Year 5 - English
Planning part two of the opening of 'Macbeth'
Shakespeare's 'Macbeth': narrative and soliloquy writing
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils have their first taste of Shakespearean play scripts. They analyse the witches' prologue of this iconic play as a starting point for writing a narrative opening. Pupils investigate the central character, writing a soliloquy based on Macbeth's famous dagger monologue.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical features to plan a narrative opening of 'Macbeth'.
Key Notes
- Writing is most successful when it is planned.
- A narrative opening should engage the reader and describe the setting and any characters who are present.
- This narrative outcome will be written in the third person.
- Dialogue can be used to convey character and advance the action.
- Variation in vocabulary and sentence structure engages the reader and enhances text cohesion.
Vocabulary To Learn
- adjective: a word that describes a noun
- fronted adverbial: a sentence starter followed by a comma
- inverted commas: a pair of punctuation marks that signal direct speech to the reader
- reporting clause: a clause that tells the reader who said the speech sentence and how
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils might spend too much time on their sketch, not leaving them with enough time for their annotations.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Writing is most successful when it is planned. A narrative opening should engage the reader and describe the setting and any characters who are present.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'adjective'
a word that describes a noun.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils might spend too much time on their sketch, not leaving them with enough time for their annotations. Correction: Model drawing a sketch yourself. You could also give pupils a timer of two minutes to complete their sketch in. For pupils who are struggling, you might provide a printed sketch of the witches to support them.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Analysing a scene in the build-up of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Analysing the main character in 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Exploring characters and setting in the opening scene of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Generating vocabulary for the opening of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Identifying the features of a soliloquy Study Guide
- Peer editing a soliloquy based on 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Peer editing the opening of a narrative based on 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Performing a soliloquy in character as Macbeth Study Guide
- Planning and writing the 'against' section of Macbeth's soliloquy Study Guide
- Planning and writing the 'for' section of Macbeth's soliloquy Study Guide
- Planning and writing the closing thoughts of Macbeth's soliloquy Study Guide
- Planning part one of the opening of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Understanding the context of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Understanding themes, characters and plot in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Writing part one of the opening of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
- Writing part two of the opening of 'Macbeth' Study Guide
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