In this lesson, children will learn about and experiment with a range of techniques for generating ideas for their fables. They will then choose one idea to use for their class writing project.

PREPARATION AND RESOURCES • Pre-written ineffective exemplar fable (ITR)
		• Fables 1 (Traditional fables) genre booklets
	guide: • Your fable should lack cohesion with no	• Access to the internet	• Flip-chart paper
	guide: • Your fable should lack cohesion with no
As a class, read the ineffective examples of fables.
	• your fable shouldn’t teach a moral at the end.
In pairs, using the fables Product Goals from the previous lesson and the ‘What does a fable look like?’ section of their Fables 1 genre booklets, children discuss and explain why the example fables are ineffective.

• Does the fable have a moral message? PLENARY	• Can you think of any stories you have been told to make you behave? • Have you ever told stories to make people behave? • Have you had to learn any lessons the hard way? Children should also discuss who they are planning to write for as this will influence characters and settings.
• Does the fable have a moral message? PLENARY

PLENARY

Each child or group can share their ideas for their fables. The class can give suggestions about possible characters and
storylines to teach the moral.

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10	YEAR 3: FABLES – TEACHING GUIDE SAMPLE			YEAR 3: FABLES – TEACHING GUIDE SAMPLE	11

Class writing goal	To plan our fables

To plan our fables

	PREPARATION AND RESOURCES • Fables 1 (Traditional fables) genre booklets • Planning grids from the previous lesson • Fables 1 (Traditional fables) planning grid (ITR)

The following mini-lessons may be particularly useful at the planning stage: • Choosing a story arc

• Using a planning grid

	Encourage children to talk through their plans in pairs and with you throughout this session. Pairs should let each other know if they are finding the fable difficult to follow or think that the moral is not clear from the events described.

and end of the fable).

You could ask the following questions to ensure children	Conferencing focus

• Who is your main character – why them?

PLENARY Children turn over their plans and ‘tell’ or ‘perform’ their fable to someone in the class.	DEEPEN Children should be encouraged to include additional details about characters and settings to interest their readers further. SUPPORT

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Class writing project: Fables 1 (Traditional fables) Class writing project: Fables 1 (Traditional fables)

Children use the plans they created in previous sessions to start drafting their fables. PREPARATION AND RESOURCES • Developing a character • Describing settings • Coordinating conjunctions • Subordinating conjunctions • Fronted adverbials (time, place, how) • Speech punctuation • Using the drafting rules	Class writing goal To draft our fables MINI-LESSON Choose from the suggested mini-lessons for this writing project, which cover aspects of writing study, grammar and punctuation.
	CLASS WRITING SESSION	Conferencing focus
Using their plans, children will start to draft their fables.	Children continue to develop their drafts.
	PLENARY	if they get stuck. Remind them to refer to their plans whilst they are writing, and to circle any spellings they
not the end of the writing process.	PLENARY
		are unsure of. Also encourage them to regularly re-read their writing as they go. Provide intervals in which children can share their writing with each other
ITR), and to talk through their drafts in pairs if they get stuck.
	SUPPORT

Children share their drafts, following the established class sharing routine.

SUPPORT

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Class writing project: Fables 1 (Traditional fables) Class writing project: Fables 1 (Traditional fables)

Children continue to draft their fables.

PREPARATION AND RESOURCES

Children begin the important process of re-reading and revising their writing. Focus should be on ensuring that the text makes sense and that they have included everything in their plans.

PREPARATION AND RESOURCES

Choose from the suggested mini-lessons for this writing project, which cover aspects of writing study, grammar and punctuation.

The following mini-lessons may be particularly useful at the revision stage:



• Describing settings
• Coordinating conjunctions
• Coordinating conjunctions		You may also wish to consider some of the functional grammar study mini-lessons listed in the previous lessons.

