In this activity, children are creating their own Newspaper headlines from the events described in the grid, using Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. Originally used as part of a Beowulf themed Newspaper writing unit and has since been used in Year 4 and 5. Children were to create several headlines using the information in the grid or their own, using the grid for ideas or to start. Editable grid so can easily be adapted to your children’s interests or current class topic, or extra rows can be added or text removed etc.

A helpful sheet / success criteria for children use to self or peer assess their own diary writing. Used with a Year 4 and 5 class for them to self assess, then peer assess their own independent writing at the end of the unit. The sheet is a word document so can be easily edited and adapted.

A simple success criteria for children writing a newspaper report in Year 4. Two columns on the sheet, for self and teacher assessment. Also included the publisher files so that a column can easily be added for peer-assessment.

A short and simple activity where children need to identify if the statement is either a fact or opinion. Used with a Year 4 and 5 class as a starter during a Newspaper Report writing unit. Also includes an extension task where children are creating their own sentences for their partner to then identify if their statements are facts or opinions. Editable word document included.

A simple differentiated success criteria for children writing a diary entry in Year 5. Also contains an adapted sheet for peer-assessment, where children are self and peer assessing. This is a word document so an extra column could easily be added for teacher assessment.

A short English activity focusing on evaluating the children’s trip to the National Space Centre in Leicester. The children are asked to complete the following; Write down 2 things that you learned at the space centre: What was your favourite thing to see and why? Write a short diary entry to describe the day – focus on your experience at The Space Centre and not on the coach. Used with a Year 5 class following a school trip. Both the docx and pdf for easy editing, as well as a version that can be completed on the sheet and an A5 explainer for completing in books.

A simple starter where children are finding and identifying adverbs. The paragraph is based around the story of Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo. I have used this as a starter activity, revision and as part of a main lesson in Year 4, 5 and 6.

A model setting description of the Taj Mahal in India. I used this with a Year 4/5 class as part of the topic Around the World in 80 days. Fully editable word document so you can customise for your own class. The writing unit that links with this description is available here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12641568

Success Criteria for writing a recount for Year 2 and Year 3 children - used with children retelling the story of Paddington but this could be used for any story! Differentiated 3 ways; Year 3 HA Year 3 MA Year 2 HA/Year 3 LA

A simple sheet of Wow Words (adjectives) for children to use as a scaffold when writing descriptions. Children could use these as part of a learning journal or have them available on their desks whilst writing to improve their vocabulary. It could also be printed A3 for the children to add to as a group task. Aimed at and used with a Year 4 class. This document is also included in the Norwegian Fjord setting description unit here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12641564

This is a prepositions lesson/activity themed around the story of Beowulf. I used this spag activity as part of a larger writing unit, where children were retelling the story of Beowulf. Ideal for Year 3/4. Differentiation: the higher achievers were expected to write more sentences including prepositions and extend them using conjunctions and other grammatical devices we had been learning about.

Blank storyboard for you to use with anything you wish! Save the time making one and use this one! Both word documents and pdfs available. The pdf will easily print onto A3 to give children more writing space. I used this to make a TV advert - something the children really enjoyed.

Used within a Year 4 writing unit, where children were retelling the story of Beowulf. This is an example story opening for the children’s Beowulf recount, used to show children a model and the grammatical features that were expected. Full lesson where children are identifying features of the story opening available here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-13119752

A drama lesson based around Kensuke’s Kingdom by Micheal Morpurgo. My Year 5 class loved this lesson. The children are asked out 2 scenes from the story with the stimulus provided. I used this as part of a diary writing unit for character development so one of the stimulus is a diary entry and the other a video of sailing across the open ocean. Includes powerpoint and resources. Children are to devise/rough plan their scenes first before creating them. One of the planning sheets is more structured to support some children - although I have found using mixed ability groups works well. Children could also use the unstructured support sheet as some groups preferred to mind map, bullet point or write keywords down.

A sheet for children to use when writing their Newspaper Reports. There is space for the headline, photo, caption and main body. Version with and without lines if children are using a line guide etc. Editable version (publisher) and pdf files for easy printing to A3.

A handy sheet for children to use when planning to write a Newspaper Report. Editable file and pdf included for easy printing. I printed this in A3 for the children to write onto and use in class, and then photocopied this down to A4 for their books or to go with the assessed writing. Includes: Headline Who, What, Where, When, Why Fronted adverbials / sentence starters Quotes Extra information about the story (Main Body) Conclusion Originally used with a Year 4 class but easily adaptable to other age groups. Completed example based on Little Red Riding Hood included for children to see how to complete the planning sheet. Example is also editable in case you wish to adapt the sheet for you class. If your class is using the story of Beowulf, please see this resource for a themed example and scaffolded plan: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-13120284

A handy sheet for children to use when planning to write a Newspaper Report themed to the story of Beowulf by Micheal Morpurgo. Editable file and pdf included for easy printing. I printed this in A3 for the children to write onto and use in class, and then photocopied this down to A4 for their books or to go with the assessed writing. Includes: Headline Who, What, Where, When, Why Fronted adverbials / sentence starters Quotes Extra information about the story (Main Body) Conclusion Originally used with a Year 4 class but easily adaptable to other age groups. 3 versions; Blank sheet Completed sheet for modelling Scaffolded sheet with the why box pre-filled All 3 versions are editable with the publisher files included so you can adapt the sheets for your class.

Used as part of a Year 4 writing unit, where children are writing a Newspaper Report about the fight between Beowulf and Grendel, where Grendel is defeated The sheet contains the first person accounts written in the point of view from those involved with the fight - as if they had been interviewed by a reported. Children can then lift quotes from this to use during their newspaper report. Editable word document included. Characters covered: Beowulf - speaking after the fight with Grendel King Hrothgar - speaking in The Mead Hall the next day People of Heorot - speaking in The Mead Hall Leofric - Beowulf’s warrior - speaking at the scene of the fight

Lesson 3 in the writing unit where children are learning to write a setting description. This lesson focuses on using exciting adjectives and vocabulary to describe the setting. Children are also challenged to use a simile if they have learned about this previously. Aimed at a Year 4/5 class. Activity is differentiated 4 ways, for LA, MA and HA Y4 children and then Y5 children. Lesson contains; Recap features of a good setting description Using the adjective ‘big’ as a boring example and up-levelling this as class using synoyms and looking these up in a thesaurus Recap of our setting - The Taj Mahal Brainstorm in small groups to create synonyms, using thesaurses to help Whole class writing using the brainstormed words to create a descriptive and exciting sentence Peer-assessment of the class written sentence Independent work, children are using the differentiated worksheets to improve the provided sentences and then write their own.

Lesson 4 activity for the writing unit where children are learning to write their own setting description. This activity is differentiated 3 ways with children; Identifying similes and metaphors in a sentence Constructing their own similes or metaphors with support Writing their own similes or metaphors This was used with a Year 4 class so only the HA children are asked to write metaphors. No powerpoint presentation included - only the activity sheets.