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Year 4 - English

Planning the final paragraph of a diary entry based on 'Into the Forest'

'Into the Forest': diary writing

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils write a diary entry based on the picture book 'Into the Forest' by Anthony Browne. Pupils use the book as a starting point from which they write a diary entry, focusing on using the first person perspective consistently and practising the skill of varying tense accurately.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to plan the final paragraph of a diary entry based on 'Into the Forest'.

Key Notes

  • This paragraph recounts the final part of the boy's journey and his discovery that his dad is at his grandma's.
  • The boys emotions heighten and he experiences intense fear leading up to him being reunited with his grandma and dad.
  • Thoughts and feelings can be explicitly stated and conveyed through the use of 'show and tell'.
  • There is a shift from past to present tense during the final paragraph.
  • Present tense writing at the end of a diary entry conveys current reflections and feelings.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • emotions: strong feelings that result from a person's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others
  • 'show and tell': a writing technique for showing a character's feelings with description of their actions and expressions
  • present tense: refers to a verb form that indicates an action or state happening in the current moment
  • reflection: a careful thought or consideration

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may find it hard to come up with ambitious vocabulary for each part of their plan.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

This paragraph recounts the final part of the boy's journey and his discovery that his dad is at his grandma's. The boys emotions heighten and he experiences intense fear leading up to him being reunited with his grandma and dad.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'emotions'

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

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may find it hard to come up with ambitious vocabulary for each part of their plan. Correction: Come up with precise and ambitious vocabulary as a class first and create a word bank for display. Pupils could work in pairs or small groups to complete their plans.

More Lessons In This Unit

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