		CLASS WRITING SESSION
• Speech punctuation
• Using the drafting rules
• Using the drafting rules		Explain to children that they are now going to start
		revising their piece of writing. Remind them that if
		they have many changes to make they can create a
Children continue drafting their fables using the drafting	Encourage children to request a conference with you

	whilst they are writing, and to circle any spellings they
PLENARY
		relevant Tips and Tricks cards to help them with grammar. Children should read through their own text first to check they are
	which children can share their writing with each other
	which children can share their writing with each other

another drafting session, simply add one in. Alternatively,	hear.

Children share their revised drafts, following the established class sharing routine.

DEEPEN
Once children are happy that their writing makes sense, encourage them to look in more detail using their revision checklist.

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Class writing project: Fables 1 (Traditional fables) Class writing project: Fables 1 (Traditional fables)

Writing lesson 7: Revise

PREPARATION AND RESOURCES • Fables 1 (Traditional fables) genre booklets • Lower KS2 narrative revision checklist (ITR) • Tips and Tricks cards		Class writing goal To edit our fables OVERVIEW
		• Lower KS2 editing checklist (ITR and PCM, pxx)
		• Tips and Tricks cards
		• Electronic spell checkers MINI-LESSON
	Conferencing focus	• Electronic spell checkers MINI-LESSON
Children continue to make revisions to their work. Ensure		CLASS WRITING SESSION
		CLASS WRITING SESSION
adult. Remind children that it can sometimes be hard as the	about where certain revisions could be effective.

		punctuation. Remind children that they can use a dictionary and the Spelling Tips and Tricks cards to look up any spellings they are unsure of. They can also use their reading books to check the spellings of common words.
• strong characters • clear beginning, middle and end • poetic moments • a moral being taught. PLENARY

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18	YEAR 3: FABLES – TEACHING GUIDE SAMPLE			YEAR 3: FABLES – TEACHING GUIDE SAMPLE	19

Class writing goal To publish our fables OVERVIEW Choose from the suggested mini-lessons for this writing project, which cover aspects of writing study, grammar and punctuation. The following mini-lesson may be particularly useful at the publishing stage:	OVERVIEW All children should now be nearing the end of publishing their fables. You should be assessing their outcomes and sharing writing goals with individual children or with the class as a whole. Choose from the suggested mini-lessons for this writing project, which cover aspects of writing study, grammar and punctuation. The following mini-lesson may be particularly useful at the publishing stage:

	CLASS WRITING SESSION	Conferencing focus
Ensure children understand what ‘publishing’ a piece of	CLASS WRITING SESSION	Conferencing focus
		Take this opportunity to discuss your assessment of children’s pieces and set writing goals for future class and personal writing projects. Place these goals on the working wall.
their readers interested in a text. In this case, children could

	• How do illustrations help readers understand the fables?

Children complete the publishing of their fables. Ensure that they continue to refer to the presentation tips.

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20				YEAR 3: FABLES – TEACHING GUIDE SAMPLE	21

You might enjoy writing a story that also teaches an important lesson about life, or a moral.

Who are fables for?

1. Introduce your
main characters. Your

characters might be	Add an event
greedy or selfi sh;	Add an event
greedy or selfi sh;

	well or badly
	well or badly
	for your
in fables are animals!	for your

PowerWriting_Fables_Genre booklet_Year 3 V4indd.indd 1 07/12/2018 09:19

The sensible ant replied, without looking up from her work, “I’m getting ready for the winter. I advise you to do the same.”

“Oh, winter’s a long way away,” said the grasshopper, and he

22		YEAR 3: FABLES – GENRE BOOKLET SAMPLE	23

Class writing project:Fables 1 (Traditional fables)

Think about ...

What do you like about the way the writer has written this fable?

07/12/2018 09:19

Class writing project: Fables 1 (Traditional fables)

“Was he as big as this?” he asked his son.

“No! He was much bigger than that!” exclaimed his son.

Moral: Don’t try to

be what you are not.

What might you borrow from this fable?

