Celebrating Varjak Paw

Overview

Today’s lesson is Lesson 19 of 20 in the unit “Adventures with Varjak Paw”. Students will share and celebrate the narratives they have created, practising how to present information clearly and cohesively for an audience.

Learning intentions

• WALT present our narrative in a storytelling format, adapting language for listeners.
• WALT use cohesive devices to link ideas across sentences and paragraphs so the story flows.
• WALT make deliberate choices about sentence structure for effect (including where the passive may help).
• WALT self-assess and give kind, specific feedback on peers’ storytelling.

Success criteria

• I can tell my narrative clearly from beginning to end, using a consistent story voice.
• I can link ideas across paragraphs using cohesion (for example, repetition of key words/phrases, adverbials, or ellipsis).
• I can speak confidently to a small group and engage my audience.
• I can give feedback using “Tell/Show/Next” (what is working, evidence, and one improvement).

Curriculum links

• Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation (Year 6): cohesive devices across paragraphs (repetition, grammatical connections, ellipsis).
• Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation (Year 6): use of the passive to affect the presentation of information.
• Writing – composition: in narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings in what pupils have read, listened to or seen performed.
• Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation (Year 6): differences between informal and formal structures to support appropriate writing/speaking.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up: Audience mindset. Teacher reminds students they are storytellers today; model a short “good audience” checklist on the board. Students silently read a peer-feedback prompt and decide how they will support others.

2. 5–15 min · Quick rehearsal. Teacher displays a simple planning card with three cues: start (who/where), middle (problem + choices), ending (resolution + feelings). Students rehearse their narrative in pairs once, timing themselves (about 2 minutes each).

3. 15–25 min · Mini-teach: Cohesion for speaking. Teacher demonstrates two versions of the same idea: one with weak linking, one with stronger cohesive devices (repetition of a phrase, adverbials such as “in contrast/as a consequence”, and a purposeful ellipsis). Students highlight which linking device is doing the job in their own opening paragraph.

4. 25–45 min · Storytelling circles (small groups). Teacher sets up three groups of five (or two groups if space allows) with clear turn-taking and feedback roles. Students present their narratives in order; listeners record one “Tell/Show/Next” comment tied to clarity and cohesion.

5. 45–53 min · Feedback and refinement round. Teacher models how to translate feedback into one quick change (for example, adding an adverbial, rephrasing a sentence, or inserting ellipsis to build suspense). Students do a 5-minute “micro-edit” rehearsal of their next retell (without rewriting the whole story).

6. 53–60 min · Gallery-share wrap-up. Teacher invites 2–3 volunteers to share a memorable moment; class celebrates effort and specific craft choices. Students complete a brief self-evaluation: “My story was clear because… My best linking was… One next step is…”

Resources

• Students’ completed narrative drafts or story maps
• Narrative cue cards (start/middle/end prompts)
• Cohesion prompt strip (repetition, adverbials, ellipsis)
• Feedback templates (“Tell/Show/Next”)
• Timer (phone or classroom timer)
• Optional presentation materials: poster paper, sticky notes, devices for slides/audio if available
• Listening checklist for each group

Assessment

• Teacher listens during circle presentations, noting: clarity, cohesion across paragraphs, and engagement.
• Formative checks using the “Tell/Show/Next” feedback to see if students can identify effective language choices.
• Exit self-evaluation to confirm each student’s confidence with storytelling and one actionable next step.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for storytelling (“First…, Then…, After that…, As a consequence…”, “In contrast…”, “Suddenly…”), plus a reduced-cohesion target (choose one device to use today).
• Support: Offer an audio recording option or a visual storyboard presentation for students who struggle with spoken fluency.
• Targeted grammar scaffold: For students focusing on sentence variety, provide a “passive sentence” example to adapt (“The window was broken by…” / “The spell was cast by…”), used only if it fits their story.
• Extension (advanced learners): Add an “author’s craft” commentary after presenting (30 seconds) explaining which cohesive device(s) you used and why; alternatively, prepare a polished version for anthology publication (see below).

Extension (optional)

• Publish narratives in a class anthology: students revise their best version, choose a title, add a short “author’s note” about character and setting development, and include one craft feature (cohesive device) that strengthened the story.