'Jabberwocky': narrative writing
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Why this why now
This unit uses and builds on pupils' knowledge of the narrative writing style from the Year 4 unit ''A Christmas Carol': narrative writing and reading'. The unit starts with an analysis of the plot of the nonsense poem 'Jabberwocky' for pupils to clarify key plot events and to understand nonsense vocabulary used by Carroll. Pupils then write their own version of the complete narrative, writing an opening, build-up, climax and resolution. This unit prepares pupils for writing another complete narrative in the Year 4 unit 'The Happy Prince': narrative writing'.
Prior knowledge requirements
- A narrative can be structured as an opening, build-up, climax and resolution.
- Each part of a story has a specific purpose and intended effect on the reader.
- The intended effect on the reader is achieved through careful vocabulary choices.
- Adjectives describe nouns and adverbials modify verbs.
- There are three main types of sentences: simple, compound and complex
- These must be punctuated accurately with a full stop, capital letter and a comma where needed.
- An adverbial complex sentence consists of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause.
- Speech first in a sentence must be punctuated with inverted commas (with a comma, question or exclamation mark before the closing inverted commas).
Threads
Why this why now
This unit uses and builds on pupils' knowledge of the narrative writing style from the Year 4 unit ''A Christmas Carol': narrative writing and reading'. The unit starts with an analysis of the plot of the nonsense poem 'Jabberwocky' for pupils to clarify key plot events and to understand nonsense vocabulary used by Carroll. Pupils then write their own version of the complete narrative, writing an opening, build-up, climax and resolution. This unit prepares pupils for writing another complete narrative in the Year 4 unit 'The Happy Prince': narrative writing'.
Prior knowledge requirements
- A narrative can be structured as an opening, build-up, climax and resolution.
- Each part of a story has a specific purpose and intended effect on the reader.
- The intended effect on the reader is achieved through careful vocabulary choices.
- Adjectives describe nouns and adverbials modify verbs.
- There are three main types of sentences: simple, compound and complex
- These must be punctuated accurately with a full stop, capital letter and a comma where needed.
- An adverbial complex sentence consists of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause.
- Speech first in a sentence must be punctuated with inverted commas (with a comma, question or exclamation mark before the closing inverted commas).
Reading, writing & oracy
'Jabberwocky': narrative writing
In this unit, pupils write a full narrative based on the nonsense poem 'Jabberwocky' from 'Through the Looking-Glass' by Lewis Carroll. Pupils write an opening, build-up, climax and resolution, focusing on writing all parts of the narrative arc and devoting time to editing their writing.
13 lessons in unit
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