These mini creative writing activities help students to add authentic details when constructing where their stories takes place. You will find a fabulous bundle of creative writing lessons here. They apply secrets from master storytellers to build on existing skills, These lessons will help your students to create realistic settings that elevate and sharpen any story. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions.

These mini creative writing activities help students to improve authentic details and take the pressure off when proofing and editing their stories. You will find a fabulous bundle of creative writing lessons here. They apply secrets from master storytellers to build on existing skills, These lessons will help your students to create realistic settings that elevate and sharpen any story. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions.

Every great picture has the makings of an unforgettable story, but which one? With this adaptable Visual Story Starter Kit, your students can choose from 12 curated creative writing prompts. Each image is designed to inspire your students, and help them to write from the heart. Includes Teaching Guide Printables 12 Curated images + story prompts Story planner Learning objectives Writing Generating ideas, planning and drafting Developing viewpoint, voice and ideas Writing narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Differentiation opportunities Ask students to find an image they want to write a story about. With the flexible Story Starter Kit you can create your activities. It’s easy to add your own visual prompts to this resource. All my students enjoy this activity. It helps them generate ideas and practice creating characters and settings. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions. Many thanks!

Every great picture packs an unforgettable story, but which one? With this adaptable Visual Story Starter Kit, your students can choose from 12 curated creative writing prompts. Each image is designed to inspire your students, and help them to write from the heart. Includes Teaching Guide Printables 12 Curated images + story prompts Story planner Learning objectives Writing Generating ideas, planning and drafting Developing viewpoint, voice and ideas Writing narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Differentiation opportunities Ask students to find an image they want to write a story about. With the flexible Story Starter Kit you can create your activities. It’s easy to add your own visual prompts to this resource. All my students enjoy this activity. It helps them generate ideas and practice creating characters and settings. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions. Many thanks!

From Sherlock Holmes to Mary Poppins, some characters stay with readers far beyond the final page. This bundled lesson guide will help your students to master the techniques required to create memorable and complex characters. Your students will learn to: Bring characters to life using key details that contribute to their experience and journey. Create a storytelling style that fits their unique characters. Keep their character’s journey at the heart of their narrative. Avoid the mistakes that turn readers off. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources include Range of activities Visual character prompts Examples of characterisation Discussion starters Comprehension questions Online resource links Please contact Claire Vorster with any questions. Many thanks!

From Sherlock Holmes to Mary Poppins, some characters stay with readers far beyond the final page. This bundled lesson guide will help your students to master the techniques required to create memorable and complex characters. Your students will learn to: Bring characters to life using key details that contribute to their experience and journey. Create a storytelling style that fits their unique characters. Keep their character’s journey at the heart of their narrative. Avoid the mistakes that turn readers off. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources include Range of activities Visual character prompts Examples of characterisation Discussion starters Comprehension questions Online resource links Please contact Claire Vorster with any questions. Many thanks!

With the right tools, your students can write confident and compelling narrative pieces. These bundled lessons apply secrets from master storytellers to build on existing skills, Students will discover how a character’s flaws or mistakes can become the engine for an electrifying plot. Your students will learn to - • Craft compelling, honest, potentially hilarious characters using techniques including psychology. • Quickly set themselves up for a successful first draft. • See that it’s good for a story when nothing goes according to plan. • Add a rough edge to the over-perfect characters that can make a story too obvious. • Use a secret weapon when they are looking for character inspiration. Activities Speaking and listening, reading comprehension, planning, writing, reviewing. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources included in this plan Reading and Comprehension activities Mini and Comprehensive writing activities Famous quotes for discussion Literary examples Story prompts Story planner for students Online resource links Plus Bonus Antihero poster Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions.

From Sherlock Holmes to Mary Poppins, some characters stay with readers far beyond the final page. These 12 activities will help your students to master the techniques required to create memorable and complex characters. Your students will learn to: • Bring characters to life using key details that contribute to their experience and journey. • Create a storytelling style that fits their unique characters. • Keep their character’s journey at the heart of their narrative. • Avoid the mistakes that turn readers off. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources include Range of activities Visual character prompts Examples of characterisation Discussion starters Comprehension questions Online resource links Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions. Many thanks!

One little spark, that’s all it took to start the Great Fire of London. Here are four lesson plans plus all the resources you need to turn up, engage, inspire and teach KS1 Great Fire of London. Lessons include listening and speaking, history, fiction, writing, art and drama. Watch the sparks fly! Learning outcomes: English • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising • imagining and exploring ideas • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far • sequencing sentences to form short narratives • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils • develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) writing about real events History • learning about: events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries] the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. • use inquiry skills to gain information from photographs and written text • understand and create a timeline • offer opinions and suggestions about why things happened Art • use drawing and imagination to develop their ideas of 17th Century London. • Use tone, pattern, line and shape in pictures. Drama • develop confidence using movement • develop spatial awareness • act out a story • facilitate the creation and communication of ideas Lessons include excerpts and an illustration from the popular children’s novel Ellie Sparrow and the Great Fire of London. These lessons are written by author and tutor Claire Vorster. Enjoy!

