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Year 6

Generating ideas for a narrative climax scene in 'When The Sky Falls'

I can generate ideas for writing part of the climax of ‘When the Sky Falls’, including descriptive and emotional details.

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New
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Year 6

Generating ideas for a narrative climax scene in 'When The Sky Falls'

I can generate ideas for writing part of the climax of ‘When the Sky Falls’, including descriptive and emotional details.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Writing is most successful when it is planned.
  2. We need to generate ideas for what to write about based on a stimulus.
  3. We can generate ideas about descriptive details as well as the main character's emotions.
  4. In this part of the climax, Joseph is racing to the zoo to guard Adonis and he is struggling with the reality of this.
  5. The details we generate should build an appropriate mood - in this case, a mood of panic and fear.

Common misconception

Pupils may struggle to generate ideas for Joseph's feelings and emotions at different points of the climax.

You may want to add in role-play tasks as a 'way in' to the different points, modelling your thoughts in role as Joseph before giving pupils the chance to do the same.

Keywords

  • Climax - the point in the narrative where the suspense and excitement reach their highest point

  • Senses - the physical abilities of sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste

  • Emotions - strong feelings that result from a person's circumstances, mood or relationships with others

You may wish to include additional materials about air raids to support pupils' idea generation; they should also refer to their artworks from previous lessons. Today's ideas should be kept for the following planning lesson.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2021 Andersen Press edition of ‘When the Sky Falls’ written by Phil Earle for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which element of the narrative structure comes last?
opening
climax
Correct answer: resolution
build-up
Q2.
Which part of the narrative structure is usually where the 'problems' are first introduced?
opening
Correct answer: build-up
climax
resolution
Q3.
In which part of the narrative structure would this event fall? 'Joseph and Mrs F weep together after Adonis' death.'
opening
build-up
climax
Correct answer: resolution
Q4.
What 'problem' is resolved by the death of Adonis in 'When the Sky Falls'?
the problem of Joseph struggling to read
the problem of Bert's bullying
the problem of Mr Gryce bullying Joseph
Correct answer: the problem of Adonis being threatened with removal and being shot
Q5.
Which of the events would form part of the build-up in 'When the Sky Falls'?
Joseph steals the cheese and bacon from the man on the train.
Correct answer: We learn that Joseph cannot read.
Correct answer: We learn that Joseph's father has died.
Joseph tries to save Adonis from being shot.
Q6.
Which of these problems are resolved during the course of 'When the Sky Falls'?
Correct answer: Adonis' future is uncertain.
Joseph cannot read.
Correct answer: Joseph struggles to form relationships with people.
The Second World War is raging.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Why is the section of 'When the Sky Falls' when Joseph runs to the zoo through the air raid part of the climax?
because it's when we see the zoo for the first time
Correct answer: because it is very tense
Correct answer: because it is very dramatic
because it is where the problems in the story are resolved
Q2.
Put these events from part of the climax in order.
1 - Joseph runs through the streets towards the zoo.
2 - He scales the fence and he finds the gun.
3 - He trains the gun on Adonis.
4 - He is knocked to the ground by the force of explosions nearby.
Q3.
Which sense is shown in this description? 'The heat from the flames pushed Joseph back; he knew it was no use him trying to fight the fire.'
sight
Correct answer: feel
smell
hearing
taste
Q4.
Which sense are we unlikely to refer to in this section?
feel
smell
sight
hearing
Correct answer: taste
Q5.
Match the methods of showing emotion to the examples.
Correct Answer:stating thoughts and feelings,Joseph knew he had to get there; he had no choice.

Joseph knew he had to get there; he had no choice.

Correct Answer:show-not-tell,Joseph's eyes filled with tears as he looked through the gun's sight.

Joseph's eyes filled with tears as he looked through the gun's sight.

Correct Answer:rhetorical question,Would he really be able to do it?

Would he really be able to do it?

Q6.
Which point in the climax does this emotive detail relate to? 'Joseph knew he had to get up; he had to do his duty.'
Joseph running through the air raid to the zoo
Joseph climbing the fence, getting the gun and training it on Adonis
Correct answer: Joseph being knocked down several times by explosions