Writing the opening of a narrative based on 'The Man on the Moon'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can write a narrative opening based on 'The Man on the Moon’.
Key learning points
- The purpose of a narrative opening is to introduce the characters and to describe the setting to the reader.
- Saying sentences aloud before they are written helps to check for sense.
- Using the full range of sentence types (simple, compound and complex) improves text flow for the reader.
- A rhetorical question engages the reader and makes them feel more curious about the narrative.
- Show and tell language uses characters' movements, body language and facial expressions to describe feelings.
Keywords
Text flow - how a text is written to keep the reader engaged
Fronted adverbial - a sentence starter followed by a comma
Past tense - shows that the action happened before now
Show and tell - a writing technique for showing a character’s feelings with description of their actions, body language and facial expressions
Rhetorical question - a question asked to the reader that does not expect an answer
Common misconception
Pupils might write about moments that take place in the build-up, climax or resolution.
The opening follows a clear, chronological order that includes the three key moments from pupils' plans.
Teacher tip
Pupils should be given lots of opportunities to say sentences aloud or to write sentences on whiteboards, using the notes from their plan ahead of writing.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Put the key moments of the opening in the correct order.
Q2.Which sentence is correctly punctuated?
Q3.Which of these nouns must start with a capital letter?
Q4.Which of these sentences is punctuated correctly?
Q5.Match the word class to its example.
living room
curiously
restless
gazed
Q6.Before writing sentences down, it is helpful to them aloud first.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The purpose of the opening is to:
Q2.When we write, we:
Q3.'Whatever could it be?' is an example of ...
Q4.'Her jaw dropped.' is an example of ...
Q5.Match the sentence types to their examples.
The young girl sighed in boredom.
Lily slumped on the sofa and she sighed in boredom.
As she slumped on the sofa, Lily sighed in boredom.
Q6.Complete the following complex sentence with an appropriate subordinate clause: 'Lily's eyes widened __________.'
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Writing the opening of a narrative based on 'The Man on the Moon', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Writing the opening of a narrative based on 'The Man on the Moon', 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 'The Man on the Moon': narrative writing unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.