Orb Pricing Poems

Overview

Lesson 4 focuses on two key building blocks for the “Red Orb Shop: Gothic Castle Mission Kit”: decimal place value for pricing and writing an atmospheric gothic setting poem using sensory language. Students build on prior mission-world work from earlier lessons by turning store decisions into vivid language.

Learning intentions

Students will…

• understand decimal place value to read prices to 2 decimal places (e.g., 1.50, 2.75)
• read and record decimal prices accurately using a grid
• use a guided template to write a gothic setting poem
• include sensory details (sight, sound, smell, touch, mood) and vivid word choices

Success criteria

Students can…

• read and write decimals to 2 places correctly for Red Orb pricing
• use a decimal grid to show place value (ones, tenths, hundredths)
• complete a setting poem template with at least 4 sensory details
• choose at least 2 vivid vocabulary words (e.g., vivid verbs/adjectives/imagery) to create atmosphere

Curriculum links

• English Literature: create and edit literary texts that adapt plot/setting ideas and experiment with literary devices - English Language: identify authors’ use of vivid, emotive vocabulary to create imagery - English Literacy: use comprehension strategies and questioning to build inferred meaning - Mathematics (WA-aligned): decimal place value to 2 decimal places using place value understanding and representations (decimal grids)

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Dopamine warm-up (Mission prompt + read-aloud). Teacher shows a quick “shop scene” image (storybook style: shadowy doorway, flickering candles) and reads a 30-second atmospheric excerpt, then asks: “What do you imagine you’d hear or smell in this place?”

2. 5–15 min · Decimal basics with Red Orb pricing. Teacher models a decimal place value grid on screen or on paper, placing “1.50” and “2.75” with colour-coded columns: ones | tenths | hundredths. Students fill in the grid for both prices using two mini cards or stickers per place (e.g., 1.50 = 1 one + 5 tenths + 0 hundredths), then read each decimal out loud to a partner (or to the teacher).

3. 15–23 min · High-visual practice burst (orb dice / card sort). Teacher hands out 6 decimal cards: 1.50, 2.75 plus three “decoy” values (e.g., 1.5 and 2.7) and students sort them into “2 decimal places” vs “needs fixing.” Students correct the decoys by rewriting them to 2 places (e.g., 1.5 → 1.50) and place them beside matching decimal grids.

4. 23–30 min · Week 2 spelling words micro-work. Teacher displays word bank: dungeon, corridor, chamber, fortress, tower. Students choose 2 words to complete a quick “sentence stem” (e.g., “The corridor smelled like…”) and underline the chosen spelling in their writing or on a magnetic letter strip. Dyslexia-friendly option: student traces over the word once with a finger, then writes once from memory.

5. 30–45 min · Guided gothic setting poem template. Teacher introduces a one-page template with visible prompts and word bank for sensory language (dark, echo, rust, candle smoke, cold stone, distant drip, velvet shadows). Teacher co-writes the first line only (teacher example stays up). Students complete the poem using the template, aiming for:

• Line 1 (place): “In the ___ (fortress/tower/dungeon/chamber/corridor)…”
• Lines 2–4 (sensory): at least 4 sensory details total
• Line 5 (mood): “I feel…” or “It feels like…” Offer a “tap-to-fill” version: student selects from sentence starter strips and arranges them in order, then reads the poem aloud.

6. 45–55 min · Edit like a detective (cohesion + vivid vocab check). Teacher runs a fast peer/teacher checklist:

• “Did you include 4 sensory details?”
• “Did you use vivid/emotive words (not just ‘dark’ everywhere)?” Students revise by swapping one weak word with a vivid alternative from the word bank and reading it back for fluency.

7. 55–60 min · Exit ticket (evidence + accountability). Students submit:

• one correctly labelled decimal grid for a price chosen by teacher (either 1.50 or 2.75)
• one final “best line” from their poem (written or spoken and transcribed by teacher if needed)

Resources

• Decimal grids (ones/tenths/hundredths) on paper or mini whiteboards
• Red Orb pricing cards (1.50, 2.75) and decoy cards (1.5, 2.7)
• Colour pencils or stickers for placing values
• Week 2 spelling word cards (dungeon, corridor, chamber, fortress, tower)
• Gothic setting poem template (5–6 line structured scaffold)
• Sensory word bank and vivid vocab bank
• Storybook-style image cards (gothic doorway, castle corridor, candlelight shadows)
• Timer (visual) and sentence starter strips
• Optional: letter magnets / tracing cards for dyslexia-friendly spelling

Assessment

• Formative during sorting: teacher checks correct identification of decimals with 2 places and accurate grid placement
• During poem drafting: teacher listens for at least 4 sensory details and selects one vivid word swap target
• Exit ticket: decimal grid accuracy + best poem line aligned to sensory/mood prompt

Differentiation

• Provide choice: students select which two spelling words to use in the poem, and choose sensory details from a bank
• Reduced writing option: arrange sentence starter strips to build the poem, then student records or dictates to teacher
• Dyslexia-friendly supports: word bank, tracing once then write once, large font templates, ruler/line guide for tracking
• Neurodivergent pacing: short bursts (10–12 minutes), sensory break option (stand, stretch, 30 seconds breathing), and visual timers
• Extension (for ready learners): add a second vivid technique in one line (e.g., personification like “the corridor whispers”) or include a repeated key word for cohesion (e.g., repeat “shadow” with synonyms)