Year 6 - English
Understanding the structure and historical context of 'When the Sky Falls'
'When the Sky Falls': narrative and journalistic report writing
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils write a narrative climax and a journalistic report based on the text, 'When the Sky Falls', focusing on changing tone and style to meet each outcome's purpose. The journalistic report is based on an event in the novel. These outcomes can be used for KS2 SATS writing.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to identify the structure of the story in 'When the Sky Falls' and you can describe the historical context of the climax of the book.
Key Notes
- 'When the Sky Falls' is a complex novel with several plot lines - such as Joseph's struggle with reading.
- Different plot lines are resolved at different points in the story.
- We can argue that the air raid at the zoo is the climax of the story.
- The resolution of the story is not a 'happy ending' - the 'problem' of guarding Adonis is resolved by his death.
- The historical context of the climax - the Blitz - is key to the narrative.
Vocabulary To Learn
- climax: the point in the narrative where the suspense and excitement reach their highest point
- resolution: the point where the problems in a story are resolved
- historical context: the background information that existed at a specific period in history
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may struggle to identify the story structure within such a long novel.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
'When the Sky Falls' is a complex novel with several plot lines - such as Joseph's struggle with reading. Different plot lines are resolved at different points in the story.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'climax'
the point in the narrative where the suspense and excitement reach their highest point.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may struggle to identify the story structure within such a long novel. Correction: Emphasise that different problems may be resolved at different points in a story, but we can identify the air raid as the overall climax because it is the point of highest tension.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Generating ideas for a journalistic report based on 'When the Sky Falls' Study Guide
- Generating ideas for a narrative climax scene in 'When The Sky Falls' Study Guide
- Planning a journalistic report based on 'When The Sky Falls' Study Guide
- Planning a narrative climax scene in 'When The Sky Falls' Study Guide
- Self-editing a journalistic report based on 'When The Sky Falls' Study Guide
- Writing the first half of a journalistic report based on 'When The Sky Falls' Study Guide
- Writing the first half of a narrative climax scene in 'When The Sky Falls' Study Guide
- Writing the second half of a journalistic report based on 'When The Sky Falls' Study Guide
- Writing the second half of a narrative climax scene in 'When The Sky Falls' Study Guide
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