We’ve all read great stories that end in a rush, and others that should have ended sooner. These four activities apply secrets from master storytellers to help students discover how to write effective story endings. They will learn to - • Review the closing lines of famous novels and develop their own style. • Discover how to use writing prompts to find their starting point. • Try out expert techniques to bring their stories to a close. • Stay motivated, right to the end. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Activities Speaking and listening, planning, writing, reviewing. Resources included in this plan Writing Activities Story Prompts Reading and Comprehension Story Planner Online Resource Links

Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean-spirited old man who hates everything - even Christmas! But when three spirits visit him one Christmas Eve, Scrooge is taken on a journey into the past, present and future that will change him forever. These four simple and engaging lesson plans and activities contain all the resources you need to turn up, engage, and teach this fantastic story. Lessons include listening and speaking, comprehension, writing, art and a memory game. Joy! Includes 4 Full Lessons Plans Learning Outcomes Printables Sequencing activity Story Mountain Story Planner Worksheets Online resources Learning outcomes English • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising • imagining and exploring ideas • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far • sequencing sentences to form short narratives • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils • develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) writing about real events Art • use drawing and imagination to develop their ideas. • Use tone, pattern, line and shape in pictures. These lessons are written by children’s author and tutor Claire Vorster. Enjoy!

With the right plot, your students can write confident and exciting stories. These Creative Writing lessons start with a simple plotting tool and will build on existing skills, each time adding a new story telling element. Your students will learn how to - • Develop a solid plot structure. • Quickly set themselves up for a successful first draft. • Get tools to keep their stories clear and on track. • Discover how to use a writing prompt to find their starting point. • Remove the fear from the thought of writing a whole story. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Time Allowance 2-4 lessons Activities Speaking and listening, planning, writing, reviewing. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources included in this plan Story Mountain Story Mountain for Advanced Climbers Images - Flood, Worst Hotel Reading - Why should I plan? Reading / Ranking Activity - Famous quotes Activity Sheets Online resource links Please contact Claire Vorster with any questions. Many thanks!

Mr and Mrs Grinling are looking forward to an extra-special Christmas with their great-nephew, George. But on Christmas Eve, Mr Grinling and George get stranded in the middle of a storm! Can Mrs Grinling reach them in time for a Christmas Dinner? The Lighthouse Keepers Christmas Kit includes four lesson plans plus all the resources you need to turn up, engage, and teach this fantastic story. Lessons include listening and speaking, comprehension, writing, art and a memory game. Delicious! Includes 4 Full Lessons Plans Learning Outcomes Printables Sequencing activity Story Mountain Story Planner Worksheets Online resources Learning outcomes English • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising • imagining and exploring ideas • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far • sequencing sentences to form short narratives • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils • develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) writing about real events Art • use drawing and imagination to develop their ideas. • Use tone, pattern, line and shape in pictures. These lessons are written by children’s author and tutor Claire Vorster. Enjoy!

With the right plot, your students can write confident and exciting stories. These Creative Writing lessons start with a simple plotting tool and will build on existing skills, each time adding a new story telling element. Your students will learn how to - • Develop a solid plot structure. • Quickly set themselves up for a successful first draft. • Get tools to keep their stories clear and on track. • Discover how to use a writing prompt to find their starting point. • Remove the fear from the thought of writing a whole story. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Time Allowance 2-4 lessons Activities Speaking and listening, planning, writing, reviewing. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources included in this plan Story Mountain Story Mountain for Advanced Climbers Images - Flood, Worst Hotel Reading - Why should I plan? Reading / Ranking Activity - Famous quotes Activity Sheets Online resource links Please contact Claire Vorster with any questions. Many thanks!

With the right plot, your students can write confident and realistic narrative pieces. Using these bundled lessons your students will discover techniques to help them write stronger, more authentic stories. They will learn to - • Quickly set themselves up for a successful first draft. • Find great stories in the places they may least expect them. • Understand the importance of having a secret story that drives their characters. • Create tension for the reader by escalating the stakes in their story. • Discover what heavy weight boxing champion Muhammad Ali said about defeat, and how it can help more than they think. Activities Speaking and listening, planning, writing, reviewing. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources included in this plan Story Mountain for Advanced Climbers Reading and Comprehension Activities Mini and Comprehensive Writing Activities Famous quotes for discussion Literary examples Online resource links Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions. Thank you!

With the right tools, your students can write confident and compelling narrative pieces. These four activities will help students to discover how a character’s flaws or mistakes can become the engine for an electrifying plot. Your students will learn to - • Craft compelling, honest, potentially hilarious characters using techniques including psychology. • Quickly set themselves up for a successful first draft. • See that it’s good for a story when nothing goes according to plan. • Add a rough edge to the over-perfect characters that can make a story too obvious. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Activities Speaking and listening, reading comprehension, planning, writing, reviewing. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources included in this plan Reading and Comprehension Activities Mini and Comprehensive Writing Activities Famous quotes for discussion Literary examples Story prompts Story planner for students Online resource links

Ray Bradbury’s advice on how to write confident and compelling narrative? “Let the world burn through you. Throw the prism light, white hot, on paper.” With the right tools, your students can write narrative pieces that blaze. In these lessons they’ll gain the skills to become highly attuned to the world around them, develop their voices and create their best work. They will learn how to - • Identify and develop strong ideas that add heat to a story. • Use popular song lyrics to find story ideas and create realistic characters. • Beat writer’s block. Discover the technique that award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin uses to make a great start, every time. • Craft compelling stories that are relevant and timeless. Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies Resources include 5 Activities Story prompts Quotes and song lyrics Story planner for students Online resource links Please contact Claire Vorster with any questions. Many thanks!