24	YEAR 3: FABLES – GENRE BOOKLET SAMPLE	YEAR 3: FABLES – GENRE BOOKLET SAMPLE	25

You may have been reading fables recently. You may even have a
favourite one. Why not borrow the moral and write your own fable
about it?

You may have a favourite character from a fable you have read. Why
not teach that character another lesson?

The things your characters say can be a
great way of moving the action along.

5 6

26		07/12/2018 09:19		27
26		07/12/2018 09:19	YEAR 3: FABLES – GENRE BOOKLET SAMPLE	27

Drafting	Class writing project:Fables 1 (Traditional fables)
	Now I have my plan, I’ll have	Revising
		I think I can improve my writing by
		asking myself these questions and
		asking myself these questions and
		making changes to see what works best.

• Include adverbials of time to help show the order of events,
e.g. One beautiful summer’s day …, The next day …, or In the
end …

• Use noun phrases and poetic language to describe your
characters.

next? - Put a box where the
- Read it to a partner punctuation might need

- Get your partner to ask to go

28	YEAR 3: FABLES – GENRE BOOKLET SAMPLE	7	8	29
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		07/12/2018 09:19	YEAR 3: FABLES – GENRE BOOKLET SAMPLE

	Class writing project:Fables 1 (Traditional fables)															Class writing project: Fables 1 (Traditional fables)	10/12/2018 15:54
	Find your favourite sentence and turn it into a short paragraph. If you like it, add it to your writing!	Do all of your sentences and paragraphs start the same way? If so, change some.							- Ten days later ...		- Nothing changed, until one day ...					Name:
																Planning a fable
																The purpose of my fable is to …




																• weak and strong
3rd re-read and improve	Try out the following things on your revision page. If you like them, add them to your piece.		Fronted adverbials for:	- Time	- Place	- How	Subordinating clauses:	- when		- if		- because	- as	- after	- before	• clever and gullible




																try to use the other to get
																what they want?

				Use:	- Shock!											What happens to your
				Use:	- Shock!											character(s)?
						Fix your ‘yawny bits’.										The ending – reveal the
						Fix your ‘yawny bits’.										lesson or the moral.
	9
																280

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																YEAR 3: FABLES – PLANNING GRID SAMPLE	31

Class writing project:
Biography

Why write biography?

Year 5	● Encourage children to choose someone	● Additionally, as this is a historical genre,
	they have easy access to for interviewing.
	In your homework letter about
	interviewing, you are going to want
	to make it clear that the interviewee
	is encouraged to share background	the biography or instead be used to give
	information about their early life, their	a greater fl avour of the era in general.
	main achievement or strongest memory
	and what happened aft er this memorable
	event or moment occurred.
	● For your more experienced or enthusiastic
Biography	● For your more experienced or enthusiastic
	writers, you may want to encourage them	you could invite the community into
	to dig a little deeper into the era in which
	they are writing about. They can start
	their biography with a descriptive setting
	of the scene.

showcasing the writing too.

		PowerEnglish_Y5Biography.indd 1
				33

Class writing project: Biography Class writing project: Biography

Writing biography Writing biography

Genre Study 1: Introducing biography Genre Study 1: Introducing biography

Class writing goal Class writing goal

	OVERVIEW
	OVERVIEW

(Field) What your biography going to be about? (Field) What your biography going to be about?

You can write about world-famous people, though often we already know about them or they have things already You can write about world-famous people, though often we already know about them or they have things already

unfairly, there is less written about women in history compared to men. unfairly, there is less written about women in history compared to men.

• You will need to introduce who your biography is about, when they were born and when they died (if they have yet!), • You will need to introduce who your biography is about, when they were born and when they died (if they have yet!),

people. They will then continue to work on their personal writing projects. people. They will then continue to work on their personal writing projects.

