It's simple really: English grammar can be a very dry subject, but this need not be the case. For a few years now, I have been developing a games-based approach to teaching important grammar concepts. It is amazing how the introduction of dice takes the learning into a new place - the element of chance making it seem less like work and more like play. Because I test my games extensively in the classroom, I get a feel for what works. Dump your boring worksheets and start dicing with grammar.
It's simple really: English grammar can be a very dry subject, but this need not be the case. For a few years now, I have been developing a games-based approach to teaching important grammar concepts. It is amazing how the introduction of dice takes the learning into a new place - the element of chance making it seem less like work and more like play. Because I test my games extensively in the classroom, I get a feel for what works. Dump your boring worksheets and start dicing with grammar.
Included in the zip folder: detailed lesson plan, presentation, four fantastic personification generators (spooky woods, old buildings - inside and outside, creepy caves and majestic mountains). You will need 1-6 dice to use the personification generators. Try them - the combinations really work!
Everything is Word/PowerPoint so you can edit and adapt as you wish.
This is a carefully planned, fully resourced and differentiated lesson about personification aimed at upper key stage 2 writers.
I used this session to create poetry with personification, but it would work equally well with descriptive writing or story settings.
The lesson is structured as follows:
Warm up
What is figurative language?
What is personification?
Can you personify your noun using one of the prompts on the screen?
Shared writing
2 differentiated dice-based personification generator activities - children use these to create stunning examples of personification about spooky woods (one verse) or spooky buildings (two verse: inside/outside writing) - try it!
Peer assessment
There are two additional personification generators if your class are keen to do more (cave and mountains).
Fully road tested - in one session the whole class had written superb personification poems (example included on the ‘woods generator’), and they really enjoyed the spooky theme. I hope your class have the same success.
Use the presentation to explore ary, ory and ery word endings.
Play the fun two player game with built in self assessment - Word race: ‘ary’, ‘ery’, ‘ory’
Challenge and support activities are included.
Challenge:
Try the ary ory ery riddles included (‘challenge activity’).
Support:
Match the word cards and sentence cards and write the sentences down.
Put your children in pairs to play the fun spelling game ‘VictoriOUS’. It’s a two player dice game that enables children to learn these four rules for adding the suffix ‘ous’:
Some root word do not change – just add ‘ous’
For many root words that end in e, take off the ‘e’ and add ‘ous’
If the root word ends ‘-ge’, keep the ‘e’ and add ‘ous’
Change the ‘y’ to an ‘i’ and add ‘ous’
How about words that can’t have the ‘ous’ suffix?
Peer assessment is built in. Everything that you need is here - just add 1-6 dice!
Here is a fun 2 player dice game to liven-up exploring silent letters. There is also a PowerPoint with plenty of activities and questions to get the session started. There is an extension task for speedy players who finish games quickly.
Lesson plan and 3 differentiated versions of a fun game to practise spelling words ending words ending –el, -al, -le.
Assessment focus
I can spell words ending –el, -al, -le
Explanation
‘Towel’, critical’ and ‘apple’ all have the same pronunciation at the end. So how do people know which spelling to use? Most words end –le (-al and -el endings are far less common). Also –le endings tend to follow letters with ascenders or descenders. There are no rules that work every time!
–el, -al, -le game
You will need: a 1-6 dice per pair, a word bank per pair, a recording sheet each
Use the excellent ‘paragraph party’ approach to explore the concept of non-fiction paragraphing in a fun and engaging way.
Here are 4 different paragraph parties on a wide variety of non-fiction subjects. The skills are transferrable. I use this approach everytime I teach the idea of paragraphing to young writers and it does get the message across very well.
Try it!
Contractions come up in Year 2, but I have made these resources for KS2, as children still need to practise accurate use of apostrophes. Included are two engaing dice games (‘Contraction Creator’ and ‘The Memory Test’). Both are far more memorable and fun than dull worksheets. There is also a support activity and a presentation. Enjoy!
This is a one day greater depth writing workshop aimed at upper KS2. There are 13 resources attached and a detailed plan of the day. Children have a complete piece of writing by the end of the workshop. Here is a brief summary of the day:
Part 1 Get to know the model
Reading as reader: How did the story make you feel?
