Our Polar Story Showcase

Overview

In the final lesson of Antarctica Story Explorers, students revisit their completed flip books and a shared story map about Antarctica, penguins and the orca highway. They orally plan a three-part story before writing, drawing or dictating it, applying developing sound knowledge and using because or so to extend an idea.

Learning intentions

• WALT say each part of our story before writing it.
• WALT organise an idea into a beginning, middle and end.
• WALT listen for and record the sounds in CVC words.
• WALT use because or so to explain or connect ideas.
• WALT share our learning and respond kindly to others.

Success criteria

• I can ask or answer a relevant question about my topic.
• I can say what happens first, then and finally.
• I can stretch out sounds in selected CVC words and record them.
• I can use because or so in a sentence.
• I can share my story so others understand my idea.

Curriculum links

• Writing Processes — Planning: saying each sentence aloud helps writers choose words and organise ideas clearly.
• Writing Processes — Drafting: writing one or more sentences after planning each sentence orally.
• Writing Processes — Drafting: writing the sentence that has been planned orally.
• Oral language: building foundational oral language, reading and writing skills through structured literacy approaches.
• Te Mātaiaho competencies: students communicate ideas, manage themselves as writers and participate respectfully in a learning-focused sharing circle.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Reconnect and wonder. Teacher displays the Antarctica, penguin and orca images from the Polar Story Showcase deck and asks, “What do we already know, and what could we still ask?” Students revisit their completed flip books, turn and talk, then offer what, when, who, where, how or if questions. Record one or two relevant questions on the shared story map.

2. 5–11 min · Model oral planning. Teacher chooses penguins and models pointing to three picture prompts while saying: “First, a penguin dives. Then it swims because it is looking for food. Finally, it returns to the ice, so its chick can eat.” Teacher briefly models stretching a CVC word, such as /d/ /i/ /v/, and placing one sound in each box. Students echo the three sentences and identify the beginning, middle, end, CVC word and joining word. Refer to the oral planning and sentence-frame slides.

3. 11–17 min · Plan with a partner. Teacher offers the three choices—Antarctica, penguins or the orca highway—and gives each child picture prompts and a turn to rehearse. Display the frames: “First ___.” “Then ___ because ___.” “Finally ___, so ___.” Students choose one topic, orally say all three parts to a partner, and ask one relevant question about the topic. Teacher listens for sequence and prompts with “What happened next?” or “Why?”

4. 17–32 min · Create the story. Teacher distributes the three-part Polar Story page and conferences individually, asking each child to say the sentence before writing. Students write, draw or dictate a beginning, middle and end. They independently segment selected CVC words using sound boxes and sound dots, then attempt because or so. Provide letter tiles, tracing support, a topic word bank, speech-to-text or adult scribing as needed. During conferences, prompt: “Say it slowly. What sound do you hear first?” For extension, invite a descriptive word and a second conjunction.

5. 32–37 min · Rehearse the retell. Teacher meets briefly with each child to hear the completed story, records or notes the oral retell, and uses the child-friendly checklist to assess questions, CVC segmentation, conjunction use and sequencing. Students point to each section and orally retell their story using First, Then and Finally.

6. 37–44 min · Five-child sharing circle. Teacher invites each student to share the flip book or new story. After each share, classmates respond with “I noticed ___” and “I wonder ___.” Teacher models specific, encouraging responses and ensures every child has a turn. Use the sharing-circle prompt slides for the response stems.

7. 44–45 min · Celebrate and close. Teacher celebrates the class as Antarctica Story Explorers and collects the writing sample with the oral-retell notes. Students show a thumb signal for the part they found easiest: planning, making sounds, writing or sharing.

Resources

• the Polar Story Showcase deck
• the three-part Polar Story page
• Completed student flip books
• Shared Antarctica story map
• Antarctica, penguin and orca picture prompts
• CVC sound boxes and sound dots
• Letter tiles, pencils, crayons and topic word bank
• Child-friendly assessment checklist
• Device for speech-to-text or audio recording, if available

Assessment

• During planning, check whether each child asks or answers a relevant what, when, who, where, how or if question and orally sequences a beginning, middle and end.
• During writing and conferencing, record whether the child separates selected CVC words into sounds and attempts because or so. Note whether support was independent, prompted or adult-provided.
• Save the writing sample and oral retell. Use the checklist and the narrative e-asTTle rubric’s age-appropriate ideas about communicating and sequencing to identify one next step for each child.

Differentiation

• Support oral language with picture prompts, gesture, repeated rehearsal, sentence frames and a small-group conference. Accept writing, drawing, dictation or a combination.
• Provide sound boxes, dots, letter tiles, tracing letters, a topic word bank, speech-to-text or adult scribing without reducing the child’s ownership of the idea.
• For multilingual learners, pre-teach and act out key words such as ice, cold, swim, food and home; invite home-language rehearsal before English sharing.
• Extend confident writers by adding a descriptive word, a second because or so sentence, or an additional relevant detail while retaining a clear three-part sequence.