The Way Back Home - Writing workshop for Y2/3

An example of a Literacy Shed lesson.  Approx 90 mins - 2 hours.

Show an image of stars and discuss with the pupils what they know about space.

Following this discussion then I lead the children on a 'guided voyage' through a soundscape while the children close their eyes and listen to the soundtrack from the following film.  (I play from around 50 secs)

While the children have their eyes closed take the children on an imaginary voyage.  Prompt them using the following utterances.
- Imagine you are weightless, floating without your feet touching the ground.
- Look around - all is dark but you can see stars and planets and moons all around you.
- What can you see in the distance? Is it a planet? What colour is it?  Is it big or small?  Who do you think lives there? 
- You head towards it, how do you feel as you near it?

Play the verb game, ask the children to move around the classroom as an alien or an astronaut.  Stop the children and discuss their movements.  Ask what movement they have been acting out.  Flying, floating, walking, waving, talking etc.  Discuss what each child has been acting out.  Each of these words end in the suffix -ing, all of these words are actions and we call these verbs.

Watch the following film 'Way Back Home'

Whilst watching the film, pause at appropriate points to check children's understanding.

Show the children the following image:

Ask the children to describe a part of one of the aliens.  For example 'one bulging eye,'  a large grey head' the children then move around the classroom reading out their post it.  Children are tasked with listening and finding someone who has described the same alien as them.  Ask if they think they can join the two descriptions together using a connective. 

Once this activity has taken place then ask the children to look at the image of this fantasy planet. 

The children once again make notes of what they can see on post it notes and place them on a language track.  (two rows of masking tape on the carpet)  Once the post its are stuck on the track all children then read all of the responses.  
Once the children have read all of the descriptions then the children choose their favourite.  They then read their favourite description out as children take turns to walk down the track, a little like conscience alley.

Rewatch the film so that it is fresh in the minds of the children.  Pause at the point where our hero meets the alien.  Ask the children to act out this dialogue with their partners and share some great examples with the rest of the class.

Children then retell the story using the story map - adding in their own descriptions of the planet and the alien.

The children then rewrite the story in their own words.  This needs to be done using the conventions that you usually use in class, the writing frames, support structures that the children are used to.

If you would like to discuss any of this lesson please use twitter @redgierob or leave a comment.

Thanks

Rob

We offer writing workshops from Y1 - Y9 and can cater for most themes and text types.  Email rob@literacyshed.com for details.