Narrative Y4T1 Planning, paragraphs and character sketches - PGCE

department foreducation and skillsNarrative Y4 T1 Planning, paragraphs &character sketchesThe National Literacy Strategy1ObjectivesY4T1T9 to use different ways of planning stories, e.g. brainstorming, notes, diagrams;Y4T1T10 to plan a story identifying the stages of its telling;Y4T1T11 to write character sketches, focusing on small details to evoke sympathy or dislike in historical stories,e.g. How would I have responded? What would I do next?;Y4T1T15 to use paragraphs in story writing to organise and sequence the narrative.Principles and explanationThe activities are planned for a week’s work (at least) when The Wreck of the Zanzibar by Michael Morpurgo isbeing read to the class. As it draws to a close, the narrative is used to develop a further narrative of the heroine’sbrother Billy’s voyage and adventures aboard the Zanzibar. There are several related text-level reading objectives:Y4T1T1 to investigate how settings and characters are built up from small details, and how the reader respondsto them;Y4T1T2 to identify the main characteristics of the key characters, drawing on text to justify views, and using theinformation to predict actions;Y4T1T3 to explore chronology in narrative using written or other media texts, by mapping how much time passesin the course of the story, e.g. noticing where there are jumps in time, or where some events are skimmed overquickly and others told in detail;Y4T1T4 to explore narrative order: identify and map out the main stages of the story:introductions build ups climaxes or conflicts resolutions.Diaries are powerful vehicles for reflecting the emotional stance of the writer. During this work, the class build anarrative for the unknown experience of Billy Perryman while on board ship. His departure is a turning point in thetext, yet we read little or nothing about his life, hearing only about the consequences for Laura and her family onthe island of Bryher. In this sequence of work his character is developed through flashbacks and interiormonologues, and his relationship with Joseph Hannibal is explored. He is a contrasting character and again oneabout whom little is known.The week’s work culminates in the production of A Class Diary of Billy Perryman which documents moments inthe sequential narrative of his life at sea. His adventures are planned retrospectively at the close of the book andmirror, in form, the diary entries of the text itself, which is his sister’s diary. Prior to the week, read The Wreck ofthe Zanzibar by Michael Morpurgo, at least as far as page 110, when Billy, Laura’s brother, returns safely homeaboard the wrecked Zanzibar.© 2001 Crown Copyright Narrative Y4 T1 Planning, paragraphs & character sketches www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/literacy

2Day OneCapturing ideas: reading with a writer’s eyeReread pages 108 to 110 and think about the kinds of places Billy might have visited, about his ‘friend’ JosephHannibal (who had arranged for Billy to join a ship as a cabin boy), as well as discussing how Billy felt about hisadventures.Ask the class to work in groups, creating freeze-frame flashbacks of one of Billy’s very early encounters when, afew days after he left Bryher, he wondered whether he’d made the right decision. Once these are nearly readyask each group to title their tableaux, writing on long strips of paper.Observe these as a class. You could now reread pages 31 to 34, when Billy determines to leave Bryher, to enrichtheir understanding of his state of mind at the time. Then, select one of the incidents shown when Billy wasscared/fed up/lonely, etc. and undertake interior monologues. In this drama convention, each child (and you) is inrole as Billy, speaking out loud Billy’s thoughts and worries at the moment of tension. These inner thoughts aresimultaneously voiced in class and will help the children empathise with the character.Shared writingKeep the atmosphere reflective and together scribe Billy’s diary entry that evening on board ship. Aim to create apiece of writing that:describes the events of the day and Billy’s role in them;indicates how Billy feels about the situation;implies/states what he is going to do about his situation;reveals something of Billy’s character, e.g. behaviour, emotions, language.Review this piece together in relation to the aims above that you set yourself.Supported compositionAsk the class to write a reflective recount of that day, or another early entry, in role as Billy, which includes thestrands above and reveals his character traits and vulnerability. During the writing (after 10 minutes perhaps),intervene and ask children to read aloud evidence of one of the strands to ensure that all are encompassed and along description of the event is avoided.In the plenary read examples and list on the easel what is now known about Billy - do the children feelsympathetic towards his plight or has he received his just deserts for abandoning his family in search of a newlife? Reflect upon the values expressed in his behaviour.Day TwoCapturing ideas: dramaReread page 27, in which Joseph Hannibal, the old sailor, is described. Suggest that Hannibal is hot seated soyou can build up a richer picture of this character. Ask for a couple of volunteers to join you on the hot seat.Hypothesise that some investigators/journalists who were exploring Billy’s whereabouts went to interviewHannibal on his return to England.© 2001 Crown Copyright Narrative Y4 T1 Planning, paragraphs & character sketches www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/literacy