Reading as writer: How did the author do that?
Drama (pairs) – bring the text off the page
Part 2 Know your animal!
Part 3 Know your mysterious object!
Part 4 Quick plan
Part 5 Parentheses activity
Part 6 Extended writing time
Success criteria for extended writing
I can organise my story creatively and keep the reader in suspense (withholding vital information and using flashbacks)
I can create suspense using modal verbs and rhetorical questions
I can interrupt my sentences using ‘dramatic dashes’ (parentheses)
I can use technical language appropriately in my creative writing (precise language around my animal’s physical features, habitat, behaviour and offspring)
I can use figurative language
Here is a short science fiction/suspense model for Year 5 or Year 6. I have also included an annotated version with teacher notes showing all of the key grammatical features, the way the text is structured and some suggested activities.
How is this text organised?
Are you good at hiding? Do you ever keep secrets? Can you keep secrets from your reader? This story is all about keeping secrets, and causing confusion, uncertainty and suspense! Can you keep the identity of your man character (a cat in the model text) hidden until the end and let the reader try and work out what they are? Can you keep the danger unknown until right at the end? Can you finish on a cliff hanger? So many questions…
Build your own story from here. Scatter clues about the identity of your main character and keep the danger hidden.
Here are the themes of each part of the story:
Setting, fear, an unknown thing coming
Flashback 1: unclear warnings and rhetorical questions
Sustaining injuries: main character stops what she is doing and runs for home, but it is treacherous
Home and family: How is the character motivated to survive? Her den and cubs!
Flashback 2: she remembers more warnings, but the threat remains uncertain and confusing
Main character finds a familiar place – nearly home? – nearly safe?
A mysterious object finally appears – everything scatters – character’s identity revealed
Fear changes to hunger – prey becomes predator… cliff hanger!
This resource is six activities linked to the text. They are ready for children to pick up and use independently.
Defining and reusing tricky words from the text
Picking out the key features of a fable from the text (and from ‘The Promise’)
Adding fronted adverbials to sentences from the text
Grouping synonyms to create a word bank for fable writing
I can plan a fable of my own
I can write a fable of my own
This bundle is three KS2 writing resources (or 6 weeks of fully planned and resourced English lessons) exploring the story of ‘Theseus and the Minotaur’. It includes a three week myth writing unit, as a five session newspaper report unit and a five session poetry and book making unit.
Here are seven sessions inspired by Louis Sachar’s ‘Holes’ (or the film of the same name) pitched at Year 5 or Year 6. First, children write an informal letter from Stanley to a member of his family back home. After that, they write a formal letter of complaint from Mrs. Yelnats to Warden Walker. There are also optional cold task and hots tasks (Pizza Problems!) if you need them.
It’s all in Powerpoint and Word, so edit as you wish. Absolutely everything you need is in the zip folder. Models and planning are frames included along with many other supporting resources (word banks, text extracts and information pages). Get stuck in!
Here is an overview of the six sessions:
OPTIONAL COLD TASK
Pizza problems! Write an informal email to a friend. Use the planning frame and the word bank if you need them.
Reading fluency and tricky vocabulary
Look at tricky words and rank them. Use synonyms and paraphrases to replace tricky words. Improve reading fluency through modelled and paired reading.
• I can explore unfamiliar vocabulary in context
• I can read a story fluently
Plan an informal letter to Mom **
Read the start of Stanley’s letter and Mom’s reply. Discuss how Stanley is creative with the truth. Focus on planning structure – give each paragraph a theme. Share read an example letter before starting.
• I plan an informal letter
• I can use informal language and sentence structures
Write a letter to Mom
Explore the difference between formal and informal. Identify formal and informal language. Revisit contractions and dashes – they are common in informal writing. Write a letter home.
• I can make contractions by dropping letters and using an apostrophe in their place
• I can add chatty afterthoughts using dashes
Plan a formal letter
Explore formal language choice. Get into role as one of Stanley’s parents. Pick three key points to complain about. Read information relating to your three points and plan your letter.
