KS1 & KS2 English curriculum

This unit uses and builds on the Year 6 unit, 'Climate emergency: journalistic report writing', in which pupils got into role as a journalist writing a report based on the climate emergency. Here, pupils use a fictional event from the novel 'When the Sky Falls' to write a narrative climax and a journalistic report, using climactic narrative techniques like short sentences and fast time adverbials in the first and key journalistic phraseology and passive voice in the second. This unit's outcomes can be used for pupils' KS2 writing portfolios as they demonstrate all taught cohesive devices.

1. Understanding the structure and historical context of ‘When the Sky Falls’
2. Generating ideas for a narrative climax scene in 'When The Sky Falls'
3. Planning a narrative climax scene in 'When The Sky Falls'
4. Writing the first half of a narrative climax scene in 'When The Sky Falls'
5. Writing the second half of a narrative climax scene in 'When The Sky Falls'
6. Generating ideas for a journalistic report based on 'When the Sky Falls'
7. Planning a journalistic report based on 'When The Sky Falls'
8. Writing the first half of a journalistic report based on 'When The Sky Falls'
9. Writing the second half of a journalistic report based on 'When The Sky Falls'
10. Self-editing a journalistic report based on 'When The Sky Falls'

• When The Sky Falls was written by Phil Earle.
• When The Sky Falls is set in 1941 during the Second World War.
• The Second World War was a major global conflict between 1939 - 1945.
• The German leader, Adolf Hitler, began the war by invading Poland in 1939.
• A 12-year-old boy, Joseph Palmer, is sent from rural Yorkshire to the city.
• Joseph finds himself in the care of Margaret Farrelly.
• Several challenges impact Joseph's life in the city.
• Historical details are interwoven through the fictional narrative.
• Figurative language used by a writer can give the reader deeper insight into characters, setting and plot.
• Images used by a writer can have more than one meaning.