Writing paragraph two of the build up of 'A Christmas Carol'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can write the second paragraph of the build-up of ‘A Christmas Carol’.
Key learning points
- The second paragraph of the build-up heightens the suspense and reveals the Ghost of Jacob Marley.
- Precise vocabulary is used to describe sensory details and ‘show and tell’ conveys Scrooge’s emotions.
- Fronted adverbials of time, place and manner add greater detail to the main clause and support in building suspense.
- Marley informs Scrooge of the visits he will be paid by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
- Reported speech is used to share the important messages Marley conveys without quoting him directly.
Keywords
Suspense - a state of feeling excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen
Fronted adverbial - a sentence starter followed by a comma
Reported speech - the form of speech used to share what was said by someone without using a direct quote
Common misconception
The examples given for fronted adverbials of manner are adverbs ending in 'ly'. Children may assume this is the only way to write a fronted adverbial of manner.
Provide additional examples of fronted adverbials of manner that are phrases rather than individual words. E.g. 'With a grave expression on his face,...'.
Teacher tip
Create a shared mind map of the key messages Marley conveys to Scrooge and verbs to describe how he might deliver them to support children in writing reported speech.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.True or false? The second paragraph of the build-up should heighten the suspense.
Q2.Put the following events for paragraph two of the build-up in the correct order.
Q3.What is a fronted adverbial?
Q4.Match each type of fronted adverbial to its definition.
Q5.True or false? I can only convey Scrooge's emotions by explicitly stating how he felt.
Q6.True or false? When heightening the suspense, a range of sensory details should be described before Marley appears.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which piece of punctuation always follows a fronted adverbial?
Q2.Match the types of fronted adverbial to the correct examples.
Q3.True or false? Fronted adverbials of manner are particularly helpful for conveying a character's emotions.
Q4.Match each example of a fronted adverbial of manner to their definitions.
Q5.What is reported speech?
Q6.True or false? A range of verbs and adverbs should be used when writing reported speech.
To help you plan your 4 English lesson on: Writing paragraph two of the build up of 'A Christmas Carol', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 English lesson on: Writing paragraph two of the build up of 'A Christmas Carol', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 English lessons from the 'A Christmas Carol': narrative writing and reading unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.