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Year 5 - English

Engaging with the plot of 'The Viewer'

'The Viewer': narrative writing

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils use a picture book stimulus to write the opening and build-up of a narrative. They develop their understanding of how to hook a reader through a narrative opening and how to build and maintain tension in a narrative build-up, using cohesive devices and show-not-tell.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to engage with the plot of 'The Viewer'.

Key Notes

  • 'The Viewer' is a narrative fiction story with elements of mystery and supernatural fantasy.
  • The setting in the opening is a 'dump' in the city.
  • The story features a magical object that is found at the dump.
  • The distinctive illustrations play an important part in telling the story.
  • The story ends in an unusual and mysterious way.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • fiction: when authors create made up stories with characters, places and adventures which did not happen in real life
  • setting: where or when a story takes place
  • fantasy: a genre of fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe
  • mystery: a literary genre that builds suspense and plot for the reader to solve

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may think that fantasy stories are entirely built around fantastical elements and cannot have any parts that are based in real life.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

'The Viewer' is a narrative fiction story with elements of mystery and supernatural fantasy. The setting in the opening is a 'dump' in the city.

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

when authors create made up stories with characters, places and adventures which did not happen in real life.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may think that fantasy stories are entirely built around fantastical elements and cannot have any parts that are based in real life. Correction: Teach pupils that this is a fantasy story, even though there are large parts of it that seem quite naturalistic and real.

More Lessons In This Unit

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