Write a Book to Change the World
Learning Sequence 2
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Introduction
This week, our students will dive deeper into understanding their characters, exploring the nuances that make each one unique. We’ll focus on the significance of carefully selecting characters and settings, emphasizing how these elements are crucial for crafting a compelling narrative.
By doing so, we aim to show that for a story to truly resonate and be enjoyable for readers, meticulous planning and thoughtful consideration of every detail are essential. Engaging with these aspects not only enriches the story but also enhances the reader’s experience, making the journey through the narrative a memorable one.
This week, we will concentrate on choosing the main characters for our story and determining its setting.
Although we may not fully visualise the entire story at this moment, by the end of the week, we aim to have a better idea of the characters that will feature in our story and where it will unfold.
One key factor this week is adjectives and using the power of descriptions to paint a vivid picture in the mind of the reader.
It’s a week dedicated to unleashing our imagination and creativity! Have fun and let your imagination run wild.
Weekly Keywords
Introduce the spelling word list and choose from this list of tasks that can be repeated and expanded upon if necessary.
Copy the words into a spelling list/Vocabulary book for later reference.
Put each of the new words into a sentence and underline the new vocabulary in red pencil
Place the words in alphabetical order in a list.
Use a dictionary to define each of the words and place them into a vocabulary book.
Try to represent each of the words using a picture or a symbol and play the guessing game. (which image is matched to which word)
Write a paragraph containing all of the new vocabulary.
Make a vocabulary wall containing all of the new words.
Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for the words and create a synonym list.
These words will help you during this week’s lesson. You may already know some of these words however practice makes perfect!
First, read the words and then try to define them as simply as possible.
An example has been completed for you. You can write these into your books, and draw a picture to match or simply complete the task card.
Read and Discuss - ‘Weekly Warm-Up Activity’
Each week we will read several pages of ‘Are These Your Glasses?’ and discuss the things we can see and understand from the text and illustrations.
This activity will equip the students with the skills they need to write their own book, using this sample as their modelled example.
Reflect on last week’s reading from our book and together, let’s read pages (6-9). Pay close attention to the characters introduced this week and note the setting where our story unfolds.
Weekly Comprehension (Discussion)
This week, we’ll present a variety of questions on the board for our students to explore, covering literal, inferential, and applied aspects. It’s beneficial to remind the class about these three distinct types of questions and encourage them to identify which category each question falls into.
This activity promotes a deeper understanding and critical thinking skills. We’ll have the students work in pairs to discuss and answer the questions verbally, fostering a sense of collaboration. Following this, pairs will share their insights with the entire class, creating a vibrant atmosphere of communication, boosting confidence, and sparking creativity throughout the room.
This interactive approach not only aids in comprehension but also in developing essential interpersonal skills and a supportive classroom community.
In pairs, consider the questions below and prepare to share your insights with the class:
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What activity were the large group of penguins engaged in?
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What did the girls leave behind on the floor?
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How did the girl’s emotions change after the group departed?
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What reasons might the group of girls have for shouting at her?
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Why do you suppose Sergio chose to help her?
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In what ways did Sergio demonstrate his concern?
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If you encountered someone in tears, how would you respond, and why?
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Describe the girl’s feelings after the departure of the group.
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Do you believe Sergio’s actions were appropriate? Explain your reasoning.
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Have you ever offered assistance to someone? How did it make you feel?
Look and Discuss - ‘Describing the Characters and Setting’
In this lesson, we’ll guide the children towards appreciating the role of inferential clues, both in images and texts, enriching their analytical skills.
We’ll explore how settings, like a stark and cold polar landscape, can significantly impact a story’s atmosphere and character dynamics.
The children will be encouraged to observe details such as the characters’ clothing and gestures, which can reveal much about their personalities and relationships without explicit description.
A picture can tell a lot of the story in picture books, even more than words sometimes.
In picture books, we don’t use many words because the pictures do most of the storytelling.
Take a look at the task card and try to find clues in the pictures about the characters and where the story happens. What can you guess about who the characters are or where the story is set without any words?
Read the questions below the image and try to answer them with your partner, and then let the whole class know.
It’s important to pay attention to these details. They help make your story complete even when you use just a few words
Writing Activity - Describing your Characters
Before writing a story, it’s crucial for children to choose their characters and grasp their personalities deeply. Encouraging children to draw their characters aids in visualising their appearances.
This activity is complemented by writing exercises that delve into each character’s unique traits, setting the stage for their actions and interactions within the story. This approach ensures children thoughtfully consider character development, laying a solid foundation for their storytelling.
It is now time to decide which characters are going to feature in your story, but before picking your them, keep these ideas in mind:
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This is your own story, so let your imagination run wild! Pigs might fly, horses could talk, and even plants might go on shopping trips. Remember, anything can happen in your story!
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Try to focus on having three main characters. It’s okay to have other characters too, but starting with three main ones is a good idea.
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Get to know your characters really well. Think about people you know to make your characters unique and different from each other.
Use the template opposite to help decide on your characters. Be as creative as you want and take your time drawing them.
Describing your Setting
This approach not only introduces children to adjectives and adverbs but also guides older students through the intricate concepts of abstract nouns and personification.
They learn to convey experiences and sensations invisible to others, like visualizing memories, hearing absent voices, or even smelling intangible elements like hope or fear.
This method significantly enhances creativity, encouraging children to stretch their imagination and enrich their writing with vivid, innovative descriptions that bring their narratives to life in uniquely personal ways.
Now that you’ve picked your characters, it’s important to decide where your story is going to happen.
You can set your story anywhere you want, but you should really know this place well.
Even if you haven’t been there, you need to be able to describe it clearly. We need these details for when we draw the pictures for your book!
The template will help you write about your setting.
Draw a picture of your setting, colour it in and then complete the table with things that the characters might, see, hear, smell and feel. An example has been done for you.
Remember – Try to describe things that you can’t actually see. These are called abstract nouns. Like, maybe you can ‘hear’ thoughts or ‘see’ memories in your mind.
These words will help you a lot when it comes to writing your manuscript.
Closing Video With Gavin
So far you have covered a great deal of the story planning concept. We have now decided on the following:
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What type of story we are writing.
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Who will the characters be?
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Where the story will be set.
Next week we will decide on the main events of the story, including the Introduction, complication and the resolution.
Ongoing Follow-Up Activities
Extension Activity - Buddy Program Week 2
Children from year 3 upwards should be paired with a younger child in the school.
Please allow the buddy to prepare to deliver their very own lesson by downloading the lesson plan attached above.
As Confucius once said, “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”
Your next task is to use the guide we discussed and assist younger students in planning, brainstorming, and getting ready to write their own stories. You’ll be both a teacher and a leader.
Refer to the buddy checklist to keep track of what you need to teach your buddy.
When teaching younger children, remember it’s important to speak clearly, listen attentively, and proceed slowly.
Extension Activity #2 - Create Your Very Own Finger Puppets
In this activity, students will consolidate their understanding by creating finger puppets, a hands-on project that encourages creativity and reinforces key messages from their stories. They will design and decorate their puppets, transforming characters from their narrative into tangible, interactive tools.
This reenactment through puppetry allows them to articulate and internalise the story’s core themes dynamically. For detailed crafting instructions, a supporting video is available. This approach enhances learning through artistic expression and peer teaching.
To add a touch of fun and creativity, consider transforming your newly created characters into finger puppets.
After decorating and designing your puppets, they can assist in bringing your story to life for younger students and your classmates, facilitating the sharing of your book’s key messages in a highly creative and imaginative manner.
Check out the video for guidance on crafting your own finger puppets.