Provide time for questions to be generated (in pairs) and recorded on whiteboards, while you discuss Hannibal’scharacter with those adopting his role. Try to weave in Day One’s ideas about Billy and Hannibal. Join the childrenon the hot seat and try to highlight three strands in Hannibal’s relationship with Billy:meeting and persuading;life on board ship - comradeship;difficulties and the eventual split.3Shared writingAfter the hot seating activity, ask the class to state what they now know about Hannibal. Record these on theboard around a silhouetted head shape - separating factual information from opinion and recording the viewsexpressed and the evidence offered. For example “he’s mean and selfish - he said he’d forgotten to return Billy’smoney but I don’t believe he ever meant to return it, he had plenty of opportunities”. This scribing activity createsa bridge between the drama and later writing, relies upon inferential understanding and deduction and providesuseful raw material for the class to use in their character descriptions.DemonstrationShow the class how to use this character knowledge in a brief paragraph about Hannibal, documenting his earlyrelationship with Billy on land. Highlight ways of integrating the phrases and insights recorded about him into thewriting and explain what these add to the sense of his character.Supported compositionChallenge the class to write two paragraphs, one about Billy’s early relationship with this sailor and one about hisdeveloping comradeship with the man. These need to convey Joseph Hannibal’s character: his behaviour,speech, appearance and emotions. Intervene to share examples and to ask the class to underline the words,phrases and ideas they’ve used from the hot seat. Praise their ability to make use of these ideas in their writing.In the plenary, use response partners, and then share some examples with the whole class.Day ThreeCapturing ideas: class discussion and dramaRemind the class how the relationship deteriorated between Billy and Hannibal and how following a final incidentof some kind, Billy left the General Lee and got a job on board the Zanzibar. Discuss suggestions about whathappened and list these. Suggest the children in pairs/groups improvise the incident which prompted Billy’sdeparture. They could do this sitting down or in the available space. Listen to/observe snippets of these as aclass.Shared writingChoosing one idea or dominant theme, scribe their suggestions as another entry in Billy’s diary about thissignificant incident and his decision to leave the General Lee and seek work elsewhere. Review the entry as aclass - what does it state or imply about Billy’s emotions at this time? how does the writing convey Billy’smotivations and feelings at this time?Supported compositionAsk the children to make their own diary entry, in role as Billy, about the incident. For differentiation purposes,some may be challenged to weave in other memories of difficulties between the pair, as flashbacks in thenarrative. Highlight and discuss how their writing conveys knowledge about Billy’s emotional state. What mighthis mother have thought had she read the entry?© 2001 Crown Copyright Narrative Y4 T1 Planning, paragraphs & character sketches www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/literacy

4Day FourShared writingShow the class a large emotions graph you’ve begun on the board, which illustrates some of the significantmoments in Billy’s adventures. Explain how this maps out the main stages in Billy's adventures and highlights hisperspective. See the diagram below.Show the class how this can reflect Billy’s feelings at these moments in his narrative and add a word or phrase todescribe his emotional state each time. Map in the moments which have been explored so far in the week’swork. Explain how each of these incidents could represent a paragraph in Billy’s journey. Ask the class tosuggest two or three more incidents, and their related emotions, which can be added and may also reflect histime aboard the Zanzibar.DemonstrationSelect one ‘new’ incident and compose a paragraph about it as a diary entry, modelling the process of describingthe action, talking through Billy’s emotional stance and perhaps his thoughts about this part of his journey.Review whether your writing has effectively conveyed a sense of Billy’s character, his role in events, his behaviour,emotions and language.Supported compositionAsk the children to choose one of Billy’s experiences mapped onto the emotions graph and write a paragraphwhich both reveals more about Billy and describes the incident. Review these and hear a range of exampleswhich span his emotional highs and lows.© 2001 Crown Copyright Narrative Y4 T1 Planning, paragraphs & character sketches www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/literacy

5Day FiveCapturing ideas: drama and storytellingRevisit the emotions graph, which tells Billy’s tale, and allocate particular moments to groups. Agree a rough timeframe so each group can date their entry and add the dates to the emotions graph. Ask each group to show theirincident as a freeze frame and watch each tableau in sequential order. As the narrator, tell the tale from yourperspective (Billy’s) as if you were rereading your diary entries after your safe return home and telling Laura aboutyour trip. Highlight the passage of time and explore the consequences of previous incidents on your behaviour.DemonstrationUsing an enlarged copy or OHT of one child’s writing from Day Four, together as a class highlight the strengths ofthis piece and areas for the child to work on in relation to the objectives set. Involve the child concerned and theclass’s views. Model how it might be improved.Supported compositionAsk the class to select one of their previously written paragraphs from earlier in the week and, joining with aresponse partner, review it and reshape it to make it more effectively convey Billy’s character, his views of othersand his experience. Explain that these entries are going to be published in a class diary of Billy Perryman.Intervene during this work to share specific examples of changes being made. Challenge each child to produceone edited paragraph. These can be proof read, word processed, illustrated, dated, ordered and made into adiary which documents Billy’s journey from Bryher across the oceans and back home again. This can be placedin the school/class library.© 2001 Crown Copyright Narrative Y4 T1 Planning, paragraphs & character sketches www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/literacy