Fantastic Journeys Chart

Overview

This 30-minute lesson for Reception students is the second in a six-lesson unit titled "Journey Explorations: Transport Adventures." Children will engage in multimodal learning through a video stimulus, personal recount, group data-gathering, sensory discussion, and creative expression. The aim is to develop observational, communication, and early data handling skills while fostering vocabulary linked to transport and travel experiences.

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National Curriculum Links

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) - Reception

• Communication and Language

  • Listening and attention: Children listen attentively in a range of situations.
  • Understanding: Follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.
  • Speaking: Use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future.

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

  • Self-confidence and self-awareness: Confidently talk about own ideas and experiences.

• Understanding the World

  • People and communities: Talk about their families and experiences.
  • The world: Explore and talk about different places and environments.

• Expressive Arts and Design

  • Exploring and using media and materials: Use a range of materials and tools creatively to express ideas.

• Mathematics

  • Shape, space and measure: Use everyday language to describe position, direction and movement.
  • Handling data: Begin to sort and group objects.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, children will be able to:

1. Recall and talk about their own travel experiences using appropriate vocabulary (EYFS Communication and Language).
2. Listen attentively to a video and respond to questions about the journey shown (Communication and Language).
3. Collaboratively create a simple chart categorising modes of transport used by classmates (Handling data, Mathematics).
4. Discuss sensory details (sights, sounds, sensations) related to travel experiences (Understanding the World, Communication).
5. Write a simple sentence about their favourite mode of transport and illustrate it (Expressive Arts and Design, Communication).

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Resources

• Large sheet of paper (A1 size) for transport chart
• Markers and coloured pencils
• Transport video (~3-4 minutes) showing various journey adventures (e.g., trains, planes, bicycles)
• Picture prompts or flashcards of different transport modes
• Sentence writing template with starter phrase (e.g., "My favourite transport is...")
• Individual drawing paper

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction & Video (5 minutes)

• Welcome children and recap on the previous lesson’s transport exploration quickly.
• Set context: “Today, we’re going to watch a short video about some fantastic journeys.”
• Show the video, encouraging children to watch carefully.
• Ask simple questions post-video:
  • “What different ways of travelling did you see?”
  • “Did it remind you of any journeys you have had?”

Assessment: Observe children’s listening and recall abilities; note participation in discussion.

2. Recalling Personal Journeys (5 minutes)

• Invite children to share something about a journey they made over the half-term.
• Use prompts:
  • “Where did you go?”
  • “How did you travel there?”
  • “What did you see or hear?”
• Acknowledge all contributions and encourage use of descriptive words.

Assessment: Check for use of past tense and transport-related vocabulary.

3. Creating the Transport Chart (10 minutes)

• Introduce the large paper for the Transport Chart: title it “How We Travelled.”
• Draw columns or sections labelled with transport modes (e.g., Car, Bus, Bike, Train, Plane, Walk).
• As children share their transport modes, tally or place stickers/draw marks next to the relevant mode.
• Discuss briefly which is the most common or least common way travelled.

Assessment: Observe children’s understanding of sorting and grouping; engagement in contributing data.

4. Talking Sensory Experiences (5 minutes)

• Gather children in a circle and initiate a sensory discussion about journeys:
  • “What sounds did you hear on your journey?”
  • “What did you see out of the window?”
  • “Did you feel anything special – wind, bumps, sun?”
• Use picture prompts to support vocabulary acquisition.

Assessment: Note children’s descriptive language and ability to connect sensory details to experiences.

5. Plenary: Sentence Writing and Drawing (5 minutes)

• Distribute writing templates and drawing paper.
• Model writing a simple sentence about a favourite mode of transport. For example, “My favourite transport is the bus.”
• Children write with adult support as needed, then draw a picture illustrating their sentence.
• Allow volunteers to share their sentences and drawings briefly.

Assessment: Check children’s developing writing skills, use of sentence structure, and expressiveness in art.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide visual aids and sentence starters for children with limited communication skills.
• Use peer pairing for children who might benefit from language modelling.
• Support fine motor skills during drawing and writing by providing thicker pencils or grips.
• Challenge more confident children with open-ended “how” and “why” questions.

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Classroom Management Tips

• Use signal or countdown for transitioning between activities smoothly.
• Praise efforts to encourage participation.
• Encourage respect when listening to peers’ journey stories.

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Reflection and Next Steps

• After the lesson, review the transport chart with children in the next session to deepen understanding.
• Plan activities exploring specific modes of transport more experientially (e.g., role play or vehicle models).
• Use children’s sentences and drawings to build a classroom display celebrating their journeys.

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This lesson harnesses storytelling, sensory language, social skills, and early data handling to meet a broad range of Reception curriculum goals while embedding the exciting theme of transport adventures and personal journeys.