Exploring Imagination

Overview

Unit: Creative Writing Adventures (Lesson 1 of 5)
Class: Year 1
Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 8 students
Subject: English
Curriculum Link: National Curriculum for England—English Programmes of Study: Spoken Language and Writing

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Understand the concept of creative writing as storytelling from the imagination (National Curriculum: English – Writing – Year 1 – Develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing).
• Recognise favourite stories and characters, using talk to express ideas (National Curriculum: English – Spoken Language – Year 1 – Participate in discussions, ask and answer questions).
• Use pictures and simple words to create a basic story map, identifying key parts of a story (National Curriculum: English – Writing – Year 1 – Write narratives about personal experiences and those of others).
• Develop vocabulary related to stories and characters (National Curriculum: English – Spoken Language – develop vocabulary).

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Resources

• Picture books with clear characters and simple storylines (e.g. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Where the Wild Things Are)
• Picture cards of familiar story characters (fairies, animals, knights, pirates, etc.)
• Large sheets of paper and coloured markers/pencils
• Story map template (simple with 3–4 boxes illustrating beginning, middle, end)
• "Imagination Hats" (fun hats or headbands to spark creativity)
• Digital timer or clock

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Lesson Structure

1. Soft Start & Introduction (5 minutes)

• Invite pupils to enter the room with calm music playing (e.g., instrumental storytelling theme).
• Display a large picture of a familiar story character (e.g., a dragon or princess). Ask:
  “Who do you think this is? What kind of story would they be in?”
• Explain:
  “Today, we will explore creative writing — that means we get to use our imagination to tell stories that are fun and exciting!”

Assessment: Teacher observes engagement and listening skills.

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2. Group Discussion: Favourite Stories & Characters (10 minutes)

• Gather students in a circle. Teacher prompts with questions:
  • “What is your favourite story or book?”
  • “Who is your favourite character?”
  • “Why do you like them?”
• Display picture cards of various characters to help prompt ideas.
• Encourage children to expand ideas with sentence starters:
  • “My favourite character is…”
  • “I like them because…”
• Model talk and praise all contributions.

Curriculum Link: Develop positive attitudes to listening and speaking.

SEND Adaptations: Use picture cards and simplified language; allow non-verbal responses using cards.

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3. Main Activity: Creating a Simple Story Map (25 minutes)

a) Explain Story Maps (5 minutes)

• Show a large example story map on the board with 3 sections: Beginning, Middle, End.
• Use a known story (e.g., The Very Hungry Caterpillar) and draw pictures for each section together.
• Explain how story maps help us plan and remember stories.

b) Guided Story Mapping (15 minutes)

• Distribute large paper and coloured markers to pairs or small groups.
• Ask pupils to choose a favourite character from the earlier discussion or imagination hats.
• Help them create a simple story map using pictures and 1–2 words in each box to represent the story’s beginning, middle, and end.
• Teachers and teaching assistants support spelling and encourage descriptive words (e.g., “big,” “happy,” “fast”).

c) Share Stories (5 minutes)

• Invite groups to briefly share their story maps with the class.
• Use positive reinforcement and recap: creativity and imagination are important!

Curriculum Links:

• Write narratives about personal experiences or stories.
• Begin to use words and simple sentences to convey meaning.

SEND Adaptations:

• Provide pre-drawn story map templates with symbols.
• Adult scribe words as children dictate.

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4. Plenary: Reflecting On Our Imaginations (5 minutes)

• Sit in a circle, show the imagination hats. Ask:
  “What is creative writing? Why is using our imagination fun?”
• Encourage one or two pupils to say a sentence about what they learned.
• Recap learning objectives: storytelling, imagination, story maps.

Assessment:

• Observe participation in discussion.
• Check story maps for understanding of beginning, middle, and end.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Informal formative assessment during group discussion and story map sharing.
• Observation of ability to sequence story parts in the map.
• Vocabulary use in spoken contributions.

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Curriculum Links Detail

• English – Writing (Year 1):
  ‘Pupils should develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real or fictional).’
• English – Spoken Language (Year 1):
  ‘Pupils should participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates.’
  ‘Pupils should broaden their vocabulary and use new words actively in discussion.’

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Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

• Invite all children to share stories from their own cultures or family traditions in future lessons.
• Use diverse characters in story map encouragement (different backgrounds, abilities, animals, fantasy).
• Model respect for all ideas and imaginative contributions.

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Embedding Life Skills & Values

• Collaboration: Working together to design story maps.
• Creativity: Expressing original ideas through storytelling.
• Communication: Sharing ideas clearly in discussion and performance.
• Respect: Listening to and valuing peers’ imaginative ideas.

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Extension Ideas for Next Lessons

• Writing simple sentences to accompany story maps.
• Acting out story maps with props and role-play.
• Exploring descriptive language through character and setting.

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Thank you for inspiring young imaginations!