Biographies in Action

Lesson Details

• Subject: English
• Year Group: Year 7 & 8 (Special School)
• Duration: 50 minutes
• Number of Students: 9
• Levels: EYFS, Year 1/2, Year 3/4
• Lesson Type: Observation Lesson

Learning Objective (LO)

To present a short biography in the style of an award acceptance speech.

UK National Curriculum Links

• Spoken Language: Participate in performances and presentations.
• Writing: Develop writing for different purposes and audiences.
• Vocabulary, Grammar & Punctuation: Use appropriate sentence structures.

---

Lesson Outline

Starter Activity: "Guess the Famous Figure" (10 minutes)

Objective: Engage students in identifying famous people through clues, activating prior knowledge.

1. Teacher Preparation: Prepare three short descriptions of well-known figures (e.g., David Attenborough, Malala Yousafzai, or Marcus Rashford).
2. Activity: Read one clue at a time; students guess the person.
3. Differentiation:
   • EYFS: Use images alongside verbal clues.
   • Year 1/2: Provide multiple-choice options.
   • Year 3/4: Encourage full-sentence answers.

---

Main Activity: Writing an Award Speech (25 minutes)

Objective: Structure a short speech in the first person, presenting a life story as if receiving an award.

Step 1: Discuss Speech Structure (5 minutes)

• Show an example: “I’m honoured to receive this award. Growing up, I faced many challenges, but I worked hard…”
• Break down structure:
  1. Thank the audience.
  2. Brief background (childhood, challenges, achievements).
  3. Inspirational closing statement.

Step 2: Gap-Fill Exercise (10 minutes)

• EYFS: Use a simple sentence template with key words for students to fill in (e.g., “I am ___. I grew up in ___. I am happy to get this award because ___.”).
• Year 1/2: Provide a structured paragraph with blanks for key information.
• Year 3/4: Encourage students to expand and use ambitious vocabulary.

Step 3: Writing Independently or with Support (10 minutes)

• EYFS: Work one-on-one with an adult, filling in responses.
• Year 1/2: Use a sentence starter checklist.
• Year 3/4: Challenge students to add two adjectives or a rhetorical question.

---

Plenary: Perform the Speeches (15 minutes)

• Students take turns presenting their award acceptance speeches.
• Class provides positive feedback using sentence stems: “I liked how you…”
• Stretch and Challenge: Encourage confident speakers to make eye contact and change their tone for emphasis.

---

Resources & Differentiation

Resources Needed:

• Printed speech templates (EYFS and Year 1/2).
• Checklist with speech structure for Year 3/4.
• Images of famous figures for visual aid.

Differentiation:

• Visual & Audio Support: Images of famous figures for context.
• Sentence Structures Simplified: Pre-written scaffolding for lower levels.
• Challenge Statements: Encourage year 3/4 to use sophisticated connectors or add a personal reflection.

---

Assessment & Next Steps

✔ Success Criteria:

• Did they introduce themselves?
• Did they mention a key moment from their life?
• Did they thank their audience?

🔼 Next Steps:

• Students edit speeches for better vocabulary.
• Independent writing extension: "Write a letter to the person you just wrote about."

---

Teacher Reflection & Sign-Off

This lesson builds confidence in speaking and writing while fostering creativity. It balances scaffolding with stretch challenges and allows for authentic engagement.