a big idea, topic or message that appears in a story

a person, being, thing or animal in a story

strong feelings that result from a person’s circumstances, mood, or relationship with others

the ability to understand other people’s feelings and points of view

Exploring the characters and key themes in 'The Journey'

English

Engaging with the plot of 'The Journey'

Analysing the features of diary entries

Planning the first paragraph of a diary entry based on 'The Journey'

Writing the first paragraph of a diary entry based on 'The Journey'

Planning the second paragraph of  a diary entry based on 'The Journey'

Writing the second paragraph of a diary entry based on 'The Journey'

Publishing a diary entry based on 'The Journey'

In this unit, pupils learned how to switch between present and past tense in a diary entry. In the 'The Firework Maker's Daughter' diary writing unit, pupils will develop their skills of switching between tenses fluently.

In the Persuasive letters unit, pupils learned to write in character using first person. In this unit, pupils developed their skills of writing in character, focusing on describing emotions in detail.

In this unit, pupils write a diary entry based on the picture book 'The Journey' by Francesca Sanna. Pupils use the book as a starting point from which they write a diary entry, focusing on using the first person perspective consistently and practising the skill of varying tense accurately.

'The Journey': diary writing

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Depiction of war, threats of war, death or the aftermath of war.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Depiction or discussion of violence or fighting, including threats of violence or the aftermath of violence.

violent dispute between states or nations

the forced removal of a person from their home or country

holding on to the belief that there will be a positive outcome

adapting to and withstanding difficulties

A war begins in the country where the girls had been living happily.

Their mother decides to flee their country to take them to a safer place.

They are banned from crossing the border and they sleep overnight in the forest.

They have a challenging ferry crossing over rough seas with fellow refugees.

They take a train through many countries and they travel closer to a safe home.

Put the following key moments in 'The Journey' in the correct order.

The continued to travel even when it was incredibly challenging.

Which is the **main way** that the characters showed resilience in 'The Journey'?

the ability to feel sorry for someone else

the ability to understand and share the feelings of another

a person who has been forced to leave their country

a person who chose to leave their country

Who are the main characters in 'The Journey'?

to express your personal thoughts and emotions

In 'The Journey', the girl and her sister were excited about the journey they were about to take.'

Exploring the characters and key themes in 'The Journey'

Lesson outcome

Content guidance