PREPARATION AND RESOURCES PREPARATION AND RESOURCES

• Writing wheel (ITR and PCM, pxx)• Writing wheel (ITR and PCM, pxx)

childhood or later life to give more information about them. childhood or later life to give more information about them.	STUDY

You have to make sure you choose someone who people will like to hear about but might not know about. You then have You have to make sure you choose someone who people will like to hear about but might not know about. You then have

to keep the biography interesting throughout. You do not want your readers to get bored. to keep the biography interesting throughout. You do not want your readers to get bored.

	DISCUSS	DISCUSS
• Only include the most interesting bits of their life.• Only include the most interesting bits of their life.	DISCUSS	DISCUSS

(Mode) What should your biography look like? (Mode) What should your biography look like?

Your biography should: Your biography should:

Display the Writing wheel ITR on the whiteboard, and hand out printed copies. Display the Writing wheel ITR on the whiteboard, and hand out printed copies.

Ask the following questions: Ask the following questions:

• Who knows someone who has seen an amazing event?• Who knows someone who has seen an amazing event?

• What stories have you been told by members of your family about their past?• What stories have you been told by members of your family about their past?

• photographs		• maps		• letters		PLENARY	PLENARY

(Semantics) How can you make your biography clear and interesting? (Semantics) How can you make your biography clear and interesting?

me in your biography. Time	she, her, hers, they, them, their. she, her, hers, they, them, their.		Provide children with examples of simpler historical texts of biographies that they can access more easily. Provide children with examples of simpler historical texts of biographies that they can access more easily.
Later on … After that … ng the connectives so or OVERMATTER	• Biographies are written in the past tense e.g. was, were, had, been, -ed.• Biographies are written in the past tense e.g. was, were, had, been, -ed.


2		2	3	3
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34			YEAR 5: BIOGRAPHIES – TEACHING GUIDE SAMPLE		35

Class writing project: Biography Class writing project: Biography

Genre Study 2: What makes a Genre Study 2: What makes a

Class writing goal Class writing goal Class writing goal Class writing goal

To discover what makes a good biography To discover what makes a good biography To understand where biography texts can go wrong To understand where biography texts can go wrong

then continue to work on their personal writing projects. then continue to work on their personal writing projects.

PREPARATION AND RESOURCES PREPARATION AND RESOURCES	PREPARATION AND RESOURCES PREPARATION AND RESOURCES

(genre booklet p4–5 / ITR) (genre booklet p4–5 / ITR) text exemplar using the writing project’s opening text exemplar using the writing project’s opening

guidance. This should be about someone who is guidance. This should be about someone who is

• Biography genre booklets• Biography genre booklets the following as a guide: the following as a guide:

• Pre-written ineffective biography exemplar:• Pre-written ineffective biography exemplar: – don’t mention who, when and where – don’t mention who, when and where

STUDY STUDY

• Flip-chart paper	• Flip-chart paper	As a class, read the ineffective exemplars of biography texts. As a class, read the ineffective exemplars of biography texts.
STUDY		DISCUSS

DISCUSS DISCUSS

Explain to children that effective biographies have a specific focus rather than a general focus. You can use the analogy Explain to children that effective biographies have a specific focus rather than a general focus. You can use the analogy

• Why is this such an ineffective biography?• Why is this such an ineffective biography?

• What advice would you give the writer?• What advice would you give the writer?

	CREATE

• Why do you think I chose my topic(s)? • Why do you think I chose my topic(s)? the other writers? Why? the other writers? Why? about and who would want to about and who would want to

What was my ‘diamond’? What was my ‘diamond’?• Who has not been written about in • Who has not been written about in read them? read them?

Children share writing from their personal projects, following the established class sharing routine. Place exemplars into the Children share writing from their personal projects, following the established class sharing routine. Place exemplars into the

class library for children to continue reading at their leisure. class library for children to continue reading at their leisure.