• I can use precise language (limited, inadequate, insufficient) and write in a formal style
Write a formal letter
Share read a formal letter paying close attention to grammar features. Spend time exploring word banks. Write formal letters, maintaining an appropriate register throughout.
• I can write maintain a formal style throughout my writing
• I can use a range of (upper KS2) punctuation
OPTIONAL HOT TASK
Pizza problems 2! Write a letter of complaint. Use the planning frame and the word bank if you need them.
Six poetry lessons for upper KS2 with a focus on performance and creative writing. All plans and resources included - everything you need is here. All work is produced using Word and Powerpoint, so edit as you wish. Most of all… enjoy. This is a fun unit! Please use the contents within the zip folder, and not the PNG files, which are previews of the unit.
Overview of unit
Session 1 Explore tricky vocabulary
I can explore the meaning of words
Session 2 Read, discuss, perform
I can bring a poem to life using my voice
**Session 3 Explore, map, recite **
I can visualise a poem and recite it from memory
Session 4 Comprehension
I can explain the meaning of words in context
I can find information in poetry
I can justify inferences with evidence
Session 5 Create poetry
I can write a free verse poem using a familiar theme and structure
Session 6 Peer edit for impact + perform
I can choose verbs and nouns phrases to create imagery
I can perform my own composition fluently
A fully resourced, fifteen session writing unit with a powerful climate change theme. It is pitched at upper KS2 and has a focus on sentence variety. Children explore the text ‘Planet SOS’ by Marie G Rhode, which describes a series of waste monsters and how to defeat them. This unit looks closely at the E-waste Golem.
Children explore the grammatical features of the text, and then compose a piece of work that demonstrates a similar range of sentences. As the unit progresses, children learn about waste - a contributor to climate change - and how we can reduce the problem.
During the unit, children will combine a monster with a type of damaging waste - there are three of each to pick from. Children create unique pieces of writing that explain the causes of a particular waste issue and persuade the reader to the think carefully about the impact of throwing things away.
For the final outcome, children will create destructive waste monsters, and then give the reader useful guidance on how to defeat them. At the end of the project, artwork (optional!) and writing could be combined to create a class book of waste monsters. Absolute everything you need is in the zip folder. Enjoy!
What type of writing is this?
Like lots of modern information books, Planet SOS does not fit neatly into one genre.
• The text has many of features of explanation writing: the author explains how waste is created and how it can be reduced.
• It also has persuasive features: the reader may be persuaded to combat the monster and reduce waste.
• The text has features typical of non-fiction, information writing: each page is packed with information about waste and mythical creatures.
• There are also elements of fiction writing: types of waste are personified as a series of mythical monsters.
Summary of objectives
Reading and vocabulary
• I can use drama to develop my vocabulary and communication skills
• I can show understanding through tone, volume and action
• I can look for key words and find information (in non-fiction texts)
• I can explain the impact of using second person point of view
Grammar
• I can use a colon to introduce a list (when the clause before the list is independent)
• I can use dashes to interrupt a sentence and add information
• I can write multi-clause sentences
• I can use the future perfect tense
• I can use a relative clause to add information about a noun
• I can write a conditional sentence
• I can identify different sentence structures
Planning and composition
• I can grow my knowledge by reading and researching
• I can write using second person point of view
• I can include a range of sentences in my writing
• I can assess and improve my writing with a partner
This is a 14 session biography writing unit for upper KS2. Children explore the life of Anne Frank - supporting history learning about WW2 - and then go on to choose one of four other people who SHOOK THE WORLD while they were young (Boyan Slat, Greta Thunberg, Pele or Marley Dias). After learning new writing skills, children write a biography about their chosen subject.
If you purchase this unit, please open the youthquake biography zip file. Each of the 14 lessons is organised into its own subfolder. All lesson plans, lesson slides and activities are included - it’s ready to go. Everything is created in PowerPoint and Word, so you can edit and adapt as you wish. The png files you can see in the previews are just there to give a taste of the first few lessons.
Your class will enjoy learning about biographies and creating a YOUTHQUAKE!
Throughout this unit, I would recommend reading children selected biographies from YouthQuake: 50 Children and Young People Who Shook the World by Tom Adams & Sarah Walsh.