Open Day Recount

Overview

Students orally rehearse and write a brief recount of Waimahia Intermediate Open Day. They will organise events chronologically, select relevant details for a known audience, and use precise language, time connectives and a concluding sentence.

Learning intentions

• WALT recount an event in chronological order.
• WALT select details that help our audience understand what happened.
• WALT use time connectives and precise vocabulary.
• WALT plan and draft a clear paragraph about our Open Day experience.

Success criteria

• I can introduce what happened, where and when.
• I can organise at least three events in the order they occurred.
• I can include specific details, feelings or examples.
• I can finish with a sentence about what I thought or learnt.

Curriculum links

• Writing to inform: introduce a topic clearly, group related information logically and provide a conclusion.
• Writing processes: plan a short series of sentences through talk and careful thinking.
• Audience, purpose and language choice: make deliberate choices about what to include or leave out.
• Key competencies: managing self, participating and contributing, and using language, symbols and texts.

Lesson structure (15 minutes)

1. 0–2 min · Recall and hook. Teacher opens with the Open Day image and recall question and asks, “What is one moment from Open Day that someone who was not there would need to know?” Students silently picture the day, then share one memory with a partner.

2. 2–5 min · Model a recount. Teacher displays the recount features and model paragraph and thinks aloud while identifying the opening, chronological order, specific details, time connectives and conclusion. Students help underline or name features such as first, next, later, after that and finally.

Model orally and briefly on the board: “On Open Day, visitors came to Waimahia Intermediate to experience our school. First, we welcomed them and showed them around. Next, they joined an activity and asked questions. Later, we shared what we had learnt. I felt proud because our visitors saw what makes our school special.”

3. 5–8 min · Plan through talk. Teacher distributes the Open Day recount planning sheet and guides students to jot notes in three event boxes: beginning, middle and end. Students rehearse their recount with a partner, using the prompts “What happened first?”, “What happened next?” and “What detail makes this memorable?” Partners listen for one detail that could be left out and one detail that would help the audience.

4. 8–12 min · Draft. Teacher directs students to write a short recount on the worksheet, reminding them to use their plan rather than attempt a full account of everything that happened. Students write an opening sentence, three ordered events and a concluding sentence. Encourage precise nouns and verbs, such as welcomed, demonstrated, explored, explained and reflected, where appropriate.

5. 12–14 min · Quick peer check. Teacher displays the peer-check prompts and asks students to read their writing quietly to a partner. Students check: “Can I follow the order?”, “Is there a specific detail?”, and “Does it end with a thought or feeling?” Each writer makes one immediate improvement, such as adding a time connective, replacing a vague word or correcting punctuation.

6. 14–15 min · Share and exit reflection. Teacher invites two students to read a strong opening or concluding sentence and displays the final reflection prompt. Students complete the bottom of the worksheet: “The detail I chose because it matters to my audience is…” Collect worksheets for a quick review.

Resources

• the Open Day recount slide deck
• the Open Day recount planning sheet
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pens or pencils
• Timer
• Optional photographs or teacher-selected images from Open Day

Assessment

• Listen during partner rehearsal for chronological sequencing and relevant details.
• During drafting, check whether students include a clear topic, ordered events, precise vocabulary and a conclusion.
• Use the final reflection to assess whether students understand that content should be selected for the audience, not simply listed.

Differentiation

• Support students with a word bank on the board: welcomed, visited, explored, demonstrated, asked, noticed, enjoyed, surprised, proud, finally.
• Provide oral rehearsal, a sentence starter such as “On Open Day at Waimahia Intermediate…”, and permission to bullet-point ideas before writing.
• For students needing additional support, scribe key ideas during partner talk or allow speech-to-text where available; pair them with a supportive, patient rehearsal partner.
• Challenge confident writers to combine events into a well-linked paragraph and add an example or explanation showing why one moment was important to visitors.