CREATE		PERSONAL WRITING PROJECTS PERSONAL WRITING PROJECTS

Throughout the class writing project, once the class writing goal for each session is complete, children carry on with their Throughout the class writing project, once the class writing goal for each session is complete, children carry on with their

personal writing projects at their own pace and using their preferred writing processes. See page xx for more information on personal writing projects at their own pace and using their preferred writing processes. See page xx for more information on

Children share writing from their personal projects, following the established class sharing routine. Place exemplars into the Children share writing from their personal projects, following the established class sharing routine. Place exemplars into the		5

DEEPEN	DEEPEN
In preparation for tomorrow’s ineffective example lesson, you could challenge your more experienced writers to write the In preparation for tomorrow’s ineffective example lesson, you could challenge your more experienced writers to write the




personal writing projects and pupil conferencing. personal writing projects and pupil conferencing. 4
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Class writing project: Biography Class writing project: Biography

Class writing goal Class writing goal

Class writing goal Class writing goal	To plan our biographies To plan our biographies
Class writing goal Class writing goal	OVERVIEW

Children plan or draft their biographies. Children plan or draft their biographies.

PREPARATION AND RESOURCES PREPARATION AND RESOURCES

	• Biography genre booklets• Biography genre booklets

for today’s lesson for today’s lesson • Biography and story planning grid (PCM, pxx)• Biography and story planning grid (PCM, pxx)

• Biography genre booklets• Biography genre booklets		MINI-LESSON
• Flipchart paper		MINI-LESSON

Choose from the suggested mini-lessons for this writing project, which cover aspects of writing study, grammar Choose from the suggested mini-lessons for this writing project, which cover aspects of writing study, grammar

and punctuation: and punctuation:

STUDY
STUDY
Children turn to page 8 of their Biography genre booklets. Read and discuss some of the techniques used by writers to Children turn to page 8 of their Biography genre booklets. Read and discuss some of the techniques used by writers to generate ideas for writing biographies. generate ideas for writing biographies.

lives could be asked about. For example, school days, their working or adult lives or old age. lives could be asked about. For example, school days, their working or adult lives or old age.

As their teacher, you might consider sharing some memoir moments from your own life as an example. Children may also As their teacher, you might consider sharing some memoir moments from your own life as an example. Children may also

their biography. Remind them of the different their biography. Remind them of the different should let them know if they are assuming too much prior should let them know if they are assuming too much prior

writing styles writers often use. These include being writing styles writers often use. These include being knowledge from their reader and whether anything needs knowledge from their reader and whether anything needs

CREATE	CREATE	Children start to plan their biography texts. Remind Children start to plan their biography texts. Remind and they can bring in any extra information required the next day. and they can bring in any extra information required the next day.
CREATE	CREATE	them what a plan is for (to help them organise them what a plan is for (to help them organise

Children generate a list of potential people they Children generate a list of potential people they

would like to talk to. would like to talk to.

Read through the homework letter (PCM, pxx) and Read through the homework letter (PCM, pxx) and

ideas and research so that they know what their text will include). You could show a plan of your own, or display the example ideas and research so that they know what their text will include). You could show a plan of your own, or display the example

Information texts planning grid (ITR). Children may also find it useful to look at the planning advice on page 7 of their Information texts planning grid (ITR). Children may also find it useful to look at the planning advice on page 7 of their

page 10 of their Biography genre booklets and the Drafting rules ITR. page 10 of their Biography genre booklets and the Drafting rules ITR.

PLENARY PLENARY

SUPPORT		DEEPEN

PERSONAL WRITING PROJECTS PERSONAL WRITING PROJECTS

When planning their biography, encourage children to try to merge it with setting and character description, using the When planning their biography, encourage children to try to merge it with setting and character description, using the


personal writing projects at their own pace and using their preferred writing processes. See page xx for more information on personal writing projects at their own pace and using their preferred writing processes. See page xx for more information on		personal writing projects an persona
personal writing projects and pupil conferencing. personal writing projects and pupil conferencing.		personal writing projects an persona
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